Flutist and Piccoloist Diego Fernandez has been nationally recognized as an orchestral performer. A passionate and motivated individual, he believes in the life changing abilities of music and how it brings people of all backgrounds together. A student at the San Francisco Conservatory of music, he studies orchestral performance with Catherine Payne from the San Francisco Symphony. His previous teacher included Dr. Abigail Sperling, former Flute Professor at Linfield University, and Martha Conwell Long, Principal Flute of Baltimore Symphony Orchestra.
A former member of the National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America (NYO-USA) 2023, Interlochen Arts Camp World Youth Orchestra 2022, and the Portland Youth Philharmonic, Diego has been an active ambassador for music and his personal roots. President of the Pride Network at SFCM, he engages with his school community to make a safe space for fellow members of the LGBTQIA+ community. Outside of school, Diego loves to go on long city walks, read romance novels and poetry, and engage with community groups and fandoms