Born in San Francisco, California, Alicia Mastromonaco began playing the piano at age seven, and the horn at age twelve. Alicia earned BM degrees in horn performance and musicology at Boston University where she studied with Eric Ruske, Daniel Katzen, Jean Rife, and Jason Snyder, then moved to Berlin to study at the Universität der Künste Berlin under the tutelage of Christian-Friedrich Dallmann. From Berlin, Alicia returned to California where she earned a MM at UCLA studying with Chris Cooper. She also earned an MA in musicology from UC Santa Barbara, where she is currently writing a dissertation for her musicology PhD.

Alicia is an avid orchestral hornist and has holds positions with the Marin Symphony and Monterey Symphony. She performs with several California orchestras, including the San Francisco Symphony, San Diego Symphony, Pacific Symphony, Santa Rosa Symphony, California Symphony, Fresno Philharmonic, Symphony Silicon Valley, Opera San José, Oakland Symphony, and Modesto Symphony, and performs in chamber groups.

In addition to her work as a performing musician, Alicia is also passionate about music history and education. Alicia is the education coordinator for the Monterey Symphony, where she writes program notes, gives pre-concert lectures, visits thousands of students around Monterey County each year, and emcees the Symphony’s Youth Concerts. Her dissertation research centers around regional orchestras in northern California during labor disputes and bankruptcies. In addition to her research, she also enjoys teaching privately at her home studio, and in college classroom settings, having taught undergraduates at UCLA and UCSB.