Barry Toombs, a native of Galveston, Texas, has served as Executive Director and hornist of Westwind Brass since 1991, guiding the ensemble through more than three decades of performances, ten commercially released recordings, and educational outreach throughout the San Diego region. As a performer, he has appeared with the San Diego Symphony, Orquesta de Baja California, Starlight Opera Theatre, and the U.S. Navy Bands of San Diego and Great Lakes, and retired from the U.S. Navy Reserve after a distinguished career in logistics. His compositions are published through Neil A. Kjos Music Company, and he holds a Bachelor of Arts from the State University of New York at Albany.
A native of Monterey, California, Andrew Elstob holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in music from San Diego State University and brings a career full of range, versatility, and genuine passion for live performance.
Andrew’s credits span the full spectrum of brass artistry. On the theatrical stage, he has performed Broadway productions at San Diego’s Old Globe, La Jolla Playhouse, and Civic Theaters. His classical résumé includes performances alongside Pavarotti, the San Diego Symphony, San Diego Chamber Orchestra, Orchestra de Baja California, and Classics for Kids. In the jazz world, he is currently, and each summer brings his talents to audiences at the San Diego Zoo.
A dedicated advocate for live musicianship, Andrew believes that human artistry and connection are irreplaceable — on any stage, in any era. Off the bandstand, he is equally committed to his well-being, championing nutrition, sleep, and exercise as the foundation of a long and sustainable career.
For Steve Dillard, the trumpet has always come first. With a professional performance career spanning more than 60 years, Steve remains one of San Diego’s most sought-after brass artists — equally at home on a jazz club stage, a classical concert hall, or a sold-out arena tour.
His performance credits speak for themselves. Steve has had the privilege of performing alongside some of music’s most iconic names, including Jimmy Buffett, Huey Lewis, Olivia Newton-John, Doc Severinsen, Burt Bacharach, Kenny G, Dennis DeYoung (Styx), Lynyrd Skynyrd, Al Paris (Kool & the Gang), Jason Scheff (Chicago), and the San Diego Symphony and Opera — just to name a few.
Steve’s versatility is one of his greatest strengths. Whether the setting calls for jazz, pop, or classical, he brings the same level of artistry and professionalism that has made him a fixture in Southern California’s live music scene. He can regularly be found performing in major shows and tours passing through San Diego and the greater Southern California region.
Beyond performing, Steve is widely respected as a Horn Contractor, building and coordinating horn sections for bands and projects throughout the San Diego area. And for trumpeters around the world, his name is synonymous with one more thing — HornTrader.com, the web-based trumpet retail destination he founded in 1998 and has operated ever since.
Eric Starr leads a diverse career as a performer, educator, and administrator based in San Diego, CA. He is currently on the faculty of San Diego State University. Eric is the principle trombonist of City Music Cleveland and has performed locally with the San Diego Symphony, San Diego Opera, Broadway San Diego and many others. He holds a D.M.A from Stony Brook University, a Master of Music and Artist Diploma from the Cleveland Institute of Music and a Bachelor of Music from the University of Southern California.
Mike McCoy, a proud San Diego native, serves as 4th Horn with the Las Vegas Philharmonic and is a key member of the Millennia Consort, a San Diego-based brass, organ, and percussion ensemble. He previously held the Co-Principal position with Orchestra Nova San Diego and currently contributes to the horn sections of the San Diego Symphony, San Diego Opera, and Pacific Symphony. Mike’s versatile horn playing has provided accompaniment for an impressive array of artists, including Frank Sinatra Jr., Pink Martini, Liza Minnelli, Luciano Pavarotti, Aretha Franklin, Dave Brubeck, and Burt Bacharach. His Broadway credits include lead horn for national tours like “The Lion King,” “Tommy,” and “Wicked,” plus subbing for the Las Vegas “Lion King” production. An active recording artist for film and commercials, his orchestral engagements also extend to the Billings MT Symphony, Riverside Philharmonic, Mexico City Philharmonic, Orchestra de Baja California, and the Strauss Symphony of America. He has also toured as a soloist with the New England Youth Ensemble and adjudicated for California’s All-Southern Honor Band and Orchestras. Beyond performing, Mike is dedicated to teaching. He honed his skills at the San Diego School for the Creative and Performing Arts, San Diego State University, and the Boston Conservatory of Music.
Wayne grew up in Poway. He received degrees in music performance from the University of Michigan and the Manhattan School of Music, and a law degree from the University of Minnesota. Wayne has performed with the All-American College All-Star Marching Band at Walt Disney World, at Cedar Point Amusement Park, with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, and with the San Diego Symphony Pops. He began playing with the Euphoria Brass Band in 2011 and has played as a substitute with the Westwind Brass since 2004. Wayne has been a member of the Westwind Brass since 2025.
John Wilds is a native of Seattle, Washington. He is principal trumpet with the San Diego Opera Orchestra, San Diego Chamber Orchestra, and second trumpet with the San Diego Symphony. He has performed with the San Francisco Symphony, Santa Fe Opera Orchestra, Orquestra Metropolitana de Lisboa, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and was principal trumpet in the New Mexico Symphony and the Mississippi Symphony. Mr. Wilds received his earliest musical training from his father on the highland bagpipes. He received further training at the Indiana University School of Music. John is associated as a trumpet instructor with San Diego State University, Point Loma Nazarene University, the University of San Diego, and Rancho Bernardo High School.
Our students are socio-economically disadvantaged, so exposure to music is certainly welcomed and appreciated. Your group certainly ‘planted the seed’ of developing our interest in music. I was observing our students and they were totally engaged the entire time.