Melissa Medina Palomo, horn, holds a Bachelor of Music in Performance from the University of Wisconsin - Madison and a Master of Music from the University of North Texas. Her primary teachers include Patrick Miles, Douglas Hill, William Scharnberg and Richard Todd. She is an alumnus of The Apple Hill Center for Chamber Music and The Henry Mancini Institute, and she has performed with The Minnesota Opera, VocalEssence, Allegro Sinfonia, Como Parks Pops Ensemble and many other freelance orchestras and ensembles in Minneapolis/St. Paul, Los Angeles and Dallas. As an active freelance musician, she has performed on stage with Michael W. Smith, Bebe Neuwirth, Terrance Blanchard, David Sanchez, Mark O'Connor, Christian McBride, Bruce Broughton, and Jerry Goldsmith.

Melissa is currently in her third year of the Doctor of Pharmacy program at the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, and she resides in Minneapolis.