Najette Abouelhadi, cello
Moroccan-Italian cellist, Najette Abouelhadi is an active musician with a passion for community connectivity and inclusion. Currently a Project Inclusion Fellow with the Chicago Sinfonietta and a member of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago. Najette received her Bachelor Degree and Graduate Performance Diploma under the tutelage of Alan Stepansky at the Peabody Conservatory.
Alex Anest, guitar
Alex Anest has been teaching, performing, and recording music in Southeast Michigan since 1996. He founded the Ann Arbor Guitar Trio and is also currently playing with the Alex Anest Organ Trio and Nomad (featuring Janelle Reichman, Gayelynn McKinney, Peyton Miller, Eric Nachtrab, and Alexis Lombre). Alex studied guitar with Miles Okazaki and Chris Buzzelli. He holds a Masters of Music in Improvisation from University of Michigan, where he studied with Benny Green, Mark Kirschenmann, and Ellen Rowe. Alex has played on stages throughout the Midwest and New England, and has appeared on over 30 albums, mostly recorded in Michigan.
Titilayo Ayangade, cello
Titilayo Ayangade, originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, is a dedicated chamber musician, multifaceted artist and curator of a diverse collection of music. Titilayo holds a Bachelor of Music from CCM where she studied with Ilya Finkelshteyn.
As an avid chamber musician Titilayo has worked with celebrated quartets such as the Miro Quartet, Ying Quartet, Artemis Quartet, and many others. The cellist of the Thalea String Quartet, Titilayo was a top prize winner at both the 2018 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition and the 2018 Chamber Music Yellow Springs Competition. Titilayo has attended Bowdoin International Music Festival, Sphinx Performance Academy at the Walnut Hill School, Meadowmount Summer Music Festival, International Festival de Inverno Campos do Jordao, Aspen Music Festival, National Orchestral Institute (NOI), Colorado College Summer Music Festival and the Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival. Beyond the concert stage, Titilayo has made several appearances on Fox's hit TV show Empire and enjoys her work as a professional photographer.
Mark Billy, baritone
This season Native (Choctaw tribe) baritone Mark Billy was to sing the role of King’s Man in Minnesota Opera’s world-premiere of Edward Tulane, by Paola Prestini and to sing Marullo in Rigoletto and to cover the title role with Mill City Summer Opera. In 2018 Mark was the First Place Winner of the Schubert Club Competition. Last spring Mr. Billy was a young artist with Hawaii Opera Theatre singing Figaro in The Barber of Seville (touring) and Marchese in La Traviata (mainstage) as well as covering Quinn Kelsey in the role of Germont.
Michelle Cann, piano
Concert pianist Michelle Cann is a young artist with a deep musical commitment to performing a wide range of repertoire throughout the US and to bringing the arts to local communities. Michelle made her orchestral debut at age 14 and has since performed with various orchestras including the Florida Orchestra, the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra and the Cleveland Institute of Music Symphony Orchestra. Michelle appeared as guest soloist with the Knoxville Symphony where she performed Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue and Florence Price's Concerto in One Movement. Recently, Michelle performed with members of the Los Angeles Philharmonic in its Green Umbrella Series at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles and, again, at the Barbican in London. She regularly appears in recital and as a chamber musician throughout the US, China and South Korea at premiere concert halls including the National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing and the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and recently performed a solo recital at the Bermuda Festival on the island of Bermuda. Michelle is under the management of Lisa Sapinkopf Artists.
Alexander Carlucci, bassoon
Principal Bassoonist of the Michigan Philharmonic, Alexander Carlucci is an active orchestral player, chamber musician and educator in Michigan and the Midwest. In concert, he has performed with the Adrian (MI), Jackson (MI) and Mid-Atlantic (MD) Symphonies and was previously a member of the Washington Chamber Orchestra (DC). An advocate for new music, Alex has performed and premiered solo and chamber music focusing on living and underrepresented composers from around the world.
Mr. Carlucci earned a Master of Music degree from the University of Michigan as a graduate fellow and received his Bachelor of Music from the Peabody Institute of Music studying with Jeffrey Lyman and Phillip Kolker.
Gabrielle Chou, violin
Gabrielle Chou, 24, is a New York and Miami-based pianist and violinist seeking to defy genres and break barriers in music education and performance tradition. On both instruments she performs solo, chamber music, and in large ensembles, teaches and lectures, coaches chamber music, collaborates with composers and dancers, and is active in community engagement and arts administration. Her education includes the Colburn Music Academy, The Juilliard School, and the University of New York’s Graduate Center, where she is getting her doctorate. Gabrielle is also teaching at Baruch College as well as a staff pianist at Juilliard. She loves art museums and aquariums and her favorite food is white peaches.
Hannah Christiansen, violin
Hannah Christiansen is the violinist and artistic director for the Zafa Collective, a Chicago-based new music ensemble. She is also a Fellow with the Civic Orchestra of Chicago and spent her most recent summer at Bang on a Can. With Zafa, Hannah has been a Sponsored Artist of High Concept Labs and an Artist in Residence at Northwestern University. Also an active teacher, she has been a guest lecturer at the University of Chicago and for the past two years has been awarded grants from the Negaunee Institute to lead long term composition workshops in Chicago Public Schools. Hannah holds degrees from Oberlin College and Conservatory and Northwestern University, where she studied with Milan Vitek and Gerardo Ribeiro.
Helix Collective, flute, oboe/English horn, cello, and piano
Sarah Robinson, Phil Popham, Maksim Velichkin, and Kathryn Eames
Helix Collective is a Los Angeles-based ensemble specializing in multi-media, collaborative performance and recording. They have released three critically acclaimed albums and recorded the scores for over forty films. At home in nightclubs and on the concert stage, Helix “has a little something for everyone: those who like their classics straight up, with a contemporary edge to it, or with populist appeal.” Called “dizzyingly virtuosic with exquisite musicianship and world-class range” and praised for their “beyond-the-ordinary programming,” the ensemble performs as a trio, quartet, and a small chamber orchestra.
Monica Davis, violin
Monica Davis has played the violin for so long she happily can’t remember ever not playing. A sought after collaborator, she is a quiet, but confident leader and loves to affect the trajectory of a phrase with the shape of an inner voice. She also plays viola where she gets that chance a bit more often.
Currently she is a member of the band of the Tony winning musical Hamilton on broadway. She toured with Diana Ross, played a season as a member of the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra violin section, led the strings on tour with Regina Spektor, and is the first violinist of the string quartet, Osso. A recent favorite project was playing Biber’s Passacaglia for Jodi Melnick’s work, New Bodies, choreographed for NYCB principal dancer, Sara Mearns. She holds a bachelor's degree in history from Columbia University and a master’s degree in violin performances from the Manhattan School of Music.
Sarah Davol, oboe
Sarah Davol is a freelance oboist in New York and is Director of the award-winning Eco-music ensemble, Englewinds. She also freelances around the country playing music by Bach and other 18th century composers on Baroque and Classical oboes (period instruments). She has played five solo oboe concertos so far this 2019-20 season and one more is scheduled this June.
R.J. Kelley, horn
R.J. Kelley is a renowned freelance horn player in New York and is a member of Manhattan Brass. He also freelances around the country on natural horn (valveless horn) and is a member of Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra.
Nicole DeMaio, bass clarinet
Nicole DeMaio is a New Jersey based composer, performer, and educator. Most recently, she was a part of the National Tour of “An American in Paris” performing in the orchestra as Reed 2. She is currently pursuing a degree at New Jersey City University in Multiple-Woodwind Performance. Her previous degrees include a Masters in Composition from The Boston Conservatory and Bachelors from Montclair State University in Music Education and Composition. As an educator, Nicole taught at Boston College High School and founded The Boston Woodwind Studio. Her compositions have been performed nationwide and have won several awards and competitions including the Vox Novus’ “Fifteen Minutes of Fame Competition” and “The Pictures Composition Contest”. She has been commissioned by The Rivers School Conservatory and the Yale Music in Schools Initiative. She is the current Artistic Director for the Black Sheep Contemporary Ensemble which commissions and performs new works from emerging composers.
David Dietz, cello
Cellist David Dietz has performed across the US and Europe and is experienced in Solo, Chamber and Orchestral settings. Mr. Dietz received his Bachelor’s Degree and Diploma at Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music where he studied with Eric Kim and the Pacifica Quartet. This summer, he will be participating in the Aspen Music Festival’s center for orchestral leadership, filling leadership positions within Aspen’s orchestras and working alongside guest conductors and artist-faculty of the festival. Currently residing in Houston, Texas, David is pursuing a fully-funded Master's degree at Rice University's Shepherd School of Music under the tutelage of Desmond Hoebig.
Kate Dreyfuss, violin
Hailed by Musical America for her “deliciously meaty” tone, New York-based violinist Kate Dreyfuss is an adventurous interpreter of classical and contemporary music who is known for her “uncompromising commitment” and “fearless approach” (Cacophony Magazine) to performance. An active chamber musician, Dreyfuss was a guest violinist with the quartet ETHEL, is a member of F-PLUS and Contemporaneous, and has shared the stage with the Bang on a Can All-Stars, members of the Emerson String Quartet, and cellist Colin Carr. She is a Doctor of Musical Arts candidate at Stony Brook University in the studio of Jennifer Frautschi and Arnaud Sussmann.
Rose Drucker, violin
Violinist Rose Drucker is an active performer throughout New England in chamber and orchestral settings, including the Arneis Quartet, Emmanuel Music, Rhode Island Philharmonic, Boston Philharmonic, and a wide variety of new music, opera and ballet performances. A native of Tucson, Arizona, she has performed on four continents and as soloist and concertmaster in New England and Arizona. As a founding member of the award-winning Arneis Quartet, Ms. Drucker has appeared in Stanford’s Lively Arts Series, Music on Main in Vancouver, and the Beijing Modern Music Festival as well as performances in Boston, New York, among many other locations. Ms. Drucker has appeared as concertmaster and soloist with the Orchestra of Emmanuel Music and performed in the Chamber Music and Solo Bach series and was an inaugural Lorraine Hunt Lieberson Fellow in the 2005-2006 season. Rose studied with Peter Zazofsky and Mark Rush and holds degrees from Boston University and the University of Arizona.
Drake Duffer, guitar
Drake Duffer is a guitarist, composer, and teacher from Winston-Salem, NC. His broad musical background has led him to perform at varied venues, from classical stages like Carnegie Hall to popular spots like Rockwood Music Hall. Drake is the co-founder of the new music duo Early Gray, and has been awarded Seconda Prattica’s Pujol Award for Arranging, and Lincoln Center Education’s Kenan Fellowship. He holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the UNC School of the Arts, and a Master of Music degree from the Yale School of Music.
Nick Dunston, double bass
Nick Dunston is a composer and bassist. An “indispensable player on the New York avant-garde" (New York Times), his performances have also spanned several venues across North America and Europe. He performs regularly with artists including Tyshawn Sorey, Vijay Iyer, Marc Ribot, Ches Smith, Imani Uzuri, Ingrid Laubrock, Anna Webber, Amirtha Kidambi, Allison Miller, and Darius Jones.
In 2019, he was awarded the Van Lier Fellowship by Roulette Intermedium, which supported the world premieres of The Floor is Lava! (upright bass quintet), and La Operación (double saxophone trio + soprano voice). In 2019, he released his debut album, Atlantic Extraction.
Joseph Edelberg, violin
Santa Rosa Symphony’s concertmaster Joseph Edelberg has performed for many years with the San Francisco Opera Orchestra, Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, the San Francisco Symphony, and American Bach Soloists. He has appeared as guest leader with many Bay Area groups, including the Berkeley Symphony, the Marin Symphony, the San Francisco Chamber Orchestra, Magnificat Baroque Orchestra, American Bach Soloists, the San Francisco Opera Merola Grand Finals Orchestra, and the California Symphony. Farther afield, he has appeared at the Grand Teton Music Festival in Wyoming, as concertmaster at the Summer Festival Orchestras of Mendocino and San Louis Obispo, and as guest principal second violin of the Bavarian State Opera Orchestra. Adding to his repertoire are the years spent with the string quartet StringCircle and the new music group Earplay. Edelberg has made solo appearances with the symphonies of Oakland and Berkeley, as well as with the Santa Rosa Symphony. He has recorded with the baroque orchestras mentioned above, the Berkeley Symphony, Chanticleer and Earplay. Edelberg is a graduate of Amherst College in his native Massachusetts. He has studied with Phillip Naegele, Felix Galimir, and Adolf Bruk.
Caitlin Edwards, violin
Caitlin Edwards began studying the violin at the age of eight, through the Music Opportunity Program in Birmingham, Alabama. In 2018, she was awarded the Rising Star award from the Gateways Music Festival and helped lead the Nairobi Philharmonic in Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker, the first live ballet/orchestra production in Kenyan history. She also recorded the movie score for Disney movie, “The Lion King”, in April 2019. She’s performed and recorded behind artists such as Ms. Lauryn Hill, Common, Yolanda Adams,India Arie, and etc. Caitlin was featured as a soloist in the “Dreams of Hope” documentary which premiered on PBS stations across the US in February 2020. Caitlin recently graduated with her Masters with distinction from DePaul University.
Ray Furuta, flute
Dubbed “The Rockstar of the Flute” by the Informador de Guadalajara (Mexico), Mexican-Japanese American flutist Ray Furuta has performed worldwide as a commanding and versatile performing artist within the classical, contemporary, world, jazz, and pop sectors. He was officiated as a cultural ambassador to the United States of America in 2014 and has performed for internationally recognized names including the Silkroad Ensemble, Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, The United Nations, and the Mainly Mozart, Okayama, Sarasota, and Yellowbarn Music Festivals to name only a few. He is the founder of Chamber Music Silicon Valley and Mas Amor Arts Initiative.
Alex Goodin, double bass
As an artist, teacher, and writer, bassist Alex Goodin is most engaged by deep, simple, and honest truths. Holding degrees from Michigan State University (B.M., 2013) and Boston University (M.M., 2015), Alex has enjoyed a varied career as a solo, chamber, and orchestral musician including engagements with Fifth House Ensemble, Sinfonie Orchester Berlin, Boston Philharmonic Orchestra, Grand Rapids Symphony, and Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra. Alex is also a devoted early childhood music educator and has held teaching positions at preschools and daycares in Cambridge, MA, Berlin, DE, and Evanston, IL.
Andrea González Caballero, guitar
Operaworld Magazine describes Andrea González Caballero as “the female voice of the Spanish guitar”. Andrea is a laureate of multiple prestigious international guitar competitions, receiving First Prize and Special Prize at the “XL InternationalCompetition F. Sor” (Rome), and First Prize at the “XIII Alhambra International GuitarCompetition” (Valencia), of which she was the youngest guitarist to receive first prize.
The BBC Music Magazine described her as one of today’s young rising stars of the classical guitar. Andrea has appeared at international festivals and concert series around the world and has performed with orchestras such as Sinfonietta Ratingen and Neue Philharmonie Westfalen in Germany. Andrea’s 2017 Naxos CD was received with great acclaim: “this album is a delicate, elegant and majestic musical word” (Golden Melomano distinction by Melomano Magazine). In 2016 she graduated with honors at the Robert Schumann Musikhochschule in Düsseldorf (Germany). Andrea is currently a Manuel Barrueco student at Peabody Institute of John Hopkins University
Danielle Gonzalez, percussion
Multimedia artist Danielle Gonzalez presents climate change inspired programs through sensory stimulating performances. She performs on a vast array of instruments ranging from vibraphone, to flower pots, metal pipes, and recycled objects. Combined with projection, lighting, and spoken word, these are high impact, yet portable compact shows that fit into a car.
Recent performances include Banff Centre for the Arts and Creativity, Midwest Composer’s Symposium, University of Michigan, University of Indiana, and Siena Heights University. She has held residency at Banff Centre for the Arts and Creativity and New World Symphony with the Knight’s Foundation.
Kelly Guerra, mezzo-soprano
Noted as a “standout” by the Wall Street Journal, Peruvian-American mezzo-soprano Kelly Guerra touches the hearts of audiences with her compelling storytelling and luscious mezzo timbre. Guerra has been featured at the Kennedy Center, the Lucerne Festival in Switzerland, the Tanglewood Music Center, and the Bard Music Festival.
As a recitalist (and as a human on this planet), she hopes to produce several concerts that raise awareness about the importance of social justice and inclusivity by programming contemporary composers, female identifying, or non-binary composers, and composers or poets of color, as well as raising money for those in need.
~ For more information, please visit www.kellyguerramezzo.com~
Maria Guglielmina, flute
Maria Guglielmina is an accomplished flutist and educator. She has recently performed as a featured soloist with the Penn State Symphonic Wind Ensemble, Johnstown Symphony Orchestra, and Western Michigan University Symphony Orchestra. She will perform Nielsen’s Flute Concerto with the Penn State Philharmonic Orchestra later this year. She has won top prizes in the Wisconsin Flute Festival Collegiate and Young Artist Competitions, Lima Peru’s Concurso Internacional de Jóvenes Flautistas and the White Lake Summer Music Festival Young Artist Competition. She received her M.M. from the Pennsylvania State University studying under Naomi Seidman and a B.M. from Western Michigan University studying with Martha Councell-Vargas. This fall, she will be pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami studying with Jennifer Grim.
Gabriel Guglielmina, bass trombone
Gabriel Guglielmina is a bass trombonist who just recently earned a Professional Performance Certificate from the Pennsylvania State University, studying under Mark Lusk. In 2018, he received his B.M. in music performance from Western Michigan University, studying with Steve Wolfinbarger. Other influential teachers include Alan Carr, Chris Van Hof, and Mark Hetzler. Gabe enjoys playing classical, jazz, and latin music the most. Before COVID-19, he taught music classes for a K-12 homeschool music program and also worked at the Penn State School of Music running concerts and recitals. Aside from music, he loves cooking, making ceramics, and spending time with his dog.
Joy Guidry, bassoon
Joy Guidry, who’s performances have been hailed by the San Diego Tribune as “lyrical and haunting… hair-raising and unsettling…” is a New York City-based bassoonist, composer, and activist. Joy holds a bachelor's degree in Bassoon Performance from Peabody Conservatory and is presently pursuing a Graduate Performance Diploma at the Mannes School of Music under Rebekah Heller. Committed to the promotion of works by composing artists in African Diaspora, Guidry has commissioned and premiered works by composers from underrepresented demographics since 2017. Upcoming collaborations include three new pieces for bassoon, by Jessie Cox, and Camila Agosto, and Tyshawn Sorey. The goal of their commissioning project is to steadily increase the visibility and diversity of composers within the bassoon performance repertoire. In past summers, Guidry has participated in the Eastern Music Festival, and Ensemble Evolution at the Banff Centre, and the Spoleto Music Festival.
Shannon and Matt Heaton, Irish flute and guitar
Boston-based Matt & Shannon Heaton play Irish music on flute, accordion, guitar, bouzouki, and voices. Their music draws from the Irish tradition but also incorporates the Thai music Shannon learned as a kid, the rootsy sounds they absorbed during a stint in Colorado, and the classical music they studied at Northwestern University.
Since 2001, the Heatons have been an integral part of Boston’s trad music scene. Shannon co-founded Boston’s Celtic Music Fest and was named Massachusetts Artist Fellow. Matt has received many grants for his engaging sing alongs for kids. They are versatile performers with Irish roots and universal appeal.
Jeanne Jaubert, cello
Originally from Texas, Cellist Jeanne Jaubert holds a Bachelor of Music from Rice University. She then became a student of Zara Nelsova and earned Masters and Doctoral degrees from Rutgers University in New Jersey. In 1998 she moved to New Orleans to join the Louisiana Philharmonic. Since then she has enjoyed a vibrant career performing with the orchestra, teaching, and performing solo and chamber music concerts.
An accomplished dancer and choreographer, Jeanne has been thrilled to be able to pursue that passion alongside her music, receiving accolades and support from numerous arts organizations. Of her solo “Bourbon Street Story”, the New York Times’ Jennifer Dunning wrote that it “evoked an entire city”.
Edwin Kaplan, violin
Violist of the award-winning Tesla Quartet, Edwin Kaplan continues to forge a versatile identity as a recitalist, chamber musician, and educator. He has performed on concert series across North America, Europe, and Asia, including Wigmore Hall, Lincoln Center, and Tanglewood Music Center. Pushing his boundaries beyond the traditional repertoire, Edwin is equally at home in new music, having participated in numerous premieres including Andy Akiho's LIgNEouS and Zosha Di Castri’s String Quartet No. 1.
Edwin is proud to serve his community as an advocate for music education. He believes strongly in music education at all levels and has participated in adult amateur chamber music workshops at Kneisel Hall in Blue Hill, Maine, where he has brought in-depth coaching and musical training to adults for whom music is a passion and hobby. Edwin Kaplan is a Doctor of Musical Arts and received a Master of Music degree and an Artist Diploma from the Yale University School of Music. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of California, Los Angeles.
Lucia Kobza, violin
Swiss violinist and violist, Lucia Kobza, enjoys an eclectic musical career. A successful and passionate teacher, she served as teaching assistant for the violin studio at UNCSA as well as at SUNY Stony Brook, where she is currently a doctoral candidate, pursuing a double major in violin and viola. She has held leadership positions in several orchestras, including the Greensboro Symphony and Western Piedmont Symphony. Lucia recently joined the acclaimed Friction Quartet, which has garnered international attention for their commissioning initiatives and interpretations of new works.
Stephanie Lamprea, soprano
Colombian-American soprano Stephanie Lamprea is an architect of new sounds and expressions as a performer, curator and improviser, specializing in contemporary classical repertoire. Trained as an operatic coloratura, she uses her voice as a mechanism of avant-garde performance art with an entire spectrum of vocal colors (including operatic style, straight tone, sputters and throat noises), creating “maniacal shifts of vocal production and character… like an icepick through the skull” (Jason Eckardt). She has awards from the John Cage Orgel Stiftung, St. Botolph Club Foundation and Puffin Foundation. Stephanie has performed at Roulette Intermedium, National Sawdust, and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum.
Adam Larson, tenor saxophone
Adam Larson (b. 1990) is an American saxophonist, composer, educator and author currently residing in the Kansas City-area. Larson teaches music business, jazz pedagogy and applied jazz saxophone lessons at UMKC Conservatory, where he has been on faculty since 2019. Larson holds BM and MM degrees in jazz performance from The Manhattan School of Music. Larson has been invited to present masterclasses on music business, improvisation and composition at more than fifty universities across the globe. Adam has recorded five albums and maintains an active touring schedule year-round playing his original music.
Giancarlo Latta, violin
Fiercely committed to the music of today, violinist and composer Giancarlo Latta is interested in the intersection of music old and new, a passion he explores principally as a member of the Argus Quartet. His work with composers has included Christopher Cerrone, Mario Davidovsky, and George Lewis, and he has performed in venues as diverse as Lincoln Center, the Cy Twombly Gallery (Houston) with flutist Claire Chase, Royal Albert Hall for the BBC Proms, and Neubad (Lucerne, Switzerland), a multipurpose performance space in a former public pool. Giancarlo studied with Paul Kantor at Rice University and lives in New York.
Austin Lewellen, double bass
A former trombonist, Austin Lewellen found his calling when the bass player in his high school jazz band was arrested for possession. Well-versed in both orchestral and contemporary music, he holds degrees from the Oberlin Conservatory and Rice University. Outside of his studies, Austin holds a Young Artist fellowship with DACAMERA; co-directs Loop38, a Houston-based new music ensemble; and serves as a substitute player with the New World Symphony, the San Antonio Symphony, and the FortWayne Philharmonic. When Austin isn’t playing bass, you can often find him out on a run, or at his second job as a coffee roaster.
Michelle Yeunhae Lie, violin
As a recent 1st prize winner of Golden Classical Music Awards 2020, Michelle has shared the stage with some of the finest performers such as Itzhak Perlman, Toby Appel, Andrés Cárdenes, Eric Kim, Mark Kaplan, Atar Arad and Jon Nakamatsu.
Born in Munich, Germany, and raised in South Korea, her musical education in violin started at the age of 14 from the influence of her vocalist father. She has been featured as a soloist with various orchestras including Chungnam Philharmonic (Korea), Dankook University Orchestra (Korea), and Columbus Symphony Orchestra (Indiana, US). Known for her in-depth musical projects, Michelle performed a complete Beethoven Violin Sonata cycle in Kansas City in June, 2011.
Since joining the Tesla Quartet in 2011, she has won numerous prizes at international competitions. In addition to her work with the Tesla Quartet, Michelle is dedicated to educating both children and college students. She has held positions as a teaching artist at El Sistema Lehigh Valley in Allentown, PA, an Associate Violin Performance Instructor at Indiana University, and an Artist-in-Residence at Mount Allison University in New Brunswick, Canada.
Eli Maliwan, saxophone
Eli Maliwan is a saxophonist, composer, and music educator in the Bay Area, CA. He has a Bachelors of Music from Portland State University and Masters of Fine Arts from The California Institute of the Arts. Eli has 20+ years of experience as a performer and is on faculty at the Stanford Jazz Workshop’s Giant Steps Program. Eli is honored to have played at many prestigious jazz festivals such as Uberjazz in Hamburg Germany opening for Sun Ra Arkestra, Portland Jazz Festival in Oregon, SF Jazz in CA, Bric Jazz Festival in NY, and Winter Jazzfest in NY.
Sarah Martin, violin
Sarah Martin, originally from Dallas, Texas, began her violin studies at the age of five and went on to earn Performance degrees from Oberlin Conservatory and Northwestern University. After completing a fellowship with Chicago Sinfonietta and Grant Park Orchestra, she moved to Berlin, Germany in 2016 where Sarah enjoys freelancing in orchestral, chamber, opera, and contemporary music ensembles, as well as performing and experimenting in non-classical collaborations with fellow artists. Recently, she has performed internationally as a Lincoln Center Stage musician, has helped lead Nairobi Philharmonic and Ramallah Orchestra, and has taught young musicians in educational programs around the world.
Emma McCartney, flute
Emma McCartney is a Los Angeles based flutist. She is a dedicated performer of new music and regularly performed with USC Thornton Edge while at USC. She has also attended the Montreal Contemporary Music Lab, the Toronto Creative Music Lab, New Music on the Point, and soundSCAPE as a performer. Last year, Emma had the chance to work with students in the LA Phil’s Nancy and Barry Sanders Composer Fellowship Program and premiered works by them during Noon to Midnight. Emma has a bachelors from DePaul University, and a masters and graduate certificate from the University ofSouthern California
Kate Outterbridge, violin
Musician and educator Kate Outterbridge works to meaningfully challenge the status quo in the service of engaging and uniting people through the performing arts. A dynamic violinist, fierce advocate of contemporary music and promoter of responsible and thorough music education in the city of Los Angeles and beyond, Kate performs at the forefront of today's music scene. Currently, she performs with new-music collective Wild-Up, her intersectional feminist violin duo The Furies, and records for various projects in Los Angeles. While not playing her violin, Kate enjoys traveling to new places, eating dessert first, and finding the funny in everything.
Seth Pae, viola
Seth Pae has been playing viola since age nine. He wouldn’t have discovered music if his public school didn’t have a music program. Seth is currently the Project Inclusion Fellow with the Chicago Sinfonietta. He was the P.I. fellow for the Grant Park Music Festival in 2018. As a freelancer in Chicago, he’s performed with the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, and Lyric Opera of Chicago. He holds degrees from DePaul University (MM, ’15) and Baldwin Wallace University (BM ’13). Seth’s artistic mission is to work with living composers and perform music by women and people of color as often as possible.
Stacey Pelinka, flute
Stacey Pelinka enjoys performing a broad spectrum of classical music, especially contemporary chamber music. She is a longtime member of the Left Coast Chamber Ensemble, and a founding member of the Eco Ensemble. Stacey plays principal flute with SF Opera’s Merola Program productions, and is a member of the Berkeley Symphony, the San Francisco Chamber Orchestra, and the Santa Rosa Symphony. Stacey is also a certified practitioner of the Feldenkrais Method. She teaches flute at UC Davis and UC Berkeley. A native of the Bay Area, Stacey attended Cornell University and the San Francisco Conservatory, where she studied with Timothy Day.
Ginevra Petrucci, flute
Ginevra Petrucci is a flutist performer, collaborative artist and advocate of new music projects. She has appeared as a soloist throughout Europe, the Americas and the Far East, released numerous highly acclaimed recordings and premiered many contemporary works. She serves as Principal Flute at Chamber Orchestra of New York, and as Artistic Director of the Flauto d'Amore Project. Her studies include Santa Cecilia Conservatory in Rome, Ecole Normale in Paris, and Yale University, and she holds a DMA in Flute Performance at Stony Brook University.
Vincent Pierce, harp
Vincent Pierce teaches harp at the University of Texas - Permian Basin, and Odessa College, and is principal harpist of the Midland-Odessa Symphony & Chorale. Vincent was the director of the harp program for Ector County ISD in Odessa, Texas from 2014-2019. Vincent holds a BME degree from Baylor University and an MM degree in harp performance from UT Austin, where he is currently pursuing a DMA. He is past president of the West Texas Harp Society, a chapter of the American Harp Society. He has been a clinician for the Texas Music Educator’s Association and the American Harp Society.
Leandra Ramm, mezzo-soprano
Leandra Ramm is a remarkably versatile mezzo-soprano whose “beautiful and quite moving” (Nordstjernan Newspaper) performances have graced prestigious venues including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, The United Nations, and Symphony Space. Recently, she performed the title role in La Cenerentola with San Francisco Opera Guild and appeared as a soloist with the San Francisco Symphony in Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms, conducted by Michael Tilson Thomas, and Bach’s Magnificat, conducted by Ragnar Bohlin. Recently, Ms. Ramm performed roles in L’enfant et les Sortileges with Pacific Symphony and Air Operatique, Little Women with Island City Opera, and La Llorona with Opera Cultura.
Natalie Raney, cello
Cellist, Natalie Raney is recognized for her bold & adventurous playing and has performed chamber music with world-renowned musicians such as Kim Kashkashian, Menahem Pressler, Geoff Nuttall, Bonnie Hampton, and Roberto Diaz. A proponent of new music, Natalie was co-founder of Curium, a piano trio highlighting works by women.
David Gonzales, guitar
San Francisco based guitarist David Gonzales is active as a soloist, chamber musician, and educator. He co-founded the electric guitar ensemble Ignition Duo and was a member of the San Francisco Guitar Quartet. David received degrees from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and Northwestern University.
Emily Dyer Reed, soprano
American soprano Emily Dyer has been noted as a promising young singer to watch in the professional circuit. Favorite roles include Micaëla (La tragédie de Carmen), Musetta (La bohème), Donna Anna (Don Giovanni) Lily Craven (The Secret Garden) and Marian Paroo (The Music Man). Ms. Reed has joined symphonies across the United States to perform the soprano solos in Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, The Messiah, Elijah, The Mozart Requiem and various festival concerts. She fosters a love of teaching inspired by her own mentors, Carol Neblett, Tim Noble, an Marya Basaraba. She holds degrees in voice performance from Chapman University and Indiana University.
Jóhann Schram Reed, bass-baritone
Jóhann Schram Reed has been noted internationally for his rich, powerful sound and moving performances. The Icelandic bass-baritone was most recently seen at Portland Opera as Colline in their touring production of La Bohéme. Shortly before that, he appeared as Don Basilio in Opera Roanoke’s exciting production of Rossini’s Il barbiere di Siviglia, “singing absolutely beautifully all the while” (Roanoke Times) and as Escamillo in Opera Joie de Vivre’s concert production of La Tragedie de Carmen.
As a successful crossover artist, Mr. Schram Reed was featured as Dr. Neville Craven in Utah Festival Opera's 2018 stunning production of The Secret Garden. During the same season, he was also featured as Mr. Whitley in Amazing Grace, as well as in multiple concerts and cabaret appearances. He has previously received acclaim for his portrayal of Emile de Becque in Rodgers and Hammerstein's South Pacific and rendered a "stunningly sung" (Petoskey News) performance as Inspector Javert in Bay View Festival’s 2014 production of Les Misérables.
Wendy Richman, viola
Wendy Richman is a founding member of the International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE) and violist of the string quartet The Rhythm Method. She regularly performs with Orpheus Chamber Orchestra and has been a frequent guest with the viola sections of the Atlanta Symphony, Minnesota Orchestra, and St. Louis Symphony. Wendy is on the faculty of NYU Steinhardt, where she teaches viola, chamber music, and a class on extended string techniques. Through her vox/viola project, she has commissioned numerous composers to write pieces in which she sings and plays simultaneously. Wendy’s debut solo album, vox/viola, is available on New Focus Recordings.
Saul Richmond-Rakerd, cello
Saul Richmond-Rakerd is a San Francisco-based cellist. He holds Bachelor of Arts degrees from Brown University in Physics and Anthropology, a Biennio di Violoncello from the Conservatorio di Ferrara, and a Master’s of Music from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. He has played as a soloist with Okemos Symphony and Brown University Orchestra, and has given numerous recitals in the US and abroad. He is the winner of solo and chamber music awards in the US and Europe, and has founded chamber music groups in Michigan, California, and Italy. He is currently the assistant principal cellist with the Santa Cruz Symphony, section cellist with the Monterey Symphony, and a regular substitute in many other Bay Area orchestras.
Joel Ross, vibraphone
Chicago native and newly minted Blue Note artist Joel Ross is a “bright young vibraphonist on his own rocket-like trajectory.” (Nate Chinen, The New York Times). Joel has performed with many of jazz’s most lauded artists including Ambrose Akinmusire, Christian McBride, Marquis Hill, Gerald Clayton, Louis Hayes, Melissa Aldana, Wynton Marsalis and Herbie Hancock, among others. He leads his own group Joel Ross’ Good Vibes, among other projects, and recently released his debut album “KingMaker” on Blue Note in 2019. He is currently based in New York City.
Alize Rozsnyai, soprano
Alize Rozsnyai, a soprano “displaying profound imagination and control” (Philadelphia Inquirer), is a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music, excelling in baroque and contemporary repertoire. She has performed with companies including Opera Philadelphia, The Center for Contemporary Opera, Experiments in Opera NYC, Opera Fayetteville, The International Gilbert & Sullivan Festival in England, Rossini Opera Festival, Cape Cod Symphony, Chautauqua Opera, and The Princeton Symphony. Also a librettist, she performed her original adaptation of Pierrot Lunaire (Kennedy Center), and two of her own works, The Coffee Cantata (new adaptation) and Phony (music by David Brown), with Alter Ego Chamber Opera
Evan Saddler, percussion
Percussionist Evan Saddler is the mind and stick behind experiential performances that seek to provoke interaction, dialogue, and connection. In this pursuit, he is co-founder of the ensemble Conduit and designing a series of performances for millennial audiences in Miami. Saddler is a member of Miami’s genre-bending chamber orchestra Nu Deco Ensemble, through which he has been involved in collaborations with artists including Cory Henry, Kimbra, and tUnE-yArDs. He is also currently Principal Percussion of Florida Grand Opera and Palm Beach Symphony. Saddler holds diplomas from Interlochen Arts Academy, University of Michigan, and The Juilliard School.
Darwin Cosme Sánchez, flute
Darwin Cosme is an avid soloist, orchestral and chamber player. He has performed concerts with the Aruba Chamber Orchestra, the Festival Casals of Puerto Rico, and the Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra. Cosme has completed two Latin American tours and performed soloists in Puerto Rico, Canada, and México. Currently, Darwin is of the Celestine Flute Rexonator, Executive Director of the Díaz-Del Moral Foundation and Artistic Director of the Puerto Rico Flute Symposium, PR Summer Music Festival and the Latin American Chamber Players of New York. Darwin Looks forward to his third Latin American tour with pianist Anna Keiserman.
Melvis Santa, voice
Grammy Nominee singer, arranger, composer, bandleader, actress, Music and Dance educator. Born and raised in Habana, Cuba, Melvis came to multidisciplinary performance through her early years involvement with various cultural traditions. At age 7 she began studying classical piano. At 14, made a splash in the Cuban jazz scene by founding the all-female collective vocal group Sexto Sentido, deemed by Chucho Valdés “the best Cuban vocal quartet of the past 30 years.” Later she joined Roberto Carcassés`s seminal fusion band Interactivo, touring worldwide and collaborating with the who`s who on the music scene. In 2012 Melvis spread wings and recorded her Cubdisco nominated album ‘Santa Habana’ as a solo artist and composer.
Currently based in New York, Melvis continues to make a mark as a performer and educator. She has conducted master classes and music/dance workshops at NYU, CUNY GC, Tulane University (New Orleans), Boulder CU, and other institutions across the US. She also has showcased her 2 main projects: Ellas Son (all-female Latin music quintet), and Ashedi (Afro Cuban Jazz and Rumba) at Bridland, Minton`s Playhouse, Zinc Bar, The Jazz Gallery, The Bronx Museum, Lincoln Center Outdoors Festival. Her composition style blends Afro Cuban music with jazz elements.
Eric Sedgwick, piano
Eric Sedgwick has performed with many of music’s top talents including Leona Mitchell, Sanford Sylvan and Marni Nixon, Broadway leading ladies Sarah Rice, Carole Demas and Debra Monk, and English hornist Thomas Stacy of the New York Philharmonic. He is a staff vocal coach at the Manhattan School of Music, a staff accompanist for the Tanglewood Music Center, and has served as rehearsal pianist for the Boston Symphony Orchestra, under the batons of Michael Tilson Thomas, Bramwell Tovey, John Williams and Andris Nelsons. He is a regular pianist for events with the Metropolitan Opera Guild, and has worked for Carnegie Hall’s Music Education Workshops with Joyce DiDonato, as well as for the International Vocal Arts Institutes in New York and Montreal. He is a graduate of Manhattan School of Music and Brown University.
Conner Leigh Shaw, electric guitar
Conner Leigh Shaw’s (b. 1996) life in the majestic open spaces of Colorado, and his emotional interpretations on both his life and the cataclysmic events occurring in the world shape his writing and playing into a style simultaneously haunting and beautiful.
For the past year Shaw has lived in Los Angeles, receiving several premieres as well as opportunities to perform while attending the University of Southern California. During the summer of 2019, he released his fifth album entitled ExoResonant, which details humanity’s troubled relationship with space.
St. Clair Simmons, trombone
From small town roots to city life, St. Clair Simmons has had his trombone at his side the entire time. St. Clair discovered his love in the trombone when he was in the fourth grade. Since, he has gotten a Bachelor’s Degree in Jazz Trombone Performance from the Manhattan School of Music, studying under Wycliffe Gordon, Dave Taylor, and Luis Bonilla. He has shared the stage with such greats as Wayne Bergeron, Esperanza Spalding, and Wynton Marsalis. He now resides in Philadelphia, where he regularly gigs as well as teaches for Play on Philly, an organization that provides music education to underserved city students.. From jazz to salsa to lo-fi, St. Clair gives it all a little extra trombone flair.
Alexandra Simpson, violin
Alexandra Simpson is a violist based in San Francisco Bay Area, pursuing an Artist Certificate in Chamber Music from San Francisco Conservatory of Music through the generosity of the Peter F. Ostwald Scholarship and teaches at the East Bay Center for Performing Arts. As a chamber musician, Alexandra has participated in the Prussia Cove International Musicians’ Seminar, Bard Music Colombia, Musikiwest Chamberfest in Pebble Beach, and Classical Music Institute in San Antonio, Texas. Alexandra earned her Bachelor of Music from New England Conservatory, with the Donald Green and Lotta Crabtree Scholarships, and both a Master of Music and Master of Musical Arts from Yale School of Music.
Serafim Smigelskiy, cello
Serafim Smigelskiy has established himself as one of today's most versatile cellists. He appeared as a soloist with the Juilliard Orchestra and Kansas City Philharmonic Orchestra; as baroque cellist with JUILLIARD 415, Trinity Baroque, and The Sebastians; and as chamber musician with Jupiter Chamber Players, Novus NY, Argento Chamber Ensemble, ECCE, Axiom, and Ensemble Dal Niente. Serafim is currently the cellist of the critically acclaimed Tesla Quartet. Serafim has earned a Master’s of Music from The Juilliard School studying with Richard Aaron (cello) and Sylvia Rosenberg (chamber music).
Brice Smith, flute
Brice has a deep passion for teaching and community engagement through classical music. He completed a Doctor of Musical Arts in Flute Performance and Pedagogy at the University of Colorado Boulder, Masters’ of Music in Flute Performance and Chamber Music at the University of Michigan, Performer Diploma at Indiana University, and a Bachelor of Music in Flute Performance, Violin Performance and German language at the University of Arkansas. He has performed in many professional orchestras, including the Colorado Symphony, New World Symphony and National Repertory Orchestra. As a soloist, Brice has performed at the John F. Kennedy Center, with the Arkansas Philharmonic and University of Michigan Camerata Symphony Orchestra.
Alexandra Smither, soprano
Described as “particularly impressive” and “silver-voiced” (The Arts Fuse) in her recent debut with the Boston Symphony, soprano Alexandra Smither is making a name for herself in the worlds of both old and new music. With a vocal technique described as “beautiful, elegant, and masterfully manipulated” (Schmopera), she was named one of Canadian Broadcasting Co’s 2017 “30 Young Hot Classical Musicians Under 30”. Grand prize winner at the 2017 Eckhardt-Gramatée Competition, Ms. Smither earned both first prize and the prize for best performance of the commissioned work, Nicole Lizee’s “Malfunctionlieder”. She made her debut with Houston Grand Opera in the Tom Cipullo’s “Glory Denied”, later returning as Diana in “Cruzar la cara de la luna”.
Audrey Snyder, cello
Audrey Q. Snyder is a cellist in Chicago, Illinois. She is an advocate of contemporary instrumental music, having collaborated with members of Ensemble Signal, Ensemble Dal Niente, and others. Snyder is a core member of the Chicago-based Zafa Collective, a new music group founded with the idea of inclusivity (both in programming and performance) at its core; with the collective she has performed at Constellation, Poetry Foundation, and Fulton Street Collective, among others. In December 2019, Snyder produced, performed and coordinated the live performance of New Music//New Film Collaborative, a year-long project that has facilitated the creation of 5 new pieces with corresponding video art; all audio with video will be released Spring and Summer 2020.
Elizabeth Steiner, harp
Elizabeth Steiner enjoys a diverse career as a freelance harpist based in Philadelphia. An accomplished orchestral harpist, Elizabeth has most recently performed as principal harp with the Baltimore Symphony, Delaware Symphony, Orchestra 2001, and second harp with the Sarasota Orchestra, among others. Comfortable across genres, Ms. Steiner has performed with a wide variety of artists such as Moses Sumney and Josh Groban. She holds a Master’s Degree in Harp Performance from Temple University where she was awarded a scholarship to study with Elizabeth Hainen, and a Bachelor’s of Music from the Cleveland Institute of Music as a scholarship student under Yolanda Kondonassis. As a Lyra Teaching Artist, she teaches a weekly group harp class at Philadelphia High School for Girls. Elizabeth has spent her summers performing at the Siena Music Festival in Siena, Italy and on faculty at the Curtis Institute of Music Summerfest Young Artist Program.
Julia Suh, violin
Julia Jung Un Suh is a South Korean violinist and proactive artist specializing in multidisciplinary contemporary art. She loves collaborating with composers, sound artists, and visual artists. Julia served as principal second violin in the Lucerne Festival Academy Orchestra in Switzerland in 2016, and worked with renowned conductors Matthias Pintscher, Alan Gilbert, and Susanna Mälkki. She also collaborated with San Francisco Contemporary Music Players under the artistic director, Steven Schick, in January 2016. Julia earned a bachelor’s degree from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music under Milan Vitek with a minor in Music Theory and received her Performance Studies Diploma from San Francisco Conservatory of Music under Ian Swensen. She completed her master’s degree in contemporary violin performance at Manhattan School of Music in 2018. She is the member of Quartet121, a New York City based string quartet dedicated to the performance of new works.
Danielle Taylor, viola
Danielle Taylor is a violinist and violist from Oakland, California. Currently based in Chicago, Danielle’s creative life involves an ever changing flow of teaching, writing, and performing. As a performer, she makes music as a member of the Matt Jones Orchestra, the Zafa Collective, and as a sub with the Chicago Sinfonietta. Danielle’s primary musical output is through D-Composed, where she serves as Artistic Director and Violist. D-Composed is an intimate chamber music experience that celebrates musicians and composers of the African diaspora. In addition to life as an artist, Danielle’s full time joy is parenting a nine year old artist to be.
Viktoria Tchertchian, violin
Born in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, Viktoria Tchertchian began playing violin at the age of five. She received her Bachelor's’ Degree in Violin Performance from Louisiana State University in 2001 and her Performance Diploma and Masters Degree at the Longy School of Music in 2006. Her principal teachers include Laura Bossert, Kevork Mardirossian, James Alexander and Dora Ivanova. Ms. Tchertchian has participated in festivals including the Round Top International Music Festival, the Lyrica International Chamber Music Festival, and the Heber Springs Chamber Music Festival. She was a featured soloist with the Longy School of Music Chamber Orchestra, the Plovdiv Philharmonic Orchestra and the Plovdiv National Catholic Choir in performances in France, Belgium, Germany, Norway, and the Czech Republic. Ms. Tchertchian’s orchestral experience includes positions in the Baton Rouge Symphony, Acadiana Symphony, Simon Sinfonietta and Cape Cod Symphony and she currently performs with the BSO Pops, Portland Symphony, the Rhode Island Philharmonic and the Springfield Symphony. Ms. Tchertchian is a dedicated violin teacher at Dana Hall School of Music.
Tahirah Whittington, cello
Tahirah Whittington received her Bachelor’s Degree from New England Conservatory and her Master’s Degree in Cello Performance from The Juilliard School. Ms. Whittington is a founding member of the Ritz Chamber Players and D-Composed. She is currently the cellist for the Dear Evan Hansen National Tour. Most recently, Ms. Whittington was the cellist for Hamilton: An American Musical in Chicago. Studio recordings include The Lion King (2019), Beyoncé’s The Lion King: The Gift, John Legend, PJ Morton, and Alicia Keys. Tahirah has studied with Laurence Lesser, Joel Krosnick, and Hans Jørgen Jensen.
Danielle Wilson, violin
Violinist, Danielle Wilson is a native of Berkeley, CA. She earned her bachelor’s degree in violin performance at the Oberlin Conservatory, a graduate performance diploma from Boston University, and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in violin performance at the University of Michigan on a full scholarship under the tutelage of Danielle Belen. Ms. Wilson’s musical journey has taken her around the world, performing in many notable venues such as Carnegie Hall, Berliner Philharmonie, and the Elbphilharmonie. In addition to performing, Danielle is a passionate educator, and she maintains a private violin studio in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Immanuel Wilkins, saxophone
Immanuel Wilkins is an American Saxophonist, Composer, Arranger, and Band Leader. While growing up in the Philadelphia area, he played in his church and programs dedicated to teaching jazz music such as the Clef Club of Jazz and Performing Arts. Immanuel has had the opportunity to play in Japan, Europe, South America, Australia, The United Arab Emirates, and the United States, working and/or recording with Wynton Marsalis, Jason Moran, Roy Hargrove, Nicholas Payton, the Count Basie Orchestra, Terrace Martin, Aaron Parks, Gerald Clayton, Gretchen Parlato as well as Lalah Hathaway, Solange Knowles, Tye Tribbett, Shawn Mendes, and Bob Dylan. In addition to being a sideman, he has been developing his own quartet, featuring pianist Micah Thomas, bassist Daryl Johns, and drummer Kweku Sumbry. Immanuel has received commissions from the Metropolis Ensemble, Ambrose Akinmusire, Viola Chan, Lauren Seiss, The Jazz Gallery, The New York City Parks Foundation, among many others. He is a Class of 2019 Graduate of The Juilliard School where he studied with saxophonists Steve Wilson, Bruce Williams, the late Joe Temperley, drummer Kenny Washington, bassist Ron Carter, and pianist Frank Kimbrough. His mission is to create a sound that has a profound spiritual and emotional impact and to become a great leader in the lineage of jazz musicians throughout history. Through studying the human pathos of the music and the culture of jazz, he aspires to bring people together through the commonality of love and belief in this music.
