Native to Savannah, Georgia, Charlotte Zelman is a cellist and certified orchestra teacher. She began the cello in 4th grade, taking private lessons from a neighbor in Uganda, where she spent most of her childhood. She studied music education and neuroscience at Georgia State University in Atlanta, while working in the school’s Music Cognition and Creativity Lab. Afterwards, she taught middle school orchestra in the Atlanta area before moving to Evanston with her husband, Eli, in 2024. She enjoys exploring Chicago, attending Northwestern concerts, and trying new gluten-free recipes.

Born and raised in the music communities of Oklahoma and Texas, Raquel Coleman found her place in the world behind a harp. Forging her way to the Windy City, Raquel performs and teaches in Chicago. Her passion for the harp is expressed through her work with pedagogy, academia, and community building. Raquel believes the harp should be available to everyone, while still honoring the instrument’s incredible unique elegance and history. Raquel is a huge animal lover and would jeopardize her pristine concert black in order to cuddle her Australian shepherd, Jasper. Raquel has a B.M. in Music Performance from the University of North Texas, completed under the tutelage of Dr. Jaylee Haefner and a M.M. in Music Performance, completed under the tutelage of Marguerite Lynn Williams.

Elise is a musician and performer who moved to Chicago from Massachusetts in 2023. She plays the piano, guitar, ukulele, mandolin, and flute, and she’s been singing since she was a child. She is half of the acoustic duo, Lake and Luke, who were recently seen playing on Navy Pier. She has been performing as a certain beloved Snow Queen for almost a decade, and she became an (accidental) piano teacher during the pandemic.

Kylie Buckham, soprano, is a current Masters student at the Northwestern University Bienen School of Music, studying Vocal Performance under the tutelage of Nancy Gustafson. She holds a Bachelor's Degree in Vocal Performance from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, where she studied under Kendra Colton. Originally from Richland, Michigan, Kylie has performed and taught primarily around the Midwest with a focus in Classical Voice and Musical Theater. Kylie’s recent engagements include performing the roles of Bubikopf in Der Kaiser von Atlantis, Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte, Lady Billows in Albert Herring, as well as the title role of Poppea in Northwestern Opera Theather’s upcoming production of L’incoronazione di Poppea this spring. She has soloed with several orchestras performing Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Dona Nobis Pacem, Poulenc’s Gloria, Mendolhsshon’s Elijah, and Handel’s Messiah. She has also participated and placed in several competitions through NATS, ENKOR, and Schmidt. Aside from performing, Kylie is incredibly passionate about teaching and music education, and strives to provide and build a musical foundation for communities across the Midwest.

Collin Stavinoha is a freelance flutist based in the Midwest. He is the Principal Flutist of the Detroit Opera Orchestra. He also holds positions with the Madison Symphony Orchestra and Orchestra Iowa. His most recent awards include first prizes in the Wisconsin and Oklahoma Flute Society Young Artist Competitions and winning the University of North Texas Concerto Competition. He received his MM from the Yale School of Music where he studied with Tara Helen O’Conner and Ransom Wilson, and his BM from the University of North Texas where he studied with Terri Sundberg. During his summers, he participated in the Eastern and Texas music festivals and the National Repertory Orchestra.

Stina Hawkinson is a Chicago based oboist who recently received her Master of Music degree at the Northwestern University Bienen School of Music, where she received the coveted School of Music Eckstein Grant. In May of 2022 she received her Bachelor of Music degree in Oboe Performance from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music under the tutelage of Professor Linda Strommen. Hailing from Wilmette, IL, Ms. Hawkinson has been present and in the Midwestern classical music scene for years. Freelancing often, she has had the opportunity to work with many fantastic musicians and is passionate about musical education.

Jack Kartsotis is a clarinetist and educator based in Chicago, Illinois. With a background spanning orchestral, chamber music, and solo appearances, Jack has built a multifaceted career as both a skilled performer and dedicated teacher. Jack holds the position of Principal Clarinet with the Owensboro Symphony in Kentucky, where he performed in the Emmy-nominated “Night at the Oscars” production, broadcast nationally on PBS. Jack holds degrees from the University of North Texas and Indiana University.

Jonah Schumow is a multi-instrumentalist who received his Bachelors Degree in Jazz Studies from Elmhurst University. In his time at school, he had the unique privilege of working with Jeff Hamilton, Wayne Bergeron, The Count Basie Orchestra, and many other big name acts. Specializing in saxophone and jazz styles, he is a sought-after writer, clinician, and private instructor for many schools across the Midwest. Outside of his time as an instructor, Jonah performs regularly with big bands, pit orchestras, jazz combos, and various other groups. With genuine love for his work, Jonah aims to share his love of music while giving clear and attainable goals for each student.

A native of Houston, Texas - Dustin Nguyen is a Trombonist with a Bachelor's from the University of North Texas and a Master's from Northwestern in Trombone Performance. A member of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago and the Detroit Opera, Dustin has performed with the Chicago Symphony, Music of the Baroque ensemble, and various groups in the Midwest. An International Trombone Association, American Trombone Workshop competition finalist, and the 2023 Northwestern Concerto Competition winner, Dustin has plentiful experience in both ensemble and solo playing. With his roots in Texas, he has led masterclasses at the Junior High and High School levels.

Kacey Ellis is a passionate classical guitarist and dedicated instructor who loves helping students reach their musical potential. He began playing at age ten and studied under renowned mentors like Rafael Padron and Thomas Koch before continuing his training in Chicago. Kacey earned his degree from UIC, graduating magna cum laude with a Music Performance Award, and later completed his master’s at Roosevelt University. An award-winning performer, he joined the Chicago Philharmonic in 2022. With years of experience and a student-focused approach, Kacey is committed to making learning the guitar fun, engaging, and rewarding for musicians of all levels.

Autumn Selover is a freelance harpist and teacher based in the Chicagoland area. Her work ranges from solo, traditional orchestral, and chamber to innovative works involving electronic processing, hip-hop, mixed media works, and improvisation. An advocate of education and community outreach, Autumn works with student musicians and composers from both classical and non-classical backgrounds. She received a BM and MM in Harp Performance from Northwestern University under Lynn Williams, the principal harpist of the Lyric Opera. Recently, she has performed with the Chicago Composers Orchestra at the Thirsty Ears Street Music Festival, and has toured with Fifth House Ensemble for a live-score performance of the video game, Journey. Autumn is also a recording artist with the Voic(ed) Project, an organization promoting new music by new, young, and underrepresented composers.

Phillip Suwandi is a cellist studying under the tutelage of Hans Jørgen-Jensen. His piano trios have participated and competed in numerous national competitions, receiving Silver in the Pasadena Conservatory of Music National Chamber Competition and placing as a semi-finalist at the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition in 2019. He was a member of the American Youth Symphony Orchestra and has had multiple opportunities through his award-winning chamber groups and many orchestras to tour and perform around the world, such as in Italy, Prague, Vienna, and Budapest. Suwandi currently performs in various Illinois-based orchestras, such as the Rockford Symphony Orchestra and the Elmhurst Symphony Orchestra, and studies Cello Performance, Musicology, and European History at Northwestern University.

Amanda Beaune is a violinist and educator who is driven by her community. Originally from Michigan, Amanda received her Master’s Degree in Music Performance from Northwestern University in 2022, and has since decided to call Chicago home. She currently performs with many orchestras around the Midwest, including Elmhurst Symphony Orchestra, Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra, Rockford Symphony Orchestra, and Quad City Symphony Orchestra. Amanda has performed at venues throughout Chicago such as Constellation Chicago, Thalia Hall, Harris Theater, Symphony Center, Epiphany Center for the Arts, and many others. She has also shared the stage with artists Michael Bublé, Josh Groban, Johnny Mathis, Laufey, and Paul Shaffer.

Dominic is a British pianist, currently undertaking his Doctor of Musical Arts at Northwestern. He is the winner of several international competitions, including the Washington International Competition, the Seattle International Competition, and the Mauro Paolo Monopoli International Competition (Barletta, Italy). While at the Royal College of Music in London, Dominic received the Tagore Gold Medal, awarded annually to two students deemed to have made an outstanding contribution to musical life at the Royal College. At the award ceremony, he performed for His Majesty King Charles III (then Prince of Wales). Dominic has made appearances as a soloist round Europe and the United States.

Pianist Jia Meng, an emerging artist from China, has appeared on the cover of Clavier Companion magazine. She has performed at Steinway Gallery, Oakton Six Ensemble, Ganz Hall, The Breakers, and Grace Church. As a first-prize winner, she played Rhapsody in Blue at the University of Georgia.



Passionate about teaching, Meng has over 10 years of experience researching piano pedagogical methods and tailoring instruction to students’ learning styles.

She is a Doctor of Musical Arts ABD at the University of Georgia under Evgeny Rivkin, with a minor in Piano Pedagogy. She holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree from the Chicago College of Performing Arts, studying with Winston Choi.

Ami Hatori, a native of Japan, is pursuing a M.M. in Piano Performance at Northwestern University, studying with Christopher Guzman. She earned a B.M. in Piano Performance from Lawrence University, where she studied with Catherine Kautsky. Ami has won awards in competitions and performed with the Hershey Symphony Orchestra and Lancaster Symphony Orchestra. Passionate about community engagement, Ami participates in concerts like Music for Food and performs in venues such as prisons, nursing homes, and hospitals. Her teaching philosophy centers on fostering a love for music and creating a supportive environment for students to achieve their musical goals with confidence and enjoyment.

Chungers Kim has established himself as a vibrant presence in the Chicago classical music scene since he moved to the city in early 2012. As a Music Director and vocal coach, he is very active in directing and/or playing for numerous rehearsals, shows, and recitals. He has directed and conducted many beloved Broadway shows such as: Beauty and the Beast, Guys and Dolls, Shrek the Musical, and The Sound of Music.

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Mr. Kim is also an active concert soloist and opera singer. He has appeared as Masetto in Don Giovanni at The Bohemian National Cemetery, as Don Pasquale from Don Pasquale, as The Watchman from Maskarade, and as Schaunard from La Boheme. In the classical concert setting, Mr. Kim sang in Haydn’s Te Deum with VOX3 Collectives and Lakeview Orchestra, Handel’s Messiah with St. Croix Valley Orchestra, as well as J.S.Bach’s Cantata BWV131 with the UW-River Falls Concert Choir.

Jake Westerbeke is a violist interested in helping others express themselves through music. Born in West Michigan, Jake attended the University of Michigan where he received his degree in Viola Performance. In his time in Michigan, he performed with numerous ensembles and orchestras, gaining valuable experience in making music with others. Some of these groups include: Traverse Symphony Orchestra, Adrian Symphony, and the U-M Percussion Ensemble, which went on to receive a Grammy Nomination for Best Orchestral Performance in 2022. Since moving to Evanston to pursue his Master’s in Viola Performance at Northwestern University, Jake is excited for new opportunities in the Chicagoland area!

Mike Vinopal is a guitarist and songwriter, best known as the founder of Chicago’s lyrical funk/soul band, Local Motive. Having worked with renowned producer/engineer Noam Wallenberg (Alan Parsons, Mac Miller) at Rax Trax Recording (Buddy Guy, George Clinton) on a large discography of original material, Mike's compositions can be found on all streaming platforms. Born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago, he was immersed in a musical family. His dad and uncles would often gather around the family piano with guitars to harmonize to their favorite Beatles' songs. Beginning piano lessons in kindergarten, Mike discovered his passion for guitar and other stringed instruments early in his teens, amassing an impressive collection of instruments throughout his life.

Sol Adam Lehman is a countertenor and pianist in the Chicago area. Their recent performances include the role of Ottone in Handel’s Agrippina with Chicago Summer Opera and as Raphael in Jonathan Dove's Tobias and the Angel. Additionally, they starred in the live premiere of David Shenton's On Call: COVID-19.



Lehman is passionate about Voice Science and is committed to providing a scientifically informed, individualized, and artistically sensitive approach to vocal education.



Lehman holds a B.A. in Music from Austin College and an M.M. in Voice Performance from Roosevelt University/Chicago College of Performing Arts. Lehman is a current student of Dr. Kari Ragan.

Joy Yelenosky has been involved in various prestigious international music programs from an early age. Joy received a full scholarship during her certification in Piano Performance from the “Conservatorio Julian Aguirre” in Argentina, where she took part of summer intensive training and annual examinations. She has been an active participant at the Florence Opera Seminar (Italy), the Torgau International Artist Workshop (Germany), and the Stonybrook International Piano festival of New York (NY). She was selected as a Young Steinway Talent to perform a full piano solo recital at the age of 16.


Music has connected Joy to people all over the world and she’s looking forward to inspiring her students to reach for their dreams and musical goals. Joy obtained her Classical Voice Performance degree at the Chicago College of Performing Arts and obtained her Master's degree in Vocal Performance at Notre Dame University.

Praised for “great imagination and extraordinary musicality” (Shantou Daily), Lam Wong has appeared in numerous music festivals and concert venues across America and Asia as a soloist and chamber musician, including Ravinia, Aspen, Sarasota, and Norfolk. He is the winner of the Thaviu-Isaak, Lillian Fuchs, and Dover Competition.



He has recorded for New Focus Recordings, and his recent performance was broadcast on WFMT 98.7. Wong holds degrees from Manhattan and Yale Schools of Music and a DMA from Northwestern University. He currently serves as the Coordinator of Piano Pedagogy at Northwestern. He is also an active presenter and sought-after adjudicator.

Nora is a vocalist and music teacher with roots in jazz, folk, and contemporary music genres. Originally from Madison, Wisconsin, Nora spent her formative years attending rock music camps, participating in musicals, and performing vocal jazz competitively. After moving to Chicago, Nora attended the Chicago College of Performing Arts to earn a Bachelor's of Music. Recently she has performed around Chicago including venues like the Jazz Showcase, Fulton Street Collective, Jazz Union League Club, and much more. Her teaching mission is to create a welcoming and expressive environment for her students to grow and learn.

Elijah McTiernan is a singer/multi-instrumentalist based in Chicago. As a pianist, they specialize in lead sheet performance and music theory. As a guitarist and vocalist, they have honed their technique as one half of the harmony-heavy acoustic duo "Lake and Luke", having most recently played on Navy Pier for Harry Caray's Summer Music Series. They are also a theatre artist, having performed in union and non-union productions in Boston and Chicago. Elijah graduated from The University of Maine with a B.M in Music Education, developing an educational focus on teaching to the individual with an emphasis on intrinsic motivation.

Zaira Castillo is a dynamic pianist and collaborator. Recent appearances include the Los Angeles Liszt International Piano Competition, the Summer Institute for Contemporary Performance, the Frequency Festival, and the Impromptu Festival. In Chicago, Zaira has performed at several venues including Constellation Chicago, the Epiphany Center for the Arts, Northwestern University, Roosevelt University, Experimental Sound Studios, and Clara Chicago. She serves as the publicity director for the Locus Ensemble and co-founded Duo Riso, specializing in classical and contemporary piano/clarinet repertoire. Guided by her teaching philosophy, she believes in nurturing each student's unique musical journey and is committed to making music accessible and enjoyable to all of her students.

Sonya Ur, who is a native of the North Shore area began her classical training in piano at the age of 4 and violin at the age of 9. She did most of her musical training in both piano and violin at the Music Institute Of Chicago in Winnetka. She received her Undergraduate degree for piano performance at the University Of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and her Masters for piano performance and pedagogy at Northwestern University in Evanston. Her professional memberships include MTNA, CAMTA, and NSMTA. She currently teaches private piano and is the accompanist for the choir program at Niles West High School in Skokie. She also does accompanying for many Suzuki programs and adjudicates many festivals all over the North Shore.

“Without music, life would be a mistake.” Friedrich Nietzsche

Nancy DeHaven has been an active musician and independent piano teacher in the Chicago area for over thirty years. She has a B.A. in Music Theory from DePaul University where she studied classical piano with Melody Lord Lundberg. In addition she studied jazz with Alan Swain in Evanston. She was one of the original staff pianists at Nordstrom Old Orchard when the store opened in 1993 and has extensive experience playing piano in the many hotel lobbies in the greater Chicagoland area, as well as on the cruise ships docked at Navy Pier. She has been a choir director, a worship leader, a camp music director, and continues to compose and arrange music on a regular basis. In a previous life she played guitar and performed solo as a singer-songwriter as well in ensembles performing music as diverse as Balkan and bluegrass.

Taiwanese Soprano, Tzu-Jung Jennifer Wang is passionate about collaboration and continues to explore the vast music styles in different cultures. In 2024, Ms. Wang performed three concerts at the Mostly Modern Festival, in Saratoga Springs, NY. Ms. Wang appeared as Barbarina in the Chicago Summer Opera production of Le nozze di Figaro, and sang in Taiwan’s National Hall for the Peabody New Star Recital this past Summer. Ms. Wang holds a M.M. in Voice Performance & Pedagogy at the Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University. Ms. Wang's teaching emphasizes building trust through clear communication and gaining confidence through exploration and solidification of students' techniques.

Catarine Hancock is a mezzo-soprano originally from Lexington, Kentucky. She holds a Master of Music from Indiana University, studying with Jane Dutton. She earned her B.M. in Vocal Performance from the University of Kentucky. While at Indiana University, she performed Third Lady in the 2021 production of The Magic Flute, and originated the role of Margot Frank in the world premiere of Anne Frank in 2023. She has performed the role of Hansel in Hansel und Gretel at the Trentino Music Festival in Italy, as well as Rebecca Nurse in The Crucible and Zita in Gianni Schicchi, both with University of Kentucky Opera Theatre. She is the 2nd Place Undergraduate Winner of the 2017 Alltech Vocal Scholarship Competition, and a semi-finalist in the 2020, 2021, and 2022 Orpheus Vocal Competition. She has had 12 years of classical voice training, as well as several years of experience singing musical theatre, and nearly a decade of piano experience. She is also a skilled choral musician, having sung with prestigious ensembles such as UK Chorale, Indiana University’s NOTUS, and Chicago Chamber Choir. Her teaching philosophy is centered around building a strong foundation that can then be adapted to any genre.

Yi Ding was born into a musical family. Yi entered the Shanghai Conservatory of Music at the age of 9 and soon made his orchestra debut performing ‘Beethoven Concerto No. 1’ with Shanghai City Symphony Orchestra.

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Yi’s artistic achievements are not only limited to the concert scenes but also extended to art
societies across the U.S. and China. His recent activities include serving as a judge member at
the 2024 ‘AIM’ music exam in Chicago; guest artist at the annual Gala Concert at the Chinese
Embassy in the U.S., and at the ‘Harbin Pedagogy Week’ in China.