Flutist Alex Brady currently holds the Utility Flute/Piccolo position with the Kansas City Philharmonia Orchestra. He has also joined MCO's U.S. tour as Acting Principal Flute. He has been a fellow at the Brevard Music Center, Atlantic Music Festival, and Galway International Summer Flute Festival. Brady has won prizes in competitions from the South Carolina Flute Society, Wisconsin Flute Festival, Kansas Flute Society, Mid-South Flute Festival, and Colorado Young Artist Competition. He has performed as a soloist as winner of the Topeka Symphony and North Winds Wind Symphony Young Artist Competitions. Alex Brady studies with Dr. Daniel Velasco and has received further instruction from Kayla Burggraf and Amy Porter.

Mara Goree is a first-year master's student at Northwestern University, where she studies with Professor John Thorne. She recently graduated from Indiana University with her B.M. in Flute Performance under Thomas Robertello. During her years based in the Bloomington area, Mara had the honor of teaching private students through IU Classical Connections, as well as performing as principal flute with Ballet Indiana.

Previously, Mara has studied under Tal Perkes, Martha Fabrique, and Mark Teplitsky, and has had the pleasure of studying piccolo with Jennifer Gunn and Alyce Johnson.

Shianne Bonham is an oboist currently pursuing her Bachelor of Music in Oboe Performance at Vanderbilt University, aiming for graduation in the spring of 2025. Under the prior mentorship of Jennifer Potochnic and tutelage of Dr. Jared Hauser at the Blair School of Music, she studies western classical music, with a special interest in incorporating modern compositions and music of underrepresented groups in her repertoire.

Throughout her time at the Blair School of Music, Shianne has refined her performance studies across a spectrum of instruments, including the oboe, English horn, oboe d’amore, and piano, actively participating in chamber music, recordings, and ensemble performances, where she has held principal positions in both the Vanderbilt University Orchestra and the Vanderbilt Wind Symphony.

Shianne's dedication to cultural exchange and musical diplomacy is exemplified through her active involvement in the "Banding Together" initiative, facilitating cross-cultural understanding through musical collaborations in Colombia, Cuba, and the Dominican Republic. Notably, her trip to Havana, Cuba marked an unprecedented partnership between the US Embassy and the Cuban Institute of Music.

In 2022, she was appointed as a teaching assistant in the Musicology and Ethnomusicology program under Dr. Robert Fry, a position she currently holds. Furthermore, she accepted a fellowship with the Vanderbilt University Special Collections and University Archives, on the life and work of Dr. Yusef A. Lateef.

When not immersed in the world of music, you can find Shianne making oboe reeds or tending to her many, many plants.

Nyla Ortiz is an undergraduate student studying with Dr. Philip Paglialonga at the University of North Texas, pursuing a bachelors degree in music education and clarinet performance. She has taught in Loudoun County Public Schools and gave clarinet masterclasses in her hometown.

At the University of North Texas, Ortiz is a member of the UNT Wind Ensemble, The Green Brigade, and multiple chamber groups. She has performed at the 2022 College Band Directors National Association (CBDNA) convention in Baltimore, Maryland, and worked with the Loudoun Symphony Youth Orchestra (LSYO), working alongside Dr. Hayden Denesha, where she played principal clarinet.

In the summer of 2023, she attended the Buffet Crampon Summer Clarinet Academy. While there, Nyla won a full scholarship and worked with renowned clarinetists including, Todd Cope, Victoria Luperi, Marci Gunrow, Diana Haskell, and Greg Raden.

Outside of the clarinet, she enjoys reading, rock climbing, and photography.

Kristina Nie is currently studying at the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University under professors John Yeh and Teresa Reilly. She is a member of the Wheaton Municipal Band conducted by Dr. Bruce Moss. In 2023, Nie participated in the Buffet Crampon Summer Clarinet Academy, where she took lessons and participated in masterclasses with Todd Cope, Marci Gurnow, Diana Haskell, Gregory Raden, and Victoria Luperi. Nie also enjoys playing both Eb clarinet and bass clarinet. Outside of music, Nie enjoys bouldering and learning to cook new foods!

I was born and raised in Ottawa, Canada and now studying classical performance at the University of Montreal.

James Smelley is a bassoonist originally from Tuscaloosa, Alabama. He completed his Bachelor of Music in Bassoon Performance at the University of Alabama in 2022, studying under Dr. Jennifer Mann. During his time at Alabama, James was a prominent member of the University's top ensembles and often substituted with the Tuscaloosa Symphony Orchestra.

Most recently, James earned his Master of Music in Bassoon Performance from the Bienen School of Music at Northwestern University, where he studied under Professor David McGill. James has had the pleasure of performing in masterclasses for renowned bassoonists Miles Maner, Andrew Brady, and William Short.

James is looking forward to continuing his studies at the University of North Texas with Professor Darrel Hale.

Sarah Petropoulos is currently a student at Lawrence University Conservatory of Music in Appleton, Wisconsin, majoring in Trombone Performance (B. Mus.) and minoring in brass pedagogy. She started learning the trombone when she was 14, and has been playing since. Her musical interests include music of Romantic, Classical, and Baroque eras, orchestral music, and solo repertoire. Petropoulos is proficient at both tenor and alto trombones, and has recently been learning the sackbut. She is grateful for this opportunity to play in the Chicago Summer Opera's orchestra.

Ashley is from Tennessee and has been playing the trombone for 14 years. She attended BYU for her undergraduate degree in trombone performance and now attends Arizona State University for her Master's.

Ty, a fourth-year student at the University of Iowa, is currently pursuing his Bachelor of Music degree in Trombone Performance. He is known for his active participation in University ensembles and has showcased his talent with esteemed groups such as the Iowa City Chamber Singers, the Jordan Kahn Orchestra, the Georgia Bridgewater Orchestra, and Manhattan.

Throughout his tenure at Iowa, Ty has achieved remarkable milestones, including being a finalist in the American Trombone Workshop Solo Jazz Trombone Competition, selected as a Shires Rising Artist, being a finalist in the Fort Dodge Symphony Concerto Competition, semi-finalist in the Southeast Trombone Symposium Excerpts Competition, and securing a spot as second alternate in the International Trombone Association’s Trombone Quartet Competition. His musical prowess earned him the position of principal trombone at the National Symphony Orchestra Summer Music Institute. Ty's dedication to jazz education led him to deliver a series of masterclasses titled "Jazz Trombone 101" across Thailand.

This upcoming summer, in addition to the Chicago Summer Opera, Ty will compete in the International Trumpet Guild Chamber Music Competition with the Amity Brass Quintet. Following that competition, he will attend the Spectrum Brass Institute at Bay View Music Festival with Amity Brass.

In his free time, Ty enjoys playing pool, basketball, riding his bike, cooking Thai food, and hanging out with his cat.

Elliott Fus is an 2nd year Doctorate of Musical Arts student studying French Horn Performance at the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami Florida. He recently obtained his Masters of Music in French Horn Performance from the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University, along with his Bachelor of Music Education. He currently studies with Richard Todd and studied with Denise Tryon, Jeff Nelsen, Richard Seraphinoff, and Dale Clevenger. He is a graduate of Munster High School and during his time competed in ISSMA State Finalist Bands and Choirs. He has also had the opportunity to perform around the world, ranging from Carnegie Hall in New York City to Stellenbosch University in South Africa. Among other awards, Elliott received the John Philip Souza Award for his musicianship and leadership. He currently is a Teaching Assistant and Henry Mancini Fellow at the Frost School of Music, playing Principal Horn with the Frost School of Music Symphony Orchestra. He was Principal Horn of the IU Wind Ensemble along with being fourth horn in the IU Symphony and Concert Orchestra.

I am Victoria Cappelletti Azzolini. I am a brazilian musician and i am twenty two years old.

I started my studies in music in Brazil when i am nine years old in the marching band of my school. In 2015, with the same marching band, I had classes at the Marching band Texas Tech - Lubbock- Texas. In 2016 I joined at the OSPA Conservatory of Music, where i had classes with Professor Israel de Oliveira, and where i had my first contact with the french horn.

In 2018 I participated in the Euroquestries Festival in Quebec-CA, where I was part of the Festival orchestra and also performed with a brass group with Brazilian musicians, that I was part of.

In the year 2022 to 2023 I participated as temporary low horn in the Porto Alegre Symphony Orchestra.

In 2023 i finished Bachelor degree on French horn at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, and now o continue on classes with Professor Adalto Soares. I currently participate in the University of Rio Grande do Norte Philharmonic Orchestra and the Trompiguares horn group. Since 2022 I have been part of the Rio Grande do Norte Symphony Orchestra and Parnamirim Orchestra as low Horn.

Ariana O’Connell is earning her master’s degree in Violin Performance at the University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music, studying with Glenn Dicterow. She earned second place in the 2019 Chicago Violin Competition and first prize in the 2019 Midwest Conservatory Concerto Competition. Ariana has been the associate concertmaster of the California Young Artists Symphony since 2022. She received the 2023 Kathleen and Jerry Eberhardt Scholarship while attending Music Academy as a Violin Fellow.

Kyle Stevens is a Violinist, educator, and arts administrator studying at Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. With a strong interest in the voices of marginalized composers, he aims to spotlight the connection between art and community. This work continues in teaching activities with the Philadelphia String Project, a division of Temple Music Prep. As an avid chamber musician, he founded the Crimson Quartet, and together they premiered the works of several student composers.

He studies violin with Dr. Joseph Kauffman and has additionally studied chamber music with Dr. Anna Meyer and Kerri Ryan.

Jane is a versatile violist and violinist currently living and performing in West Michigan and the Ann Arbor area. Jane began her orchestral studies with the Midwest Young Artists Conservatory in Highwood, IL, before moving to Ann Arbor to attend the University of Michigan, playing violin and viola in the university’s Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Kenneth Kiesler. Additionally, she is a member of the first violin section of West Michigan Symphony in Muskegon, MI, led by conductor Scott Speck. She is also a substitute violist with a number of Michigan orchestras, including the Jackson, Holland, Lansing, and Adrian Symphonies.

Jane has previously participated in the Chautauqua and Orford Music Festivals, and most recently attended the National Orchestral Institute + Festival as a member of the NOI Philharmonic Orchestra’s viola section. She has played under the baton of conductors such as Marin Alsop, Rossen Milanov, David Neely, John Morris Russell, and Joseph Young.

Jane has studied with Caroline Coade, Kathryn Votapek, and Aaron Berofsky. She will attend McGill University in Montréal this fall, to study viola with Victor Fournelle-Blain.

Eliana Miraglia is an Italian cellist graduated at the International Program for Excellent students at the Buchmann-Mehta Academy in the Tel Aviv University. A student of the virtuoso cellist Professor Hillel Zori and the IPO principal cellist Emanuele Silvestri.

Despite her young age, her career has been marked by collaborations with world-renowned musicians, such as Anna-Sophie Mutter or Tàmas Varga, and participation in prominent orchestras including the Buchmann-Mehta Orchestra in Tel Aviv with whom she performed under the baton of the most influential conductors of our time such as Lahav Shani, Ivan Fisher, Gianandrea Noseda, Zeev Dorman, Yi-An Xu and many others.

Eliana's performances have graced stages across Europe, Israel, and the USA, with highlights including soloist appearances with several Italian Festival Orchestras, and first prizes, among them the one at the chamber music competition in the Duxbury Music Festival(MA).

Eliana's notable participation in opera festivals includes the Euromediterranean Festival, Luglio Musicale Trapanese, and Taormina Opera Festival, and to date she has been assistant principal cello of the Catania Philharmonic Orchestra.

Currently, she is further honing her expertise through a Master’s program in cello performance at the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance.

Chinese-American Pianist Tingting Yao is an avid collaborative pianist and chamber musician, currently serving as the Staff Pianist at Sam Houston State University in Texas. Yao has performed throughout the United States, United Kingdom, Australia and China.

Often performing and recording with the Covert Ensemble (with saxophonists Dave Camwell and Katerina Pavlikova), this group has produced more than 25 unique arrangements of popular classical music from J.S. Bach to contemporary composers such as Mix Richter. In March 2023, the ensemble premiered a new piece-The Sky Between Us, by American composer Jenni Brandon at the North American Saxophone Alliance Biennial Conference. In March 2022, the ensemble also toured Alabama and Florida, and recorded with the Pensacola Symphony Orchestra for a new double concerto by Czech composer Martin Hybler.

Aa part of the Dubois-Yao Duo with violist Amaro Dubois, they released a second album in Jan 2023 titled “Luz” on the Parma Label. Together with their first album “Adoration”, this group actively features female, African American and Latin composers. The Duo was awarded 2021 Grand Prize Winners of the World Classical Music Awards and 2nd place Ensemble of 2021 King’s Peak International Music Competition.

A graduate of the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, Yao has won every award she could have as an accompanist in the Conservatoire. She frequently performed in venues such as Town Hall Symphony Hall (Birmingham), St John's Smith Square (London), The Prince's Teaching Institute (London), among others. Prior to her time in the United Kingdom, she was selected from pianists all over the world to work at Lang Lang Music World in Shenzhen, China.

Yao holds an Advanced Postgraduate Diploma (APD) in Collaborative Piano, a Master of Music in Piano Accompaniment (with Distinction) from the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire (UK), a Master of Music from the University of Melbourne (Australia) and a Bachelor of Arts from Tongji University, China.

Frankie Peacock is an American percussionist from the San Francisco Bay Area who is currently pursuing a Master’s degree at UCLA for percussion performance. They have performed with the UCLA Philharmonia, Act III Theater, and with the California Young Artists Symphony. In the Summer of 2023, Frankie was a member of the Berlin Opera Academy, an international summer music program.

As a student, Frankie started their undergraduate studies at Chabot College in Hayward, CA, where they studied privately with Arthur Storch. They continued their undergraduate studies by transferring to UCLA, where they studied percussion performance privately with LA Opera Principle Timpanist, Gregory Goodall. They stayed at UCLA to pursue a Master’s degree in percussion performance, studying with LA Opera Principle Percussionist, Dr. Theresa Dimond. They have also participated in masterclasses by world-renowned percussionists such as Matthew Howard, Naoko Takada, and Wade Culbreath.

Frankie started their musical journey by taking drumset lessons starting at age nine. Frankie started playing percussion in their middle school’s concert band. In high school, Frankie played in wind ensembles and jazz bands. Throughout high school, Frankie also played marching tenors with the James Logan High School Marching Band and the Blue Devils B Drum and Bugle Corps. Frankie continued playing marching tenors in the Los Angeles region with the groups Vessel Indoor and Dark Sky Percussion.