FLUTE

Alaina is a fourth-year Flute Performance Major at the University of Wisconsin- Stevens Point. She is involved in many extracurricular activities that enrich her musical experience; one of these is the college's only Body Percussion a cappella group, One Hundred Footsteps. She is also an avid reader, crocheter, and crafter.

FLUTE

Natalie Spitzer, Flutist, attends New York University as a flute performance major, studying with Dr. Meghan Bennett. Before starting NYU, she was a student of Judith Mendenhall, principal Flutist of the American Ballet Theater Orchestra, and she has participated in masterclasses with Jasmine Choi, Bart Feller, Linda Toote, Alexa Still, Jennifer Grim, and Brandon Patrick George. Natalie has performed with the NYU Orchestra and Wind Symphony, the New Jersey Symphony Youth Orchestra's Academy Orchestra, the Chamber Music Center of New York, and has spent two summers studying in France at the Académie Musicale d’Evian.

Natalie has performed extensively in a wide range of ensembles, including chamber groups, flute ensembles, chamber and symphony orchestras, and musical theater pit orchestras, where she has enjoyed playing clarinet and saxophone, in addition to flute. She comes from a musical family—her mother is a flutist, her father a clarinetist and saxophonist, her twin sister a violist, and her aunt a violinist with the New Jersey Symphony.

OBOE

Riley Stone is a rising senior oboe performance major at The University of Colorado, Boulder. She currently studies with Peter Cooper, principal oboist of the Colorado Symphony. Riley has performed in opera pit orchestra before as the 2nd/English Horn for "Dead Man Walking" at CU, and is excited and grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with new people and grow during the Chicago Summer Opera.

OBOE

Addie Yoon is currently studying at Indiana University Jacobs School of Music where she is pursuing a Master of Music in Oboe Performance under the tutelage of Linda Strommen. She also holds a Bachelor of Music in Oboe Performance from the University of Oklahoma where she studied with Shawn Welk. In 2024, Addie won the 2nd place prize winner at the annual Young Artist Competition hosted by the Midsouth chapter of the International Double Reed Society. In the same year, she participated at the Rocky Ridge Music Center summer program.

Outside of her musical studies, Addie enjoys running, 3D printing & modeling, and reading.

CLARINET

Richard Schuster is an undergraduate student at East Carolina University, studying under Janghyun Thomas Kim. He performs regularly with the ECU Symphony Orchestra and Wind Ensemble in principal positions, and has appeared in solo performances and masterclasses in Bad Vöslau, Austria. Richard has performed in masterclasses with Deborah Chodacki, Alan Kay, Christoph Moser, Markus Adenberger, Andy Hudson, and more. In addition to the 2026 Chicago Summer Opera, Richard will be performing this Summer in Taiwan and Austria. In his free time, Richard enjoys solving rubik's cubes, spending time with friends, and walking in nature.

BASSOON

Ilaria Chen is a Taiwanese bassoonist and flutist and a junior at Stony Brook University, where she studies with Gina Cuffari. She began her musical training on flute and piano at Kuang Jen Catholic High School and began formal bassoon study at Stony Brook. Ilaria has received the Bright Lights Scholarship and The Michael Bane Prize and performs regularly in orchestral, chamber, baroque, and Broadway ensembles. She attended the 2025 Madeline Island Chamber Festival and was invited to perform with the Stony Brook Symphony Orchestra.

BASSOON

Zach Dunbar is a bassoonist and oboist from the Central Wisconsin area where he is currently pursuing a bachelor's degree in music education from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. While attending the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Zach has been an active member of both the bassoon and oboe studios, studying under Dr. Brian Ellingboe and Professor Stacey Berk. Outside of the University, Zach has performed with the Central Wisconsin Symphony Orchestra and the Waupaca Symphony Orchestra on both bassoon and oboe and has performed as a solo artist with the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Wind Ensemble under the direction of Dr. John Lynch, performing the 1st Movement of the Mozart Oboe Concerto in C Major.

HORN

Elie Cavazos is a junior French horn performance major at Illinois State University from McHenry, IL. At ISU, she studies with Dr. Rachel Hockenberry. Cavazos serves as the section leader of the Illinois State University Wind Symphony horn section and performs in the Illinois State University Symphony Orchestra. She also serves as President of the ISU Horn Guild and Secretary of the ISU Orchestra Club.

HORN

Karina Itzel Herrera Zambrano is going into their 4th year at Eastern Illinois University. They studied with Dr. Jessica Pearce and is currently studying under Professor Molly Frederick. Karina graduated from Belleville West High School in 2023 and is on track to graduate with their bachelor's in music education in Spring 2027. They won the 2024-2025 EIU Concerto Competition. They attended the Kendall Betts Horn Camp in 2025 and had the opportunity to work with amazing teachers like Bernhard Scully, Paul Basler, Kevin Newton, James Naigus, Lanette Lopez Compton, and Allen Fogle. After graduating EIU, they plan on pursuing a master's and doctorate in performance to eventually teach at the collegiate level.

TRUMPET

Paul Dempsey is a Performer and Educator based in Tucson, Arizona. Paul is currently completing his DMA degree in trumpet performance at the University of Arizona, where he also hosts a private teaching studio. As a performer, Paul is a currently member of the Southern Arizona Symphony Orchestra, and has previously performed and recorded with groups of various styles, including orchestra, jazz band, punk bands, and hip-hop groups.

PERCUSSION

Daniel Gallegos is a percussionist based in Southern California, currently pursuing a Bachelor of Music in Percussion Performance and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics with an emphasis in quantitative analysis at San Diego State University.

An active performer, Daniel has appeared with the SDSU Wind Symphony, Percussion Ensemble, and Symphonic Band, and previously served as Principal Percussionist and Drumline Captain at Santa Margarita Catholic High School. His performance experience spans concert, marching, and theatrical settings, including notable appearances at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts, Grossmont Symphony Orchestra concerts, and international performances in Normandy and Paris.

In addition to performing, Daniel is deeply involved in leadership and music direction. He has worked as a conductor, assistant music director, and composer for theatrical productions, and has served as a guest instructor for school ensembles. His leadership extends beyond music, including roles such as Pledge Class President for the Fall 2025 Pledge Class and Alumni Chair for Alpha Gamma Omega Fraternity.

Daniel’s artistry has been recognized with numerous honors, including the John Philip Sousa Band Award and Outstanding Student in Performing Arts. He has further refined his craft through intensive study at the Northwestern Percussion Symposium under leading performers and educators.

VIOLIN

Kateřina Švecová was born in 2005 in Domažlice, where she started playing the violin with Markéta Šťovíčková. She continued her studies at the Prague Grammar and Music School of the Capital City of Prague in the class of Prof. Štěpán Ježek (Bennewitz Quartet) and was prematurely accepted to the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague, where she currently studies at the Prof. Ivan Štraus’ class.

Her achievements include 2nd prize and a special award at the international Virtuosos V4+ competition, 1st prize and a special award at the PhDr. Joseph Micka International Violin competition, and she is also a laureate of the Václav Hudeček Academy. She has brought valuable awards from competitions such as the G. P. Telemann Violin Competition in Poland, the J. Kocián Violin Competition in Ústí nad Orlicí, and the Moscow International Music Competition. She has also participated in competitions such as the Concertino Praga Radio Competition, the B. Martinů Competition in Prague, and the International Violin Competition E. Ysaÿe in Belgium.

In early 2023, she made her solo debut at the Palace of Arts (MÜPA) in Hungary. A year later, she performed as a soloist with the Hungarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, premiering Bohuslav Martinů's second violin concerto in Hungary.

She has attended masterclasses led by renowned violinists such as Vadim Repin, Václav

Hudeček, and P. A. Draganov. She collaborates with orchestras such as the Hungarian Radio

Symphony Orchestra, the Pannon Philharmonic, Karlovy Vary Symphony Orchestra, the Bohuslav Martinů Philharmonic, and the South Bohemian Philharmonic, and has worked with artists like Maestro Plácido Domingo and Maestro János Ács, and bands such as Uriah Heep and Elán. In 2025, she served as concertmaster at the State Opera in Prague for the production of Britten`s The Turn of the Screw. She has performend in renowned venues such as the Rudolfinum, National Theater in Prague, and the O2 Arena.

Kateřina is not only a successful performer of classical music but also excels in folk music, for which she has won numerous awards. In 2019, she received the "Perla Plzeňského kraje" (Pearl of the Pilsen Region) award for her contributions to classical music both at home and abroad.

She is also deeply committed to teaching music to children, working intensively with them through a modern Montessori-inspired apporach that encourages creativity, independece, and a natural connection to music.

VIOLIN

Katelyn Moon recently earned her Bachelor of Music degree from Northwestern University and will continue her studies at Rice University, pursuing a Master of Music under the guidance of Blair Milton and David Chan. She previously studied at the Juilliard Pre-College program with Ann Setzer.

Katelyn has performed at major venues including Carnegie Hall’s Isaac Stern Auditorium, Weill Hall, and Zankel Hall, and made her solo debut at age nine with the Camerata Virtuosi New Jersey Orchestra. Her honors include first prize at the New York International Music Competition and recognition as a National YoungArts Merit Winner.

In addition to her musical achievements, she has been actively involved in community outreach and been a Regional Director for Back to Bach and Solis and Luna Arts.

VIOLIN

Abbey Fontana is a violinist completing her first year of her Master’s in Music at the Cleveland Institute of Music, studying with Olga Kaler. She has played in orchestras such as the Nashville Symphony Orchestra, the Akron Symphony Orchestra, the Niles Metropolitan Orchestra, and the Chicago Bar Association Symphony Orchestra. Other notable instructors include Dylana Jenson, David Taylor, and David Lockington.

Abbey studied violin at the University of Notre Dame with Dylana Jenson. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in 2022 after re-classing from the class of 2023. While at Notre Dame, Abbey spent two years as Concertmaster and President of the Notre Dame Symphony Orchestra. She won the Notre Dame Symphony's 2021 Concerto Competition and appeared as a soloist with the Notre Dame Symphony three times to play Piazzolla’s Primavera Porteña from Cuatro Estaciones Porteñas, the Beethoven Triple Concerto, and the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto. She also regularly performed with the Ritornello Ensemble at Notre Dame.

Abbey earned her Juris Doctor from DePaul University College of Law in 2025 and passed the Florida Bar Exam later that year. When offstage, Abbey is also an Estate Law attorney working in private practice.

VIOLA

Jonathan Walters started playing violin at the age of 7. As a young player, he won first prize for the Sigma Alpha Iota string competition, received the Elsie Sterrenberg Scholarship, and performed with the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra for several years. During his senior year of high school, he switched to playing the viola. He was awarded a talent scholarship at DePaul University, where he completed his Bachelor of Music in Viola Performance, studying with the late Rami Solomonow. A dedicated musician, Jonathan is currently Assistant Principal Viola of Peoria Symphony Orchestra, Associate Principal Viola of Elmhurst Symphony Orchestra, and Section Viola of Northwest Indiana Symphony Orchestra. In 2024 he completed a Graduate Performer’s Certificate from University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. He has studied with many renowned teachers including Li-Kuo Chang, Helen Callus, and Peter Slowik. Jonathan has also played with Northwestern University’s Baroque Music Ensemble and in Northwestern University’s Dunbar Festival. Other orchestral experiences include substitute musician for Chicago Sinfonietta, South Bend Symphony Orchestra, Illinois Symphony Orchestra, Madison Symphony Orchestra and Sheboygan Symphony Orchestra. Jonathan has performed recently with the Missouri Symphony Orchestra as Guest Assistant Principal. He regularly coaches the viola section of the Northwest Indiana Youth Symphony Orchestra.

VIOLA

Brandon Waite is a violist from Columbus, Ohio studying under Juliet White-Smith at The Ohio State University. He is currently in his fourth year as a dual-degree student in Music Performance and Physics. He has performed with the New Albany Symphony Orchestra, Mansfield Symphony Orchestra, Wintergreen Festival Orchestra, and is a founding member and current principal violist of Collegium Musicum of Ohio. In 2025, Brandon appeared as a soloist with the Buckeye Philharmonic Orchestra.

CELLO

Arowyn Almeida is a cellist from Richmond, Virginia, who will receive her Bachelor of Music in Performance from Virginia Commonwealth University in spring 2026. She is the winner of the 2025 VCU Concerto Competition, with which she made her debut performing Elgar’s Cello Concerto. She has also received recognition in the Virginia Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) Competition, earning both a second-place award and an honorable mention.

She further developed her musicianship through summer studies at the Green Mountain Chamber Music Festival and the Brevard Summer Orchestral Program, where she spent two seasons gaining extensive experience in both chamber and orchestral performance. Arowyn plans to continue her musical training by pursuing master’s and doctoral degrees, with the goal of refining her artistry and building a career as a professional cellist.

CELLO

Colorado native Charlotte Gelwick is a second-year Cello Performance major at the University of Denver Lamont School of Music. Pursuing long-term training in Suzuki Pedagogy and a minor in Entrepreneurship, she is passionate about arts education and accessibility. She has studied under Matthew Zalkind, Dakota Cotugno, and Yi Qun Xu. An active chamber musician with the Quartet Perchance, she was granted an artist’s residency at Point Counterpoint Music Festival in 2024, during which she performed in a masterclass with members of the Castle of Our Skins arts collective. She currently performs with the Denver Chamber Orchestra and Lamont Opera Theater. When she isn’t in the pit, Charlotte enjoys spending time with her two cats, crocheting, and remembering to water her many houseplants!