FLUTE

Evie Chaney is a sophomore flute performance major with honors at the University of Delaware, studying with Eileen Grycky. She has also studied with Joan Marsh (Sparks). Evie has played principal flute for the UD Symphonic Band, principal flute for the UD Wind Ensemble, and second flute for the UD Symphony Orchestra. She has also played flute and alto flute in numerous chamber settings. In her career, Evie wants to specialize in performing operas and ballets.

FLUTE

Gabriela Beltran Rybak is a student at Lawrence University, pursuing degrees in Flute Performance and Spanish, as well as a minor in Pedagogy. She studies flute under Dr. Erin Lesser and Leo Sussman and performs in solo and group settings. At Lawrence, she participates in numerous ensembles, including the Lawrence Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, Flute Ensemble, and various chamber groups of both traditional and contemporary instrumentations. She is also a proponent of new music and has performed in several world premieres in collaboration with the Millennial Composers Collective and the Lawrence composition studio.

OBOE

My name is Jose Emmanuel Alvarez. I have autism, and I feel great about it. I am an oboist and a rising sophomore at DePaul University School of Music, studying Music Performance and Sound Recording Technology. Now studying under William Welter and Grace Hong at DePaul. I started playing the oboe when I was in 6th grade at The People's Music School. During Middle and High School, I played in a lot of selective programs as well. I play with CYSO Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Jazz Philharmonic, Merit School of Music Conservatory, All City Performing Arts, ILMEA, UIC Honors Band, and I also became a SLAM Student(Service, Leadership, Ambassador, Mentorship). I played with the Chicago Philharmonic twice, and I also went to Spain for the CYSO Tour last summer. I also play lots of Video Games and sing most of the time. I sang mostly orchestral, Latin, Pop, French, and Italian Songs.

CLARINET

David Hilt is a student at the Northwestern Bienen school of Music where he is pursuing a masters in Clarinet Performance studying under professors Todd Levy and Stephen Williamson.

Prior to this he received a bachelor's from the UW-Milwaukee school of music in Clarinet Performance.

David has also been a featured soloist of the UW-milwaukee symphony orchestra, and has subbed in the greater Milwaukee area, and with the Portland festival symphony.

Outside of the clarinet he enjoys reading, hanging out with friends, and being outdoors!

CLARINET

Clay Kabbe is a clarinetist at the Mannes School of Music in New York City, where he is pursuing a Bachelor’s in Music Performance under Jon Manasse. He regularly performs with the Mannes Orchestra, as well as with the New York City Orchestra Project. His past summer music festival experience includes Interlochen Arts Camp and Boston University Tanglewood Institute.

BASSOON

Andrea is an active performer with many ensembles, concert bands, orchestras, jazz bands, and musical companies as a concert and orchestral bassoonist, jazz saxophonist, and woodwind specialist. She has performed with SIU-C Symphony Orchestra, SEMO Symphony Orchestra, McCleod Summer Playhouse, Festival Suoni d'Abruzzo in the Adriatic coast of Italy, and Musica Le Mans in Le Mans, France. Andrea loves to spend time performing with so many great musicians that make up these diverse groups in different parts of the world.

Andrea has also served in education for seven years. She holds a Bachelor of Music Education from Southern Illinois University Carbondale and a Master's of Music Education from Eastern Illinois University. Along with her duties as the Director of Bands at Marion Junior High School, she is the Assistant Director of the Marching Wildcat Band at Marion High School. She has been awarded "Teacher of the Year" twice in her career. She is very active in professional music organizations; she is the former chair of ILMEA Senior Chorus for several years and has served as a chair for ILMEA Junior bands for several years. She has also served as an adjudicator for music competitions such as ILMEA district auditions, IGSMA Organization Contests for bands/choirs/orchestras, IGSMA Solo and Ensemble Contest., IHSA Solo and Ensemble Contest, and IHSA Organization Contest for choirs and bands. Andrea has guest conducted at music festivals and camps such as River to River All-Conference Band Festival and has spent four years as the conductor for the High School Band at the SIU-C Summer Music Camp. Andrea is always excited and interested in the growth and exploration of new musical and performance opportunities to foster a creative and successful experience for all musicians at all levels.

HORN

Singing before he could talk, Brooks has always had music in his life. In addition to playing piano, Brooks is currently pursuing a masters degree in horn performance at DePaul University, where he studies with Neil Kimel. Brooks enjoys reading, swimming, and listening to Bill Evans in his free time.

HORN

From Stuart, Virginia, Mason Scott is a versatile French horn player and emerging music educator pursuing a double major in Horn Performance and Music Education. Experienced in solo performance, orchestral playing, chamber ensembles, horn choir, wind band, jazz, and brass quintet settings. Dedicated to pedagogical excellence and fostering expressive artistry in students.

HORN

Les Stark is an undergraduate horn performance student at Northern Illinois University entering their third year. They are currently studying under Emma Sepmeier, and has previously studied with Renee Vogen. Les has had the opportunity to play with the NIU Wind ensemble as well as the NIU Philharmonic, and are very active in chamber ensembles. Outside of music, Les is pursuing a minor in anthropology and enjoys making art in their free time.

HORN

AC Caruthers is a hornist and educator pursuing a Master of Music in Horn Performance at DePaul University, studying with Neil Kimel. She earned her Bachelor of Music in Horn Performance from Florida State University, along with a minor in General Business and a Certificate in Music Entrepreneurship, studying with Michelle Stebleton. An active orchestral and chamber musician, AC has performed with ensembles including the DePaul Symphony Orchestra, Panama City Symphony, Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra, and Sinfonia Gulf Coast, and has participated in the Prague Summer Music Festival and the National Music Festival. She is a prizewinner of the Kings Peak International Music Competition and the Southeast Horn Workshop High Horn Competition, and is committed to music education, leadership, and expanding representation in classical music.

TROMBONE

Noah Rudser is pursuing a Bachelor's of Music Education at Boise State Univeristy. As a frequent performer in BSU's top ensembles, he understands the importance of dedication in music, making leaps in his musicianship with every rehearsal. Noah performs with many groups across BSU, like such as Symphonic Winds, the Symphony Orchestra, and Trombone Choir, which was invited to play at the 2023 International Trombone Festival. Noah won the Principal Trombone Position of the Meridian Symphony Orchestra in August of 2025 and continues to perform with them regularly. In addition to this, he won the Boise State Concerto Aria Competition in February of 2026 and will be performing with the Boise State Symphonic Winds as a soloist. Noah has shown great dedication to his craft through countless hours of preparation and performance and continues to make a lasting impression on the music community in Idaho.

TROMBONE

Marin Cowell is a tenor trombonist and 2026 graduate of The College of New Jersey’s Music Performance Major BA. After studying under principal trombonist of the Philadelphia Opera Bob Gale and Grammy Award-Winning jazz trombonist Doug Beavers, Marin is on his way to pursuing a Master’s in Classical Tenor Trombone and continuing his freelance work in the New Jersey, New York, and Philadelphia areas.

During their time at TCNJ, they appeared as principal trombonist for the TCNJ Wind Ensemble, Wind Orchestra, and String Orchestra and as lead trombonist of the TCNJ Jazz Ensemble. He also belongs to several Jersey big bands, brass ensembles, and pit orchestras, such as the SummerSwing Orchestra and the Silver Starlite Orchestra, and is recognized for his energy, passion, and excitement to perform. Thanks to their diverse musical background and habits, Marin is a versatile player and values every genre of music that involves the trombone.

When not playing the trombone, Marin enjoys composing, drawing, reading, and lifting heavy objects.

VIOLIN

Brazilian violinist Nicholas Costa has performed as an orchestral and chamber musician across the United States, Europe, and Asia. He has served as associate concertmaster of the Brazil Ensemble Berlin Chamber Orchestra and has substituted as a section violinist with several orchestras across the U.S. and Europe.

Nicholas studied violin performance at the Royal Conservatory of Ghent under Olga Zolotareva, and simultaneously pursued a masters in statistics at the Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium.

He has performed with numerous orchestras, including the InTouch Chamber Orchestra in Belgium, the LMLS Orchestra in Los Angeles, the University of Georgia Symphony Orchestra, and the Arenberg Orchestra in Leuven, Belgium, and has also contributed to professional recording projects.

Nicholas has participated in masterclasses and workshops with distinguished artists and pedagogues. He continues to refine his artistry through performance, study, and international collaborations, demonstrating versatility and disciplined musicianship as both a soloist and ensemble player.

VIOLIN

Born in 1999 in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Russia, and raised in both Russia and Moldova, violinist Olivia Croitoru began playing the violin at the age of eight. At eleven, she started her studies at the Republican Music Lyceum “Ciprian Porumbescu” in Chișinău with Prof. Galina Buinovschi and made her solo debut with the Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra in Chișinău one year later. Since then, she has frequently performed as a soloist with orchestra in Moldova.

Olivia has received numerous prizes at national and international competitions in Moldova, Romania, Russia, and Bulgaria, including second prize and a special prize (with no first prize awarded) at the International Violin Competition “Prof. Nedyalka Simeonova” in Haskovo, first prize and a special prize at the “Paul Constantinescu” Competition in Ploiești, and a third prize and bronze medal in chamber music at the International Competition “G. V. Sviridov” in Saint Petersburg.

She completed her bachelor’s studies at the Hochschule für Musik Franz Liszt Weimar with Prof. Marius Sima and Prof. Alexia Eichhorn and has continued her studies since October 2023 at the Hochschule für Musik Carl Maria von Weber Dresden with Prof. Natalia Prishepenko. She has received further artistic inspiration through masterclasses with Krzysztof Węgrzyn, Boris Brovtsyn, and Alexandru Tomescu.

As a scholarship holder of Yehudi Menuhin Live Music Now, Olivia is actively engaged in bringing classical music to diverse audiences. She was a member of the Moldovan and Romanian Youth Orchestras as well as the Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra, performing under renowned conductors at major festivals such as the Salzburg Festival and in leading concert halls. Between 2022 and 2023, she appeared in numerous concerts and opera productions with the Staatskapelle Weimar.

VIOLIN

Sena Elhassan is a 20 year old violinist, violist, and vocalist. Hailing from Hilliard, Ohio, Sena has competed nationally with chamber music, instructed string players in both group and private settings, and performs regularly in her community at Ohio University. She loves all things performance, and cannot wait to join the Chicago Summer Opera!

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.

VIOLIN

Eunsu Park is a violinist and exchange student at Marshall University and is the concertmaster of the university symphony orchestra. She has performed with orchestras and chamber ensembles in the U.S. and Korea, including Ensemble FOR YOU and Orchestra PAN. She enjoys collaborating with other musicians and performing orchestral and chamber music.

VIOLA

Catherine Wicker is a first year undergraduate at DePaul University in Chicago studying viola performance under professor Ann Marie Brink. Growing up in New York City, Catherine has had many amazing playing opportunities including preforming in venues such as Carnegie Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center, and the Lincoln Center Performing Arts Library; as well as participating in the inaugural year of NYYS: Crescendo, among other youth orchestras across the city.

VIOLA

Nia Klein is a 19 year old violist from the Chicagoland area. She has been playing for 8 years, currently studying with Heather Carlasare.

Throughout high school, Nia played in the Chicago youth symphony orchestra and was principal violist of the Lincoln-Way East Orchestra. She also has experience in the pit orchestra of LWE’s productions of Phantom of the Opera, Sweeney Todd: the Demon Barber of Fleet Street, and The SpongeBob Musical. Additionally, Nia was selected to play in the ILMEA 2024 All-State Honors orchestra and 2023 All-State orchestra.

She is currently a visiting student at Joliet Junior College with plans to transfer elsewhere to study math and music.

CELLO

Chase Teague is a cellist currently pursuing a Bachelor of Music in Cello Performance at the University of North Texas, where he studies under the direction of Professor Nikola Ružević. He began playing the cello at the age of 10 and has since developed a strong foundation in orchestral and operatic performance. Chase performed with the Longview Symphony Orchestra as well as the Texarkana Symphony Orchestra for two years. He also previously served as Principal Cellist of Stephen F. Austin State University symphony orchestra before transferring to UNT.

At UNT, he has performed in multiple opera productions, including Proving Up by Missy Mazzoli and Gianni Schicchi by Giacomo Puccini. Chase is expected to graduate in May 2027 and plans to continue his studies in graduate school, pursuing a Master’s degree in Cello Performance.

CELLO

Madeline Grenier, hailing from Valparaiso, Indiana, is the graduate teaching assistant for the horn studio at University of Oregon where she is a Master of Music candidate studying under Leander Star. She is a recent graduate of Indiana University where she received her bachelor’s in music performance studying under Richard Seraphinoff and Thomas Jostlein. At IU, she studied natural horn in addition to the modern horn. Along with her performance opportunities at University of Oregon, Madeline was recently appointed to third horn at the Vancouver Symphony USA, second horn at the Mid-Columbia Symphony, and is a horn fellow at OrchestraNEXT which plays alongside the Eugene Ballet. She has also performed with the Eugene Symphony, Newport Symphony, and Columbus Symphony Orchestra (IN). Besides performing, her passion is pedagogy. She maintains a small private studio of young players and has been a regular sectional teacher at local high schools.

CELLO

Nayantara Vyas is thrilled to be a part of the Chicago Summer Opera team this summer! She most recently played with the Lawrence University Opera Orchestra in the world premiere of A Nearer Mother (Evan Mack), where she is studying cello performance and biochemistry as a rising junior. Nayantara is thankful for the support from her friends and family!

DOUBLE BASS

Growing up in a small town in the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina, Ryan Lawrence was immersed in a wide range of music, from back-porch bluegrass sessions to symphonies at the local college auditorium. His forward-thinking approach to double bass repertoire and passion for blending musical genres have come to define his voice as a soloist.

Ryan began studying the double bass in 2018, eventually earning a Bachelor of Arts in Music Education from Appalachian State University in 2025. At Appalachian, Ryan became the first double bassist in the university’s history to win their Concerto-Aria Competition, performing as a soloist with the Appalachian Symphony Orchestra in 2024.

Guided by a deep belief in the instrument’s expressive potential, Ryan is dedicated to championing underrepresented composers and exploring the full expressive range of the double bass across genres, from classical and contemporary chamber music to jazz and bluegrass. He has arranged and performed numerous chamber works for string trio, quartet, and quintet, reimagining them to include the double bass and carving out a niche for the instrument within the classical string chamber canon.

Ryan has performed in numerous regional symphonies and opera productions, and is currently a graduate fellow with the Winston Salem Symphony and University of North Carolina School of the Arts. Beyond the stage, Ryan is passionate about education and community outreach, teaching young string players, and working with students through the WSO’s P.L.A.Y. program, an El Sistema inspired initiative that provides opportunities for local elementary school students to learn string instruments in an after-school setting.

DOUBLE BASS

Kwasi Micah is a freshman at Manhattan School of Music, and is very passionate about all things opera. He is very excited to be a part of this year's program!