One of Chicago's most versatile and respected violinists, Artistrings leader and violinist Carol Kalvonjian has appeared with many pop, jazz, and touring acts including Stevie Wonder, Bruce Springsteen, Andrea Bocelli, Bernadette Peters, Earth Wind & Fire, Sarah McLachlan, Michael Buble, Dennis DeYoung, Sarah Brightman, The Three Tenors, The Three Irish Tenors, The Pointer Sisters, Celtic Woman, Leslie Uggams, Renee Olstead, Smokey Robinson, Michael Feinstein, Kurt Elling, Gregory Harrison, Nia Peeples, Anne Murray, Natalie Cole, Al Jarreau, The Moody Blues, ELO, Yes, and Bread. Televised appearances include multiple episodes of Empire (FOX), Faith Hill, Il Divo, The Steve Harvey Show, Oprah, and A Christmas Carol: The Concert.

Katherine Hughes is a versatile musician who has appeared with many internationally known artists, and often performs on radio and television. She toured and recorded with Corky Siegel’s Chamber Blues, and additional CD credits include Rain, featuring her own original music, and The Four Seasons, a project she co-wrote and produced. Katherine also appears on the CD’s Jazz String Quintet and American Complex with James Gailloreto, and Together with George Flynn. With the jazz group Kevin Kizer Quintet, Katherine is featured on the CD Aspects. She has produced a rock video, TV Sages, which was shown on MTV. In the more traditional arena, Katherine is a regular member of the Metropolis Symphony and several chamber groups, including the HAWK String Quartet.

Violinist and conductor Mark Agnor has led and performed with more than 50 orchestras in 38 countries while on worldwide tours with pop opera group Il Divo and operatic tenor Paul Potts. He has also appeared across the U.S. as electric violin soloist with Mannheim Steamroller in its annual Christmas tours. Mark has had the pleasure of performing with artists including Stevie Wonder, Bruce Springsteen, Ray Charles, Celine Dion, Andrea Bocelli, Led Zeppelin, Smokey Robinson, Yes, Earth Wind & Fire, Siegel-Schwall Blues Band, Peter Cetera, Dennis DeYoung, The Moody Blues, Don Henley, Burt Bacharach, Ron Isley, Doobie Brothers, Yanni, Linda Ronstadt, Dionne Warwick, The Pointer Sisters, George Benson, Three Irish Tenors, and Liz Carroll. He has made many TV appearances on The David Letterman Show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, and PBS Soundstage.

Carmen Llop Kassinger is one of the most popular violinists in Chicago. She plays with The Chicago Philharmonic, The Ravinia Festival Orchestra, Ars Viva, Chicago Sinfonietta, Lake Forest Symphony, and The Joffrey Ballet Orchestra. Carmen also works with chamber ensembles such as Fulcrum Point and the Callisto Ensemble. She has performed with many touring artists, from the Three Tenors to Led Zeppelin. No stranger to the Broadway in Chicago scene, she served as concertmaster for the world premiere of Mel Brooks’ The Producers as well as Elton John’s Aida.

Michele Lekas has performed with Canadian ensembles such as the Orchestre Symphonique de Quebec and Les Violons du Roy, and in Switzerland with the Camerata Lysy Gstaad. She is currently concertmaster of the Northwest Indiana Symphony, the Rockford Symphony, and the New Philharmonic Orchestra, and and is a substitute musician with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. She has performed on WFMT Live from Studio One numerous times and has also appeared in recital over the CBC. Michele is a regular performer for Broadway in Chicago shows including Wicked, Evita, Lion King, and Spamalot.

Jeff Yang is the violin soloist and recorder player with Mannheim Steamroller and the violinist in the new music ensemble, Palomar. He has also served as first violinist in Corky Siegel's Chamber Blues, and conductor/concertmaster of the internationally celebrated group Il Divo. Well-versed in diverse genres of music, Jeff has performed on PBS's Soundstage with Jewel, Peter Cetera, Dennis DeYoung, Lyle Lovett, Ron Isley, Burt Bacharach, and on the Oprah show with Andrea Bocelli and Monica. A few of the many artists he has performed with include Bruce Springsteen, The Three Tenors, Kansas, Smokey Robinson, Bernadette Peters, Diana Krall, and David Foster.

Jeri-Lou Zike is a versatile, energetic musician who enjoys a variety of artistic activities in symphonic, baroque, and chamber music with 30 years of experience. She is principal and founding member of the Metropolis Symphony Orchestra and principal second violin of the Chicago Opera Theater. She is also a member of the Chicago Philharmonic, the Joffrey ballet orchestra and the Ravinia Festival Orchestra. Jeri-Lou is a lover of early music and is concertmaster of the Haymarket Opera Company as well as concertmaster of the University of Chicago Rockefeller Chapel Concerts and Holy Name Cathedral.

Violist Benton Wedge has appeared with popular favorites, including televised performances with Celine Dion and Enrique Iglesias, appearances on Oprah, as well as WTTW Soundstage shows with Lyle Lovett, Randy Newman, Burt Bacharach, and Aaron Neville. He has recorded with Cheap Trick and Mannheim Steamroller, and has performed with popular acts such as Kansas, ELO, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Smokey Robinson, Il Divo, and Andrea Bocelli. Benton is the talented arranger behind the Artistrings pop string quartet.

Elizabeth Holzman Hagen enjoys an active performance career on both modern and Baroque violas. She is principal violist of Music of the Baroque, Baroque Band, the Haymarket Opera Company and the Callipygian Players. She is a member of the Chicago Philharmonic, The Ravinia Festival Orchestra and The Metropolis Symphony. Other appearances have been with Lyric Opera Chicago, The Rembrandt Chamber Players and The Newberry Consort. From 1995-2006, she was a member of the Cleveland Baroque Orchestra, Apollo’s Fire. Elizabeth is an active participant in Chicago’s freelance music scene.

Ray Ostwald, violin & viola, is a multi-talented instrumentalist, conductor, and arranger. He has appeared in concert with Barry Manilow, Anne Murray, Bob Hope, the Moody Blues, Celtic Woman, Bernadette Peters and Richard Marx. Ray is an educator in high demand, conducting throughout the Midwest and making guest appearances in Ecuador, Korea, and at dozens of regional and festival orchestras. Under the unique hobby category, Ray has motorcycled in 49 states and six countries.

Matthew Agnew is the extremely gifted (and personable!) crossover artist who is continuously transforming the role of the cello in our string ensembles. Fusing the functions of cello, bass, guitar and percussion into one multi-faceted performer does indeed grant him stunt double status. In the classical world, he is the principal cellist of the Elgin Symphony Orchestra, a position held since 2002. He’s been featured several times as a concerto soloist with ESO and performs regularly with the Joffrey Ballet and Chicago Philharmonic Orchestra. Matthew has also performed with Jon Batiste, Alicia Keyes, The Pointer Sisters, Shania Twain, The Who, Donna Summer, Seth McFarlane, Martina McBride, Josh Groban, Andrea Bocelli, and Vince Gill.

Richard Yeo served as Assistant Principal Cellist with the Memphis Symphony Orchestra for ten seasons, and current performances include the Peninsula Music Festival, Grant Park Symphony, the Chicago Philharmonic, and the Lake Forest Symphony. In addition to appearances with numerous popular touring acts such as Ray Charles and Smokey Robinson, he has performed for Oprah Winfrey, John Malkovich, Paul Newman, Sarah Ferguson, Bill Curtis, Gregory Peck, and Jesse Jackson.

One of the most requested cellists in the Chicago area, Jill Kaeding is known for her versatility in all mediums of music. For over ten years, she enjoyed performing, touring worldwide and recording with Corky Siegel’s Chamber Blues. An avid chamber musician, Jill is a member of Trio Élan. She also performs with the HAWK String Quartet and Jazz String Quintet – groups featuring a combination of string quartet and jazz saxophone. Jill has performed with many national artists including Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles, Lyle Lovett, Depeche Mode, Garth Brooks, Poi Dog Pondering, Leslie Uggams, Josh Groban, Natalie Cole, the Electric Light Orchestra, Smokey Robinson, David Foster, Bonnie Kolac and Kurt Elling.

Mark Lekas enjoys an active musical life in Chicago as Principal Cello with the Indiana Symphony, a member of the Lake Forest Symphony, and the Grammy-nominated Nashville Chamber Orchestra. In addition, he is a regular substitute cellist for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. Mark has performed with Barbra Streisand, Phish, Styx, Barry Manilow, Andrea Bocelli, Gloria Estefan, R. Kelly, Mel Torme, Alison Krauss, and Frank Sinatra. You can frequently find performing for Broadway in Chicago shows including Wicked, Lion King, Evita, and Spamalot.