Austin Bale—Piano, Bachelor of Music degree from Indiana University's School of Music. He studied piano with Jeremy Denk and Luke Gillespie, and jazz with David Baker. He has attended summer institutes at Interlochen, Tanglewood, and UC Berkely. In addition to teaching piano, Austin composes music under the pseudonym Anabel. Originally from Arlington Heights, he was a member of the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra and has toured Europe several times as a soloist and orchestral keyboardist. Austin has been influenced by many musical heroes. Among them: Beethoven, DJ Shadow, Glenn Gould, Raymond Scott, Alban Berg, Lenoard Bernstein, the RZA, and Super Furry Animals.

Svetlana Belsky—Piano, musicianship - B.M., Peabody Conservatory; D.M.A., Piano Performance, Manhattan School of Music. Ms. Belsky has been active as a recitalist and chamber performer throughout the United States both in concert and on the radio. Locally, she has performed with the Lincolnwood Chamber Orchestra, Musica Viva and was featured in a solo recital at a Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert Series, which was broadcast on WFMT. Ms. Belsky also writes and lectures on various musical topics. Ms. Belsky also writes and lectures on various musical topics.  In addition to teaching at the North Shore School for the Arts, Ms. Belsky is on faculty at the University of Chicago.

Carlos Bendfeldt—Guitar,Young Guatemalan-American guitarist Carlos Bendfeldt, First Prize winner in the Artists International Youth Awards, received his bachelor of music degree in classical guitar performance in 1994 from the Manhattan School of Music with virtuoso Maestro Carlos Barbosa-Lima, and his masters degree in performance from the Juilliard School of Music in 1997 where he was the student of the renowned virtuoso and two time Grammy winner Sharon Isbin. Mr. Bendfeldt gave his New York debut in Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall in 1997 and since then his concert career has blossomed to include a second appearance at Carnegie and major concerts through North and Central America, Hawaii and the Caribbean.  He has released a highly regarded CD which was awarded artist of the year in Guatemala in interpretation 2002.  In the fall of 2005 he will be releasing an additional solo and duo CD.  Currently Mr. Bendfeldt is under management with Albert Kay Concert Artists Management NYC.

Naomi Bensdorf Frisch—oboe, enjoys an active career as a performer and music educator. Along with holding principal Oboe positions in the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, the Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Elmhurst Symphony, Mrs. Bensdorf Frisch performs regularly with the Chicago Chamber Orchestra during their season at the Chicago Cultural Center and as principal Oboe for their residency at the Southern Illinois Music Festival. As a soloist, Naomi has performed with the Southwest Michigan Symphony, the Chicago Chamber Orchestra, and the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra. In demand as a freelance musician, Mrs. Bensdorf Frisch has recently performed with the Tulsa Opera and Symphony Orchestras, the Elgin Symphony, the South Bend Symphony, Light Opera Works, and others. She can be heard on recordings with the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra and the Elgin Symphony and in a collection of the chamber music of renowned Chicago composer M. William Karlins, available on Hungaroton Records.

A native of Evanston, Illinois, Mrs. Bensdorf Frisch received her Bachelor of Music Magna cum Laude from Northwestern University, as a student of Ray Still, and her Masters of Music with Distinction from DePaul University. As a 1999-2000 Fulbright Scholar, Naomi traveled to Germany to study with internationally renowned Oboist Ingo Goritzki and perform with the Southwest German Baroque Soloists.

Mrs. Bensdorf Frisch is often working with young musicians. She is the coordinator of woodwind chamber music for the award-winning Midwest Young Artists program and runs their summer woodwind chamber music camp. Naomi is in demand as a private Oboe teacher for Chicagoland's young Oboists, teaching private Oboe lessons at the Music Institute of Chicago and the North Shore School for the Arts, among others. In addition, she has given master classes and clinics at Southern Illinois University and has been on the Faculty of Trinity College, Lake Forest College, North Park University, and DePaul University.

Annette Bjorling—Pedal Harp, Celtic Lever Harp - From Germany, Mrs. Bjorling is the "world’s first and only" klezmer harpist. She is musical director of Das Klezmer Orchester and member of several performing groups such as trio KaleidoPhon. Annette teaches classical or folk harp and improvisation as well as European folk dances of different styles.


Kurt Bjorling—Clarinet, Basset Horn, Wooden Flutes, etc… Mr. Bjorling is the director of the Chicago Klezmer Ensemble. He has spent the last 9 years actively touring with the quartet Brave Old World and was featured with Itzhak Perlman in the PBS program and touring performances of "In the Fiddler’s House."


Andrew Distel—Trumpet, is an active freelance vocalist and trumpet player in the jazz and commercial music scene in Chicago. He earned a Bachelor of Music degree from the Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati and a Master of Music degree from Roosevelt University.

Upon his arrival in Chicago, he began headlining at such notable venues as the Pump Room, the Green Mill, Pops for Champagne, Green Dolphin Street and performing at a variety of festivals including the International Association of Jazz Educators. Andrew's steady weekend performances at The Pump Room have given him the opportunity to hone his craft even further with a band that is comprised of the young lions of the Chicago jazz scene. Andrew is an adjunct professor of jazz voice at Roosevelt University. He has also assisted the band programs of schools throughout the Midwest as a guest conductor and clinician for jazz vocal groups, show choirs, and jazz bands.


Barbara Drapcho—Clarinet, received her Bachelors and Masters Degrees in clarinet performance from Northwestern University in 1998 and 2000 with a semester in between at Manhattan School of Music. She is a freelance clarinetist in the Chicago area who frequently performs with the Illinois Symphony Orchestra and was a member of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago from 2000 to 2002. She has also performed with the Chicago Chamber Orchestra and the Alabama Symphony Orchestra. She was the Grand Prize winner of the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition in 2002. Her wind quintet recently enjoyed its New York debut on the Schneider Concert Series at New School University. Barbara also maintains a large teaching studio, currently on faculty at Lake Forest College and Merit School of Music.


Julie Friend—Kindermusik,Ms. Friend is a graduate of Drake University where she received her Bachelor’s degree in Music Education. While at Drake, she had the opportunity to tour Europe and sing in Carnegie Hall as a member of the Drake Choir. Since graduation, she has been teaching elementary general music in the suburbs of Chicago and has been a member of MENC, a professional organization for music teachers. She has found that Kindermusik is a great way to combine her love of young children with her love of music.


Darren Garvey—Guitar, Percussion, BM in percussion performance and jazz studies from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.  Darren is an active performer and studio session musician living in Chicago and performing throughout the Midwest.  He is a member of the Acoustic World Group, the Andreas Kapsalis Trio, and pop-rock quartet Buddy Nuisance.  Darren has performed at a wide variety of venues from the Chicago Cultural Center to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland.  Noted for his talent as a multi-instrumentalist, Darren plays a variety of instruments, including guitar, banjo, mallet and hand percussion.  He has performed in Cuba and continues seeking knowledge of music and instruments from around the world.  Mr. Garvey has been teaching privately for 10 years on drums and guitar.


Andreas Kapsalis—Guitar – andreaskapsalis.com


Allison Hull—Voice, A Wisconsin native, Allison has been an active and accomplished singer and teacher for the past 15 years and is currently a guest lecturer in music at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside. Allison has maintained a large and diverse studio at the Waukesha County Conservatory of Music for the past eight years. She stresses strong technique in a relaxed and fun environment. Allison has taught a wide range of ages and abilities in classical, pop, jazz, and musical theater styles. She also leads the Kids Broadway and Disney classes offered at the North Shore School for the Arts. Allison holds a bachelor's in vocal performance from Lawrence University and interned with the Skylight Theater during her master's at UW-Milwaukee.

Dan Katz—Cello


Emi Kelsey—Piano,B.A., University of Illinois. Ms. Kelsey received her training in Early Childhood Education with an area of concentration in music and recently completed a Suzuki Teacher Training program at the Chicago Suzuki Institute. She has studied privately with Emilio del Rosario and Edward Parmentier (harpsichord); and is coached by Wolfgang Laufer of the Fine Arts Quartet. An avid chamber musician, Ms. Kelsey has participated in numerous workshops including the Baroque Performance Institute at Oberlin College, and Harpsichord Workshops at the University of Michigan and performs in many local venues.


Jong-Nam Park—Viola Violin,B.M., Violin Performance, Kyung-Hee University, Seoul, Korea; M.M., Viola, Peabody Conservatory. Mr. Park has performed in public concerts in his native Korea as well as in the United States. He has served as principal violist for the University of Maryland Symphony Orchestra and performed an Honors Chamber Recital at Homer Ulrich Recital Hall at the University of Maryland.


Viktoria Piatakova—Piano, earned a bachelor of music degree at the Oginski College of Music in Belarus and a Master's degree from the Catholic University of Lublin, Poland, where she specialized in organ, piano and ethnomusicology. While a student she received a John Paul II scholarship and graduated at the top of her music class. Piatakova has an extensive international career performing throughout Europe. She has worked with the Lublin Philharmonic orchestra and the Lublin Musical Theatre. After moving to the United States, she began teaching at the Galveston Music academy. Currently, in addition to teaching at the North Shore School for the Arts, she is also teaching at North Central College and the Allegro Music Academy in Lemont, Illinois.

George Radosavljevic—Piano, Mr. Radosavljevic's performances have been described as "polished and elegantly shaped" by the Chicago Tribune. His virtuoso performances can be heard frequently in live broadcasts on WFMT Radio. He has appeared with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Chamber Music Series and as an orchestral pianist with the Metropolis, Elgin, & Lake Forest Symphonies.


Kay Rutherford—Voice, Kindermusik. Born and raised in Lancaster, PA., she received a BM from the Eastman School of Music, and a MM in voice and pedagogy from Roosevelt University. She has been teaching voice at the North Shore School for the Arts since 2001. Recently she became a licensed Kindermusik educator exclusively for the School. Ms. Rutherford's voice students study many genres of music, including Musical Theater, Classical, Folk, Rock, and Pop, and range in age from 10-years-old to adult. Her technique goal is to find an easy and natural sound production in each student that can be applied to any singing style. Her students often perform in local musical theater productions. Since Ms. Rutherford's arrival in Chicago in 1997, she has played Jenny in the Mid-west premier of Ronald Perera's "The Yellow Wallpaper" at CCPA, and recently appeared as a featured artist with Chicago Chamber Opera. She has performed and studied at the American Institute of Music in Graz Austria, and placed as a semi-finalist in the Meister Singer Competition.


Johnny Salinas—Saxophone, a Music Performance Major, is currently a Doctoral student at Northwestern University.  In the winter of 2003, Johnny performed Urban Requiem, Concerto for Saxophone Quartet and Wind Ensemble by renowned composer Michael Colgrass with Northwestern University’s Symphonic Wind Ensemble, under the direction of Dr. Mallory Thompson.  In the spring of 2003, Johnny took part in the world premier of East European Clubs by the prominent French composer Francois Rosse.  Mr. Salinas has had the privilege to work and participate in master classes with saxophonists such as Dr. Karen Wylie, Lynn Klock, Harvey Pittel, and Dr. Frederick Hemke.  Johnny’s teachers include Dr. Frederick L. Hemke, Dr. Karen Wylie, and Jason Bird.  He is currently under the tutelage of Dr. Frederick Hemke at Northwestern University.  In addition to teaching at the North Shore School for the Arts, Johnny is a non-major saxophone instructor and chamber music coach at Northwestern University, a private lesson instructor at Neuqua Valley High School, and a master class clinician at various high schools. 


Brandon Seyferth—Guitar, Harmonica, recently released his debut recording to much acclaim.  “This is a terrific debut by an artist with a poetic sensibility and real promise for the future.” – New Classics.  He has traveled the world performing his own compositions in the style of true folk and blues tradition.  He has shared the stage with the likes of Jackson Browne and many more and has received honorable mention from the Peace-Driven Songwriting Awards for his son “Hands” (available on iTunes).  In addition to music, Brandon is an award-winning poet, respected writer, and has two degrees, one in philosophy and another in English literature.


Patrycja Ziembowska—Suzuki Violin, M.M., Academy of Music, Bydgoszcz, Poland; Professional Diploma in Orchestral Studies, Roosevelt University; Suzuki Teacher Training, Chicago Suzuki Institute. Ms. Ziembowska has performed with various orchestras in Europe and has recently served as a member of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago. Her principal teachers include Jadwiga Kaliszewska, Cyrus Forough and Joseph Golan (Principal II Violin, CSO).