Faye Seeman is established as one of the most versatile harpists in the Midwest. She is principal harpist of the Chicago Sinfonietta Orchestra, which has featured one of her compositions “Fayed to Blue” with harp, steel pan and orchestra. She is on the music faculty at Wheaton College, Northern Illinois University, and Northeastern Illinois University. Faye has played with many area ensembles, such as Fulcrum Point, the Elgin Symphony, the Lake Forest Symphony, and the Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra, to name a few. An avid explorer of instrumental combinations off the beaten path, Faye began a collaboration with steel pan virtuoso Liam Teague, forming the cutting-edge “Pangelic” Duo. The duo has been on stage at the Birch Creek Music Festival in Door County, Wisc., the Harper College recital series, Northern Illinois University and frequently perform recitals throughout the Midwest. Their innovative original compositions and individual musical skills put them on top of the charts as “vibrant, exciting, and creative”. Since 1984, her “Kithara” flute, cello and harp trio has been featured on WTTW’s “30 Good Minutes” Sunday Evening television program, WFMT radios’ “Dame Myra Hess” noontime broadcast, and has presented countless recitals in the Chicago area. Noted British composer Sir Jonathan Wilcocks composed “Sweet Music’s Power” for the trio, which premiered at the Green Lake Music Festival in Green Lake, Wisc. The “Kithara” trio has two recordings to their credit, and has published many arrangements through the Lyon and Healy West label. During the summer, Faye is on the faculty of the Birch Creek Music Festival in Door County, Wisc., and the Midwest Harp Festival held in Wheaton, Ill.

Ricardo Castañeda, received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music performance from Northwestern University. He was a student of Ray Still, former principal oboist of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

Mr. Castañeda is currently Principal Oboist with the Chicago Sinfonietta and English Horn/Oboe chair with the Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra. He is also a member of the Chicago Ensemble and Barossa Woodwind Quintet. Previous positions include Principal Oboist with the Lake Forest Symphony Orchestra, South Bend Symphony Orchestra, Elgin Symphony Orchestra and English Horn soloist with the Mexico City Philharmonic.

Mr. Castañeda has appeared as soloist with orchestras in Latin America, Europe, Japan and the United States.

An active freelance oboist, Mr. Castañeda has performed as extra/substitute with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Lyric Opera Orchestra, Grant Park Symphony and Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. He has also served as principal oboist for orchestras for Chicago Opera Theater, the Bolshoi Ballet, American Ballet Theater, San Francisco Ballet and Joffrey Ballet as well as numerous Broadway in Chicago musical productions. Mr. Castañeda is also the oboe instructor for Birch Creek Music Performance Center in Wisconsin, where he also serves as Program Director for the Symphony Session.

As a coveted performer with a diverse repertoire, American soprano Michelle Areyzaga is held in high regard by orchestras and opera companies throughout the United States and abroad. She has performed operatic roles with New York City Opera in Telemann’s Orpheus as well as in their VOX series, and has appeared in leading roles with Chicago Opera Theater, Lyric Opera of Chicago’s In the Neighborhoods programs, Opera Birmingham, Ravinia Festival, and Orquesta Sinfónica del Estado de México.

Michelle Areyzaga’s association with the music of Leonard Bernstein runs deep. She has become well known for her interpretation of his delightful and moving music – from her portrayal of Cunegonde in Candide to her participation in varied programs featuring his works, including musical theater and chamber music/recital works. Areyzaga toured the show Bernstein on Broadway together with Jamie Bernstein (Leonard’s daughter) for six years, performing it with the Cleveland Orchestra, Minnesota Orchestra, and the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Oregon Bach Festival, among many others. Areyzaga is still often heard performing Bernstein, such as her performances in Las Vegas and at Ravinia in conjunction with the composer’s centennial celebration.

As an orchestral soloist, she has appeared with, in addition to orchestras listed above,  Richmond Symphony, Toledo Symphony, Colorado Symphony Orchestra, Grant Park Music Festival, Rochester Symphony, Phoenix Symphony Orchestra, Hartford Symphony, San Antonio Symphony, Rhode Island Philharmonic, Wichita Symphony Orchestra, Cheyenne Symphony Orchestra, and North Carolina Symphony, among others. She sang the first Bach B minor Mass in the country of Costa Rica, under the baton of Maestro John Nelson.

Ms. Areyzaga’s operatic roles have included Susanna, Le nozze di Figaro; title role, Madama Butterfly; Cunegonde, Candide; Adina, L’elisir d’amore; Despina, Così fan tutte; Zerlina, Don Giovanni; Pamina, Die Zauberflöte; Lauretta, Gianni Schicchi; both Musetta and Mimì, La bohème and Casilda in The Gondoliers.

Known as a foremost interpreter of vocal art song and chamber music, Ms. Areyzaga has been a repeat guest of the New York Festival of Song under the direction of Steven Blier and Michael Barrett, the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, the Chicago Ensemble, as well as Chicago’s Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert Series, and the Tucson Desert Song Festival. She has collaborated with the Avalon String Quartet, the Cavatina Duo, and the Lincoln Trio, and has been selected to perform world premieres of many new works by American composers.

As a recorded artist, she has performed song cycles by Gwyneth Walker on The Sun Is Love (Proteus). Other recordings include Songs from Spoon River (Cedille) by Lita Grier and The Small Hours, songs by William Ferris. She has sung numerous times in both live and programmed broadcasts on Chicago’s classical music radio station WFMT.

Ms. Areyzaga made her European concert debut as soloist in Vaughan Williams’ Mass in G Minor at England’s York Minster Cathedral, Ely Cathedral, and St. Mary’s Church in Oxford. In Paris, she received standing ovations as soloist in the Lord Nelson Mass with the orchestra of London’s Royal Academy of Music and the St. Charles Singers.

Michelle Areyzaga has been named “Artist of the Year” by Pioneer Press and has been an award recipient from the Julian Autrey Song Foundation, Wm. C. Byrd International Young Artist, Shreveport Opera Singer of the Year, Marguerite McCammon Vocal Competition (Ft. Worth Opera), NATSAA—National Finalist ”Outstanding Artist”chosen by Teresa Stratas, Metropolitan Opera National Council (Central Region), Viñas Concurs International and the Concert Artist Guild.

She received her B.A. in Vocal Performance from Roosevelt University with honors and was a member of Ravinia’s Steans Institute for Young Artists. In addition she has been a member of the OperaWorks Summer intensive Program in L.A. and a member of Chicago Opera Theater’s Debut Artist Series.

Ms. Areyzaga is represented by Alpha Artists Management.

Matthew Hogan began teaching at Northeastern Illinois University in 2019. He received his Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees in bassoon performance from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, where he served as Associate Instructor of the Bassoon Studio. His bassoon teachers include David McGill, Kim Walker, and Arthur Weisberg. He is also the bassoon instructor at VanderCook College of Music.

Matthew holds the positions of second bassoon with the Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra and the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra. An active freelance bassoonist, he has worked with many orchestras including the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Ravinia Festival Orchestra, and Fulcrum Point New Music Project.  As a performing member of the Chicago Philharmonic, he has worked frequently with the Joffrey Ballet.  

Matthew is also Director of Music and Organist at St. Peter’s UCC in Elmhurst, Illinois. He has previously held similar positions at churches in Chicago and Indianapolis. Several chamber music series in Indiana and Illinois have featured him as bassoonist, pianist, and organist.

Gail Crosson earned a Bachelor of Music Education and a Master of Music Performance from Northwestern University. After working as a middle school band director for the Wheeling-Buffalo Grove school district, she became an associate professor at Elmhurst University where she taught applied clarinet, music education courses and was chair of the woodwinds program.

Gail is also an active freelance musician having performed with the Chicago Chamber Orchestra, Chicago Philharmonic, Grant Park Symphony, Elgin Symphony, Music Theater Works and Milwaukee Symphony. She has toured Europe with the Chicago Chamber Orchestra and toured the United States with Andrea Bocelli. She has played over 250 Nutcracker performances with both the Joffrey Ballet and the Ruth Page Ballet Company.

As a reed player specializing in flute, clarinet and saxophone, she has performed in more than 300 musical theater productions in the Chicago area with artists including Robert Goulet, Marie Osmond, Georgia Engel and Bea Arthur. As an orchestral player, Gail has worked with The Three Tenors, Mel Torme, Clark Terry, Sheri Lewis and Lambchop! Gail can also be heard in numerous commercial jingles for United Air Lines, Phillip Morris and Sears.

Kimberly Rocks currently serves as the Band Director at Our Lady of Perpetual Help School in Glenview, Illinois. She has eight years of experience as a band director, primarily in Chicago. Kimberly has worked in many settings including public, private and charter schools, teaching marching band, pep band, concert band, guitar, general music, percussion, and piano to students in grades K-12. While teaching in the Noble Network, Kimberly organized an honor band and choir festival to provide students with a high quality clinic and performance opportunity at no cost. Her students have been selected for honor bands and earned Superior ratings at adjudicated events. Her interest in mentoring pre-service music teachers developed while working with clinical and student teachers from Northeastern. Kimberly is passionate about music education, equitable access to music, and culturally responsive teaching.

Canadian cellist Oleksander Mycyk enjoys a multi-faceted career as a solo, chamber, and orchestral performer and teacher. He is completing a Doctor of Musical Arts degree at NorthwesternUniversity and is a Teaching Assistant to Professor Hans Jørgen Jensen. He recently completed the Certificate in Performance Program at Northwestern while a full-time member of the Chicago Civic Orchestra and currently performs as a substitute cellist with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and the Chicago Philharmonic Orchestra. Previously, Oleksander received a Bachelor of Music Performance degree at the University of Toronto, and a Masters in Solo Performance at McGill University studying with Matt Haimovitz. He has also performed in masterclasses around the world for cellists such as Janos Starker, Lynn Harrell, Laurence Lesser and Aldo Parisot. He has been the recipient of numerous awards including the Felix Galimir Award for Excellence in Chamber Music, and the Gregor Piatigorsky Memorial Award. A multiple laureate of solo and duo competitions, Oleksander has been a National Finalist in the Canadian Music Festival and a top prizewinner in the Canadian Music Competition. Recent performances highlights include the world premiere of Elizabeth Ogonek’s chamber work Water Cantos, led by Esa-Pekka Salonen during the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s MusicNOW concert series as well as being featured as soloist with the Canadian Chamber Choir on their 2017 US tour. International appearances have included performances with the Grammy nominated Uccello ensemble at the International Cello Congress in Israel.

Grammy award-winning bassist Christian Dillingham is equally at home in two musical worlds. His parents spun jazz records around the house, while his mother was an avid pianist who loved to play Chopin and Debussy. Dillingham is that rare musician who excels in an orchestral setting, yet has an intuitive feel for nuance and the improvisational skills necessary to play jazz.

After graduating from Youngstown State University with a Bachelor’s of Music degree in Music Performance with an Emphasis on Jazz, Dillingham’s education continued at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, where he worked with Jeffrey Turner, principal bass of the Pittsburgh Symphony, and subsequently received a Master’s of Music degree in Music Performance. He also attended the National Repertory Orchestra Festival in Breckenridge, Colorado, and the School for Improvisational Music in New York.

Upon graduation, Dillingham was invited to play in the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, and since then has made frequent appearances in Chicago’s vibrant classical scene, playing with the Lyric Opera, the Grant Park Symphony, Fulcrum Point New Music Project and the Chicago Opera Theatre. Dillingham is also a member of the Chicago Sinfonietta and the Chicago Philharmonic. He appears on albums by the Chicago Sinfonietta and Camerata Chicago.

At the same time, he became a regular presence in Chicago’s rich jazz community, performing at Fred Anderson’s iconic Velvet Lounge, the Green Mill, the Jazz Showcase, Constellation Chicago, Andy’s Jazz Club, Elastic Arts and other Chicago venues as well as at the Chicago Jazz Festival. Dillingham has played and recorded with dozens of musicians, including Melvin Butler, Kevin Mahogany, the late piano master Willie Pickens, Dee Alexander, Victor Goines, Bobby Broom, Sean Jones, Jim Gailloreto, Nick Mazzarella, Greg Ward and Mike Reed. He is a collaborator with violinist James Sanders in the Dark Matter String Band. 

He currently performs with a number of diverse projects crossing genres from jazz, classical and roots to the avant-garde. He leads the Christian Dillingham Quintet, which draws from all of his experiences to explore Western classical music and American folk traditions in an improvised jazz context. He is currently on the faculty at Indiana University teaching jazz bass and joined the Music Faculty at NEIU in the Fall of 2020.

Flutist Hideko Amano was born in Japan and came to the United States at the age of 12. She studied flute under Ms. Susan Levitin, and soon won many young artist competition awards. Her performance debut occurred in 1990 at Symphony Center, where she performed as a soloist for Chaminade’s Concertino for Flute and Orchestra.  

Ms. Amano earned a bachelor’s degree in music from the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, where she studied under the prominent flutist Ms. Paula Robison. She gave a joint performance with Ms. Robison in a concert series for the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art. She continued her musical education in Paris, France, studying with Mathieu Dufour, who was the principal flutist for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. While studying in Paris, she also performed in many international Chamber Music Festivals and concerts in Italy, England, Israel and Morocco. She has continued her career as an active recitalist and has performed on the WFMT 98.7 Monday Evening Series and Dame Myra Hess Concert Series at Cultural Center. In 2018, she was invited to the International Flute Festival in Lima, Peru, as their guest artist to perform with the orchestra, giving recitals and masterclasses.

In addition to her performing career, Ms. Amano also maintains a growing private studio. Her students have won numerous competitions and studied at major universities. Ms. Amano was also an adjunct professor of flute at DePaul University. Currently she serves as an adjunct professor at Carthage College, Harper College and is an instructor at Midwest Young Artists.