Polish-American pianist Adam Golka (born 1987) first performed all of Beethoven's Piano Sonatas when he was 18 years-old, and in 2020-2021 Adam Golka performed the cycle of Beethoven's 32 Sonatas at the Bach Festival Society of Winter Park (Florida) and at Saint Thomas Church Fifth Avenue (NYC), in socially-distanced and live-stream formats. Adam's performances of each Sonata were complemented by 32 short films he created, known as 32@32 (available on YouTube), documenting his preparation for climbing the Everest of piano literature and featuring an amalgam of distinguished guests, from an astrophysicist to Alfred Brendel.

Adam Golka's principal teachers have been José Feghali, with whom he studied at Texas Christian University, and Leon Fleisher, at the Peabody Conservatory. Since finishing his formal studies, Adam has continued to develop his artistry through mentorship from Alfred Brendel, Richard Goode, Murray Perahia, Mitsuko Uchida, Evelyne Crochet, Ferenc Rados, Rita Wagner, and Sir András Schiff, who invited Adam to give recitals at the Klavier-Festival Ruhr and Tonhalle Zürich, for the "Sir András Schiff Selects" concert series. Adam has also given solo recitals in Tokyo's Musashino Hall, New York's Alice Tully Hall (presented by the Musicians Emergency Fund), and Amsterdam's Kleine Zaal in Het Concertgebouw.

As a concerto soloist, he has appeared with dozens of orchestras, including the BBC Scottish Symphony, NACO (Ottawa), Warsaw Philharmonic, NFM Leopoldinum, Shanghai Philharmonic, as well as the San Francisco, Atlanta, Houston, Dallas, Milwaukee, Indianapolis, New Jersey, and San Diego symphonies in the US, among many others. Adam has enjoyed collaborations with conductors such as Joseph Swensen, Donald Runnicles, Pinchas Zukerman, Mark Wigglesworth, and his brother, conductor Tomasz Golka. Adam gave his Carnegie Stern Auditorium début in 2010 with the New York Youth Symphony.

Chamber music is an integral part of Adam Golka's life, and he has performed repeatedly at the Krzyżowa-Music "Music for Europe" festival, which has included tour performances at the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and the Beethoven Bonn festivals, as well as Konzerthaus Berlin. He also performed at the Marlboro, Ravinia, Caramoor chamber music festivals in the US. Adam collaborates regularly with the Manhattan Chamber Players and in recital with baritone John Moore, pianist Yannick Rafalimanana, cellist Jonathan Swensen and violinist Itamar Zorman, with whom he recently debuted at The Wigmore Hall in London.

Adam's professional life began when he was awarded the first prize and audience prize at the 2nd China Shanghai International Piano Competition. In 2009, he won the Max I. Allen Fellowship from American Pianists Association. As a pedagogue, he acted as Artist-in-Residence for six school years at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts. Adam has recorded works by Beethoven, Schumann, and Brahms for London-based First Hand Records and he has premiered works composed for him by Richard Danielpour, Michael Brown, and Jarosław Gołębiowski.

Sebastian is a composer & pianist based in southern California. He utilizes a combination of traditional craft and modern aesthetics to create his unique style. His first major performance as a piano soloist was the premiere of his composition Concertino for Piano and Orchestra with the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra at the age of 9. Sebastian obtained his B.M. in Composition from the Curtis Institute of Music & his M.M. in Composition from the University of Southern California. From ’16-’18, he was the Resident Composer of the Louisville Orchestra. He is the youngest three-time BMI Student Composer Awards winner in the history of the competition (’02, ’05, & ’07). He won five ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composers Awards (’01, ’02, ’04, ’05, & ’06). He was awarded a $50K scholarship as a Davidson Fellow Laureate by the Davidson Institute for Talent Development in '02. He played in the Louisville Orchestra in “The American Project” featuring Yuja Wang as piano soloist and Teddy Abrams and Michael Tilson Thomas as composers, which won a Grammy in the “Best Instrumental Classical Solo” category in ’24. His works have been performed by the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, the Tokyo Symphony, the Pacific Symphony, the Louisville Ballet, the Louisville Orchestra, the Cleveland Chamber Festival, the Britt Festival Orchestra, the Louisville Chamber Choir, and the NouLou Chamber Players. His "Classical Symphony”, premiered by the Louisville Orchestra in January ‘15, is subject of Episode 9: “First Symphony” of the Music Makes a City Now PBS documentary cycle. "Between Heaven and Earth", in collaboration with Kurdish Baghdad-native visual artist Vian Sora, premiered on February 23 & 24, ’18 by the Louisville Orchestra & Louisville Chamber Choir, in Whitney Hall at the Kentucky Center, in Louisville, KY. Sebastian's new Piano Concerto "The Empress", for piano and full orchestra, premiered on June 17, '22, in the Britt Festival Pavilion by the Britt Festival Orchestra, in Jacksonville, OR. His new Piano Trio No. 2 “Beyond Silence” premiered on November 20, ‘22, by Trio Barclay, at the Barclay Theatre, in Irvine, CA. He performed the piano solo part to Bernstein’s “Symphony 2: The Age of Anxiety” with the Louisville Orchestra on March 31 & April 1, ’23, at Whitney Hall in the Kentucky Center, in Louisville, KY. His new film score for the silent horror classic “Nosferatu” premiered October 27 & 28, ’23, by the Louisville Orchestra at Whitney Hall in the Kentucky Center, in Louisville, KY. He is Louisville Orchestra’s first-call pianist. At the Orange County School of the Arts, he is an instructor for the Instrumental Music & Piano programs, and works as an accompanist for the Instrumental Music, Classical Voice, and Musical Theatre departments. His publishing company is Sebastian Press, registered under the American Society of Composers, Authors, & Publishers (ASCAP).

Noted for his “expressive warmth” [Chicago Classical Review] NYC based and Los Angeles born violinist Brendan Speltz has toured the globe as an in demand chamber musician. Recently appointed as second violinist of the prestigious Escher String QuartetHighlights this year include appearances at the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, the Aspen Music Festival, the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, and Wigmore Hall, among others. He’s also toured with groundbreaking ensembles such as A Far Cry, Ethel, the Harlem Quartet, Shuffle Concert, and the Manhattan Chamber Players, and with members of the Guarneri, Juilliard, Orion, and Dover Quartets. An avid believer in the power of classical music to reach young adults, Speltz has produced innovative concert events across the U.S. and Canada which have been described by The New Yorker as “Thrilling, poignant, unexpected, and utterly DIY.” Recent productions include curating the closing concert experience of the prestigious Chamber Fest Ottawa in 2018 and before that co-creating a cross-disciplinary presentation of Steve Reich’s Different Trains with aerial dance troupe ABCirque which was sponsored by Meyer Sound Labs in Brooklyn. In NYC he has performed as guest with the New York New Music Ensemble, Mark Morris Dance Group, American Ballet Theatre, The American Symphony, and Orchestra of St. Luke’s and as a founding member of the conductorless string orchestra Shattered Glass. He received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Southern California with Los Angeles Concertmaster Margaret Batjer and his Master’s degree from the Manhattan School of Music with Laurie Smukler. He plays a 1925 Carl Becker violin.

American-Israeli violinist Giora Schmidt has been captivating audiences with his “lyricism, tonal warmth, and boundless enthusiasm" over the span of his career. As featured guest artist, he has appeared with the globally renowned Israel Philharmonic Orchestra and the symphony orchestras of Atlanta, Detroit, Chicago, Cleveland, Philadelphia, Toronto, Vancouver, and Ottawa’s National Arts Centre. Giora Schmidt’s symphonic collaborations include those conducted by Andreas Delfs, Asher Fish, Miguel Harth-Bedoya, Domingo Hindoyan, Jun Märkl, Itzhak Perlman, Carlo Rizzi, James DePriest, Grant Llewellyn, Alexander Mickelthwate, Thomas Wilkins, and since 2023 with Yaniv Attar, Dirk Kaftan, Tito Muñoz, Zbyněk Müller, Gerard Schwarz, Andrew Sewell and Yoel Levi. In 2024-2025, Mr. Schmidt will be featured by the Rockford Symphony Orchestra, Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, and Haifa Symphony Orchestra in Israel. As violin soloist, Giora has also appeared in front of nationally renowned symphony orchestras in San Diego, Fort Worth, Knoxville, Naples, Louisville, Columbus (OH), North Carolina, Arkansas, Charleston, Anchorage, Santa Barbara, Sarasota, Las Vegas, Albany, San Luis Obispo and Bellingham (WA), as well as the ABT Orchestra; abroad, with Orchestre Symphonique et Lyrique de Nancy, Israel Chamber Orchestra, Orquesta Sinfónica de Chile, and Orquesta Filarmónica de la UNAM in Mexico. Born in Philadelphia, Giora began playing the violin at the age of four. A graduate of the Juilliard School, he is the recipient of an Avery Fisher Career Grant, The Classical Recording Foundation's Samuel Sanders award, and was a Starling Fellow at the Juilliard School. As an educator, Mr. Schmidt is currently on the artist faculty at New York University (NYU Steinhardt). Giora plays a c. 1830 violin by Giuseppe Rocca and strings kindly sponsored by Thomastik-Infeld, Vienna.

Praised for his “sweet, luxurious” sound (Fanfare), and the “thoughtfulness and seriousness” (Nashville Scene) of his interpretations, Stephen Miahky is the Joseph Joachim Professor of Violin at Vanderbilt University and first violin of the Blair String Quartet. He has garnered acclaim for his performances throughout North America, South America, Europe, and Asia in concert halls and music festivals. Some of his recent engagements include performances at New York City’s Merkin Hall, Symphony Space, and Bargemusic, Atlanta’s ProMozart Society, the Princeton Chamber Music Society, the American Academies in Rome and Berlin, and NPR’s Performance Today. He has been featured in chamber music performances with musicians such as Lynn Harrell, Joseph Silverstein, Andres Cardenes, Glenn Dicterow, Steven Doane, and Jinjoo Cho. Miahky is a member of Brave New Works and a rotating concertmaster of the IRIS Orchestra, based in Memphis, Tennessee. He has also performed as guest concertmaster of the Illinois Symphony, the Columbus ProMusica Chamber Orchestra, Houston’s River Oaks Chamber Orchestra, and the Kansas City Symphony. As a recording artist, Miahky can be heard on numerous world-premiere recordings on the AMP, New Dynamic, Edition Modern, Albany, and Naxos record labels. Originally from Akron, Ohio, Miahky earned B.M. and M.M. degrees from the University of Michigan and a D.M.A. degree from Rutgers University. He studied violin with Arnold Steinhardt, Paul Kantor, and Alan Bodman, and chamber music with Andrew Jennings, Martin Katz, and members of the Cleveland, Brentano, Emerson, Juilliard, American, and Tokyo String Quartets. He received additional training at the Aspen Music Festival, Canada’s National Arts Centre, the Perlman Music Program, and the Meadowmount School of Music, where he was recently recognized as a distinguished alumnus. Miahky spends his summers teaching and performing at ENCORE Chamber Music in northeast Ohio and the Walla Walla Chamber Music Festival in eastern Washington.

Hailed by the Strad Magazine for his “warm hearted playing and mellow tone”, New York based violist Andrew Gonzalez lives a fulfilling career as both a soloist and chamber musician, performing in prestigious venues throughout the United States, Asia, and Europe.

As a sought after chamber musician, his playing has allowed him to collaborate with respected ensembles such as the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, the Sejong Soloists, as well as members of the Guarneri, Juilliard, Tokyo, Orion, Borromeo, and Vermeer quartets. Also an accomplished teacher, Andrew served as a fellow of Carnegie Hall’s Ensemble Connect from 2016-2018 and teaches chamber music in the Heifetz Institute’s “Program for the Exceptionally Gifted”. In the fall of 2020, Andrew became the new violist of the Jasper String Quartet.

Passionate about historical performance, Andrew frequently performs on the baroque viola and the Violoncello da Spalla. He has performed in festivals and series such as the Washington Bach Consort, Valley of the Moon Music Festival, American Bach Soloists, the Boston Early Music Festival, and Helicon, among others. Andrew is also regular collaborator with the NYC based ensemble Twelfth Night. He is one of the few people in the world who plays the Violoncello da Spalla, a five stringed mini cello that is played on the shoulder. In 2023, Andrew gave the New York City premiere of all 6 cello suites on the Spalla at Barge Music.

Originally from Chesapeake, Virginia, Andrew attended the Governor’s School where he was introduced to chamber music and symphonic music. This led to his affiliation with the Hampton Roads Chamber Players, an ensemble that he has since performed with and given masterclasses, as well as a concerto appearance with the Virginia Symphony. An avid orchestra player, Andrew performs frequently with the New York Philharmonic, New York City Ballet, Orchestra of Saint Lukes, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, Philadelphia Chamber Orchestra, New York Classical Players, and Novus NY.

A graduate of The Juilliard School, Andrew holds both a master’s and bachelor’s degree under the direction of renown violists and pedagogues Michael Tree, Heidi Castleman, Steve Tenenbom, and Hsin-Yun Huang. Andrew performs on a 1930 Frederick Haenel viola modeled after a Gaspar da Salo.

Evan Vicic has been the Assistant Principal Violist of the Louisville Orchestra since January 2014. He frequently appears as a substitute with the Minnesota Orchestra, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, and the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. In the summers of 2017 and 2019, Evan had the honor of playing in the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music in Santa Cruz, California. In October 2021, Evan was featured as the violist in Erwin Schulhoff's Concerto for String Quartet & Wind Orchestra with the Louisville Orchestra. Originally hailing from Minnesota, Evan grew up studying the violin. He switched to viola prior to attending Northwestern University to study with Dr. Roland Vamos. After attaining his Bachelor’s in Music, he continued studies at Indiana University with Stephen Wyrczynski. Evan is interested in many different genres of music and performed on the NPR nationally broadcast radio show "Live From Here" with Bruce Hornsby and Chris Thile. Evan is a proud member of the NouLou Chamber Players in Louisville, KY. Evan is available to teach both violin, and viola. He also is a recording/mixing engineer and producer. See Vicic Audio & Media for details.

Jonathan Mueller, Viola, has been a member of the Louisville Orchestra since the 2006-2007 season. Mr. Mueller completed a Master of Music in Viola Performance at Rice University's Shepherd School in May of 2006 under the instruction of former Cleveland Quartet Violist, James Dunham. While at the Shepherd School, Mr. Mueller performed in master classes for the Tokyo, American, and Mendelssohn Quartets. During his time at Rice, Mr. Mueller's orchestral experience was with the Austin Symphony and the Symphony of Southeast Texas in Beaumont. Before attending Rice University, Mr. Mueller received his Bachelor of Music from Indiana University where he studied with former L.A. Philharmonic Principal Violist, Alan DeVeritch. While at IU, Mr. Mueller performed with the Evansville Philharmonic for two seasons. Mr. Mueller currently teaches Violin and Viola at Bellarmine University and lives in the Highlands with his wife, Krista, son, Everett and daughter, Coral.

Described as “an assured soloist” with “fearless technique,” Dr. Cecilia Huerta-Lauf brings passion and heart to her performances as an accomplished cellist. Currently, Cecilia is the founder, director, & cellist of NouLou Chamber Players; substitute cellist with the Louisville Orchestra; and cordination manager & cellist of Derby City Chamber Music Festival. She also served as President of the Chamber Music Society of Louisville Board. A native of Dickson, Tennessee, she made her solo debut with the Nashville Symphony Orchestra at age 16. Cecilia has enjoyed tenures with groups such as the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, the Discovery Ensemble, Florida Grand Opera, and the Henry Mancini Institute Orchestra & founding String Quartet, and founding administrative director/principal cellist of the Boston Latin-American Orchestra. In 2012, Cecilia was a semi-finalist in the Carlos Prieto International Cello Competition. Cecilia has participated in music festivals across the United States, Canada, France, and Italy. Degrees include pre-college at Vanderbilt University, B.M. at DePaul University in Chicago, M.M. at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, and her D.M.A. at University of Miami in FL. Her principal cello teachers include Steve Balderston, Brant Taylor, Paul Katz & Ross Harbaugh.

New Jersey-native Lindy Tsai began playing the cello at the age of four and has been a member of the Louisville Orchestra since 2019. She received her Master’s degree at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, Massachusetts under Yeesun Kim, and prior to that received her Bachelor’s degree and Performer’s Diploma at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music under Eric Kim. She also briefly attended the Eastman School of Music where she studied with Steven Doane. Throughout her career, Lindy has performed with many world-renown musicians such as Joshua Bell, David Finckel, Yo-Yo Ma, Wu Han, Steven Isserlis, Fred Sherry, Timothy Eddy, Carter Brey, Paul Katz, Rafael Figueroa, Colin Carr, and Jian Wang. She has performed in dozens of concert halls around the United States and Asia, most notably when she made her Carnegie Hall debut in 2007 at the age of 15. Her performances have also been broadcasted on New York’s classical music radio station WQXR as well as NPR. Lindy also attended many music festivals over the years such as Aspen Music Festival, Bowdoin International Music Festival, and Music Master’s Course in Yokohama, Japan, run by the New York Philharmonic’s previous music director Alan Gilbert as well as the Tokyo, Kyoto, and Ryukyu Symphony Orchestra’s music director Naoto Otomo. Lindy currently plays on a 2014 Jason Viseltear cello from New York City.

A “long-admired figure on the New York scene” (New Yorker), cellist Michael Nicolas enjoys a diverse career as chamber musician, soloist, recording artist, improvisor, and teacher. His eclectic tastes and adventurous spirit have led him to forge a musical path of uncommon breadth, where his activities range from performing the masterpieces of the past in the world's most prestigious concert halls, to free improvisation in downtown experimental venues, to working with contemporary composers of all styles, pushing the boundaries of musical expression and meaning.

The ensembles Michael plays in illustrate his commitment to that musical diversity. He is the cellist of the Grammy-nominated string quartet Brooklyn Rider, an intrepid and genre-defying group which has drawn praise from classical, world music, and rock critics alike. As a member of the acclaimed International Contemporary Ensemble, he has worked with countless composers from around the world, premiering and recording dozens of new works. Another group, Third Sound, which Michael helped found, made its debut with an historic residency at the 2015 Havana Contemporary Music Festival, in Cuba. Earlier in his career, he played for almost a decade with the wildly popular Korean chamber group Ensemble Ditto, and also held a post as Associate Principal Cellist of the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal.

As a soloist, Michael has performed recitals and concertos across the globe. His album Transitions, available on the Sono Luminus label, was named Q2 Music Album of the Week at WQXR upon release, and it has since garnered critical acclaim across North America. His discography comprises over 50 recordings as soloist, chamber musician, and sideman.

Of mixed French-Canadian and Taiwanese heritage, Michael was born in Canada, and currently resides in New York City, where he is on the cello faculty at The Mannes School of Music at The New School. He is a graduate of the Juilliard School.

Since performing as a concerto soloist with the Boston Symphony Orchestra at age 18, Nicholas Finch has established himself as an artist of great depth and diversity - as a solo cellist, recitalist, orchestral principal, chamber musician, conductor, founder, and curator. The 2024/25 season will see Finch lead the fourth year of the Derby City Chamber Music Festival as its Founder and Artistic Director, which over its past three seasons has featured musicians from the Dover Quartet, the Escher String Quartet, the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, and more. As part of the festival, he leads the Derby City Sinfonietta as its conductor, which has featured musicians from the Boston Symphony, the Indianapolis Symphony, the Louisville Orchestra, and more. He has additionally been featured as a guest conductor with the Louisville Orchestra. A highlight of the upcoming 2024/25 season includes performing Ellen Taaffe Zwilich's "Double Concerto" as cello soloist with the Louisville Orchestra, and as cello soloist in Saint-Saens's Cello Concerto in A minor and as conductor in Beethoven's "Egmont" overture with the Melrose Symphony. Finch recently recorded his debut album "Nou Edition" with the NouLou Chamber Players, featuring three world-premiere cello concertos written for him, to be released in the spring of 2025. He recently performed as a secondary soloist with cellist Yo-Yo Ma in Teddy Abrams' 'Mammoth', performed by the Louisville Orchestra inside Mammoth Cave National Park. He also performed the American premiere of Kelly-Marie Murphy's concerto for cello and harp with the Skagit Symphony in Mt. Vernon, Washington. He served as cello artist-faculty at the Eastern Music Festival in the Summers of 2022-2024. In recent seasons, Finch has collaborated with musicians from the Louisville Orchestra and others in the role of conductor, in works by Strauss, Copland, Glinka, Saint-Saens, Elgar, Dvorak, and more. Just months prior to the onset of COVID-19, he appeared as cello soloist in Richard Strauss's "Don Quixote" with the Louisville Orchestra. Finch was appointed Principal Cellist of the Louisville Orchestra by music director Teddy Abrams. He has appeared with the Boston-based chamber orchestra ‘A Far Cry’ on numerous concerts and recordings, one recording having been nominated for a Grammy Award. He has additionally appeared numerous times with the Jupiter Chamber Players in New York City A native of Boston, Finch began his cello studies at the age of 12. He attended Harvard, Juilliard, the University of Michigan, and the Mannes College of Music, studying the cello with Andrew Mark, David Soyer, Harvey Shapiro, Richard Aaron, and Marcy Rosen. He has studied orchestral conducting with Kenneth Kiesler, Markand Thakar, Gerard Schwarz, and Michael Jinbo and Ludovic Morlot at the Pierre Monteux School. During the 2023-24 season, Finch was on leave of absence from the Louisville Orchestra to earn a second Masters Degree from the University of Michigan, this time in Orchestral Conducting.

Grace Roepke is an international award winning soloist and the newly appointed Principal Harpist of the Louisville Orchestra. As the first and only harpist to be awarded The Grand and First Prize at the FRIENDS of the Minnesota Orchestra Young Artist Competition, she has also received top prizes in numerous competitions including the American Harp Society National Competition, the Dutch World Harp Competition, and the Lyon & Healy Awards. As a soloist she has appeared with the Minnesota Orchestra, the Long Bay Symphony, the Cleveland Institute of Music Orchestra, and the Eastern Music Festival Orchestra.   As an orchestral musician, Ms. Roepke has performed as second harpist with The Cleveland Orchestra and Grant Park Music Festival, and has served as guest principal harpist with the Akron Symphony Orchestra, Erie Philharmonic, and Quad City Symphony Orchestra. She has spent summers as a fellowship recipient at the Lucerne Festival Academy, Round Top Festival Institute, and Texas Music Festival. Passionate about exploring the capabilities of the harp, Ms. Roepke is a sought after contemporary music performer and collaborator. She has premiered a number of works, including “Mammoth” by Teddy Abrams with solo cellist Yo-Yo Ma, “Air”, by Thomas Adès with solo violinist Anne Sophie Mutter, and presented the live premiere of “Time Lapse” by Patrick Harlin as a part of Yolanda Kondonassis’ FIVE MINUTES for Earth Project. While a student at The Cleveland Institute of Music, she was a frequent soloist and chamber musician in CIM’s New Music Ensemble and worked closely with composers Marcos Balter, Sebastian Currier, and Keith Fitch among others. ​ In addition to her performance career, Ms. Roepke is a passionate music educator. She is a Suzuki certified teacher, having trained in the Suzuki method herself as a young student. Ms. Roepke currently maintains a private studio, offering both in-person and virtual lessons, and has been on the faculties at Avon School of the Arts and the Gilmour Academy.   Ms. Roepke began her musical journey at the age of six, and is a proud third-generation harpist, following in the footsteps of her mother and grandmother. She received her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the Cleveland Institute of Music, where she studied with GRAMMY nominated soloist Yolanda Kondonassis. Additionally, she received an Artist Diploma as an inaugural member of the Robinson Orchestral Career Fellowship, continuing her studies with Kondonassis as well as various Cleveland Orchestra musicians. Upon graduation, she was awarded the Maurice and Judith Kaplow Prize for Uncommon Creativity, the Jocelyn Chang and Michael Leese Award in Harp, and the Alice Chalifoux Prize in Harp. Ms. Roepke is a native of Chanhassen, Minnesota where she was a student of Phala Tracy.

Kathleen Karr is the Principal Flutist of the Louisville Orchestra and Flute Professor at the University of Louisville. In 2012, she was awarded the Distinguished Teaching Professor Award for the University of Louisville. At the University of Louisville, Kathleen teaches all applied flute students, flute ensemble, flute studio class, flute literature, flute pedagogy, chamber music coaching and performs with the faculty woodwind quintet. A frequent soloist with the Louisville Orchestra, Kathleen has most recently performed the Mozart G Major Flute Concerto with the Louisville Orchestra during the 2014-15 season. Kathleen has taught flute and chamber music at the Interlochen Arts Camp (Interlochen, Michigan), Bellarmine University, Centre College (Danville, Kentucky) and Indiana University Southeast.   Kathleen has twice performed at the National Flute Association’s annual convention (Las Vegas in 2012 and Washington D.C. in 2015), and frequently tours with her flute and guitar duo, The Astral Duo. The Astral Duo has commissioned four pieces for flute and guitar and a CD of the commissioned pieces is in process. She is also a member of the Flutes Fleur de Lis – a two flute and piano trio that most recently commissioned a piece that was performed at the University of Louisville’s New Music Festival in November 2015. A founding member of the Kentucky Center Chamber Players, Kathleen is also the flutist with the Grawemeyer Players. She has performed masterclasses and recitals throughout Israel, Mexico, and the USA. Most recently, Kathleen performed a masterclass and recital in Charleston, South Carolina.   Kathleen has performed as Principal Flute with the Fort Wayne Philharmonic, the Huntsville (Alabama) Symphony, the North Charleston Pops, Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra Kentucky, and the Orquestra Sinfonica da Mineria in Mexico City.   Kathleen Karr received her Bachelor of Music degree from Northwestern University and her Master of Music degree from the State University of New York at Stony Brook.   Kathleen Karr is an Altus Flutes Performing Artist.

A native of Queens, New York, Andrea Levine was appointed Principal Clarinet of the Louisville Orchestra in 2003.  She also served as Acting Principal Clarinet of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra for the 2017-2018 season. She won the position of interim assistant principal of the Colorado Symphony during the 2011-2012 season. She also won the position of interim second clarinet of the Cleveland Orchestra during the 2007-2008 season and joined them on two European tours. Prior to coming to Louisville, she spent a year as a member of the New World Symphony in Miami, Florida.  Before joining New World, she served as Interim Principal Clarinet of the Akron Symphony while completing a Professional Studies Diploma at the Cleveland Institute of Music.  She completed her undergraduate degree at the Eastman School of Music.  In addition to serving as Principal Clarinet of the Britt Festival Orchestra, she has held the same position at the Artosphere Festival.  She has appeared as guest principal clarinet of the Cincinnati Symphony, the Baltimore Symphony, the Detroit Symphony and the Saint Louis Symphony. She has also appeared as a soloist with the Louisville Orchestra, the Detroit Symphony, the Artosphere Festival Orchestra, the New World Symphony, and with the Eastman Philharmonia. She is also an active teacher, having presented masterclasses at the Eastman School of Music, University of Michigan, University of Florida, Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, University of Tennessee, and the University of Louisville. She recently served as Adjunct Professor at Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music. Teachers with whom she has studied include Daniel Gilbert, Kenneth Grant, Franklin Cohen, Yehuda Gilad, Mitchell Estrin, and Ricardo Morales She loves living in Louisville with her husband, Jack Griffin, and their two Cockapoos, Gus and Leo.

Matthew Karr received a bachelors degree from Oberlin Conservatory in 1978 and a Masters degree from SUNY at Stonybrook. In 1979 Mr. Karr won the Principal Bassoon position with the Louisville Orchestra. He has also served as Associate Principal Bassoon with the Houston Symphony during the 2000-01 season, taking a one year leave from the Louisville Orchestra. An active chamber musician, Mr. Karr attended the Marlboro Festival in Vermont in 1989 and 1990. He is a regular guest performer with the Ronen ensemble of Indianapolis (a chamber group made up of members of the Indianapolis Symphony) since 1986. Mr. Karr was a founding member of the Kentucky Center Chamber Players and has performed with the group since its inception in 1983. Matthew has been featured as soloist with the Louisville Orchestra on seven different ocassions, most notably for the North American premieres of both Michael Daugherty’s “Hells Angels” and Simon Bainbridge’s “At an Uncertain Hour.” He has also performed Concerti by Telemann, Mozart, Haydn and Vivaldi. Matthew has performed as soloist with the Civic Orchestra of Louisville, the Manhattan School of Music Symphony Orchestra, the Orquestra Filarmonic UNAM of Mexico City, and the Indiana University SE Orchestra. Mr. Karr began teaching at the University of Louisville in 1979. He has served on the faculties of the Music Academy of the West (Santa Barbara CA.), and the Interlochen Arts Camp (Michigan). His principal teachers include Kenneth Moore, Willard Elliot, Arthur Weisberg and Lou Skinner. Matthew produced a compact disc, “A Bassoonists Voice,” in 1997. The American Record Guide said of this CD: “The Bach Partita is immaculately played… The villa Lobos is given a technically flawless reading… Schumann’s splendid Fantasiestucke is given a fine reading, played on the instrument that is sounds best on.” The international Double Reed Journal said of the CD: “Matthew Karr has a fine, clean technique, and a lovely lyrical style and vibrato. This is a fine, carefully prepared and beautifully performed CD by a talented young artist.”

Scott Schiffer Leger is a performer, teacher, and content creator currently performing in the Louisville Orchestra as Associate Principal/Third Horn. Prior to joining the Louisville Orchestra in 2022, Scott performed four seasons as a horn fellow in the New World Symphony in Miami Beach, FL, and held the position of Principal Horn of the Cayuga Chamber Orchestra in Ithaca, NY.

An active teacher, Scott is on faculty at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music as an adjunct lecturer and regularly travels to give masterclass and present lectures at universities across the united states. In the 2024-25 season, Scott performed in recitals and masterclasses in Arkansas, Kentucky, Ohio, Illinois and his home state of Texas.

Scott maintains an online presence as an artist and educator producing content for his YouTube channel, Instagram and TikTok pages. Under the username @scottlegerhorn, he serves an international audience of over 150,000 accounts, and has created over 1,000 videos, garnering tens of millions of views. He enjoys using the internet to build classical music audiences and hopes to build a platform to inspire horn-players and musicians of all ages to enjoy their craft.

Scott holds degrees in music performance and education from the Yale School of Music and Southern Methodist University.