Global Music Silver Medalist Yang and Olivia is a dynamic violin-piano duo who create an unforgettable storytelling event in their program, featuring contemporary and classical works from different parts of the world. In recent years, not only have they traveled to more than 30 cities in the United States, they have also been performing and teaching in China, Portugal, Brazil, and Taiwan. Currently, they are both faculty of VanderCook College of Music in Chicago. The duo founded the Yang and Olivia Foundation, advocating diversity, equity, and inclusion through music of different cultures. The foundation’s achievements are recognized by grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, MidAtlantic Arts, and Illinois Arts Council Agency.

Dr. Andrew Seigel teaches applied clarinet and chamber music at SUNY Fredonia in New York. He performs regularly with the Fredonia Wind Quintet, the Western NY Chamber Orchestra, the Erie Chamber Orchestra, the Buffalo Chamber Players and the Silverwind Duo. Dr. Seigel’s teaching focuses on solo and chamber clarinet repertoire, chamber music, and collaborative endeavors. His research delves into Hungarian clarinet repertoire, the art of effective practice, and the intricate connections between language and music.

EleanorGrace (Eleanor Berntsen) is a 19-year-old Iowa native who leapt on to the Des Moines music scene 3 years ago with her debut single, “Lighthouse.” As a creator, musician, and songwriter, her eclectic sense of creativity has led her to write songs spanning multiple genres and styles. Her focus is on telling stories with her music either through the character in the lyrics or through her own emotions.

The Indianapolis Quartet—with violinists Zachary DePue and Joana Genova, violist Michael Strauss, and cellist Egor Antonenko—has been praised for “its energetic, often kinetic, enthusiasm, and each player’s virtuosity and flexibility (New York Concert Review). In addition to their extensive repertoire of classical, romantic, and 20th-century works, The Indianapolis Quartet has commissioned and performed new works by Robert Paterson, Frank Felice, Matthew Bridgham, and John Berners. They have served as ensemble-in-residence at the University of Indianapolis, Vermont’s Taconic Music Festival, Sonoran Chamber Music Festival at Arizona State University, and at Indiana State University’s 53rd annual Contemporary Music Festival.

Composer Kian Ravaei (b. 1999) takes tone painting to a new level, synthesizing diverse inspirations into evocative musical portraits. Whether he is composing piano preludes inspired by mythical creatures, flute melodies that mimic the songs of endangered birds, or a string quartet that draws from the Iranian music of his ancestral heritage, he takes listeners on a spellbinding tour of humanity’s most deeply felt emotions. Chamber musicians have championed his works, leading to commissions from Chamber Music Northwest — where he served as a Protégé Project Composer-in-Residence — as well as Seattle Chamber Music Society and Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival. His rapidly expanding catalog has earned him notable honors such as a Copland House CULTIVATE Fellowship, a Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra Composer Teaching Artist Fellowship, a New Music USA Creator Fund Award, and a Barlow Endowment Commission.