Musicians

Song-hea Sackrider, violin

Song-hea Sackrider received her Bachelors degree in Violin Performance from the University of Michigan and a Masters degree in Violin Performance from Northwestern University. Her principal teachers include, Lyman and Alan Bodman, Andrew Jennings and Almita Vamos. She has been a member of the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra, the Civic Orchestra of Chicago and guest principal and soloist with the Kalamazoo Symphony. In 1998, she was chosen as a recipient of the Kapnick Scholar Fellowship with the Civic Orchestra and Northwestern University. Upon graduation, she was awarded the Martha Reid Steinbach award for her achievement in both academic and performing excellence. In 2001, she received the Sigurd Rislov Foundation Grant for her recording of Strauss, Ysaye and Tartini.

Olga Katkova-Trevino, violin

A Native from Bulgaria, Olga Katkova-Trevino studied music since the age of five. She won a number of national competitions, toured all over Europe, and was featured on the Bulgarian National TV, before she arrived in the US on a full musical scholarship to pursue a degree in Violin Performance.

Olga Katkova-Trevino is most delighted to serve as the Concertmistress of the Millennium Chamber Players (mcplayers.com), a professional ensemble in Chicago. As the group's leading violinist, Olga has presented solo, chamber music performances, and newly written music. In addition, she led the Millennium Chamber Players orchestra in the recent performances of the operas "The Rape of Lucretia" by Britten, "The Marriage of Figaro" by Mozart, and Puccini's "La Boheme".

In the past year, Olga was engaged as a member of the Chicago Civic Orchestra. She has also performed as a member or guest of a number of prestigious orchestras such as Illinois Symphony, Sinfonia di Concertante, Da Cornetto Opera, Rockford Symphony, Green Bay Symphony, Chicago Chamber Orchestra, South Bend Symphony, and Ohio Light Opera.

Ms. Katkova-Trevino is passionate about teaching. She is collaborating with the Chicago Opera Theater as a Teaching Fellow in their opera outreach project directed to inner city schools; her work was featured on the news broadcast of ABC Chicago. She also teaches violin to adult professionals and children in her studios in the British School and in Downtown Chicago. Her most recent appointment is on the faculty of the Sherwood Conservatory in Chicago. Olga lives in Chicago with her husband, conductor Robert Katkov-Trevino.

Nami Hanson, violin

Nami Hanson, was born in Seoul, Korea. She has traveled and studied in Europe, Korea and the United States. Nami has degrees in Violin Performance from the Nice Music Conservatory in France, a Bachleors Degree in Music from Seoul University and a Masters degree from Roosevelt University where she was a student of Yuko Mori, and Joseph Golan. In 1994, Nami was invited to attend the Bareuth Chamber Music Festival in Germany. Her orchestral experience includes the Seoul Orchestral Symphony and the Civic Orchestra of Chicago where she was honored to perform under the direction of Daniel Barenboim at Carnegie Hall. Currently, Nami teaches in the Northbrook School district and her private studio in Evanston, Illinois.

Shiho Toyonaga, viola

Shiho was born in Japan. She obtained her bachelors and Masters degree in Viola Performance from the Peabody Conservatory of Music in Baltimore, Maryland. Her Orchestral experience includes the Northwest Indiana Symphony, Elgin Symphony, Tulsa Opera, South Bend Symphony and the Civic Orchestra of Chicago. Shiho is in high demand as a teacher and performer in the Chicago and surrounding areas. She is currently on staff at the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago, Illinois.

Matthew Agnew, cello

Matthew Agnew studied Suzuki cello from age four with Marilyn Kesler in Okemos, Michigan. In high school he had the benefit of orchestra instruction and guidance from Shirley Mullins, a former Janos Starker student, and cello instruction from Jane Katsuyama of the Dayton Philharmonic. He attended DePaul University on scholarship and studied with William Cernota from the Lyric Opera Orchestra. In 2001 he won second place at the Lansing Matinee Musicale Richardson Awards. Matthew has played with several Chicago area orchestras, including the Illinois Philharmonic, Concertante di Chicago, Metropolis Symphony Orchestra, Chicagoland Pops Orchestra, and the Civic Orchestra of Chicago. He is currently the principal cellist of the Elgin Symphony Orchestra. In 2005 he won the assistant principal position with the Lancaster Festival Orchestra, a summer festival in Lancaster, Ohio.