Olga Tuzhilkov came to the United States as the original violist for the Veronika String Quartet, which was formed in 1989 while studying at the Gnesiss Russian Academy of Music in Moscow. The Veronika String Quartet has been awarded top prizes in International Competitions in Russia, Australia, and in the United States and has collaborated
Beth Giacobassi was a bassoonist/contrabassoonist with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra from 1982-2025. She was the bassoon professor at UW-Milwaukee from 2000-2020 and also taught at Alverno and UW-Parkside. For 28 summers Beth was the bassoonist for the Washington Island Chamber Music Festival and also played in the Colorado Music Festival, Grant Park, Bedford Springs Festival,
Jessicca Williams, a graduate of UW-Milwaukee (2004, Masters of Music, Violin Pedagogy) has been instructing students in southeast Wisconsin for the past two decades. Her teaching career began at the String Academy of Wisconsin at UW-Milwaukee where she instructed students in private and group lessons. Other teaching positions include the Milwaukee at the American Hmong
One day, Nolan started to lose feeling in his feet. Then he had trouble standing, balancing, and walking.  He had a rare bone cyst on his spine, an MRI showed. Nolan’s mother, Katie, says, “I passed the phone to Nolan, and he talked to the neurologist. And I remember . . . the look
Spreading the word about the role of mental health in healing the body is a passion of Metropolitan Symphony cellist Ashley Bongard. And for her, music fosters that healing process. Embracing this cause led to this 16-year-old from Brookfield to be selected as a Children’s Miracle Network (CMN) National Champion, one of only ten kids
Alex Chen began playing the violin in fourth grade and joined the Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra (MYSO) in 2018. Over the years, he advanced through the program, building meaningful connections with his mentors and fellow musicians. Through his time with MYSO, Alex developed not only technical skill and artistry, but also a deep appreciation for
