GCP is an ensemble envisioning a new space in the community where musicians and audiences create lasting connections through shared experiences of musical excellence. Our concert series features chamber music, the Georgetown Chamber Orchestra, internationally acclaimed guest artists, and inspired programming.
UPCOMING CONCERT!
Georgetown Chamber Orchestra Presents:
Moz-Art à la Haydn
Join us for a program with Mozart's dazzling concerto for two pianos, Schnittke's witty Moz-Art à la Haydn, and the ever-poignant 'Farewell' Symphony by Haydn, with the Georgetown Chamber Orchestra under the direction of Heather Adelsberger.
Featuring soloists Andrés Cárdenes, Martin Labazevitch, Agata Miklavc, and Jason Solounias.
Saturday January 31 at 7:30 PM
St. Marks Capitol Hill
301 A St. SE, Washington D.C. 20003
Program
W.A. Mozart: Piano Concerto No.10 for two pianos
(Jason Solounias & Martin Labazevitch, soloists)
A. Schnittke; Moz-Art a la Haydn
(Andrés Cárdenes & Agata Miklavc, soloists)
J. Haydn: Symphony no.45 (Farewell Symphony)
Heather Adelsberger maintains an active career as a keyboard artist and conductor in the Washington, D.C. area. She holds an undergraduate degree in Piano Performance from the Catholic University of America and a Master of Music in Collaborative Piano from the University of Maryland. Heather currently serves as Director of Music Ministries at Grace Episcopal Church in Silver Spring, MD where she oversees a vibrant, intergenerational music program and concert series. Heather is the Artistic Director of the Georgetown Chorale.
Heather Adelsberger
Music Director
Violinist Agata Miklavc began her musical journey at the age of three in Ljubljana, Slovenia where she made her public debut at the age of five at the Great Hall of Cankar Center. Since, her studies and performance career took her all over Europe and the United States. She performed in halls such as the Kennedy Center, Slovenian Philharmonic, RTV Slovenia, Sarajevo National Theater (BiH), The Army Hall (BiH), The Gaillard Center, Musikverein Wien (AU), Mozarteum Salzburg (AU), Rector's Palace in Dubrovnik (HR), Crystal Hall of Slovenia, The Meyerson Symphony Center and Winspear Opera House, to name a few. She has received awards and distinctions at international competitions such as the Temsig (Ljubljana, Slovenia), Burgos International Festival and Competition (Burgos, Spain) and Glazunov International Competition (Paris, France).
An avid chamber musician, Agata has shared the stage with world-renowned artists such as Andrés Cárdenes, Aaron Boyd, Andres Diaz, Rafael Figueroa, Paul Coletti, Wendy Chen, the Escher Quartet, Yuriy Bekker, Julian Schwarz, Michael Klotz and Gerald Robbins. She regularly performs in a duo with critically acclaimed Greek-American pianist Jason Solounias. Ms.Miklavc has been a passionate educator ever since her first appointment as a teaching assistant at the studio of Violeta Smailović-Huart in 2013. She has since served as a teaching assistant to Emanuel Borok and Aaron Boyd at Southern Methodist University and Andrés Cárdenes at Carnegie Mellon University. She is currently an associate professor at the Gingold International Chamber Music Festival and a faculty member at Levine Music in Washington D.C.
Since 2021 Ms.Miklavc performs with the Charleston Symphony Orchestra in Charleston, South Carolina. In May 2023, she was appointed concertmaster of Georgetown Chorale in Washington, D.C. She also serves as an artistic director of “Georgetown Chamber Players” and leader of “Georgetown Chamber Orchestra” which she co-founded in 2023.
Agata's principal teacher is Andrés Cárdenes who remains her trusted mentor, advisor and friend. She also studied with Emanuel Borok, Aaron Boyd and Violeta Smailović-Huart. Ms.Miklavc is in high demand as a chamber and orchestral player in addition to her frequent appearances as a soloist in classical and contemporary repertoire.
Agata Miklavc
Artistic Director
Praised by the American Record Guide as “...a superb musician”, Jason Solounias has performed across the United States and Europe, ranging from the Kennedy Center to Southwark Cathedral, including performances at Millennium Stage, the Lincoln Theater, Steinway Society of Puerto Rico, An Die Musik, Duomo di Amalfi, Junior Soto Recital Hall, The Arts Club of Washington, WETA, Church of Epiphany Concert Series, and the Lisner Auditorium. He has collaborated with Andrés Cardénes, Amit Peled, Gary Levinson, Elizabeth Hill, the 6821 Quintet, The Tango Cammarata and has appeared as a soloist with the National Opera Orchestra, Trinity Chamber Orchestra, the Susquehanna Symphony Orchestra and the Pan American Symphony Orchestra. He has also been a featured soloist for Shigeru Kawai at the National Piano Technicians Guild Conference.
Solounias began his studies with Irene Yeakel and went on to complete his Bachelors of Arts at Shepherd University with Scott Beard. He received his Masters of Music and Doctorate of Musical Arts from the Catholic University of America under the direction of Jim Litzelman and Jose Ramos Santana. He has also worked with other distinguished pianists including Emanuel Krasovsky, John Perry, and Leon Fleisher.
His debut album released by the Sheva Collection features the piano music of Heitor Villa-Lobos. The recording was applauded by The American Record Guide, writing that Solounias, “hones in on the orchestral colors in Villa-Lobos’s music and eschews flashy playing in favor of sober purpose”, and, “brings out the intellect and grandeur of the music”.
Solounias was a featured performer during the 2019 Experiencing Villa-Lobos festival at the Virginia Commonwealth University, has lectured about the music of Villa-Lobos at New York University and at the University of Hartford. His recording was also featured in the music scoring the 2020 exhibition ‘Sur Moderno’ at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.
Solounias is the director of the Puerto Rico International Piano Festival, the co-artistic director of the Kosciuszko Foundation Chopin Competition in Washington D.C., and assistant to the Tureck International Bach Competition in New York City. He has also been a guest artist and coordinator for the Josef Gingold Chamber Music Festival in Miami. Solounias is currently a faculty member at Levine Music in Washington D.C.
Jason Solounias
Artistic Director
2025-26
Concert Season
Season Announcement Fundraiser, Sunday October 19, 2025
4:00 - 6:00 PM at 4524 Dorset Ave Chevy Chase, MD 20815
Come celebrate with us as we announce the third season of the Georgetown Chamber Players! We will tell (and play) you all about it. This will be a concert with a twist, and the twist will be that of a corkscrew - you will be tasting the wine, the music and all that the GCP 25/26 season has to offer! This event serves as our annual fundraiser. All donations are tax deductible.
An Evening with Andrés Cárdenes, Saturday, October 25, 2025
7:00 PM at St. Patrick’s Episcopal Church 4700 Whitehaven Pkwy, Washington D.C. 20007
Join us for a celebration of Maurice Ravel's 150th anniversary with guest artist Andrés Cárdenes. He will be joined by his daughter, a rising star harpist Isabel Cárdenes and the members of the GCP. The program will feature some of Ravel’s most highly regarded works, including his String Quartet, Introduction and Allegro, Sonata No 2 for violin and piano, Tzigane, songs for voice and piano, and more.
Georgetown Chamber Orchestra Mozart a la Haydn Saturday, January 31, 2026
7:30 PM at St. Marks Capitol Hill 301 A St SE, Washington, DC 20003
The Georgetown Chamber Orchestra under the direction of Heather Adelsberger performs a concert of classical and modern masterpieces, with guest artists Andrés Cárdenes and Martin Labazevitch. The program features Mozart’s Concerto for two pianos in E-flat major, Alfred Schnittke’s Moz-Art à la Haydn, and Haydn’s Symphony No.45 “The Farwell”.
Immortal Beloved November 2025
A recital in celebration of love; whether a passionate, romantic, unrequited, tortured or joyous, violinist Agata Miklavc and pianist Jason Solounias will take you through stories of great romances of great artists. The concert will feature Beethoven’s Romance No.2 in F Major, Ysaye’s Poeme Elegiaque, Debussy’s La plue que lent, Škerjanc’s Intermezzo Romantique, Kreisler’s Liebesfreud and Liebesleid, and Beethoven’s monumental Sonata No.9 “Kreutzer”.
Solo Piano Recital March 2026
Jason Solounias presents a solo recital featuring romantic and french masterworks, including the Fantasy in C major by Robert Schumann.
Schubertiade April 2026
The chamber players are back with an annual Schubertiade featuring Schubert Songs, Erlkönig arranged by Cello-World, the Mendelssohn piano quartet, and the great C Major String Quintet.
Last Seven Words of Christ April 2026
Georgetown String Quartet debut featuring J. Haydn’s String Quartet op.51, “Last Seven Words of Christ” with narration and visual art. A musical offering during the Easter holiday.
Georgetown Chamber Orchestra Spring Concert
Georgetown Chorale’s Treble Chorus and Georgetown Chamber Orchestra join forces under the direction of Heather Adelsberger and soloist Agata Miklavc. The program includes a choral feature, E.Ysaye’s Poeme Elegiaque, arr. Lane Harder and Tchaikovsky’s Serenade for strings.
Support The Chamber Players
100% of your donation goes to programming and supporting the artists. No amount is too small.
Please considering becoming a sponsor of this new musical initiative!
All donations are tax-deductible
Giving Levels
Contributor: to $99
Friend: $100-$249
Supporter: $250-$499
Patron: $500-$999
Sponsor: $1000-$2499
A gift of $1500 will endow the chair of a musician in the Georgetown Chamber Orchestra.
Benefactor: $2500-$4999
A gift of $4000 will sponsor a guest artist chamber music recital.
Sustainer: $5000 +
THANK YOU TO THE SUPPORTERS OF THE GEORGETOWN CHAMBER PLAYERS
Contributor: to $99
Alexandra Beatty
Benjamin Bradburn
Eve Moscicki
Leszek Strzelecki
Friend: $100-$249
Anne Clark
Karen Garlick
Paula Reed Lynch
Elizabeth Peterson
Judith Strotz
Kenneth Weeman
Supporter: $250-$499
Piotr Gajewski
Patron: $500-$999
Sponsor: $1000-$2499
James Dausch
David Flaxman Agata Miklavc endowed chair
David Garlock Heather Adelsberger endowed chair
A gift of $1500 or more will endow the chair of a musician in the Georgetown Chamber Orchestra.
Benefactor: $2500-$4999
A gift of $4000 will sponsor a guest artist chamber music recital.
Sustainer: $5000 +
Meet The Musicians
Nadezda Soroka began her violin studies in various styles of Canadian fiddle music and started her classical training after joining the Edmonton Youth Orchestra. She joins the Louisville Orchestra in the 2024-2025 season and is currently a member of the Erie Philharmonic. Nadezda is a graduate of the University of British Columbia, the USC Thornton School of Music, and Carnegie Mellon University. At USC, she was a core member of the Thornton Baroque Sinfonia and won second prize in the school’s Bach Competition. Her primary teachers are Andres Cardenes, Lina Bahn, and Henry Gronnier. Other significant mentors include Dr. Jonathan Girard, Kenneth Friedman, Rena Sharon, Minju Kim, Chris Wu, Adam and Rotem Gilbert, and Agata Miklavc.
Nadezda Soroka
Violin
Taya Ricker lives and performs regularly in New York City where she can often be found on the stages of Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center. In addition to her membership with the Georgetown Chamber Players, she holds the position of Assistant Concertmaster of the West Virginia Symphony.
In recent seasons she appeared as guest Concertmaster with the West Virginia Symphony and the Spartanburg Philharmonic, guest Assistant Concertmaster with the Asheville Symphony, and Principal Second Violinist with the Mount Vernon Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra.
Taya enjoys collaborating with musicians in all genres and has performed with many artists including Jaime Lozano and his band La Familia, Melissa Barrera (of In the Heights the movie), Arthur Verocai, Look Homeward, Falls, Jacob Whitesides, Molly Ringwald, and PJ Morton. She can be found on albums by Between the Buried and Me, Anne-Claire and the Wild Mystics, and Buffalo Rose.
In 2010, Taya, along with Pianist John Salmon, began a concert series in Greensboro North Carolina in collaboration with the MacKay Foundation for Cancer Research with all proceeds going to the Wake Forest University School of Medicine section on Hematology and Oncology. The MacKay Foundation concerts continue to bring together notable jazz and classical musicians who have donated their time, energy, and talent.
Taya Ricker is a high school graduate of the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. She holds a Bachelor of Music and Master of Music in Violin Performance from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She also holds a Post Baccalaureate Certificate in Jazz Studies from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro under the instruction of Professor Chad Eby. In May of 2019 Taya completed an Advanced Music Studies Certificate at Carnegie Mellon University under the instruction of the great Maestro and Violinist Andrés Cárdenes.
Off-stage, Taya maintains a private teaching studio of budding young violinists.
Taya Ricker
Violin
Violinist Brooke Gunter is a first-year master’s student studying violin performance at Lynn University under the renowned Andrés Cárdenes. Brooke holds her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Violin Performance and an Advanced Musical Studies degree from Carnegie Mellon University both under the direction of Andrés Cárdenes. In 2021, Brooke was invited to play with the internationally acclaimed tenor Andrea Bocelli at the PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA. In 2018 and 2019, Brooke was selected to perform with the New World Symphony Side-by-Side concerts under the direction of conductor Michael Tilson Thomas, with the honor of serving as a concertmaster in 2019. Throughout high school, Brooke served as concertmaster for the Treasure Coast Youth Symphony and as a member of the Academy Orchestra.
In the summer of 2023, Brooke was selected for a full scholarship to attend Eastern Music Festival under the guidance of Avi Nagin, where she served as one of the festival’s concertmasters. Brooke was a member of the Young Artist Quartet in Residence at Rushmore Music Festival studying under Brett Wallfish and Katie Smirnova (2021), where she was also the teaching assistant. She attended the Meadowmount School of Music where she studied with Gerardo Riberio (2019), and Elmar Oliveria (2018). Brooke also attended the Green Mountain Chamber Music Festival studying with Dr. Won Bin-Yim (2017) and the Philadelphia International Music Festival studying with Marc Rovetti and Daniel Han (2016) and Kimberly Fischer of the Philadelphia Orchestra (2010 and 2012). Previous teachers include Alexandr Zhuk, Stephen Majeske, and Cynthia Hinkelman.
Brooke Gunter
Violin
Emilia Poirier-Molina is a violinist of Cuban and Canadian heritage, deeply passionate about the transformative power of music. She firmly believes in its ability to heal and unite communities and is dedicated to sharing her love for music and the rich legacy of her training both through performance and teaching the violin.
Emilia recently graduated from Carnegie Mellon University, where she studied intensively under the mentorship of Mr. Andrés Cárdenes,whose influence has significantly shaped her artistic development. Prior to Carnegie Mellon, Emilia pursued her violin studies at the Conservatoire de musique et d’art dramatique du Québec in Montréal, Canada.
Her orchestral experience includes serving in the 1st violin section of the Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra and holding substitute positions with the Erie Philharmonic, Duquesne University Philharmonic, Orchestre Symphonique de Longueuil, Orchestre Symphonique de l’Estuaire, Sinfonia de Lanaudière, and Orchestre Symphonique de Sherbrooke. Emilia’s commitment to music is further demonstrated through her professional engagements and previous internships, including The Josef Gingold Music Festival, Orford Academy of Music, and Orchestre de la Francophonie.
Emilia Poirier-Molina
Violin
Patricia Wnek-Schram is a professional classical violinist who graduated from Victor Danchenko’s studio at the Peabody Conservatory of the Johns Hopkins University with Undergraduate and Masters degrees in Violin Performance. She began her violin studies with Seljuk Kardan at the age of 4 at the Hosford School of Music in Gaithersburg, MD, and from the age of 12 until graduating from high school at 16, Patricia continued her Preparatory violin studies with Rebecca Henry, the Chair of the Preparatory String Department. Besides taking individual violin lessons, she was involved in the Pre-Conservatory Violin Program, Peabody Prep Chamber music program, Preparatory Sinfonietta, and Violin Choir.
Growing up, Patricia frequently appeared in solo recitals throughout the Washington-Baltimore-Philadelphia area. Up to date she has performed as a soloist in over 150 recitals. She gave her first, half-an-hour long, public performance at age 5 in Rockville, MD. At the age of 9, she made her formal, full recital debut accompanied by a string quartet and piano in front of an audience of over 500 classical music enthusiasts. At age 10, Patricia made her solo orchestral debut with the Trinity Chamber Orchestra of Washington D.C. under the direction of Dr. Richard Fazio.
Patricia was a finalist of the National Symphony Orchestra Competition as well as a first-prize winner of the following competitions: National Philharmonic Concerto Competition, Columbia Symphony Orchestra’s Young Artist Competition, two-time winner (junior and senior divisions) of the Feder String Competition sponsored by the Washington Performing Arts Society (WPAS) and many other competitions.
In order to broaden her musical horizons, Patricia began taking piano lessons at the age of 5 and took ballet classes for 13 years. Her hobbies include swimming, reading, knitting, crocheting, skiing, ice skating, biking, and horseback riding.
While studying at the Peabody Conservatory, Patricia performed numerous times with her quartet, the Tira Quartet and following graduation, became a part of the Opus 40 Trio with whom she won first place in the Misbin Competition in 2015. She is currently a member of The Georgetown Chamber Players and The Maryland Symphony and has also performed with such orchestras as the Georgetown Chorale, the National Philharmonic, the Maryland Lyric Opera Company, the Lancaster Symphony, the Mid-Atlantic Symphony, the Gettysburg College Symphony Orchestra, and the Baltimore Concerto Orchestra. Patricia has also been involved in musical theatre for over 12 years at the Olney Theatre, Toby’s Dinner Theatre, and Round House Theatre playing violin and sometimes doubling on viola or piano, for numerous musicals. In addition to a demanding performing schedule, Patricia runs her own violin and viola lesson studio from her home in Urbana, MD where she lives with her husband Steve and baby son, Anthony.
Patricia Wnek-Schram
Violin
Violinist Laura Frazelle grew up in Washington state and settled in Virginia after graduate school, where she has worked extensively as both a performer and educator. She served as a core member of the Richmond Symphony for the 2021-2022 season, as well as a contracted player for the 2018-2019 season. She has also been a core member of the Williamsburg Symphony Orchestra since 2016. She is also a member of the 1st violin section of the Alexandria Symphony Orchestra.
As of 2024, she performs with many groups across the tri-state area. Current and past groups include the Richmond Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, Virginia Symphony, Annapolis Symphony, Washington Concert Opera, Choral Arts Society of Washington, Choralis, New Orchestra of Washington, Urban Arias, Maryland Lyric Opera, and Virginia Opera Company. She served as Assistant Principal 2nd violin with the American Pops Orchestra from 2015 to 2020. She has performed many times with the Post-Classical Ensemble, including for the album “American Classics” by Bernard Herrmann for Naxos Records. Ms. Frazelle was a featured soloist with orchestra on several occasions, most recently playing Ravel’s Tzigane with the Heights Chamber Orchestra in 2014.
A notable educator, Ms. Frazelle received the Virginia String Teachers Association’s 2021 Outstanding String Teacher of the Year Award in recognition of her private studio. Previously, she was on the Suzuki faculty of the Levine School of Music for the 2014-2015 school years, served on the Board of Directors for the Suzuki Association of the Greater Washington Area (SAGWA) from 2016-2018, and was invited to join the faculty at the Greater Washington Suzuki Institute in 2017 and 2018. She taught at the Blue Ridge Suzuki Camp in 2022 and is excited to be back again on the faculty this summer.
Ms. Frazelle holds a Master of Music in Violin Performance and Suzuki Pedagogy from the Cleveland Institute of Music. At CIM, she studied violin with David Updegraff and completed her long-term Suzuki training (Books 1-10) with Kimberly Meier-Sims. She holds a Bachelor of Music in Violin Performance cum laude from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music under the tutelage of Dr. Won-Bin Yim and Piotr Milewski. Additional influential teachers include William Preucil, Stephen Rose, Ricardo Cyncynates, and Elisabeth Adkins.
In addition to music, Ms. Frazelle enjoys reading, baking, and spending time with her family and dog. She lives with her two young sons and husband Daniel, the Assistant Principal Clarinetist of the United States Navy Band.
Laura Frazelle
Violin
Mary Thulson is a violinist from Alexandria, VA, praised for her sweet tone, orchestral leadership, and sensitivity as a chamber musician. As an orchestral section leader, Ms. Thulson sits Principal Second for the Latin Grammy-nominated Pan American Symphony and the Ars Nova Chamber Orchestra. She is a member of the Mid-Atlantic Symphony and plays with several other orchestras in and around Washington, DC.
Recent tours have included Colombia, Lebanon, and Peru, where, with the Pan American Symphony, she performed for dignitaries including the country’s president.
Ms. Thulson is a dedicated teacher and coach, maintaining a private studio in Alexandria. Ms. Thulson’s degree comes from Wheaton College, where she studied with Dr. Lee Joiner. As a child in Japan, she had the privilege to study under Dr. Suzuki at his summer institute. Other key teachers have included Mieke Sasaki, Sharon Polifrone, Robert DePasquale, and Ryoichi Higikata.
Mary Thulson
Violin
Ting-An Wei is a violist, educator, and arts administrator based in Baltimore, MD. She currently serves as a section violist with the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra and as the principal violist with the Georgetown Chamber Orchestra. Over the past eight years she has performed with various other orchestras, including the Amarillo Symphony Orchestra and the Charleston Symphony Orchestra. Expanding beyond her practice as an orchestral performer, Ting-An has recently began pursuing an interest in pushing the boundaries of viola performance. She has commissioned composer Michael Mills to write a multi-movement work for solo viola and electronics to be premiered in the spring of 2025.
Beyond her work as a performer, Ting-An is a deeply devoted music educator. In addition to teaching privately, she has taught violin and viola at numerous institutions and programs, including Camp Encore/Coda, the Amarillo Youth Orchestra, and Baltimore and Howard County public schools. Since 2019, she has been an integral part of the Bridges Music Program, a non-profit organization committed to providing high-quality string instruction to underserved students in Baltimore City, regardless of financial circumstances. Through this program, Ting-An has taught in multiple public elementary schools as a violin and viola instructor where she fosters development through a warm and supportive learning environment for her students. After three years of teaching for the program, her passion for nurturing a love of music led her to become the program director in 2021. In this role, she supervises program teachers, oversees educational content, fosters strategic relationships, and manages instrument inventory, among many other responsibilities.
Ting-An is currently pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts in Viola Performance at the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University, where she studies under the guidance of Professor Victoria Chiang. She previously earned both her Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Viola Performance at Peabody, studying under Choong-Jin Chang.
Ting-An Wei
Viola
Mary Dausch grew up in Washington, DC and is a graduate of the DC Youth Orchestra Program and the NSO Youth Fellowship Program. She received her Bachelor of Music Performance from San Francisco Conservatory and received her Master of Music from Rice University.
After Mary moved back to the DC Area, she began her career as a freelance musician. She now is the principal violist of Apollo Orchestra and Amadeus Orchestra. She is a founding member of the Grotto Ensemble and a member of the Georgetown Chamber Players. She substitutes frequently with Maryland Symphony Orchestra and plays with many other local orchestras, choruses, operas and other ensembles. She teaches private violin and viola lessons out of her home studio.
Mary currently resides in Silver Spring, MD with her husband and four children. She plays on a viola made in 2014 by Dalton Potter.
Mary Dausch
Viola
Violist and educator Adam Kramer regularly concertizes in and around New York City, often performing on stage at Carnegie hall, Lincoln Center, the Met Museum, Symphony Space, and other notable venues. As an orchestral Musician he has played in the viola sections of the West Virginia Symphony, Stamford Symphony, New England Symphonic Ensemble, and the Roosevelt Island Orchestra. Internationally, he has performed at festivals and concert series in Italy, Bosnia, Croatia, and Canada.
As a chamber musician he has collaborated with such artists as Vladimir Feltsman, Benjamin Hochmann, Milan Milisavljevic, members of the Orion quartet, and has performed extensively with the Lincoln Center Stage/Holland America Line company. His wide interest in all genres of music has lead Mr. Kramer to collaborate with various pop, rock, klezmer, and jazz musicians in and around New York City and is recently returned from the Hans Zimmer Live North American tour. As an educator, Adam Kramer enjoys teaching violin and viola students of all ages both privately and at the Bronx School For Music where he is on faculty as Director of Ensembles. Adam Kramer is a graduate of LaGuardia Arts High School and holds a BM and an MM from the Mannes College of Music where he studied with Ira Weller, Daniel Panner, Adria Benjamin, and the Orion Quartet, and served as the principal violist of the Mannes Orchestra and Opera.
Adam Kramer
Viola
Dr. Patrick LeStrange received his BM from the Peabody Conservatory under the tutelage of Victoria Chiang and his MM and DMA from the Université de Montréal as a student of Jutta Puchhammer. While at Peabody, he also completed Violin/Viola pedagogy studies with Rebecca Henry.
Dr. LeStrange has performed with the Washington Chamber Orchestra (principal violist), Annapolis Symphony, Binghamton Philharmonic, to name a few. He was a former guest viola artist at the NY ASTA String Institute and has performed chamber music concerts throughout North America.
Patrick was formerly a viola teaching artist at Ithaca College Summer Music Academy, the NY ASTA String Institute (Ithaca College) and guest violin/viola instructor at Binghamton University. He directed Viola Bootcamp at George Mason University for four summers and has served on the faculties of George Mason University Strings Camp, Mason Strings Intensive, Ovations, and Levine Strings Plus. Currently Dr. LeStrange is a core faculty member of Levine Music (Washington DC), where he serves as Strings Department Chair.
Patrick LeStrange
Viola
Violist Brian Shoop hails from Greenville, South Carolina and holds a bachelor's degree from Oberlin College Conservatory of Music as well as a master's degree from the University of Maryland, having studied with Peter Slowik, Katherine Murdock, and David Rose. Brian is an active performer in the Washington, DC metropolitan area, appearing regularly in groups such as the Annapolis Symphony, Apollo Orchestra, and Paragon Philharmonia. He is also passionate about using the power of music to inspire and uplift in the local community and regularly brings dynamic live music experiences to various healthcare settings as part of the Good Beats Ensemble, an Artist-in-Residence at Children's National Hospital. In addition, Brian is a founding member of the Illuminos Quartet, a resident ensemble at the Interlochen Center for the Arts' Adult Chamber Music Camp. Brian is also committed to enriching the lives of the next generation of young artists and appears on faculty at Northwestern High School (Hyattsville, MD) and Levine Music, in addition to maintaining his own private studio. When not making music or teaching others to do so, Brian can be found cooking, baking, and being in nature.
Brian Shoop
Viola
Devree Lewis, cellist, is a prolific performer, arranger, and concert producer based in Washington, D.C. Founding member of Cello, World and Trifilio Tango Trio, she has freelanced in cross-genre and classical music across the U.S. East Coast since 2009. Internationally, Devree has toured with Trifilio Tango Trio, Pan American Symphony, and UNSCA String Quartet to various venues in Argentina, Cuba, Peru, Lebanon, and Austria.
Devree performs in cello sections for Richmond Symphony, Annapolis Symphony, Lancaster Symphony, New Orchestra of Washington, and Post-Classical Ensemble. She played side-by-side with Cleveland Orchestra at Kent/Blossom Music Festival, and performed at the premiere season of the Hollywood in Vienna Festival with the Radio Philharmonic Orchestra in Vienna, Austria. In 2015, Pennsylvania Philharmonic featured Devree as principal cellist and soloist, accompanying David Kim, concertmaster for Philadelphia Orchestra, in Vivaldi’s and Piazzolla’s Four Seasons. In May 2023 she performed Eric Whitacre's The Sacred Veil for solo cello and chorus with Choral Arts Society of Washington, and again in December 2023 with American University Chorale.
Soon after completing her Masters degree in music performance, Devree joined metal cello band Primitivity and can be heard on their 2013 album Evolution. Devree provides studio sessions in other cross-over genres as well; she also arranges music for musical theater, string quartet, tango small ensemble, and string orchestra. The National Symphony of Cuba premiered her arrangement of “Ni Pelota: Milonga” by E. Trifilio in 2017; her arrangements have also been performed by the Hubbard Quartet at venues including San Francisco New Music Center and Tanglewood Music Festival, by the Invoke Quartet in Austin, TX, by members of the NSO in salon concert, and Manhattan Chamber Music.
A dedicated educator, in 2017 Devree created curriculum for and directed D.C.’s first youth tango orchestra, culminating in a concert at the Embassy of Argentina featuring her tango arrangements for strings and bandoneon. Devree joined the faculty of Cellospeak, a summer festival for adult cellists, in 2019 and 2020. She taught private piano and cello lessons at Opal Music Studio from 2010 to 2020.
Devree co-founded and performed in Trifilio Tango Trio from 2015-2018. “Milonga de la Ausencia” from their first album, a track featuring Devree on cello, was chosen as soundtrack for the short film “Vuelve con nosotros” and was nominated as best original score at Milan’s 2016 MOFF Film Festival. Along with several U.S. and international tours, Trifilio Tango Trio released three albums, recorded and produced in Argentina.
Devree's most recent project is Cello, World, formed with Susanna Mendlow in 2019; they perform their own arrangements of world and classical music for two cellos, voice, and percussion. In 2022 Cello, World performed free neighborhood concerts across 5 wards of D.C., funded through DCCAH's Artist Fellowship Grant.
Devree lives in Baltimore, MD with her husband and son.
Devree Lewis
Cello
Susanna Mendlow, cellist, “commands attention, drawing our ears and eyes to her playing.” (TheatreMania) A versatile performer, arranger, and educator, she is half of the multi-genre duo Cello, World and a member of the classical ensemble Kassia Music. She is also the most recent cellist for the tango group Quintango. As both a soloist and chamber musician, she has performed extensively throughout the United States, Europe, Mexico, South America, and Central Asia.
Susanna’s various projects have brought her to such venues as Alice Tully Hall, Carnegie Recital Hall, Merkin Concert Hall, Miller Theatre, Symphony Space, Le Poisson Rouge, the Verizon Center, the National Gallery, the Kennedy Center, and the National Cathedral. She has played with the Washington Concert Opera, the American Pops Orchestra, Richmond Symphony, and Post-Classical Ensemble. She has collaborated with numerous artists, including Colin Carr, Phil Setzer and Larry Dutton (Emerson Quartet), and Nicholas Cords (Brooklyn Rider Quartet). She also has worked with composers Kaija Saariaho, Marc Neikrug, Julia Adolphe, Frank Stemper, Stacy Garrop, Judith Shatin, and Noam Faingold, premiering works by the latter four.
Susanna holds degrees from Columbia University, Michigan State University and SUNY Stony Brook (DMA). During her time in Michigan, Susanna played in Moyindau, an experimental jazz and ethnic folk quartet. Moyindau performed throughout the contiguous US before touring Kazakhstan and the Kyrgyz Republic as part of a project to build cross-cultural connections through music. Susanna continued her exploration of arranging, improvising, and performing non-Western music upon returning to New York City. Her doctoral paper, “Musical Transcription and Arrangement in the 21st Century: The Challenges of Reinterpreting a Traditional Bulgarian Folk Song”, uses a personal case study to explore the concept of authenticity in modern music performance.
After moving to Washington DC, Susanna joined Kassia Music, where she has premiered several works and reintroduced lesser-known classical works to audiences. From 2015 to 2023, she toured as a member of QuinTango, spreading the love and artistry of tango both domestically and abroad. In 2019, she and cellist Devree Lewis formed the stylistically diverse duo Cello World, which performs dynamic programs of music adapted for two cellos. In 2021, the duo presented a series of free interactive concerts to residents of short-term housing facilities in the District, a project generously funded by the DC Commission for the Arts and Humanities.
In 2020 and 2021, Susanna earned an artist fellowship from the DC Commission for the Arts and Humanities as well as an Emergent Seed award for composing Cello, World’s “Variations on Avre Este Abajour”. In addition to performing, Susanna serves on faculty at George Washington University and Washington Adventist University.
Susanna Mendlow
Cello
Tim Thulson is a cellist from Denver, CO and Alexandria, VA, performing frequently in solo, chamber, and orchestral contexts both at home and abroad--from the Kennedy Center’s stages to Japan, England, Germany, and the Middle East.
Solo work includes premieres of Armando Bayolo’s “Buen Viaje” for unaccompanied cello and Nicholas White’s “In Lege Domini.” Mr. Thulson served as cellist for DC’s contemporary classical Great Noise Ensemble, and he remains committed to presenting new works—and elevating new voices—within classical music.
As a chamber musician, Mr. Thulson plays principal cello for the unconducted Ars Nova Chamber Orchestra, and he appears frequently with several of the DC area’s fine small ensembles. Orchestral work includes the Amadeus Orchestra, the Pan American Symphony, and a variety of sacred music, from DC's Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle to Alexandria's historic Old Presbyterian Meeting House.
Mr. Thulson is a dedicated teacher, both privately and as a clinician for groups including the American Youth Philharmonic Orchestras, Arlington’s Crescendo youth chamber music program, and for public schools across DC and Virginia. He has served on boards for the Ars Nova Chamber Orchestra and the Arlington Philharmonic. Mr. Thulson holds degrees from the George Mason University School of Law and from Wheaton College, where he studied with Dr. Daniel Davies.
Tim Thulson
Cello
Najette Swain is a dynamic and sought-after orchestral and chamber musician, acclaimed for her artistry and versatility. In the 2024–2025 season, she will appear across the Eastern Seaboard with the Charleston Symphony, Ballet Collective, and Georgetown Chamber Players, performing on renowned stages including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and more.
Recent seasons have featured engagements as a fellow with the Chicago Sinfonietta and Civic Orchestra of Chicago, as well as her tenure as Artist-in-Residence (2021–2023) at the Cliff Dwellers Club. She has been featured on CSOtv, the Dame Myra Hess Concert Series (broadcast on WFMT Chicago), and has performed with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at Millennium Park.
Swain has collaborated with esteemed artists, including a cello quartet performance at Symphony Center with Yo-Yo Ma, as well as performances alongside pianist Jeremy Denk, soprano Renée Fleming, and mezzo-soprano Denyce Graves. She has played under the batons of Riccardo Muti, Marin Alsop, Alan Gilbert, Leonard Slatkin, Bramwell Tovey, Edward Gardner, and Leon Fleisher, among others. A passionate advocate for contemporary music, she led the Music Academy of the West Symphony Orchestra in the world premiere of Matthew Aucoin’s Crossing Suite, under the composer’s direction and Pulitzer Prize Winning “Omar” by Rhiannon Giddens and Michael Abels at the Spoleto Festival in 2022.
As a principal cellist, Swain has performed with the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, Amarillo Symphony, Music Academy of the West, Peabody Conservatory orchestras, and Spoleto Festival USA, among others.
A native of Boston, she began her cello studies at the age of four with Nancy Hair. She holds a Graduate Performance Diploma and Bachelor of Music from the Peabody Conservatory, where she studied with Alan Stepansky. She has participated in masterclasses with the Takács and Brentano Quartets, as well as Frans Helmerson, Colin Carr, Astrid Schween, and Hans Jørgen Jensen. Additionally, she has worked closely with John Sharp, Blaise Déjardin, and Robert deMaine, principal cellists of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Boston Symphony Orchestra, and Los Angeles Philharmonic, respectively.
Najette Swain currently resides in Brooklyn, NY.
Najette Swain
Cello
Shawn Alger is a double bassist equally at home in a variety of musical settings including music of the classical cannon, historical performance, and popular genres. As an in- demand performer in the Washington DC area, he serves as the Associate Principal Bassist of the Maryland Symphony and has performed with modern and period ensembles such as the National Symphony Orchestra, American Bach Soloists, Annapolis Symphony, and National Philharmonic. Dr. Alger is a section bassist with the Endless Mountain Music Festival, an organization dedicated to outreach and bringing live musical performances to the under-served counties of northern Pennsylvania and central New York.
In addition to his performance duties, Dr. Alger is the Double Bass Instructor at Washington Adventist University and has been a guest lecturer and clinician for numerous schools, universities, and ensembles throughout the country. His primary teachers include Anthony Manzo, Jeffrey Weisner, Tyler Abbott, and Thomas Derthick.
Shawn Alger
Bass
Harpist Isabel Cardenes, born and raised in Pittsburgh, is known for her sensitive musicianship and expressive style. She is passionate about using music as a tool for healing and social change and is a frequent performer in both traditional venues and community-based settings.
Isabel recently performed with the Charleston Symphony and made her solo concerto debut in February 2025, performing the Glière Harp Concerto with the Butler Symphony Orchestra. In summer 2022, she played with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra at Carnegie Hall, marking a significant milestone in her orchestral career. During her undergraduate studies, she appeared as a substitute harpist with the Harrisburg Symphony and New Jersey Festival Orchestra.
An avid chamber musician, Isabel was featured at the 2025 Joseph Gingold Chamber Music Festival, performing alongside distinguished artists including Rafael Figueroa, Cho-Liang Lin, Ian Hobson, Richard Young, and Andrés Cárdenes. She is also a founding member of Trio con Brio, a family ensemble that has led a weekly Porch Concert Series since 2020, presenting over 100 regional musicians and raising more than $15,000 for local causes. The trio was commissioned by the Allegheny Regional Council for the Arts to produce the educational video Spark Your Creativity, supporting arts outreach in western Pennsylvania.
As a soloist, Isabel made her piano debut at the age of nine with the Neue Philharmonie Westfalen in Germany. On harp, she was awarded First Prize in Pittsburgh’s Lois Streator/Smith Competition in 2019 and Third Prize at the American Harp Society National Competition in North Carolina that same year.
Currently pursuing her Master’s degree at the Curtis Institute of Music under the guidance of Philadelphia Orchestra Principal Harpist, Elizabeth Hainen, Isabel previously earned her Bachelor of Music from the Manhattan School of Music, where she studied with Metropolitan Opera harpist Mariko Anraku on a Presidential Scholarship. Her early harp training began at age eleven with Pittsburgh Symphony Principal Harpist Gretchen Van Hoesen.
Isabel has also been recognized for her dedication to music education and community engagement. She received the Arts Scholarship from the Blackwood Center for the Arts in 2021, and from 2016 to 2019, she was awarded merit-based scholarships to attend leading programs including the Interlochen Arts Camp, the Ameropa Festival in Prague, the Olympic Strings Camp, and Musikferienwoche at the Bavarian Music Academy.
With a strong commitment to music and wellness, Isabel performed a commemorative program marking the one-year anniversary of the Tree of Life shooting at Pittsburgh’s Center for Victims.
She is a regular performer for chemotherapy patients at the Hillman Cancer Center and has shared meditative music at Rancho La Puerta Wellness Resort in Tecate, Mexico. She also performed in Pittsburgh’s largest sound bath at historic Heinz Chapel; an event featured on the front page of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Most recently, she brought her outreach work to the Alzheimer’s Community Care Center in Delray Beach. Outside of music, Isabel enjoys cooking, reading, and editing for the Curtis magazine, Overtones.
Isabel Cárdenes
Harp
Violin
Agata Miklavc concertmaster
Nadezda Soroka associate concertmaster
Brooke Gunter principal
Taya Ricker
Emilia Poirier-Molina
Patricia Wnek
Laura Frazelle
Mary Thulson
Viola
Ting-An Wei principal
Brian Shoop
Mary Dausch
Adam Kramer
Patrick LeStrange
Cello
Devree Lewis principal
Susanna Mendlow principal
Christina Gullans
Tim Thulson
Bass
Shaw Alger
Harp and Keyboard
Isabel Cárdenes, harp
Jason Solounias, piano
Georgetown Chamber Players is proud to collaborate with instrumental duo CELLO, WORLD
Praised for their breadth of timbre and emotion, Cello, World (Devree Lewis and Susanna Mendlow) has captured audiences of all ages. Their dynamic musicianship and light-hearted on-stage banter create an unforgettable listening experience. Cello, World infuse their programs with original improvisatory arrangements of multiple musical genres, taking their audiences on unique auditory adventures. Their unusual instrumentation of two cellos and occasional vocals creates a rare and striking sound.
Committed to community and educational outreach, Cello, World has developed interactive programs for audiences of all ages. Their highest priority is engaging listeners in active learning and inspire others to think differently and creatively about music.
Learn more at https://celloworldduo.com/