Nanki Chugh is an Indian-American violinist from Santa Monica, California. She is currently pursuing her masters degree at the Shepherd School of Music, studying with Paul Kantor. She completed her undergraduate degree at Yale University in May 2022 where she studied both music and biochemistry, receiving a bachelors of science in Molecular Biochemistry and Biophysics. She was the concertmistress and a member of the Programming Committee during Yale Symphony Orchestra’s Fall 2021 and Spring 2022 seasons. She has participated in numerous festivals including Heifetz International Music Institute, Orford Music Festival, and ‘Incontri in Terra de Siena’ Festival, Italy, and is the recipient of several awards including the Alfred Newman Award, Glen Katz Memorial Scholarship, and Margaret Ross Scholarship from the Westside Committee of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Nanki enjoys exploring the crossover space between Western and Hindustani classical music, and is particularly inspired by the works of Reena Esmail. She is also passionate about the therapeutic potential of music; she has been a part of many music for healing programs, playing for patients in medical wards, programming and performing virtual concerts for patients during the pandemic, and studying the effects of music on the brain. 

Ukrainian-American soprano Yelena Dyachek was a winner of the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition in 2016, receiving praise from The New York Times saying “…memorable as the soprano Yelena Dyachek from California, who demonstrated impressive range, depth and power in ‘Come scoglio’, before delivering an emotionally captivating Letter Scene…”.  She is a graduate from Houston Grand Opera’s prestigious studio program during which she premiered the role of Dominique DeMenil in Some Light Emerges, and appeared as Musetta in La bohème, Flora in La traviata, and Berta in Il barbiere di Siviglia. Further productions with HGO included Norma and Nixon in China. In the summer of 2019, Dyachek made her debut as Marie Antoinette in Ghosts of Versailles at the Glimmerglass Festival and joined the Lyric Opera of Chicago for their productions of Il barbiere di Siviglia and Dead Man Walking. Despite pandemic related debut cancellations with the Palm Beach Opera, Houston Symphony, and the Aspen Music Festival, Dyachek had continued to collaborate with local Houston groups including Kinetic Ensemble, Monarch Chamber Players, and Opera in the Park to bring music safely to local communities.  During the 2022-2023 season Dyachek performed a recital with Musical Bridges Around the World in San Antonio as a part of their Schubert Birthday Celebration, collaborated with Houston Symphony, sang Zemfira in Aleko and the title role in Francesca da Rimini with Boston’s Odyssey Opera, presented Ukrainian art songs with the Montrose Project, and made her debut at the Asia Society Texas. This fall, she is slated to guest as the soprano soloist with the Moores School of Music in Rachmaninoff’s The Bells. 

Jacob Schafer is a multifaceted violinist dedicated to compelling and thoughtful performances of works old and new. Based in Houston, he is a core member of Loop38 and Kinetic Ensemble and regularly performs with the Houston Symphony, Houston Ballet and Grand Opera Orchestras, Bach Society, and Mercury Chamber Orchestra. Passionate about bringing music to audiences in both familiar and innovative contexts, he has performed at venues as diverse as the Aspen Art Museum (Colorado), the Bergen Public Library (Norway), Houston’s Smither Park, and New York’s Carnegie Hall. Recent performances include world premieres by Steven Banks, Martha Callison Horst, and Du Yun; collaborations with Renée Fleming, Anthony McGill, and Seth Parker Woods; and a solo violin commissioning project featuring world premieres by Nicky Sohn and Max Vinetz. Festival appearances have included Aspen Contemporary Ensemble, Norfolk New Music Workshop, Sarasota Music Festival, and Tanglewood Music Center. Originally from Nashville, Tennessee, Jacob holds a BA in Music and in Ethics, Politics, and Economics from Yale University and an MM in Violin Performance from Rice University, where he is currently completing his DMA under the tutelage of Paul Kantor.