Principal artists
David Sands (they/them) is a cellist, educator, and arts leader in Chicago Illinois. A graduate of DePaul University and former Assistant Principal of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, they have appeared as a performer with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s MusicNOW series, Chicago Fringe Opera’s A City of Works, and The Line-Up at Wrigley Field. Their studio and recording work includes contributions to Spike Lee’s Chi-Raq, the television series Empire (“Mama”), and a 2023 Lexicon Classics release of Haydn’s Schottische und Walisische Volkslieder. An in-demand clinician, David has led masterclasses for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, DePaul University, and North Park University. They currently serve as Senior Advancement Manager for Apollo’s Fire and are the Founder and Executive Director of playOUT! In their spare time, they can be found baking or singing tenor in Allegrezza Singers.
Violinist Carmen Abelson (she/her) is a Chicago-based performer and music educator active throughout the Midwest as a solo, chamber, and orchestral musician. A former Civic Orchestra of Chicago Fellow and frequent concertmaster, she has held positions with the Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra, Elgin Symphony Orchestra, Illinois Symphony Orchestra, and West Michigan Symphony. Abelson performs with Varo String Quartet, Four Equals String Quartet, and 5th Wave Ensemble, a collective dedicated to the performance of works by womxn and non-binary composers. A committed educator, Abelson has been a teaching artist at The People’s Music School since 2019 and has worked with students at Glenbard East High School and the Hyde Park Youth Symphony, in addition to maintaining a private studio. She holds degrees in violin performance and musicology from Rice University, as well as graduate studies at Sam Houston State University and DePaul University.
Brent Taghap (they/them), 32, is a violinist from the Tampa Bay area. Brent holds degrees from Florida State University (BM '16) and from DePaul University (MM '18; Certificate in Performance 20’). Their primary teachers include Eliot Chapo, Corinne Stillwell, and Janet Sung. As an active performer, Brent has been a part of numerous ensembles in Chicago including the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, the Oistrakh Symphony, the Illinois Symphony, and the Artemis Chamber Orchestra. As an educator, Brent has worked with students of varying backgrounds and served as a mentor with the Chicago Musical Pathways Initiative, an organization dedicated to working with students from underrepresented backgrounds within Classical Music. Besides being a performer, Brent is a Donor Engagement Manager for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra where he curates donor benefit events and manages the League of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association. Brent is also interested in preserving, cataloging, and performing works by Filipino composers in the hopes that they will become part of the canon of works for violin. Other interests include sleeping, eating, going to art museums, hanging out with friends, and playing with his cat, Wren.
Wilfred Farquharson (he/him) is a 27-year-old violist from Atlanta, Georgia that is currently based in Chicago, Illinois. He enjoys a multi-faceted performance career as a studio, orchestral, and chamber musician. In addition, he also enjoys teaching violists and nurturing their, and other young musicians', love for music. Wilfred currently serves as faculty at the Merit School of Music, is the violist of D-Composed Chicago and Crossing Borders Music, and is a mentor for the Chicago Musical Pathways Initiative. Wilfred has performed with many orchestras in his career such as serving as principal violist of the Elmhurst Symphony Orchestra during the 2022-2023 season, performing as a member of the Re-Collective and Matt Jones Orchestras, and as a substitute musician of the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Grant Park Symphony Orchestra, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Sinfonietta, and as guest Assistant Principal of the Augusta Symphony Orchestra. Wilfred has recorded and performed for major artists such as John Legend, Arthur Verocai, Carlos Simon, Burna Boy, and Andra Day. In addition to this, he also serves on the advisory board of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s African American Network. As a Premier Young Artist award recipient, he got his bachelor’s degree from the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University, and he graduated from the University of Southern California with honors for his graduate degree.
Nick Guetterman is a Chicago-based American pianist whose performances span a wide range of solo and ensemble repertoire across the United States and Europe. Named a “Classical All-Star” in 2017 and an Honorable Mention recipient in the 2018 Steinway Regional Competition in St. Louis, he has appeared at festivals including Green Lake, Montecito, and Villa Sandra, and has performed in masterclasses for renowned pianists Roberto Prosseda, Vladimir Feltsman, John Perry, and Yoo Jung Kim. A graduate of the DePaul University School of Music, where he earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in piano performance under George Vatchnadze, Nicholas is an active performer and educator in Chicago, serving as pianist at Wellington United Church of Christ, collaborating with local schools and nonprofits, and maintaining a vibrant private teaching studio.