A Youngstown native, Todd Maki works occupationally as a composer for film, media and for various independent artists. Introduced to piano at a young age, Todd also began to study percussion through high school, eventually finding himself interested in synthesis programming, recording and production. This led to an interest in conducting as a way to learn how to communicate better with the musicians that he works with. This naturally turned into a kind of hybrid interest with a desire to produce interesting musical media while working with classical musicians, with a high production value presentation.

Brendan Considine is a violinist with strong ties to the area. As a performer, Brendan plays with the Greenville Symphony, Youngstown Symphony, Warren Philharmonic, and the Opera Western Reserve.  As a teacher, Brendan has taught string music in the Ohio districts of Youngstown and Alliance, as well as being part of the adjunct faculty at Thiel College and Youngstown State University. He holds three degrees from YSU- BA Music Education, MM, and MS Education in Educational Administration. Recently, Brendan has participated in the Fine Arts committee for writing learning standards for the Ohio Department of Education as a voice for students with special needs. Brendan is currently the Principal of Cardinal Mooney High School. He lives in Youngstown with his wife, Karen, who also is also a performing musician on violin, piano, and organ.

Krista Solars is a professional multi-genre violinist working across classical, contemporary, and hybrid performance formats. She began playing classical music at the age of 4, and country fiddle at 6, beginning a long career of continually expanding her musical horizons. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Violin Performance from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music and a Master’s degree in Violin Performance from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, and she is also the four time state of Ohio fiddle champion. She has released five albums - four of which are fiddle-focused, the fifth and final a collection of classical selections. While living in Las Vegas, Krista performed with Imagine Dragons and Wayne Newton, and opened for Pentatonix, Lenny Kravitz, Rachel Platten, Blondie, Ted Nugent, and Chris Cagle. 

Her current work spans historically informed performance and new creative development. She is presently recording J.S. Bach’s Solo Violin Partitas on baroque violin, with an album release planned for the spring. Based in Ohio, Krista continues to perform, record, and develop new projects while expanding her professional reach.

Natalie Machala started her musical training on the piano at the age of 4.  With an affinity for orchestral music, her practice always focused on symphonies transcribed for the piano (particularly those of Beethoven), rather than the typical piano repertoire.  At age 10, she started playing the violin, and the rest has been history.  She is most passionate about anything having to do with Beethoven or the violin.  A native of the area, she earned her Bachelor and Master of Music degrees at Youngstown State University (emphasis on Violin Performance & Music History), while simultaneously adding the viola to her repertoire and having decades of performance experience in orchestral, opera, and chamber music (spanning all genres of Baroque, Classical, Romantic, Modern Classical, and Pops music).

Julian Machala is a native of Champaign-Urban, Illinois.  He began playing the violin at age 3 and has since added viola to his skill set.  While Julian’s main instrument is violin, he also produces and records instrumentals and beats, often utilizing violin, viola, cello, upright bass, Wurlitzer, and analogue synths.  Julian holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music, with emphasis on Violin Performance.  When he is not making music, he enjoys cooking for others. 

Keith Holliday has enjoyed balancing his duties as a performing violist, conductor, music educator and bass guitarist. Born in Pittsburgh, Pa and raised in Ohio and New Jersey, Keith has been a longtime violist with the Akron Symphony Orchestra, the Lakeside Chautauqua Orchestra and Divertimento String Quartet. Additional performing experiences include the symphony orchestras of Youngstown, Canton, Warren Chamber Orchestra and many others. Keith plays bass guitar in the classic rock band “The Leading Edge”.

As an educator, Keith served as orchestra director with the Medina City Schools and the Preparatory Orchestra at the Cleveland Institute Of Music.  During his tenure in Medina the district’s orchestra program grew to over 600 students, including three performing orchestras at the high school and achieved a distinguished reputation throughout the state of Ohio and beyond. Past performances include Carnegie Hall and the Riverside Church in New York City, the Rudolfinum Dvorak Hall in Prague, Brno, Bratislava, Budapest, Canada, Russia, OMEA State and Regional Professional Conferences and a history of superior ratings at State Adjudication. A career highlight was a performance tour to St. Petersburg, Russia by special invitation from the Russian Federal Agency for Culture and Cinematography to perform at the St. Petersburg International Music Festival in the Spring of 2008. Performances were hosted at the State Capella Hall and the Grand Philharmonic Hall, home of the St. Petersburg Philharmonic, an honor reserved for only select ensembles. Keith has been a recipient of the “Excellence In Teaching Award” from the Medina City Schools Foundation and was honored to be selected as the “Public School Teacher Of The Year” by the Ohio String Teachers Association.

Based in northeast Ohio, Wanda Sobieska is active as a solo, chamber, and orchestral musician. She is grateful to have had the opportunity to regularly perform with many ensembles and organizations, including Ashland Symphony, Tuscarawas Philharmonic, Youngstown New Music Guild, International Musicians League, Legacy Scoring Stage, The Cleveland Opera, and the Electric Light Orchestra Tribute Band. Highlights include a Paderewski Trio recital in Phoenix, Arizona with pianist & organist Chad Pittman and Julian Sobieski on double bass, and playing viola in the piano quintets of Dvořák, Schumann, and Brahms for the Chagrin Valley Chamber Music Concert Series. She has provided arrangements for San Francisco Chamber Orchestra, English Symphony Orchestra, and Metropolitan Opera; and runs freegigmusic.com, a website that provides visitors with her sheet music arrangements: since its inception in 2009, it has served over six million musicians from all over the world. Born in Warsaw, Poland, she is the fifth generation in a family of musicians and musicologists. She holds a Bachelor's degree in violin performance from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.

Alongside her husband, Christina serves in ministry at Realife Church in Salem, Ohio, and when she’s not there, she’s likely enjoying game nights with family or traveling with her cello to perform a wide range of musical styles—especially worship and free-flowing improvisational music. A graduate of the Cleveland Institute of Music (Master of Music) and The University of Akron (B.A. in Spanish), Christina has recorded with Chynna Phillips and Dave Stewart (of the Eurhythmics), performed in concert with artists including Barry Manilow, Rod Stewart, Olivia Newton-John, Josh Groban, Tommy Lee, and Kanye West, and continues to perform with the Trans-Siberian Orchestra and the Akron Symphony Orchestra. Her passion for teaching runs as deep as her love for performing: she has served as cello professor at The University of Akron and Hiram College, maintained a private teaching studio since 1996, and also enjoys sharing her love of the Spanish language. Above all, Christina treasures spending time with her husband and their five children, who keep life full, lively, and joyfully busy.

Scott Burns has been playing cello since 1985. He earned his Bachelor and Masters Degrees in Cello Performance from Youngstown State University, and has performed as section cellist with the Youngstown Symphony, Warren Philharmonic Orchestra, Columbus Symphony Orchestra and Huntington Symphony Orchestra. Scott was an Aspen Music Festival Fellow from 2000-2003. In addition to his work as a symphony cellist, Scott also was a score mixer for network television and film in Los Angeles from 2005-2009 after having received his degree in Music Production and Engineering from Berklee College of Music. Scott has performed on stage with Yes, Mannheim Steamroller, Trans-Siberian Orchestra and the Jonas Brothers. Scott also enjoys playing bass guitar. His favorite type of music apart from classical music is progressive and classic rock such as Rush, Yes, Queen and Led Zeppelin.

Harpist Kirk Kupensky has charted a singular path through the harp world, bringing this timeless instrument to unexpected places and rediscovering treasures long forgotten. He began harp studies in 1981, and his early promise led to mentorships with some of the world’s most distinguished harpists, including Alice Chalifoux (Cleveland Orchestra), DeWayne Fulton (Berlin Philharmonic), and David Watkins (London Philharmonic).

A passionate advocate for new music, Kirk has inspired numerous composers to write works for harp, most notably Alan Hovhaness, whose haunting and widely performed Sonata for Flute and Harp, Op. 406 was composed at Kirk’s request.

His eclectic performance history spans the avant-garde to the intimate: from a featured appearance in the cult-favorite steampunk Western series Legend (starring Richard Dean Anderson), to a private recital for Edmund de Rothschild and family at Exbury Gardens in England, to premieres at New York City’s Merkin Concert Hall. He has also toured with Broadway luminaries including Bernadette Peters and Josh Groban.

Kirk’s recent work reflects his deep commitment to musical archaeology—uncovering and reviving neglected harp repertoire. His latest album, Ghosts of Christmas Past—Victorian Rarities for Solo Harp, is the culmination of years of research into 19th-century music. Performed on a rare 1913 Wurlitzer harp, the album is available on iTunes and Spotify.

Lifelong Yinzer (AKA Pittsburgh native) Devin Zerjav has set out to leave his mark on the world. Studying with Dr. Dave Morgan at Youngstown State University, Devin honed his double bass skills while obtaining a Bachelor’s degree in recording arts. Throughout his career, Devin has made an effort to be a versatile player, having collaborated with members of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and Youngstown Symphony Orchestra, as well as making regular appearances with Cleveland’s Videogame Symphony, the Legacy Scoring Orchestra, and various theaters in the region, such as the Youngstown Playhouse and ACTS. As an electric bassist, Devin has worked with groups such as The Vindys, Feeling Good, and his own personal project, Madame Marlowe. Devin enjoys composing and arranging music in his free time, and has arranged many of the pieces you will hear with the Dragonfly Sinfonietta.