Team
ALEXANDROS PIRILLIS is a violinist and composer who found his love of music at an early age, being particularly inspired by the popular light classical piece, the Hungarian Dance No. 5 by Johannes Brahms. Pirillis received support for his musical journey from his mother who was a classical pianist in Romania, and from his father who introduced him to the traditional music of Greece.
What makes Pirillis’ music unique is that his compositions don’t follow any set of rules, and each piece is layered to form a mosaic of melodies that compels listeners to imagine different scenes of life while touching the emotions of the listener. Which is not surprising as his motivation in developing his musical skills came by learning to play Moldavian, Hungarian and Romanian gypsy and folk music, which later led him to composing his own music, and eventually releasing several of his compositions through his own ensemble, Viocello.
Pirillis holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from California State University, Long Beach.
Born in Milwaukee, WI, and lives and works in Chicago, IL
Aaron is a photographer/videographer specializing in portrait photography lighting, directing and cinematography. He captures wonderful portraits and has the ability to create a specific mood or feeling within his images. Through his surrounding atmosphere he finds inspiration retelling specific life experiences that could relate to others in similar circumstances. Utilizing skills in photography, directing, writing, lighting, cinematography and editing enhance his main focus as a young videographer. Aaron learned these skills attending the Minneapolis College of Art & Design (MCAD) obtaining a four year Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Filmmaking. He became interested in films and photos during childhood and has pursued his passion ever since. Aaron’s priority as an artist is to provide passionate content to an audience who can find relevance and connections in the ideas he examines. Aaron hopes to one day achieve critical acclaim and accolades during his professional film and photo career.
Zared Gehrig graduated from SAE Institute in 2021 and has been working as an audio engineer since. His is experienced at recording and mixing for several artists, including Alexandros Pirillis for several years. Zared is versed at Pro Tools and at recording a plethora of instruments. He is efficient at adapting to the artist he is recording and understands sound dynamics and acoustics. Instruments that Zared has recorded include: drums, bass, guitar, piano, violin, viola, cello, bells, and of course vocals. Zared’s specialty is recording bands. His first professional piano recording with Pirillis for “The North Gate,” will be released in the next two months.
Chloe is a Wisconsin native living and working in Chicago. Through her
travels she has gained fluency in Spanish while developing an organic social media
following. Her background in public relations, event planning, social media,
marketing, and advertising positions her to contribute to the growth of local
organizations. Committed to community impact, she aims to help organizations
grow online through storytelling via photography and video.
Chicago is easily one of the biggest epicenters of music in today’s times, and instrumentalist Andrew Vogt is yet another bright spot within the unique melting pot of the music scene. An accomplished jazz musician, Vogt often collaborates with vocalists and songwriters throughout the city, and does not try to limit his work in the slightest.
Inspired by the legends of old such as Stevie Wonder and Ornate Coleman, he released his debut album, “The AV Club,” in 2017 and garnered critical acclaim from writers and fans alike. In 2020 he was awarded Luminarts’ People’s Choice Award for Solo Jazz Performance at Buddy Guy’s Legends in his hometown. Andrew’s recent collaborations includes albums with Woody Goss, and he is actively working on new material as he further immerses himself within the Chicago scene.
Anna Berntson is a violinist from the Twin Cities, and holds a bachelor’s degree in violin performance from Oberlin Conservatory, and a master’s degree from the University of Michigan, where she studied with David Bowlin and Aaron Berofsky respectively. She is currently studying with Almita Vamos in Chicago.
While pursuing her master’s degree, Anna played with the Ann Arbor, Lansing, and Jackson symphonies. She was also a member of the Ann Arbor Camerata in Michigan, performing in a masterclass with Sir Simon Rattle and in a recording project with Dr. Nancy Ambrose King. During her summers, Anna served as concertmaster at Chautauqua Institution, where she was the violin soloist for the premiere of Bruce Stark’s Symphonic Dances, performed alongside Itzhak Perlman and Garrick Ohlsson at Brevard Festival, and played with the conducting orchestra at Aspen Music Festival.
Anna recently moved to Chicago, where she freelances and teaches.
Philadelphia native Genevieve Tabby, first picked up the cello after being inspired by her twin sister’s violin lessons at the age of eight and to this day, continues to perform alongside her professionally. As a teenager, she was a repeated performer on NPR's "From the Top" series and television show at Carnegie Hall, and a repeated semifinalist in the Fischoff International Chamber Music Competition.
Ms. Tabby completed her undergraduate degree at the Cleveland Institute of Music, where she studied with Stephen Geber and Dr. Melissa Kraut and took part in the Cavani String Quartet's prestigious Intensive Quartet Seminar (IQS). She also attained a full certification in Suzuki Pedagogy after finishing a 2 year rigorous program where now she is certified to teach all 10 levels of the Suzuki cello books. She received her Master's degree in cello performance from Northwestern University’s Bienen School of Music, where she studied with Hans Jorgen Jensen, a world-renowned pedagogue that shaped her to be the musician she is today.
During her second year of the program she won the Northwestern-Civic Fellowship and participated as a member of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago from September 2014 through June 2016. Ms. Tabby has participated in some of the most honored music festivals in the world including Tanglewood Music Festival, Aspen Music Festival and School, Music Academy of the West, Meadowmount School of Music, and Bowdoin Music Festival. Throughout these, she won a fellowship to play with the New York Philharmonic.
Ms. Tabby is currently in a touring crossover string quartet called ATLYS, traveling the world. They manage an active social media following on Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, Spotify, and Patreon. She freelances around the Chicagoland area and is also a music instructor for Ravinia Festival’s El Sistema program.
Originally from Winnipeg, Manitoba, violinist Jinty McTavish began her musical training in Lafayette, Indiana. Her talent was quickly recognized when she made her solo debut with the Lafayette Symphony at the age of 10. Following additional solo appearances as a teenager, Jinty began commuting to Bloomington, IN where she studied with Mauricio Fuks and Minjung Cho at Indiana University’s Jacob’s School of Music. Under their guidance, Jinty completed a BA in violin performance in 2014, serving as Fuks’ teaching assistant {for two years}. During her time at IU, she also worked closely with Mark Kaplan and the Pacifica String Quartet.
After moving to Chicago, Jinty continued her training as a teaching assistant to the esteemed pedagogue, Almita Vamos. Jinty has performed with the Civic Orchestra of Chicago and collaborated with Ricardo Muti, Yo-Yo Ma, and members of the Chicago Symphony. In addition, she participated in the Orford International Academy, the Moritzburg Festival, The Britten-Pears Young Artist Program, and the Chautauqua Institution. In 2016, she became a founder and violinist in the crossover string quartet ATLYS and began touring the world with the ensemble representing the Lincoln Center in New York City. They now continue to tour internationally, and enjoy playing in non-conventional venues for audiences of all types.
When she’s not creating experiences with ATLYS, you can find Jinty jamming with bands as a part of her project, Jintshred, organizing and planning her next get-together with friends, or wandering around Chicago looking for her new favorite brewery.
Called “one of the Boston music scene's most valuable players” by The Art Fuse, Julian Loida is a percussionist, composer, and producer. Loida’s musical curiosity and open-mindedness has propelled him towards a wide-range of sounds, genres, and artistic endeavors. He’s performed jazz, folk, and classical, collaborating with dancers, visual artists, songwriters/composers, and musicians of all stripes. The thirst to participate in and experience this range of sounds is partly a product of Loida’s synesthesia. Music is a full- body experience for him, with sounds often invoking involuntary sensations of color, texture, or even taste.
Loida often writes and arranges for his projects and ensembles (The Cuban / Brazilian band INÃ, jazz quintet Mojubá, chamber-folk band Night Tree), and his music has been featured in film. His interdisciplinary projects aim at breaking down artistic barriers. The evening-length solo-project Recital of Dedications incorporates speech, visual media, and music into a series of dedications to individuals, historical moments, and more. In 2018, he released the album Bach LIVE!, featuring J.S. Bach’s music arranged for percussion. Loida’s 2019 release, Wallflower, marks his solo-album debut, and also provides the clearest distillation of his voice as a composer to date.
Loida has toured internationally as a featured artist at Korrö, Sweden’s largest folk music festival, and played some of the most prestigious music festivals in the U.S. such as Spoleto, New World Festival, the Exit Zero jazz festival, Caramoor American Roots Festival, and Round Top Music Festival. He has performed with groups such as Alarm Will Sound, the Callithumpian Consort, and the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra.
As an educator, Loida shares his scores and deep rhythmic knowledge with students of all ages. In 2017, he received his Master’s Degree in Classical Percussion from New England Conservatory.
Rita Andrade, a native of Austin, Texas, is currently living as an active orchestral and studio violist in Los Angeles. Alongside her studies in piano and viola, Rita grew up playing in a chamber pop band called Mother Falcon from Austin, TX. Together they jammed with classical instruments and toured the states playing in concert halls and clubs alike.
In the years following viola performance training as a student at the University of Texas at Austin and DePaul University in Chicago, Rita became a member of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago. From there, Rita won the opportunity to be a fellowship member of the Chicago Sinfonietta and Grant Park Symphony Project Inclusion for a full season.
Alongside her orchestral pursuits, Rita became a member of the ATLYS String Quartet. Together they have sailed the seas performing over 900 concerts representing Lincoln Center of NYC. The quartet continues to travel across the states performing in a partnership with Brave Enough Artists Agency, sharing their passion for the classical tradition in combination with modern production techniques. Outside of being a studio session musician for film/tv scores, teaching and performing, you can find Rita on her yoga mat, strolling through farmer’s markets or wandering around with her camera to practice her hobby and love for street photography.
Violinist Sabrina Tabby, from Philadelphia, developed a fondness for chamber music at a very young age that has carried her through her life as a musician. At the Bard College Conservatory of Music, Sabrina performed across four continents, as concertmaster of and soloist with the Conservatory Orchestra, in chamber music, as well as in various baroque and new music ensembles. It was there that Sabrina became a founding member of the NYC-based new music ensemble, contemporaneous, prominently featured on the Innova Recordings album “Stream of Stars: Music of Dylan Mattingly.”
At Northwestern University, Sabrina was recognized for her fine playing both as a soloist and as a chamber musician, the recipient of numerous scholarships, awards, and competitions. She continues to travel the world to play music of all styles, recently making her solo debut in Paraguay with the Orquesta Sinfonica del Congreso Nacional de Paraguay, and performing as a member of the Quad City Symphony Orchestra.
With her string quartet ATLYS, founded in 2016, Sabrina arranges and performs throughout the country a unique repertoire of the crossover genre. Their latest single, an arrangement of Ed Sheeran’s “Perfect” surpassed 1,000,000 streams within weeks of its release.
Victor Minke Huls is a cellist, conductor, counter-tenor, and pianist who comes from a Floridian family of musicians. Victor earned dual-Masters degrees in cello performance and orchestral conducting from the University of Michigan (2017), and is in his second year of doctoral studies (DMA) in orchestral conducting at Northwestern University with Victor Yampolsky. Victor is currently assistant conductor of Bienen’s Alice Millar Chapel Choir and Contemporary Music Ensemble.
During his years in Michigan, Victor played cello with the Lansing, Flint, Jackson, and Toledo Symphony Orchestras. From 2014-2018, Victor was music director of a chamber orchestra known as the Ann Arbor Camerata, and recorded a CD with Dr. Nancy King titled, “IllumiNation: New American Concertos for Oboe,” released by Equilibrium Records (2017). He also enjoys improvisation, and plays other genres of music including Irish and Jazz.
Victor was featured cello soloist in the NAXOS recording project led by David Alan Miller at the National Orchestral Institute (2015), playing Corigliano's First Symphony. In recent summers, Victor has taught at Prelude Chamber Music Camp, performed as cellist with the Aspen Chamber Symphony and Peninsula Music Festival, and appeared as Student Guest Conductor for OperaMaya in México, directing the Camerata de Cancún. In 2018 he worked for Lincoln Center Stage, performing chamber music on a cruise ship in Alaska. This season, Victor is playing with the Amarillo Symphony in Texas, and also the Civic Orchestra of Chicago.