Sarah Tannehill Anderson is a versatile musician, excelling as a singer of opera, oratorio, choral music, contemporary works, and art song. After spending several years performing with national companies, such as Opera Company Philadelphia, Boston Lyric Opera, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Opera Omaha, Fort Worth Opera, and Opera Theater St. Louis, Sarah is now thrilled to make her home and career in the vibrant Kansas City music scene. 
Sarah has been a member of popular regional chamber ensembles, such as Bach Aria Soloists, Lyric Arts Trio, Missouri Choral Artists, Spire Chamber Ensemble, and the Kansas City Chorale. She has appeared as soloist with the Kansas City Symphony, Kansas City Baroque Consortium, Kansas City Chamber Orchestra, Kansas City Ballet, and New Ear Ensemble. 
Sarah’s main passion, as a soloist and chorister, is her album work. Recordings include the Kansas City Chorale’s Life and Breath - Choral Works by René Clausen, in which she was featured as a soloist, and that won the GRAMMY® for Best Choral Performance in 2013, as well as the Chorale’s Rachmaninoff: All-Night Vigil, winning the GRAMMY® for Best Choral Performance in 2016. She has also premiered and recorded new works by composers such as Anthony Maglione, Forrest Pierce, Ingrid Stӧlzel, and Bonnie McLarty. She is featured on the album, Vieux Amis - Nouveaux Costumes, with the Midwest Chamber Ensemble, and has recorded two albums with the GRAMMY®-nominated St. Tikhon Choir. Her latest recording, Le Dolce Sirene, with Bach Aria Soloists, was just released this year.
Sarah has taught private and group voice lessons for 25 years, and is the creator of Raise Your Virtual Voice, a digital hub for vocal training, which can be found on YouTube. She is also a Realtor® with NextHome Gadwood Group Realty, serving both Missouri and Kansas.

Updated bio

Steve N. Lewis Jr. has enjoyed a diverse musical career as both a conductor and French hornist. Steve is the Music Director of the Medical Arts Symphony of Kansas City and is principal conductor of the Midwest Chamber Ensemble. He has conducted the Kansas City Metro Opera, the Missouri Symphony, OvreArts (PA), the Philharmonia of Greater Kansas City, the Wilson Symphony (NC), the University of Central Missouri Orchestra, the Emporia State University Chamber Orchestra, and the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory Orchestra and Chamber Orchestra

As a French hornist Steve performs with his wind quintet, Beaufort Winds and chamber music with the Midwest Chamber Ensemble. He has performed at the Stamford International Music Festival (UK) and the Brevard Music Center (NC), as well as concerts with the Mahlerfest Orchestra (CO) and the Missouri Symphony. 

Steve teaches musicianship and music business as a faculty member of the Institute of Audio Engineering Arts. From 2012-2013 Lewis served as conducting fellow of the Kansas City Youth Symphony where he led many rehearsals and coached the brass section. He also has a growing private studio of horn students.

Steve attended high school at the North Carolina School of the Arts where he studied French horn with David Jolley. Steve holds degrees from East Carolina University (BM, Theory/Composition) where he studied French horn with Mary Burroughs and the University of Missouri- Kansas City Conservatory of Music and Dance (MM, Orchestral Conducting) where he studied conducting with Robert Olson and French horn with Ellen Campbell and Martin Hackleman. He was twice awarded the EAMA/Florence Gould Foundation Michael Iovenko Fellowship to study conducting in Paris as part of the European American Musical Alliance at the historic Schola Cantorum. While there Lewis received special mention in both solfege and counterpoint. He has received career and continuing education grants from the ELCA Central States Synod, Anna Sosenko Trust, and the Koch Cultural Trust. His many arrangements for French horn and other ensembles are published by Cimarron Music.

He is the owner/operator of Legacy Horn Experience

Violinist and pianist Michael MacLaughlin is an active teacher and performer in the Kansas City area.  He received both a Bachelor’s Degree (2011) and Master’s Degree (2019) from Baylor University, and has since established himself as an active member of Waco’s music scene. As an orchestral musician, Michael has performed with the Baylor Symphony Orchestra, Temple Symphony Orchestra, the Waco Symphony Orchestra, the Brazos Valley Symphony Orchestra, and the Abilene Philharmonic.

An avid chamber musician, Michael has also organized and performed in several chamber music concerts including the inaugural Clear Lake Chamber Ensemble performance in 2015, as well as serving as the founder of the annual Academie Musique Scholarship Fundraiser concert series, which has raised thousands of dollars in scholarship funds for students who are otherwise unable to afford private instruction. Michael has also been invited to participate in numerous summer programs, including the prestigious Heifetz International Music Institute, the Round Top Festival Institute, and the National Orchestral Institute.

In addition to an active performing schedule, Michael is also deeply involved in music education, maintaining a studio of over 30 private students from ages 3 to 18. Michael is finishing his doctoral studies in violin performance under the instruction of Professor Benny Kim at the University of Missouri Kansas City, including a Master degree in Music Theory.

Violist Kathryn Hilger is a Kansas City based freelance musician and music educator. Ms. Hilger holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Viola Performance from the UMKC Conservatory and the Cleveland Institute of Music, respectively. 

Ms. Hilger serves as the Artistic Director and Principal Violist for Midwest Chamber Ensemble, the Principal Violist for the Topeka Symphony and regularly performs as a substitute with the Kansas City Symphony. Recently, Kathryn has begun exploring pop-inspired work, performing with Rock Orchestra Kansas City, the KC Queertet, and Candlelight Concerts.

Kathryn started teaching privately at sixteen, maintaining a studio of varying size throughout her secondary education and early career. She currently maintains a studio at Village Music Academy in Prairie Village, KS. In 2021, she began teaching after school group classes for Harmony Project KC, an endeavor that expanded to include weekly group classes within the school day at two KCPS elementary schools. In addition to her work at Harmony Project, Kathryn completed the Teaching Artist Training Institute, a program that provides training specific to El Sistema based programs for teachers approaching pedagogy from a performance background. Kathryn also serves as an Artist in Residence with the Kansas City Public Schools, developing emerging orchestral programs at area high schools and middle schools.

Hailed for his “ferocious playing” Eman Chalshotori is a highly sought-after solo artist, chamber and orchestral musician. He is the principal cellist of the Topeka Symphony, held title positions with the Symphony of Northwest Arkansas, St. Joseph Symphony, and Kinnor Philharmonic, and has performed frequently with the Kansas City Symphony, Tulsa Symphony,  Kansas City Chamber Orchestra, and Kansas City Baroque Consortium.

As a soloist, Chalshotori made his debut in 2002 with the Oklahoma City Philharmonic. He has collaborated with the Topeka Symphony,  Medical Art Orchestra of Kansas city, Orchestra of the Pines, and the Midwest Chamber Ensemble 

As a recitalist and chamber musician, Chalshotori has been featured in the Ruel Joyce Recital Series in Overland Park (KS), the Westport Center for the Arts’ Brown Bag Concert Series in Missouri, and the Grace Cathedral Concert Series in Topeka (KS).

Chalshotori’s principal teachers include Dr. Tess Remy-Schumacher, Carter Enyeart, Dr. Evgeny Raychev and Guy Parkhurst including additional studies with Mark Gibbs and Michael Mermagen. Eman attended and participated in masterclasses with Eleonore Schoenfeld, Lynn Harrell, Colin Carr, Nina Kotova, and Nicholas Alstaedt. He studied Cello Performance at the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory, Stephen F. Austin State University, and the University of Central Oklahoma.

VIRGINIA Q. BACKMAN, flute, is originally from Oak Harbor, Washington, and is a flutist and educator in the Kansas City area. Passionate about both performance and music education, Dr. Backman has taught in public schools as well as at the university level, is sought after as a clinician, adjudicator, and teacher, and performs frequently as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral flutist. An active performer of new music, Backman has appeared as a guest artist at the National Conference of the Society for Composers, the University of Central Missouri New Music Festival, the Society of Composers, Inc. Region V and VI Conferences, and the Missouri Western State University Electronic Music Mini-Festival. Her solo album – Flying Solo – is available on Bandcamp and features solo flute music from the 21st Century. 

Backman is currently principal flutist of the Midwest Chamber Ensemble and was one of the founding members of the Beaufort Winds Woodwind Quintet. She has performed with the Topeka Symphony, St. Joseph Symphony, Kinnor Philharmonic, Kansas City Symphony, the Skagit (WA) Symphony, and the Kansas City Civic Orchestra. She is also the Vice President and program chair for the Kansas City Alumni Chapter of Mu Phi Epsilon.

Backman has performed in master classes of Jeanne Baxtresser, Walfrid Kujala, Zart Dombourian-Eby, Tim Munro, John Barcellona, William Bennett, Lorna McGhee, Sarah Jackson, and Catherine Payne, and also studied with Kim Breilien. Backman earned a Doctor of Musical Arts degree (2020) and a Master of Music degree (2009) in flute performance from the UMKC Conservatory, where she studied with Dr. Mary Posses. She earned a Bachelor of Music Education degree (2006) in Instrumental Music Education and Flute Performance from Central Washington University, where her teacher was Dr. Hal Ott.

Backman lives in Lenexa, Kansas with her husband and two daughters, where she has a thriving flute studio. In addition to her performing career, she is an avid runner and rock climber.

Bio coming soon

Bio coming soon

Bio coming soon