Meet the musicians
Chi-Chi Bestmann
Viola, violin & erhu (Chinese violin)
A native of Taiwan, Chi-Chi Lin Bestmann is a dynamic conductor and violist. She’s known for crafting engaging concerts for young listeners and has a diverse and accomplished background in performing, conducing and teaching. Currently based in Minnesota, she holds the role of conductor for the JCC Symphony, MacPhail Northside Youth Orchestra and is a faculty member at MacPhail Center for Music. Chi-Chi enjoys cooking, reading, swimming, listening to music and making Chinese dumplings with her daughters.
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SiFei Cheng
Viola
SiFei Cheng has served as principal viola of the Charleston Symphony, New World Symphony and Juilliard Orchestra, and has led sections under Michael Tilson Thomas, Eiji Oue and Christoph Eschenbach. As a chamber musician, he has played in the Ravinia Festival, Caramoor Music Festival, Taos Chamber Music Festival, Pacific Music Festival and the New York String Seminar. Some of his past coaches include Samuel Rhodes, Miriam Fried, Paul Biss, Alan de Veritch, the Tokyo String Quartet and the American String Quartet. He has collaborated in chamber music with artists such as Joshua Bell, Pamela Frank, Andrew Litton and the Minnesota Orchestra’s own Creative Partner for Summer Programming Jon Kimura Parker.
Miryana Moveta
Piano
Miryana Moteva has recently appeared as a soloist with Linden Hills Chamber Orchestra performing Piano Concerto No. 1 by Sergei Prokofiev and in chamber recitals at Sundin Music Hall, the Basilica of Saint Mary, the Fitzgerald Theater, the Schubert Club, the Baroque Room, University of Wisconsin-River Falls and the Cowles Center for Performing Arts in collaboration with Curio Dance. She performs regularly on MacPhail Center for Music’s Spotlight Concert Series, the University of Minnesota’s Balkanicus New Music Series and the Schubert Club’s Courtroom Concerts. Her performances have been featured on Classical MPR.
Chie Yoshinaka
Violin
Chie Yoshinaka Matejek has been performing and teaching all over the United States and abroad. The highlight of recent seasons includes Brahms' Concerto for Violin and Cello with Micha Haran (the former principal cello of the Israel Philharmonic) and the ABS-CBN Philharmonic in Quezon City, Philippines and Baroque concerti with St. Paul's Episcopal Church's chamber orchestra in Greenwich, Connecticut. Chie premiered "Western Suite" by Jonathan David Russell as a soloist with the Hilltop Music Collective Orchestra. A winner of the Lillian Fuchs Memorial Chamber Music Competition, her solo and chamber music engagements have taken her throughout the United States, Graz (Austria), Tokyo and Yokohama (Japan).
Danielle Ricci
Dance
Danielle Ricci is an educator, choreographer, director, and dancer. She received her BFA in Dance Performance from University of California, Irvine in 2006 under direction of Donald McKayle. In 2014 she graduated with an MA in Arts and Cultural Management from St. Mary's University of Minnesota and earned an MFA in Choreography from Jacksonville University in 2018. She has studied at The Ailey School in New York City as part of their Certificate in Dance Program studying with Milton Myers, Tracy Inman, Nancy Turano, and Sharon Wong. Danielle has danced professionally in California, Texas, and Minnesota performing with Loretta Livingston and Dancers, Austin Classical Ballet, and Austin City Ballet.
E.J. Lee
Violin
E.J. Lee began playing the violin in Seoul, Korea at the age of four and made her solo debut three years later on the Vivaldi Violin Concerto with full orchestra. As a teenager she won a national violin competition in Korea, which lead her to perform Bruch Violin Concerto with the Seoul Symphony. In 2004, E.J. earned her master’s degree from the Manhattan School of Music.
Käthe Jarka
Cello
Käthe Jarka has been hailed as a cellist who proves that “the ‘old school’ concept of beautiful, controlled sound and vitality of phrasing is alive and well” and whose hallmark is “clarity of musical and dramatic insight.” An active recitalist and sought-after chamber musician, she has performed throughout the United States and abroad.
Allison Akins
French horn
Allison Akins, a Kansas City, Missouri native is thrilled to join the South Dakota Symphony Orchestra for her first season as Third Horn. Allison holds a Master's degree in Horn Performance and Literature from the Eastman School of Music and a Bachelor’s degree in horn performance from The University of Kansas. An avid performer, she has worked with the Kansas City Symphony, Rochester (NY) Philharmonic Orchestra, Portland (ME) Symphony as well as the national tours of Tony Award-winning musicals Billy Elliot and Mary Poppins. Ms. Akins enjoys a rich freelance performance career in the Twin Cities, performing with such local ensembles as The Minnesota Opera, The Minneapolis Pops, Music St. Croix, and 10th Wave Chamber Music Collective.
Mike Alexander
French horn
One of the upper Midwest’s most sought-after freelancers, Mike Alexander was appointed as Principal horn of the Minnesota Opera Orchestra in 2019. A native of Duluth, Mike returned to Minnesota in 2014 after earning degrees from the Eastman School of Music and the New England Conservatory. In addition to performing in opera and ballet pits throughout Minnesota, Mike is a regular performer with both the Minnesota Orchestra and Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. Mike is a faculty member of the MacPhail Center for Music and the College of Saint Benedict & Saint John’s University and has previously taught at the University of St Thomas and the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. As a soloist, Mike performed the Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings by Benjamin Britten with New England Conservatory’s Philharmonia Orchestra, Richard Strauss’ Horn Concerto with the Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra, Camille Saint-Saëns’ Morceau de Concert with the Duluth Symphonic Winds, and principal horn on Schumann’s Concert Piece for Four horns and Orchestra with the Itasca Symphony Orchestra.
Jane O'Hara
Cello
Currently based in Minneapolis MN, Jane Cords-O’Hara is a busy freelance cellist who performs with a wide variety of groups. She is a member of The Knights, Fíora Ensemble and Ladyslipper Ensemble in Minneapolis. She has performed, toured and recorded with numerous other ensembles over the years including the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, Minnesota Orchestra, Irish Chamber Orchestra, Orchestra of St. Luke’s, Argento, Da Capo Chamber Players, MN Opera, Yo Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble, String Orchestra of NYC and A Far Cry. Equally comfortable in many styles, Jane has played a large amount of new and spectral music, as well as baroque cello, and has performed with Lyra Baroque, Bach Society of MN and the WolfGang Ensemble. She is principal cello at the annual Bach Roots Festival, and has played the role of continuo in many large works such as St John’s and St Matthew’s Passion.
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Tod Hedrick
Bass
Tod Hedrick is a higher-education professional specializing in music history, writing pedagogy, and research. His work is informed by two decades of experience in music and seven years of teaching a diverse group of undergraduate and graduate students. He loves working with young people, particularly those who are not at ease in academic settings and those from underserved communities. He is an active, empathic listener, and in working with students and colleagues I focus on thoughtful questions and a comfortable rapport. At City College (CUNY) Tod was trained in WAC writing pedagogy, which helped shape many of his ideas on equity in higher education, and he mentored junior colleagues in teaching writing more effectively and equitably for undergraduate students. His academic research is interdisciplinary, combining history, linguistics, philosophy, and psychology with music, and he has presented his work at the most important conferences in his discipline.
Hannah Flowers
Harp
Hannah Flowers is a singer and harpist from St. Paul, Minnesota. Classically trained from a young age, she discovered Traditional Irish music as a teenager and hasn’t looked back since. Known for her sensitive and lyrical accompaniment of songs as well as her syncopated and rhythmic accompaniment of dance tunes, Hannah enjoys exploring the full depth of traditional Irish music and song. She holds a B.A. in music and a Master's Degree in Irish Traditional Music Performance from Maynooth University in Ireland.
Stephanie Allen
Violin
Stephanie Allen holds a Doctorate in Musical Arts from the University of Minnesota. She teaches violin to students of all ages in her school Violin Technique Coaching. But Stephanie’s expertise is not exclusively regrading violin or music in general. She teaches anyone how to bring your inherent art form out of hiding someplace within. And she is a master at her craft!
Paul Svensen
Cellist Paul Swensen studied with Dr. Natasha Farny at SUNY Fredonia where he earned his B.M. in Cello Performance and a Performer’s Certificate. At Fredonia, Paul was awarded the Isaac Stern Award for outstanding string player and was honored to perform in a masterclass for Yo-Yo Ma.
Cello
Joe Piscitelli
Flute
Flutist Joseph Piscitelli made his solo debut at the notable age of sixteen at New York’s Town Hall and Alice Tully Hall. As a busy New York musician, Mr. Piscitelli performs regularly with New York Chamber Orchestra, Solisti New York, Musica Sacra, Long Island Philharmonic, Opera Northeast, Opera Ensemble of New York, Philharmonia Virtuosi, Greenwich Symphony and Lar Lubavitch Dance Company. He has toured the United States, Canada, Mexico, France, England and the Netherlands.
Adrianna O'brien
Cello
Adrianna O’Brien is a cellist and Suzuki Early Childhood Education teacher. She has a Bachelor’s degree in music performance from the University of Texas at Austin where she studied with renowned pedagogue Phyllis Young. She then moved to Connecticut to pursue a Master’s degree with an emphasis in Suzuki Pedagogy at The Hartt School, where she was awarded a place in the elite ‘20/20’ chamber music program. While at Hartt, Adrianna participated in an intensive mentorship program with Pamela Devenport, including comprehensive training in all 10 units of Suzuki cello study.
Rale Micic
Guitar
Rale Micic is one of the most successful and critically acclaimed jazz musicians to emerge from Serbia. Audiences throughout the world have been captivated by Micic’s mesmerizing music, exploring interaction between his Serbian musical roots and his extensive knowledge of jazz.
Aimee Brehmer
Harp
Aimee Brehmer is a harpist, violinist, and vocalist who performs with The Stings of Tara, a group of Celtic harpists, singers, and instrumentalists. Aimee has performed in Carnegie Hall, Radio City Music Hall and numerous other venues.
Matthew Mindeman
Matthew is Noah's brother.
Viola
Donna Elaine
Flute
In addition to serving as principal flute in the New Choral Society Orchestra and managing a busy teaching schedule throughout the New York area, Donna Elaine is a gifted recitalist whose performances appeal to both professional musicians and newcomers to the recital medium. Not only is Miss Elaine committed to uncovering little known treasures in the repertoire, including virtuoso pieces for piccolo (even turn-of-the-century works for D-flat piccolo!), her recitals also include illuminating commentary, as well as such entertaining touches as multi-media performances with other artists. For example, in her repertoire Miss Elaine performs a Divertissement by Kuhlau which is aurally pristine, but visually enhanced with a slide presentation of a cartoon melodrama.
Lesly de Groot
Artistic director and stage actor, Lesly de Groot brings brilliant voice to all of their endeavors. Notably serving as the artistic director of The Pied Piper Children's Theatre, de Groot has a passion for working with children in artistic spaces.
Voice