Christine Bastian (Nov 18), viola, has performed as a chamber and orchestral musician across the Midwest. As a member of the Contempus Initiative, she focuses on community engagement and new music, performing in venues as diverse as the Detroit Institute of the Arts, Spring Arbor University, and SUNY Stonybrook. Other recent chamber collaborations include recital performances at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp, Flint Institute of Music, and the Lansing Symphony Chamber Series. Christine has served as associate principal violist with the Flint Symphony, section violist with the Lansing Symphony and substitute with the Grand Rapids, Toledo, and Detroit Symphony. In addition to her work as a violist, Christine is Assistant Director of Student Services and Academic Programs at UW in the Department of Global Health. She was previously Assistant Dean of Operations for the Michigan State University College of Music. She holds degrees in music performance from University of Michigan and Indiana University.
Victoria Chaussee (Nov 13), mezzo-soprano, “sings opera favorites beautifully” – The Seattle Weekly. Ms. Chaussee has performed with Seattle Opera, Puget Sound Concert Opera, Bellevue Opera, and Kitsap Opera. Some of her roles include Azucena in Il Trovatore, Principessa in Suor Angelica, Mama Lucia in Cavelleria Rusicana, Maddelena in Rigoletto, the Mother in Amahl and the Night Visitors, the Mother in Hansel & Gretel and Ursul in Beatrice & Benedict. She has performed in concert with many NW organizations including the Whidbey Island Bach Festival, Ladies Musical Club and as a national anthem singer for the Seattle Mariners. She holds a B.A. in Vocal Performance from Seattle Pacific University where she toured with the SPU Concert Choir. After graduation she attended the American Institute of Musical Studies. Victoria currently sings with Public Opera and assists with the Metropolitan Opera auditions in Seattle.
Lin Chen (Nov 2, 5) is a freelance vocalist, violinist and music educator in the Greater Seattle area. Growing up in Australia, she was fortunate to study music with esteemed teachers from the Griffith Conservatorium in Brisbane and the Sydney conservatorium. Her experience in vocal performance spans multiple genres including Classical, Musical theatre and Jazz. She currently studies voice with Dr Kari Ragan. Lin is also a violin coach for the Bellevue Youth Symphony Orchestra (BYSO) and performs with a number of local ensembles including her own string quartet—Quartet Evolution. Her career highlights include performing at the Sydney Opera House, Westminster Abbey and Cologne Cathedral. She enjoys giving regular recitals in Seattle with the Ladies Musical Club.
Sophia Chou (Nov 2, 5, 6, 15), born and raised in Taiwan, began studying piano at age five, later refining her artistry under Professor Chien-Ying Yang. Throughout her youth, she earned accolades in Taiwan’s music scene, excelling in solo, choral, and chamber music. In 2022, she moved to the U.S. to pursue a Master’s in Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University. Now based in Seattle as a research scientist specializing in AI, she continues to blend her analytical work with a deep passion for music. Sophia has collaborated with the Skagit Symphony and performed alongside soloists such as Noémie Raymond. As a dedicated collaborative pianist with the Ladies Musical Club of Seattle, she regularly performs and connects with audiences through recitals, sharing her love of classical music.
Diana Gao (Nov 15) is a concert pianist, music advocate, and former corporate marketing leader. After a successful career managing product marketing strategies at Microsoft and Dell EMC, she has fully embraced her passion for music, dedicating herself to performance and artistic advocacy. She earned her MBA from the University of Washington (UW) and continues to refine her piano skills under the tutelage of Dr. Robin McCabe from UW. She has won numerous accolades, including a Gold Medal of the Seattle International Piano Competition, and First Prize in the “Golden Classical Music Awards” International Competition. She also serves as a Board Member of Classical KING, and is a frequent guest of its Northwest Focus Live program. Since 2020, she has presented annual fundraising recitals at Microsoft, raising tens of thousands of dollars to support local non-profit organizations—reinforcing her deep belief that music has the power to inspire change and make the world a better place.
Joyce Gibb (Nov 5) was born in Sri Lanka and started her early piano studies with the admired, but feared music critic Elmer DeHaan. After surviving his rigorous training, she moved to London for further studies with Swiss pianist Albert Ferber, whose teachers included Rachmaninoff. Studying both piano and cello, she was awarded a gold medal for performance by the Royal Schools of Music. Joyce teaches and performs regularly and has been the concerto soloist with the Cascade Symphony, Seattle Philharmonic, Rainier Symphony, Port Angeles, Thalia, and Philharmonia Northwest Orchestras. Her performances have included concertos by Beethoven, Poulenc, Grieg, Addinsell, and Chopin, and the 1st and 2nd piano concertos by Rachmaninoff. Currently Joyce teaches private piano lessons and provides the music for St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church in West Seattle.
Joanna Goldstein (Nov 18) is an active flutist who recently relocated to Seattle, Washington from Ann Arbor, MI. While in Michigan she was the piccolo player for the Toledo Symphony and performed regularly with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and Grand Rapids Symphony. She was also the Manager of Student Development and programs for the Detroit Symphony Orchestra Civic Youth Ensembles from 2021 until relocating to Seattle in 2024. Chamber music has also been a prominent part of Joanna’s musical background. She was the founding flutist of the Vento Chiaro Woodwind Quintet which was Ensemble in Residence at the Longy School of Music in Cambridge, MA for many years. As a member of Vento Chiaro, Joanna was an Artist-Faculty in Residence at the Boston University Tanglewood Institute. Joanna holds degrees from Peabody Conservatory and Boston University, and an Artist Diploma from the Longy School of Music.
Brittany Harrington (Nov 6, 15) is a dynamic bassoonist, educator, and performer, celebrated for her expressive artistry and innovative contributions to the classical music world. The Dallas Morning News lauded her playing, stating, “Special praise goes to Brittany Harrington’s gorgeously intoned, eloquently shaped bassoon solos.” She currently serves as Affiliate Artist/Faculty at the University of Puget Sound, and is an active freelancer in the Seattle area – performing with the Seattle Symphony Orchestra, Seattle Opera, Pacific Northwest Ballet, and Seattle Music recording orchestra, among others in the area. As a founding member of The Breaking Winds Bassoon Quartet, she blends classical training with creativity and humor, bringing engaging and genre-defying performances to audiences worldwide. A Fox Sponsored Artist, Brittany is committed to expanding the reach of classical music, championing underrepresented composers, and making music accessible, engaging, and transformative.
Kelly Hou (guest artist, Nov 18) began playing the harp when she was 13 and went on to study with Valerie Muzzolini at the University of Washington in 2020. Prior to college, Kelly played in the Seattle Youth Symphony for 4 years and placed 3rd in the WMEA State Solo and Ensemble contest in 2019. In 2022, Kelly Hou was named a winner of the Anne Adam’s Award, a national collegiate competition for solo harp. She graduated from the University of Washington with degrees in Informatics and Music Performance in 2024 and performed in the University’s symphony orchestra, chamber orchestra, wind ensemble, and opera. Kelly has also performed with several ensembles in Washington State including the Central Washington University Symphony Orchestra, Washington Wind Ensemble, Philharmonia Northwest, Bainbridge Symphony Orchestra, and Bremerton Westsound Symphony.
Sharon Jung (Nov 2) was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest. Her parents were Juilliard graduates, and she was exposed to classical music from the time she was born. She started playing the oboe when she was ten years old at the request of her father. She pursued a career in nursing but has kept playing the oboe as a passion. She has studied with LMC members Gail Perstein and Bernard Shapiro. She currently studies with Dan Williams. Along with LMC performances, she plays in small ensembles and in orchestras in several churches in Pierce County.
Maria Khavin (Nov 13) is a pianist, teacher, and music education enthusiast. Starting her formal education at age six, she subsequently earned her degree in Piano Performance and Pedagogy from Rimsky-Korsakoff State Music College in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Since moving to Seattle in 1992, Ms. Khavin continued to be an active performer and became a passionate educator. She appeared in numerous piano solo performances, and accompanied hundreds of instrumentalists and vocalists. She made her orchestral debut performing Mozart’s G major piano concerto with Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra. In Seattle, she worked with Lyric Opera Northwest, NOISE (Northwest Opera in Schools, Etc.), and Mahler’s Festival, among others. Recently, she became a Ladies Musical Club performing member, presenting several concerts a year. Ms. Khavin holds a Master of Music degree from the University of Washington.
Dr. Mia HyeYeon Kim (Nov 6) is a Seattle-based pianist originally from Seoul, South Korea. She has won top prizes in the Frances Walton, Metropolitan International, and Texas State International Piano Competitions, among others. Recent highlights include performances of Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue with the UW Wind Ensemble in Seattle and South Korea, and Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 1 with the UW Symphony Orchestra. She has also been featured on Classical KING FM 98.1. A passionate collaborator, Kim has performed extensively with vocalists, instrumentalists, choirs, and opera companies. She currently serves as adjunct faculty at Wesleyan College and as a staff pianist at the University of Washington. She holds degrees from Yonsei University (BM), New England Conservatory (MM), Cincinnati Conservatory of Music (AD), and the University of Washington (DMA), studying under Victor Rosenbaum, Soyeon Kate Lee, and Craig Sheppard. A certified yoga instructor, she incorporates wellness into her musical work through workshops and outreach.
Korean-born violinist Rosie Jeongwon Kim (guest artist, Nov 6) made her debut at 13 with the Filharmonia Częstochowska in Poland. She studied with Nam-Yun Kim, Sunny Lee, and Kyung-Sun Lee, winning first prizes at the Nanpa Sungjung, Music Association of Korea, and CBS International Competitions. After moving to the U.S., she studied under Mark Kaplan at Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music, earning the Artistic Excellence and Graduation Tuition Scholarships, and later completed the Advanced Music Studies Diploma at Carnegie Mellon University on a full scholarship with Andrés Cárdenes. A former member of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, she performed alongside the Chicago Symphony and worked with conductors including Riccardo Muti and Jaap van Zweden. She has appeared at major festivals such as Texas Music Festival and Great Mountains. Now based in Seattle, Kim serves as Assistant Concertmaster of Symphony Tacoma and continues to perform and teach actively.
Joan Lundquist (Nov 13) has served as a collaborative pianist for Seattle area musicians and organizations for 30 years. Since moving to the area from Humboldt State University in northern California, where she was staff accompanist, Joan has worked with the Northwest Boychoir, Seattle Choral Company, has taught at Seattle University and Northwest University, and has worked with several area private music teachers. Ms. Lundquist is the retired Director of Music at Immanuel Lutheran Church in downtown Seattle and currently is the rehearsal accompanist for the Seattle Choral Company.
Gail Perstein (Nov 2) has a Bachelor of Science from Springfield College, a Bachelor of Music from P.L.U., a Master of Music from U.W. (both in oboe performance) and a Master of Arts in Historical Musicology, also from U.W. She splits her time between teaching oboe privately, performing on oboe/English horn, and performing early music. She played in both early and classical music groups at P.L.U. and U.W., and continues performing in various settings, ranging from Tacoma Opera to local church services. Ms. Perstein performed for many years with her own medieval group, Chansonnier, using period instruments. She was a member of the Board of Trustees of the Ladies Musical Club of Seattle for 22 years and chair of the Frances Walton Competition Committee for 23 years.
Eric Shankland (Nov 2) has been playing bassoon since age 15. He played in the NCR band and the Youth Philharmonic in Dayton, Ohio. He studied with Arthur Grossman and played in the University Symphony at the University of Washington, and currently studies with Paul Rafanelli of the Seattle Symphony. He was principal bassoon in the Eastside Symphony (Redmond) for fifteen years. Eric is a research scientist at the University of Washington.
Julie Shankland (Nov 2) has played clarinet since marching band in the Ohio snow. Since moving to Washington, Julie has played in the UW Concert Band, Eastside Symphony, West Seattle Community Orchestras, Rain City Symphony, and various chamber music camps. Julie is an adult student of Jennifer Nelson and recently learned to play bass clarinet. Julie works in the Office of General Counsel at the Washington State Bar Association.
Bernard Shapiro (Nov 2) was principal oboe of the Seattle Symphony and Seattle Opera from 1961-2004, participating in over 80 Seattle Symphony recordings. He appeared as soloist with the Seattle Symphony, Philadelphia Quartet, Balamian Quartet, Seoul Symphony, Korean Broadcast Symphony, and Bellevue Symphony. He was co-founder of the New York Baroque Quintet, English horn with the Royal Ballet Touring Orchestra (London), and received the Fromm foundation Fellowship for Contemporary Music Performance at Princeton University and Tanglewood (1960). Mr. Shapiro has been a member of the faculty at University of Washington, Cornish School, Pacific Lutheran University, Western Washington University, and Seattle Pacific University. At PLU, he participated in many programs as a member of the faculty wind quintet, the Camas Quintet. He graduated from the Music and Art High School of New York City, and holds both a Bachelor of Music and Master of Music Education from Manhattan School of Music. In addition to oboe, he also enjoys playing cello.
Susan Strick (Nov 13), soprano, has sung and taught in Seattle for many years. She has appeared with the Seattle Opera, Tacoma Opera, Village Theater (Maria in The Sound of Music) and as a soloist with the Seattle Bach Festival, the Northwest Symphony Orchestra, and the Seattle Choral Company. Susan earned her B.A. in music from Stanford University, M.A. in music from UCLA, and an Opera Diploma from the University of Toronto’s Royal Conservatory. A regional finalist in both the Metropolitan and San Francisco Opera national auditions, she has performed leading roles with many small opera companies. Susan has been a faculty member of the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, where she created and taught “Opera as Theater” in the Honors seminar program as well as teaching voice and being an active performer, music director, and coach in the theater department. Currently she teaches in Seattle and at Music Works Northwest in Bellevue.