Pianist Caroline Owen is thrilled to be back in Atlanta after completing her Doctorate of Music degree in piano performance from Florida State University in 2022. She has performed in venues across the U.S. and in Austria, Italy, and the Czech Republic. She was the winner of the 2019 Florida MTNA Young Artist Competition, a semifinalist in the 14th International Mozart Competition, and the winner of the 2018 Pro-Mozart Society of Atlanta Competition, from which she received a scholarship to study at the Salzburg Mozarteum. Owen has also participated and performed at festivals including PianoFest in the Hamptons, PianoTexas, Atlantic Music Festival, and the Prague Piano Festival, working with distinguished artists and teachers such as Jean-Efflam Bavouzet, Richard Goode, Ursula Oppens, and Pascal Rogé, among others. Her background in dance has also fostered multiple multidisciplinary collaborations with Houston-based composer Badie Khaleghian. Passionate about chamber music, she tours seasonally with the Astralis Chamber Ensemble. To learn more, visit carolineowenpiano.com.

Dr. Owen has been teaching piano for the last seven years, working with students from age 5 to adults. As a graduate student, she held teaching positions at Florida State University and the University of Georgia, where she was an instructor of Group Piano and Aural Skills, respectively. In addition to maintaining her own private Decatur-based studio of students, Dr. Owen also serves as an Artist Affiliate at Emory University and a Co-Director of the Decatur Fine Arts Academy.

Robert Cushing is a composer, pianist, and Decatur native. He holds a Bachelors in Music Composition from Furman University and Master in Piano Performance from the University of Georgia. As a composer, Robert especially enjoys writing music for the voice. His original musical, In the Silence, was performed at Furman University in Fall 2019. He has also written several song cycles, chamber works, and solo piano compositions. The winner of the 2019 South Carolina MTNA Young Artist Competition, Robert is passionate about performing the music of unsung composers. In graduate school, Robert researched and performed the piano works of Mélanie “Mel” Bonis and Hélène de Montgeroult.

At the University of Georgia, Robert studied under Dr. David Fung, Dr. Alan Woo, Dr. Emily Koh, and Dr. Peter Lane. At Furman University, Robert studied under Dr. Amanda Montgomery, Dr. Mark Kilstofte, and Professor Jay Bocook. He credits his love of music with his original piano teacher, Mrs. Mary Brown Hinely.

Robert is a fifth-generation Decatur resident and is thrilled to be a Co-Director of the Decatur Fine Arts Academy.

Caroline Jackle

Clarinet, Guitar

Caroline Jackle is a dynamic clarinetist, clinician, and educator based in the greater Atlanta area. Prior to her residency in Atlanta, she was the band director at Station Camp Middle School and rotating principal clarinetist of the Middle Tennessee Sinfonietta. Her students have performed in concert band, pep band, and jazz band settings, with many performing in a variety of honor band clinics including the Tennessee Mid-State Honor Band, Sumner All-County Honor Band, and University of Tennessee Martin Honor Band.

As a solo artist, Caroline has performed recitals including those at the Belgian Clarinet Academy in Ostend, Belgium and at the Blair School of Music in Nashville, Tennessee. Caroline is passionate about chamber music and collaboration, co-founding the Aureus Quintet and actively performing in a myriad of chamber settings. As a private lessons teacher, she instructs clarinet, flute, and guitar students of all ages. She has held private studios in Florida and Tennessee, and has boasted students with All-State and regional accolades in each state.

Caroline holds a Master of Music in Clarinet Performance from Florida State University, where she served as the rotating principal clarinetist of the FSU University Orchestra, and a Bachelor of Music Education from Tennessee Tech University, where she served as the rotating principal clarinet of the University Symphony Band and Wind Ensemble. Her primary teachers are Deborah Bish, Jonathan Holden, Mark J. Cramer, Jacqueline Eichhorn, and Wonkak Kim.

Christopher Jeffer

Double Bass

Christopher Jeffer arrived in Atlanta, Georgia upon finishing his Bachelor of Music – Double Bass Performance from Bowling Green State University, hailing originally from Pécs, Hungary.

As an accomplished symphonic musician, he has performed with regional orchestras in Michigan, Ohio, Alabama, and Georgia. Additionally, Christopher is no stranger to pushing the bounds of his instrument - serving as the resident double bassist for the Atlanta Contemporary Music Collective, championing new solo repertoire (as can be seen in his 2021 album release, Cat’s Cradle, For Solo Double Bass), and even lending his unique voice to several modern rock records.

Christopher is also a prolific audio engineer with half a decade of experience in live music production. He’s experienced in venue and touring work, with over 1,000 shows across the US and internationally.

He has studied with Robert Rohwer and Linda McKnight and has also participated various clinics and masterclasses with those such as Tim Cobb, Micah Howard, Max Dimoff, and Joel Braun.

When he is not performing or mixing concerts… you might find Chris rock climbing or hanging out with his two cats, June Bug and Cricket.

Adam Shavin

Guitar

Adam Shavin began playing the guitar at age seven. Over the following decade, he learned additional instruments, including bass, piano and drums. After his high school years, Adam began teaching guitar lessons for the first time. He then earned a Bachelor's degree from The Hartt School in Connecticut in 2016, focusing on music theory and history.

After his undergraduate education, Adam began taking commissioned composition projects and showing work in visual art exhibitions. Now, Adam’s career revolves around the guitar - whether it’s gigging as a soloist/improviser around Atlanta, self-producing original music, or teaching those excited to be earlier in their musical journeys.

Adam aims to help his students explore their own personal relationship with the guitar - as well as develop their ear, which he believes is the skill that will take them the farthest as musicians. 

Christopher Bowers

PERCUSSION

Christopher Bowers is a percussionist, educator, and public musicologist. Growing up as an Atlanta native, he studied percussion in private settings for thirteen years with many instructors in Georgia. Christopher completed his Bachelor’s degree in Percussion Performance at Kennesaw State University and most recently completed his Master’s degree in Percussion Performance with a certificate in Public Musicology from Columbus State University. During this time, he worked with undergraduate students in both music theory and percussion pedagogy.

In addition to his solo percussion work, Christopher served as the percussion intern with the Georgia Youth Symphony Orchestra from 2018 to 2020, as well as with the Youth Orchestra of Greater Columbus as a substitute intern in 2023. 

Christopher has performed with the Georgia Brass Band as percussionist and timpanist in the 2018 and 2019 international NABBA competitions. He has also played with the Symphony Orchestras, Wind Ensembles, and Choral Unions at Kennesaw State University and Columbus State University. Growing up, he performed in many Youth Orchestras within the greater Atlanta area, including the Atlanta Youth Wind Symphony, the Westminster Summer Concert Band, and the Emory Youth Symphony Orchestra.

Outside of music, Christopher enjoys poetry, meditation, and yoga; he likes to implement the lessons learned in those areas when listening to his students. 

Farris Goodrum

Piano

Farris Goodrum began playing the piano at age seven. He was born and raised in the Congo, Africa, where his parents were missionaries. Music was an important aspect in the life of the school where he began his piano studies, and where he became the chapel pianist at the age of twelve. He received a bachelor's degree in Piano Performance from the University of West Georgia, and a master's degree in Piano Pedagogy from Georgia State University. He was granted an assistantship at both universities as an accompanist, and has taught piano at all levels, from beginning to advanced, for many years in both Brazil and the United States. Farris was sent to Brazil by the Presbyterian Church (USA) and spent 35 years in that country as a music teacher. His responsibilities included teaching private piano lessons, directing choirs and bell choirs, and teaching courses such as music theory, composition, form and analysis, pedagogy, and conducting. During his years in Brazil, he founded and directed a music department in a seminary to train music students for professional possibilities after graduation. Encouraging musical expression among students, and observing their progress as musicians, are among the great joys of his teaching experience.

Chase Petersen

Piano

Chase Petersen began playing the piano at age 8. At the age of 15, he started playing the organ for his local congregation in Ft. Collins, CO, and he has been very involved in church music since that time. He moved to Atlanta in 2024 after finishing a Master of Music degree in organ performance from the University of Texas at Austin. He recently served as an organ scholar at the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer, where he was very involved in the church music and children's music programs. He currently serves as the organist and director of music at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church. There he plays the organ for Sunday services and directs both the vocal choir and the handbell choir. Since 2021, Chase has enjoyed teaching piano and organ lessons to students from many different backgrounds, from young children to adults. He enjoys helping each of his students discover their potential and encouraging their progress so they can experience the joys of music making.

Julien Berger

Saxophone

Julien Berger is a saxophonist, teacher, and composer based in the metro Atlanta area. His music on both the saxophone and on paper is emotional and programmatic, providing the audience a unique glimpse into his artistic vision. Julien plays and writes regularly for many different groups in Athens and metro Atlanta, ranging from classical contemporary music to hip hop, jazz fusion, and R&B music. He also regularly plays in pit orchestras on saxophone and clarinet and maintains an active session musician career. He is the alto chair of touring saxophone quartet Mixed Media, first prize winners at The Fischoff and Coltman national chamber music competitions in 2022. Julien’s written music covers similar stylistic boundaries in different ensemble types, focusing on trios and quartets and expanding to choir and full orchestra. Julien has also maintained a private studio of saxophone and composition students since his high school career in the DC area, with the goal of promoting personal artistry with his students. During his studies at the University of Georgia, Julien earned two Bachelor’s of Music in both Saxophone Performance and Music Composition and put on numerous recitals, concerts, and premieres of his works. Previous teachers include Dr. Connie Frigo, Dr. Brandon Quarles, Edward Fraedrich (saxophone), Dr. Adrian Childs, Dr. Peter van Zandt Lane, and Dr. Emily Koh (composition).

Kathryn Steely

VIOLA

Violist Dr. Kathryn Steely is an enthusiastic mentor for students and is excited to be joining the Atlanta area arts community. Now Professor of Viola Emeritus, Baylor University School of Music, she received the Outstanding Professor Award for Teaching in 2007. Her students have been regularly accepted into the country’s leading conservatories and summer music festivals and are active in a variety of music professions. She has been a featured presenter at national conventions for the American String Teachers Association, the American Viola Society, and the College Music Society and she has presented master classes across the country. She has been honored to serve on several occasions as a jury member for the Primrose International Viola Competition and regularly served as an adjudicator for competitions across Texas. 

Dr. Steely is an avid chamber musician and enjoys collaborating with colleagues in performances exploring new repertoire. A founding faculty member of the Credo Chamber Music summer festival in Oberlin, Ohio, Dr. Steely is also an experienced orchestral violist and has performed with the Fort Worth Symphony, Joffrey Ballet of Chicago, Dallas Chamber Orchestra, Fort Worth-Dallas Ballet, and as a former core member of Florida’s Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra. She is committed to ongoing exploration of early music, and performs regularly with Philharmonie Austin, a period instrument  ensemble.  

Dr. Steely has served as president of the American Viola Society and as editor of the Journal of the American Viola Society. She holds performance degrees from Bethel College, Bachelor of Arts – Music  Performance; the Cleveland Institute of Music, Master of Music – Viola Performance; and Northwestern University, Doctor of Music – Viola Performance; having studied with primary mentors Peter Slowik, Heidi Castleman, Don McInnes and Lynne Ramsey.

Julie Saxton

Violin & Piano

Originally from Atlanta, GA, Julie Saxton recently finished her Artist Diploma in Violin Performance at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where she also completed her Master of Music in Violin Performance. She is an active and versatile freelancer, performing with regional orchestras in Illinois, Indiana, Georgia, and South Carolina. She has also recorded and performed with pop artists, such as Kishi Bashi, Faye Webster, and Baby Rose. She has been teaching private violin lessons for over eight years. Julie is thrilled to be part of the inaugural faculty of the Decatur Fine Arts Academy. She is also currently on faculty with the Atlanta Music Project as a Violin Teaching Artist.

Julie completed a Bachelor of Music in Violin Performance and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology at the University of Georgia in Athens, GA. Her primary teachers include Dr. Michael Heald and Nelson Lee and Meg Freivogel of the Jupiter String Quartet. She has also participated in chamber, orchestra, and opera studies and performances at the Montecito International Music Festival, the Hot Springs Music Festival, the Miami Classical Music Festival, and the Bay View Music Festival. When she’s not practicing or performing, she enjoys traveling, hiking, cooking, and spending time with her family, friends, and dog (Ginger) and cat (Angelkitty).

Irina Vázquez Cruz

Violin

Born in the musical city of Matanzas, Cuba, Irina Vázquez grew up surrounded by music. Her uncle, a symphonic violinist, inspired her early enthusiasm for classical music, particularly on the violin. Meanwhile, her home and community life were filled with the popular music of Cuba’s boleros, guarachas, sones, contras, and trova. A precocious child, she was accepted at an early age to the National Music School in Havana, and studied with some of Cuba’s most renowned teachers, as well as visiting artists from around the world. She was accepted into the world class Matanzas Symphony, and worked her way up to become Concertmaster, a job she held for 20 years. With the orchestra and in her small ensembles, she was privileged to collaborate with such international stars as Michel Legrand.

Following family members north, she spent a few years in Florida, and has now settled in Atlanta, where she serves as Principal 2nd Violinist in the Alpharetta Symphony Orchestra and performs popular music of all styles with CubanaSong, the Quarantine Quartet, and in duo with multi-instrumentalist Mick Kinney. In addition to being a performer of note, Irina is also a gifted teacher, meeting students where they are to help them progress toward where they would like to be. She is experienced and particularly loves working with children with different abilities, and is certified in teaching children with autism.

R. Mark Green

Voice

R. Mark Green is a voice instructor and choral conductor with over four decades of experience directing choirs from elementary age to senior adults. Known affectionately as "Mr. Mark," he is a dedicated musician renowned for his warmth, artistry, and commitment to excellence in musical performances. Green is an alumnus of the University of North Georgia, holding a degree in Music Education, and the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, where he earned a Master of Church Music degree. Currently, he serves fulltime as one of the Pastors at First Baptist Church of Decatur and directs the Decatur Avondale Children’s Choir, a community choir of more than 120 singers ages six to eighteen performing in three ensembles.

AnnaLauren Kelly

Voice

AnnaLauren Kelly, soprano, is an emerging young artist in the Atlanta area. Originally from East Tennessee, she earned her Bachelor of Music degree from Carson-Newman University and her Master of Music degree from Georgia State University. She is currently furthering her education to earn an Artist Diploma from GSU and was featured as the titular character in the Fall 2023 production of Suor Angelica.

AnnaLauren has recently been seen as Countess Almaviva in Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro in Urbania, Italy with FIO Italia, an international opera festival, as well as Catherine in Offenbach’s Le mariage aux lanternes, The Visitor in Milton Granger’s Benedicta, and Célie in Pasatieri’s Signor Deluso. In her free time, she enjoys crafting of almost any kind and spending time with her loved ones.

Casey Margerum

Voice & Piano

Soprano Casey Margerum was born in Louisville, KY and raised in Charlotte, NC. Her interest in music was piqued by singing in her elementary school choir and solidified by her time at The Choir School at St. Peter's in Charlotte, but she didn't expect to pursue music professionally until she began her undergraduate studies.

Casey's past roles include Alice (Falstaff), Madame Lidoine (Dialoghi delle Carmelitane), Cherubino (Le nozze di Figaro), Catherine (Le Mariage aux Lanternes), Fiordiligi (Così fan tutte), Pamina (The Magic Flute), Don Ettore (La Canterina), and Julie (Some Enchanted Evening: The Songs of Rodgers and Hammerstein).

In concert, Casey has performed with the Winston-Salem Symphony in their concert opera production of Robert Kapilow's Green Eggs and Ham and has been a featured soloist in the Messiah Sing-Along at Davidson College. Additionally, Casey is the Director of Social Media and Advertising for the young artist program FIO MONDO, and she is a regular guest clinician with the Decatur Avondale Children’s Choir.

Casey received her BA in Music and English in 2019 from Davidson College, where she studied with Ilana Lubitsch. She completed her Master of Music with a concentration in Vocal Performance in 2022 at Georgia State University under the tutelage of Kathryn Hartgrove. She has also studied piano with Dr. Caroline Owen and Dr. Will Fried.

Outside of music, Casey enjoys horseback riding, rock climbing, cooking, reading, an spending time with her tuxedo cat, Scout.