Carlyn Lloyd, flutist performs regularly with many ensembles including her duo with Jon Warfel, pianist, the “Weird (but Wonderful) Quartet,” and the flute/guitar duo, “Rabbit Ears.” She has written arrangements of popular and classical music for her woodwind quintet, Quintuplex, and has also written and performed several arrangements for solo flute and concert band. Her arrangement of Respighi’s, Ancient Airs and Dances received its premier at the National Flute Association Convention in Orlando, FL. A member of the International Opera Theatre orchestra, she premiered Iago by Carlo Pedini in Citta della Pieve, Italy. She has served on the flute faculties of the American Conservatory of Music, Waubonsee Community College, IMSA, the Hinsdale Center for the Arts and currently maintains a private teaching studio in Forest Park. Carlyn is listed in the International Who’s Who in Music, the Who’s Who in Entertainment, and the Who’s Who in American Music. She owns Tri-L-Co Music, a company that engages classical chamber music ensembles: www.Tri-L-CoMusic.com.

Laura Fako Utley has been playing the harp since 1977. She grew up in a musical family in Elmhurst, IL. Her parents are professional musicians playing with the Lyric Opera Orchestra and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Growing up, Laura spent her summers studying at the Interlochen Center for the Arts, where her father taught for many years. In 1990, Laura received her degree in Music Performance from the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University. She currently performs and teaches throughout the Chicagoland area playing with orchestras, small chamber ensembles, for weddings, receptions and special occasions. She has produced 3 recordings. Whispering Dreams, consists of classical transcriptions and Laura’s own original compositions; Silent Night, which consists of traditional Christmas music; and Tranquility, which features the harp with violin, guitar and piano. Since 2003 Laura has been performing at Edward Hospital in Naperville as part of their Healing Arts Program.

Sara Vettraino, violin, received her Bachelor of Music Degree from Michigan State University.  After graduation she worked as a Music Therapist in psychiatry and then in special education with young children.  She continues to teach music to preschoolers and maintains an active private teaching studio.  She is a very busy free-lance musician in the Chicago area and performs with several symphonies.  In addition to the violin, Ms. Vettraino enjoys singing and playing the guitar and piano.

Classically trained on the Double Bass, Brett Benteler’s musical background includes Afro-Cuban, Brazilian, and Jazz. He has traveled North and South America, the Caribbean, and Europe as a performer and educator. In his native Chicago, Brett has earned the privilege of playing and recording alongside many of that city’s finest musicians of all disciplines, as well as international touring artists such as Cuban pianist Chuchito Valdes, Cuban super-group “Mezcla”, and Haitian singer/actress Carole Demesmin. Currently pursuing his M. A. in Applied String Pedagogy at Northeastern Illinois University, Brett is also a teacher with the People’s Music School Youth Orchestras, an inner-city youth outreach program in Chicago’s Albany Park community modeled after Venezuela’s “El Sistema.”