Dr. Ayako Yonetani is an internationally acclaimed violinist and music educator. Born in Japan, she began her musical journey at a young age, eventually earning her doctorate from the Juilliard School in New York City. As a highly accomplished performer, Dr. Yonetani has captivated audiences in prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and the Kennedy Center. Her extensive chamber music experience includes collaborating with renowned ensembles and participating in various music festivals.

As a dedicated educator, Dr. Yonetani holds a professorship at the University of Central Florida and has previously taught at the Aspen Music School as assistant to the renowned the late Miss Dorothy DeLay. Her influence extends globally through masterclasses and workshops, inspiring countless aspiring musicians. Dr. Yonetani's recordings have received critical acclaim and showcase her versatility as a performer. She is currently the director of the Pegasus String Quartet Graduate Program at UCF. Yonetani received her Bachelors’ Master’s, and Doctoral degrees from the Juilliard School. She is a full professor of violin and viola at the University of Central Florida and the director of the UCF Pegasus String Quartet Graduate Program since 2018. She is scheduled to perform a concerto at Carnegie Weil Hall in November 2024.

Ekaterina Iskhakova was born in central Russia. At the age of 18, she began her bachelor’s degree in Moscow and completed her postgraduate degree in Violin Performance at the age of 26. She has performed as a soloist with the Zhukovsky Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Conductor Sergei Skripka and worked with the same orchestra for five years. Since 2019, she has served as a concertmaster at the State Moscow Chamber Capella, named after Sudakov, and with the Ensemble of Soloists at the Hermitage. She is a graduate student and GTA at UCF.

Daniel Cortes (guest appearance) is a full-time violist, educator, conductor, and arts administrator. Since beginning his freelancing career in 2004, he has performed with over 20 professional orchestras, operas, and ballet companies across the nation. Notable appearances include playing principal viola with The Eagles, Weird Al, The Beach Boys, George Benson, Electric Light Orchestra, and a plethora of other household celebrity names. He was privileged to receive chamber music instruction from members of the Juilliard Quartet, Emerson Quartet, Beaux Arts Trio, Shanghai Quartet, and Sphinx Virtuosi, among many other masters who have helped him refine his craft over the years. For more information, please visit DanielCortesViola.com

Anton Wachmann is a graduate student and GTA at the University of Central Florida, pursuing an M.A. in cello performance. He received his B.A. in both Music and Environmental Science (with an emphasis in geology and hydrology) from Luther College in his home state of Iowa. He will continue his studies in the D.M.A. (Doctor of Musical Arts) program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Robiyakhon Akromova is a native of Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Miss Akromova has recently performed with UCF Symphony Orchestra as a winner of UCF Concerto Competition.

Robiyakhon has represented the Washington, D.C. chapter in the final round of NSAL National Piano competition and garnered awards in several contests, first prize in the Gray Perry Young Collegiate Piano Competition, second prize at Big Arts Classical Music scholarship competition, second prize at NSAL Piano competition, third prize in the Suzov Competition, and third prize in the Iste`dot International Music Contest. She is also an experienced chamber musician, having participated in chamber music concerts and contests. Pena-Akromova piano duo was one of the winners of Lynn Annual Chamber Competition. Robiyakhon has earned her Bachelor’s degree in Piano Performance at Lynn University Conservatory of Music in a studio of Dr. Roberta Rust. Currently she is pursuing her Master's degree at University of Central Florida in a studio of Dr. Sun-A Park.

Robiya began playing piano at age nine in her hometown. In 2015, she was admitted to the Reinhold Gliere Academic Lyceum, where she studied for three years with Milova Violetta Fedorovna. Miss Akromova has participated in masterclasses with Rebecca Penneys, Nelson Delle-Vigne Fabbri, Santiago Rodriguez and in chamber masterclasses with Wu Han, David Finckel, Julian Schwarz, Zlatomir Fung and Rohan de Silva, Judith Burganger and Leonid Treer. Additionally, she shares her passion for music through teaching, offering piano lessons to students of all ages.

A native of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, cellist David Bjella has a multi faceted career as a teacher, chamber musician, orchestral player, and soloist. He is Professor of Cello at the University of Central Florida in Orlando, Principal Cellist of the Bach Festival Orchestra in Orlando, member of the critically acclaimed IRIS Orchestra in Tennessee, taught and performed at the Chigiana Academia Musicale festival in Siena, Italy, the Cuerdas de Enlace festival in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, the Hot Springs Festival in Arkansas, the Orlando Chamber Soloists in the Black Hills Festival, and was a featured clinician and soloist at the Beaumaris Festival in Wales. In December of 2016, Bjella served as Principal Cellist of the Orquesta Virtuosi De Pernambuco which performed in Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, and Chile. Mr. Bjella currently spends his summers teaching and performing at the Wintergreen Music Festival in Virginia. His students have been accepted to several conservatories in the U.S. including Indiana, the Cleveland Institute of Music, Rice, CCM, Peabody and Michigan. This past year, Dennis Fleitz, a senior cello performance major, was awarded National Second Place Winner of the MTNA Young Artist String Competition in Atlanta.