The Ballroom Dance Symphony is Symphony Sounds’ primary ensemble. With a full string, brass, woodwind and percussion section (18 musicians), the BDS is the perfect ensemble for a sophisticated corporate affair or an elegant wedding reception for discerning guests.

Able to fill any hall with a full, rich sound, the BDS will have your guests slow-dancing the night away to the romantic waltzes of Strauss and Tchaikovsky and the dignified ballads of Ellington and Porter.

To really entertain your guests, our professional ballroom dancers can perform with the symphony while leading your guests in a simple waltz lesson.

The String Chamber Orchestra is the full string ensemble consisting of 6 violins, 2 violas and 2 celli. The SCO is perfect for a cathedral-style church or a large banquet hall.

The lush sound of strings can masterfully perform any style of music and sound best when performing the classical standards of Bach and Mozart.

Jasmine Lin has appeared as soloist with the Chicago Symphony and the Illinois Philharmonic. She was a prizewinner in the 1996 International Paganini Competition and the 1998 International Naumberg Competition. The New York Times describes her as an “unusually individualistic player” with “electrifying assertiveness.” Jasmine is currently a violinist with the Chicago String Quartet and the Chicago Chamber Musicians.

Violinist Isabella Lippi, whose playing has been described as “flawlessly shimmering and captivating with warmth and urgent skill” (The Washington Post), began performing in public at the age of ten when she made her debut with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. In 1989, Isabella performed as soloist with the St. Louis Symphony. Of this program, the St. Louis Post Dispatch declared, “Lippi is a standout, even among virtuosos.”

Concertmaster of the South Bend Symphony and Assistant Concertmaster of the Northwest Indiana Symphony, Zofia Glashauser is proving her place among Chicago’s best young violinists. While obtaining her masters degree at Northwestern, Zofia was a member of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago and the Kalamazoo Symphony.

Violist, Clark Carruth, earned his B.M. from the University of Georgia and his M.M. from Northwestern.
He was a member of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago and the South Bend Symphony, and currently performs
with the Northwest Indiana Symphony.


A native of Ukraine, Nazar Dzhuryn is an alumnus of the Moscow Conservatory, where he also taught cello before relocating to Chicago. Nazar is currently the assistant-principal cellist of the Elgin Symphony and serves on the faculty of Elgin Community College and the Naperville School for the Performing Arts.

Naomi Gonzalez commenced her violin studies at the age of 6. She has performed with the Chicago Civic Orchestra and is a member of the Arabic Classical Society. Naomi completed her undergraduate studies at DePaul in 2005.

Violinist Elizabeth Huffman is an active performer in the Chicago area, playing with a variety of ensembles including the Lake Forest Symphony, Illinois Philharmonic, Northwest Indiana Symphony, and the Milwaukee Ballet. She received her Bachelor's and Master's Degrees from Western Michigan University and the Cleveland Institute of Music, respectively.

Originally from Poland, Joanna Bryk, began playing the violin when she was 7. After beginning her studies at the Krakow Music School, she completed her bachelor degree at DePaul. Joanna has toured Switzerland, France, Spain, the Netherlands and Belgium.

Sarah Marsh, founder of Symphony Sounds, attended DePaul where she studied cello with Christopher Costanza and Katinka Kleijn. During her two year apprenticeship with the Elgin Symphony, Sarah performed on stage with many classical music legends such as Yo-Yo Ma and Itzak Perlman.

Graduate of DePaul, pianist Maureen Zoltek has appeared in countless numbers of concerts and recitals for choral groups, vocalists and instrumentalists including the Chicago Civic Orchestra and Chicago Symphony. In 2004, Maureen won the Union League Civic and Arts Foundation Competition.

Soprano Kimberly Jones is an alumna of the Lyric Opera Center for American Artists and the Westminster Choir College. She appeared as soloist with many prestigious ensembles and venues including Lyric Opera of Chicago, Lyric Opera of Cleveland, Houston Grand Opera and Chicago Opera Theater.

Trumpeter, Michael Myers holds a M.M. from Rice University and a B.M. from James Madison University. Mike has performed with the Milwaukee Symphony, Milwaukee Ballet Orchestra, Grant Park Orchestra and the Chicago Chamber Music Collective.

Trumpeter, Leslie Scarpino earned her B.M. and is currently working on her M.M. at Northwestern. Leslie is an associate member of the Chicago Civic Orchestra and participates in the Amirus Chamber Players and the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival.

Deaunn Davis earned her B.M. from Northwestern in French horn performance. She has appeared with the Chicago Civic Orchestra and the Illinois Symphony.

Matt Monroe can be heard with the Oregon Bach Festival Orchestra on their Grammy Award-winning recording of Penderecki’s Credo. Having completed his bachelor degree at Arizona State, he is continuing his graduate French Horn studies at Northwestern.

Trombonist Timothy Smith earned a B.M. from Ithaca College, and is currently completing his M.M. at Northwestern. Tim was a finalist in the National Classical Trombone Solo Competition and the Van Haney Philharmonic Prize.

Violinist and violist, Sorah Myung earned a Bachelor degree from Oberlin Conservatory of Music, where she was elected to Oberlin Chapter of Pi Kappa Lambda, the National Music Honor Society in 2001, and was a finalist in the Oberlin Concerto Competition. She earned a Master of Music degree from Yale University School of Music, where she was a recipient of the prestigious Charles Ives Music Scholarship for two years.

Violinist, Jody Livo, earned her degrees from Northwestern and DePaul University. She performed with the Chicago Civic Orchestra, currently performs with the Elgin Symphony and substitutes with the Chicago Symphony. Her chamber music pursuits include Quartet Parapluie and the Acadia Trio

Under scholarship at both Oberlin (BM) and Northwestern (MM), violinist Therese Ritchie, has performed in numerous music festivals including Tanglewood, Aspen, Lucerne, Spoleto, and Peninsula. She has been heard in concert with the Cleveland Orchestra and the Boston Symphony. She currently performs with the Elgin Symphony, Northwest Indiana Symphony, and the Chicagoland Pops Orchestra.

Louise Higgins, violin and viola, made her debut at the National Concert Hall with the St. Cecilia Chamber Orchestra. Upon obtaining her degrees from the Conservatoire of Music in Dublin, Indiana University and Northwestern University, she now performs with the Elgin Symphony, Ravinia Festival Orchestra, Chicago Philharmonic, and the Chicago Chamber Orchestra

Avi Freidlander obtained his Bachelor's and Master's degrees from the University of Michigan in cello performance. He was a member of the New World Symphony and is currently performing with the Detroit and Columbus Symphonies while teaching cello at Andrews University.

Cathy Simmons, originally from England, has performed with the London Symphony and the London Philharmonic and is currently completing her doctorate at Northwestern with Rex Martin. Cathy teaches at Concordia University and Elmhurst College.

Connie Schoepflin attended the Seattle Conservatory and DePaul where she obtained her B.M. in flute performance. Her primary instructors include Mary Stolper and Louise Dixon.

Clarinetist Anna Najoom completed her B.M. at Lawrence University and her M.M. at the University of Michigan. She has performed with the Milwaukee Chamber Orchestra, Racine Symphony and the Green Bay Symphony.

Brian Oriente has served as principal percussionist of the Elgin Symphony since 1988 and also performs as an extra with the Chicago Symphony. Brian holds a B.M. and M.M. from DePaul and teaches at Hinsdale Central High School.

Bassist, Jeremy Attanaseo has performed with the Elgin Symphony, Rockford Symphony, New World Symphony and Chicago Civic Orchestra. His primary instructors include Rob Kassinger and Greg Sarchet.

Please browse our other sections for more details regarding our musical services. Specifics regarding our packages and pricing can by viewed on our Musical Services page. Don't forget to read up on our company philosophy and testimonials in the about section. Contact us for more information, reserve a date or book your event by clicking here or by calling 312-371-4271.