Elise Meichels Parker, violin

Violinist Elise Meichels Parker has an active freelance career as a chamber musician, recording artist, orchestral performer, and studio teacher. The Star Tribune has described her playing as “soulful,” while the Pioneer Press wrote “Elise Parker wrings pure beauty from her violin.”  

Locally, Elise has performed with the Minnesota Orchestra, Guthrie Theater, STRINGenius, Children’s Theatre Company, VocalEssence, LOFT Recital, Ladyslipper Ensemble, American Composers Forum, and An Opera Theatre, amongst others.  She serves as assistant principal of the Minnesota Opera Orchestra and is a founding member of Fíora Ensemble. Nationally, she has performed with ensembles including the Houston Grand Opera, Houston Ballet, The Knights, San Antonio Symphony, North Carolina Symphony, Madison Symphony Orchestra, Madison Opera, Madison Ballet, Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, South Dakota Symphony, Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra,  KUHF Houston Public Radio Chamber Players, 21/20 Contemporary Ensemble at the Shepherd School of Music, and the Bach Dancing and Dynamite Society.

Hennepin Theatre Trust’s Broadway show performances include Ain’t Too Proud, Parade, My Fair Lady, Hello Dolly!, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder, West Side Story, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella, The King and I, and several tours of The Lion King.    She’s also performed with Stevie Wonder, The Who, The Eagles, Cécile McLorin Salvant, Idina Menzel, Mannheim Steamroller, Evanescence, Celtic Thunder, Josh Groban, Amy Grant and Weird Al Yankovich. 

Elise received a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. From there she attended Rice University, earning a Master’s degree and was the recipient of the Distinguished Fellowship of Violin Award. She has studied privately with Kathleen Winkler, Vartan Manoogian, Maseo Kawasaki, Naoko Tanaka, and Nancy Lokken. 

Elise underwent several years of training in string pedagogy throughout the country. Consequently, she differentiates her instructions to musicians, in both private and group settings, so they may confidently develop skills to their full potential.She teaches at Augsburg University, the Augsburg Suzuki Education Program, as well as maintaining a private studio.  She plays on a Gasparo da Salò composite violin, whose back and ribs were made in 1580 in Brescia, Italy.  (Da Salò is sometimes credited as the co-inventor of the modern violin.)  

Heidi Amundson, violin

Heidi Amundson enjoys an eclectic freelance career here in the Twin Cities. She began studies on piano at age 5 and violin at 10 and has enjoyed studying with teachers such as Doris Preucil, James Maurer, Yumi Hwang-Williams, Cho Liang Lin, and Sally O’Reilly. As a core member of Minnesota Opera Orchestra, she has enjoyed playing many wonderful productions. Throughout the years she has played a wide variety of genres with groups ranging from the Minnesota Orchestra and Houston Ballet to Mannheim Steamroller and Kanye West. When not performing, she can be found at her home with husband Brit and six children. She enjoys homeschooling, gardening, reading, baking bread, and Brazilian embroidery. She holds degrees from The University of Denver and Rice University. Soli Deo Gloria

Anne Ainomae, viola

Anne Ainomäe was born and raised in Estonia. She is an avid chamber musician. Before moving to USA, Anne was a member of Tallinn Chamber Orchestra and founding member of Prezioso String Quartet, which has won numerous prizes in Europe, and recorded works of Schulhoff, Vasks, Webern and Rääts.

Anne has worked with Estonian National Symphony, Nordic Symphony Orchestra, Colorado Symphony; and is a regular performer with St Paul Chamber Orchestra, Minnesota Orchestra, Minnesota Opera Orchestra Englewood Arts Chamber music series in Colorado and Cabrillo New Music Festival in Santa Cruz, CA.

Since 2019, Anne has been a viola and chamber music professor at Augsburg University. Ms Ainomae has studied at Sibelius Academy, Tallinn Academy of Music and Theatre and University of Denver Lamont School of Music.

Jane Cords O’Hara, cello

Currently based in Minneapolis MN, Jane Cords-O’Hara is a busy freelance cellist who performs with a wide variety of groups. She is a member of The Knights,  Fíora Ensemble and Ladyslipper Ensemble in Minneapolis. She has performed, toured and recorded with numerous other ensembles over the years including the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, Minnesota Orchestra, Irish Chamber Orchestra, Orchestra of St. Luke’s, Argento, Da Capo Chamber Players, MN Opera, Yo Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble, String Orchestra of NYC and A Far Cry.  Equally comfortable in many styles, Jane has played a large amount of new and spectral music, as well as baroque cello, and has performed with Lyra Baroque, Bach Society of MN and the WolfGang Ensemble. She is principal cello at the annual Bach Roots Festival, and has played the role of continuo in many large works such as St John’s and St Matthew’s Passion. She recently gave solo recitals at the Cellissimo Festival in Galway, Ireland (May 2024).

As a member of the The Knights, a NYC based chamber orchestra, Jane has been performing since 2004. Nominated for a Grammy in 2017 and 2024, The Knights have collaborated with artists such as Yo Yo Ma, Gil Shaham, Susan Graham, Dawn Upshaw, Chris Thile, Aaron Diehl and Bela Fleck. Recent appearances have been at the Caramoor, Tanglewood, Ravinia, Stillwater and Ojai Festivals, Central Park’s Naumburg concert series, Trinity Wall Street and Carnegie Hall, where they are currently in residence.  Internationally, Jane has appeared with The Knights in Germany, Denmark, Austria (at the Musikverein), Ireland and at the Canary Island’s Music Festival. She can also be heard on several recordings on the Sony Classical label, and also on the album Azul, featuring Yo Yo Ma as soloist. 

Jane has a deep love of chamber music. A founder member of the Fíora Ensemble (formerly Jamison Ensemble)  Jane performs all around the Twin Cities. Fíora is an ensemble flexible in size depending on repertoire. As a member of Ladyslipper Ensemble, Jane performs regularly around the Twin Cities and is featured on the album The World’s Highway, recorded at MPR.  Jane  performed many times at the LOFT Chamber Music series in Minnepolis and has also been a frequent guest artist with Chamber Music Society of MN. As a former member of Syrius Piano Trio, she performed all over Ireland, and internationally at London’s Conway Hall, Carnegie’s Weill Hall and Brazil’s Musica Nova festival in Sao Paulo. Syrius Trio recorded the complete piano trios of Saloman Jadassohn on the Toccata Classics label.  She spent many summers performing at the West Cork Chamber Music Festival in Ireland. She is the core cellist of the Minneapolis quartet for Candlelight Concerts and plays many concerts a year at various venues in the Twin Cities.

Before relocating to the Twin Cities in 2014, Jane lived in NYC. She was Artist-in-Residence at International House from 2004-2005, and made her recital debut at Carnegie’s Weill Hall in 2006 as a winner in the Artist’s International competition. 

Jane is a devoted teacher. She has a private studio in Minneapolis and also teaches at Augsburg University. She was on faculty at the International Cello Institute at St Olaf college in 2017 and 2024 and at the Northern Lights Chamber Music Institute in 2018. She spent several summers mentoring young aspiring composers at the Walden School in New Hampshire. She recently gave a masterclass at the Cellissimo Festival in May 2024.

Born and raised in Ireland, Jane Cords-O’Hara began playing the cello at the age of 9. She studied with Hannah Roberts at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, UK, before moving to New York to complete her studies with Timothy Eddy at Mannes College of Music. She has attended the International Musician’s Seminar at Prussia Cove, Holland Music Sessions, London Masterclasses and the Conservatoire Americaine at Fontainebleau, France. She was chosen to play at masterclasses at the World Cello Congress III and the International Cello Festival in Manchester, UK.

Jane lives with her husband, Dan, and daughter Aoife in Minneapolis.