Upon completion of studies at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, Michael relocated to Colorado Springs to take the third horn position with the Colorado Springs Symphony Orchestra in 1997. While at Northwestern, he studied with Gail Williams and Norman Schweikert (former members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra), and with Barry Benjamin (former principal horn of the Milwaukee Ballet Orchestra). Since taking his place in the Colorado Springs Symphony Orchestra, Michael has had opportunities to perform with numerous local artists, including the the Colorado Symphony Orchestra, the Denver Brass, the faculty artists of the Colorado College Summer Music Festival, and of course a number of church and musical theatre performances which demonstrate the strong commitment to cultural excellence of the Colorado Springs community. Michael has also performed with the Symphony of the Shores in Chicago, Illinois, and the Civic Orchestra of Chicago. A horn concerto was composed for Michael by Don Owens, a Northwestern jazz and composition faculty member, in memory of the great John Paynter, a close friend to both men. Michael's performance of this work was recorded alongside a number of Owen's compositions in 1998. Michael's wife, Jennifer, is a cellist with the Colorado Springs Symphony Orchestra.

Mark Arnest has written the music and portions of the scripts for two musicals. "All About Love," an adaptation of Plato's "Symposium" (co-written with Murray Ross and Lauren Arnest), was performed at CU-Springs Theatreworks in 1997. "Iron & Gold," a historical drama about railroads, robber barons, and labor in the late 19th-century (co-written with Lauren Arnest) is in progress. Other compositions include a string quartet, "In Memoriam S.J.," which was performed by the DaVinci Quartet, and numerous songs and pieces of incidental music for the theater. A classically trained pianist with a degree in piano performance, he gives several lectures and recitals a year. In his madcap youth he was also a jazz guitarist, pianist and vibraphonist.

Rebecca Lee has become a familiar face in the Colorado Springs classical music scene. She has been with the Colorado Springs Symphony as principal second violin for 12 years and is a founding member of the Housmusik Quartet which this season marks its 10th year. She is a native Coloradan, having grown up in Longmont, Colorado. She headed east for school where she received her bachelor's degree from Northwestern University and studied further in Oberlin, Ohio. Her teachers include Myron Kartman, Stephen Clapp, and Harold Wippler. This season's performance of the Four Seasons marks Rebecca's second collaboration with the Chamber Orchestra of the Springs.

Gregory Adams leads a double life. As a chef by day, he has opened numerous successful restaurants and gourmet markets in San Francisco and Colorado Springs, hosted and chefed a weekly food television show on the CBS affiliate in Colorado Springs, and taught a handful of committed piano students. But when the day's business is done, and the children are put to bed, Adams religiously makes his way to his piano studio and practices for the occasional public performances he gives. Gregory Adams is an amateur in the best sense of the term; as a lover of classical piano music. In January of 2001, Adams took First prize in the Concours des Grands Amateur de Piano held in Paris. He will perform with the Paris Symphony in April 2002, in Washington, D.C., in a recital for the new French Embassy, and has booked numerous other orchestral engagements and recitals.

Interestingly, the relative prestige of musical amateurs and professionals has reversed since the 18th century. According to the Dallas Morning News, "Bach probably considered his fellow composers 'mere' tradesmen. When he composed his most advanced and audacious music - the third part of the Clavierubung - the title page proclaimed it not for professionals but for amateurs (Liebhabern) and especially connoisseurs of such work." What sets these musicians apart is a willingness to take calculated risks; and let's face it, when an amateur comes on stage, everything is at risk. What is gained, however, is so often riveting performance and devil-may-care musical freedom. Finally, this sets Adams and other serious amateurs in a league of their own.

The DaVinci Quartet was formed in 1980 under the aegis of the internationally renowned Fine Arts Quartet at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee. In 1982, they were invited to become Quartet-in-Residence in Colorado Springs. The members of the DaVinci Quartet are also Artists-in-Residence at the University of Denver where they are on the faculty of the Lamont School of Music. Since 1996 when they contributed to the formation of a formal chamber music program there, members of the Quartet have been Visiting Artists-in-Residence at the University of Northern Colorado School of Music. Since 1999, the Quartet has also been on the Performance Faculty at The Colorado College.

The Quartet also enjoys a collaboration with the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center, rehearsing and performing a formal series of concerts there each season. They are represented nationally by Ovation! Management (Chicago) and regionally by A La Carte Productions. The release of a CD set of the complete chamber music of Arthur Foote on Naxos' Marco Polo label added to the Quartet's roster of recorded works, which includes the premier recording of Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel's String Quartet. A compact disc featuring works of Charles Martin Loeffler is scheduled for release in the near future.

As an outgrowth of the belief that art is inseparable from life, the Quartet is exploring ways to carry music into other venues. The Quartet is very excited about the development of new programs for both children and families. "Stringing the Arts Together..." (ages 6-12) is an educational introduction to the joy of the arts. "The Family That Listens Together..." is a program that, within ninety minutes, gives musical novices of all ages the tools to become fully appreciative audience members for chamber music.

The Quartet has also developed programs for under served populations and the emotionally disadvantaged. Their "Heartstrings" program was developed in connection with Art Reach to create presentations that explore and raise awareness of social issues through music. Another example of community outreach is the Quartet's work with the Colorado Springs Center for the Prevention of Domestic Violence, for which they created a program that speaks to the range of emotions that abusive situations may trigger. Given the vastness of their reportoire, the Quartet is able to select musical examples that fit a variety of needs and situations for their different outreach and educational efforts.

Biographical information about the members of the Quartet can be found at their website:

A seasoned artist, cellist Kevin Hekmatpanah has presented hundreds of solo and chamber performances throughout the country, including concerts at the Piccolo Spoleto Festival in Charleston, the Dame Myra Hess Concert Series at the Chicago Cultural Center, the Society of the Cincinnati Artist Series in Washington, D.C., the Camerata Musica Concert Series in Salem, Oregon, the Kirkland Performance Center in Seattle, the Cheekwood Museum of Art in Hashville, the Hornby Island Recital Series in Victoria, B.C., the MET Performing Arts Center in Spokane, the John Addison Cultural Arts Recital Series in Washington, D.C., as well as on the Lake Chelan Bach Feste. He has also presented solo recitals performing all Six Unaccompanied Bach Suites and performing the complete works for Cello and Piano by Beethoven. He has made over 70 solo concerto appearances with various orchestras, including the Chicago Chamber Orchestra, the Richmond Philharmonic Orchestra, the Kings Symphony Orchestra, the Middle Tennessee Symphony, the Salisbury Symphony Orchestra, the Southern Arizona Symphony, and the Vashon Chamber Orchestra, to name a few. Outside North America, he has performed concertos in Moscow and St. Petersburg, Russia, in Stockholm, Sweden, and at the home of Edvard Grieg in Bergen, Norway. He also appeared as soloist with the Viden Philharmonic Orchestra in Bulgaria. Highlights for the 2001-2002 season include concerto appearances with the Pueblo Symphony, the Grande Ronde Symphony Orchestra, the Berrien Springs Symphony, the McCall Symphony, the Spokane Festival Orchestra, and the Okanogan Valley Orchestra.

Mr. Hekmatpanah has released a compact disc recording containing cello sonatas by Frank, Debussy and Chopin. He has won several competitions and awards, including prizes in the Beethoven Club Young Artists' Competition, the Virginia Chapter of the National Society of Arts and Letters Competition, the Brentwood-Westwood Concerto Competition, the  Fort Collins Concerto Competition, and the Montpelier Cultural Arts Solo Competition. Deeply committed to teaching, Mr. Hekmatpanah is an Associate Professor at Gonzaga University, where he has taught since 1994. He is currently a member of the Spokane Symphony Orchestra, and he has previously served on the faculty of Middle Tennessee State University and has taught cello at the Governor's School for the Arts. In addition to being the first cellist to earn a DMA from the Peabody Conservatory of Music, he also holds a MM from Indiana University and a BM from the University of Southern California. His teachers have included such nationally renowned pedagogues as Stephen Kates, Fritz Magg, and Gabor Rejto, and has received coachings from such celebrated cellists as Yo-Yo Ma, Lynn Harrell, and Janos Starker. He last appeared with the Chamber Orchestra of the Springs in May of 2000 in a performance of the Shostakovich First Concerto.