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Caitlin Edwards Violin
Caitlin Edwards is a multi-genre violinist, arranger, recording artist, and teacher based in Chicago. She began her musical journey at age eight within a non-profit organization in her hometown of Birmingham, Alabama. She later attended the University of Louisville (BM) and DePaul University (MM). Caitlin is a classically trained violinist, but is inspired by gospel, jazz, hip-hop, and neo-soul. She released her debut album, “Exhale,” in 2021 and her sophomore album “Mere Mortals” released in October 2023. She composes original music and intentionally performs the works of Black composers to help ensure that these composers and their compositions are remembered and spotlighted for aspiring young BIPOC musicians and the world as a whole.
Recognition for Caitlin’s versatile career continues to propel her work. In 2024, Caitlin made her European solo debut as part of the Always, already there Incubator for Afrodiasporic New Music, hosted by the Haus der Kulturen der Welt in Berlin, Germany. She is a 2023 Advocate for the Arts awardee (Grant Park Music Festival), 2023 Sphinx MPower Artist Grant recipient, a 2022 Esteemed Artist Award recipient from the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, and a 2021 3Arts/Walder Foundation Awardee. Caitlin was also a recipient of the Rising Star Award from the Gateways Music Festival and is a co-curator with the Fulcrum Point New Music Project and a former fellow with the Chicago Sinfonietta. In addition, she has received Grammy certificates for recordings on Disney’s “The Lion King” with the Re-Collective Orchestra and for albums by John Legend and PJ Morton.
Caitlin is a proud member of D-Composed, Ensemble Dal Niente, and Sphinx Virtuosi. Serving her second term on the Board of Directors of the Chicago Federation of Musicians Local 10-208, Caitlin is proud to amplify the voices of and serve the vibrant community of musicians within Chicago.
Khelsey Zarraga Violin
Of African American and Venezuelan descent, Khelsey Zarraga is a violinist, teaching artist, improviser, arranger, recording artist, and social justice advocate based in Chicago, IL.
A 3Arts Make A Wave award recipient, Khelsey performs a wide variety of genres and has performed concerts of gospel, hip-hop, jazz, and classical music. She is a proud member of D-Composed, an all-Black chamber music collective celebrating the works of Black composers. She has collaborated with acclaimed artists and creatives such as Jamila Woods, Silkroad Ensemble, Tricia Hersey, Cheryl Lynne Bruce, Pamela Z, Nathalie Joachim, Pauli the PSM, Angel Bat Dawid, and Plinio Fernandes. She has created original compositions and arrangements for D-Composed and enjoys curating new, community-focused projects. She is also the founding violinist of Black Moon Trio, where she collaborated with artists such as poet/author Michael Tyler and author Robin Wall Kimmerer. Black Moon Trio also released two albums to critical acclaim, Principal and Flourish.
Khelsey has enjoyed performing across Europe, South America, and the Caribbean and in venues such as the Chicago Theater, Kaufman Music Center, Sala São Paulo, Wilbur Theater, and Harris Theater. As a teaching artist, she has led workshops and panels on community engagement, representation in classical music, and composition, and she has been in residence and led masterclasses at the Jacobs School of Music, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Civic Orchestra of Chicago, Connecticut SummerFest, University of Louisville, Centre College, and Denison University. Khelsey is also a mentor for the Chicago Musical Pathways Initiative.
Wilfred Farquharson Viola
Wilfred Farquharson is a violist from the Atlanta, Georgia area that now calls Chicago, Illinois his home. With his versatile musicality, he thrives as a studio, orchestral, and chamber musician. As an active contributor to the dynamic musical ecosystem of Chicago, Wilfred is a violist for the Chicago-based chamber ensembles D-Composed Chicago and Crossing Borders Music. In these ensembles Wilfred has performed to critical acclaim both nationally and internationally as well. On top of these ensembles Wilfred can be heard around the city performing and subbing with renowned orchestras such as the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Grant Park Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Philharmonic, Chicago Sinfonietta, and occasionally as the Principal Violist of the Elmhurst Symphony Orchestra. Outside of Chicago, Wilfred has also performed with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, served as guest Assistant Principal for the Augusta Symphony Orchestra, and many recording orchestras including the Re-Collective and Matt Jones Orchestras.
Furthermore, Wilfred has performed and recorded for some of Pop’s and Classical Music’s biggest artists. Some of these artists are Ms. Lauryn Hill, Silkroad Ensemble, Not for Radio, John Legend, Jessie Montgomery, Rachel Barton-Pine, Sudan Archives, Chance the Rapper, Jamila Woods, DRAMA, Andra Day, Robert Glasper, Burna Boy, Arthur Verocai, and Carlos Simon. Recently, Wilfred performed as part of Stevie Wonder’s Sing A Song To Fix Our Nation’s Broken Heart Tour throughout the Midwest.
Beyond his performance endeavors Wilfred has an ardent dedication to nurturing and educating aspiring violists and budding artists. He proudly held a faculty position at the esteemed Merit School of Music Pfaelzer Conservatory of Music from 2022-2024 and currently serves as a mentor for the Chicago Musical Pathways Initiative. He also proudly contributed as an advisory board member for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s African American Network from 2022-2023. Having been honored as a Premier Young Artist awardee, he obtained his bachelor’s degree from the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University and graduated with honors from the University of Southern California for his graduate studies at the Thornton School of Music.
Lindsey Sharpe Cello
Lindsey Sharpe is a cellist, educator, and arts administrator based in Chicago. An active orchestral musician, Lindsey is the newly appointed Principal Cellist of Chicago Sinfonietta and also holds positions with D-Composed, Sphinx Virtuosi and Northwest Indiana Symphony. She recently completed a three-year term with the Civic Orchestra of Chicago and has performed with ensembles including the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Gateways Music Festival, Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, Chineke! Orchestra, Music of the Baroque, Grant Park Orchestra, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Chicago Philharmonic, New World Symphony, and the Classical Tahoe Festival Orchestra.
Her versatility has also led her to the stage with artists such as Stevie Wonder, Nas, Lauryn Hill, Chance the Rapper, and Smokey Robinson. Lindsey has also been featured live on WFMT, performing her own solo recital for the Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert Series.
With a passion for education, Lindsey is a faculty member for the Merit School of Music and a coach for the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra. As an arts administrator, Lindsey has held positions with several reputable arts organizations and currently works as Account Coordinator for 8VA Music Consultancy, a PR firm representing the world’s most notable classical artists.
Raised in Atlanta, GA, she began playing cello at age 7 and piano at age 10. Lindsey is a proud alumna of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra’s Talent Development Program where she studied with Martha Gerschefski. Lindsey holds degrees from the University of Michigan and the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University, where she studied with Anthony Elliott and Norman Fischer, respectively.
Lindsey performs on a cello made in 1994 by Gary Garavaglia in the workshop of William Harris Lee & Co.
