Violinist Desiree Ruhstrat made her orchestral debut at the age of twelve with Lukas Foss and the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra.  At 16, she was invited by Sir George Solti to perform Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto in Chicago’s Orchestra Hall.  In the years since then she has been active as a soloist with leading orchestras in the United States and throughout the world.  Among other venues she has performed in the White House at the invitation of President and Mrs. Ronald Reagan. 

Ms. Ruhstrat, a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music, is a member of the Lincoln Trio, the ensemble-in-residence of the Music Institute of Chicago of which she is also a faculty member.  She has lately recorded the Stamitz Duo for Violin and Viola for Centaur Records and the Ravel Duo for Violin and Cello for Albany Records. 

Kristin Figard received her Masters degree in Viola Performance and her Bachelor’s degree as a double major in Viola Performance and Harpsichord Maintenance and Studies at Northwestern University.  She studied with Almita and Roland Vamos and Stephen Alltop. Kristin has performed at the Kennedy Center, on “Chicago Tonight” broadcast live on Channel 11, Music in the Loft, the Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert Series and the “Live from Studio One” Series both broadcast on WFMT. 

A multiple prizewinner in violin, viola and piano Kristin has performed as a viola soloist with the Peninsula Music Festival, the Highland Park Strings, the Skokie Valley Symphony, and the North Suburban Symphony. Working regularly with her sister Tracy, they have performed numerous Violin and Viola concertos with orchestra such as Alexander Tchaikovsky’s Distant Dreams of Childhood, Mozart’s Symphonia Concertante, and both the Stamitz  and Bruch Violin and Viola Concertos

Tracy Figard began violin studies at the age of three, piano at age nine, viola at age fourteen, and has studied harp, organ and harpsichord as well. She graduated from Northwestern with a Bachelor’s degree in Violin Performance and Historic Keyboard and a Master’s degree in Viola Performance. She has studied violin and viola with Roland and Almita Vamos, and organ with Margaret Kemper.

Tracy has been a prizewinner in numerous competitions including the Chicago/North Shore chapter of the American Guild of Organists competition and as a collaborative pianist Tracy won the Skowronski Team Competition for Violin and Piano as the pianist with her sister on the violin. She has performed as soloist with the Peninsula Music Festival, the North Suburban Symphony, the Waukegan Symphony Orchestra, the Northwestern University Symphony Orchestra, and the Lake Forest Symphony. Tracy has also performed with her sister on the Music in the Loft concert series.

Cellist, David Cunliffe at the age of nine began his studies on the cello in his native England and at the age of 12 he received a scholarship in the Royal College of Music  in London.  Later, while studying at the Royal Northern College of Music, he founded the Arguile Strong Quartet that won top award for chamber music. 

Mr. Cunliffe completed his studies at the Yehudi Menuhin Music Academy in Switzerland, where he toured throughout Europe with Yehudi Menuhin  and the Camerata Lysy.

In 1995 , as a member of the Balanescu Quartet, Mr. Cunliffe toured throughout Austrailia , Europe and the United States.  He has also been the principal cellist with the RNCM Chamber Symphony Orchestra, and has performed with the BBC Philharmonic, BBC Scottish and Royal Scottish Orchestras.  He is a founding member of theVirtuosi Chamber Orchestra and is now a member of the Lincoln Trio, the ensemble- in- residence at the Music Institute of Chicago, of which he is a faculty member.  The records on where David Cunliffe can be heard include Cedille, Enja, DMB and Albany. 

Oboist Anna Steltenpohl, from North Barrington, Illinois, is a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music and The Juilliard School. Ms. Steltenpohl has performed as principal with the New York City Ballet Orchestra, Honolulu Symphony Orchestra, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, Juilliard Orchestra, and Curtis Orchestra. She has presented recitals in Juilliard's Paul Hall, Curtis's Field Concert Hall and Chicago's Cultural Center. In past summers, Ms. Steltenpohl has attended the Pacific Music Festival and the Aspen Music Festival and School. In addition to being featured on NPR's "From the Top," Anna and her twin sister Lisa, a violist, have starred in the educational video series "Musical Encounters," and cable television's "Music 101." Ms. Steltenpohl's past instructors include Elaine Douvas, Richard Woodhams, and Jonathan Fischer. Since the fall of 2008, Anna has been a member of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra as second oboe and solo English horn.