Faculty

American soprano, Amy Joy Stephens, has been noted for a voice that is both “strong and beautiful,”. Her performances include Norina (Don Pasquale), Donna Anna (Don Giovanni), Madame Goldentrill (The Impresario), Nella (Gianni Schicchi), Countess Almaviva (Le nozze di Figaro), Antonia (Les Contes d’Hoffmann), Mabel (Pirates of Penzance) Cinderella (Massenet’s Cendrillon), and Rapunzel (Into the Woods) among others. No stranger to the concert stage, Ms. Stephens is is a three-time soloist with The Los Angeles Bach Festival and has also been seen as the soprano soloist for such major works as Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem, Duruflé's Requiem, and Vivaldi's Gloria. She has been a district winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and was chosen as a Western Regional Finalist, taking home an encouragement award. Other awards include: Grand prize winner in the Three Arts Vocal Competition, First Place in the California Women's Chorus Vocal Scholarship Competition, First place in the Opera 100 Vocal competition, the Audience Favorite award in the Classical Singer's Association Vocal Competition, 2nd place in the American Educators of Italian Origin United (AEIOU) Voice Competition, Opera Buffs Inc. Career Grant recipient and a recipient of the Leni Fé Bland Vocal Scholarship. She is currently a co-founder of a musical non profit organization, The Sparrow Initiative, which is a performance group that uses the arts to raise awareness for the needs of the community, and performs in various concerts with the organization on a regular basis. Ms. Stephens received her B.M. in Vocal Performance from The Bob Cole Conservatory of Music at CSULB on a full ride scholarship and her M.M. in Vocal Performance from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) where she was a graduate assistant teaching professor that worked with their prestigious musical theater department. She has been the musical director/vocal director for such theater shows as: Pippin, How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying, Songs for a New World, and more. She has previously been on the voice faculty at The Bob Cole Conservatory of Music at CSULB and currently runs a private studio in Orange County as well as serving on the vocal faculty at California Baptist University. She resides in Huntington Beach with her husband Alex Stephens and their two sons Elias and Lukas.

Fred Carama is widely known as one of the most respected voice teachers in the United States. His students perform in some of the world's leading opera houses and concert stages. With an extensive background in physiology and anatomy, Mr. Carama combines the aesthetics of great singing with a profound understanding of the fundamentals of vocal health. Mr. Carama has led workshops and masterclasses across the U.S., Canada, and abroad. He joined the faculty of the California Institute of the Arts in the early 1980s and served as a voice teacher, coach and conductor. He has also served on the voice faculties of the Aspen Music Festival, the Manhattan School of Music, Long Beach State University, SUNY Stonybrook, and the Music Academy of the West as principal voice instructor with Marilyn Horne. Mr. Carama currently resides in Los Angeles and is serving on the faculty of California Baptist University and maintains a private studio. Some of his artist students include Lester Lynch, Bruce Sledge, Maryann McCormick, Lise Lindstrom, Camille Zamora, and Monica Yunis among many performing around the world.

Nathan King is a highly sought-after woodwind performer, jazz saxophonist, recording artist and music educator in Southern California. He has studied under some of the most wellregarded teachers in the business including Gary Foster, Je Ellwood, Katisse Buckingham, Sal Lozano, Dan St. Marseille and Damon Zick and has shared the stage with great musicians such as Bob Mintzer, Bill Cunli e, Bob Sheppard, Doc Severinsen, Nick Mancini, Wayne Bergeron, John Clayton, Gregg Field, Steve Houghton, Eric Marienthal, Walt Weiskopf, Joe LaBarbera and many others.

He performs in a variety of groups including Bill Cunli e's big band, "Bachanalia," Phat Cat Swingers and his own group, The King Quartet. He has performed at well-known venues including the Blue Whale, Catalina Jazz Club and Alvas Showroom. In 2015, Nathan was selected to participate in the Disneyland All-American College Band. More recently, he was honored the award of Best Saxophonist at the 2016 Reno Jazz Festival.

As an educator, Nathan maintains a private teaching studio, conducts masterclasses and holds a conservatory teacher position in the Jazz Studies Program at Orange County School of the Arts. He is also on faculty at Mt. San Antonio College and California Baptist University.

Nathan earned a Bachelor of Music in Saxophone Performance with an emphasis in Jazz and Commercial Music from California State University, Fullerton and a Master of Music in Jazz Studies from the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music at California State University, Long Beach.

James Rocillo is widely recognized and highly sought after for his exceptional expertise as a clinician, particularly within concert bands, jazz bands, and various ensembles. His reputation extends across the region, with frequent invitations to participate in prestigious events and honor groups facilitated by organizations such as the Southern California School Band and Orchestra Association (SCSBOA) and similar festivals.

Over the years, Mr. Rocillo has conducted notable honors bands, including the SCSBOA Jazz Honor Band in 2018, the San Bernardino Junior High District Honor Band in 2016, and the Santa Ana Unified District Honor Band in 2017. He will direct the Chaffey Joint Union High School Jazz Honor Band this spring. Under his leadership, his bands have consistently garnered acclaim and accolades at festivals and competitions, including but not limited to the Western Bands Association, Reno Jazz Festival, Bands of America Grand Nationals, and SCSBOA.

Mr. Rocillo's distinguished achievements include significant recognitions such as being a Semper Fidelis Bowl Winner, a Fox Sports Honoree, and a Grammy Nominee as part of the esteemed Who's Who in the music industry. Furthermore, his ensembles have graced internationally televised parades, most notably the Rose Bowl and Macy's Day Parades, contributing to the cultural enrichment of audiences worldwide.

In addition to his illustrious career as a clinician, Mr. Rocillo holds the position of Associate Professor at Riverside City College, located in Riverside, California. Within this capacity, he serves as the director of the Community Concert Band, the Jazz Ensemble, and the renowned Riverside City College Marching Tigers, a testament to his profound commitment to music education.

Notably, Mr. Rocillo has been a member of the Blue Devils A Corps brass staff since 2008, a role that has contributed to an impressive tally of nine DCI Championships (in the years 2009, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2022, and 2023). His influence and expertise have also resulted in four Jim Ott Awards for outstanding brass performance, specifically in 2008, 2010, 2014, and 2022.

Mr. Rocillo's career has been marked by a diverse range of professional experiences. Before his tenure at Riverside City College, he served as the director of bands at Colony High School, overseeing all aspects of the band program for six years. His contributions to the band programs at Ayala High School, Nogales High School, and Valley View High School have also been significant, demonstrating his versatility and adaptability in various musical settings.

Mr. Rocillo's dedication to continuous education is a cornerstone of his professional journey. He began by earning a Bachelor of Science in Business/Marketing from the University of Phoenix in February 2008. He then pursued a Master of Education degree from National University in May 2013. His commitment to honing his craft led him to become a conducting student of Dr. Mitch Fennell from 2017-2020. In 2024, he graduated with a Master of Music Degree with a concentration on Instrumental Conducting from California Baptist University under the tutelage of Dr. Gene Moon.

Outside of his professional endeavors, Mr. Rocillo resides in the Inland Empire alongside his wife Sara, their son Miles, and their cherished canine companions, Aki and Coltrane.

Praised for his "voluminous sound" and “imposing, ringing baritone," Canadian baritone and composer Joel Balzun teaching voice and composition at California Baptist University. His students are seen on operatic and musical theatre stages across the USA and beyond and have gained to undergraduate and graduate institutions across the country, including Indiana University, Manhattan School of Music, Peabody Institute, Roosevelt University and University of Southern California, in addition to top summer training programs across the continent, including Boston Wagner Institute and SongFest. A frequent masterclass presenter, he was also the vocal coach to Emmy Award winner Justin Theroux for his work on HBO’s White House Plumbers. Mr. Balzun has been an award-winner in the Wagner Society of New York Singers Competition, following his win of the Fulham Opera Robert Presley Memorial Verdi Prize, solidifying his growing presence in the dramatic repertoire. His role debut as Giorgio Germont (La traviata) was proclaimed "a standout performance" and that of Escamillo (Carmen) was heralded as “swaggering, supremely self-confident” and sung with a “thunderous” and “booming” voice. Especially passionate about the works of Richard Strauß, he has particularly excelled in the roles of Mandryka (Arabella) and Jupiter (Die Liebe der Danae).

From Carnegie Hall to the Kennedy Center, Mr. Balzun’s repertoire include the title roles in Don Giovanni, Gianni Schicchi, Dead Man Walking and Don Quichotte at Camacho’s Wedding (Telemann), both Marcello and Schaunard (La bohème), the Four Villains in Les contes d'Ho8mann, Prince Yeletskiy and Count Tomskiy (Pikovaya Dama), Albert (Werther), Belcore (L'elisir d'amore), Dr. Malatesta (Don Pasquale) and Valentin (Faust). Other past role assignments include such diverse characters as Riolobo (Florencia en al Amazonas), Golaud (Pelléas et Mélisande), Hunter (Rusalka), Dr. Carrasco/Knight of the Mirrors/Duke (Man of La Mancha), Sid (Albert Herring), John Brooke (Little Women) and Marquis de la Force (Dialogues of the Carmelites). On the concert stage, Mr. Balzun’s broad vocal range has allowed him to be a featured soloist in Copland's Old American Songs, Dvořák’s Te Deum, Fauré's Requiem, Haydn's The Creation, Mahler's Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen, Mozart’s Mass in c minor and Per bella questa mano, Vaughan Williams’ Dona nobis pacem and Five Mystical Songs, Verdi's Requiem and numerous cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach. His acclaimed performance of Bach's Johannes-Passion with the Rochester Bach Festival was recently broadcast multiple times across the United States.

In the competition circuit, Mr. Balzun has been a prize-winner in numerous competitions. Highlights include prizes from from Metropolitan Opera LaVont Competition (Los Angeles District and Western Region), Pasadena Vocal Competition, Lyndon Woodside Oratorio-Solo Competition, Houston Saengerbund Vocal Competition, Gwendolyn Roberts Young Artist Auditions, Orpheus National Vocal Competition, Houston Saengerbund Vocal Competition, NATS Artist Awards and the Rio Hondo Symphony Young Artist Competition. He has also been a finalist for Rochester International Voice Competition, Orchestre symphonique de Montréal Concours, Premiere Opera Foundation International Vocal Competition and Vincerò World Singing Competition.

An avid proponent of the music of living and contemporary composers, Mr. Balzun won critical acclaim for his portrayal of the titular Joseph de Rocher in the South Florida premiere of Jake Heggie's Dead Man Walking with Miami Music Festival. He worked with the composer on this work, as well as the role of Charlie in excerpts from Three Decembers. He recently created the role of Ivan Brisilov in the world premiere of Stephanie Fleischmann and Peter Knell’s Arkhipov with Jacaranda Music, conducted by Daniela Candillari. On the concert stage, he has championed rarely-performed works such as George Rochberg's String Quartet No. 7, as well as Peter Maxwell Davies's virtuosic Eight Songs for a Mad King. His professional debut in 2011 was in the world premiere of Peter Michael von der Nahmer's award winning opera, El canguro with California International Theatre Festival. In 2021, Mr. Balzun launched Black Dog Commission, a new commissioning series for art song repertoire which openly discusses life with mental illness.

Also an accomplished composer, Mr. Balzun's “haunting and beautiful” music has received international recognition, garnering prizes from the SOCAN Foundation Awards for Young Composers, the Dallas Winds’ annual “Call for Fanfares” and the Classical Marimba League International Composition Competition. He was also a finalist for the prestigious ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composers Awards. In 2010, Mr. Balzun was also a prize-winner in the National Broadcast Orchestra’s Galaxie Rising Star Composers’ Competition, winning both the Young Composers Prize and the Grand Prize. He has appeared as a guest presenter and composer at the CBDNA National Conference and CFAMC National Conference, where he was also a featured soloist.

Praised as “a musical standout”, Mr. Balzun’s has been performed in Canada, the United States, Costa Rica, Denmark, Taiwan and the United Kingdom, by ensembles such as Alberta Winds, Calgary Civic Symphony, Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, CCM Wind Orchestra, Dallas Winds, the National Broadcast Orchestra of Canada, La Orquestra Vientos de Costa Rica, White Snake Projects and Windago. Additional performances include those by Cadillac Moon Ensemble, Standing Wave Ensemble, and such luminary soloists as Corey Hamm and Megan Moore. His music has been broadcast on CBC Radio 2 and Espace Musique. A selection of Mr. Balzun’s music is currently published by C. Alan Publications, Lovebird Music and NewMusicShelf. He is an active member of ASCAP and SOCAN.

Mr. Balzun is a proud alum of Eastman School of Music, where he earned his Master's degree in Vocal Performance and Literature under the tutelage of Jan Opalach and Benton Hess. He was an apprentice artist at Santa Fe Opera and Opera Saratoga and a former fellowship recipient at the Ravinia Steans Music Institute and the Tanglewood Music Center. He is grateful to have studied the art of singing with Reid Bruton, Jane Eaglen, William Lock, Anthony Manoli, Michelle Minke, Judith Natalucci and Sanford Sylvan. www.joelbalzun.com

Pianist Hyoung Wuk Kim enjoys a versatile performing career as a recitalist as well as a chamber musician. He has garnered national acclaim for his “remarkable interpretation” in his performances. He won prizes in several competitions and played in numerous recitals throughout the United States, Europe and Asia. As a soloist, Hyoung appeared with several orchestras, such as Greece Symphony Orchestra and Los Angeles Sinfonietta. Recently, he had a concert tour in European counties including Austria, Germany, Budapest, and Croatia.

As a pianist who made the decision to pursue a professional career after his military service, Hyoung brings a unique perspective and approach into his teaching. His experience as a trumpeter in the military band added to his musicianship and ambition, leading him to return fully to his piano training. He also developed a deep understanding and knowledge of the technical mechanism of one’s body in playing the piano and how to help young musicians interpret music. His teaching experience at Eastman School of Music, The California School of the Arts, Montecito international Music Festival, Pasadena Conservatory of Music, and California Baptist University, many of his students have represented their developing musicianship and successes by winning competitions, performing with orchestras, and entering top colleges.

Hyoung Kim received his Master of Music degree at University of Southern California, where he studied with Stewart Gordon and his Bachelor of Music and Doctorate of Musical Arts degrees in piano performance and literature at Eastman School of Music, where he studied with Nelita True.

Dr. Evelyn Lee is a Greater Los Angeles based pianist, collaborative artist, and music educator. She performed at various venues throughout the United States and Europe, including the Armstrong Theatre in Torrance, California; UC Irvine Winifred Smith Hall; Sant'Anna dei Lombardi in Naples, Italy; Studzinski Recital Hall at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine; Lorimer Chapel at Colby College in Waterville, Maine; Robert J. Werner Recital Hall at the College-Conservatory of Music in Cincinnati, Ohio; and the Summit Series and the Washington Square Concert in Rochester, New York. Her concerto performances include Saint-Saëns “Africa” with South Bay Musica Sinfonia under the baton of Frank Fetta, Prokofiev Concerto No. 3 with the Beach Cities Symphony Orchestra directed by Barry Brisk, and also with the Southwestern Youth Festival Orchestra with Frances Steiner.

She is in demand as a collaborative pianist, playing as a guest pianist alongside violinist Artem Fominyx at The Wallis in Beverly Hills, and was interviewed by KUSC host Brian Lauritzen at the Pre-Concert Conversation. She also played at the California Association of Professional Music Teachers conference master class and at the YoungArts Foundation Concert at UCLA Royce Hall as a collaborative pianist. She collaborated with studios of Bing Wang, Glenn Dicterow, Nick Strimple, Elizabeth Hynes, and Rod Gilfry, and she was awarded the Keyboard Studies Ensemble Award by the USC Thornton School of Music.

She presented at various state and national music teacher conferences including the San Jose CAPMT Conference in 2019, the Florida State Conference in 2020, and the MTNA National Symposium in 2021 and 2022. Her publication includes an article called “Mirrored in Music: Experiences of Life, Death, and Spirituality as Embodied in Selected Piano Pieces by Underrepresented North American Composers of the Twentieth Century” in the October 2021 issue of the CAPMT Connect Journal. She is also active in CAPMT as the Young Professional Leadership Network State Chair, where she leads an initiative dedicated to supporting new and emerging California music teachers in the early stages of their careers. She is also a part of the CAPMT Conference Planning Committee, where she takes part in organizing the state conference. She also founded the MTNA Riverside City College Collegiate Chapter and serves as the chapter advisor for students.

She holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Piano Performance, and minor fields in Music Theory, Collaborative Piano, and Choral Conducting at the University of Southern California. She received full tuition and a generous stipend with her teaching assistantship, and she taught group piano courses and private instruction to music majors, minors, and non-majors. She also completed a Master of Music degree from USC, a Bachelor of Music degree from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, and also formerly studied at the Eastman School of Music. Her former teachers include Bernadene Blaha, Alan Smith, Yoshikazu Nagai, Enrico Elisi, Mihyang Keel, and Esther Keel.

She is currently a full-time Collaborative Pianist at Riverside City College, and she also teaches as an Adjunct Piano Faculty at California Baptist University.

The Toronto Star declares “Julie Makerov as Senta...was every inch the ringing life force Wagner intended.” As winner of the Dora Award, Canada’s most prestigious live theater honor, Ms. Makerov was recognized for her compelling portrayal of Senta in Wagner’s Der Fliegende Holländer and continues to captivate audiences internationally. This gifted soprano’s voice has been described as “gloriously commanding”(la scena musicale), “sumptuous”(ArtsSF.com), and “soaring”(The Oakland Tribune). The New York Times proclaims “Julie Makerov’s plush soprano voice and vulnerability were ideal for the godess Freia”, and of her debut with Los Angeles Opera, The Huffington post wrote “Julie Makerov is triumphant!”.

In addition to her most recent role as Professor of Voice at California Baptist University in Riverside, Ms. Makerov has sung with the world’s finest opera companies including Canadian Opera Company, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Seattle Opera, Los Angeles Opera and Oper Frankfurt.

The internationally acclaimed soprano’s engagements include singing with Houston Grand Opera in their productions of Strauss’s Elektra and Wagner’s Die Walküre under the baton of Patrick Summers and with Opera Theater Saint Louis singing Lady Macbeth in Verdi’s Macbeth and Queen of Hearts in Unsuk Chin’s Alice in Wonderland. Ms. Makerov’s other engagements include singing Sieglinde in Die Walküre with the American Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Leon Botstein and singing the role of Chrysotemis in Elektra with Des Moines Metro Opera.

Ms. Makerov has sung with the Lyric Opera of Chicago and Los Angeles Opera, singing the role of The Mother in Humperdinck’s Hänsel und Gretel, and Senta in Der Fliegende Holländer. The sought-after soprano also sang the title role of Tosca with the Canadian Opera Company, and performed the role of Senta in Der Fliegende Holländer in Salzburg under the baton of Sir Ivor Bolton.

Ms. Makerov’s International career also includes returning to Oper Frankfurt, where she sang the role of Margherita in Boito’s Mefistofele, and to the Canadian Opera Company where she sang Senta in Wagner’s Der Fliegende Holländer. Ms. Makerov garnered outstanding critical acclaim singing the title role in Dvořák’s Rusalka and Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni with the Canadian Opera Company. She also reprised the role of Rusalka in the Czech Republic with the Český Krumlov International Music Festival.

Other notable operatic engagements include the soprano’s debuts with Theater Erfurt and Oper Frankfurt singing the title role in Tosca and performing in Matsumoto, Japan with Seji Ozawa’s internationally acclaimed Saito Kinnen festival. Ms. Makerov also joined the roster of the Metropolitan Opera where she covered the roles of Gerhilde, Lady in waiting, The Shopkeeper, and Mme. Peronskaya in the productions of Die Walküre, MacBeth and War and Peace, and toured with them to Japan. She has sung Gerhilde in Die Walküre and Freia in Das Rheingold with Canadian Opera Company, Rosalinda in Die Fledermaus with Seattle Opera and SarasotaOpera, the title role in Tosca with Sarasota Opera, Cio-Cio San in Madama Butterfly with Palm Beach Opera, Sarasota Opera and Opera San Jose.

Dr. Matt Pitts is serving as adjunct professor in the Collinsworth School of Performing Arts of California Baptist University. He also serves as an adjunct professor at Jacksonville College, as the pastor of Minden Baptist Church in Minden, TX and teaches Bible at Full Armor Christian Academy in nearby Henderson, TX.

A native of Texas, Matt Pitts received his Bachelor of Arts in Speech Communication from Texas A&M University in College Station, TX in 2005. After college he attended Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Forth Worth, TX where he received the Master of Divinity degree in 2008 while serving as a pastoral intern at First Baptist Church in Keller, TX where he led the college ministry. In 2009 Matt became the pastor of Minden Baptist Church where he has served for 15 years. In 2018 he received the Doctor of Ministry degree in Biblical Theology from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. He is currently pursuing a PhD in Systematic Theology through Midwestern Baptist Theology Seminary in Kansas City, Missouri.

Matt has presented at the southwest regional meeting of The Evangelical Theological Society spoken at Bible conferences, and had an award-winning essay published in the Journal of Classical Theology.

Matt and his wife, Sarah, were married in 2005 and have four children: Grace, Will, John, and Asher.

Stacee, a CBU professor since 2019, holds an MFA in Theatre, specializing in directing & pedagogy, a Master’s in Business, and a BA in Theatre Education. Spearheading TCARiverside since 2013, she exhibits a profound commitment to directing youth in theatre. Presently engaged in a Doctorate in Education, her research explores the transformative impact of musical theatre.

Emily Benford has been a vocal coach and vocal director for the past 12 years and a faculty member of CBU since 2020. She recently took on the role of Associate Program Director of Commercial Music and is passionate about taking all of her experience as a professional singer and teaching it to the incredibly talented students of SOPA.

Emily (aka Emily B) is also an L.A.-based session singer, worship leader, songwriter, vocal director, arranger, and coach. As a highly sought-after Session Singer, she has sung on many popular movies, TV shows, and albums such as Pitch Perfect, Glee, Childish Gambino, and Rachel Platten, to name a few. For over a decade, she has sung for Disney and Disney Parks, worldwide, and can be heard on many Disney Hong Kong recordings, and throughout Disney’s California Adventure Park during Christmastime, in their one and only “Mickey’s Happy Holidays” parade.

Emily has had years of live performance experience, singing with a wide range of musical artists like Stevie Wonder, Janet Jackson, Michael McDonald, Lupe Fiasco, and renowned music producers/directors and composers, Rickey Minor and Michael Bearden. She has shared the stage with Classic Rock legends such as Kenny Loggins, John Elefante (Kansas), Richard Marx, David Pack (Ambrosia), and Wally Palmer of the Romantics. And, she has backed-up gospel giants like Kirk Franklin, Tye Tribbett, Judith McAllister, and Fred Hammond.

Emily has also had success in front of the screen, finishing as a finalist on Season 1 of BET’s Gospel-music competition “Sunday Best” and on Season 6 of NBC’s “The Voice”. Through “The Voice” Emily was able to record her own renditions of Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Game” and Sara Bareilles’ “Brave”, which are both available on all streaming platforms. She also recently performed with The Samples Choir for the 94th Academy Awards “In Memoriam” segment.

When she’s not busy teaching and singing, she is happily busy at home with her husband of 15 years, Roderick, and their three sons.

David Beatty is currently Faculty Emeritus in Commercial Music at Azusa Pacific University. For 24 years he directed the critically acclaimed APU Jazz Ensemble. Under his leadership the group performed extensively and made several recordings, developing a reputation for musical excellence. Beatty’s trombone performance experience includes recording music for motion pictures, television, commercials, & albums for many artists. Live performance credits range from symphony orchestras to Broadway national road tours. He has extensive big band jazz experience in both modern and traditional bands including tours of duty in the Bill Watrous Wildlife Refuge West band and the Glenn Miller Orchestra. He is also an active composer, arranger, & music copyist. Mr. Beatty holds a B.M. in Trombone Performance from CSUN, a M.M. in Commercial Music Performance from CSULA and a M.B.A. from Claremont Graduate University. He serves on the faculty of the Idyllwild Arts Summer Jazz Academy, and is a frequent adjudicator and clinician.

Renowned for her musicality and warm sound, Bassoonist Elizabeth Low-Atwater is fully immersed in the Southern California music scene. She maintains an active freelance career as a member of the Mozart Classical Orchestra and performing with ensembles like the Long Beach Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, and San Diego Symphony among many other regional groups. Elizabeth has also appeared as a guest soloist performing Mozart’s Bassoon Concerto with Symphony Irvine and the La Sierra Chamber Orchestra.

An avid chamber artist, she is continually engaged in many various projects. As a part of the West Coast Wind Quintet, the ensemble holds frequent concerts promoting and working with local living composers. She has also given many educational performances at elementary and middle schools through the Local 7 Meet the Musicians Program. Her most recent venture the Lizulia Duo, a collaboration with fellow friend and flutist Julia Barnett, were named finalists for the 2022 American Prize Winners.

With an extensive teaching studio, she is on faculty at OCSA, Fullerton College, Irvine Valley College, Cal Poly Pomona, Concordia University Irvine, La Sierra University, Biola University, and Cal Baptist. Many of her private students have won positions in the All-State, and All-Southern Ensembles, and seats in the Pacific Symphony Youth Ensembles as well as gone on to receive music scholarships at the collegiate level. Through Concordia University, Irvine she co-hosts an annual Double Reed Day, giving workshops in reed making and providing various bassoon and oboe resources for students in the area.

Elizabeth received her Bachelors in Music Performance from the California State University, Fullerton and a Masters in Music at the University of California, Los Angeles and also participated in the Hot Springs Music Festival, Imani Winds Chamber Festival, and Domaine Forget Music Festival.

Dr. JinHee Kate Kim is an internationally acclaimed violinist, chamber musician, and educator whose artistry has captivated audiences around the world. Praised for her "sensitive voicing" by the Leipziger Volkszeitung, Dr. Kim’s performances have taken her to prestigious stages in the United States, Canada, Korea, Germany, and Italy, including Carnegie Hall, Symphony Hall in Boston, the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in Seoul, and Old City Hall in Leipzig. Her versatile career spans both classical and innovative musical realms, earning her numerous accolades, including rst-place and silver medals at the International Chamber Music Ensemble Competition in New York, as well as the Most Distinguished Musicians Award and Brahms Award at the IBLA International Competition in Italy.

Dr. Kim is currently on the violin faculty at California Baptist University and has previously shaped the next generation of musicians at Mount St. Joseph University, Eastern Nazarene College, and Boston University where she mentored students in violin, viola, chamber music, string pedagogy, and music theory. Her students have gone on to study at top universities, including the New England Conservatory of Music, UCLA, and Brown University, and have earned numerous accolades in national and international competitions. Many of her pupils have performed at Carnegie Hall, played with prestigious youth orchestras, and served as concertmasters.

In 1992, Dr. Kim faced a life-altering challenge when an injury to her left hand led her to develop innovative multi-media performance techniques that would redene her artistry. Inspired by this experience, she created El Bara Art (Hebrew for "God Creates"), a series of groundbreaking performances that combine violin with narration, acting, sound effects, mime, and visual art. These unique works—The Creation of the World, The Wanderer, and Return to HIM—have been presented in churches across the U.S. and Korea, underscoring her pioneering role in the world of multi-media music.

Dr. Kim’s musical education is equally distinguished. She studied at the New England Conservatory of Music under the guidance of Michèle Auclair and James Buswell, and further honed her craft as a teaching assistant to the legendary Prof. Roman Totenberg at Boston University. She also studied chamber music with renowned mentors such as Menahem Pressler, Lorence Lesser, the Borromeo Quartet, and Lee Fiser of the LaSalle Quartet. Whether on stage or in the classroom, Dr. Kim continues to inspire with her dedication to excellence, her innovative approach to performance, and her unwavering commitment to fostering the next generation of musical talent.