Cellist, Lindsey Sharpe is an active performer, teacher, and administrator based in Chicago, IL. Raised in Atlanta, GA, she began playing cello at age 7 and piano at age 10. In 2007, Lindsey was accepted into the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra’s Talent Development Program and studied with Martha Gerschefski until she graduated high school in 2015. Lindsey went on to earn degrees at the University of Michigan and the Shepherd School at Rice University, studying with Anthony Elliott and Norman Fischer, respectively.

An active orchestral musician, Lindsey recently completed a three year term with the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, two of which she served as a fellow. Currently, she holds positions in the Sphinx Virtuosi and Chicago Sinfonietta and has previously appeared with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, Chineke! Orchestra, Music of the Baroque,
Grant Park Orchestra, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Chicago Philharmonic, New World Symphony, and Classical Tahoe Festival Orchestra. Lindsey has also performed alongside popular artists such as Lauryn Hill, Chance the Rapper, and Smokey Robinson.

With a passion for education, Lindsey is a faculty member for the Merit School of Music and coaches for Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra. Lindsey is also a mentor for the Chicago Musical Pathways Initiative. As an arts administrator, Lindsey has held positions with several reputable arts organizations and currently works as Executive Assistant for 8VA Music Consultancy, a PR firm representing classical artists.

Lindsey plays a cello made in the workshop of William Harris Lee in 1994 by Gary Garavaglia and enjoys discovering new pizza restaurants in Chicago in her free time.

John Bitoy is an Afro-Dominican pianist and composer originally from Chicago, where he enjoys a multi-faceted career as a soloist and collaborative pianist. His recent solo engagements include performances of Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 with the South Loop Symphony and Symphony of Oak Park. He has performed in esteemed halls such as the Eastman Theatre, Chicago Symphony Center, the Jay Pritzker Pavilion at Millennium Park, Perelman Theater, Edward Pickman Hall, Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, The American Repertory Theater, Mary B. Galvin Recital Hall, and the Copernicus Center.

John is a passionate advocate for new music in performance spaces. Past projects include the recording and world premiere of several pieces from Steve Wallace’s Solo piano and chamber compositions in 2020, followed by his opera in 2021. As an avid chamber musician, John has been invited to play at the Gateways Music Festival, The Boston Celebrity Series, the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, The Bienen School of Music, the Philharmonic Society of Orange County, the American Repertory Theater, Caramoor, The Bold Tendencies festival, and has performed works by Marcus Norris, Tyshawn Sorey, Davóne Tines, Ahmed Alabaca, and Brian Raphael Nabors.

Mr. Bitoy enjoys playing standard repertoire, yet he is simultaneously devoted to shedding light on the new music of composers of the African Diaspora. In addition to taking pleasure in his classical engagements, John is well versed in other genres. He was invited to perform with Sigur Ros during their 2019 United States Tour of Riceboy Sleeps, and has been a featured artist at the Jazz Showcase and Andy’s Jazz Club.