SARA USHER, violin, has been an active teacher and freelance and chamber musician since moving to the Bay Area in 1977. She plays regularly with the San Francisco Opera, Philharmonia Baroque and New Century Chamber Orchestras. Ms. Usher has been a founding member of several ensembles including the Vivace Players, the Foxglove Chamber Ensemble and Corvo String Quartet. She was a board of the Cazadero Performing Arts Camp, designing the popular Jumpstart weekend retreat program for aspiring young public school musicians. Ms. Usher has taught extensively having been on the faculties of the San Francisco Community Music Center, The Crowden School, and COVA in Oakland. She currently Directs the Home of United String Ensembles in support of Oakland Public Middle School string students as well as teaching privately as Director of Glenview Strings. In addition, it is her great pleasure to be General Manager of the popular RTSO.
CATHY ALLEN is a Bay Area cellist and teacher. She performs with Sacramento Philharmonic, the contemporary music ensemble, Sounds New, the Carol Trio and the Hillside Trio. Cathy has a private studio of students in El Cerrito California, teaches at Crowden School in Berkeley and coaches in the Oakland Middle Schools for the HOUSE chamber ensemble project. She also gives classes and lessons in Body Mapping for Musicians. She lives in El Cerrito with her husband Brooke Aird and their two cats.