Catharine Lysinger​ is professor of practice at SMU’s Meadows School of the Arts, where she teaches applied piano and is head of the piano pedagogy area. 

She is a prizewinner in national and international piano competitions, including First Prize in the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) National Young Artist Competition and First Prize in the Wideman International Piano Competition. Lysinger is a frequent guest of festivals nationally and internationally. Recent invitations to perform, give master classes and present lectures have come from the Brancaleoni Festival (Italy), the Vienna International Piano Academy (Austria), the May Festival at the Tianjin Conservatory and East China Normal University in Shanghai (China), and the National Conservatory in Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic), co-hosted by Estudio Diná and Stephen F. Austin University.

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Lysinger has performed with orchestras including the Filarmónica de Jalisco (Guadalajara, Mexico), the Lubbock Symphony Orchestra, the Houston Civic Symphony and the Clear Lake Orchestra, and frequently collaborates as soloist with the Meadows Symphony Orchestra and the Meadows Wind Ensemble. Performances include the Prokofiev Concerto No. 1, Stravinsky Concerto for Piano and Winds, Mozart Concerto for Two Pianos, Mozart Concerto in D minor, Messiaen’s Oiseaux Exotiques and Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue. Lysinger is also an active soloist and collaborator in chamber music concerts with SMU colleagues. With duo-piano partner Dr. Alex McDonald she has performed the Bartók Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion with percussionists of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, and numerous other works for two pianos.

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Lysinger was nominated for the SMU Provost’s Teaching Recognition Award, which honors faculty who demonstrate a commitment to excellence and a consummate dedication to teaching.  She was also named Pre-Collegiate Teacher of the Year by her colleagues in the Texas Music Teachers Association. Many of her university and pre-college students have been awarded first prize in numerous competitions, including the MTNA-Texas Junior, Senior and Young Artist Piano Competitions, the Plano Symphony Young Artist Competition and the Lewisville Lake Competition. Graduates of her studio have been accepted to major universities and conservatories nationwide including The Juilliard School, New England Conservatory and Indiana University, to name a few.

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Lysinger is a frequent adjudicator, recently serving on the screening jury for the Cliburn International Junior Piano Competition and sitting on the jury for the Cliburn International Amateur Piano Competition. As a lecturer, she has frequently presented on various topics related to teaching to national and state MTAs. Lysinger is the founding director of the SMU Institute for Young Pianists (SMU IYP), a summer festival that attracts the best and brightest young pianists in the region and from across the U.S. and abroad. 

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She earned a D.M.A. in piano performance at the University of Houston with Professor Nancy Weems and undertook additional studies with Horacio Gutiérrez, Gabriel Chodos (Aspen Music Festival) and Evelyne Brancart (Aspen Music Festival).​​​

Elim Wong is a ninth grader at Jasper High School in Plano. She is currently under the tutelage of renowned violinist Shannon Lee. Elim made her first appearance as a soloist at the age of 12 and has performed with the Plano Symphony Orchestra and the Lewisville Lake Symphony. Her list of accolades includes National First Prize of the 2024-2025 Music Teachers National Association Competition, Grand Prize in the 2024 Vernell Gregg Young Artists Competition, and Grand Prize of the 2023 Collin County Young Artist Competition. In the upcoming summer, Elim will use her Young Masters grant to study at the Heifetz Institute Summer Program in Staunton, Virginia.

Heather Sorenson is an internationally known composer, arranger, and orchestrator whose works are performed in churches, schools, universities, concerts, and competitions worldwide. Initially recognized for her skill as a pianist, she is now widely known for her choral and instrumental works, with hundreds of compositions in print through various publishing houses including Hal Leonard, Shawnee Press, Alfred Music, the Lorenz Corporation, Hope Publishing, Lillenas, Fred Bock Music, and others.

Eclectic in her musicianship, Heather easily maneuvers the contemporary, traditional, and classical genres of music. Her ability to navigate such a wide diversity of style and venue earns her the ualification of being one of the most versatile musicians in the industry. Her recent commissions include works for Texas A&M University and the John F. Kennedy Memorial Foundation, in addition to many privately-funded commissions. Her latest extended commissions are Requiem and These Ancient Words, large works that live in both the concert hall and the sanctuary.

Teaching has been a large part of Heather's career. She taught all elementary levels of music at Grace Academy of Dallas for 4 years, served as an adjunct music professor at Baylor University, and has served on many master class panels in piano and songwriting. She is a sought-after guest speaker and conductor at churches across America and leads scores of sessions each year at various worship conferences, schools, and universities.

Over the past several years, Heather has appeared multiple times at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and Constitution Hall in the roles of pianist, composer, and conductor. Although her career is sometimes on a big stage, Heather's heart is leading the Church in worship, and she feels that her greatest calling is using her music to connect people with God. Currently Heather spends her time juggling a full writing load as well as traveling as a guest artist and lecturer. In her free time, she is usually planning and performing benefit concerts for  her favorite non-profit organizations. She makes her home in the Dallas, TX area with her dog, Darla.

Inspirata is a chamber ensemble dedicated to promoting a heightened awareness and appreciation for choral music that elevates the human spirit and brings communities together. Guided by the principles of Ministry (Caritas), Education (Collegium), and Community (Concordia), Inspirata programs include informed performances of early music through modern compositions, workshops, young artist sponsorships, collaborations with local organizations, partnerships with local composers and fundraising.

Whether you have an interest in joining us or simply want to find out more about our group and events, please reach out to us at:

info@inspiratamusic.com

Jonathan Valenzuela is a guitarist, arranger, and educator in Dallas, Texas. His academic career consists of a Bachelor of Music, Master of Music, and Performer’s Diploma in Guitar Performance from Southern Methodist University, having studied under the tutelage of renowned musician Robert Guthrie.

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In 2019, he received the Undergraduate Award for Excellence in Music from Meadows School of the Arts. Jonathan has performed in masterclasses for world class artists including Meng Su, Sergio Asaad, Gohar Vardanyan and David Russell. In 2024, the Harry W. Bass Jr. School of Arts, Humanities, and Technology invited him to perform a solo concert at the Texas Guitar Competition and Festival. This international festival, hosted by The University of Texas at Dallas, is widely recognized in the classical guitar community and attracts world-class players, judges and competitors.

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In addition to his performing, Jonathan is a former adjunct lecturer at Southern Methodist University and has taught at a variety of music schools in the metroplex. He is currently the director and general manager at Yamaha Music School Plano, serving a large community of students and aspiring young musicians.

James Tarbutton began his formal study of classical guitar under the direction of Mr. Frank Kimlicko at Tyler Junior College and later at the University of Texas at Tyler where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in guitar performance. He went on to study with Mr. Robert Guthrie at Southern Methodist University where he earned a Master’s degree in guitar performance. He also has had additional instruction from flamenco master Miguel Antonio.

Mr. Tarbutton is a member of Alpha Chi and Pi Kappa Lambda honor societies. He has participated in masterclasses with guitar masters such as Pepe Romero, Angel Romero, David Russell, William Kanengiser, Carlos Barbosa Lima, Sharon Isbin and Enric Madriguera. In 2004, Mr. Tarbutton was invited to be a participant in the "Celebration of Pepe Romero Guitar Festival" at the University of Southern California – Thorton School of Music. Mr. Tarbutton performs regularly throughout the North and East Texas areas both as a soloist and in various ensembles. 

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Aaron Todd began studying classical guitar at Tyler Jr. College with professor Frank Kimlicko.  After 5 years of classical study on guitar, he expanded his studies to the flamenco guitar under the tutelage of Miguel Antonio of Dallas, Tx.  Aaron continued with both classical and flamenco instruction, playing in ensemble and solo settings while simultaneously earning a Bachelor's of Fine Arts with honors in Spanish. 

Aaron has studied and/or participated in master classes with world renowned musicians, including Pepe Romero, Paco Pena, Grammy-winners Bill Kanengiser, Scott Tennant, and David Russell, and composer Brian Head, among others. Aaron has begun composing works for guitar solo and duo in a mixture of traditional and modern flamenco, classical, and latin-american folkloric styles.  As a soloist and with the Del Alma Guitar Duo and Trio, Aaron has performed at the "Celebration of Pepe Romero" at USC, L.A., the Texas Guitar Festival, UT Dallas International Guitar Festival and Competition, Eastfield Guitar Festival, as well as concerts and performances around the state of Texas.​

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Lakeway Chamber Players & Friends

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Ukrainian Violist Anna Kolotylina is a graduate of The Colburn School (Los Angeles), Lviv National Music Academy (Ukraine), and the International Menuhin Music Academy (Switzerland). Her otherworldly musicianship sent her performing throughout Europe and USA ultimately landing her in Fort Worth where she is currently Associate Principal Viola in the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra.
 

Anna has collaborated and shared a stage with world-known musicians like Alberto Lysy, Maxim Vengerov, Jeremy Menuhin, Michaela Martin, Frans Helmerson, Liviu Prunaru, Ebene Quartet, Kodaly Quartet, Tokyo Quartet, and the Guarneri Quartet. Her previous positions include Bern Symphony Orchestra, Verbier Festival Orchestra, Camerata Menuhin, and the Oregon Symphony Orchestra. Praised by LA Opus for having the most beautiful viola sound, Anna has made solo and chamber music performances at the South Bay Chamber Music Society, Music at the Main, Colburn Chamber Music Society, and the Verbier and Menuhin Festivals.
 

She extends her gratitude to her Viola mentors, Ettore Causa, Nobuko Imai, and Paul Coletti.

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Lakeway Chamber Players & Friends

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A native of Taipei, Taiwan, Swang Lin began the study of violin at the age of six. Later he studied with Zvi Zeitlin at the Eastman School of Music. His performances have taken him throughout the United States, Germany, Austria, Spain, Switzerland, Italy, England and Taiwan. He is currently the Associate Concertmaster of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra. Swang has also performed with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, Dallas Symphony, Houston Symphony, the Orchestra of St. Luke’s. He held the concertmaster position with the West Virginia Symphony and the Bear Valley Music Festival, and guest concertmaster with Taipei City Symphony, Atlantic Classical Orchestra, and East Texas Symphony. Swang has performed at Tanglewood, Caramoor, Colorado and Killington Music Festival and Snowbird Institute in the US as well as Goslar music festival in Germany, Vietnam Connection Music Festival and Taiwan National Symphony Orchestra Summer festival in Asia.
 

Swang’s concerto appearances include Fort Worth Symphony, West Virginia Symphony, Kaohsiung City Symphony (Taiwan), Shanghai Broadcast Symphony, Kunming Symphony (China) and Taipei City Symphony Orchestra, Lake Lewisville Symphony and other regional orchestras. His performances have been on National Public Radio’s Performance Today, and on WRR, KBYU, WVPR and have been televised on Good Morning America and on PBS.
 

Swang Lin performs on the "Eugenie, ex-Mackenzie" Antonio Stradivari violin (1685), generously on loan to the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra Association from an anonymous patron.

Lakeway Chamber Players & Friends

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Andrew Pearce, cellist, and Lakeway Masterpiece Series/Lakeway Chamber Players Founder and Artistic Director, earned his degree at University of Southern California in the class of legendary cellist Lynn Harrell. He has performed solos with the Los Angeles and New York Philharmonics, Boston Pops, Utah Symphony and Polish Chamber Orchestra, among many others. During his 20 years playing cello in orchestra, he performed in many of the great halls of Europe and Asia, and also played lots of trios with his group, the Boston Trio, as well as other groups performing across Canada and New England. At the ripe age of 44, Andrew traded a tenured job in one America’s top five orchestras, the Boston Symphony, for the risk and thrill of a future in real estate in Austin, TX. And though building and developing is an adventure all its own, he never lost his passion for chamber music. Nowadays, Andrew divides his time between family, real estate, and living life to the fullest while sharing his love for music as cellist and Artistic Director of the new Lakeway Masterpiece Concert Series.

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Lakeway Chamber Players & Friends

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Sari Pearce, violinist, and Lakeway Masterpiece Series/Lakeway Chamber Players Founder, started her violin lessons at age 3, after given a choice of either start going to a preschool, where her 2 older sisters came home crying every day, or stay home and start taking violin lessons. It paid off and she has been playing ever since! After studying with a well-known pedagogue Gwen Thompson in Vancouver BC Canada, who populated the city with exceptional violinists, Sari went on to study with Eudice Shapiro at  the University of Southern California, earning her BM in Performance, and where she met her husband/partner Andrew. She went on to play with the Boston Pops, Pasadena Chamber Orchestra, CBC Radio Orchestra, and Vancouver Opera Orchestra.

Currently, she’s an award winning full-time broker associate at Christie’s International Real Estate as an inaugural agent to open its branch in Austin, TX. When she’s not selling homes and playing her violin with her husband of 34+ years, she enjoys doing handstands and other high intensity training at Elite Core Pilates Studio several times a week, taking care of her flock of hens for fresh eggs, and volunteering at several organizations. She’s excited to be back performing chamber music again.

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Lakeway Chamber Players & Friends

Born in Poland, violinist Filip Fenrych joined the Dallas Symphony in 2008. Prior to joining the DSO, he served as an Assistant Concertmaster in the San Antonio Symphony. His concerto debut at age 14 took place in Germany and since then, he has performed all around the world. Mr. Fenrych received his degrees at the Oberlin Conservatory, University of North Texas and Cleveland Institute of Music. His principal teachers were Julia Bushkova, Almita and Roland Vamos, and William Preucil. In addition to receiving full scholarships, he supported his education by winning numerous competitions, including Virtu Foundation Award, Gold Medals in Entergyand Crescendo Music Awards. An avid chamber musician and the founder of the Klimt Trio, Mr. Fenrych won the Grand Prix in The Coleman Competition and a silver medal in The Fischoff Chamber Music Competition. He appeared in prestigious music festivals such as Taos, Music Academy of the West and Verbier Festival. He recorded for CBS Radio in Canada and Voice of America, Polish Art Division. His most recent concerto appearance was with the Tulsa Symphony Orchestra. In addition to the DSO, Mr. Fenrych is currently a member of the Verbier Chamber Orchestra in Switzerland.

Lakeway Chamber Players & Friends

Australian-Korean violist Sarah Sung joined the DSO as Associate Principal Viola in September of 2023.

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Sarah takes music beyond the stages of Carnegie Hall and the Sydney Opera House, traveling globally to diverse and marginalized communities since the age of eight. Together with Timothy Chooi and Drake Driscoll, Sarah is a cofounder of VISION Collective — an initiative that builds meaningful relationships with and among refugees by sharing and exchanging music between diverse communities. In recognition of their work, the VISION Collective was the recipient of the $20,000 McGraw Family Robert Sherman Award for Music Education and Community Outreach in 2020.

Sarah’s passion for chamber music led her to attend prestigious festivals including Music@Menlo, Ravinia Steans Music Institute, Yellow Barn, Four Seasons Chamber Music Festival, Perlman Music Program Chamber Music Workshop and Prussia Cove Open Chamber Music. She has performed alongside distinguished artists such as Itzhak Perlman, Pinchas Zukerman, Roger Tapping and Vivian Weilerstein. Sarah has been a guest violist with the Jupiter Chamber Players, Minnesota Orchestra and Delirium Chamber Orchestra, and has served as Principal Violist of the Juilliard Orchestra in venues such as Alice Tully Hall and David Geffen Hall.

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Sarah is the First Prize winner of the 2023 Musicians Club of Women Competition in Chicago, and winner of the Australian NSW Concerto Competition making her double concerto debut at age 12, with her violist sister, Lisa.

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Sarah received her Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees from the Juilliard School under the tutelage of Paul Neubauer, Cynthia Phelps and Misha Amory. Prior to joining the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, she had completed her first year of Doctor of Musical Arts degree at Northwestern University. Before moving to the States, Sarah studied with the Principal Viola of Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Tobias Breider.

Sarah performs on a 2005 Douglas C. Cox viola generously on loan from the Ravinia Steans Music Institute.

The Press Enterprise (Riverside, CA) hailed his “dazzling technique” and his “clean, tidy approach.” Music critic Laurence Vittes described him as an “illumination in music,” and said of his all-Beethoven recital: “Marshall presented a recital so full of musical thrills and beauties, and so in identification with the composer’s own persona, that, for a few hours, it was as if he were communing across the centuries to conjure up a rare and magical musical spectrum.” The Telegraf Online Constanta (Romania) reported that Marshall “captivated the audience” in Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 20, which he conducted from the piano.

Eldred Marshall began studying the piano at age six and played in public by age seven. His prodigious and inquisitive mind allowed him to master large swaths of the piano repertoire quickly as well as consistently win top prizes at the competitions he entered as a child. By 16, he debuted with orchestra, playing Brahms’s Piano Concerto no. 2 in B-flat Major with the Victor Valley Symphony Orchestra. Before entering into Yale University, where he graduated with honors with a B.A. in Political Science, he had already performed all over the United States.

The critically-acclaimed pianist has performed in Spain, Italy, the Republic of San Marino, Belgium, Germany, Romania, Bulgaria, the Ukraine, the People’s Republic of China, and Canada. He has performed the entire cycle of 32 Piano Sonatas of Beethoven in public, from memory, as a concentrated series, twice. Other notable tour projects include all-Bach piano recital programs including the Goldberg Variations, the Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1, and the Second Book of the Clavierübung (French Overture and Italian Concerto). Recently, he has toured with Beethoven’s Diabelli Variations. Upcoming solo recital tours in the 2025-2026 season focuses on the major works of Debussy and Ravel. 

In the 2025-2026 season, Marshall looks forward to performing piano concertos by Mozart and Chopin with orchestras throughout the United States and Canada. Further, Marshall premiered a new piano concerto called “Llano Estacado” written by Dallas-based composer Mike Capps with the Symphony Orchestras of Las Colinas, Arlington and Garland in January 2025.  

As an orchestral conductor, Marshall has led the Ukrainian State Academic Orchestra (Kiev, Ukraine), the Kharkiv Youth Symphony (Kharkiv, Ukraine), the Pleven Philharmonic Orchestra (Pleven, Bulgaria), the Vidin Philharmonic Orchestra (Vidin, Bulgaria), the Filharmonica Oltenia di Craiova (Craiova, Romania), and the Constanta “Black Sea” Philharmonic Orchestra (Constanta, Romania). Additionally, he has led several opera productions, such as Mozart’s Bastien und Bastienne, Le Nozze di Figaro, Die Zauberflöte, as well as Debussy’s Pelléas et Mélisande. 

Marshall earned his Doctor of Musical Arts in Piano Performance degree from the University of North Texas (UNT) in 2018. Additionally, he earned three Master of Music degrees from Southern Methodist University (SMU): piano (2011), organ (2012) and orchestral conducting (2013).  Institutions at which he has taught include Grambling State University, Texas A&M Commerce, UNT, SMU, and North Texas Central College. His doctoral dissertation topic was on the art of conducting piano concerti from the piano – performance practice, discipline and whether or not it is “real conducting.” 

Presently, Marshall serves as the Artistic Director/Conductor of the Mansfield Philharmonic, based in Mansfield, TX. Additionally, he serves as Associate Director of Music at Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church in Rockwall, TX. He is the founding Artistic Director/Conductor of the Lucas Chorale, and the Organist/Music Director of Grace Fellowship Seventh-day Adventist Church in Lucas, TX.