Musicians

Mary Karo, first violinist and leader.

Violinist, Robie Evans, is a bank vice president and professional musician. She was the founding violinist with the Kokopelli Piano Quartet, served as the Artistic Director of the Borrego Springs Performing Arts Center and served as that city´s Honorary Mayor. Evan´s has performed with the San Diego Chamber Orchestra, San Diego Comic Opera, the Grossmont Symphony String Quartet and Symphony and various other ensembles throughout the County.

Violist, Mary Gerard is a native of San Diego. She has a certificate from the Dreilinden Music Conservatory in Lucerne, Switzerland and a B.A. and M.A. from San Diego State. Her teachers have included Gilbert Back of the Berlin and Los Angeles Philharmonic, Rafael Druian, concertmaster of the New York Philharmonic, Gerhart Hetzel, concertmaster of the Vienna Philharmonic and concert violinists Camilla Wicks and Wolfgang Schneiderhan. Ms. Gerard played first violin and developed the program for the Classic Arts String Quartet (included Mary Karo) for Young Audiences and was selected to make a "How to" demo for all chapters of Young Audiences in the United States. She made her New York debut in Carnegie Recital Hall as the violinist in the ERA Trio. Ms. Gerard has played locally as both violinist and violist in the San Diego Symphony, Opera and Chamber Orchestras. She is also a distinguished teacher and conducts the "Fiddle N Bow" Orchestra.

Cellist, Jennifer Holson received her Bachelor´s degree from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and performed extensively in the San Francisco Bay area. She was a Coleman Chamber Music Competition prizewinner. In San Diego, she maintains a busy concert schedule with many music groups. She has performed with the San Diego Symphony, the San Diego Chamber Orchestra, the California Ballet Orchestra, as well as Lyric Opera San Diego and Starlight Opera. Ms. Holson also teaches cello privately.

Natalka Kytasty, viola and violin, began her musical career in a special school for gifted children in Kyiv, Ukraine followed by the College of Music and the State Tchaikovsky Conservatory where she received her Master´s Degree in Music. She was a member of the State Television and Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Kyiv Chamber Orchestra and a chamber player in the Contemporary Music Ensemble of the Ukrainian Composers´ Union. Since 1989, Natalka has performed with the International Players Orchestra, San Diego Chamber Orchestra, the Lyric Opera San Diego, local chamber ensembles and teaches the violin.

Yuri Kytasty, cello, holds a Master´s Degree in Music from the State Tchaikovsky Conservatory, Kyiv, Ukraine. He was the principle cellist with the Kyiv Chamber Orchestra for 20 years and a member of both the State Symphony Orchestra, the Opera and Ballet Theater Orchestra and a chamber player in the Contemporary Music Ensemble of the Ukrainian Composers´ Union. Since 1990, Yuri has performed with the International Players Orchestra, local chamber ensembles and teaches the cello.