Simon Michal

Simon Michal was appointed to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in February 2016 by Riccardo Muti. He holds numerous awards from competitions, including the grand prize at both the Kocian International Violin Competition and the International Radio Competition Concertino Prague. Michal made his New York solo debut with the Juilliard Symphony Orchestra in Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall under the baton of Fabio Luisi as a winner of the Juilliard Concerto Competition in 2014.

As a chamber musician and orchestral player, Michal has performed at many concerts and festivals throughout Europe and North America, including the Verbier Festival, Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, and Juilliard ChamberFest.

A native of Bezděkov nad Metují, Czech Republic, Simon Michal took his first violin lessons with his father at the age of four. At 14, he was admitted to the Prague Conservatory, where he studied with Jaroslav Foltýn. In 2015, Michal earned a bachelor’s degree from the Juilliard School, where he studied with former New York Philharmonic concertmaster Glenn Dicterow and Sylvia Rosenberg. In 2015, Michal started his studies toward a master of music degree with Dicterow and Lisa Kim at the Manhattan School of Music but left school in 2016 to join the CSO.

Yukie Ota

Yukie Ota is a professional flutist in the United States. After completing her Master’s Degree at the DePaul University School of Music in Chicago under Mathieu Dufour (current principal flutist of the Berlin Phil), she won 2nd prize in the Carl Nielsen International Flute Competition in 2014. Her prize-winning performance there became a viral news story on NPR when a butterfly landed on her during the competition, yet she continued to play without letting the butterfly impact her performance. Yukie also won the “Newly Commissioned Work” Prize at the 36th annual Young Artist Competition during the 2014 National Flute Association convention. In 2011, Yukie won first prize in the Chicago Flute Club Solo Artist Competition.

Yukie is an active soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral musician. As a soloist, she performed the Carl Nielsen Flute Concerto with the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra. Yukie has performed chamber music with the principal players of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at the Ravinia Festival and is a member of the Chicago-based International Chamber Artists. As an orchestral musician, Yukie has served as principal flutist of the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra since 2011. She has also been invited to be a substitute flutist for some of this country’s top orchestras: Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Ravinia Festival, Baltimore Symphony, Santa Barbara Symphony, and Orpheus Chamber Orchestra Japan 2016 tour.

Sarah Carrillo

Sarah Carrillo, a native of Massachusetts, spent much of her early life studying with members of the Boston Symphony, both in Boston and at Tanglewood. Upon completion of her bachelor’s degree from Boston University, where she studied with the legendary Roger Voisin, she came to Chicago to attend Northwestern University, from which she received her master’s degree. Sarah has performed with many groups in the Chicago area, including Chicago Symphony, Peoria Symphony, Northbrook Symphony, The Chicago Arts Orchestra, Elmhurst Symphony, Brass Works Brass Quintet, Northside Brass, International Chamber Artists, Chicago Symphonietta, South Bend Symphony, Highland Park Strings, and Northwest Indiana Symphony. She has also performed with the Gulbenkian Funducao Orchestra of Lisbon, Portugal, the Boston Symphony, and the New World Symphony. She and her husband Oto Carrillo, a member of the Chicago Symphony’s fabulous French horn section, have two children who also play trumpet and French horn.

Pei-yeh Tsai

Pianist Pei-yeh Tsai is originally from Taiwan. She currently is the principal pianist for the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, New Bedford Symphony, and Peoria Symphony Orchestra. She has a doctoral degree from Boston University. Dr. Tsai studied at the Peabody Conservatory of John Hopkins University with Boris Slutsky and subsequently received a master’s degree in Piano Performance from the Juilliard School under the tutelage of Jerome Lowenthal. Dr.Tsai’s recent engagements include a premiere of Ketty Nez’s piano concerto Thresholds with David Martins conducting Boston University Wind Ensemble; concerts with the Atlantic Symphony Chamber Players; and performances with the Boston University Orchestra of Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4 and Paul Bowles’ concerto for two pianos and winds. Last year, Dr. Tsai was interviewed by BBC Radio 4 in a program called Soul Music, where she talked about the important role Rachmaninoff plays in her life and music. Dr. Tsai has received first prize in the Aaron Richmond International Piano Competition, New England Chamber Music Ensemble Competition with the Clara Piano Quartet, and Baltimore Music Club Piano Competition, and fourth prize in the Iowa International Piano Competition, and The Viardo Prize at The Viardo International Piano Competition. Dr. Tsai is also the recipient of numerous awards including two Piano Departmental Awards given from Boston University, the Marie Miller Award from the Women’s Guild in Boston, the Sergio Fiorentino Memorial Award, and the Rose Marie Milholland Award, and a Career Development Grant from the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore.

Concert Sponsors & Underwriters

Sid & Flo Banwart

The Meredith Foundation

This program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency.