D’Andre Atkins – Wheaton, IL

Christopher Avila – Algonquin, IL

Connor Butler – Mebane, NC

Emma Cho – Winfield, IL

Ethan Cowburn – Liverpool, NY

Greyson Decker – Sycamore, IL

Luiz Delacruz – Chicago, IL

Brayden Dulin – Woodstock, IL

Talia Grzelak – Elgin, IL

Delaney Jacobi – Cedar Rapids, IA

Andrew Kinsey – Bartlett, IL

Nolan Leegard – Elgin, IL

Nathan Lyons – Winnebago IL

Rose Malcome – Rockford, IL

Nicholas Martinez – Elgin, IL

Evan Miller – Lincoln, NE

Aftyn Morris – Silvis, IL

Karl Olsen – DeKalb, IL

Jacob Parra – Jupiter, FL

Will Pierce – Hoffman Estates, IL

Riley Podschweit – Sugar Grove, IL

Michael Powyszynski – Melrose Park, IL

Michael Speziale – Crystal Lake, IL

Morgan Tipton – Metamora, IL

Abby Vokoun – Batavia, IL

Shaliyah Young – Belize City, Belize

Naiomi Bell – Zion, IL

Jenna Brown – Naperville, IL

Athei Chagai – Clinton, IA

Kyara Chisolm – Bolingbrook, IL

Millicent Collins – Collinsville, IL

Alice Duncan – Plainfield, IL

Irismichelle Martinez-Garcia – Chicago, IL

Thomas Readling – Oak Park, IL

Francesca Ryan – Chicago, IL

Kendall Woodberry – Chicago, IL

Fulbright Scholar, composer, educator, and “prodigiously talented percussionist” (Chicago Classical Review), Gregory Beyer is a contemporary music specialist who blends the disciplines of orchestral, jazz, and world music into a singular artistic voice. He is the Artistic Director of Arcomusical, a non-profit organization spreading the joy of the Afro-Brazilian berimbau and related musical bows. To date, Arcomusical has released four albums of original music. Beyer is Professor and Director of Percussion Studies at Northern Illinois University School of Music, where he directs the New Music Festival and the Percussion Ensemble. He is a core member of the Chicago-based new music ensembles Dal Niente and the Grossman Ensemble at the University of Chicago’s Center for Contemporary Composition. Greg is proud to endorse Pearl/Adams drums and mallet instruments, Sabian Cymbals, Innovative Percussion mallets and sticks, and Evans drumheads.

Ben Wahlund is a Grammy-nominated music educator, composer, and performer who serves as full-time percussion instructor at Northern Illinois University (DeKalb, IL) where he was recently awarded the prestigious NIU Excellence in Undergraduate Instruction Award and serves as the Director of Percussion at the College of DuPage (Glen Ellyn, IL) where he was awarded the College-Wide Outstanding Faculty Award. Mr. Wahlund serves as the President of the Illinois Percussive Arts Society and has performed a number of times at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention, state music educator association conferences, and schools across the country. He has been awarded and served long-term artist residencies on the island of Key West, Florida, Montello, Nevada, and Gettysburg National Military Park in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Mr. Wahlund is a member of the Yamaha Performing Artist roster, the Zildjian Artist Program, and endorses Innovative Percussion Sticks and Mallets.

Michel Rodriguez Cintra is an award-winning Cuban born dancer, actor, circus performer and educator. Rodriguez Cintra is currently a Visiting Assistant Professor at NIU with the School of Theater and Dance. He graduated from Escuela Nacional de Arte (National School of Arts) in Havana, Cuba with a degree in Dance Performance with a focus in Cuban Modern Dance and Afro-Cuban Dance. In Cuba he performed with Danza Contemporánea de Cuba where he became Principal Dancer and toured internationally. Since moving to Chicago Rodriguez Cintra has danced with various companies including Hedwig Dances, Concert Dance Inc, Khecari, The Cambrians (founding member), and Hubbard Street Dance Chicago (guest artist). Later Michel became an ensemble member, and still performs, with Lucky Plush Productions, a nationally recognized Chicago-based Dance-Theater company. His dance creations have been seen at Visceral Dance Chicago, Dancing in the Parks, and Lit & Luz Festival Chicago-Mexico City, LatinX Chicago Arts Festival and The Harvest Chicago Contemporary Dance Festival. His work in theater includes the Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival, and Lookingglass Theater Company’s “Lookingglass Alice”, which was recorded, and aired as a PBS Special. Other accolades are his inclusion in The Men of 2010 in Dance by Timeout Chicago, 3Arts Award in Dance, Dance Magazine’s 25 to Watch 2014, and a Jeff Awards Nomination in theater.