Rick Shinozaki, violinist, is principal second violin of Symphony Silicon Valley and concertmaster of the Nova Vista Symphony. Solo appearances include the world premiere of Viennese composer Zdzislaw Wysocki's Concerto for Two Violins and Orchestra under Kent Nagano and the Berkeley Symphony. Rick has collaborated closely with Bay Area composers Mark Fish and Durwynne Hsieh, commissioning, performing and editing their work, most notably premiering Hsieh's Concerto for Marimba, Violin and Orchestra with the Marin Symphony. With pianist Irene Jacobson, the Shinozaki-Jacobson Duo has delighted audiences with an eclectic repertoire and interpretations cited as "scintillating" and "in perfect harmony," resulting in the release of their first recording for the Latin American Chamber Music Society. Rick is a protégé of Serban Rusu of Tiburon; he also studied extensively with legendary pedagogue Josef Gingold and Yuval Yaron at Indiana University, from which he holds a Master of Music degree.

Charlton Lee, violist, is the founder of the Del Sol String Quartet. He received a Bachelor's Degree in Applied Mathematics from the University of California at Berkeley and a Master's in Music from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Charlton has toured North America, Mexico and Europe as a soloist and chamber musician. As a very active educator and chamber music coach, he has taught at San Francisco State University and at the Steamboat Springs and Oaxaca Music Festivals, and he has served as Artist in Residence at the School of the Arts in San Francisco. He coaches regularly for Chamber Musicians of Northern California and the Symphony of the Redwoods. Charlton teams up with his wife, Eva-Maria, to perform works for viola and piano, as the Lee/Zimmermann Duo. He created and performed the music for the award winning short film, "Red, White, Blue, and Yellow." Charlton also has collaborated with diverse artists such as Gavin Bryars, Tin Hat Trio, and Ben Levy Dance Company.

Kathryn Bates-Williams, cellist, hailed by the New York Times as "a cellist with a beautifully rounded sound," Kathryn Bates Williams has a passionate commitment to her art form by embracing tradition while exploring innovation in all genres of performance. She has served as the cellist of the New Fromm Players at the Tanglewood Music Center, where her performances have been called "the revelation of the concert" and "electrifying" (Boston Globe). After working with various new music ensembles, including the Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble and Ensemble Parallèle, Ms. Williams co-founded the New Spectrum Ensemble in fall 2009 to bridge the gap between contemporary and standard repertoire and break down the barrier between audience and performer. She joined the Del Sol String Quartet in 2010. A native of historic Concord, Massachusetts, Ms. Williams received her B.M. degree from Rice University Shepherd School of Music, under the direction of Norman Fischer, and Master's degree in Chamber Music from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where she studied with Mark Kosower and Jean-Michel Fonteneau.