Christina Mok, violin

Winner of the BBC Young Artists’ Forum Audition, Christina had her training at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. After spending several years playing in many of the major British orchestras, she moved to California in 2000 and joined the San Jose Symphony, as Associate Concertmaster. Christina has 20 years of experience in orchestral leadership. Since 2001, she has been the concertmaster of the Stockton Symphony, and she’s been the concertmaster of the Monterey Symphony since 2010. Apart from her orchestral work, she has been active as a chamber musician and a soloist. She has appeared as a soloist with the Russian Federal Symphony Orchestra, the Janacek Philharmonic and the Seoul Symphony Orchestra, to name a few, and her recitals have been broadcast on the BBC and RTHK. For her solo appearance with the Symphony Silicon Valley, the San Jose Mercury declared, “She was a spellbinder as she dug in and let it fly…There was no need to long for Itzhak Perlman or Gil Shaham.” She currently curates and leads a chamber series called the Monterey Symphony Chamber Players. Christina is passionate about nurturing the next generation into the world of classical music. She is the creator of the musical presentation, “Christina’s Travel Stories I & II,” which she brings to her local elementary schools.

Tina Minn, violin

Bay Area native Tina Minn is a member of Monterey Symphony and founding member of Sonnet Ensemble. She has performed with Symphony Silicon Valley, Santa Cruz, and Napa Valley Symphonies and has served as faculty member of the Adriatic Chamber Music Festival in Italy. Currently with the Music Teachers’ Association of California, Ms. Minn maintains a private studio and coaches for the Silicon Valley Strings program, San Jose Youth Symphony, Palo Alto Chamber Orchestra, and Prospect High School Orchestra. Having attended the Eastman School of Music as a George Eastman Scholar and San Francisco Conservatory of Music, her primary teachers include Andor Toth, Zvi Zeitlin, and Zaven Melikian. Ms. Minn has participated in masterclasses with Yehudi Menuhin, Jorja Fleezanis, and Jerome Lowenthal and in coaching sessions with Joseph Gingold and members of the Cleveland, St. Lawrence, and Stanford String Quartets.
Chad Kaltinger, viola

Born in Chicago, Chad Kaltinger began studying viola at age 9. In high school Chad studied privately under Peter Slowik and studied chamber music at the Music Institute of Chicago. He continued his studies at the University of Illinois under the tutelage of Emanuel Vardi and as a fellowship student at the Aspen Music Festival studying with Heidi Castleman and Victoria Chiang. Currently, Chad is the violist for Quartet San Francisco.  With QSF, Chad has toured North America and Asia and recorded the album Pacific Premieres in 2013 which received two Grammy Award nominations for best new instrumental music. Outside the quartet Chad is an active freelancer in the San Francisco Bay Area with a busy schedule as orchestral violist, chamber musician, soloist and recording artist.

Drew Ford, cello

Drew is principal cellist of Utah Festival Opera and Stockton Symphony, and he performs regularly with many orchestras around the Bay area. He is also on the management teams for Monterey and Marin Symphonies. His professional career began in high school as the youngest member ever of South Carolina Philharmonic before going on to earn degrees from The Juilliard School and San Francisco Conservatory. Drew’s other creative pursuits include making pottery and woodworking.

Steve Sánchez, clarinet

Steve Sánchez, San Francisco native, is currently 2nd clarinet of the Monterey Symphony Orchestra. For the 2015 season, Steve was an extra, performing full time, as 2nd clarinet of the San Francisco Symphony. Previous positions include Acting Utility/Bass Clarinet of the San Francisco Symphony and Principal Clarinet of the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra. Steve has performed nationally with the orchestras of the San Francisco Opera and Ballet, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra; and internationally with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Steve can be heard on several recordings by the SFS, Detroit Symphony, and various video game soundtracks. Steve received his Master’s Degree in Music from the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre, and Dance. His principal teachers include Dan Gilbert and Fred Ormand, in addition to coaching and master classes with Ted Oien, Stephen Williamson, and Yehuda Gilad. As an educator, Steve has been on the faculties of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Chabot Community College, and summers teaching at the Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp.