Meet the players
Michelle Martin is an active freelance violinist throughout the Sacramento area. She holds a Master of Music degree in violin performance from UNC Greensboro and received her Bachelor of Music Summa Cum Laude from Furman University, which included a semester studying and performing in Tuscany, Italy. Since moving to California in 2018, she has played with Stockton, Folsom Lake, Solano, Camellia, and Auburn Symphonies, as well as Sacramento-based Camerata California. She has acted as concertmaster for the Light Opera Theatre of Sacramento since 2019. Michelle has also collaborated on many local artists’ recording projects, performs regularly with her jazz trio Yolo Hot Club, and is one half of a roots rock duo, Crescent Moon. Her other loves include reading, wine-tasting, and going on new adventures while traveling with her husband Stephen.
Corey Oiler is a freelance cellist and private instructor residing in Sacramento, CA. He currently holds a M.M. in Performance from Sacramento State University, and in 2017, earned dual bachelor’s degrees in Music performance and Publication Writing and Design from Graceland University. Corey has played professionally in a variety of genres including classical, baroque, jazz, folk, indie and pop. He played principal in the Sacramento State Symphony Orchestra, and has performed with professional orchestras and ensembles throughout the Northern California region. Corey studied with great cellists such as Andy Luchansky, Thalia Moore, and Dana Hughlett, and has performed in master classes with some of the top names in Cello pedagogy including Rhonda Rider, and Jeffrey Zeigler.
Elyssa Havey was born in Las Vegas but lived most of her life in Tokyo, Japan and Sacramento, CA. She has played in Northern California based symphonies such as Camerata California, Placer Pops Chorale, Symphony d’oro, Auburn Symphony,Light Opera Theatre, Shakespeare festival, and is a part of many local non-profit organizations that promote community wellness and acceptance through music. She has performed for the President of Sacramento State University, Good Morning Sacramento, the Mayor of Sacramento and many others. Elyssa has also won many awards including; 1st place winner of the Watson Chamber Competition, 1st place winner of the U.O.P Summer Chamber Competition in 2017, was a Representative for the National String Project Consortium at the 2018 A.S.T.A conference, and won the Influential Woman Award in 2019. Since then she has been working on developing her violin studio and in 2023, she completed all of the Suzuki Method training and is a member of the Suzuki Association of the Americas as well as the American String Teachers Association.
Emily Svendsen is a classically trained violist and violinist based in Northern California. She holds a bachelor’s degree in music and professional performers certificate from CSU Sacramento. Emily deeply enjoys playing chamber music and has been in a trio and quartet that earned first prize in the Watson Chamber Music Competition in 2021 and 2022. Since 2022, Emily has served as principal viola of the Auburn Symphony. While performing is her primary joy, she also teaches violin and viola to students of all ages!
Outside of music, Emily enjoys traveling and spending time outdoors, as well as quality time at home with her partner and cats!