Praised for her “clarion tone and technical aplomb” (Chicago Classical Review), Eleanor Bartsch joined the Kontras Quartet in 2018 as first violinist. She is also a member of the first violin section of the Lyric Opera of Chicago Orchestra. With Kontras, Bartsch has toured the US and Europe, released two studio albums, made frequent appearances live on classical WFMT Chicago 98.7 and held residencies at multiple US higher learning institutions. 

Prior to her appointment at Lyric, Bartsch was concertmaster of the Dubuque Symphony associate concertmaster of the Elgin Symphony. She has additionally served as guest concertmaster of the Chicago Philharmonic (where she is a regular performing member and served on the Board of Directors from 2022-2025), Joffrey Ballet Orchestra, Chicago Opera Theater Orchestra, Toledo Symphony and many others. As a section violinist, she has served as a regular guest with Minnesota Orchestra, Milwaukee Symphony, Music of the Baroque, the Grant Park Symphony and many others.

As a soloist, she has performed with many Midwest orchestras including the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, Dubuque Symphony, Elgin Symphony, Chicago Philharmonic and others. Solo/concerto highlights in recent seasons (2022-2026) include performances of Bruch's “Scottish Fantasy," Piazzolla's “Four Seasons of Buenos Aires,” violin concerti of Samuel Barber and Gerald Finzi, and the world premiere of “Nightingales” by Laura Schwendinger. 

A passionate educator and ambassador of music, Bartsch is Professor of Violin and Head of Strings at Elmhurst University. She has additionally taught hundreds of music learners of all ages as a private instructor, chamber and orchestral coach, masterclass clinician, pre-concert lecturer and through participation in many meaningful community engagement initiatives. 

Bartsch co-founded Madison, Wisconsin’s Willy Street Chamber Players, an award-winning ensemble and summer festival with an emphasis on creating community through classical music. She is a frequent guest with chamber ensembles, series and festivals nationwide. 

Born into a family of professional musicians and music educators, Bartsch began violin lessons at the age of 4 in her hometown of St. Paul, MN. She received her master’s degree in violin performance with a graduate certificate in business entrepreneurship from the University of Wisconsin-Madison studying violin with David Perry as a Paul Collins Distinguished Graduate Fellow. Bartsch also received her bachelor’s degree from UW-Madison with Perry. During that time, she spent summers studying with Paul Kantor at the Aspen Music Festival and won tenured positions with the Madison Symphony and Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra. Her previous teachers are Ellen Kim and Young-Nam Kim. 

Bartsch plays on a fine violin by Giusseppe Gagliano, Naples, Italy, 1775.

Sherri Zhang began the violin at the age of five with support from her musical parents and family. She holds a bachelor’s degree in violin performance from the New England Conservatory and duel master’s degree in violin performance and Suzuki pedagogy from the Cleveland Institute of Music. During her studies, she served as both the concertmaster and principal second violin of the NEC Philharmonic Orchestra and the CIM orchestra. Her primary teachers include Joseph Gatwood, Yuri Namkung, Paul Biss, and Stephen Rose. Sherri has attended music festivals across the country, Canada, China, Europe and the Philippines. She has also played in several masterclasses throughout the years for prominent artists such as Quatour Ebene, the Emerson String Quartet and Joseph Silverstein. 

Sherri joined the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra’s first violin section in 2022. Since then, she has also performed regularly with the Milwaukee Symphony, Madison Symphony, Wisconsin Philharmonic and Elgin Symphony. During her time in Washington, D.C., Sherri performed with the Annapolis Symphony, Alexandria Symphony, and New Orchestra of Washington. As a performer with a great passion for teaching, she held a large violin studio in the DMV area and was on faculty for both traditional and Suzuki violin at the Levine School of Music. Sherri also served as a Suzuki Violin faculty member for the Baldwin-Wallace Conservatory Preparatory School in Cleveland, Ohio. 

Aside from being an avid chamber musician, Sherri also serves as Director of Operations for Tallgrass Chamber Music Festival and South Eastern Young Artists. She recently moved to Chicago and looking forward to exploring new neighborhoods and new restaurants with her pup Penny! 

Ben Weber is violist of the Kontras Quartet and maintains a busy freelance career throughout Chicagoland as a sought-after performer and teacher. As a member of Kontras Quartet, Ben is a frequent guest on Chicago 98.7 Classical WFMT, Dame Myra Hess and Rush Hour Concerts, has performed at Telluride, on Late Night with David Letterman, and toured nationally and internationally. Ben is currently on the faculty at the Merit School of Music and Elmhurst University. He has mentored students from age 2 (as part of Merit's early childhood program) to 80+ (through the Kontras Quartet adult chamber music workshop) and everything in between. Ben's passion for music pedagogy and advocacy has led him to facilitating numerous educational partnerships with Kontras in schools across the Chicago area. Dedicated to the music of our time, and especially that of marginalized voices, Ben is an innovator in concert curation. Other chamber projects have included co-founding Crossing Borders Music, performances with ACM Palomar Ensemble at Ganz Hall, and collaboration with Theatre Zarko. Ben has held title chairs in the Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra and Civic Orchestra of Chicago and was Principal Viola with the Rockford Symphony Orchestra. In addition to Kontras Quartet's ongoing partnership with the Kruger Brothers, he has enjoyed cross-genre collaborations including appearances with Barbra Streisand, Todd Rundgren and Howard Levy. Ben received his training with Michael Hining at Illinois Wesleyan University and with John Graham and Melissa Matson at the Eastman School of Music. During his time at Eastman, he performed regularly with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra as a participant in the Eastman Orchestral Studies/RPO internship and also received a fellowship to attend the Aspen Music Festival and School, completing additional studies with Jeffrey Irvine and Catharine Carroll. Ben has completed numerous levels of Suzuki training with Edward Kreitman. He studied Spanish language in Buenos Aires, taking violin lessons with Luis Roggero, Concertmaster of the Argentine National Symphony Orchestra. He and his wife are proud parents of their young daughter, Mara.

Known for her soulful, expressive playing style, cellist Jean Hatmaker is one of the most versatile musicians in the Chicago area with a diverse portfolio of solo and collaborative projects across a wide range of musical and interdisciplinary settings. Her engaging and intuitive demeanor has made her a sought-after collaborator, from the Bach Cantata Vespers Series at Grace Lutheran Church of River Forest, IL and various classical chamber and orchestral ensembles, to performances with contemporary and folk musicians, and dance companies all across the country such as Hubbard Street Dance, Malashock Dance Company and Boulder Ballet. 

Jean is a founding member of the Chicago-based Kontras Quartet, a beloved ensemble known for its well-crafted performances, diverse programming, and accessible audience relations. Kontras Quartet has brought its message of inclusivity to concerts across the US, Europe, and Africa, and frequently performs with bluegrass trio the Kruger Brothers, with whom they have appeared at festivals including Telluride, MerleFest, and IBMA Wide Open Bluegrass, as well as the Late Show with David Letterman. Kontras Quartet has released three commercial albums: Lucid Dreamer and Roan Mountain Suite with the Kruger Brothers, on Double Time Records; and Origins, on MSR Records. 

Jean has an extensive background of orchestral playing as former principal cellist of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, Western Piedmont Symphony, and other regional orchestras throughout the Midwest; she is currently principal cellist with Elmhurst Symphony Orchestra, and also plays with the Chicago Philharmonic, Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra, and Madison Symphony Orchestra. 

One of Jean’s main aspirations as a musician is to use music to connect with people; she inspires future generations of musicians as a teacher at Grace Lutheran School of River Forest, as well as at her private studio in her home in Oak Park. She was faculty at Elmhurst University from 2013-2023 and frequently teaches as a guest clinician at schools all across the country.  She recognizes the responsibility of her role as a mental wellness advocate in the lives of her students, and often works with youth in challenging circumstances to use the performing arts as a tool for coping and growth. She holds a certification in Mental Health First Aid.

She received both Bachelor and Master of Music degrees in Cello Performance from Indiana University, where she studied with Helga Winold and Janos Starker, and plays a modern cello by Lawrence Wilke, using Hill, Bearden, and Arcus bows.

www.jeanhatmaker.com

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