Front Row: Mary Kerr, Alexandra Wallin, Carla Sturm, Rachel Mellis, Anna Choi.
Back Row: Chris Matthews, Diana Morgan, Bonnie Hinrichs, Jim Walker, Philip Kim.
Not Pictured: Bill Robey

Anna Choi
Hometown: Seoul, Korea / Irvine, CA
Biography coming soon!

Bonnie Hinrichs
Biography coming soon!

Mary Kerr
Hometown: El Paso, TX
Mary Kerr started flute at age eleven and since then, she has gone on to compete and perform professional ensembles such as the El Paso Symphony Orchestra, and the Bruce Nehring Consort. In high school, Mary was received 2nd in the State for the TMEA All-State competition in 2002 and respectively won 1st place in both the 2003 and 2004 competitions. She has also won EPSO Young Artist Competition in 2003 and was a semi-finalist in the Texas Flute Society’s Myrna Brown Competition in 2005. Summer Festivals include the Marrowstone Music Festival in 2003 and the Scottish International Flute Summer School in 2004. In 2006, she was invited to be a performer at the Jeanne Baxtresser International Flute Masterclass. In 2007, Mary was placed into the Thornton School of Music’s Scholarship Woodwind Quintet.

Mary has worked with several renowned conducters such as Gürer Aykal, Dale Cleavenger, Andrew Seward, Colonel Lowell Graham, and John Williams. Mary has also studied and performed for many extraordinary flutists such as Peter Lloyd, Carol Wincenc, Robert Langevin, Jeanne Baxtresser, Alberto Almarza, Wissam Boustany, Linda Chesis, Alexa Still, and Susan Milan.

Mary studies with Jim Walker at USC and her former teachers include Melissa Colgin-Abeln and Mary Len Stanton.

Philip Kim
Biography coming soon!

Christopher Matthews
Hometown: Cincinnati, OH
Christopher Matthews is a senior flute performance major, studying with James Walker at the Thornton School of Music. A native South Carolinian, Christopher spent his high school in Cincinnati where he studied at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music Preparatory Department with Heather Verbeck. In high school he won the concerto competitions for the Greenville [S.C.] County Youth Orchestra and the Cincinnati Symphony Youth Orchestra. Christopher has competed three times in the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) Competition - third place in the National Junior Woodwinds (Washington D.C. 2001), second place in the National Senior Woodwind Division (Kansas City 2004), and finalist in the Regional Young Artist Woodwind Division (Salt Lake City 2007). A first place in the Cincinnati Flute Association High School Competition, and being a finalist in the National Flute Association (NFA) High School Soloist Competition (Las Vegas 2003) preceded his appearance on the Public Radio International program ‘From the Top’ (Boston 2004). A scholarship winner in the Leni Fé Bland Foundation’s competition, Christopher also received Honorable Mention in the Pasadena Showcase House Instrumental Competition.

Christopher has performed with renowned conductors James Conlon, Jesús López-Cobos, Paavo Järvi, and composer John Williams among others. In various international summer music academies, Christopher has performed and studied with prominent flutists such as Emmanuel Pahud, Carol Wincenc, Jeffrey Khaner, Susan Hoepnner, Bradley Garner, Jill Felber, Vincent Lucas, and Philippe Bernold.

As Programming/Production assistant at The Da Camera Society of Mount St. Mary’s College – Presenter of Chamber Music in Historic Sites, Christopher interacts regularly with international artists who play on the series.

Rachel Mellis
Biography coming soon!

Diana Morgan
Hometown: Toronto, Canada
Diana Morgan is currently studying with Jim Walker while pursuing a Graduate Certificate at USC. She completed her Master’s degree in May of 2007 with the world-renowned flutist and pedagogue Jeanne Baxtresser, and Alberto Almarza at Carnegie Mellon University.

Diana recently enjoyed playing on her first major motion picture score, and will appear in the upcoming feature film “The Soloist”. She is also substitute flute for the American Youth Symphony and the YMF Debut Orchestra in Los Angeles. Last summer Diana worked as principal flute for the National Youth Orchestra of Canada, Canada’s highly competitive and prestigious orchestral training program. Previously she worked as principal flute with the National Academy Orchestra under the direction of Boris Brott for sixteen weeks in the summer of 2006. Diana was the winner of the 2005 TD Canada Trust Festival Competition, the Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber Orchestra Concerto Competition, the Wilfrid Laurier Concerto Competition, and the 2004 Ken Murray Concerto Competition where she performed Chaminade’s Concertino with the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony Orchestra at the Centre in the Square. The critic for the Echo Germanica reported, “this young lady has a future, watch for her!”

Diana has appeared with the internationally renowned Penderecki String Quartet at the Open Ears Festival and their performance of Garland (2005 winner of the Jules Leger Prize for New Chamber Music) by prominent Canadian composer Linda Catlin Smith was recorded for CBC Radio Two. Diana has recorded and performed with the Canadian Chamber Ensemble for the New Orchestra Series, and appeared at the Perimeter Institute in Waterloo for the Mechanics of Art Series.

Diana has had the opportunity to perform for Emmanuel Pahud in a Toronto masterclass, and enjoyed attending both the Domaine Forget summer program as well as Orford Music Academy in 2004.

She completed her undergraduate degree with Dr. Amy Hamilton at Wilfrid Laurier University, where she graduated with high distinction.

Bill Robey
Information coming soon!

Carla Sturm
Hometown: Glendale, CA
Carla Sturm is a second year Master's student of Jim Walker. She received her Bachelor of Music from University of California Santa Barbara, where she graduated with highest honors and distinction in the major. As a student of Jill Felber at UCSB, Carla was invited to perform at the Greater Los Angeles Flute Society Festival and UCSB's Primavera Festival. Carla has performed in numerous masterclasses with such flutists as Tadeo Coehlo, Carol Wincenc, Thomas Robertello, Brad Garner, Marianne Gedigian, Vincent Lucas, and Philippe Bernold. She has participated in the Flute Focus, Cincinatti Flute Symposium, and Academie Internainale d'Ete de Nice summer festivals. Carla has performed with such noted musicians as composer Steve Reich, film composer and conductor John Williams, classical and blues string trio Time for Three, Broadway singer Heather Heady, pop stars Richard Marx and Dennis DeYoung, blues pianist Dr. John, comedian and singer Wayne Brady, and the pop band Earth, Wind and Fire. Carla also recently played on her first motion picture sound track, The Soloist, out in 2009. In her free time, Carla enjoys traveling with her husband, cooking, and bodyboarding.

Alexandra Wallin
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
Alexandra Wallin is currently pursuing her B.M. in Flute Performance at the Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California. Most recently, she won the position of Second Flute of the prestigious American Youth Symphony under the direction of Alexander Treger, Concertmaster of the L.A. Philharmonic. Prior to USC, Alexandra attended California State University, Long Beach, where she held the positions of Principal Flute of both the Wind Symphony and the Symphony Orchestra. Alexandra has studied with Jim Walker, Dr. John Barcellona, and Ellen Burr.  She has had additional lessons with other world-renowned artists including Jeanne Baxtresser, Anne Diener Zentner, Brad Garner, and Susan Hoeppner. Alexandra was named winner of the Orange County Performing Arts Center’s Tomorrow’s Stars Competition in 2007. She has performed in several masterclasses including the Cincinnati Flute Symposium and the Julius Baker Flute Master Classes. In 2007, Alexandra was chosen to perform a concerto with the CSULB Symphony Orchestra. Along with performing, Alexandra teaches flute to young students in the Los Angeles area.