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About the Artists

Dan Galat is a Chicago-based violinist and violist, a classically trained performer comfortable across a wide range of styles and techniques. Working primarily with living composers, Dan can be found with Chicago's new music ensembles such as Fulcrum Point New Music or as the concertmaster of Chicago Composers Orchestra. Dan is the founding member with cellist Kelly Quesada of Missing Piece, a Chicago music ensemble that endeavors to commission new musical works and works from other artistic disciplines on themes that inspire others to connect with their community, care for our environment, listen deeply to ourselves and others, and speak out against injustice. Since its founding in 2022, Missing Piece has premiered 29 new works by composers such as Ben Zucker, Danny Clay, Shi-An Costello and has toured the United States.

Albert Kim is a lifelong student and lover of chamber music. He was the only non-music major to play first violin in the University of Illinois orchestra. He later transitioned to viola, and studied under Li-Kuo Chang, former acting principal viola of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. When not practicing viola, he coaches 5th Grade Boys Basketball for Northside Catholic Academy. In his spare time, he serves as Chief Compliance Officer for Chicago Trading Company. 

Kelly Quesada is active as both an orchestral and chamber musician. Kelly can be seen playing in a range of styles -- from new music to classical, to Baroque performance practice, to free improvisation. She is currently the other half of the duo Missing Piece, with violinist Dan Galat, as well as the cellist of the Tuuli Quartet. Previously, Kelly was principal cellist of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, a founding member of the Delgani String Quartet, and has toured as a member of the Portland Cello Project.  

 

Russ Rolen is a dynamic, multi-Grammy-nominated cellist and arts leader whose career is distinguished by innovation in performance, pedagogy, and arts administration. As co-founder and former member of Spektral Quartet, he led the commissioning of over 85 new works and brought the quartet's groundbreaking performances to iconic stages such as NPR’s Tiny Desk and The Kennedy Center. His visionary leadership also secured multiple grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, supporting innovative projects that reimagined the role of chamber music in contemporary culture. 

A musician of uncommon versatility, Russ has collaborated with a wide array of artists including Grammy Award-winning jazzer Miguel Zenón, indie-pop darling Julia Holter, and New York Times bestselling author Robin Wall Kimmerer. SPIN Magazine praised the quartet's work as "a masterpiece," while Alex Ross of The New Yorker described their performances as "thriving with creative vitality and compelling precision."
 

Henry Zheng leads an active career as both a violinist and educator. Recent highlights include commercial album releases of his chamber performances with Access Contemporary Music and Lakeshore Rush, screen and music credits on multiple episodes of the PBS documentary “Songs About Buildings and Moods,” and an award from the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events. 

 

Frequently sought after as a performer, Henry has performed with many critically acclaimed chamber groups and orchestras, including the three-time Grammy Award nominated Spektral Quartet, Kontras Quartet, Griffon Quartet, Chicago Philharmonic, and Chicago Opera Theater. Henry is also an active proponent of contemporary and period performance. As a passionate educator, Henry serves on the faculty of the Merit School of Music and manages his own private studio. Henry’s primary instruments are a violin made in 1761 by John Johnson, and a bow made by Michael Hattala.