About the musicians 

Soprano Ksenia Popova has been hailed by The News Tribune as “a soprano to watch.” Ms. Popova has sung the roles of Lucia (Lucia di Lammermoor), Juliette (Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette), Micaela (Carmen), Polly Peachum (The Threepenny Opera), Josephine (H.M.S Pinafore)with Tacoma Opera, Donna Anna (Don Giovanni) and Gretel (Hansel and Gretel) with Pacific Northwest Opera, Josephine (H.M.S Pinafore) with Opera Coeur d’Alene, and Juliette (Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette), Gilda (Rigoletto), Adele (Die Fledermaus) with Vashon Opera. In concert, Ms. Popova has appeared as the Soprano Soloist with Carmina Burana with Greater Seattle Choral Consortium (as part of the 2016 Folklife Festival) and twice with Sammamish Symphony Orchestra. She is a Metropolitan Opera National Council Third Place Regional winner and has received several Audience Favorite and Encouragement Awards. Ms. Popova made her Seattle Art Song Society debut as part of the Voices of Mental Health recital in 2019. In addition, Ms. Popova debuted the role of Pat Collins in the US premiere of Stephen Edwards’ Moon Landing at the Museum of Flight. Ms. Popova’s other roles include Adele in Vashon Opera's Die Fledermaus, Queen of the Night/First Lady in both Portland Opera and Seattle Opera’s outreach tours of The Magic Flute, Musetta in La Bohème with Vespertine Opera, and Lily in The Secret Garden. Ms.Popova is the Founder of Opera on Tap Seattle, a nonprofit that brings opera to the masses via your local dive bar. https://www.kseniapopova.com 

Anne Botka is a cellist in Symphony Tacoma and is assistant principal cellist of the Olympia Symphony Orchestra. She holds Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. A native of Olympia, Washington, Anne Botka has performed across North America and Europe as a soloist, chamber musician, and as an orchestral cellist. She has worked with a number of highly sought-after conductors including Nicola Luisotti, Rossen Milanov, James Feddeck, and James Gaffigan, as well as composer Nico Muhly. 

Dilyara Oliver is a classical pianist. She completed her training in Piano Performance at Kazakh National Conservatory. Then she attended University of New Orleans where she earned a Master of Music in Piano Performance degree. Prior to her move to Olympia, WA in 2022, Dilyara was a faculty member at Loyola University New Orleans and New Orleans Center for Creative Arts. She also served as the president for the New Orleans Music Teachers Association.  While in New Orleans, she has made guest appearances at the French Quarter Festival, Jazz and Heritage Festival, Snug Harbor, New Orleans Vocal Arts Chorale performances, MetroPelican Opera productions, Jefferson Performing Arts Society, Trinity Recital Series, Loyola Montage Series and others.

Melinda Bargreen of the Seattle Times wrote of guitarist Mark Hilliard Wilson "Wilson has chosen a beautiful and evocative lineup of works for this disc, and he plays them sensitively and expertly."   Mark  has an engaging approach to teaching and programing concerts that draws from the deep well of history and a desire to relate contemporary interests to universal themes.  He founded the Seattle Guitar Orchestra in 2000 and became the cathedral guitarist at St. James Cathedral in Seattle 2006. He has taught at Whatcom Community College, Bellevue College, the Rosewood Guitar and is currently at the Holy Names Academy, his compositions are published by Seconda Prattica and performed widely. Recently Wilson premiered a concerto written for him by the Ukrainian composer Oleg Boyko.https://markhilliardwilson.com