Lily Smith is a graduate from Bolingbrook, IL. She has played the viola for 8 years and currently studies with Ann Montzka-Smelser. She is a registered Suzuki teacher for books 1-2 and enjoys teaching. She also enjoys playing regularly in her church. Recently, she had the opportunity to teach in her sister’s studio in Costa Rica and play for special events the missionaries held there. Lily has been a member of the Academy Orchestra for 3 years. Last summer Lily took part in the Camerata Chicago Summer Festival Orchestra and last month enjoyed her first professional experience in the viola section of Camerata Chicago when Shmuel Ashkenasi performed the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto.
She looks forward to continuing her studies on the viola, teaching, and ministering to others with her musical talent.†

Kevin Shi first picked up the violin at age 5. For 6 years thereafter, he studied with various teachers in the Music and Arts private lessons program. In the summer of 2013, Kevin began lessons with Drostan Hall, who really inspired him to begin taking music seriously. Currently a sophomore attending Naperville North High School, he greatly enjoys playing the violin and participates in a wide variety of musical opportunities at his school. In the spring of 2016, Kevin joined the Camerata Chicago Academy Orchestra. This concert is his first debut as a soloist in the Camerata Chicago Academy performing the second concertino parts in Concerto Grosso by Vivaldi and Concerto Grosso I by Handel.

Amelia Piscitelli has been smiling to classical music since infancy and formally began playing violin at the age of four. From 2009-2014, she studied violin with Debbie Edwards, then in late Summer 2014, she began studying with Drostan Hall, her current teacher. As a sophomore at Hammond Baptist High School, she greatly enjoys playing and teaching the violin as well as performing with her violin students at church. She relishes the chamber music opportunities afforded her at Sforzando String Camp for the last 7 summers and has been privileged to be a member of the Camerata Chicago Academy Orchestra since 2015. In 2016 Amelia performed on the prestigious WFMT show Introductions as well as making her professional solo debut performing the Romance by Svendsen with Camerata Chicago in October of the same year. In July of this year Amelia performed the Bach Double Violin Concerto with Ellen Maloney and the Camerata Chicago Summer Festival Orchestra. Most recently Amelia performed Vivaldiís Four Seasons with Camerata Chicago for Sweetest Day in October of 2017.
In July of this year Amelia will record the Four Seasons by Vivaldi with Camerata Chicago on the DMD Classics label for a special educational world wide commercial release with narrator Steve Robinson.