Woodwind, Brass, & Percussion Chamber Music Faculty
Flutist Hideko Amano was born in Japan and came to the United States at the age of 12. Upon arriving in America, she began studying flute under Ms. Susan Levitin, and soon won many young artist competition awards. Her performance debut occurred in 1990 at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Hall (Symphony Center), where she performed as a soloist for Chaminade’s Concertino for Flute and Orchestra.
In 1995, she earned a bachelor’s degree in music from the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, where she studied under the prominent flutist Ms. Paula Robison. In 1996, she gave a joint performance with Ms. Robison in a concert series for the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art. From 1995 to 1998, Ms. Amano continued her musical education in Europe at the l’Ecole Normale de Paris, where she studied under Mr. Mathieu Dufour, who has since joined the Chicago Symphony Orchestra as principal flutist. Presently Mr. Dufour moved back to Europe and he is a principal soloist flute of Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra in Germany. While studying in Paris, she also performed in many international Chamber Music Festivals in Italy, England, and Morocco. In 1997, she traveled to Haifa, Israel, and performed as a soloist in Mozart’s Concerto for Flute and Harp.
Since her return to Chicago in 1998, she has continued her career as an active recitalist. She has performed on the WFMT 98.7 Monday Evening Series and Dame Myra Hess Concert Series at Cultural Center. She is actively involved with several Japanese organizations and performed in a concert series at the House of Consul General of Japan. In addition to her performing career, Ms. Amano also maintains a large private studio. Her students have won competitions including the Union League Competition, SAM, Chicago Flute Club, Chicago Symphony Youth Concerto Competitions, and many others; and went on to study at major universities. She has students who attended and attending Juilliard, Carnegie Mellon University, University of Illinois, Northwestern University, Cleveland Institute, and Indiana University.
From 2003 to 2007, Ms. Amano was an adjunct professor of flute at DePaul University in Lincoln Park, Illinois. She now serves as an adjunct professor at Harper College and University of Wisconsin-Parkside in addition to coaching flute ensembles at Midwest Young Artists Conservatory and organizing and directing the Chicago Flute Workshop.
James Kim is Principal Oboe of the Peoria Symphony Orchestra and is recognized as one of the leading freelance oboists in the Chicago area. His performances have been praised by critics, with the Chicago Classical Review describing his playing as "mellifluous" and the Hyde Park Herald noting that his solo performance was "not only mournful but haunting." A frequent performer with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, James toured Europe with the orchestra in 2025, performing in major cities including Amsterdam, Prague, Hamburg, Dresden, and Wrocław. One of the tour's highlights was an appearance at the prestigious Mahler Festival in Amsterdam, where the Chicago Symphony Orchestra was the only American orchestra invited to perform alongside some of the world's most distinguished orchestras, including the Berlin Philharmonic and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. During the 2025–2026 season, James served as Assistant Principal Oboe and English Horn with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra on a four-month contract. An active orchestral musician throughout the Midwest, he has regularly appeared as Guest Principal Oboe with the Elgin Symphony Orchestra, Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, Illinois Symphony Orchestra, and other orchestras.
James earned a Bachelor of Music degree from The Juilliard School, a Master of Music degree from Stony Brook University, and an Artist Diploma from Yale University. In 2013, he was one of only five finalists at the prestigious Fernand Gillet–Hugo Fox International Oboe Competition, where he received an Honorable Mention. A passionate chamber musician, James has collaborated with many distinguished artists. In 2017, he appeared in a three-concert series with the acclaimed American pianist Peter Serkin, performing J.S. Bach's Sonata in G Minor for oboe and keyboard, as well as Mozart's and Beethoven's Piano Quintets. He has also performed with the New York Woodwind Quintet. In addition to his performing career, James serves as conductor and choir director at Lakeview Covenant Church in Northbrook, Illinois. He is also a dedicated educator who maintains a thriving private oboe studio. His students have consistently earned positions in premier youth orchestras, including the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras (CYSO) and the Midwest Young Artists Conservatory (MYAC). To date, every student who has auditioned has been accepted into either CYSO, MYAC, or both.
Andrew Marlin is a freelance musician and passionate music educator. He primarily performs with Opera Festival Chicago, Oistrakh Symphony of Chicago, and Northbrook Symphony Orchestra. He is a Core Artist with CHAI Collaborative Ensemble and a founding member of the Vox Box Quartet. Additionally, Andrew has performed with the Seattle Symphony Orchestra and the Las Vegas Philharmonic. Andrew has built up many school music programs throughout the northwest suburbs and has a full time teaching studio. His students have continued on to some of the finest university music programs across the country, including Northwestern University, The Peabody Institute at Johns Hopkins University, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music. Andrew’s reputation as one of Chicagoland’s leading bassoon instructors has allowed him to reach out further to teach with Chicago Summer Opera’s Orchestra Program, Chicago Musical Pathways Initiative, and as the Professor of Bassoon at Elmhurst University. Andrew is the founder and music director of the Summer Bassoon Workshop, an internationally recognized program that introduces young bassoonists to the wonders of classical music. All the music in the workshop are his own arrangements of some of the best music written across all time - orchestral classics, opera scenes, ballet music, film scores, and more. Andrew was invited to this year’s International Double Reed Society conference as a soloist to give a solo bassoon recital.
Percussionist Drew McComas joins MYAC for the 2025-2026 Season. Drew currently serves as an Assistant Editor for Big Shoulders Digital Video Productions after graduating Northwestern University to study Percussion Performance and Film Composition & Post Production in June 2022. He has edited for a variety of content including narrative works ("Exquisite Corpse," "Reality Check"), sketch comedy ("NSTV", also as Post-Production Coordinator), commercials ("AT&T Thanks Wheels On Wifi Sweepstakes"), sizzle reels ("Fortinet") and interviews ("American College of Surgeons Clinical Congress 2022").
Drew has written and produced music for a variety of contexts including solo/chamber works ("Sculpture"), film scores ("Ozona", "Those Who Move Mountains", "We're the Marvels"), marching arts arrangements ("The Common Thread"), and live theatre performances ("Sometimes the Rain, Sometimes the Sea", "Life Now").
As a percussionist for 10 years, Drew has had the opportunity to play music in the Greater Chicago and Charlotte areas. Most recently, he served as the drum set player for original cast-album recording session for “Abandon All Hope: A Musical Comedy” by Samuel Perlman and Mitchell Huntley. Other noteworthy performances include: Something Rotten! (Wirtz Center for the Performing Arts Production) - Drum Set, USA Premiere of “Harmoniemusik” by Hans Thomalla - Percussion, World Premiere of “The Last Message Received” by Christopher Cerrone - Percussion, World Premiere of “Essay for Percussion” by Jonathan Bingham - Marimba.
Ember Miller is a Chicago-based clarinetist and educator whose career bridges performance, higher education, and mentorship. She is an Artist Faculty of Clarinet at Roosevelt University Chicago College of Performing Arts. She also serves on the faculties of North Central College and Lake Forest College. As a performer, Ember maintains an active career as an orchestral, chamber, and solo musician. A passionate and highly sought-after educator, her students have gone on to successful careers as performers, educators, and arts leaders. Her teaching is rooted in technical excellence, thoughtful collaboration, and the belief that every student possesses the potential to become an expressive, independent artist capable of building a meaningful musical career. Ember holds degrees in Clarinet Performance from Michigan State University and Northwestern University, where she studied with Caroline Hartig and Steve Cohen, respectively.
Hugo Saavedra is an internationally recognized Colombian trombonist and educator whose career spans solo, orchestral, and chamber music performance across the Americas, Europe, and Asia. Beginning his musical journey at age twelve in Colombia, he has developed an accomplished career grounded in artistic excellence, versatility, and a commitment to cultural representation. Saavedra has performed with leading ensembles throughout the United States and abroad, including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Grant Park Music Festival Orchestra, Chicago Philharmonic, Chicago Sinfonietta, Elgin Symphony Orchestra, Grand Rapids Symphony, and Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra.
Internationally, he has performed at the Pacific Music Festival in Japan under Valery Gergiev and collaborated with musicians of the Berlin and Vienna Philharmonics. He also toured Germany with the Mahler Chamber Orchestra and members of the Lucerne Festival Orchestra, performing Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 under Daniel Harding. For the 2026–27 season, Saavedra will serve as Acting Assistant Principal Trombone with the Lyric Opera of Chicago. He has also performed with the Youth Orchestra of the Americas, New World Symphony, and Civic Orchestra of Chicago. A graduate of Northwestern University and Roosevelt University, Saavedra studied with Michael Mulcahy, Timothy Higgins, Douglas Wright, Christopher Davis, and Jay Friedman. In 2024, he was named a finalist in the prestigious Sphinx Competition. Passionate about expanding representation in classical music, Saavedra recorded an album in 2023 featuring historic Latin American classical repertoire as a project for the Latin Grammys, highlighting underrepresented composers and the richness of Latin American musical heritage. An active educator, Saavedra serves on the faculty of the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras and works with programs including Ravinia’s El Sistema Brass, the Chicago Musical Pathways Initiative, and Midwest Young Artists Conservatory. His students have earned national recognition and continued their studies at leading conservatories and universities. Through performance and education, Hugo Saavedra continues to champion artistic excellence, cultural representation, and greater inclusion in classical music.