Brass, Percussion and Winds 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.
Oboist Naomi Bensdorf Frisch has had an active career as a performer and music educator. Along with holding principal Oboe positions in the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, the Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Elmhurst Symphony, Mrs. Bensdorf Frisch performs regularly with the Chicago Chamber Orchestra during their season at the Chicago Cultural Center and as their principal Oboe at the Southern Illinois Music Festival. As a soloist, Naomi has performed with the Southwest Michigan Symphony, the Chicago Chamber Orchestra, and the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra. She has recently performed with the Tulsa Opera and Symphony Orchestras, the Elgin Symphony, the South Bend Symphony, Light Opera Works, and others. She can be heard on recordings with the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, the Elgin Symphony and in the chamber music of Chicago composer M. William Karlins, available on Hungaroton Records.
A native of Evanston, Illinois and Magna cum Laude graduate with a B.M. from Northwestern University under Ray Still, she earned her Masters of Music with Distinction from DePaul University. As a 1999-2000 Fulbright Scholar, Naomi traveled to Germany to study with world renowned Oboist Ingo Goritzki and performed with the Southwest German Baroque Soloists. Naomi has taught many of Chicagoland’s young oboists and has also given master classes and clinics at Southern Illinois University and has been on the Faculty of Trinity College, Lake Forest College, North Park University, and DePaul University.
An MYAC Alum ('95), her most recent accomplishment is the completion of a J.D. from Chicago-Kent College of Law, passing the bar and embarking on a career as a Plaintiff's side Employment Attorney while continuing to perform occasionally and forever be involved as a wind chamber music coach for MYAC.Native Chicagoan
French hornist Angela Cordell Bilger enjoys a freelance career as a chamber musician, orchestral player, and educator. She recently moved to the Chicago area from Philadelphia where she was second horn with Opera Philadelphia. She played frequently with the Philadelphia Orchestra and spent the 2008-2009 and 2016-2017 seasons as acting fourth horn.
During her years in New York City, Angela performed with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, Orchestra of St. Luke’s, the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, and in many Broadway shows. In addition, she spent several summers at the Marlboro Music Festival and toured with Musicians from Marlboro.
Angela has served as adjunct faculty at Montclair State University, Drexel University, and Temple University, and she currently coaches chamber music at Northwestern University. She lives in Lake Forest with her husband, trumpet player David Bilger, and their two children.
Alex Chao is a Chicago-based percussionist originally from Austin, Texas. As an orchestral percussionist, Alex currently performs as a regular member of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, a section percussionist of the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra, and a Substitute Musician of the Baltimore Symphony, South Bend Symphony, and Illinois Philharmonic Orchestras. In the marching percussion world, Alex is a current gigging member of the Rhythm Messengers and a former member of the Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps and Chicago Bulls Stampede. Alex is the founder of the Chicago-based percussion ensemble Bridge Percussion and just finished his first summer on staff with River City Rhythm Drum and Bugle Corps. Outside of music performance, Alex works as a Computer Science Patent Analyst and enjoys going to live concerts.
Trombonist Hugo Saavedra began his studies in Ibagué-Colombia at the age of 12. He won first prize in the National Trombone Festival "Cien años - Cien Trombones" and the "Young Soloists" competition in Colombia. As a member of the National Trombone Quartet, he won first prize with the National Quartet of Trombones in 2013. Saavedra has served as principal trombone in the Youth Philharmonic of Colombia since 2011, performing concerts internationally, such as: Brazil, Spain, United States, Germany, Austria and Japan. He was invited to play as soloist at the International Music Festival Tocancipa in 2014 "Toquemus." Hugo taught workshops and master classes at the International Music Festival in Cartagena 2012. In 2015 he attended the Pacific Music Festival in Sapporo-Japan, conducted by maestro Valery Gergiev. Within this festival, Saavedra performed with musicians of the Berlin and the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestras. Hugo has been selected by the YOA (Orchestra of the Americas) for a tour in Canada. He was invited by the Mahler Chamber Orchestra to play Mahler's 2nd Symphony in Germany, under the direction of Daniel Harding.
Saavedra received his Master’s in Trombone Performance from Northwestern University in 2019, and his Artist’s Diploma from Roosevelt University in 2021. Saavesdra performed with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at Carnegie Hall in 2019, and is also a member of the Fellowship program with the Chicago Civic Orchestra. As a teacher and mentor, Hugo works with Chicagoland music programs such as 'el Sistema' at Ravinia, Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Musical Pathways Initiative, Chicago Arts and Music Project, and The People's Music School.