Ioana Galu, a native of Romania, has enjoyed a rich career as a performer, researcher and pedagogue in both Europe and the United States. Former Assistant Professor of Violin and chamber music at Gheorghe Dima Music Academy in Cluj, Romania, Galu has also been on the faculty at Heidelberg University, Bowling Green State University, and The College of Wooster. Galu joined the University of South Dakota in 2016 and has served as Associate Professor of Violin/Viola, co-director of the USD Chamber Orchestra and member of the Rawlins Piano Trio until 2025. In 2025, Dr. Galu joined the music faculty at Augustana University and is also serving as the Acting Principal Viola of the South Dakota Symphony Orchestra for the 2025-2026 season. She has served on the faculty of the Eastern Music Festival (Greenboro, NC) between 2004 and 2022, and is now the artistic director of the Arioso Chamber Players.

A graduate of Gheorghe Dima Music Academy, Romania, Galu earned a second master’s degree in violin performance from Bowling Green State University, an Artist Diploma from University of Cincinnati’s College Conservatory of Music and a doctorate in Contemporary Music from Bowling Green State University. Her most important teachers were Victoria Nicolae, Vasile Beluska, Yim Won Bin and Penny Thompson Kruse. Galu has completed additional studies with the Voces String Quartet, Amernet String Quartet, Alexandru Gavrilovici, Kiss Ladislau, Trio Kadek, Jacques Saint-Yves, Sherban Lupu, Devics Sandor and Wolfram Just. In 2000, she earned a scholarship to study at the Académie Musicale de Villecroze. France.

She has been awarded prizes in several national and international competitions, including Second Prize in the Mozart International Competition for Piano Trios (Romania), and First Prize and Special Prize of the SOROS Foundation at the George Enescu Violin National Competition (Romania). She also won the Second Prize in the Starling Violin Competition College Conservatory of Music in Cincinnati (CCM) and was the winner of the CCM Concerto Competition with Bernstein’s Serenade.

Galu has performed recitals in Romania, Hungary, Germany, France, Italy, and the United States. She appeared as soloist with Transylvania Philharmonic, Tg. Mures Philharmonic, Sibiu Philharmonic, and Satu Mare Philharmonic (Romania) and with CCM Orchestra, Heidelberg University Orchestra, Jackson Symphony Orchestra, Southern Great Lakes Symphony, Central Ohio Symphony, Perrysburg Symphony, BGSU Philharmonia, USD Chamber Orchestra, USD Symphony, USD Percussion Ensemble and South Dakota Symphony Orchestra (United States). Her most recent solo performances include Lou Harrison’s Concerto for Violin and Percussion Ensemble, Malcolm Arnold’s Concerto for Two Violins and String Orchestra, and Brahms Double Concerto.

Between 2006 and 2009 Galu served as the concertmaster of Central Ohio Symphony in Delaware, and between 2012 and 2016 she served as the concertmaster of the Southern Great Lakes Symphony Orchestra. Galu has been a member in the first violin section in the South Dakota Symphony Orchestra since 2018. Together with Bistrita Society of Concerts, Galu co-founded the "American Musicians in Transylvania" festival in her hometown of Bistrita, Romania. The festival brings together Romanian and American artists for chamber music concerts in different Transylvanian cities. Galu presented the world premiere of Marilyn Shrude's violin concerto Libro D'Ore with the Central Ohio Symphony and the European premiere with the Sibiu State Philharmonic in Romania. She gave its US premiere and subsequently recorded the concerto for Albany Records. Galu also recorded "Music Under Political Unrest” - Works for Two Violins by Grażyna Bacewicz, Henryk Górecki, and Michał Spisak with Iuliana Cotirlea, violin.

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Bulgarian-born cellist Marta Simidtchievais an accomplished string educator, a passionate performer with uncompromising artistic integrity, and an important advocate for the music of her native country and the music of historically underrepresented composers. Classical Voice of North Carolina describes her as a musician “with superb intonation while spinning seamless melodic lines. Her lower range is rich while her highest notes and tricky harmonics are pure.” Her award-winning album of 20th Century works for cello by Bulgarian composers titled “Bulgarian Sketches” was released in 2018; the new collection of chamber works by Bulgarian composers titled “Irminden” was released in November 2022. A versatile musician, Simidtchieva has performed with vocalist Bobby McFerrin, the Eppes String Quartet under the guidance of Ellen Zwillich, Illinois Symphony, Orlando Philharmonic, Tallahassee Symphony, and the New Symphony Orchestra in Sofia, Bulgaria. She has been a faculty artist at the Eastern Music Festival in North Carolina, Greensboro since 2004. She is also a regular performer with the Chamber Project of Saint Louis, presenting innovative concerts of contemporary programming, and a guest performer with Saint Louis Chamber Soloists. A noted cello pedagogue, Marta is the Professor of Cello at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville where she teaches cello, chamber music, string methods, and courses in general music. Marta completed her undergraduate studies at the Bulgarian State Academy of Music in Sofia before emigrating to the United States for graduate study at Florida State University.

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A sought-after teacher, performer and clinician, Adam Schechter began his studies on viola and violin with Sue and Ray Sidoti. He attended the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, studying with Stephen Wyrczynski, and earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Viola Performance in 2017. He continued on to graduate studies at the McGill University Schulich School of Music, studying with Andre Roy, and then returned to Indiana University for further studies with Stephen Wyrczynski. Adam was Principal Viola of the McGill Symphony Orchestra and Assistant Principal Viola of the Indiana University Concert Orchestra. He is currently a member of the viola section of the South Dakota Symphony Orchestra. In April 2023, Schechter replaced at the last minute the Danish violinist Mihaela Oprea who was slated to play Malcolm Arnold Double Violin Concerto with Ioana Galu and the USD Chamber Orchestra. As the Danish violinist was fighting a grave case of COVID, Schechter went on to deliver an impressive performance. Immediately after the performance, the two performers formed the Schechter-Galu Duo.