Violin
Samvel Chilingarian
Samvel Chilingarian is a performing violinist, educator and conductor. After his studies at the California State University Northridge and the University of Missouri Kansas City, Mr. Chilingarian moved to Vienna to continue his studies in authentic performance and conducting. In 1994 Mr. Chilingarian was invited to conduct the Linz Summer Festival Youth Orchestra. Since his return to L.A., Mr. Chilingarian’s focus has been to bring spirited and passionate music to young musicians. Mr. Chilingarian is the Artistic Director and conductor of the Verdugo Youth Orchestra (VYO) and the VYMA Music Project at Longfellow, an El Sistema inspired program in Pasadena. The project was launched after his visit to Venezuela in December 2008 for a 15-day study of the famed El Sistema. In 2007, the VYO was invited by the Los Angeles Philharmonic to perform at Walt Disney Concert Hall as part of the International Youth Orchestra Festival. Mr. Chilingarian has actively participated with the Los Angeles Philharmonic YOLA initiative since 2007 as a stakeholder and recently was featured as a guest speaker. Mr. Chilingarian currently serves on the faculty of East LA College and continues to perform with the award winning Elixir Piano Trio.
Ilona Geller
Originally from the Ukraine and currently based in Los Angeles, Miss Ilona Geller is a much sought-after musician for live performances, recordings, and international tours for top artists in the industry. Ilona’s credits include live shows with leading contemporary recording artists P.Diddy, Michael McDonald, Adam Levine (Maroon5), Fergie, John Legend, Jason Mraz, Robin Thicke, and Kanye West. Ilona has appeared in music videos for Tricia Yearwood, Andrae Crouch, and Carrie Underwood. Ms.Geller has worked with renowned country music stars Vince Gill and Randy Travis and legendary jazz greats Stevie Wonder, Diane Reeves, Frank Sinatra Jr., Christian McBride, Michael Buble, Quincy Jones, Dave Koz, and Natalie Cole.
Ilona’s prodigious talent and high degree of professional achievement make her in demand for the industry’s premier award ceremonies such as the People’s Choice Awards and the Grammy’s and she is a top-call player for blockbuster reality television shows like American Idol and America’s Got Talent. Ms.Geller has participated in projects such as Live Earth and has performed for special events like the Playboy Magazine Gala at the Playboy Mansion, Seth McFarland’s 100th Episode of The Family Guy celebration, Clive Davis’s pre-Grammy party, Tribute to Henry Mancini at the Disney Hall, and the NAMM Show. In 2004, Ilona was part of the opening ceremonies celebration for Super Bowl XXXVIII in Houston, Texas.
Ms.Geller enjoys an active touring schedule, most recently concluding the “Yanni Voices” International Tour. Ilona has been a permanent band member for Yanni since 2002, advancing to the Principal Viola position in 2003, and was featured on the Yanni 2003 “Ethnicity” World Tour, the “Yanni Live!” 2004 and 2005 World Tours, on the “Yanni Live: The Concert Event” 2006 DVD and CD releases, and most recently, the “Yanni Voices” video and CD releases shot in Acapulco, Mexico in 2008 and the subsequent “Yanni Voices” Tour. Her wide-ranging touring experience has incorporated various music genres including a 2008 “Flashback” rock tour with the Mystic Orchestra: Classic Rock Experience, British superstar Russell “The Voice” Watson, and operatic Andrea Bocelli.
Ilona has had the honor and pleasure of performing under the baton of such renowned and celebrated conductors as Zubin Mehta, Jorge Mester, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Carl St.Clair, Pinchas Zukermann, and Cornelius Eberhardt. Her list of orchestral experience includes Santa Barbara Symphony, California Philharmonic, Pasadena Pops, Monterey Symphony, Beverly Hills Symphony, Riverside Philharmonic, St. Matthews Chamber Orchestra, Fresno Philharmonic, Tulare Symphony, Santa Maria Philharmonic, Santa Cecilia Symphony, Downey Symphony, Antelope Valley Symphony, Intimate Opera, Asian-American Philharmonic, Los Angeles, Bakersfield, and Indian Wells Desert Symphony Orchestras.
Miss Geller has participated in a number of solo and chamber workshops and studio masterclasses led by acclaimed musicians: Jorge Mester, Alexander Treger, Yuri Bushmet, Jeff Schiendle, and the Turtle Island String Quartet.
Ilona has enjoyed the privilege of working with prominent and noteworthy artists like Mstislav Rostropovich, Yefim Bronfman, Midori, Sarah Chang, Misha Dichter, Elmar Oliveira, Emmanuel Plasson, Carlo Ponti, Anne Dieter Zetner, Bing Wang, Mehli Mehta, and Andrew Von Oyene.
Miss Geller’s accomplishments have earned her an invitation for a permanent position with the Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse in France, participation in the Davidoff European Tour, and high acclaim in live engagements throughout North America, Europe, and the Middle East. Ms.Geller has participated in numerous international artists’ concert touring engagements in the States and abroad (i.e. Moein and Omid of Iran, and Adiss Harmandian, Andy, Silva Hakobyan, Hovhannes Shahbazyan, Armen Gondrachyan, and Sako of Armenia).
A multi-faceted artist, Ms.Geller has successfully ventured beyond her classical training background into various music style arenas. She’s played rock with Jon Anderson (YES) and Nicko McBrain (Iron Maiden), toured with Chuck Negron (Three Dog Night) and played a landmark comeback show with Latin music’s giant Jose Jose, as well as performances with the chart-topping Cristian Castro, Lucero, Olga Tanon, Chris Cornell (Soundgarden), and Maynard James Keenan (Tool).
In addition to her extensive and successful orchestral, chamber, and solo performance experience, Ilona records for film and television and has performed shows with notable pop artists like Olivia Newton-John, Jon McLaughlin, Peter Frampton, John Tesh, Sara Bareilles, Danger Mouse, Isaac Slade (The Fray), Cindy Herron (En Vogue), Faith Evans, and John Ondrasik (Five For Fighting). Ilona has also worked with such prominent composers as John Williams, Danny Elfman, and Jerry Goldsmith.
Miss Geller’s educational background boasts numerous merit awards and notes of recognition and Ms.Geller’s list of pedagogues includes Tatiana Tischenko of Kyiv Conservatory of Music, Evan Wilson (LA Phil, former principal viola), Idell Low (Director of the Suzuki Music Program of LA), and Keith Greene (Debussy Trio, founding member).
Brittany Cotto
Anna Komandyan
