Pianist Christina Giuca Krause enjoys a diverse career as a performer, educator, and arts administrator. She is the Artistic Director of LYNX Project, a Chicago organization devoted to amplifying diverse voices and connecting communities through art song. Christina has served on the music staff of the Houston Ballet, Chicago Opera Theater, and Lyric Opera of Chicago's Ryan Opera Center. She has premiered numerous works by living composers and assisted in bringing new operas to life, including Terence Blanchard’s Fire Shut Up in My Bones (Opera Theatre of St. Louis). She is a founding member of piano duo 4x5, with composer/pianist and husband Benjamin Krause. They were recent guest artists at the Oregon Bach Festival Composers Symposium.

Christina holds degrees from the Oberlin Conservatory and Rice University, and a fellowship from Bard College Conservatory of Music. She is a staff pianist and Coordinator of Accompanying at Hope College. When not making music professionally, Christina enjoys daily sing-alongs with her four-month-old, Adrian.

Dramatic soprano Sarah Ashcroft VandenBrink is an American performer, educator, and music director. As a native of Holland and graduate of Hope College, she has recently returned to West Michigan after completing a Doctor of Musical Arts in Vocal Performance and Literature and a minor in Vocal Pedagogy from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY, where she also received her Master’s of Music. Presently, Sarah is an Assistant Professor of Voice at Hope College in Holland, MI. Her musical passions include championing works by underrepresented composers, 19th century German lieder, and 20th century opera. When neither teaching nor singing, Sarah runs a successful online vintage shop on Etsy and goes for long walks with her husband and three dogs.

Born and raised in Southern California, Mexican-American conductor, pianist and vocalist Eric D. Reyes seeks to make music that communicates beauty, inspires hope, and brings about unity amongst people. Eric has served a variety of ensembles including the Southern California Children's Chorus, Moody Chorale, University of Michigan Orpheus Singers, University of Michigan Arts Chorale, and the Community Chorus of Detroit. Eric was one of eight rising conductors selected thoughout the country to participate in a conducting masterclass led by Ann Howard Jones and Jerry McCoy at the 2017 American Choral Directors Association National Conference in Minneapolis. At the University of Michigan, Eric was a recipient of the Brehm Endowed Fellowship in Choral Conducting. Eric is most grateful for teachers and mentors who ceaselessly inspire and encourage him, namely Dr. Eugene Rogers, Dr. Xiangtang Hong, and Dr. Jerry Blackstone.

When not making music, Eric can be found sipping a cup of coffee while journaling, or at the beach with a good book in hand. Prof. Reyes is very excited to be serving at Hope College this fall! SDG.

M.M. - University of Michigan

B. Mus - Moody Bible Institute