Omid Assadi (violin/viola)
Native of Iran, Omid Assadi holds a B.M. and M.M. from San Francisco Conservatory of Music where he studied with Jodie Levitz and Bettina Mussumeli. Mr. Assadi is an active ensemble player and soloist; he has concertized with many of the Bay Area’s orchestras and has appeared numerous times as soloist with Golden Gate Philharmonic, City College of San Francisco String Orchestra, Kensington Symphony Orchestra, and Villa Sinfonia. Omid’s love for chamber music has led him to study chamber music with the members of the Kronos String Quartet as well as the San Francisco Conservatory of Music faculty members. In addition, he has collaborated with Jennifer Culp, Jodi Levitz, Jorja Fleezanis, and with the Shams Ensemble.
Ashley Devine (violin/viola)
Ashley Devine began her violin studies at the age of 8 and has been teaching privately in the San Mateo area since 2007. She began her teaching career heading the 5th grade music program in the San Mateo and Foster City school districts. She graduated from San Francisco State University with a B.M. in violin performance. Ashley has played with the Peninsula Symphony Orchestra, Golden Gate Opera, the pit orchestra for musicals around the Bay Area, and regularly gives solo and chamber music performances in the Bay Area. Recently, she was invited as guest faculty to coach the music programs at Borel Middle School, Carlmont High School, Hillsdale High School, Ralston Middle School, and Taylor Middle School. In addition to her private lessons, Ashley was the strings director at the St. Matthew Catholic School for the past 10 years. She is currently on the Peninsula Youth Orchestra faculty and heads the violin sectionals throughout the year as well as their summer camp. In 2018, Ashley co-founded nom nom music, a chamber music and cooking camp.
Harry Hwang (clarinet)
Having completed his studies at the University of Michigan (BM) and Eastman School of Music (MM), Harry has performed with orchestras around the country, including: Houston Symphony, New World Symphony, Merced Symphony, and New York State Ballet Orchestra. During his studies at Michigan, he was featured on the Chicago Tribune Magazine for his role as principal clarinet in a new rendition of Porgy and Bess, which was subsequently commissioned for the Metropolitan Opera in New York. As an educator, he maintains a small studio for students residing in the Bay Area.
Christian Paarup (low brass)
Christian Paarup is a San Francisco-based trombonist, teacher, and founder of Performance Forte, a mental performance consulting business for musicians. He has performed with ensembles like the San Francisco Symphony, Finnish Radio Symphony, and Dallas Symphony, among others. As an educator, he teaches at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music Pre-College Academy and has mentored students who have earned top honors and scholarships. Christian also composes and publishes works for brass through Paarup Music Editions. A Baylor University and Manhattan School of Music alumnus, he is currently pursuing a degree in Sport & Performance Psychology. He enjoys life with his wife, Tori, and their Yorkie, Frodo.