Over the course of three decades, Grammy-nominated Baroque violinist, violist, and viola d’amore specialist Marika Holmqvist has served as concertmaster for orchestras and opera companies on three continents. In addition, she has directed ensembles across Europe and North America and has held artistic co-directorships with American ensembles such as Sinfonia New York and Cambridge Concentus. Currently her leadership positions include Washington Bach Consort (DC), Reykjavik International Baroque Orchestra (Iceland), Indianapolis Baroque Orchestra and Fort Wayne Bach Collegium (IN), Zenith Ensemble (NH), and Philadelphia-based MIRYAM, among others. Marika is a dedicated and passionate educator, and has acted as coach and guest leader for Baroque operas at Cornell, Harvard, and Rutgers Universities, and given masterclasses and lectures at institutions across Europe. Alongside her master’s degree in Baroque violin performance from the Royal Conservatoire of The Hague in the Netherlands, she graduated with a master’s in Baroque violin pedagogy—the first such degree ever granted in Europe. A founding member of Philadelphia’s Franklin Quartet, she has contributed to 28 recordings, including several internationally award-winning releases that showcase her passion and versatility as a specialist on the global Early Music scene. She has a Finn’s love for the outdoors, and when she is not performing or teaching, you will most likely find her cross-country skiing, hiking, kayaking, or biking.

Dutch violinist Karen Dekker grew up surrounded by music. Dedicated to all performance practices that music might call for, Karen performs regularly as a soloist, orchestral player and chamber musician with various ensembles on both baroque and modern violin throughout the United States and Europe.
In recent performances, Karen has appeared as a soloist with Orchestra of Saint Luke’s at MassMoCa, Juilliard’s baroque ensemble J415 in a tour of New Zealand, and the American Classical Orchestra at New York’s Lincoln Center. Karen gave chamber music performances in William Christie’s gardens in Thiré, France and toured Europe with Les Arts Florissants and The Knights Chamber Orchestra. Karen can be heard on recordings with the Smithsonian Chamber Players of Mahler, Debussy and Busoni, Tchaikovsky with Orchestra of Saint Luke’s and Pablo Heras-Casado, and several releases of Haydn and Mozart with the Händel and Haydn Society, as well as in Alexandre Desplat’s film score for “Little Women”.
Karen regularly performs with ensembles such as New York Baroque Incorporated, Orchestra of Saint Luke’s, American Classical Orchestra, The Knights, Händel and Haydn Society, Carmel Bach Festival Orchestra and several other ensembles and is a member of Philadelphia’s Franklin Quartet and Night Music Ensemble. She holds degrees from Sweelinck Conservatory in Amsterdam, Manhattan School of Music and The Juilliard School. Karen is based in the Philadelphia area where she lives with her husband and three young children.

Violinist and violist Daniel Elyar is an active performer and recording artist who has specialized in baroque performance practice in Europe and North America for more than twenty-five years. He has performed with ensembles such as Tafelmusik (Toronto), Utrecht Baroque Consort, Concerto d’Amsterdam, Teatro Lirico (Bremen), Concerto Palatino (Leiden), Les Arts Florissants (Paris), Boston Early Music Festival Orchestra, Washington Bach Consort, Ensemble REBEL (NYC), Tempesta di Mare (Philadelphia), Clarion Orchestra and Choir (NYC), and Trinity Wall Street Baroque Orchestra and Choir (NYC). A GRAMMY winner on the CPO label (2026) and five-time GRAMMY nominee on ATMA, Musica Omnia, and Radio Bremen, Daniel has also recorded for Chandos, Naxos, ELECTRA, and Hungaroton. He is a proud founding member of the Franklin Quartet, and has taught for over fifteen years at the Settlement Music School in Philadelphia. Daniel holds a Bachelor’s degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music, an Artist’s Diploma from the Sweelinck Conservatory in Amsterdam and a Master’s degree from the Royal Conservatory in The Hague, Netherlands.

Known for her expressive playing and deep commitment to historical performance, cellist and gambist Becca Humphrey is an active freelancer in the Philadelphia area, performing with many of the nation’s leading early music ensembles. After discovering her passion for historical performance, she moved to Minneapolis, where she spent twelve years as principal cellist with the Lyra Consort, performed with several Midwest Baroque ensembles and orchestras, and pursued further studies at the University of Minnesota. She has lived in Switzerland and Australia and has participated in the riches of the international music scene, mostly notably with Kammerensemble Luzerne, Capriccio Basel, and Latitude 37 in Melbourne, Australia. As a Bach specialist, Becca’s crafting of bass lines, solos and vocal accompaniment makes her a sought-after ensemble player. Her greatest passion is playing chamber music with its intimate and collaborative dynamic.  She is a founding member of many smaller ensembles including Belladonna Baroque Quartet, which has performed extensively in the US and Brazil.  The vibrant musical life of Philadelphia has inspired Becca to help form many chamber groups including Kleine Kammermusik, Night Music, Sylvan Viols, The Merion Trio and Franklin Quartet.