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Cellist Kari Clifton resides, performs, and teaches in the Denver-metro area. She is actively involved in a number of musical projects and collaborations in multiple genres including classical, jazz, rock, pop, indie, alternative, folk, as well as new works by 21st century composers.

As a classically trained musician with a love for all musical styles, Kari aims to bridge the gap between classical music and just about everything else. She performs regularly at weddings, events, and churches in the Denver area and enjoys teaching cello as well as beginning-level violin and piano. Kari holds a Bachelor of Music in Cello Performance from Metropolitan State University of Denver.

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André O. Hoilette is a Jamaican-born poet living in Denver, Colorado. He is a Cave Canem alumnus and the former editor of ambulant: A Journal of Poetry & Art and former assistant editor of Nexus Magazine.

He earned an MFA in Fiction and Poetry from Regis University’s Mile-High MFA program. 2020 nomination for Pushcart Prize. Previous publication in Role Call, Stand Our Ground, Bum Rush the Page: A Def Poetry Jam and Cave Canem 10-Year Reader anthologies and journals: Inverted Syntax, Cultural Weekly, Rigorous, milk magazine, Nexus magazine, South Broadway Press and Burrow Press.

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The first instrument Lee ever played was the autoharp. Lee’s parents were encouraged to enroll the six year old in piano lessons. Lee then picked up the trombone, and studied trombone performance and conducting at Pepperdine University before transferring Boulder. At the University of Colorado at Boulder Lee performed with the Symphony, Wind Symphonies, Big Bands, and Jazz Combo groups.

Currently Lee serves as the choral conductor for Christ Servant Lutheran Church in Louisville. Lee regularly performs with Balkan brass band Gora Gora Orkestar, Boulder based funk band Legitimate Front, Denver based soul band Leon and the Revival. In addition to their endeavors as a composer, conductor, Lee is also an electronic musician and producer. Performing with their hybrid solo project Black Wolf, which released the EP ‘Sovereign Identity” in October of 2019.

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Kari Kraakevik is a versatile composer, performer and teacher. Holding degrees in Music Performance, Theory and Music Composition from Pepperdine University and University of Colorado, Ms. Kraakevik is constantly searching for ways to combine her loves of performing, teaching and composition.

In 2013, Ms. Kraakevik emerged in the world of entrepreneurs while still holding teaching positions at CU and Metro University in Denver. Loving the world of collaborative arts, in 2015 Ms. Kraakevik bought existing long-time music school Wildflower School of Voice and expanded the school to now, Boulder Music. Today, Ms. Kraakevik enjoys being a full time entrepreneur, adoring her students, creating every day in a safe, collaborative FUN environment, REEL KIDS!

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An avid pianist, composer and the director of Escuela de Cuerdas in Huehuetenango, Guatemala, Sergio Marroquín graduated from the Instituto Real Normal de Educación Musical in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala in 2000. He went on to study piano and cello at the Conservatory Nacional de Música in Guatemala City. Marroquín was an integral member of the Armadillo Puppet Theater group from 2002-2014, presenting works in festivals around Central America, South America and Europe.

In 2007 he founded and became the director of the Academia de Música Appasionata in Totonicapán while simultaneously teaching at the Conservatorio Regional de Huehuetenango and the Conservatorio Regional de San Marcos. He has composed music for various theatrical productions and currently directs the Ixim Project, which has presented over 200 musical theater programs across Guatemala and Europe. In 2014 he founded Escuela de Cuerdas and the Orquesta Filarmónica de Huehuetenango. He currently resides in Huehuentenango, Guatemala.

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Lala and Flor both live in Huehuetenango, Guatemala and are music students at Escuela de Cuerdas. They collaborated with Escuela de Cuerdas director Sergio Marroquín to co-compose the piece Lala y Flor, which Cellists for Change youth musicians premiered in 2025 as part of our concert series The Fabric of Sound: Celebrating Neurodiversity in Music.

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Meca'Ayo (Tameca L Coleman) is a queer singer, multi-genre writer, itinerant nerd, massage therapist, and point and shoot art dabbler in Denver Colorado. Their writing and photography is featured in literary magazines, art exhibits, newspapers, and other venues and publications. Their first book an identity polyptych debuted from The Elephants in 2021.

Meca’Ayo Cole is a published author of poetry, creative nonfiction, journalism, fiction, and hybrid works and was a two-time poet laureate finalist in Adams County and for Colorado State in 2023. They are a resident artist at The Evan's School and they create many community-centered projects, gatherings and collaborations.

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Coming from more of a classical music background, Colorado artist Jae Wes played in orchestras all across Denver during his adolescent years. This is where he would learn basic music theory, and he would eventually earn himself a full-time career, as a cello player. Possessed by passion, Jae Wes would eventually turn to song writing & creating more modern sounding rap/hip-hop tracks.

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Cellist Kari Clifton resides, performs, and teaches in the Denver-metro area. She is actively  involved in a number of musical projects and collaborations in multiple genres including classical, jazz, rock, pop, indie, alternative, folk, as well as new works by 21st century composers.

As a classically trained musician with a love for all musical styles, Kari aims to bridge the gap between classical music and just about everything else. She performs regularly at weddings, events, and churches in the Denver area and enjoys teaching cello as well as beginning-level violin and piano. Kari holds a Bachelor of Music in Cello Performance from Metropolitan State University of Denver.

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Roberto Arundale (pronounced air-RUN-dale) is a highly sought-after performer and educator having performed across the United States and Europe on Public Radio and television collaborating with musicians of all genres including the Indigo Girls, past and current members of the Ying and Cavani Quartets, Edgar Meyer, and Amos Lee. Roberto taught undergraduate students at CU Boulder as a teaching assistant, and currently teaches for the Aspen Music Festival and School’s Beginning Strings and Chamber Music Lab Programs as well as Strings Instructor at the Waldorf School on the Roaring Fork.

Roberto Arundale has undergraduate and graduate degrees in Cello Performance and Suzuki Pedagogy from the University of Michigan and the Cleveland Institute of Music. He is currently completing a Doctorate from the University Colorado Boulder. In his spare time, Roberto enjoys going for long walks, eating sushi, and playing and teaching chess.

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Mark Ruggeberg has a degree from the University of Iowa where he received his BBA in accounting. He spent his career in the real estate and hospitality industries. Mark is a proud Rotarian, enthusiastic volunteer with Iowa MOST (Miles of Smiles Team) and serves as Board Chair of the Iowa City, IA based non-profit Open Heartland.

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Damary Yanes is a family physician who graduated from Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Honduras. She has a strong background in healthcare and community support.

Her hobbies include listening to her daughters play the cello and hiking with her family!

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Emily Anne Bowman is an active performer and educator. She is a founding member and principal violist of the Baroque Chamber Orchestra of Colorado and has performed as a guest artist with Wyoming Baroque, Parish House Baroque, Montana Early Music Festival, and Seicento Baroque Ensemble.

Emily especially enjoys working with young musicians as the Artistic Director of the Greater Boulder Youth Orchestras and conductor of the Philharmonic, as faculty with Boulder Suzuki Strings and as board member with Cellist for Change. The American String Teachers Association of Colorado has been recognized with the “Exemplary Teacher” award four times. Emily Graduated summa cum laude with a degree in Viola Performance from the University of Colorado, receiving the Gabor Ormai Viola Award. Emily lives with her musician husband David Crowe in beautiful Boulder, Colorado where in addition to making music she delights in serving as a postpartum doula, napping with cats and spending time outdoors.

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For over thirty years, Deb Dunkhase dedicated herself to education in the state of Iowa.  Her work has involved direct teaching with elementary level students and leadership roles working closely with parent and teacher groups to bridge the gap between formal and informal education. In 2019, Deb retired from 21 years serving as the Executive Director for The Iowa Children’s Museum, a successful nonprofit organization in Coralville that served over 180,000 children and adults annually inspiring every child to imagine, create, discover, and explore through the power of play. Dunkhase is a strong advocate for the transformative power of play and its link to creativity and lifelong learning.

In March 2019, Deb co-founded a nonprofit called Open Heartland serving over 175 Central American and Mexican immigrant families in Johnson County as they navigate through poverty, lack of food, housing insecurity, and the daily threat of deportation and separation from their children – all compounded by the pandemic.  Dunkhase also leads the annual Rotary District 6000 Iowa MOST (Miles of Smiles) cleft palate and cataract medical mission to serve the indigenous people of Guatemala and serves on the Board of Directors of Casa Colibri, a medical clinic in the remote Western Highlands of Guatemala. Deb strongly believes in Service Above Self and changing the world one small act of kindness at a time.

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Cassidy has worked with women’s and service organizations for close to 35 years. She was a co-manager & trainer for Planned Parenthood. Cassidy also worked as a Deputy District Attorney, specializing in the prosecution of recidivist domestic abusers and trainer on domestic violence prosecution for law enforcement. Cassidy was a board member for Peacemaker Institute- initiating an intensive peace retreat program in Rwanda for genocide survivors, perpetrators, rescuers and all those impacted by the violence of the 1994 Rwandan Genocide. Cassidy was also General Counsel for a Native American owned firm which vetted and facilitated environmental projects with Native American tribes through-out the U.S.

Cassidy has served as a Boulder Rotary Club board member, a trustee for the Boulder Rotary Foundation and President for Boulder Rotary Club. She is a board member for the local non-profits BeadforLife, YMCA of Northern Colorado and Southern Wyoming and Cellists for Change. Currently, Cassidy works for non-profit organizations on legal issues and as an estate planning attorney.

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A native of Iowa City, Iowa, Psyche Dunkhase is a dynamic, dedicated and accomplished cellist and cello teacher. With over 20 years of experience performing and teaching, Ms. Dunkhase is committed to providing unique musical experiences that inspire creativity, spark imagination, and build self-confidence. Ms. Dunkhase holds a Master of Music in cello performance from the University of Colorado at Boulder, where she studied with Judith Glyde, and is an active member of both the local and national Suzuki communities. Ms. Dunkhase has been a faculty member of Boulder Suzuki Strings since 2010 and teaches individual and group lessons in Boulder and Lafayette.

When not teaching and performing, Ms. Dunkhase enjoys spending time with her wife in the beautiful Colorado mountains, reading a good book with a cup of cardamom coffee, and daydreaming about her next travel adventure.

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Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois Ophelia moved to Iowa City, Iowa for college. After completing her bachelors degree in Studio Arts (Graphic Design) with a minor in Anthropology from the University of Iowa she stayed to work full time at Big Grove Brewery. Now a Cellarwoman producing award winning beer, Ophelia in her free time still utilizes her degree to enrich her community by volunteering and producing products for local artists and nonprofit organizations.

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I’m a junior in high school. One of my passions is giving back to my community. I enjoy volunteering, especially when it involves working with children and their incredible minds. Through my volunteer work, I have been able to develop skills and gain experiences that have helped me be the person I am today. I love to spend time with my family by playing board games and creating memories.

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I have been playing cello for eight years, and I cannot begin to express how much fun and growth I’ve had. Cellists for Change is an inspiring organization and has impacted me greatly by encouraging others to find their strength through music. CFC has made me a more thoughtful musician, and I am deeply grateful for this incredible nonprofit as it has changed so many lives.

Michael Pordesimo is a Colorado-based violinist, educator, and arts leader serving as Community Engagement Advocate for Cellists for Change. He is Outreach and Education Coordinator for Sol Vista and Northland Violins, a board member of the Greater Boulder Youth Orchestra, and Vice President of Cuerdas y Canciones. He previously served on faculty at the Center for Musical Arts and as Director of Education for the Wild Beautiful Orchestra. As an advocate for accessible music education, Michael builds partnerships across schools, nonprofits, hospitals, and community organizations, organizing outreach performances and educational initiatives throughout Colorado.

He regularly coordinates performances benefiting Children’s Hospital Colorado and local retirement communities. Rooted in Suzuki training and performance study at Eastern Illinois University, Michael brings both artistic excellence and community-centered leadership to his work, believing that music should be accessible, transformative, and deeply human.

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