About Us
Kalkaska String Quartet
12
Meet our musicians
Meg Rohrer
Violin
Detroit-based violinist and violist Meg Rohrer is intrigued by the wide range of sounds that can come out of their acoustic wooden instruments, and loves to express their voice through performance of masterpieces old and new, improvising, and composing. Rohrer centers much of their work around chamber music, and is currently the violinist/violist of Virago, a mixed instrumentation quartet that melds contemporary chamber music with free improvisation. Since winning their first Concerto Competition at the age of 16, Meg has appeared as a soloist with orchestra in venues in California, Illinois and Michigan, and orchestral appearances have taken them across the globe from Italy to Hong Kong. In addition to performing often, Rohrer is also a lively educator and has recently guest taught at the SA Oaxaca and Akojopo Music Festivals.
Meg earned their masters degree at the University of Michigan studying with Danielle Belen and Caroline Coade, and holds a bachelor’s degree from Northwestern University where they studied with Blair Milton. Meg had the privilege to work closely as a soloist with notable composers Augusta Read Thomas and Shulamit Ran, and to have been recently coached in chamber music settings by artists such as yMusic, the Aizuri Quartet, the Dover Quartet, and members of the International Contemporary Ensemble. (megrohrer.com)
Emelyn Bashour
Violin
Detroit-based violinist Dr. Emelyn Bashour has performed across Europe and North and South America. A seasoned orchestral player, Emelyn currently holds positions as Principal 2nd Violin of the Detroit Opera Orchestra and Assistant Concertmaster of the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra. She is also a member of the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra and the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music Orchestra, where she served as Acting Principal 2nd Violin during the 2025 season, and has made appearances as guest concertmaster with the Toledo Symphony.
As a soloist and chamber player, Emelyn is a passionate advocate for contemporary music and has participated in the Louis Moreau Institute for New Music Performance; the New Music Workshop at the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival; the Cortona Sessions for New Music in Ede, Netherlands, where she was a finalist in their Contemporary Performance Competition; and the Lucerne Festival Contemporary Orchestra Academy, where she served as concertmaster. Her recording credits include the world premiere recording of “The Story of Patient No. 23” by Remi Inari on if you believe in the shadow… (2024), Evan Ware’s The Quietest of Whispers (2023, Neuma Records), and the GRAMMY-nominated John Luther Adams’ Sila: The Breath of the World (2022, Cantaloupe Music).
Emelyn holds degrees from Michigan State University (D.M.A.), University of Michigan (M.M.), the Eastman School of Music (B.M.), and University of Rochester (B.A.); previous teachers include Yvonne Lam, Aaron Berofsky, Renée Jolles, and Lynn Chang. She has participated in many selective fellowship programs including Spoleto Festival USA, Orpheus@Mannes, Vermont Mozart Festival, National Orchestral Institute, and the Aspen Music Festival.
In addition to her work as a performer, Emelyn writes string quartet arrangements on commission, many of which can be purchased on Sheet Music Plus. She makes regular appearances with the Rossini Club, a chamber music collective and festival based in Nantucket, MA with frequent pop-up performances in Denver, Tampa, and other locations across the country.
Nathaniel Cornell
Viola
Currently based in Ann Arbor, violinist/violist Nathaniel Cornell is an active performer and educator throughout much of eastern Michigan. An avid orchestral musician, Nathaniel is a member of the Ann Arbor, Lansing, and Midland Symphony Orchestras and also performs frequently with the Firelands, Jackson, and Toledo Symphony Orchestras. Nathaniel has held the position of Principal Second Violin at the Siena Music Festival as well as Concertmaster with the National Orchestral Institute and at Opera in the Ozarks.
Equally enthusiastic about chamber music, Nathaniel has performed with members of the Argus, Calidore, JACK, and Jupiter String Quartets. He has studied chamber music with Stefan Arzberger, the Calder Quartet, and Alisa Weilerstein, among others.
In 2011, Nathaniel performed as a soloist with the Naples Philharmonic under the baton of Stuart Chafetz. Other performances of note include a concert at the Kimmel Center soloing alongside Paul Arnold of the Philadelphia Orchestra, and masterclasses with world-renowned artists such as Noah Bendix-Balgley, Ilya Kaler, and Christian Tetzlaff, and with groups such as the Punch Brothers and the Silk Road Ensembl
Nathaniel is also a passionate devotee of historically informed early music, and enjoys giving solo and chamber recitals of Baroque and Renaissance music.
A native of Naples, Florida, Nathaniel holds degrees from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music and the University of Michigan.
Cecelia Sha
Cello
Cecelia Sha is a versatile performing artist, collaborator, and educator currently based in Detroit. She began studying cello at the age of six and went on to earn her Bachelor of Music and two Master of Music degrees from the University of Michigan, where she studied with Anthony Elliott and Richard Aaron. Cecelia has further refined her artistry at summer festivals including the Blackburn Music Academy where she served as principal cellist, the Bowdoin International Music Festival, and the Orford Music Academy. She has appeared with ensembles across Michigan, including the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra, Jackson Symphony Orchestra, and Oakland Symphony.
Cecelia’s collaborative spirit has led her to work across a variety of communities and artistic disciplines. She has performed with Grammy Award–winning artist T-Pain as a member of the Urban Art Orchestra, contributing her voice to large-scale, cross-genre productions. As a recording artist, she appears with saxophonist Dave McMurray on Core375, an immersive audio installation along Detroit’s Dequindre Cut, and on Spaces, the Gifts of Art album recorded at Michigan Medicine. Equally committed to making music accessible and equitable, Cecelia has participated in initiatives such as the Prison Creative Arts Project, performing string quartets for audiences in correctional facilities across Michigan.
As an educator, Cecelia strives to cultivate meaningful musical experiences for students of all ages. She has led elementary and middle school string programs through the Michigan Artist Citizen Program and has served as a volunteer with the El Sistema–modeled Paterson Music Project in New Jersey. A certified Suzuki teacher, she maintains a vibrant private studio and continues to mentor young musicians with the same passion and curiosity that drive her own artistic work.