Ceremony & Strings - Meet the Musicians
Melissa Bach - Cello
Melissa studied at DePaul University School of Music. As a founding member and client liaison, she plays a role in just about every aspect of Quartet Parapluie, whether performing on stage, or taking care of business details. Her clients are pretty much crazy about her – just read about it on Yelp or The Knot. Plus, she's a highly sought-after cellist. You can catch Melissa performing live around Chicago on a regular basis, with New Philharmonic, Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra, Chicago Jazz Philharmonic, or Northwest Indiana Symphony. She's performed live with artists such as Idina Menzel, Peter Gabriel, Michael Bublé, Barry Manilow and Kanye West. Plus, she's appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman, as well as the Oprah Show. In the world of Indie-Rock, she has performed with Bright Eyes, Kishi Bashi, Pinetop Seven, Rilo Kiley and a host of other Chicago bands, including Sleeping At Last, which featured her in a music video. Melissa's teachers have included Christopher Costanza and Robert Jamieson.
Andra Kulans - Violinist
Andra studied at DePaul University School of Music with Mark Zinger and Rami Solomonow. Every quartet needs a resident rock star. Yes, Andra’s classically trained, but much of her freelance work has been recording for and playing with local and national bands. She has performed on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, The Jimmy Kimmel Show, and Conan, and has toured North America and Europe with various bands including Grammy Award-winner Glen Hansard, Iron & Wine, Bill Callahan, Rilo Kiley, Belle and Sebastian, and was a member of Chicago-based band The 1900’s. When she’s not on the big stage or playing with QP, she also works as a private violin instructor. And did we mention that she plays violin and viola? That makes her a pretty valuable asset.
Inger Petersen Carle - Violinist
Inger studied at Carnegie Mellon University and the Cleveland Institute of Music with Donald Weilerstein, Andrés Cárdenes and David Updegraf. What makes a great studio musician? Someone who gets it right on the first pass. That's Inger. And the magic she works in the studio translates to live performances too when you only get one chance. With training like Inger’s, she’s in high demand, performing with the likes of Lake Forest Symphony, Elgin Symphony Orchestra, and the City Lights Orchestra – and nationally with the Sarasota Opera and the Key West Symphony Orchestra. You might also catch her with the Becca Kaufman Orchestra or the CoverGirls Violin Show. Don’t forget to listen at your next theater outing; Inger’s recorded the soundtracks for Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Goodman Theatre, and American Players Theatre. Plus, she’s a first-call when touring musicians come through town, performing with Rod Stewart, Ray LaMontagne, Belle and Sebastian, Kishi Bashi, Sufjan Stevens, Poi Dog Pondering, Michael Bublé, Josh Grobin, the Pointer Sisters, Dennis DeYoung, Natalie Cole, Frank Sinatra Jr. and Brian Wilson to name a few.
Erielle Bakkum - Violist
Erielle studied with Christine Terhune and Rami Solomonow at DePaul University School Of Music. We are all searching for our inner voice, right? That's where the viola comes in, and your search can end with Erielle. Don't let her humility fool you -- her talents run far. If you spend your summers hitting the musical festivals in Chicago, like Pitchfork or the Hideout Block Festival, you've heard our gal playing with the likes of The Duchess and the Duke, and with Hamilton Leithauser. And when she isn't performing with QP, you can catch Erielle singing with the Chicago Chorale, which has earned Chicago Tribune’s distinction of “Best Choral Performance of 2015," as well as several other Best-of-Year Performances in the Chicago Classical Review. Let’s not forget that she also spent several years as a middle school orchestra director in Orland Park.
Dave Onderdonk – Guitar
David Onderdonk began playing the guitar at the age of eight. Growing up in Evanston, IL, his early interests included folk, blues, and rock music. In 1974 he was accepted into the classical guitar program at the University of Illinois in Urbana, IL. In addition to his classical studies (classes with Manuel Barrueco, Eliot Fisk, and Eduardo Fernandez), he also played in the U of I Jazz Big Band under the direction of John Garvey.
In 1976, David started his career as a classical guitarist. From 1976-1978 he gave concerts in Europe, Central and South America, and throughout the United States as part of a duo called One Plus One with dancer Patricia Hruby Powell. He moved to Chicago in 1980 and began making connections in the Jazz community working in various Jazz clubs around the city including Andy’s, The Green Mill, and The Jazz Showcase.
Between 1984 and 1985 he released two albums on Quaver Records (Close Call and Lookout). This was followed by tours of the Midwest in support of those albums. In 1993 he and drummer Mark Walker released Loose Contact (an album of original music) on Southport Records. This CD received a four star review in Downbeat Magazine. In 1996 he was a featured guitarist in JAZZIZ magazine for their Guitars on Fire issue. His studio recording work also includes CD’s, TV jingles, documentaries (A&E with Bill Kurtis), and a movie soundtrack (Off The Map). In 2005 he released Renaissance Guitar as an independent project.
He has played and/or recorded with Michael Feinstein, Kurt Elling (three Grammy nominated albums), The Lakeside Singers, Megon McDonough, Terry Callier, Grazyna Auguscik, Fareed Haque, Fred Simon, and Marlene Rosenberg. He has also appeared on recordings with Pharoah Sanders, Mavis Staples, Mike Stern, Howard Levy, Paul Wertico, and Paul McCandless among others.
An instructor for over thirty years, David currently teaches privately in his own studio and at The Music Institute of Chicago. Past teaching credits include Interlochen Summer Arts Camp, Columbia College, Roosevelt University, and The Old Town School of Folk Music.