Strings & Songs
For the past few years, The Culture House has been hosting Strings & Songs, a professional concert series focusing on presenting excellence in music to all ages in accessible and engaging ways. From internationally renowned guest artists to master clinicians, these events have provided everything from top-tier performances to scholarship opportunities in a unique concert setting.
“21st Century Bass Explosion” Performer Bio
Andrew Finley, bass
Andrew Finley, a versatile classical and jazz bassist, earned his Master of Music in Classical Double Bass Performance at California State University, Sacramento in spring 2024. He studied under the esteemed Thomas Derthick. During his time at Sac State, Andrew served as the principal bass player for the Orchestra, Opera, and Jazz Ensemble. Hailing from Sacramento, Andrew’s musical journey began at a young age, starting double bass at age 10 and bass guitar at age 13. He later earned a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies from California State University, Northridge.
Beyond his academic achievements, Andrew has recently performed as a featured soloist at Sac State’s FeNAM 2025, as principal bass with with Opera Modesto and Music in the Mountains, and as section bass with Sacramento Philharmonic and Soli Deo Gloria. He also plays bass guitar in West Western, a cowboy calculus jazz rock band.
Andrew is an avid fan of contemporary music for solo bass, which has influenced his own musical style and studies. He has performed works by Xavier Foley, Andrés Martín, Teppo Hauta-aho, Pēteris Vasks, Rodrigo Mata, and Nicholas Walker.
Andrew plays a 2023 Sergio Scaramelli Double Bass.
“Songs Without Words” Performer Bios
Dylan Jowell, cello
An avid cellist since his youth, Dylan began studying cello at a collegiate level at age 16, attending California State University – Sacramento through an accelerated entrance program. Dylan is the current principal of California’s Auburn Symphony, has served as substitute principal for the Brevard Philharmonic in North Carolina, and has performed with the Knoxville Opera Company in Tennessee, and Sacramento Philharmonic in California. He has been cello faculty for the Sacramento Youth Symphony’s Summer Chamber Workshop for the past four years, including a brief appearance as the junior week’s conductor in 2024.
Dylan’s research in masterclass pedagogy was a highlight of his
graduate studies, and he has conducted masterclasses in both Tennessee and California. Dylan currently is cello faculty at the Pacific Institute of Music in Folsom, where he also teaches special lecture classes and performs in faculty recitals. A passionate educator, Dylan has spent years volunteering – providing free lessons to students through multiple non-profit programs across the
United States.
Dylan graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Cello Performance with a Certificate in World Music from the Eastman School of Music, studying under Professor David Ying. He went on to graduate with a Master’s Degree in Cello Performance from the Natalie Haslam College of Music in the University of Tennessee – Knoxville, where he worked as a Graduate Teaching Assistant to
Professor Wesley Baldwin’s cello studio.
John Kiunke, piano
As a multi-faceted artist, John Kiunke has performed as a church musician, harpsichordist, composer, piano teacher, chamber musician, vocal and instrumental accompanist, and soloist. An advocate for early music, he has participated in the Junior Bach Festival as a harpsichordist from 2017 – He continued this passion into his undergraduate studies, where he was awarded the 2023 Outstanding Piano Project Award for studying all 48 Preludes and Fugues of Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier. While at Sacramento State, he also received the Vuletich Piano Trio Scholarship, Saturday Club Scholarship, and Thomas Gentry Piano Scholarship.
A regular performer in the Sacramento area,
John has played chamber and solo concerts through CSU Sacramento events, the Music at Noon concert series, and CalCap Chamber Music Festival in 2022 -2025. Additionally, John recently made his international soloist debut, winning the 2023 Music & More Summerfest Concerto Competition in Bosnia. When not performing, John spends much of his time teaching students of all ages at Folsom Piano Academy, playing in church services, and working with colleagues on collaborative projects.
John received a Bachelor’s Degree in Piano Performance from California State University – Sacramento under Professor Richard Cionco. He is now pursuing a Master’s Degree in Piano Performance from San Francisco Conservatory of Music, learning from Professor Jon Nakamatsu.
About the Events
Strings & Songs Concert Series is pleased to host its spring and summer performers in “21st Century Bass Explosion” and “Songs Without Words.” Join us April 18 and June 13 at 4pm for afternoons filled with imagination and discovery. For all ages, these concerts feature interactive and engaging conversation about the music and invite all to enter in to a world of new possibilities. Following the concert, there will be light refreshments and a chance to meet with the performers. We hope to see you there!
Tickets
General Admission: $30
Student: $15
In an effort to make quality music accessible to everyone, we do our best to subsidize concert costs with donations from people like you to help keep live arts in our community. If you would like to support the ongoing work of The Culture House or have questions about group discounts, please contact info@culturehouseca.org. Thank you!
FAQs
Want to learn more about Strings & Songs? Below are some frequently asked questions.
Who are these concerts for?
These concerts are for everyone! We strive to make these concerts accessible for all ages in a number of ways, including: building in breaks in the program, providing explanations and translations, keeping lights and sound more sensory-friendly, encouraging audience engagement, and more.
Who performs for these concerts?
Our core team includes our Founder & Director Jana Dykhuis (voice) and our board member Elena Bolha (cello). We are joined by professionals from all over Northern California with advanced degrees and many years of expertise in their chosen field. Past performers include: John Cozza (piano), Kathleen Gallagher-McLellan (violin), Patricia Leftridge (piano), John Kiunke (piano), Andrew Finley (bass), Jadyn Santini (jazz piano), and more.
What kind of music is played?
Our lineup often tends to be a little bit more on the classical side, but please don’t read that to mean boring! We do our best to pick music that excites us and that delights you! This often includes lesser-known gems, short folk songs with catchy melodies, songs that tell stories, and music from around the world! Our performances sometimes like to mix it up a little bit, too, from jazz to show tunes. We might even roll out the round tables and serve tea, coffee, and sweet treats in a more laid-back concert setting.
How can I be involved?
In conjunction with our evening recitals, we have also run workshop and masterclass opportunities for students in voice and strings, led by renowned clinicians who teach at the university level, present at national strings conferences like ASTA, and have their own robust studios and performance portfolios. Past participants have had the opportunity to perform on concert programs and receive scholarships to further their music education. Not a student? We encourage you to be involved as an active audience member or event sponsor! You can learn more about ways to support The Culture House here!
What if I have more questions?
We would love to answer them! Send us an email at info@culturehouseca.org or connect with us on social media @culturehouseca. We look forward to hearing from you!
Past Concerts
With internationally renowned guest Violinist Chase Spruill, Strings & Songs returned in November 2025 with a collection of folk songs and pieces from around the world. From well-known favorites to hidden gems, these approachable pieces with beautiful melodies were portrayed in captivating ways through the beauty of voice, strings, and piano. Dvorak, Coleridge Taylor, Beethoven, Brahms–all presented to bring curiosity, contemplation, and joy to listeners young and old alike!
Performer Bios
Chase Spruill, violin
Violinist Chase Spruill has gained an international reputation as a performer of contemporary music with a particular focus on minimalist masters. In 2020, BBC Music Magazine hailed his debut solo album of the music of British composer Michael Nyman, citing that,” Spruill plays with great spirit…and a great sense of presence…” as well as calling him “…an engaging and convincing advocate.” He has a long-standing relationship to the music of Philip Glass and was listed in Strings Magazine as being one of the noteworthy interpreters of his music. He appears multiple times on Glass’s own record label Orange Mountain Music and tours, records and performs as a duo alongside longtime music director of the Philip Glass Ensemble Michael Riesman. Spruill’s follow-up solo album A Common Time released in 2022 and was critically lauded by NPR, Apple Music, the French classical magazine DIAPASON, and Composer Magazine. The most recent Glass-Spruill collaboration led to the formation of a new, actively touring string quartet called CS4 which premiered and released the recording of Glass’s newest String Quartet no.9 (“King Lear”).
He’s collaborated with notable artists such as Kronos Quartet, pianist Emmanuel Ax, composers Nico Muhly, Jessie Montgomery, and BAFTA-nominated Brian Reitzell, releasing music from the acclaimed NBC television series Hannibal and more. He was a core faculty member with the Nationally celebrated not-for-profit organization Community MusicWorks in Providence, RI from 2012-2017, as well as a Visiting Professor of Violin and Orchestral Studies at Wheaton College in MA from 2015-2017. Dedicated to exploring potential intersections between music, education and social justice with young people, Spruill returned to his hometown in Vacaville, CA in 2017 to develop and run the music program at Sierra Vista K-8 where he remains on faculty. He was Concertmaster of Camellia Symphony Orchestra from 2019-2024 and in 2022, was appointed permanent Concertmaster for Auburn Symphony under new music director Maestro Ryan Murray. He recently joined the faculty of Sacramento State University’s School of Music in the Fall of 2024.
Jana Dykhuis, soprano
Jana Dykhuis, soprano, began her training in New Mexico with the Santa Fe Opera Young Voices. While attending Calvin University in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Jana earned a Bachelor of Music Education degree. After moving to North Carolina to teach, she continued her career in Jakarta, Indonesia, teaching and overseeing the fine arts department at Sekolah Pelita Harapan Kemang Village. While there, she earned a Master of Arts in Music and Worship before returning to the States.
Beyond her solo work, Jana has performed and toured with choral groups such as the Grand Rapids Symphony Chorus, the Calvin College Alumni Choir, and The Charlotte Master Chorale. She currently performs as a member and frequent soloist of The Pops Chorale here in Placer County and serves as an adjunct Professor of Voice at Jessup University. As Founder & Director of The Culture House, Jana hopes to inspire people of all ages to explore, create, and grow through quality arts education in our community.
Elena Bolha, cello
Originally from Richmond, Virginia, Elena received her Bachelor of Arts in Cello Performance from Virginia Tech in 2019. There, she served as principal of the New River Valley Symphony and studied with Alan Weinstein. She began her teaching career as a student teacher for the Virginia Tech String Project and served as its director upon graduation.
Elena taught middle and high school orchestra at Marysville Charter Academy for the Arts in California from 2021 to 2023. Her students won awards and achieved high standards and scores at local and state adjudications. Alongside her teaching at MCAA, Elena was also the graduate student teacher for the Sacramento State String Project. As a part of this position, she conducted research and wrote a proposal for the organization with her colleague, Kathleen Gallagher-McLellan. This research, “Fostering Self-Evaluation and Program Assessment”, was presented at the American String Teachers Association National Conference in 2023. Additional research on teaching students body awareness, “Gravity: Tools for Tone Development”, was presented at the ASTA Conference in 2024.
Now in Las Vegas, Elena is a Music Education Consultant for a private school. Her focus is to build foundations and plans for them to grow and develop a high-quality music and arts program. Alongside this project, she is the newly appointed Orchestra Director at Founders Classical Academy of Las Vegas.
Although much of her work is in teaching and pedagogy, Elena is passionate about performing, as well. Throughout her studies, she performed across the country in workshops, festivals, and masterclasses with world-renowned artists, including the Turtle Island String Quartet, Zuill Bailey, and Yo-Yo Ma. Her performance has recently been lauded with the Sacramento Saturday Club Scholarship, Renaissance Society Scholarship, and prizes in the Watson Chamber Music Competition and the Sacramento State Concerto Competition. Elena is a Resident Artist for The Culture House in Lincoln, CA, where she performs recitals frequently.
Elena’s service includes previous board membership for the National String Project Consortium, CalASTA-Sacramento, and continued work as the Board Secretary of The Culture House. She holds membership with ASTA and the National Association for Music Educators.
Elena received her Masters of Music at California State University – Sacramento studying with Andy Luchansky. She lives in Las Vegas, Nevada with her husband, Nathan, and their rescue dog, Juniper.
John Cozza, piano
John Cozza is in demand throughout California as teacher, coach/accompanist, chamber musician, adjudicator and clinician. He has been the Staff Accompanist at Sacramento State University since 2004, and took over as Music Director and Pianist/Organist at St. Michael’s Episcopal Church in Carmichael in January of 2018. He taught Accompanying and Secondary Piano in the Conservatory of Music at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California from 2004-2018.
Collaborating with singers and instrumentalists throughout the United States, Dr. Cozza’s international engagements have included performances as soloist, accompanist and chamber musician in such European cities as Vienna, Bologna, Milan, Cologne, and Budapest.
Dr. Cozza holds a DM degree in piano performance, vocal accompanying and chamber music from Northwestern University. He earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees at USC, where he was named Valedictorian of the School of Music. He originally attended Vienna’s prestigious Hochschule für Musik as a Rotary Foundation Scholar in 1986-87, then returned for further study from 1988-1991 when he received the coveted Diplom in both Piano Performance and Chamber Music.
