Karolina (Koko) Shrader is a violinist and saxophonist at O’Connor High School. She was a member of the All-State Band, served as a drum major of the OC Panther Band, and is the concertmaster of the OC Varsity Symphony Orchestra. She is the principal saxophonist in the YOSA Wind Ensemble and the OC Wind Ensemble. In addition to performing, Koko has a passion for teaching. She has been assistant teaching strings at Kuentz Elementary School for the past two years, and will be majoring in Music Education/Saxophone Performance at the Eastman School of Music in the fall.

Meela Rivera is a senior cellist at Harlan High School, who began her musical journey in 2021. She is currently the lead guitarist of the Mariachi Los Halcones and lead cellist of the Harlan Varsity Orchestra, the first female in this role. In addition, Meela competed among some of the most prestigious musicians in Texas at the regional and state level, earning a placement every year she auditioned. She plans to attend Northwest Vista College in the upcoming semester to receive her Associate of Applied Science degree in Digital Video & Cinema Production, and subsequently transfer to UT Austin to receive her Bachelor of Science in Radio-Television-Film. 

San Antonio native Kevin Michael Mendoza discovered his lifelong passion for the violin at age 11 through the San Antonio Symphony’s Music Advancement Program. He developed his orchestral performance expertise at The University of Texas at Austin, where he earned a Bachelor of Music studying with distinguished professors Vincent Fritelli, Brian Lewis, Anne Akiko Meyers, and Daniel Ching.

In 2013, Mendoza relocated to West Hollywood, California, and quickly established himself as the principal violinist of the innovative conductor-less Kaleidoscope Chamber Orchestra. During this time, he also served as Director of Library Operations for the Thomas Metzler Violin Shop. A transformative period began in 2015 when he joined Mariachi Arcoiris de Los Angeles, the internationally celebrated and pioneering LGBTQ+ mariachi ensemble. This groundbreaking group has garnered significant attention, being featured in outlets such as the Los Angeles Times, Billboard magazine, Smithsonian magazine, and National Public Radio, and receiving recognition from the U.S. Library of Congress.

Mendoza's diverse musical engagements include recordings with Travis Cloer and Mariachi Arcoiris de Los Angeles, a featured solo appearance in Terrence Malick’s film To The Wonder, and on-screen experience as a sideline musician on NBC’s The Voice.

Returning to his Texas roots in 2019, Mendoza currently enriches the music scene as a performer with the San Antonio Philharmonic, Mid-Texas Symphony, and Symphony of the Hills. His comprehensive performance history in Texas encompasses collaborations with a wide array of symphony orchestras (Lubbock, Corpus Christi, Victoria, Temple, San Angelo, Round Rock, Round Top, Laredo) and esteemed theatre companies (The Josephine, The Vexler, The Brauntex, The San Pedro Playhouse).