Members

Monty Adams

Music Director

Monty has a professional musical career that has spanned over 40 years, including performing with world-renowned artists and conductors. Monty became the Music Director of Lakeside Flutes in 2001.  He is also the Music Director of the Mt. Prospect Community Band and former conductor of the Ridgeville Band of Evanston.

Prior to receiving a M.M. degree from Northwestern University where he was a conducting student of the eminent band director, John Paynter, Monty was the principal flutist and soloist with the U.S. Air Force Band and Orchestra in Washington D.C. under the direction of Col. Arnold Gabriel. Returning to Chicago after his enlistment, he performed as a substitute flutist with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and as a regular member of CSO chamber ensembles for 20 consecutive years.

In addition, Monty frequently performs with his wife, harpist Phyllis Adams. The duo is recognized for their many innovative flute & harp arrangements. They have produced two CDs, Opera by Request and Universal Peace and have published numerous arrangements for flute & harp and flute choir.

Malena Cerna

Rachel Daum

Caleb Dilsavor

Meredith Esposito

grew up in New York and began playing flute in fourth grade. She studied with David Whiteside, principal flutist of the National Philarmonic before minoring in music at the University of Delaware for a year and a half, under the tutelage of Eileen Grycky. Travels to Louisiana for a BFA in Fine Art landed Meredith in the Greater Baton Rouge Flute Choir for several years until she moved to Chicago where she has studied flute with Kim Sopata. As a full time Chicago Police Officer and a full time new mother of twins, flute playing was put on hold for a bit, but Meredith's true love of music has beckoned her back and she is thrilled to be performing with Lakeside Flutes!

Emily Fenton

graduated from University of Iowa with a dual Bachelor’s degree in Flute Performance and Biology.  There she studied under Nicole Esposito for 3 years and Gro Sandvik for 1 year and performed with several small ensembles, such as the ensemble for the Center for New Music.  A highlight of her musical studies includes a performance at Carnegie Hall as part of the University of Iowa Concert Band under award-winning conductor Myron Welch.  Emily followed a career into medicine as a Physician Assistant, but continues to enjoy playing her flute as a dominant hobby.

Erin Hernández

a Chicago native, first started the flute at the age of 5 with the tune "Oh Danny Boy".  In 2nd grade, she joined the middle school band and fell in love with playing in ensembles like the DuPage Youth Symphony Orchestra, or leading groups like the Glenbard West Marching Band.  A musician with synesthesia, Erin sees colors when she hears music.  She took this love for music further, picking up the guitar, bassoon, piano, alto saxophone, and voice.  She is a proud alumni of the Pride of Mid-America  Marching Band at Ball State University, where she received her undergraduate degree in Interpersonal Communications.  Erin then went on to obtain her Masters of Education in Counseling in Student Affairs from Northern Arizona University, before moving back to Chicagoland to work as a Resident Director at Northwestern University.  In her free time, she travels to national parks, engages in research on neurodivergence in the work place, and is a proud member of Theta Nu Xi Multicultural Sorority Incorporated.

Todd Kersh

attended the University of Iowa where he majored in Flute Performance before receiving his B.A. in Dance. He has studied flute with Marcia Korb, Dr. Nathen Jones, Katherine Borst Jones and Roger Mather. As a former professional dancer/singer/actor Todd's credits include A Chorus Line, Carousel, Funny Girl, Sweet Charity, West Side Story, and he danced in the world premiere of the ballet Wanderers by Alfonso Cata of Ballet du Nord . He has performed on Celebrity, Princess and Norwegian Cruise Lines as a dancer and featured vocalist, and acted in Television and Movie productions. Todd is principal flutist with the North Shore Chamber Orchestra and is also a member of the Venti Wind Quintet.

Margo Klein

started playing flute at the age of 10. She has studied with Jan Smith, former Assistant Principal Flute in St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. Margo participated in the CASA Young People's Orchestra 1990-1992. She attended the University of Tulsa on academic and music scholarships and participated in the university orchestra under the direction of Dr. Frank Ryan from 1992-1997. While at the University of Tulsa she studied privately under Leonard Garrison. Margo is currently a registered nurse and in her spare time continues to play a variety of music. She has studied jazz with Bill 'Skinny Williams' Simms at the Old Town School of Folk Music and Erwyn Helfer. Margo is currently participating in David Jennings Jazz Ensemble Group at Old Town School of Folk Music.  She is also studying Irish flute with James Reilly at the Irish Music School of Chicago.

Lynne Lasser

began her flute studies in grade school, practicing diligently to avoid the whiskey-breath of her first teacher, the grade school band director (who could blame him?). In spite of this rocky start (or perhaps because of it), she excelled under the tutelage of Joseph Zverov (Piccolo, Lyric Opera Orchestra), winning a place in the Illinois State Band, State Orchestra, and Chicago Youth Symphony. She earned the money to buy her first professional flute doing singing telegrams for a summer. At Univ. of Illinois (Urbana), she studied with Alexander Murray, former principal of the London Symphony, earning a tuition waiver and graduating in 6 years cum laude with BA and MA in Music Performance and an MS in Journalism. She played flute, piccolo and alto flute with all the university ensembles and was a Concerto Competition finalist. As an exchange student in Cardiff, Wales, she played principal flute with the college orchestra and earned her Performer's Licentiate from Trinity College, London. Following a 4-year span as fine arts critic for a major daily newspaper in California, she returned home to Chicago. Since 1998, she has operated her own marketing communications business helping companies large and small put their best foot forward.  She plays a Murray flute made by Tom Green and Juan Arista for the joy of it.

Patrick McCray

studied with Vivina Beaudreau, Judy Athmejvar, and Caroline Pittman and audited Walfrid Kujala's 1992 and 1996 master classes in orchestral performance. He has performed in high school, college and community bands and has soloed with several choirs. Patrick is a member of the National Flute Association and the Chicago Flute Club.

Wills Mckenna

is a Flutist and Saxophonist based in Chicago and is an Evanston native.  He has been playing flute since the age of 12 and the saxophone since the age of 14.  Wills pursued Jazz studies at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY focusing on saxophone, and also continued to study classical flute with grad students of Bonnie Boyd's studio.  Wills has been playing and performing around the Chicago area since 2015, focusing mostly on jazz and originally composed music at venues such as the Whistler, The Hungry Brain, Constellation, and Elastic Arts.  Wills also works by day in the tech sector of a major tools company.  Wills's current interests include studying the Bansuri, the bamboo wooden flute from India from well-known classical flutist and bansurist Lyon Leifer, dabbling in audio technology and effects pedals for woodwinds, and playing flutes of all sizes for Lakeside Flutes.

Lesia Minaieva

Angelica Moran

Lisa Nazar

began playing flute in the fourth grade with the dream of one day becoming a member to The University of Illinois Marching Illini.  After her time with the MI, Lisa switched her musical focus to playing in concert bands and pit orchestras for children's musical theater where she currently holds 15 unique show credits.  She also performs as a soloist in churches across the Chicagoland area.  Professionally, Lisa has enjoyed working as a Theater Costumer and Administrator, Designer specializing in competitive figure skating dresses, and Life & Health Insurance Broker.  She is an avid fan of NCAA basketball and a Lifetime Member of Girl Scouts of the USA.

Fran O'Connell

got her introduction to the flute studying with Peggy Rohmer and Emil Eck. Flute continued to be an advocation while she pursued her graduate degree in Management. Fran returned to more serious flute playing in 1990, beginning with studying with Ruth Abbinanti.

Diane Telgen

is a freelance editor and children's book author who has been performing in community bands and flute orchestras for 35 years.  She has been a featured flutist with both the Dexter (MI) Community Band and the RAF Association President's Band of Hillingdon, England.  Her many outside interests include transcribing music for flute choir.  Diane holds an MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts.