About Us

Krista has been playing for over 30 years and graduated with a degree in Violin Performance in 2004. She performs in all of the Sonorous Strings Ensembles, and has been managing the group, which she formed, since 2005. Krista loves to teach violin, viola and chamber music,and writes a lot of string arrangements for Sonorous Strings.

 Jeremy, violin, is a prolific performer in the Twin Cities, and a gifted teacher hailing from MacPhail Center for Music in downtown Minneapolis. He holds an undergraduate degree in violin performance at the University of Houston and a masters at University of Minnesota. Jeremy and Krista Swider met at a string program in 1999 and have been married for over 15 years. 

Karena Ferrier, violist, also performs professionally on violin and piano. Karena teaches at MacPhail School of Music, and holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Violin Performance from St. Olaf College. She has done graduate studies at the University of Minnesota and studied Suzuki Pedagogy at the American Suzuki Institute at the University of Stevens Point, WI. Her studies include summers at the Aspen Music Festival, the Chatauqua Institute in New York, Bravo! Summer Music Festival at the Univesity of Minnesota.

 Jacqueline Ultan is a cello instructor at MacPhail Center for Music and is showcased collaborating with a number of ensembles in the Twin Cities and beyond.  Jacqueline is a McKnight Performing Artist Fellow and a recipient of a Minnesota State Arts Board Arts Tour Grant. She  has recently completed a stadium tour where she performed with J.S. Ondara and opened for the Lumineers. Jacqueline has a Bachelor’s degree in music from the University of Minnesota and a Master’s degree in music from Yale University.