Loi has been working for Amici since operations began, January 1, 2009. When Loi is not in the office, she can be found working on her next quilt project, working out at the local Y, riding her bike, or working around her yard. Loi is married to Bruce Heldt (35 years) and has two adult children, Tory Marie and Aaron Alexander.

Grace joined Chamber Music Amici in late 2019 as a core member, and starts her journey as new Artistic Director beginning the 2020-21 season. Grace is a highly acclaimed collaborative pianist and chamber musician who regularly appears on international concert stages and recordings with world-class musicians. She has called Eugene home since 2017 with her husband, clarinetist Wonkak Kim, and their 4-year-old daughter.

Lillie is a second-generation Oregonian, with additional strong ties to New England and New York City. She spends most of her time listening to the recordings of master teachers she’s interviewing for her dissertation; the sounds of her many gifted violin and viola students; the amazing variety of jazz and improvised music her husband studies and performs; and the near-continuous verbiage of her boisterous 8-year-old son. If she hadn’t made music her profession, she’d probably be a children’s librarian, a kindergarten teacher, or a baker in a patisserie.

Laurel grew up in Eugene at a time when music programs were strong in the public schools. Her experiences at Roosevelt Middle School and South Eugene High School in the mid to late seventies, along with wonderful private teachers for piano and flute, influenced her. She attended the Conservatory of Music at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California, and then taught elementary music for 34 years, 30 years in Springfield, before she retired in 2018. Laurel thoroughly enjoys volunteering in a kindergarten class these days… unless she is off traveling… or walking her dog, Snickers.

Grace has three degrees in music and is passionate about learning new things. She played her first Amici concert April 2018. Grace’s mission for Chamber Music Amici is sharing the finest music with all members of the community and making it a better place. Through musical conversation, she believes people can inspire each other to be more compassionate, accepting, and joyous. Her recently developed hobby is studying and collecting mid-century furniture and books as well as arranging flowers. Grace enjoys all aspects of good cuisine, wine, beer, and coffee (even tea) in many of her local favorite locations.

.

Steven was born in New York City and grew up in the suburbs. As an adolescent he would commute into the city after school for weekly cello lessons and to attend New York Philharmonic concerts, in which his teacher was the principal cellist. As a kid, Steven attended summer camps that focused on backpacking, organic farming and caring for horses and farm animals. In high-school, he started attending summer music festivals and has continued every year since. He maintains a disciplined meditation practice and enjoys hiking, running, reading, being with friends and family, and roasting coffee.

Outside of Amici, Sharon helps advance research for the Fanconi Anemia Research Fund, dedicated to finding a cure for the rare genetic condition that took the lives of three daughters of Lynn and Dave Frohnmayer. She also serves on the board of Square One Villages, which creates tiny home communities that are affordable in perpetuity for people who need housing. She is currently curating a collection of her husband’s writings, running, cycling, walking her dog, Billy Budd, playing with grandchildren, and presenting informal concerts in her yard.