Nomin and Janis

Janis Sakai  •  Violinist

Janis Sakai has performed orchestral, chamber music, and solo works internationally. She has been studying the violin since the age of 5, winning numerous awards in competitions, and has performed with world-renowned artists such as Emanuel Ax, Joshua Bell, Herbie Hancock, James Ehnes, Lang Lang, Radu Lupu, Yo-Yo Ma, Itzhak Perlman, Vadim Repin, and Har Mar Superstar.

Janis currently serves as Concertmaster of the Knox-Galesburg Symphony, Concertmaster of Lakeview Orchestra, Associate Principal Second Violin of the Quad City Symphony Orchestra, and Section First Violin with the South Bend Symphony Orchestra. Janis also served as Co-Concertmaster of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago. Prior to this, she performed with the Hyogo Performing Arts Center Orchestra in Japan for three years.

Since moving back to the U.S., Janis has performed with the Colorado Symphony, Music of the Baroque, Ensemble Dal Niente, the New World Symphony, and the Madison Symphony Orchestra, among others.

Janis holds degrees from the University of Denver and The Guildhall School of Music and Drama, where her primary teachers were Yumi-Hwang Williams and Detlef Hahn.

Nomin Zolzaya  •  Cellist

Nomin was born in Tsetserleg, Arkhangai, Mongolia. At age six, she was enrolled in the Music and Dance College to study cello, piano, and academics. She studied cello there with Dariimaa H. and graduated with highest honors in 2010.

She competed in the Mongolian International Music Competition in both 2005 and 2008, where she took fourth and second prizes, respectively. In 2008, she also competed in the International Heran Violoncello Competition in Usti-nad-Orlicí (Czech Republic), where she took fourth prize.

In 2010, Nonim came to the United States and studied with Ken Kulosa. During that time, she was a prize winner in the second annual Rising Star Concerto Competition, held at Southeast Missouri State University. Her string quartet, the Camerton String Quartet, was the Open Division Overall Winner of the 2012 Discover National Chamber Music Competition. After Winning the Competition, the Camerton Quartet was featured on the “From the Top” radio broadcast on National Public Radio.

In the fall of 2012, she pursued a Performer’s Diploma at Southern Methodist University, where she studied with Andrés Díaz. After finishing her Performer’s Diploma, she went to Eastman School of Music for her Bachelor’s Degree in 2014 where she studied with Steven Doane and Rosemary Elliot.

Nomin moved to Chicago in the summer of 2017 to pursue her Master’s Degree with Brant Taylor at the DePaul School of Music. During her studies she was a member of Civic Orchestra of Chicago.

In 2019, Nomin won the Principal Cello position with the Illinois Symphony Orchestra. She’s currently growing her private studio and lives with her husband and two Siberian cats in Evanston.