Thomas MadejA

Co-Founder and Executive Director, Brass TEaching Artist

Thomas Madeja is an experienced musician, teacher, and advocate for social change. He began his career in 2006 in Philadelphia where he was soon in high demand as a trumpet player. But it was teaching in Philly’s diverse communities that cultivated his passion and strengthened his belief that young people everywhere deserve access to the transformative power of music.

Tom relocated to Chicago in 2010 where he joined the faculty of The People’s Music School. In 2013, he founded The Chicago Metamorphosis Orchestra Project (ChiMOP) to expand access to quality arts programming to some of the city’s under-represented communities. ChiMOP provides several program initiatives in the form of multifaceted community youth orchestra projects throughout the city’s west side. 

 Tom is also on faculty of TheChicago High School for the Arts (ChiArts) andDePaul University’s Community Music Division. He maintains a busy trumpet playing schedule performing with local and international Latin music artists, regional theaters, and his own jazz trio and brass ensemble.

Kelsey Stoner

Program Manager, Strings Teaching Artist

Kelsey Stoner has been teaching cello in private and group settings since 2015. She believes that every child can learn musical skills, and that music education should be accessible to all. She strives to ensure that every student develops their skills in a way that is beneficial and effective for them as an individual.

Kelsey’s background is in teaching, administration, and research. She continues to study and explore the intersection of music and psychology, specifically the impact of music and movement on child development, emotional wellness, and trauma recovery.

Kelsey also owns and operates a private lesson studio and maintains a regular performance schedule.

Khristopher Granados

Lewis Youth Band Director, Woodwinds Teaching Artist

Khristopher Granados first learned the clarinet in 6th grade at his Elementary school. During ChiMOP’s early years, they partnered with Khris’ school and gave him a chance to play within an orchestra, an opportunity he would have not gotten if it were not for ChiMOP. Year by year, the program expanded and gave Khris the chance to play with students from all over Chicago.

Today, Khris is the band director and the woodwinds teaching artist for ChiMOP at Lewis Elementary. Khris has experience teaching woodwinds for a Marching Band in the south suburbs of Chicago (2022-present), working with a youth Afro-Caribbean jazz ensemble in the northwest side of Chicago (2022-present), and directing the ChiArts Summer Band Program in 2023 in the Humboldt Park Neighborhood. Khris was studying Music Education with a performer’s certification (clarinet) at VanderCook College of Music.

Khristopher has worked with students 4th through 12th grade all over the Chicagoland area. His mission is to elevate students’ education through music.

Elaina Huang

Operations and Partnerships Coordinator, Strings Teaching Artist

Elaina Mei Shan Huang (they/them) plays viola, violin, guitar, and ukulele. Elaina is a proud alum of ChiMOP and hopes to inspire students to be compassionate musicians and lifelong lovers of music. They strive to create spaces of belonging and collaboration in all of their ensembles. Raised in Chicago's Chinatown neighborhood, Elaina carries a deep appreciation for the city's diverse music scene.

Currently, Elaina performs regularly with the Chicago Composers Orchestra and the Pour Clara Collective chamber ensemble. Elaina is also a cohort member of the Teaching Artist Training Institute’s 2024 Lab Cohort Program. Elaina graduated from North Park University with a Bachelor of Arts in Music and a Certificate in Music for Social Change and Human Values. Outside of music, Elaina enjoys cross stitching, taking care of their houseplants, and cuddling with their dog Macchiato.

Joselyn Gomez

Strings Teaching Artist

Joselyn Gomez has been playing the viola since the fourth grade, around 2015. As an alumni of ChiMOP who is very passionate about music, Joselyn has a goal to give back to her community and the younger generations. She wants to spread the magic of music and encourage students to show them that anything is possible with hard work and dedication.

Joselyn has been able to receive many amazing opportunities because of music. She has participated in a master class with Grammy Award winning violinist Hilary Hahn, performed for the Obama Foundation and got to meet Barack Obama, performed with Jens Lekman at Thalia Hall, Jeff Tweedy at Jay Pritzker Pavilion, Third Coast Percussion at Millennium Park, and numerous events at the Chicago Symphony Center. She has also participated in many rigorous ensemble programs from large orchestras to small duets.

Through the power and passion of music, Joselyn has been awarded scholarships to travel around the world. She participated in a Musical camp, “Vancouver Island Music Academy” in Canada, as well as other locations such as North Carolina, Indiana and Philadelphia.

Joselyn has volunteered and mentored many young musicians. She loves to spend time with her family and friends, as well as playing soccer or swimming.

Iordanka Kissiova

Strings Teaching Artist

Iordanka Kissiova is a Grammy nominated violinist and active orchestral, chamber and solo musician. A native from Bulgaria, she studied at the National Academy of Music - Sofia with Prof. G. Bliznev and George Monov (performing artist who comes from the finest Russian tradition in violin playing.)

Before moving to the United States in 1993, Iordanka was a member of Bulgaria’s National Music Theater Orchestra and performed in Italy, Spain, France and Germany with the Lady's Chamber Orchestra, Sofia. She was also a string instructor and co-founder of New Youth Philharmonic and was teaching violin and viola at Little Music School in Sofia, Bulgaria.

In the United States, Iordanka has played regularly in regional orchestras throughout the Midwest. Among them are Ars Viva Symphony Orchestra of Lake Forest, Illinois Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Classical Symphony Orchestra, Northwest Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Master Singers, St. John Cantius Orchestra, Lincolnwood Chamber Orchestra, Elmhurst Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Folks Operetta, and New Budapest Orpheum Society, are among the few.

Iordanka appeared as soloist with NSO, Chicago Businessmen Orchestra and Chicago Virtuosi Orchestra. She has been an active violin, viola, and beginning cello teacher in the Chicago area since 1996 She has been passing her passion and love for music to her students using traditional, Suzuki and other appropriate and innovative methods for every individual student. She teaches students of any age and level from 3-year olds to adult.

Matthew Weinberg

Strings Teaching Artist

Matthew Weinberg is a violinist from Austin, Texas. He currently plays with the Civic Orchestra of Chicago and the Illinois Symphony Orchestra. Matthew studied with Almita Vamos at Roosevelt University’s Chicago College of Performing Arts, where he earned a BM in Violin Performance.

Matthew has attended festivals including Encore Chamber Music, Bowdoin International Music Festival, and the National Repertory Orchestra. He has played in masterclasses for in-demand performers such as Clara-Jumi Kang, Itamar Zorman, and Jinjoo Cho. Matthew is proud to teach at the Chicago Metamorphosis Orchestra Project. Matthew’s other interests include string instrument bow restoration and working on his bicycle.