Musicians for Easter Service

Marybeth Kurnat (soprano) earned her Bachelor’s degree in music education from Northern Illinois University in 2011. She has been teaching in public schools since 2012, and has taught privately as a woodwind instructor since 2006. She is currently a music educator in the DeKalb School District, and teaches beginning band, jazz, general music and choral music.

Marybeth has built her resumé as a singer on the foundation of her instrumental training as a jazz saxophonist, and her dynamic performing and teaching background is accompanied by a history in composing and arranging for choir, jazz ensemble and concert band. As a singer, she has developed a strong interest in early Baroque music, late Romantic Period lieder, and 20th century American repertoire. 

Marybeth performs with the St. Charles Singers, the Canterbury Singers, and the Chicago Choral Artists, for which she currently serves on the Board of Directors as Vice President. 

Matthew Agnew studied Suzuki cello from age four with Marilyn Kesler in Okemos, Michigan.  In High School he had the benefit of orchestra instruction and guidance from Shirley Mullins, a Janos Starker student, and cello instruction from Jane Katsuyama of the Dayton Philharmonic.  He attended DePaul University on scholarship and studied with William Cernota from the Lyric Opera Orchestra. In 2001 he won second place at the Lansing Matinee Musicale Richardson Awards.

Matthew is the principal cellist of the Elgin Symphony Orchestra, a position he has held since 2002.  He also plays with several Chicago area orchestras, including Chicago Opera Theater, Music of the Baroque, Chicago Philharmonic Orchestra and the Joffrey Ballet. In 2005 he was awarded the assistant principal position with the Lancaster Festival Orchestra, a summer festival orchestra in Lancaster, Ohio.