Musician Bios
Cantabile Quartet
Cantabile Quartet
Jane Yu, Violin
Jane began her musical journey at an early age, first studying piano with her mother before picking up the violin at age seven. She briefly attended the Peabody Conservatory of Music at Johns Hopkins University for violin performance and recording arts and sciences, ultimately earning her B.A. in Music from UC Berkeley. When she's not practicing her violin, Jane is a dedicated wife and mom, funding her passion in music as a pediatric dentist. An avid chamber musician, she currently serves as a co-concertmaster with the Pasadena Community Orchestra, where she's been a member for 15 years.
Melissa Froehlich, Violin
Originally from San Diego, Melissa Froehlich began her musical studies with piano at the age of five, picking up the violin at seven. She holds a Bachelor of Music in Violin Performance from California State University, Fullerton, and a Master of Arts Management from Carnegie Mellon University. Melissa currently serves as the Director of Development for the Pasadena Conservatory of Music and has played with the Pasadena Community Orchestra since 2019.
David Ruest, Viola
David was born in Korea and grew up in New York City, where he studied violin and piano at the Juilliard Pre-College Division. He later earned his Bachelor of Music from the Peabody Conservatory. These days, he plays violin with the Pasadena Community Orchestra and still loves making music with friends. When not performing, David is helping people buy or sell residential and commercial properties as a real estate agent with Keller Williams Los Feliz, focusing on North East LA and the San Gabriel Valley.
Monica Kohler, Cello
Monica began playing cello at age six and studied with Eleonore Schoenfeld, Peter Rejto, and Joan Lunde. She received her B.A. from Harvard University where she served as principal cellist of the Harvard Bach Society Orchestra and Harvard-Radcliffe Orchestra, touring East Asia with them twice. More recently, she was principal cellist of the Pasadena Community Orchestra and currently performs in chamber music ensembles with musicians from the southern California area. Monica is a Research Professor of Civil Engineering at Caltech where she also received her PhD in Geophysics.