About Aurora & Antheia

Cori Beth Somers received her MM in violin performance from Western Michigan University in 2002 and began exploring non-classical musical training in jazz and traditional Irish in 1998. From there she has gone on to become a seasoned electric violin player, focusing her improvisation energy in folk, rock, blues, and Americana genres. Cori Beth is currently the violinist for Grace Theisen, a member of the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra (since 1999), and former member of the Red Sea Pedestrians (2013-2025). Cori Beth performed with international singer-songwriter and professional dancer Dacia Bridges, in The Dacia Bridges Project from 2017-2019. Cori Beth can often be found collaborating with other Michigan artists in both live performances and in the recording studio. In addition to her performance career, Cori teaches for Kalamazoo Kids in Tune, runs her own teaching studio, and is the owner of Rainbow Forest Creations – a retail artist business specializing in small batch and handmade apothecary and accessories. Cori Beth is the co-founder of the new concert venue, The Clover Room, in Kalamazoo MI. Cori is passionate about giving back to the community, collaborating with artists, and lifting her community up through the arts.

Laurie Jarski is a composer and multi-instrumentalist, and the owner/director of Broughton Music Center, Northville Center for Music & Art, and the WPI Festival On the Land Music Camp for Women & Girls. She performs as a cellist and multi-instrumentalist with the Blues Aside Project, C•O•R•E tet String Quartet, Octocelli Cello Ensemble, Presence of Three Trio, Red Willow Dream, and the Battle Creek Symphony. She also coaches the String Quartet Plus program for youth and adult musicians in both Northville and Kalamazoo.

Laurie is currently co-producing an original album slated for release in 2026. Her recent commissions include Safe Days for mandolin & bass, and Flipside Records for cello, minstrel banjo & cajón for the Ripple Effect exhibit at Kalamazoo Valley Museum, Connecting Chords (2025); The Nine Trees of KL Ave Sent Underground for mandolin, banjo, minstrel banjo, string quartet & percussion, commissioned by the Michigan Festival of Sacred Music (2021); and Egyptian Blue Jazz Bowl for solo guitar and Untitled Brazilian Mirage, commissioned by the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts (2020).

Her larger-scale works include God Rest Ye! Orchestral Renderings (2015), Funky Blues for cello quartet (2012), Travel Modalities for 16 celli (2012), The Star to Every Wandering Bark (2010), and An Amethyst Remembrance (1995).

Laurie’s music is distinguished by antiphonal interplay, rhythmic vitality, and richly layered color—woven around lyrical, melody-driven writing that reflects her folk origins as a singer-songwriter beginning at age nine. Her fascination with percussive elements often leads her to explore rhythmic possibilities on instruments not commonly used for percussion, creating unexpected and compelling sonic textures.

Carolyn Koebel holds degrees of distinction in percussion and music therapy from Western Michigan University and Michigan State University.  Since 2001,  Carolyn has worked to establish long-term music therapy programs at the Kalamazoo County Juvenile Home and Hospice Care of Southwest Michigan, while serving as a music therapist in the Kalamazoo community for 20+ years.  She has worked extensively in silent film and dance accompaniment with the art ensemble, Blue Dahlia; brought community drum and dance to life with her collaborators in Dunuya; is noted for her work with Celtic-world music ensembles Fonn Mor & An Dro; the Dacia Bridges Project; the MRC Drummers; and currently directs the international percussion program at Kalamazoo College where she teaches Japanese taiko drumming and performs with Michigan Hiryu Daiko. She serves as adjunct music therapy professor of global percussion and clinical guitar at Western Michigan University and St. Mary-of-the-Woods College.  She has become an in-demand accompanist, educator, performer and community rhythm circle facilitator across broad genres and settings.  She has toured and taught internationally with Grammy-award winner Rhonda Larson and Ventus, including multiple tours in China and Hong Kong since 2012.  She currently works with Aurora & Antheia, Ugandan multi-instrumentalist Samuel Nalangira, the Arabic music-based Bahar Ensemble, Great Lakes Brass, the Nathan Moore Affair, Malcolm Dalglish, organist Rhonda Sider-Edgington, Grace Theisen, and numerous other collaborators.  She has released more than 30 recordings to-date and is always up for new collaborations!! Koebel was named as a recipient of the Community Medal of Arts in December 2023 by the Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo