Artists

Nicole McKenzie (violin) has performed widely as soloist and chamber musician. The Santa Barbara Independent declared, "McKenzie made a splash... she performed with gorgeous musicality." Winner of the Sutton Chamber Music Award, she graduated from Interlochen Arts Academy, earned a BM Degree from Oberlin Conservatory, an MM Degree from Florida State University, and studied with Gary Kosloski at the Music Academy of the West. She has studied improvisation with Christian Howes. Ms. McKenzie is concertmaster of the Santa Barbara Folk Orchestra, and performs in the accordion/violin duo Continental Cafe. She played electric violin in M.O.B. Jazz Ensemble, and regularly concertized with renowned pianist, Betty Oberacker. She has taught music to students of all ages, and is currently the elementary music teacher for the Carpinteria district. She has worked at UC Santa Barbara as a lecturer and as a music director and music performer in the Theater and Dance Department. She has created a collaborative dance and music improvisation group and has performed in various music styles including classical, jazz, folk, klezmer, and musical theater. She performs on a violin created for her by Michel Eggimann of Rome, Italy.

Pascal Salomon (piano) has studied at the “Conservatoire National de Musique de Paris” with Gabriel Tacchino. He has taken numerous master classes with the pianists’ Vera Gornostaeva (professor at the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow), György Sebök, Andras Schiff, Paul Badura-Skoda, Murray Perahia, and Jeremy Denk. He was granted the virtuosity degree at the “Conservatoire Supérieur de Musique de Genève,” where he studied with Edson Elias and Nelson Goerner. He obtained a Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the University of California Santa Barbara (2017) under the mentorship of Paul Berkowitz and Lee Rothfarb. He worked for two years as a Collaborative Piano Faculty at Westmont College in Santa Barbara, where he currently lives with his family, and then founded Salomon Music Academy.

Jakub “Ya” Omsky (cello), Santa Barbara Independent Musician of the Year 2000 and 2001 Local Hero was born in Warsaw, Poland. A graduate of the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw, Oberlin College Conservatory, the USC Thornton School of Music, the Tanglewood and Aspen Music Festivals, and the Music Academy of the West he became the multi-faceted expression of music: classical and sacred European, Jewish, Indian, Sufi, Flamenco, jazz, folk, rock, reggae and electronic. Among his cello mentors were prof.Arnold Rezler, Peter Rejto, Andor Toth, Eleanor Schoenfeld. OmSky has been a pioneer and champion of  transformational properties of sound. As creator of Sound Suspension therapy and certified WRT aquatic therapy practitioner he worked with many patients and trauma survivors transforming complex symptoms and disorders. 

He performed as member of many professional ensembles such as Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Santa Barbara Chamber Orchestra, San Luis Obispo Symphony, Wichita Symphony, Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble and Tundi Productions. 

Jakub is delighted to return to Santa Barbara where he serves as “Cellist in Residence” at Congregation B’nai B’rith. 

As a licensed bartender and mixologist Ya enjoys working in local craft cocktail establishments.  

Cantor Mark Childs earned his Master of Sacred Music degree along with an ordination as Cantor in 1991 from Hebrew Union College-Debbie Friedman School of Sacred Music in New York City. Cantor Childs has served Congregation B'nai B'rith in Santa Barbara, CA since 1991. His worship services and educational/cultural programming have enriched both Jew and non-Jew alike throughout the greater Santa Barbara area where he resides with his wife Shari. His son Cantor David Childs serves Temple Beth Israel in Port Washington, NY. His son Adam is studying in Lakewood, NJ. He has a particular interest in interfaith dialogue through music and study and serves as a board member of the Interfaith Initiative of Santa Barbara County. He is active as a concert artist, is a prolific commissioner of new Jewish music, and has produced four professional albums, including his latest “The Layered Path” with his son David and pianist Bob Remstein. Cantor Childs is a member of both the American Conference of Cantors and the Cantors Assembly.