Join us on March 14, 2010 at Redeemer Lutheran Church - see schedule for details!

Russ Maki, President

Russ Maki joined the Salt Creek Sinfoinetta board in 2008.  He has spent many years in senior executive roles with companies in the consumer products industry and the wholesale paper distribution business.  Most recently, Russ was the president of Epicurean Art Foods, LLC, a specialty food manufacturer that produced a variety of gourmet food products.  Russ received his Master's Degree in Business Administration from The University of Chicago Graduate School of Business, and started his education as a trombone performance major at Roosevelt University. 

Louis F. Parker, Treasurer

Florence Naprstek, Director

Florence Naprstek was born in Wheaton, Illinois and grew up in Melrose Park, Illinois where she began playing at the age of ten in class lessons.  She loved playing the violin so much that she gave up private piano lessons to take violin lessons which she continued through high school, studying with Ann Crane, of the Chicago Conservatory of Music.  During her junior year, she auditioned with the newly formed Youth Orchestra of Greater Chicago, which now is known as the Chicago Youth Symphony.  It was her first exposure to "real" symphonic music.

She continued her lessons at the American Conservatory of Music in Chicago and also played in the Civic Orchestra while working on her degree which she earned in violin performance, studying with Scott Willits.  She taught private violin lessons for ten years until she took time off to raise a family. When she started to play seriously again, she joined the Hinsdale Chamber Orchestra for eight years, followed by the DuPage Symphony, the Salt Creek Sinfonietta and the Senior Suburban Orchestra in which she currently plays.

Barbara Saks, Director

Barbara Saks earned degrees in music education from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music and Northwestern University.  She has been the band director at Park View School in Morton Grove for the past 20 years.  She still finds it very exciting to be able to introduce the instruments and music to her students!   Barbara plays flute and piccolo in the Salt Creek Sinfonetta. She plays in both professional and community musical productions throughout the Chicagoland area.  She is also a member of the Sounds of Silver  jazz flute quartet.  During the summers Barbara performs in the Wheaton Municipal Band.

 

 

Barbara Walters, Director

Barbara Walters joined the Salt Creek Sinfonietta’s Board in 2005 after serving as Business Manager of the DuPage Symphony Orchestra for seven years.  She has also served as President of its Board of Directors plus Secretary, Treasurer and President of the DuPage Symphony Guild.  While acting as Roundtable Commissioner for Cub Scouts, she also ran Cub Scout Day Camp for the DuPage Area Council, serving 3,500 Cubs each year.

 

Her career began as a violinist, but changed to viola in high school during Allstate at the University of Nebraska.  After attending Elmhurst College, she was accepted into the American Conservatory of  Music in Chicago,  Her major was viola performance with a minor in piano.  She auditioned as one of the first (of three) women accepted into the Chicago Business Men's Symphony. 
 

Currently, Barbara is playing with the College of DuPage Orchestra, Salt Creek Sinfonietta, DuPage Symphony, East Meets West (a Chinese Orchestra from Naperville) and several quartets.  She actively plays in Baker Church in St. Charles.