Christine Zdunkiewicz, cello
Christine Zdunkiewicz began playing cello at the age of nine in the Martinsville, Indiana local school summer music program. She continued her studies throughout her college career and has performed in numerous symphony orchestras and chamber music ensembles for many years. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida, and also holds an Associates’ Degree in General Music from Sacramento City College. She was employed with the California Department of Transportation as a Transportation Engineer for 28 + years! Locally she has performed with the Camellia Symphony Orchestra (principal cello), Folsom Symphony (associate principal), North State Symphony, Symphony of Northern California, the U.C. Davis Symphony Orchestra, Valley Choral Society (principal) and, in various chamber music groups in both Sacramento and Davis. She has performed numerous times for the Noon Concert series at the Westminister Presbyterian Church in Sacramento. In San Francisco, she was principal cellist of the San Francisco Community Music Center Orchestra (the “Kapp Street Orchestra”) and has performed with the San Francisco Symphonietta, both under the direction of Maestro Urs Steiner. Christine was also principal cellist of the Camellia Symphony Orchestra in Sacramento, under the direction of Allan Pollack.
Christine has been a member of the Sacramento Saturday Club for many years. In addition, Chris Z. is the founder and music director of the Davis Chamber Players, a non-profit organization dedicated to the education and engagement of the community in all the possibilities that chamber music has to offer! Beyond playing the cello, Christine also enjoys languages, travel, family “get togethers”, singing, art, and biking, skiing and hiking. Her musical experience includes performances of many orchestral works, opera, ballet, musicals and light opera, and chamber music. Christine’s is excited that her non-profit organization, Davis Chamber Players (Chamber Players in Davis), is successfully registered, for the first time, for the Sacramento Region Community Foundation’s Big Day of Giving, a fund raising event occuring on May 1, 2025, Grants & Programs for Local Nonprofits - Sacramento Region Community Foundation.
John Cozza, piano
John Cozza is in demand throughout California as teacher, coach/accompanist, chamber musician, adjudicator and clinician. He has been the Staff Accompanist at Sacramento State University since 2004, and took over as Music Director and Pianist/Organist at St. Michael’s Episcopal Church in Carmichael in January of 2018.
Collaborating with singers and instrumentalists throughout the United States, Dr. Cozza’s international engagements have included performances as soloist, accompanist and chamber musician in such European cities as Vienna, Bologna, Milan, Cologne, and Budapest.
Dr. Cozza holds a DM degree in piano performance, vocal accompanying and chamber music from Northwestern University. He earned his Bachelor's and Master's degrees at USC, where he was named Valedictorian of the School of Music. He originally attended Vienna’s prestigious Hochschule für Musik as a Rotary Foundation Scholar in 1986-87, then returned for further study from 1988-1991 when he received the coveted Diplom in both Piano Performance and Chamber Music.