Philadelphia Musicians

Gozde Tiknaz, Cello

Gozde Tiknaz was born in Turkey and graduated from Istanbul University State
Conservatory with the award for Most Successful Graduate Student. In 2008, she was selected to receive a Fulbright Scholarship which enabled her to complete the Master's
Degree at Temple University's Boyer College of Music with Prof. Jeffrey Solow. She completed her master's degree winning the Albert Tashjian Prize, and she completed
her Professional Studies degree in 2011.

Throughout her studies, Gozde participated in numerous masterclasses and international festivals as a soloist and chamber musician. These include the Kronberg Cello Festival (Germany), International Music Festival (Turkey), International Beethoven Festival (Germany), Bitola Music Festival (Macedonia), Bebersee Music Festival
(Germany), Berlin Youth Orchestras Festival (Germany), and Young Soloists Recital Series of Leicester (England).

In 2014, Gozde toured with the Philadelphia Virtuosi Orchestra and performed at Tchaikovsky Hall and Mariinsky Concert Hall. She also has performed with Josh Groban, Michael Bublé, Jill Scott, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, and Lauryn Hill. Gozde is currently a member of the Philadelphia Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra and Black Pearl Chamber Orchestra, and she teaches in the Philadelphia School District as the Strings Specialist.

Olivia Flickinger, Violin

Olivia Flickinger began her musical studies at the early age of four on the violin, and has since developed a career as a violist and vocalist as well. She holds two Bachelor’s degrees from West Chester University of Pennsylvania in Music Education and Violin Performance, and remains an active performer and educator in Southeastern PA.

Olivia has served as the Concertmaster of the West Chester University Symphony Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra, and Opera Orchestra. She attended WCU on full scholarship as part of a highly-selective quartet fellowship program and has extensive experience performing chamber music. Olivia was the 2022 winner of the S. Powell Middleton Instrumental Competition, 2023 winner of the MWACS Sophomore Instrumental Competition, and 2025 winner of the WCUSO Concerto Competition, where she then performed Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto with the West Chester University Symphony Orchestra in their 2026 concert season.

Presently, Olivia is an active performer in the Philadelphia area and also an avid violin and viola private teacher. She is an instructor at many local music programs and also runs her own private studio based out of West Chester, PA. She is currently a member of Berks Sinfonietta and Pennsylvania Sinfonia Orchestra and frequently performs with other orchestras in the area, such as the Lancaster Symphony and the Philly Pops.

Olivia has performed internationally and has appeared on live television viewed world-wide. Some key appearances include repeated performances at the Kennedy Center, performing as the soloist with the West Chester Incomparable Golden Rams Marching Band, performing in the Salute to America Independence Day Parade, the 6abc Dunkin' Thanksgiving Day Parade, the Tournament of Roses Parade, and on live network television through 6abc and NBC10.

Rebecca Ansel, Violin

Rebecca Ansel, DMA, violinist, has studied, taught and performed throughout the United States and in Europe. Dr. Ansel earned her Bachelor of Music in Violin Performance from Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music where she studied with Kathleen Winkler, and Master and Doctorate degrees in Violin Performance from The University of Michigan where she studied with Paul Kantor, and was a teaching assistant for five years. Dr. Ansel has studied with some of the most widely recognized and acclaimed string quartets, including the Takács Quartet, American String Quartet, Brentano String Quartet and the Lydian String Quartet. Throughout her career, she has performed a variety of musical styles, including baroque music with the Denton Bach Society in Denton, Texas, the New York Early Music Ensemble in Ithaca, NY; contemporary music with Ensemble X, Kulmusik and the Light in Winter Festival in Ithaca, New York; and chamber music with Roycroft Chamber Music Festival in East Aurora, NY, The Georgetown Festival of the Arts in Georgetown, TX and the Ariadne String Quartet in Ithaca, NY. Her orchestra and chamber orchestra credits include the Cayuga Chamber Orchestra in Ithaca, NY; Skaneateles Festival Orchestra in Skaneateles, NY; Pro-Musica Chamber Orchestra in Columbus, Ohio; and the Iris Chamber Orchestra in Germantown, Tennessee. She has been featured as a soloist with the Academia Filarmonica at the University of Oklahoma, Columbus Bach Ensemble, Cornell Chamber Orchestra, Ithaca College Contemporary Music Ensemble, West Chester University’s String Orchestra, and in countless recitals. She has taught violin at the University level since the Fall of 2001, serving as Lecturer of Violin at The Ohio State University, and as Assistant Professor of Violin at Ithaca College. In the 2009 - 2010 academic year, Dr. Ansel was a Visiting Assistant Professor of Violin at the University of Oklahoma. In addition to her teaching duties, she was also a member of the Holberg String Quartet, the Oklahoma Chamber Players, and the Oklahoma City Philharmonic. She is currently living and freelancing in the Philadelphia area, where she is a member of the Philadelphia Ballet, the violinist at the Walnut Street Theater, and on the executive board of the Local 77 - 274 Musician” Union, and a private instructor.

Lisa Vaupel, Violin

Violinist Lisa Vaupel feels the power of music can reach everyone. Her aim is to share her passion as a performer and teaching artist -- using creative approaches to pass along the joys of making and experiencing music to new audiences. She performs as Principal Second Violin of the Delaware Symphony Orchestra, Associate Concertmaster of Opera Delaware, as a tenured violinist of the Colorado Music Festival Orchestra. In addition to being featured regularly as a chamber musician in these ensembles’ chamber series, Lisa joined the Copeland String Quartet in 2025, with a mission of performing free concerts for the public in Delaware and the mid Atlantic region. She also performs throughout the year with the Philadelphia Ballet Orchestra, Opera Philadelphia and the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia.

Lisa was a member of the Serafin String Quartet from 2013 to 2020, with a rigorous concert schedule and teaching residency at University of Delaware with the quartet. She has also been a returning artist featured in the Sequoia Chamber Workshop(Arcata, CA), Sundays at Three (Columbia, MD), and Baltimore’s Bach Concert Series. Lisa has also appeared as soloist in Barber's Violin Concerto and Vivaldi's Four Seasons with the Frederick Symphony Orchestra, and has travelled to Italy, Singapore, Japan and Russia to perform as a guest artist in a variety of ensembles. Lisa also loves departing from the classical realm, playing recently as Concertmaster for Suffs, The Temptations-Ain’t Too Proud and with the three month run of Hamilton in Philadelphia.

As a dedicated advocate of arts education, Lisa has served as Coordinator and Teaching Artist for Philadelphia Orchestra’s School Partnership Program and as guest artist and collaborator in creating cross-genre programs on the World Café’s Live Connections Bridge sessions. Lisa has also created and performed concerts and music residencies through the Baltimore Symphony, Colorado Music Festival, and Delaware Symphony, which presented her with the Albert Beekhuis Award in 2010 for excellence in performance and community engagement. Lisa received her Bachelor of Music degree with High Distinction from Indiana University, Bloomington, and earned her Master of Music degree from the Peabody Conservatory.