Madeline Island Chamber Music Staff

Jonathan Swartz

Artistic Director

Praised by The Strad for his “impeccable playing” and “gorgeously viola-like tone,” violinist Jonathan Swartz enjoys a multi-faceted career.  His solo CD, Suite Inspiration (Soundset Recordings), received much critical acclaim.  John Terauds of Musical Toronto comments, “Swartz sounds as if his bow were strung with threads of silk rather than horsehair,” and calls his performance of Bach’s Chaconne “something to treasure.”

A devoted pedagogue, Swartz serves on the faculties of Arizona State University and Madeline Island Chamber Music.  He has previously taught at the University of Texas at El Paso, Domaine Forget Academy, Round Top Festival, Interlochen Arts Camp, Innsbrook Institute, and the Rocky Mountain Summer Conservatory.  Sought after as a master clinician, and frequent presenter at the American String Teachers Association National Conferences, his approach to bow technique was featured in a STRINGS magazine article in 2006.

Swartz is the founder and Artistic Director of the Visiting Quartet Residency Program at Arizona State University, a chamber music program that integrates visiting resident artists with a comprehensive chamber music curriculum.  He has also been instrumental in shaping the curriculum for the violin program at the Domaine Forget Academy. He presently serves as Artistic Director for Madeline Island Chamber Music, a program of MacPhail.

Alyssa Saint

Director of Operations

Alyssa Saint joined Madeline Island Chamber Music, a program of MacPhail Center for Music, in 2022 and loves creating the unforgettable summer experience that students look forward to all year. She manages everything behind the scenes—from admissions and housing to faculty schedules, concerts, and community events—so students and faculty can focus on making music. With Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in violin performance from Arizona State University and a Graduate Certificate in College Counseling from UCLA Extension, Alyssa brings over a decade of arts administration experience at leading music organizations in the U.S. and abroad.

You can contact her at saint.alyssa@macphail.org

Jonathan Kresha

Director of Campus Operations

Jonathan Kresha first came to Madeline Island Chamber Music as a viola student in 1998, just after graduating high school, and returned for two more summers while earning his degree in viola performance from Indiana University. Over the years, he has taken on many roles at MICM — from counselor and stage manager to concert recorder and housekeeping assistant — giving him a unique perspective on every part of campus life. Today, as Director of Campus Operations, Jonathan oversees facilities management and maintenance, supervises housekeeping and kitchen staff, and ensures our spaces are ready for music-making. During the school year, he teaches Spanish, French, and German in Duluth, MN, performs with the Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra, and teaches viola lessons.