Ivy String Duo

Rachel Hofmann is an engaging performer and educator in Rockford and the surrounding areas. She has been a violinist with the Rockford Symphony for the past 15 years and is also a member of the Beloit Janesville Symphony Orchestra. Rachel has her Bachelors Degree in Performance from Lawrence University’s Music Conservatory in Appleton Wisconsin, where she studied with Anton Miller and Stephane Tran Ngoc. She is also certified in Suzuki Violin. She has taught for numerous string programs and music schools, including Smiling String in Chicago, IL, Allegro School of Music in Grand Rapids, MI, and the Rockford Music Academy, in Rockford, IL. Rachel has participated in multiple music festivals including Interlochen Advanced String Quartet Institute, Weathersfield Music Festival in Castleton, Vermont, and the New York String Quartet Institute at New York University. She has studied with a plethora of inspirational teachers such as Sibbi Bernhardsson, The Pacifica Quartet, and Roland and Almita Vamos. She has over 20 years of experience playing music for weddings and events. She also enjoys playing on the worship team at Maywood Free Church in Rockford. Rachel enjoys spending time with her husband Steve and their four children. ___ Aaron Wong is an energetic performer, music educator and ​worship pastor in the Rockford, IL area. He graduated from ​Moody Bible Institute with a Bachelors of Music in 2010 where he ​studied classical guitar with Norman Ruiz. Born and raised in Hong Kong, Aaron began playing acoustic ​guitar at age 14 and studied with Kent Fung during secondary ​school. Two years later, he began studying electric guitar with ​Paul Lui and drums with Simon Tsui. He also studied choral ​conducting with Xiang Tang Hong and Gerald Edmonds. In the ​summer of 2009, Aaron studied guitar with Armin Egger in Vienna, ​Austria. Apart from his focus on guitar, Aaron also studied piano ​with Gary Rownd and piano tuning with Tim Dietlin. He has given solo guitar concerts in England and Scotland, as well ​as participated in multiple Moody Men's Collegiate Choir tours ​throughout North America, Canada, and the United Kingdom from ​2005-2009, Early in his teenage years, Aaron was the lead guitarist and singer ​in the rock band "The Buddies." He composed a theme song for ​the "Teen AIDS" organization in Hong Kong in 2000 for their Aids ​awareness program, for which they were awarded an honor prize. ​In the same year, Aaron worked with the Christian magazine "U+" ​to promote original song writing. Currently, Aaron is a Professor of Music at Moody Bible Institu​te. Aaron and his wife Abbey have four children. He is also th​e owner of Aaron Wong Studio, developing many young local musicia​ns in ​the area.