For Mendelssohn's Music Monday, cellist Michael Beert will join pianist Kristen Nelson to present a program of cello favorites featuring movements of sonatas by Beethoven, Prokofiev, Rachmaninoff and Debussy as well as the First Solo Suite of J.S. Bach.

Principal Cellist of the Rockford Symphony Orchestra, Michael also teaches cello and bass at the Music Academy in Rockford. His eclectic performing experience includes recitals in Canterbury, England and stage shows with such artists as Sammy Davis Jr., Bob Hope, and Henry Mancini. Kristen Nelson is a prominent collaborative pianist in the region with a thriving piano studio and frequently appears with vocalists, instrumentalists, and choral ensembles.