William Chiang – Piano
Jonathan Shanley – Guitar
Blake Kitayama – Cello
Gennavieve Wrobel – Oboe
Thomas McKee – Trombone
Born in Tbilisi, Georgia, Ana Gogava entered the prestigious Z. Paliashvili School in Tbilisi at the age of 8 under the guidance of Darejan Tsintsadze.
Ana’s performance was recognized at European Union of Music for Youth Competition (EMCY) in 2002. Many other prizewinning achievements were to follow most notably 1st Prize at the N.Gabunia national competition in Georgia, 1st Prize in the VIIth and IXth V. Krainev International Competitions in Ukraine and 1st Prize in the VIIth international N. Rubinstein Competition in Paris in 2007.
Ana Gogava has participated in master-classes given by artists such as Imogen Cooper, Vladimir Krainev and Michel Sogny, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Richard Goode and has received scholarships from the President of Georgia, Elizabeth Leonskaya and the Sogny Foundation. She has given recital and concerto performances not only in Georgia, but also in Spain, Russia, Azerbaijan, Austria as well as Holland, where in 2010 she won 1st Prize in the Enschede international competition for Young Pianists. In June 2015 she was awarded by Hortense Anda prize for the “ most talented young pianist” at Geza Anda International Piano competition. In 2015 and 2016, Ana was awarded by Help Musicians Trust, Martin Musical Trust and English Speaking Union ( ESU) to take a part at Piano Master Classes at Banff Centre in Canada. In 2017 and 2018, Ana participated at Oxford Philharmonic Piano Festival. In 2019, Ana won 1st Prize at the Birmingham International Piano competition.
Ana Gogava successfully completed her Bachelor’s, Master’s and Artist Diploma courses at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London where she studied with Professor Philip Jenkins.
Born in Columbus, Ohio, raised in Boone, North Carolina and now located in New York City, Kasey Stokes is an emerging professional in piano instruction and performance. In 2021, she graduated Summa Cum Laude from University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) with a Bachelors of Music in Piano Performance, studying under the tutelage of Dr. Dror Biran. During her undergraduate studies, Kasey was selected to attend the Amalfi Coast Music Festival (2019) and Rebecca Penneys Piano Festival (2018). In addition to the performance competitions she placed in, Kasey participated in master classes led by renowned artists such as Logan Skelton, Inna Faliks, Marina Lomazov, Christopher Harding and Michael Lewin, among others.
Kasey was also an active member of the CCM MTNA collegiate chapter, serving as Co-President for two years. She was an avid participant at annual MTNA, OMTA and collegiate symposium conferences. Since graduating, she has continued to further her professional development and attend more conferences, workshops and master classes given by leading pedagogues from around the world.
At the age of twelve, her teaching journey started with beginners, progressing to the early advanced level. Coming from generations of music educators, Kasey has witnessed a diverse range of music pedagogy approaches from a front-row seat. She believes the most important goal in becoming a musician is finding one’s own self-expression through music. To guide a well-rounded musician, both her and the student work together to build a strong background in ear-training and musicality, as well as exploring the student’s interests in playing different genres (pop, musical theater, jazz) as well as in composition and improvisation. Kasey’s approach to teaching is student-centered, as she learns and adapts to students’ characters, skills, abilities and musical development in each lesson. In addition to teaching, Kasey currently works as the Mannes Sounds Festival Assistant at the New School, teaches piano privately and produces social media content for various music organizations.
Winner of the 2014 Miami Music Festival Piano Competition and the 2015 Jacob Flier International Piano Competition, Japanese pianist Ryo Kaneko is a rising star in the next generation of pianists. He has performed with conductors such as Vladimir Feltsman, Michael Rossi, Victoria Gau, and Bohuslav Rattay and has presented recitals on many prestigious venues including the Kennedy Center, New World Theater, Rosa Hart Theater, McKenna Theater, Manhattan’s Steinway Hall, and the Studley Theatre.
Kaneko’s performance has been consistently praised for his unrivaled, visceral energy. Times Herald-Record’s Mr. James F. Cotter vividly describes Mr. Kaneko’s performance of Sergei Rachmaninoff’s first piano concerto: “The final allegro takes the form of a scherzo, which Kaneko brought to a rousing climax that brought the audience to its feet with shouts of ‘Bravo.’”
Ryo received his undergraduate and Master’s degree at Rice University, where he studied with the internationally acclaimed artist Dr. Robert Roux. Currently, he is earning his Doctor of Music in Indiana University under the guidance of Professor Emile Naoumoff.
Kristi Hifzi is a professionally active concert pianist and a piano instructor located in Vienna, Austria.
Kristi obtained the certificate of excellence in her High School studies as well as maximum grade “cum Laude” in her Bachelor’s and Master’s degree for Piano Performance at Conservatorio di Musica “Giuseppe Tartini” Trieste in Italy, where she studied with Professor and Pianist Teresa Trevisan. Currently Kristi lives in Vienna, Austria where she studies in the University of Music of the city of Vienna and studies Piano Performance under the tutelage of Markus Prause – a former student of Walter Fleischmann. She also studies Chamber Music with Denise Benda – a former student of P. Badura – Skoda, R. Buchbinder and M. Perahia.
Kristi is a laureate of around 20 prizes in several National and International competitions and her concert activity from 2015 – 2021 reaches the number of around 60 different performance events. She played in various important stages such as: Teatro “La Fenice”- Sala Apollinee – Venezia, Italy, Auditorium RAI FVG – Italy , Royal Palace of Albania, Albanian Radio Television, “Pianodrom” Festival- Tirane, Albania, Sala Tartini of Conservatory “Giuseppe Tartini” Italy, Grand Hall of the University of Art – Tirana, Albania etc.
Her participation in the masterclasses include: Antoniette van Zabbner (Austria – U. S. A.), Claus – Christian Schuster (Austria), Borislava Taneva (Bulgaria), Mihajlo Zurkovic (Serbia), Madalena Soveral (France), Maria Grazia Bellocchio (Italy), Zuzana Niederdorfer (Austria), Pierluigi Camicia (Italy), Ida Gamulin (Croatia) etc.
Recently, Kristi was accepted in the “Malta Classical Music Academy” to take lessons from some of the greatest piano masters in the world: Pavel Gililov, Michel Beroff, Dmitri Alexeev. In December 2021 Kristi makes her third debut at the most prestigious Festival of Classical Music in Albania – ”Pianodrom”, and she will make her first professional debut in Vienna.
Born in Yerevan, Armenia, Arpi Vardanyan graduated with the highest distinction from Tchaikovsky Specialized Secondary Music School in 2014.
In the same year, Arpi was accepted to the piano department of the Yerevan State Conservatory after Komitas. From 2016 to 2021, Arpi transferred to the Academy of Music of Zagreb in Croatia, and she recently received a Master’s degree in piano performance from the Academy.
From 2017 till 2019, Arpi taught as a piano instructor at the music school “Muzički Atelje” in Zagreb, Croatia. In 2013, Arpi became a laureate of the international competition-festival “Renaissance” in Armenia, and since then, she is sponsored by the YerazArt Foundation located in Boston, USA. Arpi has performed as a soloist and chamber performer at worldwide concerts, festivals, and concert cycles including “Skladatelji-Obljetničari”, “Vivat Akademia”. Arpi has recently participated in Erasmus plus Traineeship program in Vienna, Austria.
Alison Chiang (DMA, Eastman School of Music) boasts an international studio of over seventy students, both in-person and online. Renown especially for her expertise in virtual teaching, she continues to share her love of music with people of all ages and levels, and considers pedagogy to be vital for continuing traditions, community outreach, and individual growth.
Among her many awards and prizes, Alison has performed at Carnegie Hall as winner of the Eastman Piano Competition. She has garnered top prizes at the Lewisville International Piano Competition, the Wideman International Piano Competition, the Seattle Piano Competition, Thousands Islands International Competition, and the Kosciuszko Foundation Chopin Piano Competition, and has also appeared as a concerto soloist with the Lakeside Symphony Orchestra, the Cleveland Woman’s Orchestra, the Plano Symphony Orchestra, the Lewisville Lake Symphony Orchestra, and the Shreveport Symphony. Alison was one of the few recipients to receive the Cobos Piano Prize – not once but twice – during her studies at the Eastman School of Music, awarded to those with exceptional achievement in the study and performance of piano.
She owes her musical development to her extraordinary teachers, Natalya Antonova and Nelita True at Eastman, Pamela Mia Paul at University of North Texas, and Olga Radosavljevich at the Cleveland Institute of Music. In addition to piano and teaching, she enjoys making music and cat videos.
Athena So began her musical journey at a young age as a classical pianist. Although she has extensive training through the Royal Conservatory of Music, Athena has always been fascinated in the art of storytelling through music. Through her experience as an accompanist and pit musician in various productions and cabarets throughout Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area, Athena immediately discovered a strong passion for musical theatre.
As a recent graduate of York University’s Bachelor of Fine Arts (Spec. Hon. Music) and Bachelor of Education programs, Athena has spent her post-secondary years exploring a career in music direction. Athena’s journey began as the rehearsal pianist and pit musician for Vanier College Productions, where she quickly became the first student music director at the theatre company, working on shows such as Next to Normal, Shrek the Musical, and My Favorite Year. Since then, Athena has workshopped new Canadians works such as Milo’s World, played at various cabarets around Toronto, both in-person and online, and music directed Youth Theatre companies including Bravo Academy and FLATO Markham Theatre.
Currently, Athena is a music director at The Second City, serving in both Second City TourCo (Understudy MD) and the Training Centre. Much of Athena’s influences revolve around contemporary musical theatre and classical music, but what truly drives her passion is collaborating with different art forms to collectively tell a story.
Amy Sauve has studied music since the age of 5. Her educational journey is lifelong, but began with years of private Classical piano and viola lessons, several symphony orchestras, 4 summers at Interlochen Arts Camp, a summer at the Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatory in Russia, a Bachelor of Music degree from Michigan State University in Piano Performance and Piano Pedagogy, Music Teacher Certification for the State of Michigan, many workshops and conferences all over the country, and continues on by soaking up inspiration from her peers.
Ms. Sauve is an active performer. Although she is classically trained, much of her performance experience is in the pop, rock, and musical genres. Amy has performed at The White House twice, toured with Jazz legend Benny Carter, her band opened for Night Ranger and Survivor, she accompanied The Lion King tour workshop, performed with Opera diva Frederica von Stade, had an impromptu performance with Brandi, as well as performed Rhapsody in Blue with the U of M Orchestra. Amy is regularly hired to music direct main stage musicals and has MD’d more than 20 musicals. She is a contract pianist for Detroit-area events and productions, including Detroit Opera. She was ranked in the top 5 best Music Directors for Broadway World’s Regional Awards.
Amy Sauve has been a high school music teacher of voice, orchestra, theory, piano, and ensemble music for more than 15 years. Additionally, she has been the Music Director for Summer Stock theatre camp teaching first graders through high schoolers musical theatre songs from the beginning stages through performances. She is the music director for a large church with over 5000 parishioners where she cultivated a vibrant music program with over 50 musicians and bands at each service. She is a collaborative pianist and vocal coach at Oakland University.
Her ability to allow oneself to become fully immersed, body and spirit, into the music has encouraged hundreds, perhaps thousands of students over the years, elevating their mental state to discover the gift of music!
A graduate of Mannes School of Music (MM in piano performance 2021) and Florida State University (BM in piano performance 2018), Christopher Banka has won numerous solo and chamber piano awards. Mr. Banka has performed in more than 100 recitals, concerts, and masterclasses, including at the International Keyboard Institute & Festival, Kinhaven Music School, Meadowmount School of Music, the Princeton Festival, and Weill Recital Hall, Carnegie Hall.
In 2020, Mr. Banka was selected to represent the state of New Jersey in the MTNA Young Artist Piano Competition. He is currently studying piano with Vladimir Valjarević; previous teachers include Read Gainsford and Joel Hastings. Mr. Banka has over seven years of experience in teaching piano and has helped hundreds of students achieve their musical goals.
Christian Valdes
Piano
Degree: M.M. University of
Texas at Arlington
Arlington, TX
Classical, Jazz Piano
Christian Valdés is a talented pianist from Cali, Colombia. He comes from a family of renowned Salsa musicians, which led him to be a very successful and active musician in the Latin Scene in America. by the age of 16 he was already performing and touring with numerous Salsa artists mainly from Colombia, Cuba and Puerto Rico, among this list Andy Montañez, Ismael Miranda, Tito Nieves, Rey Ruiz, and many more.
In 2011, the University of North Texas offered him a scholarship to pursue a Bachelor of Arts in Jazz Studies, and since then, he has had the privilege of studying with different mentors and very well-known professionals such as Stefan Karlsson, Michael Palma and Sergio Pamies. He has performed and recorded with different internationally renowned artists such as Diego “El Cigala”, Arturo Sandoval, Nestor Torres, Luis Conte, Karen Briggs, Brad Leali, Lynn Seaton, Rich DeRosa, among many others.
Christian has also been awarded several Downbeat awards in the category of best Latin Jazz Group with his own Sextet, and best soloist with some of his own compositions. Christian also did his Masters in Jazz Piano performance at the University of Texas at Arlington, where he is now part of the faculty in the jazz department.
Rosana Hurtado Klaus is a passionate teacher and avid learner of music. She completed her Bachelor of Music Degree in Piano Pedagogy in 2021 at California State University Northridge where she studied privately under Dr. Dmitry Rachmanov, studied Chamber Music with Dr. Ming Tsu, and was mentored in Pedagogy by Dr. Gayle Kowalchyk.
Rosana first began studying classical piano at the age of five, under her grandmother Rosemary Carswell. She spent her formative years competing all over the California San Fernando Valley, participating in National Piano Guild Auditions, completing Certificate of Merit Evaluations, and later moving onto Panel Auditions. After graduating from high school, Rosana studied at Moorpark Community College with Mona Wu DeCesare where she was invited to perform Beethoven’s Choral Fantasy in 2015. Once Rosana’s studies were completed at MCC, she transferred to CSUN.
After completing her B.M. in Piano Pedagogy, Rosana moved to Portland, Oregon where she currently resides as she completes her Master of Music in Collaborative Piano. At PSU, Rosana serves as Graduate Teaching Assistant in the Collaborative Piano Area under Dr. Chuck Dillard. As a Graduate Teaching Assistant, Rosana plays for vocal studios, accompanies juries, serves as the pianist for the Advanced Treble Choir, plays with instrumentalists such as string and wind players, and is positioned as opera rehearsal pianist, most recently for the PSU opera production of The Merry Wives of Windsor (2022.) Rosana hopes to pursue a Doctorate of Musical Arts degree shortly after completing her Master’s. She will continue teaching and performing as she moves through life.
Rosana aspires to instill independence in her students through carefully teaching not only the basics of piano, but also useful practice methods. She strongly believes that an independent learner is a happy and successful learner.
Thomas Crouch
Piano
Degree: D.M.A. James Madison
University (present)
Harrisonburg, VA
Thomas Crouch grew up in Virginia and started piano lessons at 8 years old. When he was 14, he moved to Portland, Oregon and studied with internationally renowned pianist Lena Vozheiko-Wheaton, former professor at the St. Petersburg Conservatory. Under her tutelage he placed 3rd nationally for MTNA high school division, received honorable mention in the 2007 national Modern Music Festival and received the Young Artist Achievement award for the state of Washington.
Thomas attended University of Puget Sound where he studied under Dr. Tanya Stambuk and graduated with a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance. While at UPS Thomas placed first alternate in the 2010 MTNA young artist solo division. He performed for numerous masterclasses and participated in premiering several works for the 2011 National Composers Symposium hosted by University of Puget Sound. With cellist Christina Wu, the duo took top prize in the Beatrice Hermann young artist competition and were asked to perform for masterclasses held by the Tokyo String Quartet and composer Daron Hagen.
As a soloist Thomas has been invited to perform for Seattle’s Northwest Artist series hosted by Steinway and at the Perugia International Music Festival. As a pedagogue, Thomas taught for University of Puget Sound’s Community Music department. Thomas was a founding teacher of Musicologie in Westerville (OH), where he was the lead piano teacher, created a chamber music program for young children, and helped develop the daily activities for the school’s “Musicologie Jr.” program.
Thomas recently earned his Master of Music in Piano Performance and is currently pursuing his doctorate degree at James Madison University in Virginia.
Thomas believes that each student deserves a unique approach that matches their specific needs and learning style while striving to make every piano lesson an enriching experience for the student.
An “artist of the sound,” Julián is more than just a pianist. His skillful versatility includes a wide-range of styles, from the classical tradition to Jazz idioms, and Colombian & African musical idiosyncrasy. His experimentation with different musical ideas inspired by the Great Masters of music history, have led him to the joy of musical expression through composition. This addition to his musical skills lets him fully explore musical thoughts with all options at hand, making each performance a truly personal expression through music.
Born in Bogotá, Colombia, Julián began his music and keyboard studies at the tender age of four, with one of Colombia’s most important composers and pedagogues, Jaime Torres Donneys, and his wife, Esperanza Valbuena.
Julián earned his Master’s in Piano at the University of Southern Mississippi after which he worked as a Jazz Piano, Big Band conductor, and collaborative pianist in both USM and William Carey University. Julián earned his Bachelor’s in Piano from the Universidad Juan N. Corpas in Bogotá, Colombia. Today, Julián is building its new Jazz department working as a teacher, consultant and educator.
An important part of his musical awareness and on-going pursuit of his craft has been participating in numerous masterclasses at national and international piano festivals, in addition to interacting with many renowned musicians of diverse genres and disciplines such as Blanca Uribe, Bill Summers, Chick Corea, Don Preston, Edoardo Torbianelli, and Lang Lang.
One of his most important projects is Sandujazz, an original Latin Fusion ensemble. The ensemble has released 3 studio albums and has just completed work on a fourth production, following their second tour in the Southern US.
Amalia Rinehart is a pianist and piano teacher with multiple years of experience teaching students of all ages and levels. Ms. Rinehart is a recent graduate with a doctorate degree in piano performance at Stony Brook University. Amalia earned her Master of Music degree from Stony Brook, and her Bachelor’s in music (theory and history) from Columbia University, from which she graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa.
Amalia has performed all over the US and Canada, at festivals such as the Beethoven Institute at Mannes School of Music (NY), Icicle Creek Chamber Music Festival (WA), Colorado College Summer Music Festival, Bowdoin International Music Festival (ME) as a Kaplan Fellow, Sarasota Music Festival (FL), Domaine Forget in Quebec, and as a fellow at the Kneisel Hall Festival in Maine.
Born in Chisinau, Moldova, Larisa Soboleva began her piano studies at the age of five with Larisa Kalinovskaya. In 1998, she continued to study at the Republican Lyceum “Ciprian Porumbescu” under the distinguished pedagogue and pianist Lia Oxinoit. In 2003, Mrs. Soboleva was accepted into the National Academy of Music, and Fine Arts in Chisinau, where she studied Dr. Inna Hatipova and Sergei Covalenco. In 2008, Mrs. Soboleva received a full scholarship and assistantship from Rowan University to study with Professor Veda Zuponcic. She was awarded the full scholarship and assistantship from the University of Miami in 2012, where she completed her doctorate studies under Santiago Rodriguez and Naoko Takao.
During her years of study, Ms. Soboleva has won prizes in National and International Competitions in Moldova, Ukraine, Romania, and the USA. She has performed with the National Orchestra of the Teleradio Moldova, with National Chamber Orchestra, and with the orchestra of Rowan University. Ms. Soboleva has recorded a number of compositions written by composers of Moldova in 2006 and 2013, including works by Vladimir Rotaru, Vladimir Beleaev, and Ghenadie Ciobanu.
She successfully combines performance activities with piano teaching. Her essay
on the pedagogical subject “Leaning Away from the Piano à la Gieseking” won the Clavier Companion Collegiate Writing Contest and has been published in the Clavier Companion, 2013. Larisa was one of the first Piano Faculty of the Rowan Prep (NJ) founded in 2009, a Piano Faculty at the Superior Academy of Music (FL), Frost School of Music Preparatory Program (FL), Music Authority (MI), School for the Arts (MI), and Art of Musique (MI).
William Chiang
Piano
Degree: D.M.A. University of
Southern California
Los Angeles, CA
William Chiang received his Master of Music degree and Performer Certificate for outstanding accomplishment in recital from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music in May 2021, where he studied with André Watts. He also completed his undergraduate degree at IU studying with Evelyne Brancart.
At age four, William began learning piano with Olga Radosavljevich at the Cleveland Institute of Music and was a recipient of the Olga Radosavljevich Scholarship. He continued pre-college piano studies with Pamela Mia Paul at the University of North Texas. At age 15, he won Grand Prize in the 2012 Plano Symphony Orchestra’s Collin County Young Artists Competition and made his orchestral debut performing Prokofiev’s 1st Piano Concerto with the Plano Symphony under Hector Guzman. In 2013, he performed Beethoven’s 3rd Piano Concerto with the Lewisville Lake Symphony under Adron Ming as the Grand Prize Winner of the Vernell Gregg Young Artists Competition.
William has received 1st Prize at the 2013 International Chopin Youth Competition in Houston and prizes at the Juanita Miller Concerto Competition, Blount-Slawson Young Artist Competition, International Keyboard Odyssiad, Hellam Young Artists’ Competition, Robert Beardsley Piano Prize Competition, and William Knabe International Piano Competition. In 2014, he was designated a Texas Young Master in the Arts by the Texas state government’s Commission on the Arts.
During his time at IU, William served as an Associate Instructor in Piano, teaching secondary piano lessons and group piano classes for music and non-music majors. He is now a Keyboard Studies Teaching Assistant at the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music, where he is pursuing the Doctor of Musical Arts degree under the tutelage of Bernadene Blaha.
Julia Roer grew up in a household surrounded by music and musicians, as both her parents are college music professors. Julia lived in the Philippines, where her parents taught, until she returned to the USA for college. She studied at Maranatha Baptist University, and graduated with her Bachelor of Arts in Piano Pedagogy in May of 2021. Julia participated in MBU’s collegiate chapter of MTNA and is a Nationally Certified Teacher of Music for Piano. During a college internship teaching piano, Julia discovered her love for working with students of all ages and backgrounds, and found joy in communicating her love for music with her students.
Along with teaching, Julia enjoys playing piano and cello at her church, hiking backcountry trails with her husband, and making music with her two sisters, who are also musicians!
Julia’s goal is to produce students who will become lifelong musicians with a deep appreciation and love for music. Her piano lessons aim to encourage students’ passion for making music and communicating with others.
Larissa Jones is a unique, contralto vocalist and arranger from Valdosta, Georgia. Her career began at the age of 4, leading songs in the church’s gospel choir. As a teenager, she actively performed leading songs for the Valdosta High School Chorus and Valdosta High School Jazz Ensemble. While attending Valdosta High School, Larissa went on to audition for the Georgia All-State Chorus in 2017 and proceeded with a perfect score. She attended Valdosta State University where she received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Music in May of 2021. There, she performed with many ensembles including the VSU Chamber Singers, VSU Concert Choir, The Spotlighters, VSU Jazz Ensemble, and VSU Jazz Combos. In Spring of 2021, she was awarded the Outstanding Musician Award by the Valdosta State University Music Department.
Outside of school, Larissa performed with a few bands and groups. She led songs on the praise team at her church, Unity Church of God. She performed with The Answer Band, a wedding and party band based in Atlanta, Georgia where she sang lead and background vocals for various genres of music including Motown, Soul and Funk classics, and party hits of today. While visiting New Orleans in January of 2020, she had the opportunity to perform at the Café Beignet in French Quarters with jazz musician Steamboat Willie and his band. Over the course of her career, she has worked giving private lessons in both individual and group settings for a variety of voice students from ages 10 to 50.
Larissa currently resides in New York, New York where she attends Manhattan School of Music gaining her Master of Music degree in Jazz Voice.
Classical Voice, Pop, Jazz, Musical Theatre
A native of Chicago, Illinois, Karina Valle is a versatile soprano with a Master’s in Music from the Chicago College of Performing Arts, and holds a Bachelor’s of Music from Loyola University New Orleans. Karina has performed in multiple productions as a soloist with the New Orleans Opera, as well as various other roles, including performances with Austin Lyric Opera, and toured the Italian countryside as a cast member of La Musica Lirica.
Karina has also performed roles as Königin der Nacht in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte with recognition from the New Orleans Times-Picayune for representing Latinos in opera, Druscilla in Monteverdi’s L’incoronazione di Poppea, Mirette in Bluebeard’s Waiting Room by Milton Granger, and recently played the role of Woman IV in Lera Auerbach’s challenging a capella opera, The Blind.
Karina’s proficiency in Italian, French, German, Latin, and Spanish dictions allow her to specialize in, but not be limited to, such genres as classical, musical theater, jazz, and pop. She is passionate about creating a learning environment for all that is fun, educational, and free of judgment. Her teaching method is not “one size fits all”, but is instead personalized to each individual student’s needs, wants, and abilities to help them find their own healthy vocal style.
Tamar Simon
Voice
Degree: M.M. University of British Columbia /
B.M., University of British Columbia
Heralded for her “clear vibrant tone” (Opera Canada), Tamar Simon is an Armenian- Canadian soprano based in Montréal, Québec. Tamar has over ten years of experience teaching voice in a variety of styles from classical to pop. When she is not teaching she has been featured in many leading roles including Adina (L’elisir d’amore), Musetta (La bohème), Susanna (Le nozze di Figaro), and Donna Elvira (Don Giovanni) which she performed in Highlands Opera Studio’s 2021 production.
Tamar has sung as a soloist with Vancouver Opera, Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Okanagan Symphony Orchestra, Toronto City Opera, and Burnaby Lyric Opera. Tamar has also been seen on international stages, including appearances as Zerlina (Don Giovanni) in Kona, Hawaii and as Calisto (La Calisto) in Sulmona, Italy. This year she sang the role of Clorinda (La Cenerentola) with the Lunenburg Academy of Music and reprised the same role later that summer with the Brott Opera Music Festival.
Tamar is a District Winner and an Encouragement Award Winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and she is a graduate of University of British Columbia’s Master of Music program. Tamar continued her vocal and art song studies in Austria after receiving the Johann Strauss Foundation Scholarship, which sponsored study at the Internationale Sommerakademie Mozarteum.
Chicago native, mezzo-soprano Olivia Gronenthal, combines her career in opera performance with a passion for new cross-disciplinary works that resonate with contemporary life. She recently made her Indiana University Opera Theater debut portraying Suzy in La Rondine. Her other roles include Hansel in Hansel and Gretel (Lyric Theatre at Illinois), Bianca in the Rape of Lucretia (Lyric Theatre at Illinois), the Third Lady in Die Zauberflöte (Toronto Summer Opera Workshop), and the Third Spirit in Die Zauberflöte (Vancouver Summer Opera Workshop). With IU Opera Workshop, she was featured as Baba the Turk (The Rakes Progress), Prince Orlofsky (Die Fledermaus), Bianca (The Rape of Lucretia), and Zerlina* (Don Giovanni).
Her opera chorus credits include Falstaff (Indiana University Opera Theatre), Xerxes (Indiana University Opera Theater), Little Women (Indiana University Opera Theater), Don Giovanni (Lyric Theatre at Illinois) an L’incoronazione di Poppea (Lyric Theatre at Illinois). An avid fan of new works, Gronenthal was a member of the 2020 Song Genesis Project, pairing singers, composers, and poets to generate an entirely new work. Her team’s piece, Abaude on Cold Moon premiered in 2021. She also performed the role of Electricizer 3 in Elizabeth Gartman’s New Motive Power in its premiere at the Kohler Performing Arts Center.
She earned her Master of Music from Indiana University and her Bachelor of Music from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She is currently a Performance Diploma student at the Jacobs School of Music, studying with Peter Volpe.
Classical, Musical Theatre
Julia Ragusa is a Boston based coloratura soprano, actor, and dancer with her Bachelor of Arts in Music and Theatre Arts from Gordon College. Additionally, she studied at Fordham University’s Summer Musical Theatre Intensive in Lincoln Center, NYC. Professionally and in college, she has performed a variety of leading roles including The Baker in Witch Cakes: The Musical (Providence Fringe Festival), and Rosa Bud in The Mystery of Edwin Drood.
Most recently, she worked as a vocal company member for the College Light Opera Company’s virtual 52nd season. Julia has been teaching private lessons for just over two years, and her mission is to provide a safe, challenging, and fun environment for students to explore and grow! She teaches a technique that utilizes body mapping, and vocal acoustics to set students up for success in resonance and expression. Her specialties include classical and musical theatre genres.
Musical Theatre, Pop, Gospel, R&B
Originally from Maryland, Jessa earned her Bachelor’s in Film, theatre and Video from Stevenson University. At Maryland’s prestigious Toby’s Theatre, Jesse performed as a singer, dancer and actress for a variety of shows, including The Buddy Holly Story (Apollo Singer), Ragtime (Sarah), Hairspray (Dynamite), and The Color Purple (Nette).
She has taught vocal lessons in Maryland at Drama Learning Center and, while living abroad in Tokyo, Jesse taught vocal/ voice for Youth Theatre Japan and Artista.
Her professional singing career has provided opportunities to travel the world performing as a lead vocalist for Royal Caribbean Cruise Ships and, in 2018, through the Actors’ Equity Association, Jessa joined the cast of several Walt Disney World shows, including Move it! Shake it! Mousekadance it!, and her current shows Finding Nemo the Musical (Peach) and Festival of the Lion King (Kibbi).
Jessa’s wide ranging professional and educational background provides extensive expertise in teaching a variety of vocal genres such as musical theatre, pop, R&B and contemporary worship music.
Alex Taylor is a professional bass singer, actor, and teacher. He is a member of the Grammy®-award winning Houston Chamber Choir, and has performed in dozens of plays, operas, and musicals. Most recently, Alex toured Vote for the Goat and Santa’s Rockin’ Reindeer with Express Children’s Theatre in Houston, TX.
Alex’s favorite stage credits include Young Frankenstein (The Monster), Singin in the Rain (R.F. Simpson), Catch Me If You Can (Roger Strong), Neil Simon’s Rumors (Ken Gorman), One Man, Two Guvnors (Stanley Stubbers), The Magic Flute (Sarastro), and The Marriage of Figaro (Bartolo). In addition to theatrical roles, he also has over a decade of choral experience including concert, symphonic, and madrigal choirs as well as vocal jazz. Alex is the librettist of the short opera PETROV, which, in 2019, had its international premiere in Belgrade, Serbia. In addition to being a performer and creator, Alex worked as the Music Director for Santa’s Rockin’ Reindeer at Express Children’s Theatre.
A native of Beloit, Wisconsin, Alex has his Bachelor of Arts in Music Theatre and Bachelor of Arts in Music Theory from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and Masters of Music in Vocal Performance from Carnegie Mellon University.
Amanda Singh is a Toronto-based Soprano, who from a young age, has had a passion for all types of music. Throughout high school, she performed both musical theatre and classical repertoires. She gained her Bachelor of Fine Arts (Magna Cum Laude) majoring in classical voice before obtaining her Master of vocal performance from the University of Toronto.
Currently, Amanda is an active member and founder of the Octava Vocal Ensemble which performs a variety of acapella compositions from jazz to pop. She is also a current member of the Amadeus Choir of Greater Toronto as an Emerging Canadian Voice.
Other notable credits include the Bach Chamber Youth Choir, York University Chamber Choir and Concert Choir, the Orpheus Choir of Toronto, as well as the Ellison Canadian Honour Choir. Amanda has participated in competitions of the National Association of Teachers of Singing Vocal Showcase and the Newmarket Voice Festival obtaining gold rewards in her categories. In 2019, she was one out of the four winners of York University’s Concerto Competition.
From pop to classical, Amanda works on creating a collaborative and welcoming environment that focuses on storytelling and healthy vocal technique for all her students.
Liz holds a Masters Degree in Vocal Performance from San Jose State University. Liz continues her education by attending seminars and conferences in vocal pedagogy and Contemporary Commercial Music (CCM) workshops keeping up with the latest in teaching techniques and nerding out on voice science. Liz loves to teach pop and rock vocal techniques and styles, that help vocalists sing styles such as gospel, R&B, pop, rock, jazz and other Contemporary styles!
A founding member of the Community Opera Workshop, which was ultimately to become Opera San Jose, under Irene Dalis; she studied and performed leading roles there including Nella (Gianni Schicchi), Carolina (Il Matrimonio Segreto), Mimi (La Boheme) and Cio Cio San (Madama Butterfly). She also played Kate Pinkerton (Madama Butterfly) with West Bay Opera. Preferring to perform in intimate settings, Liz has created several solo recitals featuring German Lied, French Chanson, Spanish and Italian Art Song as well as operatic arias.
Liz has a strong background in education having taught in elementary and music classrooms for over a decade, as well as directing choirs and serving as vocal director for children’s musical theatre productions.
After taking a hiatus from performing to raise two daughters, she started performing with local musical theatre companies as well as performing in solo recitals and small ensembles. Some of her favorite performances have been in Ragtime, Billy Elliot, Hairspray, and Guys and Dolls. She has also performed as a featured soloist in several musical revues produced by JB Presents in San Francisco which included works by Sondheim, Cole Porter, Rodgers and Hammerstein, and other Broadway composers as well as the film Broadway Covered in which she sang “As We Stumble Along” from The Drowsy
Chaperone. Performing with the San Jose DanceCo singing Nina Simone’s arrangement of “For All We Know” was a highlight in her jazz experiences.
She recently moved to Los Angeles and is looking forward to finding new performance opportunities. In 2016, Liz was a participant in the Lied Studio Program at American Institute of Musical Studies (AIMS) in Graz, Austria fulfilling a lifelong dream of studying and performing in Europe.
Massachusetts-born tenor Nathan Krishnaswami completed both his Bachelors’ and Masters’ degrees at Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, as well as attending IU’s musical theatre program for two years.
While at Indiana University, Krishnaswami studied with Wagnerian soprano Jane Dutton and performed the roles of King Ouf (L’Étoile), and Arnalta and Nutrice (The Coronation of Poppea), as well as gaining extensive experience in concert and opera choruses during his time at IU. Outside of IU Krishnaswami has performed as Alfred (Die Fledermaus), and Monostatos (The Magic Flute). In addition to vocal training, Krishnaswami is highly experienced in stage performance from straight theatre to musical theatre to opera theatre, as well as an intermediate understanding of body movement.
Nathan has already helped many people find and solidify their voice through enthusiastic, individualized lessons that incorporate musical fun, vocal technicality, and overall goofiness in equal measure. Whether a student is looking to find their voice for singing, or simply gain confidence and support through the ever fluctuating transition that is life, Nathan steps into the task fearlessly, ready and excited to help anyone and everyone who is taking on the brave task of voice lessons!
Maggie Graziano
Voice
Degree: M.M. University of Washington
Seattle, Washington
Maggie Boeckman Graziano possesses a mellifluous mezzo-soprano sound, combining depth,warmth, and clarity. Originally from St. Louis, Maggie has performed with Red River Lyric Opera, Vespertine Opera, OperaWorks, Portland Summer Program, Amalfi Coast Summer Opera, and Springfield Regional Opera, among others.
Maggie has been seen in roles including Fidalma in Il Matrimonio Segreto, Mélantho in Fauré’s Pénélope, Third Lady and Third Spirit (Die Zauberflöte), and in the chorus for productions of Semele, Carmen, and Trial by Jury. As part of the 2015 OperaWorks Advanced Artist Program, Margaret created the role of one of the religious fanatics for the original production Singed, the program’s culminating performance. As a member of the 2011-12 Springfield Regional Opera Young Artist Program, she also performed in scenes programs as Charlotte (Werther), Dorabella (Così fan tutte), and Sesto (Giulio Cesare). Most recently she could be heard in Steamboat Springs Summer Opera Festival’s Production of The Enchanted Pig in the role of Mrs. North Wind.
In concert, Maggie performed with the University of Washington Symphony
Orchestra in the Mermaid Duet from Oberon, as the incidental music soloist in A
Midsummer Night’s Dream, and as the soloist for the Duruflé Requiem. She was also the soloist for the Mosaic Springfield Music Ensemble’s production of the Fauré Requiem. In 2015, Maggie competed in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions for the Northwest Region, winning the Helen Price Encouragement Award.
Maggie received a Bachelor of Arts in Music degree from Drury University and a Masters degree in Vocal Performance from the University of Washington.
Geoffrey Schellenberg
Voice
Degree: D.M.A. Université de
Montréal (Present) / B.M., M.M. University of
British Columbia
Praised for his “clarion tone” (Ludwig van Toronto) and “impressive vocal colour” (Opera Canada), Canadian-American baritone Geoffrey Schellenberg is a professional opera singer and voice instructor. On professional stages, he has been recognized for the roles of Figaro (Il barbiere di Siviglia), Marcello (La bohème), Belcore (L’elisir d’amore), and Papageno (Die Zauberflöte). He has recently been seen in productions with Opéra de Montreal, Vancouver Opera, Pacific Opera Victoria, Portland Opera, and Calgary Opera. Additionally, he has sung as a soloist in numerous oratorio concerts, including A Sea Symphony and Requiem (Fauré) with the Vancouver Bach Choir, Messiah (Handel) with the Prince George Symphony Orchestra, and Des Knaben Wunderhorn with l’Orchestre de l’Agora and Mississippi Valley Orchestra.
Geoffrey furthered his vocal training in a number of apprenticeships including the Atelier lyrique de l’Opéra de Montréal (2020-2022), Portland Opera Resident Artist Program (2018–2020), Calgary Opera Emerging Artist Development Program (2017–2018), and Music Academy of the West (2017). He holds master’s degree and a bachelor’s degree from the University of British Columbia in opera performance, while simultaneously completing international vocal development programs including the European Music Academy (Teplice, Czech Republic), the Centre for Opera Studies in Italy (Sulmona, Italy), and Accademia Europea dell’Opera (Lucca, Italy).
Geoffrey’s continued dedication to the study of music has also inspired a passion for teaching, which has lead him to work as a private voice instructor for the past ten years where he imparts his knowledge of technique to strengthen and enhance aspiring singers in all sorts of repertoire. He is currently pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts at Université de Montréal.
Amberly Winfrey is a performing and recording vocal artist, arranger, and teacher based in Nashville, Tennessee. Amberly holds a M.M. in Commercial Voice from Belmont University and specializes in commercial vocal styles like funk, soul, gospel, and rock. With a B.M. in Vocal Performance from Northern Kentucky University her diverse musical experience has also included the study, performance, and teaching of jazz, blues, art song and arias, musical theater, and country.
During undergraduate study, Amberly was a scholarship student, a member of NKU Vocal Jazz, Chamber Choir, R&B Combos I & II, and a junior instructor with the NKU Music Preparatory Department. Her time at NKU also included roles in the NKU Opera Workshop, membership in experimental vocal ensembles, and attendances and performances at JEN (Jazz Education Network), ACDA (American Choral Directors Association), KMEA (Kentucky Music Educators Association), and OMEA (Ohio Music Educators Association) conferences.
While attaining her masters degree, Amberly was a scholarship student and graduate assistant for Jazzmin, Belmont’s vocal jazz ensemble, and also led student performance seminars. Outside of school, Amberly has kept a studio of private voice students, and has performed and recorded for several artists in Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee. She’s a member of the band Brother Smith, and maintains a regular performance and touring schedule.
As a professional voice teacher, Amberly has worked with singers of all experience levels from ages 5-55 since 2011.
Amberly’s goal is to help singers find and cultivate their own unique sound with healthy vocal function as a foundation for authentic style. Amberly believes in balancing voice science with personalized practicality, and uses her professional experience to help learners develop a personal relationship with their voice.
Jonathan Shanley
Guitar
Degree: M.M. San Francisco
Conservatory of Music
San Francisco, CA
Acoustic, Classical Guitar
Jonathan grew up in the Poconos and started playing guitar at 11 after falling in love with blues and Jazz music. Jonathan quickly realized music and the education of music was going to be his path but didn’t discover Classical Guitar until around 17. Classical Guitar immediately made an impression on him because it provided the freedom to use the guitar as a solo instrument. After being introduced to it he decided to pursue the study of the instrument at Bloomsburg University with Dr. Matthew Slotkin where he earned two Bachelor of Arts degrees, one in Guitar Performance and the other in Music Education. Along the way, he has taken part in Master Classes with notable figures in the field such as Thomas Viloteau, Anthony Lalena, the Newman & Oltman Duo, Kahlil Sarikey, and Evan Drummond.
Jonathan has been admitted to the San Francisco Conservatory of Music where he will further his studies with David Tanenbaum and earn a Master of Music degree. Jonathan has been teaching guitar to all ages and ability levels since 2018.
“There is an ocean of creativity within every human being.” -David Lynch
I believe that as a teacher, my goal is to cultivate my students’ love for music, art, and life. I like to constantly expose my students to new music and find things that speak to them. I use my observations of what inspires them to develop lesson plans that encourage an enthusiasm for their art form, discipline in their study, and confident freedom of expression in their performance.
Jeff Frantom
Guitar
Degree: M.M. University of
Southern California
Los Angeles, CA
Jeff Frantom is a guitarist, bassist, composer, and teacher based in Los Angeles. After playing hundreds of shows around LA as a sideman guitarist and bassist, Jeff has spent much of the past two years traveling the world with the indie rock artist, Blondshell. He has performed all over North America, the UK, Europe, and most recently, Australia and Japan, including TV appearances on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon and CBS Saturday Mornings.
In 2019, Jeff released his debut EP, Happy Accident, a 4-song collection of instrumental songs that explore his influences in jazz, Americana, and indie music. In 2022 he released two more cinematic-instrumental solo pieces as part of an EP titled In the Well.
After moving to Los Angeles from his hometown of Henderson, Nevada, Jeff earned a Bachelor’s of Music in Studio/Jazz Guitar from USC in 2018 and a Master’s of Music in Studio/Jazz Guitar in 2020 on full scholarship. While at USC, he taught 4 semesters of guitar classes as a Teaching Assistant. He continues to teach both privately in his home studio and at music stores around LA
Born and raised in Muskogee, Oklahoma, Ryan Liebig has been playing music since he was 14. First studying guitar at the local music store, then majoring in music at Northeastern State University where he studied jazz guitar from Bobby Brewer and classical guitar from William Reyes. Ryan graduated in 2016 with a Jazz Studies degree with a guitar focus. During his time at NSU, Ryan performed in a wide range of ensembles and styles. Ryan has had the privilege of performing alongside musical greats such as Doc Severinson and Terri Lyne Carrington as featured guests of the NSU Jazz Ensemble. Outside of the university Ryan has been a freelance musician in the Northeast Oklahoma area performing in rock, funk, jazz, blues, and soul groups in addition to classical gigs and musicals on guitar, bass, and double bass.
Ryan began teaching instrument lessons while in his undergraduate through both private schools and through the university’s community music program. On guitar, Ryan welcomes any playing level and any background from complete beginners to professionals. Ryan also accepts bass guitar students from beginner to intermediate.
As a professional guitar teacher, Ryan tailors lessons to the individual by using the student’s goals and musical tastes as vehicle for fundamental musical concepts. Along with instrument technique, important skills such as ear training, reading, theory, and improvisation are topics that Ryan covers while fostering an appreciation of the creative art form of music.
Levi Matthews is a professional guitarist and music producer currently based in the Midwest. He holds dual Bachelor degrees (Summa Cum Laude) in Guitar Performance and Music Production from Berklee College of Music, as well as a minor in guitar from Central College. Levi primarily studied under Berklee professor Joe Stump who Guitar One magazine rated Top 10 Fastest Guitar Players of All Time.
Levi has been a musician for over 30 years and a teacher for over 6 years. He has toured with numerous bands, written numerous albums, and currently writes music for a Los Angeles based A&R company, with which he has had placements with many large music libraries and syncs. All audio samples (below) were tracked produced and mixed entirely by Levi (drums, bass, guitars, and special instruments). All video samples guitar and production work completed by Levi, with backing tracks by others as noted in each video.
“Using what I learned from studying at Berklee and Central with my own teaching I take a holistic student by student custom approach. First, we establish where the students love of music began and why the student picked up the guitar. Next, we establish the vision of where the student wants to go. Then, we draft short term and long-term goals to maximize results. Many times, I see guitar and music students frustrated from not making gains in their playing. Using this custom short-term approach, we see fast gains which accelerates us to the long-term goals and ultimately sculpts the student to their vision of the musician they want to be. The curriculum starts with making a custom plan for each student. The custom plan is holistic and typically entails chordal studies (triads, 7th’s, extensions, complex chords, and the inversions of those), melody (scales, modes and chord tone targets), music theory (why the above items work and learning the language of music), ear training (intervals, and recognizing chords), and reading music (sight reading, tablature and the Nashville system). These holistically round the student while learning the beautiful language of music and taking them to their goals.”
Born in Schenectady NY, Jacob Billings was introduced to the guitar at the age of 13 when he was given his first guitar by his pastor at his church. He learned church songs and played in the youth group worship services. From there, he began learning Pop, Rock, and Blues as well as writing his own music. Jacob received his bachelor’s degree in Guitar Performance at The State University of New York at Buffalo, where he graduated Magna Cum Laude. There he played in a variety of ensembles that spanned from Classical, Rock, to Jazz. At UB, Jacob studied Classical and Jazz Guitar with Dr. Sungmin Shin, as well as Jazz studies with George Caldwell.
During his time at University at Buffalo and after graduation in the Spring of 2020, Jacob has kept a vigorous schedule of teaching, performing, and writing. From beginner to advanced, Folk to Metal, Jacob welcomes all guitar learners of all levels and styles. Whether you are looking to learn guitar for professional reasons or just as a hobby, Jacob can provide you with the tools necessary to achieve your musical goals!
Acoustic, Electric, Bass, Extended Range
Lucas is a guitarist, producer, and engineer based in Los Angeles. He has performed with Trevor Daniel, Rick Nowels, Dame Dash, Vic Mensa, Chance the Rapper, Nothing Nowhere, Desiigner, and many others. He’s also appeared on VH1, Vice, Rolling Stone, and Billboard.
Lucas started playing guitar and producing at age 10. He learned numerous instruments and played in high school symphonic and jazz bands. Lucas received a Bachelor of Science in Music from Northwestern University and eventually moved to Los Angeles. Lucas has worked as a touring & gigging guitarist and does studio recording sessions for Rock, Pop, Alternative, Hip/Hop, Rap, and R&B artists. Lucas’ teaching philosophy focuses on learning by ear, improvisation, and composition.
Acoustic, Classical, Electric, Bass Guitar
Maya Ratsey was born in Guatemala and raised in Vero Beach Florida. He has been a professional musician teaching, recording, and performing for over 15 years.
Maya grew up in a household with music always playing and at the age of 10, he began learning guitar and bass. In 2011 he graduated from the Schumann School for the Visual and Performing Arts, part of the Indian River Charter High School system. Maya then attended McNally Smith College of Music where he graduated with a Bachelor of Music in Guitar Performance in 2015. Teaching has always been a passion for Maya, as he believes teachers can change lives. Maya has spent the last 10 years touring and recording around the world. Performing and recording credits include Selah, Shelia E, Wintley Phipps, Rae Sremmurd, Phillips Craig and Dean, Jason Derulo, One Drop, Dividing Eden, Michael Gabriel, The Lioness, Kurt Stevens, Josh Hoaby, Kimberly Brown, and more.
Maya currently lives in Charlotte NC performing with many local bands. Maya also serves on guitar and bass at Elevation Church. Maya prides himself on being a catalyst to help the student he is working with reach their goals and beyond.
B.M. in Guitar Performance -McNally Smith College of Music, MN
Colin Rosso is a professional drummer, producer, and songwriter who has toured both nationally and internationally, and has taught thousands of music lessons, clinics, and masterclasses. A graduate of New England Conservatory of Music, his performance repertoire on the drums ranges from jazz and classical percussion, to hip-hop, pop, rock, country, and blues.
As a recording artist and producer in Los Angeles and Boston, he regularly collaborates with hip-hop and pop artists from all over the world. His music has accrued millions of streams with songwriting credits such as Kanye West and Kehlani.
Colin believes strongly in the profound impact that teachers can have on student’s lives as they pursue their goals in music. With a background and emphasis in education, he has worked at many esteemed music academies with students of all ages and levels of experience. His younger students have had success in both elementary and high school music programs. Many of his more experienced students have been accepted into collegiate music schools such as The Hartt School of Music, Loyola School of Music, and SUNY Purchase.
Colin currently resides in the Boston area where he holds a private studio teaching drums, percussion, and music production.
Aleena Griffiths was born in Auckland, New Zealand and has been playing violin and piano since she was three years old. Both of her parents studied violin with Shinichi Suzuki in Japan, and her father continues to teach using the Suzuki method. She observed her parents at work for many years as a child and grew up immersed in the method, attending numerous summer camps and group lessons and making life-long connections.
Aleena holds a BM in violin performance from Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, where she studied with Mimi Zweig and graduated with highest distinction in 2022. She taught at Indiana University’s Pre-College Strings program, where she guided beginning violinists through the primary stages of their learning. She loves to teach aspiring musicians to achieve their potential on their instruments, and enjoys the challenge of working with students from many different backgrounds.
Aleena is currently based in Rochester, NY, and pursuing a Master’s degree in mental health counseling at the University of Rochester.
Aubrey Fineout
Violin & Viola
Degree: M.M. Texas Christian University
Fort Worth, TX
Aubrey Fineout-Watts is a violist and violinist from Texas and holds a B.M. (Magna Cum Laude) and a M.M. in Music Performance from Texas Christian University, as well as a B.A. in Creative Writing. As an undergraduate, Ms. Fineout-Watts was awarded the L.A. Nordan Fine Arts Endowed full tuition scholarship for music (one of two recipients) and was inducted into the Pi Kappa Lambda National Music Honors Society. As a graduate student, she served as the teaching assistant to the Chair of Strings at TCU, Dr. Misha Galaganov, coaching undergraduate ensembles and teaching private lessons.
Ms. Fineout-Watts is a founding member, music arranger, and violist of The Finestrung Duo–a genre fusion group created with her sister and violinist, Ashton Fineout. They perform regularly for both public and private events and are currently recording their first album. Ms. Fineout-Watts is also an active performer with both the Grammy nominated Dallas String Quartet and the Sapphire String Quartet, performing in a variety of styles from classical to fiddle to pop to rock on both acoustic and electric instruments.
Ms. Fineout-Watts has performed with touring artists Michael Bublé and 2Cellos and for high-profile clients such as the Bill Gates family, the Brunello Cucinelli family, and the George W. Bush family. She has also been featured in several albums as a studio artist, most recently in 2023 with Jon McReynolds and Anthony Evans Jr. In 2023, Ms. Fineout-Watts was invited to perform at the Academy of Country Music Awards (ACMAs) as part of an ensemble formed by the Dallas String Quartet, performing with Ashley McBryde, Luke Combs, and Ed Sheeran.
An active teacher as well as performer, Ms. Fineout-Watts has maintained a studio of private violin and viola students for over a decade and teaches at several locations around DFW, serving as an ensemble coach, orchestra sectional leader, and an All-State and All-Region clinician.
Ms. Fineout-Watts specializes in adapting her teaching approach to each student, creating a nurturing, educational environment that encourages growth and exploration, providing students with the skills and discipline to thrive beyond the classroom. Ms. Fineout-Watts employs the Suzuki curriculum in lessons, as well as other material she sources herself, depending on the student’s requirements for development. Ms. Fineout-Watts is passionate about teaching at all levels and has experience teaching students from the ages of 4-84. Her students have won collegiate concerto competitions, placed in All-Region and All-State orchestras, and are valuable members of youth orchestras around the DFW metroplex.
Amelia Dixon started her musical studies on the piano at age 4 before beginning the violin at age 10. Her passion for music has led her to pursue a Master of Music in Violin Performance at the Lynn University Conservatory, studying with Carol Cole. Amelia graduated from Iowa State University with a Bachelor of Music (summa cum laude) studying with Borivoj Martinić-Jerčić.
Amelia has served as concertmaster of the Iowa State University Symphony and Chamber Orchestras, and she currently performs with the Lynn Philharmonia. In 2020, she was awarded the Ames Town & Gown Chamber Music Award. Amelia has participated in masterclasses with Elmar Oliveira, Philippe Quint, I-Hao Lee, Blair Milton, Lucie Robert, and Joanna Mendoza, as well as with members of the Telegraph Quartet and the Merz Trio. Amelia is committed to music education and enjoys teaching music in a variety of capacities.
Amelia has worked with private students, taught at an academy, and assisted with string instrument classes and orchestras at a public elementary school. Through teaching, Amelia hopes to share her enjoyment of music with others by encouraging excellence on the violin. She believes in the importance of a solid technical foundation combined with exciting repertoire to help students progress. Additionally, she encourages a holistic music education that incorporates various genres of music, as well as training in basic music theory.
Croatian cellist, Ivana Biliškov, is a Master’s graduate of the University of Texas at El Paso where she studied with the Grammy award winning cellist, Zuill Bailey. During her career, Ivana has performed with many regional orchestras, and competed in both domestic and international competitions, winning 10 first prizes in solo, chamber, and orchestral categories. Ivana has participated in masterclasses with acclaimed musicians such as Lynn Harrell, Melissa Kraut, Heidi Litschauer, Hans Jørgen Jensen, Dora Schwarzberg, and is a three-time recipient of the Gloria Miner Fellowship at the Sitka International Cello Festival in Alaska.
Ivana made her international debut at the 2017 Chamber competition “Mozart=Salzburg” held in Tokyo, Japan where she won the “Grand Prix” as part of a piano trio. After winning this competition, Ivana performed in Vienna’s famous hall, the Mozarthaus. In the same year, Ivana also won the University of North Texas Concerto Competition and performed her winning Dvorak Cello Concerto with the UNT Symphony Orchestra in March of 2018. Ivana has performed in Europe and Asia, as well as in various states across the US.
At 18, Ivana came to the United States to pursue her BM in Cello Performance on a full scholarship with prof. Nikola Ružević at the University of North Texas where she received the “Best Undergraduate in Strings” award in 2017. There, she served as the principal of the University of North Texas Symphony orchestra. Ivana then went on to study at the University of Texas at El Paso and obtained her MM in Cello Performance on a teaching assistant fellowship. During her graduate studies, Ivana was actively involved in “El Paso Pro Musica”, a community outreach program where she regularly brought music to hospitals, schools, and events throughout the city. Ivana is currently located in Portland, Oregon where she teaches and works as a freelance musician.
Manuel Papale is a professional musician born in Buenos Aires, Argentina. In 2016, Manuel was awarded a full-tuition scholarship to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in Cello Performance at Texas Christian University under the tutelage of Dr. Jesús Castro-Balbi and Christine Lamprea, and has recently graduated Magna Cum Laude. He is now pursuing a Master’s degree in Cello Performance at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music studying under Emilio Colón.
Manuel has performed in numerous masterclasses for Bion Tsang, Gregory Beaver, Christine Lamprea, Michael Kaufman, Anne-Martindale Williams, Allan Steele, Astrid Schween, Yeesun Kim, and Gwen Krosnick. Recent festival appearances include the Round Top Festival Institute, Miami Music Festival, Josef Gingold Chamber Music Festival, and Vivac-e! Cello Festival where he was given the “New Music Award” for his performance of Krzysztof Penderecki’s Divertimento for Solo Cello.
Solo appearances include the CPE Bach Cello Concerto in A minor with the TCU Collegium Musicum in 2019 and Antonín Dvořák’s Silent Woods with the Greater North Texas Youth Orchestra in 2020. Manuel is a founding member of the Uproar and Cantilena string quartets dedicated to promoting the music of female and Latin American composers. He is now Assistant Principal of the McKinney Philharmonic Orchestra and cellist of the latin fusion group Sounds of Nilo. Manuel is passionate about teaching, composing/arranging, and improvising in a variety of styles.
Blake Kitayama
Cello
Degree: M.M. University of
North Carolina School of the Arts
Winston-Salem, NC
Blake Kitayama is an accomplished chamber and orchestral musician. He was a founding member of de Sterke Quartet who most recently won the MTNA Southern Division Chamber Music competition. Blake is currently a member of the Winston Salem Symphony. Throughout his orchestral career he has recorded for Navano Records, and has previously held positions with the Jackson Symphony and Huntsville Symphony. As a frequent chamber collaborator, Blake has been heard on APM’s Performance Today and WDAV.
An advocate for collaboration and new music, Blake has continuously worked across genres. Providing cello and vocal harmonies, his collaboration with Anna Scholfield won first prize at the eTown Handmade Songs Competition, and he recorded cello for Vidushi Goyal’s debut EP. He also debuted about a dozen new classical works for mixed ensembles.
Blake earned a Bachelor of Music from Vanderbilt University under the instruction of Felix Wang and his Master of Music at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts with Brooks Whitehouse as a member of the Chrysalis Chamber Music Institute.
Christopher Forbes is a concert saxophonist from North Smithfield, Rhode Island who has performed internationally with various ensembles in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, France, and the United Kingdom. Christopher was named the third prize winner of the 2020 Vandoren Emerging Artist competition and has been involved in commissions with composers such as David Amram and Joan Tower.
Christopher has recorded with multiple ensembles and is an advocate for new music showing the wide range of expression and technique that the saxophone can accomplish. Forbes holds a bachelor’s degree from Boston University, and now is an active chamber and solo musician in the Chicago area.
Forbes has studied with saxophonists including Taimur Sullivan, Frederick Hemke, Marcus Weiss, and Ken Radnofsky.
Gabe Bertolini is a freelance saxophonist, composer, and educator based in New York City. Originally from Curitiba, Brazil, he moved to the United States at age 12 and developed a love for jazz and the saxophone. Gabe has performed professionally in a wide variety of contexts including extensive jazz, pop, and musical theater work, cruise ship showbands, and off-broadway touring.
Gabe earned a Bachelor of Music Degree in Jazz Studies from the University of South Carolina, Summa Cum Laude. He earned his Master of Music Degree in Performance from Western Michigan University, where he also taught collegiate classes and private lessons as a graduate assistant. Gabe was recognized for outstanding performances during his studies in Downbeat Magazine as well as numerous Jazz festivals.
Gabe has rich experience teaching saxophone students of all levels, and enjoys teaching and playing a diverse range of music on the saxophone.
Samantha Winkler is a recent graduate of Northwestern University with a Master’s Degree in Clarinet Performance.
Ms. Winkler is an avid performer, appearing most recently with the St. Anne Salon Series in Houston. She was a prize winner at the 2018 Buffet Crampon Student Showcase and a semi-finalist in the 2019 Jan and Beattie Wood Concerto Competition. Her playing earned her elite spots in Masters programs across the country, including Carnegie Mellon University, Eastman School of Music, The Glenn Gould School, Indiana University, and Northwestern University.
As well as solo work, Ms. Winkler enjoys playing in a variety of ensembles. She served as principal clarinet in the Brevard Opera’s performance of Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette, and performed principal clarinet on many other notable works, including Sibelius’s Violin Concerto, Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique, Bartók’s Concerto for Orchestra, Smetana’s Má Vlast, and Respighi’s Fontane di Roma.
Ms. Winkler’s primary teachers include Carrie Smith, Chester Rowell, Mark Nuccio, and Steve Cohen. Ms. Winkler taught both beginner and intermediate players at Wunderlich Intermediate School, then moved to more advanced players at The Woodlands College Park High School. While at TWCPHS, Ms. Winkler gave masterclasses on All-State Etude preparation, evaluated Destination Imagination Fine Arts students, and participated in the SAI Music Sorority.
Nolan Cardenas is an American Clarinetist born in Indianapolis, Indiana where he graduated with honors from Lawrence North High School in 2015. During his time in high-school he participated in the New World Youth Symphony Orchestra, All-State Honor Band, Interlochen Clarinet Intensive, and won 8 gold medals at the state level solo and ensemble. Cardenas attended Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana and graduated with his Bachelors in Clarinet Performance in 2019. While at Butler, Cardenas was able to pursue his passion for private teaching, participate in a wide variety of musical endeavors; such as performing with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, studying music history in Vienna, Austria, and winning the Jordan College of the Arts Concerto Competition.
For winning the competition, Cardenas performed Weber’s Concertino with the Butler Wind Ensemble, under the direction of Colonel Michael J. Colburn, former Presidents Own Marine Band conductor. Cardenas has performed as principal of the Butler Symphony Orchestra, the Butler Ballet Orchestra, Butler Opera Orchestra, and the Butler Wind Ensemble.
Cardenas recently graduated from Michigan State University in 2021 with his Masters in Clarinet Performance and Music Business. While at MSU, Cardenas continued teaching in the local communities, initiated the first ever MSU Virtual Clarinet Ensemble and regularly performed with the Wind Symphony and the MSU Opera orchestra. After graduation, Cardenas now lives in Detroit, Michigan. There he works for the Detroit Symphony Orchestra in Artistic Operations and continues to impact his community through meaningful artistic connections and performances.
Gennavieve Wrobel
Oboe
Degree: M.M. Indiana University
Bloomington, IN (present)
Gennavieve is a second-year Master’s student studying Oboe Performance at Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. She has participated in the University Philharmonic Orchestra, University Wind Ensemble, and University Concert Orchestra. Additionally, she is a recipient of the Jacobs Fellowship Scholarship and has maintained a 4.0 GPA for her first year.
Gennavieve received her undergraduate degree from Florida State University in Woodwind Performance. Additionally, she has a certificate minor in Music Entrepreneurship, and another in Classics. Always willing to go out and find new opportunities to play, Gennavieve does everything in her power to perform as much as possible. From volunteering to play for friends’ recitals to taking small church gigs. At FSU Gennavieve participated in the FSU Studio Orchestra, University Concert Band, University Wind Ensemble, and the University Philharmonia. Additionally, she was a member of the International Music Fraternity Sigma Alpha Iota. During her time she served as chapter Treasurer and Fundraising Co-Chair. She was also a woodwind consultant for the Javacya Youth Orchestra. Gennavieve takes great pride in her academic success as well as musical. She was recognized on the Dean’s List and the President’s List. Additionally, she received the Lucilla Gumm and Wiley Housewright Memorial Scholarship and various Florida State academic scholarships.
Gennavieve comes from a musical family and loves to share that music with others. She hopes to one day teach at a college level and play in a professional orchestra. The following is her mission statement: “Using my love of playing and teaching in my community, I pass on my talents and skills to the next generation of musicians through a co-created curriculum that emphasizes technique, creativity, and passion.”
Based in the Pacific Northwest, Victoria Moreira is a freelance flutist, pedagogue, and ensemble director.
As an orchestral musician, Ms. Moreira regularly performs with the Eugene Symphony Orchestra, the OrchestraNEXT chamber ensemble for the Eugene Ballet, the Eugene Concert Orchestra, the Bloomington Symphony, and the Bloomington Chamber Singers. With an avid love of new music, she has premiered several new works for the SEAMUS music festival, the New Music Gathering festival, Milwaukee-based PresentMusic, the Fresh Inc Music Festival, the Crosstown Arts Festival, and the Oregon Composers’ Forum. In addition to being a contemporary soloist, she has been the baroque flute soloist for the Louisville Chamber Singers on their Bach Cantata series.
An advocate for social change in her work, Ms. Moreira performs with and has founded multiple ensembles dedicated to promoting awareness and advocating accessibility. She is the co-founder and flutist for the Achelois Collective, which is a cross-continental women-led artists’ ensemble dedicated to promoting underrepresented artists in all communities, provoking social change through activism in musical contributions, and inspiring future generations. In addition, with performances spanning the PNW to the Midwest, she is the flutist for the Duo Brisa, a flute and piano ensemble that focuses primarily on programming pieces by women composers. She co-founded “Does Your Brain Have a Soundtrack?”, an educational program for low-income preschool children in Highwood, Illinois.
In addition to teaching, she directs the West Winds Flute Choir, a Eugene-based ensemble for flutists of all levels.
Under the tutelage of Molly Barth and Jacqueline Cordova-Arrington, she received her Master’s in Flute Performance from the University of Oregon in 2019. She studied at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music with Kate Lukas and earned her Bachelor’s in Flute Performance in 2016.
Flutist Danielle Guilmette was born and raised in Cathedral City, California. Due to her passion in studying music, Danielle moved to Chicago, Illinois where she received her bachelor’s degree in flute performance at Roosevelt University and is currently working on her master’s degree at DePaul University. She has had the pleasure of working with extortionary flutist such as, Stefán Rahnar Höskuidsson, Jennifer Gunn, Alexa Still, Emma Gerstain, Mark Sparks, Sara Andon, Eugenia Moliner. She is currently studying with Alyce Johnson.
Due to her dedication and persistence, she has had the pleasure of traveling internationally on scholarship performing in United States, China, Germany, and Spain. Danielle has had the extortionary opportunity performing flute and piccolo at some historic venues such as Walt Disney Concert Hall, Oriental Art Centre in Shanghai, Forbidden City, Wuzhen Grand Theater, Segerstrom Theater, Lincoln Memorial, and Kennedy Center. Danielle’s passion is performing in large ensembles as well as teaching. She is constantly involved in performing in orchestras, wind ensembles, chamber groups, duets, and solo performances. She competed in the San Diego Flute competitions winning first place on piccolo and a gold metal on flute. She also won some masterclass performances at Chicago Flute Club, Flute Symposium, San Diego Flute Club, and Music Course of Juan Gual Esteve.
Due to her devotion and training, Danielle has received awards from Friends of Philharmonic, Hanson Foundation Scholarship Award, Music Course of Juan Gual Esteve Scholarship Award and Palm Springs Unified School District Inspiration Award. It is her desire to continue performing and teaching.
Jazz, Funk, Rock, Classical Trumpet
Chris Sporer is a professional trumpeter player and teacher. He has performed with many groups, ranging from jazz combos and funk rock bands to classical ensembles and orchestras.
Chris’s most notable performances include the Count Basie Orchestra at Birdland Jazz Club (NYC), Zen Warship at Lincoln Theatre (D.C.), Fela Kuti Tribute Band at The Cutting Room (NYC), and Hiram Hazley + Le Jazz Trio (St. Petersburg). In addition, he also has experience performing in musical theatre pit orchestras (“A Chorus Line,” “Legally Blonde,” “White Christmas,” and more), big bands (FSU jazz ensembles), Latin bands (Tocamos Mas), and marching bands (The FSU Marching Chiefs). Chris has also been teaching private trumpet lessons since 2013. He tailors his teaching approach to each student based on their own musical goals, whether the student wants to play their favorite popular songs or pursue a career in music.
After gaining experience in other parts of the east coast, Chris has returned to Florida and is now based in Orlando. He earned his Bachelor’s in Music with a concentration in Jazz Studies in 2015.
Thomas Edward McKee is a classically trained tenor trombonist, private instructor, composer and arranger currently based out of Miami, FL. Whether he’s performing the likes of romantic trombone works, swinging through the jazz genre or experimenting with all sorts of new sounds, Thomas enjoys playing all things trombone.
Thomas attended Louisiana State University as an undergraduate where he studied with Steve Menard for 3 years and Dr. Hana Beloglavec for his senior year. Highlights at LSU include performing as a soloist in LSU’s Jazz Lab Band alongside Wycliffe Gordon, touring with the LSU Wind Ensemble across the states of Louisiana and Texas, leading a high school master class for the “Stately Oaks” wind camp as well as performing as a featured soloist with the LSU Jazz Ensemble on the tune “Blue Cellophane.”
Thomas completed his Master’s degree in Trombone Performance at the University of Miami’s highly acclaimed Frost School of Music in the Spring of 2019 where he studied with Professor Tim Conner. The following school year he returned to UM to pursue an Artist Diploma, serving as a Teaching Assistant for the Frost Trombone Studio in addition to being a Fellow for the Henry Mancini Institute. Since he began fall of 2017, his highlights have included performing as a principal trombonist for the Frost Wind Ensemble and the Frost Symphony Orchestra, leading master classes for Frost’s high school honor band camp as well as a couple stints conducting for the Frost Trombone Choir.
Outside of the University, Thomas has performed with the South Florida Master Chorale, Nebraska based touring group “Rock Twist” featuring Billy McGuigan, the Miami Sousa Band, the Space Coast Symphony, Southwest Florida Symphony Orchestra, Nu Deco Ensemble and his own chamber group, Category 5 Brass Quintet.
