Featured Music Faculty
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Learn music with some of the most talented teachers!
Our coaches are here to inspire you about what’s possible on your instrument through organized live stream lessons. You’ll have opportunities to get feedback on your playing, ask your biggest questions, and have ongoing support throughout your music journey and beyond.
F.A.Q (Frequently Asked Questions About Teachers)
Piano Faculty
Lessons Taught
3780
Levels Taught
All Levels
Ages Taught
8 To 15
Pianist Sophia Fernandez, from Miramar, Florida, is the recent winner of the Eastman Piano Competition, the Lewisville International Piano Competition (Texas). Her other achievements include top prizes in the Seattle Piano Competition, Thousands Islands International Competition for Young People, and the Kosciuszko Foundation Chopin Piano Competition. In addition, Sophia has appeared as a concerto soloist with the New World Symphony, the Cleveland Woman’s Orchestra, the Plano Symphony Orchestra, the Lewisville Lake Symphony Orchestra, and the Shreveport Symphony. Receiving her Doctorate in Piano Performance and Literature from the Eastman School of Music, she owes her musical development to her extraordinary teachers, Natalya Antonova at Eastman and Pamela Mia Paul at University of North Texas. Sophia also enjoys to perform regularly at local events.
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Lessons Taught
2310
Levels Taught
All Levels
Ages Taught
7 To Adult
Brandon Ares started his career as a Pianist at the age of 7, at the Superior Institute of Arts in his hometown San Jose, Costa Rica. Currently 27 years old, he expanded his knowledge attending top music conservatories such as the Berklee College of Music and the Tchaikovsky Conservatory of Music. Brandon’s technical brilliance and musicality have been highlighted by world renowned pianists and figures such as Daniel Pollack, Vladimir Ovchinikov, & Seymour Bernstein. Mr. Ares has performed for important figures in gala recitals, including Asturias' Prince Felipe Borbon, and Nobel Prize Winner Oscar Arias. Brandon was the first Costa Rican pianist to play at the Great Hall of the Tchaikovsky Conservatory. His top performances at prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall, Rachmaninoff Hall, and Bolshoi Hall have led him to becoming one of the most prominent young musicians & pianists of his generation.
Lessons Taught
4690
Levels Taught
All Levels
Ages Taught
7 To 25
Kevin G started his career as a percussionist at the age of six, at the Manuel Saumell Elementary School of Music in Havana, Cuba. Born into a musical family, Kevin has been exposed to the island’s most talented and brilliant musicians, developing a rich and percussive culture from an early age. He soon learned from the playing of musicians such as Ruy López-Nussa, Roberto Concepcion, and Dafnis Prieto, a GRAMMY-winning drummer who taught him complex rhythms. He picked up the drum set at the age of seven which eventually led to him studying piano and percussion. Kevin earned his B.M from the prestigious New World in Miami and During his time there, he was selected to participate in the YoungArts foundation where he later received the Merit Award by performing with the New World Symphony. Kevin also graduated with an M.B.A in Finance and has served as a music teacher for seven years.
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Lessons Taught
2770
Levels Taught
All Levels
Ages Taught
All Ages
Sandra Escribano from Havana, Cuba, is a recent graduate from Florida Gulf Coast University who has won many first awards in different competitions. During her early years, she started started studying piano and eventually transitioned to the violin with the goal of becoming one of the most prestigious and talented violinist in Florida. In 2017, after graduating with high honors, she received a scholarship to finish her studies at FGCU, where she later completed her Master's Degree in Music Education. As a teacher, Sandra is dedicated to helping each student develop their own tone at their own pace. Escribano finds it especially and rewarding to watch her students grow over time and believes that music lessons are essentially collaborations in storytelling and communication.
Sandra has taught both violin and piano for seven years in music schools, privately, & through conservatories to students of all ages.
Lessons Taught
2170
Levels Taught
All Levels
Ages Taught
8 To 25
Liza Wu is a classical pianist/keyboardist and instructor in Manhattan, performing regularly with professional musicians in the city, as well as internationally. She has been a long-time affiliate of many music organizations including Barnard College of Columbia University, New York University, The World School (NYC), the Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, and the Rodney Marsalis Philadelphia Big Brass 'Brothers on the Battlefield. Previously, she was a pianist for Interlochen Arts Camp and College of Creative Arts and the School for Strings (NYC); on the faculty of the Professional Performing Arts School and Westchester Conservatory of Music, Music Director of the Church of St. Denis; Assistant Music Director/Pianist of the New York Youth Symphony Singers. She got her B.M from Oberlin College Conservatory of Music; Interlochen Arts Academy, Diploma & Fine Arts Award; Suzuki Certification.
Drums Faculty
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Lessons Taught
2310
Levels Taught
All Levels
Ages Taught
All Ages
Montclair, New Jersey drummer Karl Ronneburg has performed at Carnegie Hall, the 57th Annual Grammy Awards After Parties, and the Newport Jazz Festival. Additionally, he holds a GRAMMY for playing percussion on the song "Water in Cupped Hands", on Ted Nash's 2016 release, the "Presidential Suite." Karl has served on faculty at the Jazz Institute at Brevard and worked as a teaching assistant at the Jazz House Kids Summer Workshop, as well as teaching private lessons in the New York/New Jersey region. In 2017, Karl won the J.C Heard National Drum Competition, where he led his own trio at the 2017 Detroit Jazz Festival. Currently, he is pursuing a Masters Degree at Juilliard, in addition to performing with the Artist Diploma Ensemble. Karl is excited to utilize all the potential of technology to continue teaching online. He loves to educate and to inspire others find their joy in music.
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Lessons Taught
2250
Levels Taught
All Levels
Ages Taught
7 To 15
Chase Adleman is a composer, percussionist, and multimedia-performance artist based in New York City and Seattle. Winner of the 2017 Brehm Prize for instrumental composition at the University of Michigan and the 2019 Dean’s Award at the Mannes College of Music, Chase's music has been performed in venues including Carnegie Hall, National Sawdust, the New York German Consulate General, Ann Arbor’s Hill Auditorium, and Seattle’s Experience Music Project. As a percussionist, Chase has performed with ensembles including Carnegie Hall’s LinkUp Orchestra, the Cantori Choir, Samba New York!, the National Youth Orchestra of the United States, and many more. Chase is currently a teaching artist with Musicambia, an organization which brings music as social change to incarcerated communities, a faculty member at the Vivace, and an event facilitator in Carnegie Hall’s Education Wing.
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Lessons Taught
1550
Levels Taught
All Levels
Ages Taught
7 To Adult
Praised for his “talented musical personality” ~ de Volkskrant drummer Gregory Opdam is among the most prominent artists to have emerged from the Netherland in recent years. Dividing his time between the US and Europe, he embraces the idiosyncratic qualities of both cultural worlds to enrich a personal expressiveness in music. Opdam won first prize in the prestigious Dutch Oskar Back Drums Competition 2011. He received his Bachelors of Music at the Manhattan School of Music. Further studies include lessons with Frank Peter Zimmermann and Pinchas Zukerman. Opdam made his recital debut at Carnegie Hall in June 2018 to great critical acclaim, with a program that included the world premiere of Robin de Raaff’s North Atlantic Light for drums and piano. Aside from a busy concert schedule, Opdam has a great passion for- and extensive background in teaching.
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Lessons Taught
1050
Levels Taught
All Levels
Ages Taught
7 To Adult
Drummer Stefan Chaplikov is currently a Doctorate in Musical Arts at the University of Maryland. As a student at the conservatory, he won all available national competitions and featured first debut as soloist with the National Symphonic Orchestra of Russia. With the help of the Hirsch Undergraduate Scholarship, Stefan moved to United States to pursue a Bachelor in Music Performance at the University of Houston studying privately with Slava Gabrielov. Subsequently, Stefan obtained a Master in Music in Performance and Literature at the Eastman School of Music. In United States, Stefan has won awards from the Lynn University Concerto Competition, the Moores School of Music Concerto Competition; Texas Music Teachers Association Young Artist Percussion Competition; Music Teachers National Association (Texas Division), the Petroff Percussion Competition, and several others.
Lessons Taught
930
Levels Taught
Beg & Int
Ages Taught
7 To 15
Hailing from Philadelphia, Aman Almeida is currently a graduate student at DePaul University studying under the tutelage of Stephen Williamson. He received his bachelor's in music from Oberlin Conservatory studying with Richard Hawkins and has also studied with Charles Salinger. He has held chairs at all of Oberlin Conservatory’s large ensembles and has attended the Brevard Music Center. At Oberlin, Reese was selected as a musician for the Oberlin Orchestra’s performance at Carnegie Hall in 2019. He has performed under the baton of Joann Falletta, Keith Lockhart, Tim Weiss, Marcelo Lehninger, and Matthias Bamert. As a chamber musician, Reese has additionally been heard with his percussion ensemble, The Guintet, on WCLV 104.9. The ensemble has also been the winner of the Danenberg Honors Recital at Oberlin Conservatory.
Strings Faculty
Lessons Taught
3784
Levels Taught
All Levels
Ages Taught
All Ages
Sandra Escribano from Havana, Cuba, is a recent graduate from Florida Gulf Coast University who has won many first awards in different competitions. During her early years, she started started studying piano and eventually transitioned to the violin with the goal of becoming one of the most prestigious and talented violinist in Florida. In 2017, after graduating with high honors, she received a scholarship to finish her studies at FGCU, where she later completed her Master's Degree in Music Education. As a teacher, Sandra is dedicated to helping each student develop their own tone at their own pace. Escribano finds it especially and rewarding to watch her students grow over time and believes that music lessons are essentially collaborations in storytelling and communication.
Sandra has taught both violin and piano for seven years in music schools, privately, & through conservatories to students of all ages.
Lessons Taught
1430
Levels Taught
Advanced
Ages Taught
15 to Adult
Max Fiore joined The Cleveland Orchestra as Assistant Concertmaster in the Fall of 2019. The New York Times commented about his playing that “Fiore sometimes cooled his tone to the smoothness of frosted glass, adding a soft-focus filter to the chiseled melodies." Mr. Fiore has collaborated with many great musicians, such as Edgar Meyer, members of Quatour Ébène, Roberto Díaz, Peter Wiley, Paul Katz, and others. He also has taught masterclasses at the Cleveland Institute of Music, as well as at conservatories in Germany and Italy. Mr. Fiore has participated at international violin competitions including Sibelius International Violin Competition in Helsinki, the Queen Elisabeth Competition in Brussels, and the Michael Hill Violin Competition in New Zealand. Mr. Fiore earned his BM from the Cleveland Institute of Music, and currently holds a Master’s degree from the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami.
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Lessons Taught
1310
Levels Taught
Int & Adv
Ages Taught
All Ages
Cellist Keong holds a B.M. in cello performance from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, where she studied with Amir Eldan. She has appeared as a recitalist at the Bellingham Festival of Music’s “Welcome Home” concert series, has held fellowship positions at the Marrowstone Music Festival and at Bamfield’s Music by the Sea. Ivette has performed and mentored with her Oberlin-based string quartet, the Cornell Quartet, at several festivals, including ENCORE Chamber Music and the Saint Paul Chamber Music Institute. An avid teacher, Ivette has taught privately for eight years. She believes in student-centered learning and designs individualized lessons based on her students’ goals and interests.
Lessons Taught
1210
Levels Taught
All Levels
Ages Taught
All Ages
Daniel was Born in Mexico City to an Italian musician and opera lover. Since he was kid, he was exposed to a wide array of artistic expressions that helped shape his musical vision. His debut album “Chiaroscuro” which features Daniel performing his own works for both solo guitar and guitar, has drawn the attention and praise of the guitar world. As part of the Manhattan School of Music jazz band, he performed for sold out crowds at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington DC and with the New York Philharmonic. During that time, he was also earned a spot as a finalist in Lee Ritenour’s “Six String Theory” international guitar competition. Daniel’s music has been recently performed and recorded by internationally acclaimed ensembles such as the Lyris string quartet and the Minneapolis Guitar Quartet. He graduated summa cum laude from Berklee College of Music, & earned his M.A in Composition.
Voice & Wind Faculty
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Lessons Taught
1140
Levels Taught
Beg & Int
Ages Taught
7 To 25
Soprano Marie Teufel is a native of Erie, Pennsylvania and is now based in New York City. She was most recently heard in the title role of Handel’s Alcina with Lyra New York and is currently the title role in Anna Bolena with dell’Arte Opera. Other appearances include Giannetta in L’elisir d’amore with Teatro Dobbiaco, Die Königin der Nacht in Die Zauberflöte with Sommertheater Weimar-Tiefurt, Pamina in Die Zauberflöte with West Bay Opera, and a Mädchen in Der Aufstieg und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny and Lucia (cover) in Lucia di Lammermoor at Manhattan School of Music. Ms. Teufel has been a young artist with Opera on the Avalon, ISING International Young Artist Program, Bel Canto at Caramoor, and Lyric Opera Studio Weimar.
Lessons Taught
1020
Levels Taught
Advanced
Ages Taught
All Ages
Baritone Nicola Ziccardi has been praised for his warm, powerful sound, sensitive musicality & commanding stage presence. He holds Master’s and Bachelor’s of Music degrees from New England Conservatory, whereupon graduating he also received the Hugh Ross Award, given annually to a “singer of unusual promise.” As an international performer, he has appeared in theaters and festivals throughout North America and Europe, including the world-renowned Salzburg Festival, Fort Worth Opera, Theater Kiel, and many others. Nicola was a prizewinner in the Metropolitan National Council Auditions, International Immling Competition, and Joan Taub Ades Competition, and appeared in the final rounds of the International Hans Gabor Belvedere Singing Competition. As a teacher, Nicola is passionate about helping students find and develop their own unique voices, and sing with ease, confidence, and joy. Creating a nurturing & supportive environment to learn and grow is extremely important to him.
Lessons Taught
980
Levels Taught
All Levels
Ages Taught
9 To Adult
At the age of 19, New Orleans-bred saxophonist and trombonist Anthony Miller stepped onto the stage of the famed Apollo Theatre, and he brought the house down. The now 3-time Grammy-nominated saxophonist-trombonist (for his work with John Legend and Jon Batiste) was proudly introduced by the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra (NOJO), announcing that Anthony was a recently admitted student on a full scholarship at The Manhattan School of Music, hand-picked by jazz vanguard Wynton Marsalis. Not his first performance on a great New York stage, when he was just 15, Mr. Miller performed at Carnegie Hall at the celebration of the Preservation Hall Jazz Band’s 50th anniversary. He also performed with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band for their sold-out show at Madison Square Garden, while on tour with Arcade Fire.
