Music for Infants and Toddlers


Bonnie Gease, Music Together ®

 

Masters Education, Loyola (Md);  MS, Johns Hopkins University

Bonnie Gease has been teaching in the Harford County Public Schools

working with the Infants and Toddlers Program. She specializes in language and learning disabilities. Bonnie is also a certified instuctor for the nationally recognized Music Together Program.

(Music Together was developed by the Center for Music 
and Young Children, Princeton NJ. Music Together CMYC, and Center for  Music and Young Children are registered trademarks)

 

Contact: b.gease@musicismagic.com

Places of Interest: www.musictogether.com

©® 2007 Music Together LLC. All rights reserved.

 



Christine Robbins, Violin

Bachelor of Arts, Glassboro State College

Christine Robbins, a native of New Jersey, is an alum of Glassboro State College with a BA in Violin Performance. She has performed

with orchestras in the US and Europe, and has appeared as a soloist

in a variety of venues. Christine brings to the MCM 20 years of experience teaching Violin and Viola. She has enjoyed working with students of every age, young children through adult. Christine lives in Cecil Co. with her husband, Bear. They are the parents of three children and four grandchildren.

Class Bullets: Five days of introductory Violin instruction will provide fun ways for the parent/child team to learn basic Violin playing. In combination with elementary rhythms, note reading and easy-to-learn melodies, we will finish our Camp experience with a lively group performance of "Twinkle".

 

Contact: crobbins@musicismagic.com

Places of Interest:

www.musicismagic.com


Dennis Hertzog, Violin & Viola

Master of Music, Towson University

Contact: dhertzog@musicismagic.com

Places of Interest:

www.musicismagic.com


Linda Molina, Violin

Master of Music, University of Michigan

Contact: info@musicismagic.com

Places of Interest:

www.musicismagic.com


Tim Anderson , Cello

Tim Anderson received a B.A. degree from the University of South Florida and studied at the Peabody Conservatory and Syracuse University. He has performed in the orchestras of Syracuse, Delaware, Baltimore Opera, and the Orcestra de Mineria in Mexico City. A founding member of Baltimore Chamber Orchestra, New Music Baltimore, and the Baltimore Improvisation Ensemble, he has composed music for modern dance, ballet, theater, and film.

As a chamber player, performances include festivals in Los Angeles, Vancouver, B.C., Cleveland, Atlanta, Charleston, Chautauqua, Domaine Forget, Quebec, and Round Top, Texas. He has performed as a guest artist on three concerts at the Berklee School of Music in Boston and toured with the Pan-Asian Repertory Theater orchestra in New England. In 1995, he performed with the Nusantara Chamber Orchestra in Jakarta, Indonesia, playing slemtem, a traditonal Gamelan instrument, and taught a master class there in strings under the auspices of the United States Information Agency.

In the summer of 2004, he played with the AIMS Festival Orchestra in Graz, Austria. Cello instructor at UMBC for three years, Tim is currently on the faculty of McDaniel College and Harford Community College. He performs in area elementary schools with the Live Wire String Quartet and is a member of the Lancaster Symphony.

Recent recordings include performing as a member of the Washington National Cathedral Chamber Orchestra on the world premiere of "Requiem for the victims of Nazi persecution" by Stale Kleiberg. The CD was released on September 11, 2004 at the U.S. premiere at the Washington National Cathedral in Washington, D.C.

Tim is cellist and music director of the Concord Ensemble, whose string quartet appeared on the NBC television morning news program, "Today Show" in September, 2005. In October, 2005, the same quartet was selected to appear in the filming of "The Visiting", a film starring Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig.

 

Contact:info@musicismagic.com

Places of Interest:


Harp


Jackie Pollauf

 

Bachelor Music, Masters Degree, Peabody Conservatory of Music

Jacqueline Pollauf is active performer and teacher based in the Mid-Atlantic region. She frequently appears in solo, orchestral, operatic and chamber music performances. In addition to teaching at the Maryland Conservatory of Music, Jacqueline is on faculty at the University of Maryland at Baltimore County, the Baltimore School for the Arts, and the Towson University Music Preparatory. Jacqueline holds a Master of Music in harp performance and pedagogy from the Peabody Conservatory of the Johns Hopkins University.

 

Contact: jpharp@jpharp.com

Places of Interest:

www.jpharp.com


GUITAR


Serap Bastepe-Gray, Director

  Serap Bastepe-Gray joined MCM this August as a Classical Guitar Instructor and the Associate Director for External Relations and Development. In October, her responsibilities were expanded to include internal operations.

As a musician and teacher she brings us more than two decades of professional performance and teaching experience in various styles of music. A graduate of the Peabody Conservatory where she received her BM and MM degrees in Guitar Performance and was valedictorian of her graduating class, she performs regularly with guitar duo partner Julian Gray on chamber music series and at major guitar festivals in the U.S. including the International Guitar Institute Festival and The National Guitar Workshop Classical Guitar Summit.

Also a medical doctor, she has written a number of articles and done consulting in the area of performance related injuries for musicians. Her interest in instrumental pedagogy lead to many collaborations with Peabody faculty as well as several grants for her projects on violin and guitar pedagogy. She edits guitar scores for MEL BAY Publications - the largest publisher and distributer of guitar music world-wide.

As an administrator, Serap Bastepe-Gray brings us her decade long experience, connections and insight of the music business and conservatory tradition. Dr. Bastepe-Gray has worked with local and national media and musical event presenters as the Director of the Esin Arts Management Company. She has been involved in various projects of faculty governance at the Peabody Conservatory and has been elected to serve on the Steering Committee of the Johns Hopkins University Alumni Association Peabody Chapter as well as the Strategic Planning and Finance, and Marketing Committees of the same organization.

Dr. Bastepe-Gray is also on the faculty at the Frederick Community College where she teaches applied guitar and music theory. She has recently been elected to serve on the FCC Senate.

 

 She lives in Hunt Valley with her husband Julian Gray ,

a world renowned classical guitarist and her three children who play the violin and the piano.

 

Contact: serap@musicismagic.com

 

Places of Interest:

www.musicismagic.com


Jim Bowley, Guitar (pop, rock, folk)

Bachelor Of Music Education, Towson University

Jim Bowley, a native of Baltimore , MD , is a multi-instrumental guitarist, singer, songwriter and producer. As a teenager, Jim won the Maryland Distinguished Scholar in the Arts award and went on to study music on a full academic scholarship to Towson University . He graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor's degree in Music Education.

As a professional musician for 20 years, Jim's background is wide-ranging. He has performed in venues across the United States , in styles as diverse as rock, pop, blues, jazz, country, acoustic/folk and tropical/Caribbean, as well as in pit orchestras for musical theater. Jim has even had the privilege to perform with the band, Captain Quint, as the opening act for Jimmy Buffett in venues from Cleveland to Key West .

Jim has won a handful of awards as a singer-songwriter, most notably from Billboard and American Songwriter magazines. He was also a finalist in the national Best of Country Showcase in Atlanta in 2001. Jim has three CDs to his credit as a songwriter and producer, and has contributed vocals and various “stringed things” to others.

Besides private instruction, Jim is the director of the Classic Rock Ensemble at MCM. He also teaches adult guitar classes at Harford Community College and is the musical director for the Young Peoples' Theatre Project here in Harford County . For more complete information, as well as Jim's performance schedule, see www.jimbowley.com .

Contact: tritonemusic@comcast.net

Places of Interest:

www.musicismagic.com


Zane Forshee, Guitar (Classical)

Masters and Graduate Performance Diploma, Peabody Institute

Since winning first prize in the National Guitar Workshop Solo Guitar Competition, Zane Forshee has led an exciting and varied musical life as a soloist and chamber musician. Chicago, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., Saint Louis, and Montreal are among the many North American cities that have been host to his eclectic concert programs. A champion of new music, his concerts always include gems from contemporary composers as well as those from the traditional solo guitar repertoire.

   

Mr. Forshee has appeared in master classes with Eliot Fisk, Benjamin Verdery, David Leisner, Sergio and Odair Assad, David Russell, Fabio Zannon, Manuel Barrueco, and Pepe Romero. He is currently pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts degree at Peabody Conservatory under the tutelage of Julian Gray and holds a Master of Music Degree and Graduate Performance Diploma from the Peabody Conservatory as well. Presently, Mr. Forshee is on the faculty of the University of Maryland Baltimore County, Frostburg State University, the Peabody Conservatory, the Peabody Preparatory, and the Performing Arts Institute Summer Music Festival in Pennsylvania.

 

Contact: info@musicismagic.com

Places of Interest:

 

 

 


 


Alicia Kosack, Flute

Alicia Kosack enjoys a diverse career as a performer of both modern and Baroque flute. She has won numerous honors, including a Maryland State Arts Council Individual Artist Award. Most recently, she made her Carnegie Hall debut performing in the Ton Koopman Young Artists Concert at Zankel Hall. She was selected for the 2005 National Flute Association Professional Flute Choir, and was a prizewinner in the 2004 Flute Society of Washington Young Artist Competition.
An active soloist and chamber musician, she has also performed with the Washington Bach Consort, Opera Vivente, the Handel Choir of Baltimore, and the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, among other ensembles. She is equally committed to teaching, and is currently on faculty at York College of Pennsylvania and Maryland Conservatory of Music. In addition to her performing and teaching, Alicia is Vice-President of the Flute Society of Washington and was the program chair for the 2007 Mid-Atlantic Flute Fair.
Alicia is currently pursing her DMA at the University of Maryland, where she holds an orchestra assistantship, and is a student of Dr. William Montgomery. She received an MM from the Peabody Conservatory and a BM from the Harid Conservatory. Her teachers include Mark Sparks, Laura Gilbert, Robert Bush, Cheryl Gobbetti-Hoffman, and Colin St. Martin.

Photo Available soon

Master of Music, Peabody Conservatory of Music

Contact: info@musicismagic.com

Places of Interest:

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Noelle Presby-Lipa , Clarinet

Master of Music, Peabody Conservatory

Clarinetist Noelle Presby Lipa holds a Bachelor of Music from Florida Atlantic University and a Master of Music from Peabody Conservatory in clarinet performance. She has studied with renowned clarinetists such as Anthony Gigliotti, Edward Palanker, Steven Barta, Paul Green and George Sparks. She has performed with several groups such as the Florida Philharmonic, Symphony of the Americas, Gold Coast Opera, Boca Pops, Florida Wind Symphony, CCBC Cockpit in Court, NCSA Europe Touring Summer Orchestra and is currently performing with Arioso Trio, a professional woodwind/reed trio, also available as Quintaero, a woodwind quintet.

Noelle is the Adjunct Clarinet Instructor at Harford Community College and was the clarinet adjudicator for Anne Arundel County Solo and Ensemble Festival in 2004. She has been a guest woodwind clinician at the Flordia Youth Conservatory several schools throughout her career. Noelle is an instrumental group instructor for the Instrumental Music Program in Catholic Schools throughout the area and she has maintained a private studio for nine years. She is currently teaching at Maryland Conservatory of Music, CCBC, A.R.T.I~S.T., and Musicians Institute of Baltimore and has a home studio in Baltimore, Maryland. She has previously taught at studios such as Towson University Preparatory Division, CCBC Continuing Education Department, Chesapeake Arts Center and Mars Music.

Contact: info@musicismagic.com

Places of Interest:

www.NoellePresbyLipa.us

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Kimberly Buchar Kelley, Bassoon

Doctor of Musical Arts, University of Illinois, U-C.

Bassoonist Dr. Kimberly D. Buchar Kelley received her degrees in bassoon performance from the Harid Conservatory in 1997, the Eastman School of Music in 1999, and in the May 2005 she earned her DMA at the University of Illinois . Kimberly has taught bassoon and double reed method classes at Millikin University , Eastern Illinois University , Chestnut Hill College , and at the University of Illinois as a sabbatical replacement. She has performed in various orchestras such as the Illinois Symphony, New World Symphony, Palm Beach Opera, Sinfonia da Camera, BACH Ensemble, Lancaster Symphony, and the York Symphony. She is a member of the Dickinson Faculty Woodwind Quintet, the Pennsylvania Academy Woodwind Quintet, Messiah College Faculty Quintet, and a founding member of the Trelumina Trio. Her major teachers include Phillip Kolker, Arthur Weisberg, John Hunt, and Timothy McGovern. Currently, Dr. Kelley is teaching bassoon at Dickinson College , Franklin and Marshall College , York College , Messiah College , the Maryland Conservatory of Music, and the Pennsylvania Academy of Music, and performing throughout the area.

 

Contact: info@musicismagic.com

Places of Interest:

www.musicismagic.com


Leah Moss, Oboe

Bachelor of Music, Peabody Conservatory of Music

Contact: lmoss@musicismagic.com

Places of Interest:

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Jeremiah Baker , Saxophone, Jazz Ensemble

Winner of numerous prizes and scholarships, Jeremiah Baker is active as a recitalist and as a soloist with orchestra .  He has recently won the Sound of America Solo Competition in Orlando, Florida, as well as the Soloist Competition at Shenandoah  University.  Jeremiah attended the prestigious Virginia Governor's School and was awarded a talent scholarship to attend the Peabody Conservatory, where he is continuing his studies in the exclusive Five Year MM/BM program.

Contact: info@musicismagic.com

Places of Interest:

www.musicismagic.com


 


Randy Harrison ,Trombone, Tuba, Low brass

Bachelor of Arts, 1974 University of Maryland , Baltimore County

Additional Study, 1977 – 1978, Philadelphia Musical Academy

 

Randy's career as a tubist has spanned more than 1/4 century. He studied privately with W. Daniel Brown, Paul Krzywicki and Warren Deck of the Baltimore Symphony, Philadelphia and New York Philharmonic Orchestras respectively. He also studied with David Fedderly, the current Principal Tubist of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra.

Randy currently holds the position of Principal Tuba with the Hopkins Symphony Orchestra and the Homewood Brass Consort

( www.homewoodbrass.com ). In the past he held the same position with the Baltimore Philharmonia Orchestra, Haddonfield Symphony Orchestra, Prince George 's Symphony Orchestra, Melrose Brass Consort, Atlantic Brass and the Monumental Brass Quintet. His free-lance career has run the gamut of appearances with the Ringling Brothers, Barnum and Bailey Circus band to appearances as a substitute/extra with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and the Bay-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra.

As a private instructor of tuba, euphonium and trombone, Randy has much success. In 2001, four of the five tubists, including the Principal Tubist, in the Baltimore County Middle School All-County Band were Randy's Students. That same year, the Principal Trombonist of the Baltimore County High School All-County Orchestra also studied with Randy. In 1994, two of Randy's students, a high school tubist and a trombonist from Howard County made the Maryland All-State Band.

Contact: info@musicismagic.com

Places of Interest:

www.homewoodbrass.com

www.musicismagic.com


Chris Sengstacke , Trumpet

 

Bachelor of Music, Towson University

Master of Music, Peabody Conservatory of Music

Chris received his BS from Towson University where he earned a teaching certification in music education. While at Towson he performed with the renowned jazz ensemble under the direction of the late Hank Levy. Chris received a Masters degree from the Peabody Conservatory of Music where he was a graduate teaching assistant in the education department. While there he developed an interest with computer assisted instruction software and beta tested algorhythmic technology for Yamaha, Korg, and Roland. 

Chris has taught instrumental music on both the elementary and secondary levels in Baltimore County Public Schools in addition to being an adjunct faculty member at Harford Community College .

He also holds the Advanced Professional Certificate in teaching from the Maryland State Dept. of Education.

 

A talented multi-instrumentalist, Chris has been performing professionally for the past 30 years as an avid trumpeter, guitarist and pianist. He has performed as a freelance commercial artist in the Baltimore-Washington area performing in various genres including orchestral, swing band, rock band and soloist. Chris has performed cocktail piano music at many local and regional events for formal affairs.

As a composer, Chris has written music for Towson University Ensemble Dancers, United Way of Maryland, Baltimore County Schools as well as arranged music for numerous events and occassions.

 

Currently, Chris is President of  DataScan Corp. an information systems/data management company which he founded in 1995. Chris is currently the webmaster and computer consultant for MCM.

 

Contact:webmaster@musicismagic

Places of Interest:

www.musicismagic.com


Kurt Wittstadt, French Horn

Master of Music, Towson University

Contact: kwittstadt@musicismagic.com

Places of Interest:

www.musicismagic.com



 

Jay DeWitt, Percussion

 

Jay DeWitt has been one of the premiere drum instructors in Maryland for almost a decade. With a fresh, progressive perspective on the art of teaching he has helped mold students of all ages into accomplished, competent musicians. Many drummers Jay has taught in the past have gone on to pursue successful musical endeavors as well as degrees from acclaimed music institutions such as Berklee College of Music. With a rich, diversified history Jay is able to bring his profound musical experiences to the lesson room providing the most well rounded instruction for even the absolute beginner.

Mr. DeWitt can be seen performing throughout the region across a broad scale of genres including jazz, rock, folk, latin, funk and country. Jay has done television and radio performances and is in demand as a session drummer for various artists' recordings. The bedrock of his teaching philosophy is that each student should be seen for their unique individuality and that no two students necessitate the same curriculum. A student's own needs and interests are paramount in laying the strongest foundation from which boundless success may be attained.

Contact: info@musicismagic.com

Places of Interest:

www.musicismagic.com

 

 


George Carroll

Bachelor of Arts Equivalent, RCN School of Music

Contact: gcarroll@musicismagic.com

Places of Interest:

www.musicismagic.com



Andrew McIntyre

Master of Specialized Studies, Loyola College

Contact: amcintyre@musicismagic.com

Places of Interest:

www.musicismagic.com


 



Dr. Virginia Chang,Piano

Doctor of Musical Arts, University of Maryland

Contact: vchang@musicismagic.com

Places of Interest:

www.musicismagic.com


Hyeree Chung, Piano

Korean-born pianist Hyeree Chung was raised in St. Paul, Minnesota, and went on to pursue higher education at Rice University and the University of Minnesota under the tutelage of Robert Roux and Lydia Artymiw respectively. She is the recipient of numerous awards and scholarships from both institutions. She swept top prizes in major competitions across the Midwest including the Schubert Club, Minneapolis Thursday Musical Club, Music Teachers National Association Baldwin and Yamaha competitions, Minnesota Music Teachers Association Young Artists competition. She has been invited to various festivals across Europe and the United States and has been received appreciatively in masterclasses by teachers such as Eugene Pridonoff, Jack Winerock, Jane Allen, Emilio del Rosario, Aiko Onishi, and Luiz de Moura Castro. Her performance of the First Chopin Concerto with the Minnetonka Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Roger Satrang Hoel captured audiences with " honest musicality."
Miss Chung has a great passion for teaching. While at the University of Minnesota she was an assistant to the notable pedagogue Rebecca Shockley. As a guest artist, she performed solo recitals and gave masterclasses at the Piano Institute hosted by Northwestern College. She was a beloved teacher at the St. Joseph's School of Music in St. Paul until joining the faculty of the Maryland Conservatory of Music.

She is currently studying in the International Certificate for Piano Artists, a program that takes her all over the United States and Europe through partnerships with the Fondation Bell'Arte in Brussels, the Ecole Normale de Musique de Paris "Alfred Cortot," and the University of Florida. Her teachers in this program include Philippe Entremont, Nelson Delle-Vigne, Robert Roux, David Lively, Jean-Philippe Collard, Jerome Lowenthal, Francois-Rene Duchable, and Sergio Perticaroli.

photo not yet available

Master of Music, University of Minnesota

info@musicismagic.com

Places of Interest:

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Christine Faatz, Piano

 

Master of Music, Peabody Conservatory of Music

info@musicismagic.com

Places of Interest:

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Dr. Christopher Dillon, Piano

 

Pianist Christopher Dillon, is a three-time finalist and winner of the Alice Nelson Music Scholarship Competition. He was a featured piano soloist with the San Luis Obispo County Symphony at the age of 17. That same year, he attended the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, California, where he studied with Edward Auer and received the studio award. His pre-conservatory education culminated with a year under the tutelage of eminent pianist Jerome Lowenthal.

Dr. Dillon pursued his  higher education at the Eastman School of Music, the Oberlin Conservatory, and the Peabody Institute. While at Peabody, he studied with Julian Martin, Ellen Mack, and Robert MacDonald. After receiving his doctorate from Peabody, he served as adjunct faculty there for three years. His pedagogical activities also include eight years of private teaching experience. Dr. Dillon is presently adjunct faculty at Towson University, where he has taught class piano, theory, and ear training.

 

 

Contact: cdillon@musicismagic.com

Places of Interest:

www.musicismagic.com


Peggy Mukai, Piano

 

Contact: info@musicismagic.com

Places of Interest:

www.musicismagic.com


Joe Satava, Piano

Doctor of Musical Artsc, Peabody Conservatory of Music

Joseph Satava, a native of Cleveland , Ohio , is a recent doctoral graduate of the Peabody Conservatory of the Johns Hopkins University where he was the recipient of the Frances W. Wentz Turner Memorial Prize in Piano. He was awarded a Peabody Career Award Development Grant to complete a residency at the Banff Centre for Performing Arts in Alberta , Canada . Joseph received his Master's degree at the Juilliard School and his Bachelor's at the Peabody Conservatory. His primary teachers have included Julian Martin, Marc Durand, Jerome Lowenthal, and Ann Schein.

Joseph has participated in the Aspen Summer Music Festival, the Kneisel Hall Chamber Music Festival, the Music Academy of the West Summer Music Festival, the American Conservatory of Fontainbleau, France, and the International Piano Festival in Gijon , Spain .

Joseph has taken prizes in the Miecyslaw Munz piano competition, the Jefferson Symphony Orchestra concerto competition, the Peggy and Yale Gordon piano competition, and was the recipient of the Promising Young Artist award from the National Society of Arts and Letters in Washington D.C. Most recently, he was selected to participate in the Jaen International Piano Competition in Spain . Satava has collaborated with orchestras and conductors throughout the US and Spain . He has appeared in Alice Tully Hall as part of the Focus! Festival for contemporary music and was most recently seen in Merkin Concert Hall in New York City performing works of Keith Kramer. Joseph has performed at the French Consulate in New York City and the French Embassy in Washington D.C. as part of the ‘Rising Star' series. Satava was invited twice to perform for the Texas Conservatory for Young Artists in Dallas and recently appeared in recital at the Steinway Gallery in Tucson , Arizona . Joseph also holds faculty positions at Harford Community College and the Bryn Mawr School and is the program coordinator for the Gijón International Piano Festival in Gijón , Spain .

info@musicismagic.com

Places of Interest:

musicismagic.com


Alan Blackmann , Jazz piano

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Master of Music, Towson University

Contact: info@musicismagic.com

Places of Interest:

www.musicismagic.com

photo not yet available

 

Contact: info@musicismagic.com

Places of Interest:

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Anna Soukiassian, Piano

 Artist Diploma, Longy School of Music

Pianist Anna Soukiassian has distinguished herself regionally and internationally as an artist of tremendous gifts, displaying "an abundance of technique and a wide range of expression, from intense sensitivity to strongly driven passionate expression." Born in Yerevan, Armenia Ms. Soukiassian started playing the piano at the age of three. She has since appeared in numerous performances in Armenia, Lithuania, Moldavia, Estonia, Hungary, Spain, Canada and throughout the United States.

Ms. Soukiassian studied at the Komitas State Conservatory, Boston University and she received the prestigious Artist Diploma degree from the Longy School of Music. She has taught at Bridgewater State College, Phillips Academy and the Interlochen Center for the Arts. Her teachers included Victor Rosenbaum, Natalia Antonova, Julia Arakelian, and Maria Clodes Jaguaribe and she received chamber music coaching from Eugene Lehner, Wolfgang Schocken and Bayla Keyes. Mrs. Soukiassian currently teaches at Towson University and performs regularly with her husband, violinist Dr. Jeffrey Howard, in the Kassian-Howard Duo.

Contact:info@musicismagic.com

Places of Interest:

www.musicismagic.com

 

 


Andrew Lewis, Piano, Friends School Outreach Program

Master of Music, Towson University

Andrew Lewis is a piano teacher and accompanist at Maryland Conservatory of Music. He holds a Bachelor's and Master’s Degree from Towson University where he studied with pianist Reynaldo Reyes. Other teachers include Dr. Arno Drucker, N. Jane Tan and Sandra Dean.
Mr. Lewis has performed in various musical ensembles including chamber, vocal, and jazz. While at Towson, he was a recipient of the Sanborn Scholarship, and was awarded a prize from the Peggy and Yale Gordon Foundation.

Contact: alewis@musicismagic.com

Places of Interest:

www.musicismagic.com


Dr. Duke Thompson, Founder/President

Doctor of Musical Arts, Arizona State University


Duke Thompson is a recognized teacher, performer and music administrator. Before receiving his Doctorate of Music in Piano Performance from Arizona State University, Thompson also studied at the University of Maryland (both College Park and Baltimore County campuses), Peabody Conservatory of Music, Columbia University, and Ithaca College. As well, he studied under Nadia Boulanger in France and at both the Aspen Music Festival, and the Brevard Music Center.
As a pianist he has performed throughout Canada, the United States and in Japan to rave reviews. His playing has been featured on National Public Radio in Canada and the United States. His piano playing has been described as “passionate and exciting.” Of his CD Greatly Gershwin, released in 1998 during the centennial year of George Gershwin's birth, Frankie Gershwin (sister of George Gershwin) exclaimed that the playing on the CD is "Powerful, even more so than George's playing". Dr. Thompson has performed as soloist with orchestras throughout North America including the Edmonton Symphony, the Susquehanna Symphony, and the Red Deer Symphony. In 2001, he produced a live CD recording for the legendary harmonica player Harp Dog Brown which has found great success throughout North America. See also, www.dukethompson.com
As a teacher, Dr. Thompson has received numerous awards for curriculum development and teaching effectiveness. He received the very rare "100% Positive Rating" from his students at Red Deer College (Alberta, Canada), many of whom have won scholarships and prizes. As chairperson of the music department there, he restructured the program to great effect and benefit for faculty, students, and the community. His mantra of The CPR Advantage (Clarity, Passion, Relevance) and the Community Performance Program he has developed are some of what Duke Thompson has implemented at Maryland Conservatory of Music, a school that Dr. Thompson founded in 2002 and where he serves as the Executive Director.

Contact: director@musicismagic.com

For more bio information go to:

www.dukethompson.com

 

 



Brian Comotto

Master of Music, New York University

Contact: bcomotto@musicismagic.com

Places of Interest:

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Bonnie McNaughton ,Voice

photo not yet available

Peabody Conservtory of Music, Graduate Performance

The University of Western Ontario, Bachelor of Music

Contact: info@musicismagic.com

Places of Interest:

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Carla Dirlikov, Opera,Voice

Carla Dirlikov has gained recognition for her vocal and theatrical versatility both on the operatic stage as well as in concert. Her repertoire ranges from music of the early baroque era to recent operatic premieres. A dual citizen of the United States and Mexico, Ms. Dirlikov is fluent in French, Spanish, and Italian, and proficient in German. She has been particularly commended for her intensity as an interpreter and her expressive nature, both musically and dramatically.

In the fall Ms. Dirlikov sang Cherubino in Mozart's Marriage of Figaro under the direction of Jonathan Eaton, with Opera Theater of Pittsburgh. She also made herKennedy Center debut as the alto soloist in Handel's Messiah with the Metropolitan Chorus, and she performed the Messiah with the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra. In December, Ms. Dirlikov made her European debut as the mezzo soloist in Rossini's Stabat Mater and Beethoven's Kantate auf den Tod Kaiser Josephs II at the Spoleto Festival, under the direction of Maestro Steven Mercurio. This concert was recorded and televised on RAI. Engagements for 2008 include performances as Maddalena in the New Orleans Opera production of Rigoletto as well as alto soloist for performances of Mahler's Symphony No. 2 with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra. In the summer of 2008, Ms. Dirlikov will sing the title role in Bizet's Carmen with DC's Summer Opera Theatre Company.

Last season, Ms. Dirlikov traveled to Canada to perform a series of Bach cantatas with the Festival de Musique Sacree de l'Outaouais. She also returned to Mexico to give a recitals at the National Anthropology Museum in Mexico City, theAugustin Lara Festival in Veracruz as well as at the Festival International Centro Historico in Campeche. Ms. Dirlikov recently performed the role of Rosina in Il Barbiere di Siviglia with theAnnapolis Opera as well as Dorabella in Cosi Fan Tutte with Pellegrini Opera in Ottawa, and in the summer of 2007 she was at theCaramoor Festival, where she covered the role of Pierotto and sang the role of Maddalena in Donizetti's opera Linda di Chamounix.

An avid opera performer, Ms. Dirlikov's stage credits include Papagena in?Die Zauberflte(Annapolis Opera), Flora in La Traviata(Opera Roanoke), Julie Riel in the Canadian Opera Louis Riel (Montreal Place des Arts), Octavian in Der Rosenkavalier (Opera McGill), Cherubino in Le Nozze di Figaro (Banff Centre), M re Marie in Dialogue des Carmelites (Opera McGill), Idamante in Idomeneo(Opera McGill), the title role in Carmen (Toronto Summer Opera Lyric Theatre), Penelope in Il Ritorno d'Ulisse in Patria (Opera McGill) and the Dog/Woodpecker in The Cunning Little Vixen (University of Michigan).

Carla Dirlikov received her Bachelors in Music with high honors from the University of Michigan (2002), where she studied with acclaimed American soprano Shirley Verrett. Ms. Dirlikov also received a grant to study at the Conservatoire National de Paris with Anna Maria Bondi where she was awarded a Prix Superieur Diploma (2001). She obtained her masters degree (May 2005) in Opera Performance from McGill University.


Ms. Dirlikov has participated in a number of summer festivals, notably theInternational Mozarteum Summer Academy (Salzburg), L'Academia Chigiana(Siena), the Banff Center Opera as Theatre Program, the Caramoor Festival Program and the Oberlin in Italy Summer Program (Urbania). She was selected to participate in the acclaimed French Festival Master Class Series with Rene Fleming, Susan Graham and Steven Blier at the Kennedy Center. Ms. Dirlikov has won several top prizes at various competitions including the Festival du Royaume, and was selected as an International Semi-Finalist for the Rolex Mentor & Protege Arts Initiative. In 2007, Ms. Dirlikov was a prize winner the Annapolis Opera Vocal Competition and the Russell Wonderlic Voice Competition.

Contact: info@musicismagic.com

Places of Interest:

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Marge Phillips , Musical Theater, Voice

photo available soon

Master of Music, Towson University

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Richard Disharoon, Voice

photo available soon

Ph.D Education, University of Maryland College Park

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Yvonne K. Hook,Voice

A native of Chicago, Yvonne Koyzis Hook has a Bachelor of Music degree in voice from Wheaton College and a Master of Music degree from Northwestern University in voice and music education. She has taught and sung professionally for over 15 years. As a voice teacher, Yvonne teaches students at all ages and experience levels. She has helped many of her students get into some of the top college voice programs in the country. Having spent a summer studying Gregorian Chant at the Abbaye St. Pierre de Solesmes in France, she spent many years giving chant lessons and workshops in the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago. She spent three years working with inner city educational organizations, including the Chicago Childrens Choir and Gallery 37. She also has had extensive experience working with adults who've never sung before.

As a singer, Yvonne sang 13 seasons in the chorus of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. As a member of the CSO Chorus she has sung at the Berlin Philharmonic and Carnegie Hall in New York. She performed with them on several recordings, including the 1997 recording of "Die Meistersinger vom Nurnburg" which won the Grammy that year for best opera recording. She is a voting member in the Grammies. As a soloist, in addition to extensive recital and oratorio work, she worked with several of the leading composers in the midwest. Yvonne sang the Chicago premieres of several works, including, Songs of Love and Desolation by Michael Pizarro, Songs of Love and Death by Marjorie Rusche and Rainbow by David Earnest. Recently, she was a soloist for the Eine Kleine Kirchenmusic concert series in Maryland, and sang the soprano solo for Handel's "Messiah" in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

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Master of Music, Northwestern University

Contact: info@musicismagic.com

Places of Interest:

www.musicismagic.com


 

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