Emily Book McGree - Studio Head (piano) DMA, received her doctoral degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder where she studied piano with Dr. Andrew Cooperstock and piano pedagogy with Dr. Alejandro Cremaschi. She received her M.M. from Louisiana State University under Jennifer Hayghe and Gregory Sioles, and her B.M. from Ohio Wesleyan University under Cameron Bennett, both with honors. In addition to several performance scholarships and awards at all three institutions, she has also been the recipient of many teaching awards, including the STAR award from the Music Teachers National Association. During summers, Emily has fostered her love for chamber music at numerous music festivals with acclaimed teachers such as Martin Canin, Benjamin Rawitz and Michael Gurt. Emily has been teaching at the collegiate level for over 5 years and has held a private studio for much longer. She loves teaching students both young and old, and strives to create thoughtful musicians with a love for the arts.

 

Kirsten Farnsworth (piano) began her piano studies at the age of six.  Throughout her pianistic career she has earned numerous awards and honors including first place in the 2006 Oklahoma State MTNA Young Artists competition. Kirsten has been honored to perform in Master classes with the renowned Olga Kern, Valery Kuleshov, Cecil Licad, and Nancy Weems.  Her most influential teachers include Doris Pridinoff-Lehnert, Dr. Edward Gates, and Margaret Francis.  She has performed in solo recitals in Norman, Oklahoma; Cape Charles, Virginia; and Boulder, Colorado.  In addition to her solo performances, Kirsten has enjoyed accompanying the Collegiate Chorale at CU, student recitals and juries, and competitions in Ft. Collins, Colorado and Wichita, Kansas.  Kirsten studied Piano Pedagogy at the University of Oklahoma with the renowned Jane Magrath and Barbara Fast and at the University of Colorado with Alejandro Cremaschi.  Her research poster was recently accepted at the National MTNA conference in 2010.  Kirsten currently holds an assistantship teaching class piano to music majors at the University of Colorado.  She plans to graduate with a master’s degree in piano performance in May, 2010.  In her spare time she likes hiking, running, cooking, playing the accordion and spending time with friends and family.

 

 

 

Brad Ferree (piano, violin, viola) B.M., University of Colorado at Boulder, Brad Ferree has enjoyed an extensive career performing with his two main instruments, violin and piano. From 1996, when he won his first concerto competition on the piano, he has performed extensively enjoying such honors as the “Louisiana State University Music Award” which gave him a full tuition scholarship to attend college. Brad has performed professionally with many symphonies from Louisiana to Colorado. Some of his notable experiences were with the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra and Acadiana Symphony. In 2007, Brad was honored with the opportunity to perform the Stamitz viola concerto with the McPherson Chamber Orchestra. Through his many years of studies, he has had the opportunity to perform in master-classes with Roland Vamos, James Dunham and Donald McInnes. He has also studied with several important musicians such as Geraldine Walther, Dr.Jerzy Kosmala, Erika Eckert, Dr. David Lowe and Borislava Iltcheva. Brad obtained his Bachelor of Music in Viola Performance from Louisiana State University and his Master of Music from the University of Colorado in Boulder.

 

 

 

Kristina Fuller (piano, voice) is a coloratura soprano and holds a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance, Classical Voice from the University of Colorado and a Master of Music in Vocal Performance, Musical Theatre from New York University where she was an Adjunct Voice Faculty member. Her New York credits include Gianetta in The Gondoliers, Mrs. Anderson in A Little Night Music, and ensemble in 110 In the Shade. Other regional credits include The Mikado (Yum Yum), Pirates of Penzance (Kate), Cabaret (Rosie and Lady), L’Enfant et les Sortileges (The Bat), and Fables (The Narrator). Other productions include The King and I, Iolanthe, H.M.S. Pinafore, L’Elisir D’Amore, Dialogues of the Carmelites and La Bohème. Kristina is excited to be back in Boulder and teaching with the Broadway in Boulder program at the Parlando School for the Arts

 

 

 

Keiko Haneda (piano) M.A., Kunitachi College of Music, Tokyo, began piano lessons at age four. She received a Master of Arts in Piano Performance from Kunitachi College of Music, Tokyo. She had lessons with Vladimir Ashkenazy, Jorg Demus, Detlef Klaus, Beveridge Webster, Akira Imai, Max Egger, and participated in the piano classes of Professor Paul Badura-Skoda. Ms. Haneda has taught and accompanied at the Boulder Arts Academy, as well as for the summer program at the Boulder Conservatory Theater and the Saint Thomas University Church’s Choir. As a teacher, she emphasizes the importance of speaking the language of music and incorporates music theory into every lesson. With more than 25 years of teaching experience, many of her students have gone on to study piano in college and have won awards and competitions.

 

 

Pam Hayoun (piano) B.M., University of Denver Diplôme Supérieur d'Enseignement, École Normale de Musique, Paris, is an experienced accompanist performing with numerous chamber ensembles including Vivaldi and musical theaters in the U.S. and in France. She accompanies for the eurhythmy classes at Shining Mountain Waldorf School and the Tara Performing Arts High School. Pam performs with vocalist Patricia Irby to bring musical theater excerpts to senior residences and other venues in the community. She has over 25 years of teaching experience in Paris, Annecy and in the United States. (Photo credit Sue Daniels Photography,©2008)

 

 

 

 

Elle Kernitz began her piano instruction at the age of five. She graduated from Indiana Wesleyan University in 2011 with a degree in both piano and flute. During her undergraduate years she earned distinctions on both instruments, having the opportunity to perform as a soloist with the Marion Philharmonic Orchestra, the Kokomo Park Band, the Indiana Wesleyan Wind Ensemble, and the Mississinewa Valley Band. She has also performed in master classes held by Rebecca Penneys, Réne Lecuona, Frederic Chiu, and Robert Weirich. Elle’s previous teachers include Dr. Phoenix Park-Kim and Mr. Scott Mayer. She is currently a student of Dr. Andrew Cooperstock at the University of Colorado, Boulder, where she is pursing a master’s degree in piano performance and pedagogy. Elle has experience in jazz, improvisation, and song writing, and seeks to incorporate these elements in her teaching. She believes a well-rounded musical education enables students to express and create the world around them.

 

 

 

 

 

Leslie Ann Leddy (piano) B.A., Shorter College in Rome, Georgia, a native of Georgia, is a graduate of Shorter College, Rome, GA. She attended the Brevard Music Festival in Brevard, NC and the Shorter Summer Keyboard Extravaganza in Rome, GA. Leslie Ann’s awards include the Georgia Music Teacher's National Association State Piano Competition, winner of the Kawai Southern Keyboards Piano Competition, and an honorable invitation to study at the St. Petersburg Piano Institute from Francis Larimer. Her teachers include Mary Ann Knight, Dr. Douglas Weeks, Dr. Ruby Morgan, and Joan Yarborough. She has also attended master classes and lectures of Dr. Frederick Olsen, Barbara Lister-Sink, Andrew Cooperstock, and Peter Schikele (P.D.Q. Bach). She has concertized throughout Eastern Europe and Greece. Her passions include composing, the study of world music and art, traveling, exploring the great outdoors, and most of all, “getting young students enlivened with the joy of music.”

 

 

Amy Lee (piano) holds Bachelor and Master degrees in Piano Performance from Bob Jones University in South Carolina and has studied with Mary Therese Soper, Benjamin Whitten, Anne Morton, David Lehman and, most recently, Kenneth Thompson. Amy teaches all ages and levels of students, but specializes with school-age children, intermediate level and beyond. Amy is active in many associations and is a Nationally Certified Piano Teacher through MTNA (Music Teachers National Association). An experienced teacher, Amy’s desire for all of her students, regardless of ability level, is that they develop a passion and understanding of music and piano that will benefit them now and for the rest of their lives.

 

 

 

Janet Pettit (piano) recently earned her Master of Music degree in Piano Performance and Pedagogy at the University of Colorado, Boulder. Here she studied applied piano with Doris Pridonoff Lehnert and pedagogy with Dr. Alejandro Cremaschi.  She received her B.M., summa cum laude, from Miami University, Oxford, Ohio. Janet has performed as a soloist and chamber musician throughout Ohio and Colorado, and in Vienna, Austria. She premiered new works by student and professional composers on the Pendulum New Music Series at CU. Janet has taught piano for over five years and also has experience teaching group piano to adult beginners at the University of Colorado. She enjoys teaching students of all ages and abilities, especially beginners, and hopes to help her students become lifelong music lovers and learners.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Amanda Riggers (piano) B.M., University of Idah,) is an Idaho native, with a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance from the Lionel Hampton School of Music at the University of Idaho in Moscow, Idaho, where she studied with Dr. Jay Mauchley and Dr. Jonathan Mann. Amanda recently graduated Magna cum Laude and has been accepted into the masters program at the University of Colorado at Boulder. She has been honored to perform in master classes given by Chih-Long Hu, Steven Spooner, Kay Zavislak, Milica Jovanovic, and Tamir Hendelman, and has attended classes from Emile Naumoff, Adam Gyorgy, and Regina Yeh. Her lifelong dedication to the music teaching profession is evidenced in the seven years she has maintained a private studio, where she taught all levels of classical and jazz piano lessons. Amanda’s teaching philosophy includes a strong commitment to ear training and theoretical understanding, which was strengthened by her collegiate aural skills teaching assistantship under the great pedagogue Daniel Bukvich. She also stresses the importance of musical sensitivity and values sound, touch, and individual interpretation. Amanda actively performs as a classical soloist and accompanist, and gigs as a jazz pianist and singer. She is the recipient of many music honors, including the STAR award from the Music Teachers National Association and scholarships from the Joyce A. Chaffer Piano Trust Fund. Amanda strives to provide her students with a solid musical foundation, so they may find their inner voice and be able to say through music what otherwise is inexpressible.

 

Malia Alford Van Rooy (piano, flute) B.M., Baylor University, has been musically involved throughout her life, performing in various ensembles throughout Colorado, Texas, Washington, D.C., Washington State, France, and China. Her performances include solos, duos, quartets, quintets, and octets, as well as weddings, church services, and with various singer/songwriters. She has also played in the pit orchestra for the Baylor Theatre's production of She Loves Me and Broadway in Boulder's The Secret Garden. Malia graduated from Baylor University with a Bachelor of Music, majoring in flute performance and minoring in piano studies. She has won masterclasses with flute players such as William Bennett, Sheryl Cohen, and Walfrid Kujala and has studied under Karen Yonovitz, Marilyn Prestia, and Helen Ann Shanley. While at Baylor, she was the pianist and accompanist at her church, for services, choir, and in praise band. She also accompanied for various performances in the School of Music and has studied under Jane Abbott-Kirk and Tamara Goldstein. Malia has been teaching since the age of fifteen. She has taught privately, at A Child's Song, and at the Lake Arlington Academy of Music in Arlington, Texas. Malia also serves on the Lafayette Cultural Arts Commission in Lafayette, Colorado bringing grants, arts awareness, networking, and various opportunities to local artists and musicians in the Lafayette/Boulder area. Malia's other passions include jazz, reading, traveling, and hiking.

 

Scott Schwab, hailing from the Chicago area, Scott Schwab began his piano study at the age of four. After completing his Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance at Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music under the tutelage of Evelyne Brancart and Jean-Louis Haguenauer, Schwab migrated to Colorado, attaining both a Master’s degree in solo Piano Performance and a Performer’s Certificate in Collaborative Piano at Denver’s Lamont School of Music. He is now a doctoral student in Piano at the University of Colorado-Boulder, where he maintains a teaching assistantship. His playing has earned him numerous accolades, including First Prize in the IUPA Duet Competition (2003), First Prize in the Indianapolis Matinee Musicale Competition (2008), the Sarah C. Manion Award for Excellence in Piano (2009), and the Lamont Recital of Distinction (2010). He has studied and played at prestigious festivals, including the Chautauqua and Brevard Festivals, and has performed in masterclasses for Jeremy Denk, Rebecca Penneys, Jerome Rose, Norman Krieger, Edna Golandsky, and others. He maintains an active schedule of performing, teaching and chamber music throughout Colorado and beyond.

 

 

 

 

 

Nathan Smith graduated from Queens College, City University of New York. He has numerous competition awards, including several local and regional competitons. He has performed in recitals and masterclasses throughout the Southeast and Northeast, most recently at Steinway Hall in New York City. He also regularly collaborates with vocalists and instrumentalists. His teachers include Amanda Penick, Noel Engebretson, and John Bloomfield. It is his teaching philosophy that no one should feel discomfort, unnecessary tension, or awkwardness when playing the piano - he studied extensively under the Golandsky Institue which focuses on the healthy, natural approach to virtuoso technique. He enjoys working with students of all ages and experience levels, and his primary goal is to help others gain a higher appreciation for music. Nathan also is active in researching technology-aided instruction, and he enjoys computer programming and snow skiing in his free time.

 

 

 

Sam Welsh began studying the piano at age twelve in South Florida, where his teachers were Philippe Drevet, Sylvia Rabinoff, and Harold Brown. He also studied with Josef Raieff and Sofia Rosoff in New York City, as well as with Vlado Perlemuter in Paris. He graduated high school from the prestigious Dreyfoos School of the Arts in West Palm Beach and studied at the Mannes College of Music. He completed his BM in performance at Jacksonville University with Scott Watkins, his MM at Ithaca College under Jennifer Hayghe, and began his doctoral studies with Gregory Sioles at Louisiana State University. Sam gave his first solo recital at age fifteen and subsequently performed solo engagements for numerous international organizations, including the Guild for International Piano Competitions, the Mayo Clinic, and the Chopin Foundation of the US. Among many accolades, he won the prestigious Irene Muir Award in high school and was later honored as Instrumentalist of the Year Jacksonville University. He has completed three regional tours with orchestra as a soloist, and an additional two national tours as a section leader. His wide interests in music have led to numerous professional opportunities. Some of his titles have included organist and choir director, ballet accompanist, assistant principal cellist, assistant conductor, and electronic music producer. He has taught piano since 1993, and has maintained a full private studio since 2003. He taught at Ithaca College as a Guest Artist in 2009, and continues to work extensively as a soloist and collaborator throughout the US.

 

Alexandra Zelinskaya (piano) B.S. in progress, University of Colorado at Boulder is originally from Moscow, Russia. Alexandra studied in the Richter Children’s Music School and sang in the choir at Bolshoi Theater. After moving to the United States, she continued her studies in piano under the guidance of several teachers including Andrew Cooperstock. Alexandra had the esteemed privilege of attending the Brevard Summer Institute. A talented pianist, Alexandra is pursuing her other interests as a chemical engineering student at the University of Colorado at Boulder. She also enjoys tutoring and teaching math and science to children, volunteering, and taking dance classes. Alexandra’s grandmother, who was a concert pianist in Russia, inspired her to pursue her musical dreams, and she still encourages Alexandra even from the other side of the globe. (Photo credit Sue Daniels Photography,©2008)