Community Music School Suzuki Music Therapy Music Partners
Voice Violin/Viola Cello Bass Woodwinds Brass Guitar Piano Harp Drums
Classes Ensembles Chamber Music
Voice Violin/Viola Cello Bass Woodwinds Brass Guitar Piano Harp Drums
Classes Ensembles Chamber Music
Name: Mariana Aslan
From: Argentina
I started teaching music in… 1992
I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2004
My inspiration: Nordoff-Robbins, Colwyn Trevarthen, my children, and innumerable musicians
Few people know that I… have practiced martial arts for many years (Tai Chi Chuan and Shao Lin Chuan)
Education: Juan José Castro Conservatory (Argentina) – Choral Conductor
CUNY – MM in Vocal Performance
NYU – MA in Music Therapy
I play and teach: Piano and voice
My other artistic/musical endeavors: I sing periodically in classical music concerts with Theresa Rosas (pianist). I’ve also performed with the Brooklyn Conservatory Community Orchestra a couple of times, and I’ve done some concerts of tango and Argentine folk music
Name: MingYu (Annie) Chen
I’m from… Beijing, China
I started teaching music in… 2008
I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2019
My inspiration: Carmen McRae
Few people know that I… have passion for animals.
Education: Central Conservatory of Music, Bachelor Degree of Arts; Queens College, Master Degree of Arts
I play and teach: Voice and Piano
My other artistic/musical endeavors: Annie Chen Octet (Quintet, Trio)
Name: Christine Cornell
From: Connecticut
I started teaching music in… 2012
I started teaching at the Conservatory in… This is my first year!
My inspiration: Julie Andrews, Ella Fitzgerald, Noel Coward, Ann and Nancy Wilson (Heart), Nancy Wilson (jazz legend), Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris, Riccardo Muti, Jeanine Tesoro, and Frank Loesser.
Few people know that I… Love drawing and Calligraphy.
Education: Indiana University Jacobs School of Music — Vocal Performance, Manhattan School of Music — Voice Performance
I play and teach: Voice!
My other artistic/musical endeavors: I’m a dues paying member of Actors Equity, I belong to Ghostlight Chorus NYC, Brooklyn Harmonics of BKCM, and I have my own jazz group Christine Cornell and the Quartet.
Name: Lacy Rose
From: Texas
I started teaching music in… 2007
I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2017
My inspiration: Franz Schubert, John Dowland, Chet Baker, Billie Holiday, Alfred Deller, Nick Drake, Dylan Thomas, William Blake, Shakespeare, Anne Carson, Joseph Cornell, Gustav Klimt, Leonora Carrington
Few people know that I… am the goddaughter of astronaut Charles Lacy Veach
Education: Loyola University – Vocal Performance
I play and teach: Piano and voice
My other artistic/musical endeavors: I collaborate frequently with other New York based artists including dancer/choreographer Coco Karol, classical guitarist Colin Fullerton, composer/poet Alaina Ferris, composer John K Stone, and Osso String Quartet. I am currently composing original songs for a Dylan Thomas play entitled The Doctor and The Devils. This New Year’s Eve I will be performing along side Amanda Palmer and Jason Webley for Phantasmagoria at the Brooklyn Bazaar.
Name: Lucia Stavros
From: Cleveland
I started teaching music in… 2008
I started teaching at the Conservatory in… This is my first year!
My inspiration: Ann Hobson Pilot. JS BACH, Beethoven, Rachmaninov, Stravinsky, Missy Elliott, Mariah Carey, Joao Gilberto, Elis Regina, Chet Baker to name a few!
Few people know that I… have been practicing yoga for 17 years.
Education: New England Conservatory of Music – BA, Fulbright Scholar 2010/11- L’Ecole Normale de Musique de Paris – Diplôme Supérieur d’Exécution
I play and teach: Harp, voice, piano
My other artistic/musical endeavors: Green and Glass, Ghost Ensemble, solo project “loosh”
Name: Jennifer Axelson
From: Wisconsin
I started teaching music in… 1994
I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2007 (Queens), 2014 (Brooklyn)
My inspiration: Stephane Grappelli, Miles Davis, Trent Reznor
Few people know that I… worked at an amusement park
Education: University of Wisconsin Madison, BM
New York University, MA
I play and teach: Violin and viola
My other artistic/musical endeavors: Many freelance orchestras, orchestra pits, and jazz with Paul Knopf.
Name: Luis Enrique Casal
From: Panama City, Panama
I started teaching music in… 1993
I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2008
My inspiration: MY FAMILY
Few people know that I… worked as a lead salsa singer
Education: New World School of the Arts – Bachelors in Music (Violin Performance)
Carnegie Mellon University – Masters in Music (Violin)
Carnegie Mellon University – Masters in Music (Viola)
Indiana University – Performance Diploma (Viola)
University of Oklahoma – Doctor in Musical Arts (Viola)
I play and teach: Violin and viola
My other artistic/musical endeavors: La Camerata Washington Heights; Metro Chamber Orchestra; Música De Cámara Chamber Orchestra; Camerata Alfredo De Saint Malo
Name: Adriatik Sefa
I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 15
I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 15
My inspiration: Old Player such as Oistrakh, Heifetz
Few people know that I… like building things
Education: University of Arts, Tirana
Eastman School of Music
I play and teach: Violin and viola
My other artistic/musical endeavors: ISO Orchestra
Name: Jessie Snoke
From: North Carolina
I started teaching music in… 2012
I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2015
My inspiration: Hilary Hahn
Few people know that I… had a college mascot of a Fighting Pickle!
Education: UNC School of the Arts – Bachelor of Music
Hartt School – Masters of Music in Violin Performance and Suzuki Pedagogy
I play and teach: Violin
Tell us about any ensembles you perform with or other artistic/musical endeavors that you’re a part of: Handel Festival Orchestra, Chelsea Symphony
Name: Tara Hanish
From: Michigan
I started teaching music in… 2003
I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2015
My inspiration: My mom and my high school cello teacher, Louis Potter
Few people know that I… won a YouTube contest in 2008 to play with the Foo Fighters at the Grammy Awards
Education: University of Michigan – B.M. Cello Performance
University of Miami – M.M. Cello Performance,
Cleveland Institute of Music – Professional Studies Diploma
I play and teach: Cello
My other artistic/musical endeavors: I’m a freelance performer around NYC in both classical and non-classical cello. I’m the cellist/vocalist for The Whiskey Girls (alternative cello duo), the manager/cellist of Mayfield Strings (string ensembles for events). I used to be the cellist for Seafair (indie rock band).
Name: Shayna Dulberger
From: Mahopac, NY
I started teaching music in… 2005
I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2016
My inspiration: Shinichi Suzuki, Virginia Dixon, Linda McKnight, Gary Karr, Ralph Bowen, Dave Liebman
Few people know that I… lived on a glacier for 2 months when I was 18
Education: Mason Gross School of the Arts, Rutgers University – BM
I play and teach: Upright bass, electric bass, and piano
My other artistic/musical endeavors: I play jazz standards, old timey, rock, classical, noise, and experimental music
Name: Jeong Lim Yang
I’m from… Seoul, South Korea
I started teaching music in… 2007
I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2017
My inspiration: All the people who contribute this planet to be a better place for everyone! People who fought for their rights, freedom, art….
Few people know that I… go by Lim
Education: Berklee College of Music – Jazz Performance
I play and teach: upright bass, electric bass, and piano
My other artistic/musical endeavors: my own band (quintet and quartet), Crooked Trio and about 15 more bands…
Name: Cleave Guyton Jr
From: New York, NY
I started teaching music… 30+ years ago
I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 1997
My inspiration: My dad, Muhammad Ali, and all great musicians
Few people know that I… am an avid hunter.
Education: Berklee College of Music – BM
Aaron Copland School of Music at CUNY Queens College – MM
I play and teach: the woodwind family
My other artistic/musical endeavors: The original Ray Charles, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Lionel Hampton, Abdullah Ibrahim, Aretha Franklin bands and too many more to mention.
Name: Mara Mayer
From: Cleveland, OH
I started teaching music in…2009
I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2019
My inspiration: my cat
Few people know that I… Used to work for a primatologist in Costa Rica
Education: Eastman School of Music – BM
I play and teach: Clarinet/bass clarinet
My other artistic/musical endeavors: I am the founder of Home Audio series, monthly house shows featuring experimental music in Brooklyn since 2011. I perform with the Nouveau Classical Project, Curiosity Cabinet, GABI, Feral Children, Banda de los Muertos and more as a freelancer. For the last few summers I have been a guest artist in Alaska at the Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival.
Name: Josh Sinton
From: Cologne, New Jersey
I started teaching music in… 1992
I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2010
My inspiration: My wife, my daughter, my father, Steve Lacy
Few people know that I… am an excellent cook and work part-time at a wine store
Education: University of Chicago – B.A. with Honors
New England Conservatory – M.A. in Jazz Performance with Honors
I play and teach: saxophone, flute, and clarinet
My other artistic/musical endeavors: My own groups include musicianer and Ideal Bread as well as solo performances. I also perform with the Nate Wooley Quintet and Anthony Braxton’s Tricentric Orchestra. In the past I was a member of Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society and Andrew D’Angelo’s DNA Big Band.
Name: David Wechsler
From: Brooklyn, NY
I started teaching music in… 1972
I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 1980
My inspiration: Karl Kraber, Julius Baker, Michael Brecker, Johannes Brahms, Thelonious Monk
Few people know that I… sing, play alto and tenor saxophones, and in addition to having made a living as a professional classical flute player, I play many styles of music, including jazz, rock, and electronic music.
Education: Brooklyn College – Bachelor of Science in Music
SUNY Stony Brook – Master of Music
CUNY Graduate Center – Doctor of Musical Arts
I play and teach: all flutes, recorder, alto saxophone, and tenor saxophone
My other artistic/musical endeavors: Principal Flute, Queens Oratorio Society; Music Director, The OMNI Ensemble; freelance flutist in many NYC area orchestras; substitute flutist on many Broadway shows
Name: Hugh Ash
From: Baldwin, NY
I started teaching music in… 2007
I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2017
My inspiration: Albert Einstein
Few people know that I… also studied anthropology/archaeology in college
Education: Ithaca College – Bachelor of Music
SUNY Purchase – Master of Music in Trumpet Performance
I play and teach: trumpet
My other artistic/musical endeavors: I perform with The Curiosity Cabinet and Ensemble Mise-En
Name: Roger Lent
From: I grew up in Houston but have lived in NYC for my adult life
I started teaching music in…1997
I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2005
My inspiration: In no specific order… J.S. Bach, Charlie Parker, Gustav Mahler, Claude Debussy, Maurice Ravel, Frederic Chopin, Duke Ellington, George Gershwin, Erroll Garner, Chick Corea, George Shearing, Arthur Rubinstein, Miles Davis, Clifford Brown, Wynton Kelly, Oscar Peterson, Clark Terry, Nat King Cole, Lee Morgan, Freddie Hubbard, Terence Blanchard, Hank Jones, Kenny Kirkland, Victor Feldman, Don Grolnick, Sonny Clark, The Empire Brass, Phil Smith, Wynton Marsalis, Leif Ove Andses, Bud Herseth, Sarah Vaughn, Count Basie, Frank Sinatra, gospel music, Donny Hathaway, Cannonball Adderley, Kenny Garrett, Michael Brecker, my teachers Don Jacoby, Bill Fielder and William Daghlian, the radio in the 1980s, my wife and my son, New York City, and many more influences too numerous to mention.
Few people know that I… haven’t owned a car since 1993.
Education: University of North Texas – Music
Rutgers University – Music
I play and teach: piano and trumpet
My or other artistic/musical endeavors: The Roger Lent piano trio, The Uptown Brass Quintet
Name: Kalia Vandever
From: Los Angeles, CA
I started teaching music in… 2013
I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2019
My inspiration: My family
Few people know that I… am half Filipino
Education: The Juilliard School – Bachelor of Music
I play and teach: Trombone
My other artistic/musical endeavors: Kalia Vandever Quartet
Name: Ty Citerman
From: St. Louis, MO
I started teaching music in…1997
I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2015
My inspiration: Ancient nameless music-makers; artists with names, from Meredith Monk to Duke Ellington; Olivier Messiaen to Julia Wolfe; Deerhoof to the Art Ensemble of Chicago; Charlie Christian to Sister Rosetta Tharpe; Hildegard Von Bingen to Fred Frith; Avrom Reyzen to Leslie Marmon Silko; J.S. Bach to John Zorn and Arnold Schoenberg; radical political organizers and thinkers like Angela Davis and Anne Braden; my teachers Chris Rosenberg and Paul Caputo; the night sky, a canoe, my daughters and so so much more…how to stop?
Few people know that I… make my own sauerkraut
Education: Columbia University – BA in psychology
CUNY Brooklyn College – MM in music composition
I play and teach: Guitar, ukulele, music theory.
My other artistic/musical endeavors: I co-lead the 19 year-old irreverent chamber jazz group Gutbucket, which has released 6 CDs/LPs on Cuneiform Records, Cantaloupe Music, Enja, NRW, Knitting Factory Works and our own imprint Gut Records. The group has toured in more than 20 countries and 30+ of the US states.
I lead the avant-Jewish Tzadik Records recording quartet Bop Kabbalah, with a debut CD out in 2014. I also play guitar in Dana Lyn’s Mother Octopus, versions of James Ilgenfritz’s Anagram Ensemble, Jon Madof’s improvising quintet and am a frequent guitarist and composer with Anti-Social Music (ASM). I am an accompanist and song leader in several NYC-area synagogues, including Kolot Chayeinu and CBST, where I work with wonderful cantors and sometimes play with jazz luminaries like Marty Ehrlich and Shoko Nagai, who moonlight in that world.
Name: Chris Jentsch
From: Cherry Hill, NJ
I started teaching music in…1992
I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2002
My inspiration: My wife, Bernadette Jentsch
Few people know that I… used to be a radio DJ
Education: Gettysburg College – B.A. History
New England Conservatory – B.M. Jazz Studies
Eastman School of Music – M.M. Jazz Studies
University of Miami – D.M.A. Jazz Composition
I play and teach: guitar
My other artistic/musical endeavors: Jentsch Group (Trio, Quartet, No Net, or Large)
Name: Benjamin Lee
From: Switzerland, Chapel Hill, Brooklyn
I started teaching music in… 1999
I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2009
My inspiration: Nature
Few people know that I… I’m a good baker
Education:
UNC Greensboro – BA in Jazz and Classical Performance
I play and teach: Guitar, banjo, bass, and ukulele
My other artistic/musical endeavors: I’m a member for the surf/punk band The Zolephants; my own project Baby Copperhead with string trio, including: Tom Swafford on violin, Jessica Pavone on viola, and Brent Arnold on cello.
Name: Michele Temple
From: Celina, Ohio
I started teaching music in… the 1970s
I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2000
My inspiration: boundary pushers, musical and otherwise
Few people know that I… was listed in a top 25 survey of female bassists https://www.udiscovermusic.com/stories/best-female-bassists/
Education: Ashland University in Ohio – BA in Music Theory
Cleveland State University – MA in Musicology
I play and teach: guitar, bass, ukelele (if requested)
My other artistic/musical endeavors: Pere Ubu-bassist, Both Sides Now the music of Joni Mitchell- guitar accompanist, Urban Iguana Productions–my recording/composing studio, Ebow Quartet
Name: Hilda Patricia Brennan
From: Mexico
I started teaching music in… 2002
I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2017
My inspiration: My family
Few people know that I… played soccer in middle school/high school.
Education: Curtis Institute of Music – Bachelor of Music
New York University – Master in Jazz Performance and Composition
I play and teach: Piano and percussion
My other artistic/musical endeavors: Member of the following ensembles: Grammy nominated The John Hollenbeck Large Ensemble, Michael Formanek Ensemble Kolossus which was named rising star big band in the 2017 Downbeat poll, and Vijay Iyer’s Blind Spot with Teju Cole, a project led by renowned pianist and MacArthur Fellow (the “genius grant”) Vijay Iyer along with bassist Linda Oh and writer Teju Cole.
I have also collaborated with Vijay Iyer in other projects, including the large ensemble project Open City and several small ensemble performances along with renowned musicians like bassist Reggie Workman and trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith. I am a member of Phalanx Ambassadors, a project led by pianist Matt Mitchell along with guitarist Miles Okazaki, bassist Kim Cass, drum set player Kate Gentile and percussionist Satoshi Takeishi. Also, some of my own projects are ANTENNA, a collective of composers and improvisers and TRIPTYK, a dynamic electroacoustic trio along with percussionist Noel Brennan and violinist/violist Leonor Falcon.
I have also done several recordings, including an ECM recording with bassist Michael Formanek Ensemble Kolossus called The Distance and Matt Mitchell’s new record A Pouting Grimace under Pi Recordings label. I recently recorded a new record with the Grammy nominated John Hollenbeck Large Ensemble which is expected to be released on January 2018 under New Amsterdam Records.
Name: Mike Brofman
I’m from… New York City
I started teaching music in… 2007
I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2009
My inspiration: Musical: Franz Schubert
Other: Barack Obama
Few people know that I… am an avid philosophy reader (Camus is my favorite)
Education: Northwestern University
I play and teach: Piano and chamber Music
My or other artistic/musical endeavors: I am the artistic director of the Brooklyn Art Song Society, I work regularly with opera singers from the Metropolitan Opera and perform and teach around the country, including University of Chicago, UC-Davis, and Notre Dame University
Name: MingYu (Annie) Chen
I’m from… Beijing, China
I started teaching music in… 2008
I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2019
My inspiration: Carmen McRae
Few people know that I… have passion for animals.
Education: Central Conservatory of Music, Bachelor Degree of Arts; Queens College, Master Degree of Arts
I play and teach: Voice and Piano
My other artistic/musical endeavors: Annie Chen Octet (Quintet, Trio)
Name: René Dennis
From: all over the US (Air Force brat)
I started teaching music in… 2002
I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2003
My inspiration: Beethoven
Few people know that I… worked on an organic vegetable farm for two weeks in Normandy, France
Education: University of the NC School of the Arts – Bachelor of Music
NYU – Master of the Arts
I play and teach: piano
My other artistic/musical endeavors: I perform with Lake Ruth
Name: Noa Fort
I’m from… Israel
I started teaching music in… 2008
I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 1 year as a music therapist.
My inspiration: Nina Simone, Norma Winstone, Thelonious Monk, Meredith Monk.
Few people know that I… Sang in the Israeli Sesame Street as a child 🙂
Education: Biology Bachelor degree (Hebrew University in Jerusalem), Music Performance (Jazz piano) Bachelor degree (Jersualem Academy of Music and Dance)
NYU – Music Therapy Master’s degree
I play and teach: Piano and voice
My other artistic/musical endeavors: Noa Fort Quartet (original music by me)
Name: Lucy Galliher
I’m from… Washington, D.C.
I started teaching music in…1989
I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 1989
My inspiration: Thelonious Monk
Few people know that I… play J=hazz in Harlem every week at Chéri Harlem and the Shrine
Education: Oberlin College – BA
I play and teach: Piano
My other artistic/musical endeavors: I teach a Jazz Vocal Workshop at Greenwich House
Name: Noah Haidu
From: Brooklyn
I started teaching music in… 1998
I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2001
My inspiration: Herbie Hancock
Few people know that I… come from a family of classical pianists
Education: Bachelor of Music from The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music
Master of Music from SUNY Purchase
I play and teach: Piano
My other artistic/musical endeavors: I perform with Billy Hart, Todd Coolman, Gary Thomas, Steve Wilson Sharel Cassity, John Irabagon, and I have released 3 CD’s on the Posi-Tone and Cellar Live Labels.
Name: Yoko Kimura-Yates
I’m from… Japan
I started teaching music… more than 25 years ago
I started teaching at the Conservatory… more than 20 years ago
My inspiration: Any musicians (artists in general) who have their own voices
Few people know that I… Like to make arts (painting, sculpting, craft, etc.) I also like to grow plants.
Education: Hokkaido University of Education, Sapporo, Japan – B.A. in Education
Berklee College of Music, Boston, MA – B.A. in Music, summa cum laude
Lesley University, Cambridge, MA – Master of Education
Teachers College, Columbia University, NY – Doctoral study in Music Education
I play and teach: Piano
My other artistic/musical endeavors: I write music for the media, films, poems, stories, events and perform my compositions in my own quintet.
Name: Roger Lent
From: I grew up in Houston but have lived in NYC for my adult life
I started teaching music in…1997
I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2005
My inspiration: In no specific order… J.S. Bach, Charlie Parker, Gustav Mahler, Claude Debussy, Maurice Ravel, Frederic Chopin, Duke Ellington, George Gershwin, Erroll Garner, Chick Corea, George Shearing, Arthur Rubinstein, Miles Davis, Clifford Brown, Wynton Kelly, Oscar Peterson, Clark Terry, Nat King Cole, Lee Morgan, Freddie Hubbard, Terence Blanchard, Hank Jones, Kenny Kirkland, Victor Feldman, Don Grolnick, Sonny Clark, The Empire Brass, Phil Smith, Wynton Marsalis, Leif Ove Andses, Bud Herseth, Sarah Vaughn, Count Basie, Frank Sinatra, gospel music, Donny Hathaway, Cannonball Adderley, Kenny Garrett, Michael Brecker, my teachers Don Jacoby, Bill Fielder and William Daghlian, the radio in the 1980s, my wife and my son, New York City, and many more influences too numerous to mention.
Few people know that I… haven’t owned a car since 1993.
Education: University of North Texas – Music
Rutgers University – Music
I play and teach: piano and trumpet
My or other artistic/musical endeavors: The Roger Lent piano trio, The Uptown Brass Quintet
Name: Dov Manski
From: Bar Harbor, ME
I started teaching music in… 2007
I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2016
My inspiration: For me, Duke Ellington’s music provides much inspiration. His compositions and orchestrations are unparalleled, and the sound and rhythm he achieves on the piano are truly unique.
Few people know that I… was born in Alaska.
Education: New England Conservatory – Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance
I play and teach: Piano
My other artistic/musical endeavors: Currently I am working on a solo record, featuring original compositions for piano, wurlitzer, modular synths, and monophonic synths. I also have a duo project with vocalist Kristin Slipp where we explore jazz standards in new and interesting ways. Our debut album “A Thousand July’s” was released on Sunnyside Records in 2013.
Name: Lyubov Mirzoyev
I’m from… Moscow, Russia
I started teaching music in… 1997
I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2001
My inspiration: My mother
Few people know that I… am also a singer
Education: Moscow Music College – BM
Brooklyn College Conservatory of Music – BA
I play and teach: piano
My other artistic/musical endeavors: I’m an accompanist
Name: Lacy Rose
From: Texas
I started teaching music in… 2007
I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2017
My inspiration: Franz Schubert, John Dowland, Chet Baker, Billie Holiday, Alfred Deller, Nick Drake, Dylan Thomas, William Blake, Shakespeare, Anne Carson, Joseph Cornell, Gustav Klimt, Leonora Carrington
Few people know that I… am the goddaughter of astronaut Charles Lacy Veach
Education: Loyola University – Vocal Performance
I play and teach: Piano and voice
My other artistic/musical endeavors: I collaborate frequently with other New York based artists including dancer/choreographer Coco Karol, classical guitarist Colin Fullerton, composer/poet Alaina Ferris, composer John K Stone, and Osso String Quartet. I am currently composing original songs for a Dylan Thomas play entitled The Doctor and The Devils. This New Year’s Eve I will be performing along side Amanda Palmer and Jason Webley for Phantasmagoria at the Brooklyn Bazaar.
Name: Michael Rose
From: NYC, NY
I started teaching music in…1992
I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 1995
My inspiration: At the moment, Dai Fujikura and Per Nørgård… always Bach and Beethoven, loads of Indian, Korean, and Japanese music, Cecil Taylor, Ockeghem and Monteverdi… the guy who sings Chinese opera renditions of Adele songs on YouTube is pretty fantastic too…
Education: Oberlin College and Conservatory – BA and BM
NYU – PhD in composition (in progress)
I play and teach: piano, along with composition, theory, history
My other artistic/musical endeavors: Brooklyn New Music Collective
Name: Marta Sanchez
I’m from… Spain
I started teaching music in… 2005
I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2017
My inspiration: I love many musicians. Among the piano players, and just to name some, I will say Paul Bley, Thelonious Monk, Jackie Byard, Vladimir Horowitz, Michelangelo, Geri Allen. Other musicians that inspire me deeply are John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Charlie Haden, Paul Motian, Bill Frisell, and many many others.
Few people know that I… also studied to be a film director and I almost became one!
Education: Conservatory of Madrid – Bachelor in Piano and Composition
Universidad Complutense de Madrid – Bachelor in Image and Sounds
NYU – Master of Music in Jazz Piano Performance
I play and teach: Piano
My other artistic/musical endeavors: I have my own project, Marta Sanchez Quintet. I play as a sideman with the Wing Walker Orquestra, Yuhan-Su Quintet, Jo Wallfish or Oscar Noriega, among others.
Name: Julian Shore
From: Rhode Island
I started teaching music in…2005
I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2019
My inspiration: Wayne Shorter, Gabriel Fauré, Hilma af Klint
Few people know that I… Love wiffleball
Education: Berklee College of Music – BM
I play and teach: Piano
My other artistic/musical endeavors: My own projects as a leader- also touring with Gretchen Parlato, Theo Bleckmann, Sara Gazarek etc.
Name: Lucia Stavros
From: Cleveland
I started teaching music in… 2008
I started teaching at the Conservatory in… This is my first year!
My inspiration: Ann Hobson Pilot. JS BACH, Beethoven, Rachmaninov, Stravinsky, Missy Elliott, Mariah Carey, Joao Gilberto, Elis Regina, Chet Baker to name a few!
Few people know that I… have been practicing yoga for 17 years.
Education: New England Conservatory of Music – BA, Fulbright Scholar 2010/11- L’Ecole Normale de Musique de Paris – Diplôme Supérieur d’Exécution
I play and teach: Harp, voice, piano
My other artistic/musical endeavors: Green and Glass, Ghost Ensemble, solo project “loosh”
Name: Jeong Lim Yang
I’m from… Seoul, South Korea
I started teaching music in… 2007
I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2017
My inspiration: All the people who contribute this planet to be a better place for everyone! People who fought for their rights, freedom, art….
Few people know that I… go by Lim
Education: Berklee College of Music – Jazz Performance
I play and teach: upright bass, electric bass, and piano
My other artistic/musical endeavors: my own band (quintet and quartet), Crooked Trio and about 15 more bands…
Name: Lucia Stavros
From: Cleveland
I started teaching music in… 2008
I started teaching at the Conservatory in… This is my first year!
My inspiration: Ann Hobson Pilot. JS BACH, Beethoven, Rachmaninov, Stravinsky, Missy Elliott, Mariah Carey, Joao Gilberto, Elis Regina, Chet Baker to name a few!
Few people know that I… have been practicing yoga for 17 years.
Education: New England Conservatory of Music – BA, Fulbright Scholar 2010/11- L’Ecole Normale de Musique de Paris – Diplôme Supérieur d’Exécution
I play and teach: Harp, voice, piano
My other artistic/musical endeavors: Green and Glass, Ghost Ensemble, solo project “loosh”
Name: Noel Brennan
From: Calais, Maine
I started teaching music in…2005
I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2017
My inspiration: Anindo Chatterjee, Flying Lotus, DJ Qbert, DJ D-Styles, Roy Haynes, Eric Harland
Few people know that I… am an Eagle Scout
Education: University Of Southern Maine – Jazz Performance with concentration in Percussion
New York University – Jazz Performance
I play and teach: Drums, DJ and Tturntablism, percussion
My other artistic/musical endeavors: I won the 2017 Keep Skratching contest with Swiftstyle. I also perform with my wife and fellow Conservatory faculty member Patricia Brennan in Antenna and TRYPTIK.
Name: Kirk Driscoll
From: Baltimore, Maryland
I started teaching music in…1992
I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2002
My inspiration: Any and all that intrigue my interest in wanting to understand what I don’t already know.
Few people know that I… was also trained for classical percussion as well.
Education: Peabody Conservatory
Berklee College of Music
I play and teach: Drum set
My or other artistic/musical endeavors: As a freelance musician there is a vast amount of artists I have the opportunity to perform with as well as leading my own groups. Check out my website for detailed info.
Name: Joy Askew
From: North of England (originally) Brooklyn lately
I started teaching music in… 1993
I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2017
My inspiration: Brad Mehldau, Bonnie Raitt, Miles Davis, Russell Brand.
Few people know that I… co-wrote 2 songs with Quincy Jones
Education: Newcastle College of Jazz & commercial Music (Diploma)
I play and teach: Voice, piano.
My other artistic/musical endeavors: My own band both brass and rock. The Sirens of Brooklyn.
Name: Hilda Patricia Brennan
From: Mexico
I started teaching music in… 2002
I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2017
My inspiration: My family
Few people know that I… played soccer in middle school/high school.
Education: Curtis Institute of Music – Bachelor of Music
New York University – Master in Jazz Performance and Composition
I play and teach: Piano and percussion
My other artistic/musical endeavors: Member of the following ensembles: Grammy nominated The John Hollenbeck Large Ensemble, Michael Formanek Ensemble Kolossus which was named rising star big band in the 2017 Downbeat poll, and Vijay Iyer’s Blind Spot with Teju Cole, a project led by renowned pianist and MacArthur Fellow (the “genius grant”) Vijay Iyer along with bassist Linda Oh and writer Teju Cole.
I have also collaborated with Vijay Iyer in other projects, including the large ensemble project Open City and several small ensemble performances along with renowned musicians like bassist Reggie Workman and trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith. I am a member of Phalanx Ambassadors, a project led by pianist Matt Mitchell along with guitarist Miles Okazaki, bassist Kim Cass, drum set player Kate Gentile and percussionist Satoshi Takeishi. Also, some of my own projects are ANTENNA, a collective of composers and improvisers and TRIPTYK, a dynamic electroacoustic trio along with percussionist Noel Brennan and violinist/violist Leonor Falcon.
I have also done several recordings, including an ECM recording with bassist Michael Formanek Ensemble Kolossus called The Distance and Matt Mitchell’s new record A Pouting Grimace under Pi Recordings label. I recently recorded a new record with the Grammy nominated John Hollenbeck Large Ensemble which is expected to be released on January 2018 under New Amsterdam Records.
Name: Shayna Dulberger
From: Mahopac, NY
I started teaching music in… 2005
I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2016
My inspiration: Shinichi Suzuki, Virginia Dixon, Linda McKnight, Gary Karr, Ralph Bowen, Dave Liebman
Few people know that I… lived on a glacier for 2 months when I was 18
Education: Mason Gross School of the Arts, Rutgers University – BM
I play and teach: Upright bass, electric bass, and piano
My other artistic/musical endeavors: I play jazz standards, old timey, rock, classical, noise, and experimental music
Name: Noel Brennan
From: Calais, Maine
I started teaching music in…2005
I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2017
My inspiration: Anindo Chatterjee, Flying Lotus, DJ Qbert, DJ D-Styles, Roy Haynes, Eric Harland
Few people know that I… am an Eagle Scout
Education: University Of Southern Maine – Jazz Performance with concentration in Percussion
New York University – Jazz Performance
I play and teach: Drums, DJ and Tturntablism, percussion
My other artistic/musical endeavors: I won the 2017 Keep Skratching contest with Swiftstyle. I also perform with my wife and fellow Conservatory faculty member Patricia Brennan in Antenna and TRYPTIK.
Name: Benjamin Lee
From: Switzerland, Chapel Hill, Brooklyn
I started teaching music in… 1999
I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2009
My inspiration: Nature
Few people know that I… I’m a good baker
Education:
UNC Greensboro – BA in Jazz and Classical Performance
I play and teach: Guitar, banjo, bass, and ukulele
My other artistic/musical endeavors: I’m a member for the surf/punk band The Zolephants; my own project Baby Copperhead with string trio, including: Tom Swafford on violin, Jessica Pavone on viola, and Brent Arnold on cello.
Name: Michele Temple
From: Celina, Ohio
I started teaching music in… the 1970s
I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2000
My inspiration: boundary pushers, musical and otherwise
Few people know that I… was listed in a top 25 survey of female bassists https://www.udiscovermusic.com/stories/best-female-bassists/
Education: Ashland University in Ohio – BA in Music Theory
Cleveland State University – MA in Musicology
I play and teach: guitar, bass, ukelele (if requested)
My other artistic/musical endeavors: Pere Ubu-bassist, Both Sides Now the music of Joni Mitchell- guitar accompanist, Urban Iguana Productions–my recording/composing studio, Ebow Quartet
Name: Johnna Wu
From: Philadelphia and Indianapolis
I started teaching music in… 2008
I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2018
My inspiration: my grandfather
Few people know that I… do yoga everyday
Education: Columbia University – Bachelor of Arts in Biology and Music History and Theory, The Juilliard School – Masters of Music in Violin Performance
I play and teach: I play violin and also teach viola and cello
My other artistic/musical endeavors: I am the founder of PinkNoise, an ensemble dedicated to integrating old and new music with improvisation through electronic and acoustic mediums.
Name: Mary Jo McBride
From: Doylestown, Pa
I started teaching music in… 2012
I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2017
Who’s your inspiration, musical or otherwise? Tori Amos
Few people know that I…have synesthesia
Education: The Hartt School – BFA Musical Theatre
I play and teach: Piano
My other artistic/musical endeavors: I wrote and produced a solo show called Born MYdentity. I perform for children around the city with Stomp and Shout, and I also present drama workshops on drug and alcohol abuse prevention in middle and high schools with a non-profit theatre company called Improbable Players.
Name: MingYu (Annie) Chen
I’m from… Beijing, China
I started teaching music in… 2008
I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2019
My inspiration: Carmen McRae
Few people know that I… have passion for animals.
Education: Central Conservatory of Music, Bachelor Degree of Arts; Queens College, Master Degree of Arts
I play and teach: Voice and Piano
My other artistic/musical endeavors: Annie Chen Octet (Quintet, Trio)
Name: Heather Curran
From: Bonita Springs, Florida
I started teaching music in… 2010
I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2017
My inspiration: William Wade
Few people know that I… once took a stand-up comedy class, and it was terrifying
Education: University of South Florida – BA Theater Performance
I play and teach: Voice
My other artistic/musical endeavors: I teach Sing for Parkinson’s Disease through Mark Morris Dance Center, perform and work with Gallery Players in Brooklyn, teach and perform with Broadway’s Babies, and am collaborating on a music improv/sketch comedy project with other artists from Magnet Theater.
Name: Jennifer Taylor
I’m from… Westchester, NY
I started teaching music in… 2016
I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2018
My inspiration: Musically, I’m very inspired by my peers and past professors but in all other aspects of life, my biggest inspiration is my mom!
Few people know that I… was extremely interested in circus arts throughout middle and high school- I used to ride a unicycle!
Education: Elon University, Music Education (K-12), Teachers College, Columbia University, Music Education (Early Childhood Concentration)
I play and teach: Alto Saxophone, Ukulele
My other artistic/musical endeavors: I’ll be in the BKCM Big Bad Brass Band this fall!
Name: Mike Clifford
From: New York
I started teaching music in… 2010
I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 1
My inspiration: Katie Traxler (Music Educator at PS 51)
Few people know that I…really don’t like to eat olives.
Education: NYU English Major/Philosophy Major/Music Minor
Pace University (Masters in Elementary Education)
Hunter College (Masters in Music Composition)
I play and teach: guitar, piano, ukulele, voice
My other artistic/musical endeavors: Singer-Songwriter (solo and full band), Bluegrass Jams all over
Name: Peter Apfelbaum
From: Berkeley, CA
I started teaching music in… 1974
I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2019
My inspiration: Cecil Taylor, Robert Rauschenberg
Few people know that I… not sure what people know?
I play and teach: saxophone, flute, clarinet, piano, drums, congas/percussion
My other artistic/musical endeavors: New York Hieroglyphics (leader/composer/sax/keys)
Sparkler (leader/composer/sax/keys/vocals)
Peter Apfelbaum/Marcus Rojas/Cyro Baptista Trio (sax/keys/percussion/flute)
Revelator with Bill Laswell (sax/keys/percussion/flute)
Bill Laswell & Method Of Defiance (sax/keys/percussion/flute)
Dafnis Prieto Quartet & Sextet (saxes/melodica/percussion)
Dafnis Prieto Big Band (saxes/melodica/percussion)
Steven Bernstein’s Millennial Territory Orchestra (saxes)
CMS Legacy Ensemble (sax/flute)
Sana Nagano & Smashing Humans (sax)
Omar Sosa Afreecanos Quartet (saxes/flute/percussion)
MIchael McGinnis Quartet (organ/piano)
Peter Apfelbaum/Josh Jones Duo (keys/sax)
Alma Matters (Musical Director/keys/sax)
Kamikaze Ground Crew (composer/saxes/clarinet)
Creative Music Foundation (Artistic Director/Clinician)
Name: Zoe Aqua
From: Denver, CO
I started teaching music in… 2011
I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2018
My inspiration: Beáta Salomon, an amazing fiddler and teacher of Hungarian folk music.
Few people know that I… Love houseplants!
Education: University of Michigan, B.M. in violin performance and music education
Ithaca College, M.M. in music education
I play and teach: Mainly violin, although I use ukulele, recorder, euphonium, brácsa and bass to teach
My other artistic/musical endeavors: I’m a founder of Tsibele, a 5-person klezmer band as well as Farnakht, a violin/accordion duo focused on Eastern European music.
Name: Noel Brennan
From: Calais, Maine
I started teaching music in…2005
I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2017
My inspiration: Anindo Chatterjee, Flying Lotus, DJ Qbert, DJ D-Styles, Roy Haynes, Eric Harland
Few people know that I… am an Eagle Scout
Education: University Of Southern Maine – Jazz Performance with concentration in Percussion
New York University – Jazz Performance
I play and teach: Drums, DJ and Tturntablism, percussion
My other artistic/musical endeavors: I won the 2017 Keep Skratching contest with Swiftstyle. I also perform with my wife and fellow Conservatory faculty member Patricia Brennan in Antenna and TRYPTIK.
Name: Mike McGinnis
From: Sanford, ME
I started teaching music in…1991
I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2002
My inspiration:Too many to list.
Few people know that I… am an amateur NYC historian.
Education: Eastman School of Music, University of Rochester – Masters of Music in Jazz Studies and Contemporary Media (performance emphasis)
University of Southern Maine – Bachelor of Music in Performance
I play and teach: saxophone, clarinet, improvisation, composition, counterpoint, and arranging
My other artistic/musical endeavors: Hanks Roberts Sextet, Stew, Davalois Fearon Dance, Dana Lyn’s Mother Octopus,
Name: Sean Moran
From: Brooklyn
I started teaching music in…1992
I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 1999
My inspiration: Duke Ellington
Few people know that I… play in a metal band!
Education: Virginia Commonwealth University – Bachelor of Music
I play and teach: guitar, bass, composition, theory
My other artistic/musical endeavors: The Four Bags and my own trio called SUN TIGER
Name: Jeong Lim Yang
I’m from… Seoul, South Korea
I started teaching music in… 2007
I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2017
My inspiration: All the people who contribute this planet to be a better place for everyone! People who fought for their rights, freedom, art….
Few people know that I… go by Lim
Education: Berklee College of Music – Jazz Performance
I play and teach: upright bass, electric bass, and piano
My other artistic/musical endeavors: my own band (quintet and quartet), Crooked Trio and about 15 more bands…
Name: Charlotte Greve
I’m from… Germany
I started teaching music in… 2008
I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2018
My inspiration: Wayne Shorter, my friends, my colleagues
Few people know that I… used to be very good at rhythmic sports gymnastics
Education: Jazz Institute Berlin, Jazz Education & performance, New York University, Jazz Performance
I play and teach: Saxophone, Flute, Clarinet
My other artistic/musical endeavors: Wood River, Lisbeth Quartett, Asterids, Marta Sanchez Room Tales, Duo w/ Simon Jermyn, Anna Webber/Angela Morris BigBand, Matt Pavolka’s Horns Band
Name: Jeffrey Klitz
I’m from… Storrs, CT
I started teaching music in… 1980
I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2017
My inspiration: Willa Cather, Wassily Kandinsky, Martha Graham, Duke Ellington, Caroline Shaw/Roomful of Teeth, Stephen Sondheim
Few people know that I… love soccer, still love playing.
Education: Yale, B.A. in music
I play and teach: Piano, arranging for voices
My other artistic/musical endeavors: writing a music theater piece with collaborators
Name: Nicholas Nicassio
From: Los Angeles, CA
I started teaching music in…1999
I started teaching at the Conservatory in… Just starting this September
My inspiration: Former voice teacher, Naomi Farr
Few people know that I… Have a Scuba certification and went diving with sharks in Palau
Education: University of California, Irvine, BA in English, Manhattan School of Music, MM in Voice, Rutgers University, DMA in Choral Conducting
I play and teach: Choral Conductor, Voice, Piano
My other artistic/musical endeavors: Conductor for the National Children’s Chorus and Music Director at St. Saviour Church, Brooklyn. Just finishing composing the score for the feature film, When the Moon Was Twice as Big.
email:nick.nicassio@bkcm.org
Dorothy Savitch has led the Music Partners program since 1996, developing fully enriched, sequential programs that build upon students’ skills from year to year. Under Dorothy’s guidance, Music Partners has grown from six sites with 700 students to 34 sites with 4,500 participants. Dorothy has expanded the course offerings to meet the needs and interests of our diverse community, including chorus for seniors citizens, West African Drumming, GarageBand Songwriting and programs for toddlers and pre-kindergarten students. Dorothy has been on the BKCM faculty since 1989, and prior to becoming Program Director of Music Partners, she taught music theory, history, classical guitar, chorus and recorder. In 2002, Dorothy Savitch was also named as the first Music Director of the Brooklyn Conservatory Community Orchestra. Since 1997, Ms. Savitch has also been Music Director of Long Island’s Sound Symphony Orchestra. Since her tenure began, both orchestras have grown and expanded into two of the finest community ensembles in the New York metropolitan area. They have received high praise for their vibrant performances and expansive repertoire. Before her transition to the podium, Ms. Savitch studied the classical guitar with Christopher Parkening and Vicente Gomez, and toured throughout the West Coast. She received music degrees from Columbia University and the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College. Her conducting teachers include Harold Farberman and Maurice Peress.
email:dorothy.savitch@bkcm.org
Name: Mike Brofman
I’m from… New York City
I started teaching music in… 2007
I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2009
My inspiration: Musical: Franz Schubert
Other: Barack Obama
Few people know that I… am an avid philosophy reader (Camus is my favorite)
Education: Northwestern University
I play and teach: Piano and chamber Music
My or other artistic/musical endeavors: I am the artistic director of the Brooklyn Art Song Society, I work regularly with opera singers from the Metropolitan Opera and perform and teach around the country, including University of Chicago, UC-Davis, and Notre Dame University
Name: Tom Chiu
From: Taiwan
I started teaching music in… 20
I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 5
My inspiration: too numerous to list
Few people know that I… am a 5-star cook
Education: Yale, BA chemistry, music
Juilliard, MM
Juilliard, DMA
I play and teach: violin
My other artistic/musical endeavors: FLUX Quartet, Tom Chiu’s Ensemble Metrix
Name: Mara Mayer
From: Cleveland, OH
I started teaching music in…2009
I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2019
My inspiration: my cat
Few people know that I… Used to work for a primatologist in Costa Rica
Education: Eastman School of Music – BM
I play and teach: Clarinet/bass clarinet
My other artistic/musical endeavors: I am the founder of Home Audio series, monthly house shows featuring experimental music in Brooklyn since 2011. I perform with the Nouveau Classical Project, Curiosity Cabinet, GABI, Feral Children, Banda de los Muertos and more as a freelancer. For the last few summers I have been a guest artist in Alaska at the Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival.
Name: David Wechsler
From: Brooklyn, NY
I started teaching music in… 1972
I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 1980
My inspiration: Karl Kraber, Julius Baker, Michael Brecker, Johannes Brahms, Thelonious Monk
Few people know that I… sing, play alto and tenor saxophones, and in addition to having made a living as a professional classical flute player, I play many styles of music, including jazz, rock, and electronic music.
Education: Brooklyn College – Bachelor of Science in Music
SUNY Stony Brook – Master of Music
CUNY Graduate Center – Doctor of Musical Arts
I play and teach: all flutes, recorder, alto saxophone, and tenor saxophone
My other artistic/musical endeavors: Principal Flute, Queens Oratorio Society; Music Director, The OMNI Ensemble; freelance flutist in many NYC area orchestras; substitute flutist on many Broadway shows
Name: Peter Weitzner
I’m from… Brooklyn
I started teaching music in…1977
I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2014
My inspiration:Johann Sebastian Bach
Few people know that I… know too much about computers
Education: The Juilliard School – B.A.
The Juilliard School – M.M.
I play and teach: Double bass and chamber music
My other artistic/musical endeavors: Principal Bass, Stamford Symphony; Berkshire Bach Society; Curator and Host of BPL Chamber Players at the Central Branch of the Bklyn Pub Library. Frequent contributor of recordings to Performance Today.
Name: Johnna Wu
From: Philadelphia and Indianapolis
I started teaching music in… 2008
I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2018
My inspiration: my grandfather
Few people know that I… do yoga everyday
Education: Columbia University – Bachelor of Arts in Biology and Music History and Theory, The Juilliard School – Masters of Music in Violin Performance
I play and teach: I play violin and also teach viola and cello
My other artistic/musical endeavors: I am the founder of PinkNoise, an ensemble dedicated to integrating old and new music with improvisation through electronic and acoustic mediums.