MUSIC PARTNERS DIRECTOR

DOROTHY SAVITCH

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.

MUSIC PARTNERS ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR

SHERI GOTTLIEB

Music Partners Community Engagement Liaison

SARA HOLTZSCHUE

Name: Sara Holtzschue

I’m from… New York

I started teaching music in… 1987

I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 1999

My inspiration:  Nina Simone

Few people know that I… love jellyfish

Education: Barnard College, Columbia University – A.B., Music
New England Conservatory – M.M., Jazz Composition

I play and teach:  Flute, voice, piano, composition

My other artistic/musical endeavors:  Sara Holtzschue Trio and Quartet.

Music Partners Administrative Assistant

SARA SCHOENBACK

The Wire magazine places Sara Schoenbeck in the “tiny club of bassoon pioneers” at work in contemporary music today and the New York Times has called her performances “galvanizing” and “riveting, mixing textural experiments with a big, confident sound.”
While focusing on the intersection between extended technique and melody Sara works to expand the notion of what the bassoon is capable of in both notated and improvised music. She is a member of Anthony Braxton’s 12+1(tet) and the Tri-Centric Orchestra; Gravitas Quartet with Wayne Horvitz. She performs and tours regularly with the Schoenbeck/Horvitz Duo; ensemble Wavefield; Petr Kotek’s SEM ensemble; the composers group WetInk, the Michael Leonhart Orchestra and the Nels Cline Lovers Orchestra. Sara can be heard on music and film recordings including on the Blue Note label and the movies Matrix 2 and 3. She is looking forward to releasing her debut album in the fall of 2021 as a leader in a series of intimate duets on Pyroclastic Records.
She has performed at major venues and festivals throughout North America and Europe. Highlights include Biennale Musica in Venice Italy, SXSW, New Orleans Jazz Festival, Newport Jazz Festival, Berlin Jazz Festival, Victoriaville, the Vancouver Jazz Festival, San Francisco Jazz Festival, Saalfelden in Austria, the NY Winter Jazz Festival, BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn, the NY VisionFest and the Kennedy Center.

Sara received her BFA from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and MFA from the California Institute of the Arts. She has been adjunct faculty at California Institute of the Arts, Citrus College and Pasadena Conservatory and given master classes at Amherst College, Hampshire College, Cornish College, University of Denver, Western Washington University and Sacramento State University.

Music Partners

DAVID BERTRAND

Name:  David Bertrand

I’m from… Trinidad & Tobago

I started teaching music in… 2011

I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2014

My inspiration:  Cannonball Adderly, John Coltrane, Eric Dolphy, Kent Jordan, Mark Turner, Chris Bacas, John Ellis, Claudio Puntin, Chick Corea, Anita Baker, A Tribe Called Quest, Mos Def, MF Doom, The Mighty Shadow, Valentino, The Apostle Paul, Derek Walcott, V.S. Naipaul and the list forever grows….

Few people know that I… love to cook Afro Trinidadian food for large groups people (last time it was 45!!!) and that I started exercising as a teenage because I wanted to be Wolverine.

Education:  The University of the West Indies – B.A., Literatures in English
Aaron Copland School of Music at CUNY Queens College – M.A., Jazz Performance

I play and teach:  Flute, alto flute, piccolo, clarinet, bass clarinet, and soprano saxophone

My other artistic/musical endeavors:  I’m extremely grateful to play in a number of jazz and world music groups that focus on original compositions. This includes my own quartet where my writing focuses on integrating folkloric elements with modern Brooklyn-inspired jazz.

Music Partners

PETER BRAININ

Name:  Peter Brainin

I’m from… Bronx, New York

I started teaching music in… 1988

I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2010

My inspiration: John Coltrane

Few people know that I… play drums professionaly (ocasionally) , draw and paint

Education: Music Performance (jazz studies) from New England Conservatory

I play and teach:  Saxophone, flute, clarinet , drums (percussion) music theory, jazz theory jazz improvisation

My other artistic/musical endeavors:  Native Soul
Peter Brainin & Talking Drum
Mambo Legends Orchestra
Afro Bop Alliance Big Band
Cecilia Coleman Big Band
Bill Warfield Big Band
Willie Colon & Legal Alien
Bobby Sananabria Multiverse Big Band
Bobby Sanabria Quarteto Ache
Bobby Sanabria Ascensión
Birdland Latin Jazz Orchestra
Valery Ponomorev Our Father Who Art Blakey Big Band

Music Partners

LAURA BRENNEMAN

Flute, Music Partners

FRANCES BRODEUR

Name: Frances Brodeur

From: Massachusetts

I started teaching music in…1978

I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2002

My inspiration: My Father

Few people know that I… have 2 grown children and love yoga.

Education:  The Boston Conservatory of Music – Diploma in Performance
CUNY Brooklyn College Conservatory of Music – BM
Aaron Copland School of Music at CUNY Queens College – MA

I play and teach:  Flute and piccolo

My other artistic/musical endeavors:  String Orchestra of Booklyn

Viva La Musica, Music Adventures

LUDOVICA BURTONE

Music Partners

SOO CHOI

Name: Soo Choi

I’m from… Seoul, Korea

I started teaching music in… 1997

I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2016

My inspiration:  My father

Few people know that I… like Christmas music all year round.

Education:  The Juilliard School – BM
The Juilliard School – MM

I play and teach:  Violin

My other artistic/musical endeavors:  New Haven Symphony Orchestra

Music Partners

TAHIRA CLAYTON

Name: Tahira Clayton

I’m from… Dallas, TX

I started teaching music in… 2012

I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2016

My inspiration: My students! In every facet of my teaching and performance career

Few people know that I… am a great cook!

Education: University of North Texas – BA, Music with an Emphasis in Vocal Jazz

I play and teach: Voice and piano

My other artistic/musical endeavors: I lead my own band that plays all original music of the Jazz/R&B/Soul aesthetic. I also co-lead a group, AMP+T, that plays original jazz music and re-imagined standards. I am a frequent side-woman offering my voice as a background vocalist or featured vocalists for many different styles of music including jazz, pop, and country even! I currently work as a vocalist for the Band Method’s Broadway Project band, which allows me to travel and sing extensively!

VOICE, BROOKLYN HARMONICS TEENS

CHRISTINE CORNELL

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.

Piano, Suzuki Early Childhood Education, Music Partners

LYUBA DUBOV

Name: Lyuba Dubov

From: Minsk, Belarus

I started teaching music in…2002

I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2006

My inspiration:  My family

Few people know that I… like cross country skiing

Education: Aaron Copland School of Music at CUNY Queens College – BM
Teachers College at Columbia University – MA, Music Education

I play and teach: Piano

My other artistic/musical endeavors: I’m a freelance accompanist.

TROMBONE, TUBA

HEATHER EWER

Music Partners

CAITLIN FEATHERSTONE

Name: Caitlin Featherstone

From: Southern California

I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2008

I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2017

My inspiration: Maurice Andre, Alison Balsom, The Fab Five

Few people know that I… Know way too much about Broadway, wine, and dogs

Education: Oberlin Conservatory, BM Trumpet Performance

I play and teach:  Trumpet and other brass

My other artistic/musical endeavors:  Orphan Jane, Prospect Brass Quintet, Chelsea Symphony

Music Partners

BRIAN FLOODY

Name: Brian Floody

From: New York City

I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 1998

I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2002

My inspiration: Duke Ellington, John Coltrane

Few people know that I… speak Portuguese

Education: New School for Social Research – BFA

I play and teach:  Drumset, Tympani, Percussion

My other artistic/musical endeavors:  Frequent performances at Smalls and Mezzrow jazz clubs with groups lead by trumpeter Alex Norris, pianist Anthony Wonsey, vocalist Melissa Morgan and others. Weekly residency at Tooker Alley in Brooklyn.

Music Partners

AMOS GABIA

Name:  Amos Kwaku Gabia

I’m from… Ghana

I started teaching music in… 2002

I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2013

My inspiration: Mamady Keita, Bob Marley, Lucky Dube, Babara Bangoura,

Few people know that I… have done shows where I eat fire and perform other tricks with fire.

I play and teach:  djembe, dun dun, and other instruments from West Africa

My other artistic/musical endeavors:  Salaka Dance Ensemble, African Beat,Telema Ensemble, Drum Cafe, Wasa Pan Africa Orchestra, Riclis Multicultural Entertainment, Akwaba Ensemble.

Music Partners

MICHEL GENTILE

Name: Michel Gentile

I’m from… Montreal, Canada

I started teaching music in… 1983

I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 1998

My inspiration: Klee, Ligeti, Trane, Messi, Bach, Mompou

Few people know that I… enjoy birding

Education:  Concordia – BFA
New England Conservatory – MM

I play and teach:  Flute, recorder

My other artistic/musical endeavors:  I run the nonprofit Connection Works and I am part of several groups

Music Partners

AGUSTIN GRASSO

Name: Agustin Grasso

From: Argentina

I started teaching music in… 2008

I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2018

My inspiration: Many . Billy Higgins , Hank Mobley , Art Blakey to name a few . Also Cuchi Leguizamon , Cedar Walton

Few people know that I… worked as a lead salsa singer

Education: Escuela de Musica Contemporanea, 

I play and teach:  Drums and Percussion

My other artistic/musical endeavors:  I play with my own quintet , were we play original arrangements of jazz standards and other genres as well . I also play in two different organ trios were we play soul jazz classics and Latin American music. I also freelance a lot.

Music Partners

JENNY HILL

Name: Jenny Hill

I’m from… Originally, California. Now, Brooklyn, NY

I started teaching music in… 1987

I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2003

My inspiration: John Coltrane, Wayne Shorter, Djavan, Moacir Santos, Barack Obama

Few people know that I… am in a popular reggae band that tours internationally, the Easy Star All-Stars

Education: Berklee College of Music – Diploma, jazz performance

I play and teach:  saxophone, clarinet, flute, jazz band

My other artistic/musical endeavors:  My original band, Liquid Horn. The Broken Reed Sax Quartet. The Easy Star All-Stars. My new Latin jazz CD, with original compositions: Groove Garden.

Music Partners

OCHION JEWELL

Name: Ochion Jewell

I’m from… Kentucky/California/Brooklyn

I started teaching music in… 2002

I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2010

My inspiration: Arvo Pärt, Nicola Tesla, Daniel Day Lewis, Sarah Vaughn, Miles Davis, Pablo Picasso, Michael Jordan, Slavoj Žižek, Jimi Hendrix

Few people know that I… am an obsessed college basketball fanatic.

Education: University of Louisville – BM, Performance
California Institute of the Arts – MFA, Jazz Studies

I play and teach:  Tenor Saxophone – I teach all woodwinds

My other artistic/musical endeavors:  Ochion Jewell Quartet, Bedstuy Ewe Ensemble, Bohio Music, duo with Cat Toren

Music Partners

HYUN-MEE KIM

MUSIC PARTNERS

HANS LUCHS

Music Partners

ALISON MARI

Name: Alison Mari

I’m from… Philadelphia, PA

I started teaching music in… 2010

I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2017

My inspiartion: Albrecht Mayer (my favorite oboist), Mr. Kevin Rodgers (my h.s. band director), and Nature!

Few people know that I… can juggle!

Education: The College of New Jersey – Bachelor’s in Music Education
New York University – MM, Performance

I play and teach:  Oboe, English horn, flute, saxophones, clarinet

My other artistic/musical endeavors:  I am an active multi-woodwind freelancer in NY and the surrounding areas, and I love playing any and all types of music. I’ve been principal oboist with the Brooklyn Conservatory Community Orchestra for the last 4 years, and I am a member of the indie rock band Kurt Juergens and His Fellow Americans, where I play oboe, alto sax and sing harmonies. In addition, I play with the First Street woodwind quintet, which puts on an annual performance of quintet music and invites guests to prepare short performances to incorporate as part of the program.

Trumpet, Music Partners

PABLO MASIS

Name: Pablo Masis

I’m from… Cleveland, Ohio

I started teaching music in… 2002

I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2014

My inspiration: The music of Miles Davis inspired me to pursue a life of jazz study.

Few people know that I… spent four years of my childhood living on a Native American Reservation

Education: Lawrence University – BM, Trumpet Performance
University of New Orleans – MM, Jazz Studies

I play and teach:  Trumpet

My or other artistic/musical endeavors:  My jazz trio is my main ensemble, and I also perform with several large jazz ensembles and chamber music groups around the New York City area.

Music Partners

NADINE MIKULEWICH

Name: Nadine Grisar Mikulewich

I’m from… Brooklyn

I started teaching music in… 1997

I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2014

My inspiration: Female song writers and vocalists, like Bonnie Raitt

Few people know that I… was a founder and member of a children’s theatre dance company

Education: SUNY The College at Brockport – BA, Interdisciplinary Arts for Children, Dance Emphasis
New York University – MA, Dance Education

I play and teach: Djembe, guitar, ukulele

My other artistic/musical endeavors: I am a member of the Brooklyn Community Storytellers, and I sing with the Jalopy Chorus.

Amy Winehouse Jazz Program, Music Partners

SEAN MORAN

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

MITZY NONAKA

Music Partners

UTON ONYEJEKWE

Name: Uton Onyejekwe

From: New York

I started teaching music in… 2008

I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2016

My inspiration: Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Debussy, Brian Wilson, Brando

Few people know that I… skipped grades in school

I play and teach: Voice, chorus, guitar, ukulele 

My other artistic/musical endeavors: Play with Erin Maya and the Reckoning, the Kena Anae Band, also perform in various musicals, especially musicals involving actor/musicians. Also, compose and do sound work for choreographers and film.

Music Partners

JEREMY POWELL

Name: Jeremy Powell

I’m from… Largo, Florida

I started teaching music in… 2005

I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2014

My inspiration: John Coltrane, Wayne Shorter, J.S. Bach, Radiohead, Bibio, Toninho Horta, Guinga, J. Dilla, Robert Glasper, as well as people who are always truthful, ego-less, and treat others equally with respect and dignity.

Few people know that I… have never taken a selfie 🙂

Education:  Jazz Performance, Jazz Composition,

I play and teach:  Saxophones, clarinet, flute, piano

My other artistic/musical endeavors:  In NYC I can be seen playing with Arturo O’Farill’s Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra, Iris Ornig, Adderesound, Grupo Rebolu, Pedro Giraudo, Dan Pugach Nonet, Banda Nueva York, and numerous Big Bands.

Music Partners

MARIANA RAMIREZ

Name:  Mariana Ramirez

I’m from… Mexico

I started teaching music in… 2013

I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2015

My inspiration: Keiko Abe, Sheila E

Few people know that I… Started playing music until I was 17 years old.

Education: Mason Gross, Rutgers University.

I play and teach:  Percussion and drums

My other artistic/musical endeavors:  Excelsis Percussion Quartet

Music Partners

ALICIA RAU

Name:  Alicia Rau

I’m from… Shelby, Iowa, but New York since 2001

I started teaching music in… 1994. I started giving trumpet lessons to younger band kids even as a high school band student

I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2004

My inspiration: There are so many! To name a few: Clark Terry, Duke Ellington, Blue Mitchell, Chet Baker, Marcus McLaurine, & Christian Scott. Also my own hard-working parents, my artistic family, colleagues which I learn from endlessly, and athletes with which I train (cycling).

Few people know that I… am the youngest of six girls, all artistic. Not everyone knows I am also a long-distance cyclist and volunteer coach.

Education:  University of Iowa – Music, Anthropology (double major)

I play and teach:  Trumpet and piano. I also sing and play percussion, but I do not teach these.

My other artistic/musical endeavors:  I lead my own jazz quartet, aRAUz. I perform with Gordon Gano (of the Violent Femmes), Denis Leary Rehab Horns, Paris New York, the Bogmen, Mission Dance,  Booga Sugar, From Russia with Swing, and Jack Jeffers & the New York Classics.

Music Partners

FABIO ROJAS

Name: Fabio Rojas

From: Valencia, Venezuela

I started teaching music in… 2005

I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2019

My inspiration: My Family.

Few people know that I… Love cars.

Education: 
Berklee College of Music. Bachelor of Music in Performance & Professional Music (Dual major)
Queens College. MM in Jazz Studies(currently studying)

I play and teach: Drum Set/Percussion

My other artistic/musical endeavors: I perform with my band Fabio Rojas Quartet, and many other projects and artists such as: David Bixler “Blended Lineage”, David Bixler “Hugues Project”, Greg Osby Band, Kevin Harris, Sara Ontaneda, John Lockwood, Jon Cowherd, Manuel Valera, Bill Pierce, among many others, and around the globe.

Music Partners

ELI SPINDEL

Name: Eli Spindel

I’m from… Newton, Massachusetts

I started teaching music in… 2010

I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2012

My inspiration: I’m inspired by whichever musicians I’m working with at the moment!

Few people know that I… fight crime by night

Education:  Vassar College – BA, Music with honors

I play and teach:  Violin

My other artistic/musical endeavors: I’m Artistic Director of the String Orchestra of Brooklyn

MUSIC PARTNERS

STEVE SWELL

Instrument Adventures, Music Partners

JENNIFER TAYLOR

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!

Violin, Viola, Music Partners

BRIAN THOMPSON

Name:  Brian Thompson

I’m from… Binghamton, NY

I started teaching music in… 2007

I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2013

My inspiration: The natural world

Few people know that I… am also a visual artist (pencil, ink, watercolor)

Education: Cornell University – BS, Ecology
CUNY Brooklyn College Conservatory of Music – MM, Viola Performance

I play and teach:  violin, viola, piano

My other artistic/musical endeavors:  I’m a freelance member of a wide variety of ensembles, including The Chelsea Symphony, The String Orchestra of Brooklyn, Spectrum Symphony, Symphony of Westchester, Composers Concordance, Symphony Orchestra of The Americas, Ideal Ensembles, The Dream Unfinished, New York Concert Artists, Eco-Music Big Band, Concordia College Ensembles, Adelphi University Symphony, Empire City Men’s Chorus, Garden State Philharmonic, Empire Chamber Orchestra, Hudson Valley Philharmonic, Astoria Symphony, National Yiddish Theater.

Music Partners

ALEXANDRA VASALLO

Music Partners

BRYAN VARGAS

Name: Bryan Vargas

From: Brooklyn, NY

I started teaching music in… 1998

I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2017

My inspiration: Jimi Hendrix, John Coltrane, Stevie Wonder, David Bowie, Prince, Eddie Palmieri, The Ramones, Gil Scott Heron, Pedro Pietri, Kurt Vonnegut, Neil Gaiman, Jim Henson and so many more

Few people know that I… Bicycle everywhere I can, all year round

Education: New York University, Bachelors of Music
SUNY Purchase Masters of Music

I play and teach: Guitar & Ukulele

My other artistic/musical endeavors: Falu’s Bazaar – Grammy Nominated bilingual Children’s project, Chop & Quench – the band from the Broadway Musical Fela!, Assoc. Music Director of Fela! National Broadway Tour, Miramar – bolero group featured on PBS, Bryan Vargas & Ya Está – original latin jazz group featured on Spike Lee’s “She’s Gotta Have It” Netflix series

Music Partners

JAY VILNAI

Name: Jay Vilnai

I’m from… Jerusalem

I started teaching music in… 2002

I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2014

My inspiration:  In music, the gamut runs from Brahms to Bartók to Bowie. Otherwise, writers such as Shakespeare, Rilke, and Lydia Davis are constantly on my mind as I go through my day.

Few people know that I… also teach language, and use many of the same techniques as I do in music.

Education: The New School – BFA, Jazz Performance
CUNY Brooklyn College – MM, Composition

I play and teach:  Guitar, composition, theory

My other artistic/musical endeavors:  I mostly write music for other performers.

Music Partners

JASON WISEMAN

MUSIC PARTNERS

PIERCE YAMAOKA