Suzuki Faculty

SUZUKI DIRECTOR

JULIANNE CARNEY-CHUNG

Suzuki Program Director Violinist Julianne Carney-Chung has led the BKCM Suzuki Program since 2009. An active and versatile performer, from classical to rock to improvisation, Julianne has studied Suzuki pedagogy extensively, including completing the Teacher Training Program at the preeminent School for Strings, under Allen Lieb and Louise Behrend. Prior to her tenure at BKCM, Julianne was a Thomas J. Watson Fellow and a music fellow at OMI Arts Center. Under Julianne’s leadership, the BKCM Suzuki Program has become a thriving center for excellence and community, nearly doubling in size and offering expanded teen programming, an early childhood component and a five-day summer camp. Julianne is also developing a pedagogy of improvisation for Suzuki students, using sonic storytelling and Soundpainting, an interdisciplinary conducting language of gestures for guiding improvisation.

Violin Department Head

NORA FRIEDMAN

Name: Nora Friedman

From: New York City, NY

I started teaching music in… 2002

I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2011

My inspiration: Classical musicians like Maxim Vengerov, Itzhak Perlman, Yo-Yo Ma, Hillary Hahn, Bruce Molsky, bands like The Dixie Chicks, The Indigo Girls, Jazz musicians like Stephane Grappelli, Regina Carter, and blues musicians like Diane Monroe. Teachers like Dorothy Roffman, Amelia Gold, Roberta Guaspari, Ed Sprunger, Ed Kreitman and Allen Lieb.

Few people know that I… lived in Venezuela for six months or that I always thought I would be a writer, not a musician.

Education: Wesleyan University – BA in Latin American Studies
Cali School of Music at Montclair State University – Post-Baccalaureate
The Conservatory of Music of Brooklyn College – Graduate Degree

I play and teach:  Violin

VIOLIN, VIOLA

REBECCA CHAQOR

Violin, Teen Coordinator, Suzuki Early Childhood Education

RUTH KLUKOFF

Name: Ruth Klukoff

From:  Born in Houston, TX, but raised in Alabama

I started teaching music in…1997

I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2013

Who’s your inspiration, musical or otherwise?  My brother, Will.

Few people know that I… have the “packing gene”

Education:  Indiana University – BM Violin Performance

I play and teach:  Violin/viola

My other artistic/musical endeavors:  Before relocating to NYC in 2014, I performed for 10 years in the pit with OperaTampa, under the direction of Anton Coppola and freelanced in the area, playing for touring productions of Broadway musicals, local plays, weddings, and charity events. I opened my private Suzuki studio in 2000 and taught students ages 4-80 (!) from my home, while also serving as Adjunct Faculty at Eckerd College (2009-14) and the Pinellas County Center for the Arts at Gibbs High School (2013-14). From 2004-2007, I taught Suzuki Violin at Gulfwinds Montessori School and Perkins Elementary School for Arts and International Studies, both in St. Petersburg, FL. One of my proudest achievements was the founding and direction of the Summer Strings Violin Camp, where students spent 2 weeks working hard, making music, and having fun!!

Violin, Suzuki Early Childhood Education

ALI KANG

Name: Ali Kang

From: New York, NY

I started teaching music in… 2010

I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2014

My inspiration: J.S. Bach,  my daughter MJ, Suzuki teacher Allen Lieb

Few people know that I… study the Feldenkrais Method and love to sing.

Education:  University of Michigan – B.M., Violin Performance,
The Juilliard School – one year towards graduate studies

I play and teach:  Violin

My other artistic/musical endeavors:  Jackson Heights Orchestra

Violin, Suzuki Early Childhood Education

AARON VAN HEYNINGEN

Name: Aaron Van Heyningen

From: Issaquah, Washington

I started teaching music in…1997

I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2013

My inspiration: Dr. Suzuki. He lived through turbulent times and still managed to work tirelessly to create a more beautiful world through education, compassion, and music.

Few people know that I… enjoy high-tech cooking, and I dream of turning my brown thumb into a green one.

Education: New York University – Bachelor of Music, Violin Performance
University of Akron – Master of Music, Violin Performance

I play and teach:  Violin

Violin, Piano

MARTHE MILLER

Name: Marthé Miller

From: Pittsburgh, PA

I started teaching music in…1965

I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2005

My inspiration: My dad, James “Jimmy” Miller, singer/pianist who performed as a soloist and accompanist for televangelists and their celebrity guests; and my mom, Isabelle Miller, pianist and the first U.S. female band leader

Few people know that I… was a child model, did nail commercials, performed weekly as a singer with a long list of various celebrities, such as Mahalia Jackson, The “Queen of Gospel,” and Ethel Waters, the second African-American to be nominated for an Academy Award.

Education: Oral Roberts University – B.M. Performance
Dana Graduate School of Music, Youngstown State University – M.M. Performance
Teachers College, Columbia University – Doctorate of College Teaching

I play and teach:  Voice, violin, viola, and piano

My other artistic/musical endeavors:  As a violist, I most notably performed in a quartet with Scott Joplin renditions arranged and conducted by Gunther Schuller. I hold the most Suzuki certifications in the world (21 and counting!).

Violin

JESSIE SNOKE

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

Violin Private Lessons & Group/Theory

BRIAN THOMPSON

Suzuki Program Coordinator, Cello Department Head

JENNA GIRONE-VIRGILIO

Name: Jenna Girone-Virgilio

From: East Islip, NY

I started teaching music in… 2004

I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2010

My inspiration: My students inspire me to be a better teacher every day! 🙂

Few people know that I… love swing dancing, I enjoy learning languages, and I have a cat named Daisy.

Education: The Hartt School at University of Hartford – Bachelor of Music in Cello Performance
Mannes College of Music at The New School – Master of Music in Cello Performance
Suzuki Training in Books 1-8 at School for Strings with Pamela Devenport

I play and teach: Cello

My other artistic/musical endeavors: I play with Rhymes with Opera and the Red Door Chamber Players, although Red Door seems like it may not be performing together very much anymore. I also have plenty of music for cocktail hours for various sized string ensembles.

I also perform with Rhymes with Opera, a contemporary opera company which was featured on the cover of Opera News magazine! We perform pieces that are commissioned for our small cast of singers and unique ensemble of violin, viola, cello, saxophone, percussion, and piano. Topics have included a sci-fi opera and an opera about four Dolly Parton super fans waiting to meet Dolly! For more information, go to the link below!

Personal Teaching Statement: Having experience with the Feldenkrais Method, Dalcroze, and Music Mind Games, my versatile training allows me to approach my teaching from a visual, aural, or kinesthetic standpoint, depending on the student’s needs. One teaching method or explanation does not work for all students. This is why I approach lessons with each unique individual or group of students in a way that connects to them and the way that they learn best.

My approach to teaching music is full of vivid analogies, hands-on activities to reinforce ideas, and questions to get my students to think for themselves not only to analyze what they are looking at on the page, but also how to approach getting an optimal sound out of their instruments. I am always looking for creative and out of the box ways to get a student to understand something, whether it is getting them up out of their seat, or doing an experiment to see what happens when we push boundaries. With these things in mind, my goal is for every lesson to be fun, educational, and productive.

Biography: Jenna Girone-Virgilio is the Head of the Suzuki Cello/Bass Department and the Suzuki Program Coordinator at the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music. She completed training in Suzuki Cello Books 1-8 from School for Strings with Pamela Devenport; additionally, she completed an apprenticeship with Tova Rosenberg through the School for Strings’ Early Childhood Program and spearheaded that program from 2010 until 2017, working with children ages 1-4. She has been on the faculty at the Riverdale Country School, Virtuoso Suzuki Academy, Belle Arti Center for the Arts, and Manhattan Youth.

Jenna earned her Bachelor of Music degree in Cello Performance from The Hartt School in Hartford, Connecticut, where she studied with Steven Thomas. She went on to receive her Master of Music degree in Cello Performance at New York’s Mannes College of Music, under the guidance of Paul Tobias.

As a performer, Jenna has appeared in venues across the world, including the Warner Brothers’ Studios in Los Angeles, with the Henry Mancini Institute; as the Principal Cellist with the Mid-Atlantic Foundation for Asian Artists Opera at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C; in Italy, as a part of the Opera, Theater, and Music Festival of Lucca; and acting on stage at New York’s Metropolitan Opera as the role of “cellist” in Sir Richard Eyre’s recent production of Giacomo Puccini’s “Manon Lescaut.”

Jenna recorded the soundtrack to “The China Question,” a documentary directed by Brook Silva-Braga, which has been played and featured on CNBC. Additionally, she can be heard on Warner Brothers’ singer/songwriter Matt White’s album, “Shirley,” Jeff Litman’s “Outside” and Nate Graham’s “Daylight.”

In 2020, Jenna had the honor of performing Schoenberg’s “Pierrot Lunaire” with the OMNI Ensemble at the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music. She has also performed with such distinguished organizations as the String Orchestra of Brooklyn, Ensemble 212, and the Mimesis Ensemble. Jennifer is a core member of Rhymes with Opera, and a founding member of the Red Door Chamber Players.

Cello

PALOMA FERRANTE

CELLO

SERAFIM SMIGELSKIY

Name: Serafim Smigelskiy

From: Saint Petersburg, Russia

Few people know that I…  am a bird watcher and windsurfer – sometimes at the same time!

Education: Master’s in Music, The Juilliard School; Bachelor’s, Rimsky-Korsakov State Conservatory for Music; The School for Strings Suzuki Training

I play and teach: Cello

My other artistic/musical endeavors: Tesla Quartet and Faremis Sound

Personal Teaching Statement: My purpose as a music teacher is to help students realize their musical and artistic potential by providing engaging and exciting lessons that include playing music, singing, listening, and talking about music, its history and its importance in every day life. As an immigrant, now an American citizen, it is essential for me to help create an inclusive environment where all can thrive.

I’ve been teaching constantly since I turned 16 and I’ve always been passionate about it. What can be more inspiring than seeing a student making progress week by week, lesson by lesson? For me, teaching has always been an art form, just as demanding, intensive and rewarding as performance. I especially love working with beginners of all ages. These early stages of playing are the most eventful, joyful and exciting!

Applying the skills that I acquired at the Russian school of cello playing, as well as Suzuki principles passed down by the great Pamela Devenport, I feel confident guiding young musicians in finding their own way through the labyrinth of infinite musical potential. I believe that all children need, and should be provided with, an artistic, inspirational, caring and entertaining atmosphere of music making, that will help them become emotionally mature, intellectually assured and socially comfortable.

Biography: Serafim Smigelskiy has won numerous international competitions and awards including the First Prize of the Russian State Music Competition, the Salzburg Festspiele and many others. He actively performs a wide variety of repertoire ranging from early to new music. Serafim has worked directly with composers such as Chaya Czernowin, Georg Friedrich Haas, Magnus Lindberg, Jessica Meyer, Arvo Pärt, Mathias Pintscher, Giti Razaz, Steve Reich, Ellen Reid and others which has led to performances and recordings of their music at concert venues such as Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall, Peter Jay Sharp Theater at Lincoln Center, Merkin Hall, Benaroya Hall, Moscow Philharmonic Hall and Saint Petersburg Philharmonic Hall, as well as at Harvard, Cornell, Stanford and Columbia Universities.

He has appeared as the principal cellist with the Juilliard Orchestra, Ensemble du Monde and the Ars Viva Strings Orchestra. As a soloist, Serafim has toured across the U.S., Russia, Europe, Japan and the United Arab Emirates with the Kansas City Philharmonic, Axiom, ECCE Ensemble, Argento Chamber Ensemble, Dal Niente, Jupiter Chamber Players, Rimsky Korsakov String Quartet, Quartet Accorda, Trinity Baroque, NOVUS, the Sebastians, and Tesla Quartet, among others

Cello Private Lessons & Group/Theory, and Parents' Class

LUIS MERCADO

Cello Private Lessons & Group/Theory

CHRIS IRVINE

Bass, Piano, Piano Friends

SHAYNA DULBERGER

Name: Shayna Dulberger

From: Mahopac, NY

I started teaching music in… 2005

I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2016

My inspiration: Francois Rabbath, George Vance, Virginia Dixon, Gary Karr, Tommy Potter, Paul Chambers, Ron Carter, John Patitucci and many more.

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 in jazz studies; Suzuki Training Books 1-5 with Virginia Dixon; SECE Training with Lynn McCall

I play and teach:  Bass

My other artistic/musical endeavors: Nifty Knuckles (early jazz band), Dara & Shayna (cello & bass duets)

Personal Teaching Statement: Music is amazing! Learning bass is fun!

Biography: Shayna Dulberger has been teaching private music and group lessons in New York City since 2006. As a faculty member of Brooklyn Conservatory, Shayna teaches Double Bass, Electric Bass, Group Theory Classes, Piano Classes and Early Childhood Classes ages 0+. She completed her training in 2021 with Suzuki Teacher Trainer Virginia Dixon and is a registered Suzuki Teacher for all of the published Bass Books, 1 through 5. Shayna also completed her level 1 Suzuki Early Childhood training with Lynn McCall, the first teacher trainer for SECE in the U.S. Shayna has put together her own pre-Twinkle book for very young beginners. Her book “Bass Buddies” provides a method that includes movement and keeping a beat with very short, achievable pieces. Shayna’s students have been accepted to New York City’s Frank Sinatra and LaGuardia Performing Arts High Schools.

Guitar Department Head

MICHELE HORNER

Name: Michele Monahan Horner

From: Greenwich, CT

I started teaching music in…1997

I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2007

My inspiration: Bob Dylan

Few people know that I… still hold two school records in Field Hockey goalkeeping at Penn State!

Education:  Penn State University – B.A.

I play and teach: Suzuki guitar

My other artistic/musical endeavors:  I’m the author of the book LIFE LENS: Seeing Your Children in Color and am in demand as a speaker as well as a Suzuki guitar clinician.

Guitar, Ukulele

TY CITERMAN

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
Brooklyn College (CUNY)  – 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.

Personal Teaching Statement: I work with students to develop a lifelong love of music making. In addition to exploring a diverse established repertoire, hands-on music theory and proper technique, I teach improvisation and songwriting, encouraging students to find their own voice in music.

Biography: Ty Citerman is a Brooklyn, NY-based guitarist and composer who writes, performs and teaches music across the spectrum of jazz, rock and contemporary classical. He holds a Master in Music (M.M.) degree in music composition from Brooklyn College (CUNY) and received Suzuki guitar training from Bill Kossler and David Madsen. He is also the proud recipient of a 2018 Brooklyn Arts Council grant to support the creation and performance of new work.

Ty’s nine year-old project Bop Kabbalah explores the juxtaposition of original composition, improvisation and Jewish musical traditions. Its trio incarnation, Bop Kabbalah+Voices (with Sara Serpa and Judith Berkson) released a recording of original settings of Yiddish labor texts on Infrequent Seams, which Eyal Hareuveni (in Salt Peanuts) called “inspiring and moving, and beautifully arranged and delivered.” Bop Kabbalah’s quartet premiered on John Zorn’s Tzadik Records “Radical Jewish Culture” series in 2014, and JazzTimes called the album “…one of the year’s most arresting recordings…”

Ty is a founding member of the irreverent jazz quartet Gutbucket, which has released six recordings of original music and toured across the US and Europe. Guitar Player called Ty’s music for Gutbucket “kinetic punk jazz opuses” that “reveal an explosive concoction containing lethal doses of Ornette Coleman, King Crimson, John Zorn, Black Sabbath, Stravinsky, and Fugazi.”

Ty composed original theme music for the podcast “Tradeoffs” and scored the 2019 St. Anne’s Warehouse Labapalooza! puppetry festival show “To Love What Death Has Touched” by Kevin White. Over the past two decades, he has performed on some of the world’s finest stages, including Carnegie Hall, the London Jazz Festival, Paris Jazz Festival, Belgrade Jazz Festival, Jazz a Vienne, the Bang on a Can Marathon, Earshot Jazz Festival, Jazz Saalfelden and more.

He continues to compose music for various instruments and is an active freelancer in the New York contemporary music scene. When he’s not making music, he’s busy raising two daughters, riding a bicycle, looking for a nice place to swim outdoors or aspiring to cook something delicious.

Guitar

HANNAH MURPHY

Name: Hannah Murphy

From: New Jersey

I started teaching music in… 2011

I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2018

My inspiration: My own teachers.

Few people know that I… love rats!

Education: Rowan University – BM in Classical Guitar Performance
Mannes School of Music – MM in Classical Guitar Performance

I play and teach: Classical Guitar

My other artistic/musical endeavors: I perform solo guitar and in a guitar duo with my husband, Phil Goldenberg.

Flute, Suzuki Early Childhood Education

TI CHUNG

Name: Ti Chung

From: Taiwan

I started teaching music in… 2010

I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2017

My inspiration: Kaori Fujii

Few people know that I…  I like math

Education: Texas Tech University, D.M.A. Flute Performance;
Purchase College, M.M. Flute Performance;
Stony Brook University, B.A. Music Performance

I play and teach:  flute, Suzuki Early Childhood Education

My other artistic/musical endeavors:  Queensborough Symphony Orchestra, Hilltop Music Collective.

Piano Department Head

JUNKO NAGAI

Name: Junko Nagai

From: Japan

I started teaching music in… 2002

I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2009

My inspiration: Everyone around me is an inspiration to me especially if he/she has a very strong philosophy of his/her own and knows where he wants to go…..

Few people know that I… am a strong believer in passion/creativity…. and I actually listen to a lot of pop music…. perhaps a little more than classical music…

Education:  Manhattan School of Music – BM
Manhattan School of Music – MM

I play and teach:  Piano

My other artistic/musical endeavors:  I do not have a “set” group but I do perform in various ensemble groups and I believe that playing ensemble is one of the best parts of being a musician.

Piano, Suzuki Collaborative Pianist

EMILE BLONDEL

Name: Emile Blondel

From: Charlottesville, VA

I started teaching music in… 2007

I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2011

Who’s your inspiration, musical or otherwise?  Bach

Few people know that I… also play the drums

Education:  North Carolina School of the Arts – BM
North Carolina School of the Arts – MM
Ecole Alfred Cortot in Paris, 2001-2004

I play and teach:  Piano

My other artistic/musical endeavors: Teaching Artist with National Dance Institute, frequent collaborator with puppetry, theatre and dance projects

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.

Violin, Piano

MARTHE MILLER

Name: Marthé Miller

From: Pittsburgh, PA

I started teaching music in…1965

I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2005

My inspiration: My dad, James “Jimmy” Miller, singer/pianist who performed as a soloist and accompanist for televangelists and their celebrity guests; and my mom, Isabelle Miller, pianist and the first U.S. female band leader

Few people know that I… was a child model, did nail commercials, performed weekly as a singer with a long list of various celebrities, such as Mahalia Jackson, The “Queen of Gospel,” and Ethel Waters, the second African-American to be nominated for an Academy Award.

Education: Oral Roberts University – B.M. Performance
Dana Graduate School of Music, Youngstown State University – M.M. Performance
Teachers College, Columbia University – Doctorate of College Teaching

I play and teach:  Voice, violin, viola, and piano

My other artistic/musical endeavors:  As a violist, I most notably performed in a quartet with Scott Joplin renditions arranged and conducted by Gunther Schuller. I hold the most Suzuki certifications in the world (21 and counting!).

Piano

GRACE LIN

Name: Grace Lin

From: Taiwan

I started teaching music in… 2006

I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2007

My inspiration: My inspiration is my piano teacher Shirley Cohen. She said, “Great teachers are humble and respectful. Great teachers teach with beautiful heart.”

Few people know that I… love to bake. My dream is to open a bakery

Education: Mason Gross School of the Arts, Rutgers University

I play and teach:  Piano and oboe

Piano

JEONG-HWA PARK

Name: Jeong-Hwa Park

From: South Korea

I started teaching music in…1996

I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2012

My inspiration: Beethoven, Sheila Keats (my Suzuki piano trainer), Dr. Donald Pirone, Dr. Susan Sobolewski

Few people know that I… have attended several seminars on Autism

Education: Sungshin Women’s University, South Korea – Bachelor of Music
Arizona State University – Master of Music
Arizona State University – Doctor of Musical Arts

I play and teach:  Piano

My other artistic/musical endeavors:  Wind Orchestra, Wind Ensemble, Symphony Orchestra at Arizona State University. Presentation/performance at the CMS (College Music Society) International Conference. Concerts on the Slope in Brooklyn, NY. Old First Concert Series in San Francisco. Piano solo recital st Carnegie Hall (2003). Piano solo recital at Daejon Arts and Cultural Center. A pianist for Nassau Concert Choir for The Metropolitan Youth Orchestra of New York.

Piano Private Lessons & Group/Theory

NINA YENIK

Flute, Suzuki Early Childhood Education

TI CHUNG

Name: Ti Chung

From: Taiwan

I started teaching music in… 2010

I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2017

My inspiration: Kaori Fujii

Few people know that I…  I like math

Education: Texas Tech University, D.M.A. Flute Performance;
Purchase College, M.M. Flute Performance;
Stony Brook University, B.A. Music Performance

I play and teach:  flute, Suzuki Early Childhood Education

My other artistic/musical endeavors:  Queensborough Symphony Orchestra, Hilltop Music Collective.

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.

Violin, Suzuki Early Childhood Education

ALI KANG

Name: Ali Kang

From: New York, NY

I started teaching music in… 2010

I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2014

My inspiration: J.S. Bach,  my daughter MJ, Suzuki teacher Allen Lieb

Few people know that I… study the Feldenkrais Method and love to sing.

Education:  University of Michigan – B.M., Violin Performance,
The Juilliard School – one year towards graduate studies

I play and teach:  Violin

My other artistic/musical endeavors:  Jackson Heights Orchestra

Violin, Teen Coordinator, Suzuki Early Childhood Education

RUTH KLUKOFF

Name: Ruth Klukoff

From:  Born in Houston, TX, but raised in Alabama

I started teaching music in…1997

I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2013

Who’s your inspiration, musical or otherwise?  My brother, Will.

Few people know that I… have the “packing gene”

Education:  Indiana University – BM Violin Performance

I play and teach:  Violin/viola

My other artistic/musical endeavors:  Before relocating to NYC in 2014, I performed for 10 years in the pit with OperaTampa, under the direction of Anton Coppola and freelanced in the area, playing for touring productions of Broadway musicals, local plays, weddings, and charity events. I opened my private Suzuki studio in 2000 and taught students ages 4-80 (!) from my home, while also serving as Adjunct Faculty at Eckerd College (2009-14) and the Pinellas County Center for the Arts at Gibbs High School (2013-14). From 2004-2007, I taught Suzuki Violin at Gulfwinds Montessori School and Perkins Elementary School for Arts and International Studies, both in St. Petersburg, FL. One of my proudest achievements was the founding and direction of the Summer Strings Violin Camp, where students spent 2 weeks working hard, making music, and having fun!!

Violin, Suzuki Early Childhood Education

AARON VAN HEYNINGEN

Name: Aaron Van Heyningen

From: Issaquah, Washington

I started teaching music in…1997

I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2013

My inspiration: Dr. Suzuki. He lived through turbulent times and still managed to work tirelessly to create a more beautiful world through education, compassion, and music.

Few people know that I… enjoy high-tech cooking, and I dream of turning my brown thumb into a green one.

Education: New York University – Bachelor of Music, Violin Performance
University of Akron – Master of Music, Violin Performance

I play and teach:  Violin

VOICE

SARA PTAK

Name: Sara Ptak

From: Peru, Illinois

My inspiration: Benita Valente, Karina Gauvin, Joni Mitchell, Patty Griffin, Indigo Girls, H.E.R., Amos Lee, Tom Waits, Neil Young, Phoebe Bridgers, Raffi, Laurie Berkner

Education: DePaul University, BM, Voice Performance; McGill University, MM, Opera Performance

I play and teach: Voice

Personal Teaching Statement: My teaching style is strength based and led by curiosity and play. With both children and adults, I take time to notice what they’re already doing well and build awareness and confidence around that. From that place of confidence, we can build on those skills and create a solid foundation that really honors the whole student exactly where they are.

Biography: Sara Ptak, soprano and Brooklynite (by way of rural Illinois), has her Masters of Music from McGill University with a Bachelors degree from DePaul University. On the operatic stage she has performed roles such as Cleopatra in “Giulio Cesare” and Giulietta in “I Capuleti e i Montecchi,” Gretel in “Hansel and Gretel,” Susanna in “Le Nozze di Figaro,” Lauretta in “Gianni Schicchi,” Juno in Monteverdi’s “L’Orfeo,” Pamina in “The Magic Flute,” Donna Elvira in “Don Giovanni” and Almirena in Handel’s “Rinaldo.”

Sara has been a fellow at The Toronto Summer Music Festival studying under Elly Ameling and Julius Drake, The Schubert Institut (Baden bei Wien, Austria) with the likes of Helmut Deutsche, Robert Holl, and Bernarda Fink, Music nelle Marche (Urbania, Italy), Domaine Forget (Saint Irenee, Quebec) with Renata Scotto, The Aspen Music Festival and School and Brevard Music Center.

A passionate teaching artist, Sara performed the roles of Papagena, Third Lady in “The Magic Flute” and Gretel in “Hansel and Gretel” with Martina Arroyo’s opera outreach program. She has since founded Mozart Had A Sister, a recital series centering underrepresented composers and performers in Brooklyn, NY. Her children’s show “Miss Sara’s Music Room,” focusing on social and emotional learning through song, is coming to YouTube in Winter 2021.

Piano, Suzuki Collaborative Pianist

EMILE BLONDEL

Name: Emile Blondel

From: Charlottesville, VA

I started teaching music in… 2007

I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2011

Who’s your inspiration, musical or otherwise?  Bach

Few people know that I… also play the drums

Education:  North Carolina School of the Arts – BM
North Carolina School of the Arts – MM
Ecole Alfred Cortot in Paris, 2001-2004

I play and teach:  Piano

My other artistic/musical endeavors: Teaching Artist with National Dance Institute, frequent collaborator with puppetry, theatre and dance projects

CMS, SUZUKI COLLABORATIVE PIANIST

PAVEL BOGOMYAKOV

Name: Pavel Bogomyakov

From: USSR

I started teaching music in… 

I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 

My inspiration: 

Few people know that I…  

Education: Julliard School, Peabody Conservatory and Manhattan School of Music

I play and teach: Piano

My other artistic/musical endeavors: 

Biography: Pavel Bogomyakov was born in USSR and is a graduate of Juilliard School, Peabody Conservatory and Manhattan School of Music. Currently based in New York, he is on the chamber faculty at the School for Strings in the City, and on the piano faculty at Music Institute of Long Island and at Darlington Arts Center outside of Philadelphia. In the past he has taught at various venues in southern China and Macao, where he resided for several years. His collaborative appearances include Bowdoin International Music Festival and an inaugural opera production in Shenzhen, China.

Pavel has enjoyed varied careers and aside from music had a stint in science at his alma mater, John Hopkins University, where he published original research on human physiology at the School of Medicine.