Music Faculty

Featured Teacher of Month:

Nathan Pezzotti

Carrie Shi

Founder

The First Prize winner of the Munz Chopin Competition, and the Sixth China International Piano Competition, pianist Carrie Shi was praised by conductor Jahje Chiang: "Shi is special because of her total mastery of the piano; she also has that flair and great communicative power."

Burak Bedikyan

Piano Instructor

Burak Bedikyan is a critically acclaimed international artist; one of the foremost pianists and composers of his generation as a leader and a highly sought after sideman for a variety of American and European musicians thanks to his unique style. Recording four solo albums and touring with his bands made his work recognized worldwide.

Ruth-Ann Lewis

Piano/Violin/Viola/Vocal Instructor

Ms. Ruth-Ann Lewis received both her Master’s degree and Bachelor’s degree in Piano and Ensemble Performance and she has over 15 years of teaching experience. Ms. Ruth-Ann has performed throughout the United States as a soloist, orchestral musician, wind ensemble musician, and percussive instrumental ensemble.

Marla Brasil

Ruby Zhou

Piano Instructor

Ms.Ruby Zhou received her Master Degree from the “Hartt Music School of the University of Hartforda with full scholarship,  where she studied Classical Piano with Legendary Piano Master Luiz Demoura Castro; conducting with Dr. Edward Bolkovac and Edward Cumming, Glen Adsit, Voice with Professor Wayne Rivera.

Nathan Pezzotti

​Piano Instructor

Nathan Pezzotti graduated from  the Juilliard School where he were the student of Aaron Wunsch,Steven Stucky and Marcantonio Barone.  As a New York City based pianist and composer, Nathan has written and played piano in a variety of musical styles and is excited to transfer his love of music onto students. Nathan

Viann Yu

Piano Instructor

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Viann has performed in Hong Kong, Florida, and Greece; in the summer of 2018, she will be going to Italy for a piano camp. As of now, she is studying in Mannes School of Music. “We may not be able to communicate in the same language, but we can use the power of music to create our own language.”

Joshua Goodman

Piano Instructor

Yingying Wang 

Piano Instructor

Yingying hold a degree in Doctoral Musical of Arts (DMA) in piano performance from Florida State University. She earned a Bachelor of Music degree in piano performance from Cleveland Institute of Music in 2013 and earned her Master of Music from University of Florida in 2015. Her musical performance experience and academic activities bring her into specialization of concerts, music festivals, workshops, conferences and presentations both in state and nationwide levels.

Gustavo Miranda

Emily Chang

Piano Instructor

Pianist Emily Chang earned her bachelor degree in Central Conservatory of Music and Master degree from Manhattan School of Music in piano performance. 

Haley Diers

Flute/Piano Instructor

Flutist Haley Diers earned her Bachelor of Music degree in flute performance from the University of Minnesota as a student of Immanuel Davis. Haley has performed with premier ensembles such as the Queens College Orchestra, University of Minnesota Wind Ensemble, and University of Minnesota Symphony Orchestra.

Chloe Jin

Violin/Viola Instructor

Chloe Jin has received numerous awards and honors in both China and the United States. Jin was the gold prize winner of the National Violin Junior Competition in China in August 2008, and has also a won several prizes in the open division of the Southwestern Youth Music Festival in Long Beach, California in summer 2011 through 2013.

Alice Colby

Violin Instructor

Alice Colby received her Bachelors degree from Manhattan School of Music and Masters degree from Purchase College Conservatory of Music, where she was a scholarship student of Daniel Phillips and Sally Thomas. While at Purchase, Ms. Colby performed in the master class of Elmar Oliveira. She has also participated in master classes by David Halen at Orford Arts Centre in Quebec and Simon Fischer in the United Kingdom.

Ausar Amon

Born in Madison, WI, raised in New York City and Kenya, Ausar Amon started to play violin at age 12, while attending elementary school in Kenya.  In May 2016, he graduated from New York University, majoring in string performance.

Andrea Palma

Vocal Instructor

Andrea Palma is a New York City native, born and raised in Queens. She pursued her Bachelor’s degree in Music Education at the Crane School of Music at the State University of New York in Potsdam, with a concentration in Vocal Performance. She also holds her M.A degree in voice from the Chicago College of Performing Arts, the music conservatory within Roosevelt University.

Timothy Smith

Vocal/Piano Instructor

Timothy Smith is a professional singer and pianist from Boston Massachusetts. He holds a Bachelors degree in Professional Music from Berklee College of Music.

Aysen Idil Milliogullari

Vocal Instructor

Aysen Idil Milliogullari is a lyric coloratura soprano. She received her Master degree in voice performance from Mannes School of Music, studied with well-known voice teacher Arthur Levy.

Maria Brea

Guitar Instructor

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Maria Brea,received her Master degree in music from the Juilliard School and Bachelors in music in vocal performance from Manhattan School of Music.

Joseph Kaplan

Mr.Joseph Kaplan graduated from SUNY Oneonata, he began playing in small clubs and events across NYC while he was only 16 years old at the time. After graduating high school, Joe was accepted into the Music Industry program at SUNY Oneonta. It was here Joseph played in various music ensembles such as the SUNY Oneonta Zappa Band, Jam Band, and Jazz Octet.

TJ Adorno

Jazz and Classical Guitar/Ukulele/Piano Instructor

TJ Adorno is a musician and multi instrumentalist from Jackson Heights, Queens. His primary instrument is the guitar which he studied at the prestigious LaGuardia Arts High School in Manhattan, and at the SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Music. TJ has performed creative new music   in the styles of Jazz, Classical, and Rock throughout New York City.

Dan Nordquist

Guitar Instructor

Musician, Music Educator. Graduated from SUNY Fredonia with a Bachelors degree in classical guitar performance. Over the past 10 years, Dan has had the opportunity to both perform and teach in various locations. His performing experience has been both domestic and international. 

Amy Lentz

Early Childhood Program Director/ Clarinet  Instructor

Amy Lentz is a clarinetist and early education specialist from the heart of Iowa. She grew up in a small mid-western town and began
playing the clarinet at age 8. Amy received her M.A degree in Clarinet Performance from University of New Mexico. 

Lily Kaufman

Saxophone Instructor

Lily Kaufman is a saxophonist, composer, collaborator and educator. She has given several world premiere performances of contemporary chamber music, free jazz, unaccompanied saxophone pieces and music for saxophone and electronics throughout the United States and Canada.Her performances were featured at numerous festivals, conferences and residencies such as the North American Saxophone Alliance Conference