Below you'll find the MSM Summer faculty organized by instrument.
Derek Cooper, Classical Composition
Derek Cooper’s music has been performed worldwide by groups including Contemporaneous, Sonic Apricity, the Indiana University of Pennsylvania wind ensemble, Jenny Lin, Yarn/Wire, Ekmeles, the Iridium Saxophone Quartet, and Blueshift Ensemble. His piece, Kill James, was recently awarded an honorable mention for the New York Composers Circle’s 2019 John Eaton Memorial Composition Competition. In 2016, Derek joined the ICEBERG collective, a select and diverse group of emerging New York composers.
Derek currently teaches music theory at Ramapo College of New Jersey’s School of Contemporary Arts as well as teaching composition and musicianship courses at the Hoff-Barthelson Music School where he also directs the Compose Yourself Festival in collaboration with The Copland House. He also teaches composition, theory, and ear training at Manhattan School of Music and during the summer, he oversees the composition program for MSM Summer.
www.DerekCooperComposer.com
Remy Le Boeuf, Jazz Composition Remy Le Boeuf is a Grammy-nominated composer and saxophonist whose music is rooted in the jazz tradition and overlaps into the contemporary classical realm, drawing on various influences from Aaron Copland to Charles Mingus. Le Boeuf is also the founder and director of the Assembly of Shadows jazz orchestra. He has worked with a range of collaborators including the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis, HAIM, JACK Quartet, Knower, Linda Oh, and his identical twin brother Pascal, with whom he co-leads the Grammy-nominated ensemble, Le Boeuf Brothers.
www.RemyLeBoeuf.com
Sean Richey, Electric Guitar
Sean Richey is a performance artist, composer, arranger, & music educator currently living in Brooklyn, NY. Sean completed his BM in Jazz Arts from Manhattan School of Music under the tutelage of guitarist Chris Rosenberg & drummer Justin DiCioccio. Sean has received awards from the New York Foundation for the Arts, Downbeat Magazine, the Monterey Jazz Festival’s Gerald Wilson Big Band Composition Award, and the 2012 Manhattan School of Music Outreach Award.
In 2013, Sean became a founding member of the True School of Music, in Mumbai, India, where he served as a Program Director and guitar instructor until 2015. While in Mumbai, he had the opportunity to perform alongside notable figures such as Ranjit Barot, Louis Banks, & Loy Mendoza.
Sean has performed alongside notable figures including John Hodgeman, Jean Grey, Joshua Henry, Leo Pelligrino, Norman Edwards Jr., Patrick Bartley, Alison Shearer, Angelo Di Loreto, Linda Oh, Sam Harris, Christian Sands, Pawan Benjamin, Javier Santiago, Conun Pappas, Adam Neely, & Bailen at venues including Carnegie Hall, Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, Symphony Space, & Central Park Summerstage.
Sean has taught music for the Spence School, the Diller-Quaile School of Music, Brooklyn Music Factory, Larchmont Music Academy, and Camp Encore/CODA.
Mark Brown, Latin Jazz Band Conductor, Jazz Bass Mark Philip Brown was born in Queens, NY. When he was nine years old, his family moved to Venezuela and his interest in jazz led him to the bass and saxophone as his primary instruments. Mark has composed music in several styles, including jazz, samba, son, calypso, and several styles of Venezuelan folk music, including joropo, merengue and danza zuliana. Mark attended Manhattan School of Music and obtained his Bachelor’s (’96) and Master’s (’98) degrees. Mark has been teaching music at the MSM summer programs since 1995 and has composed for and conducted the jazz and Latin jazz bands, as well as teaching saxophone, theory, composition, and other courses. Mark has performed on bass and saxophone all over the world, including concerts in China, Turkey, Austria, France, Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Paraguay, Colombia, Venezuela, Mexico, and Costa Rica, among others. Mark currently lives in Caracas, Venezuela. He is finishing a book of lead sheets of Venezuelan traditional music, having transcribed over 450 songs from the mostly oral tradition since 2001.
Norman Paul Edwards Jr., Jazz Percussion Originally from Queens, New York, Norman received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in jazz performance from Manhattan School of Music. Norman is a two-time Grammy nominated artist with Manhattan School of Music’s Afro-Cuban Jazz Orchestra (Kenya Revisited: Live and Tito Puente Masterworks: Live). Norman is an educator with Jazz @ Lincoln Center and Arts Connection in New York. SpinKick, his original band, showcases his composition skills and blends dance, funk, hip hop and jazz into feel-good melodies and slamming grooves. His other band, Fighting In The Streets (co-led with saxophonist Alex Lopez) is a video game remix band breaking new ground with nostalgia and feel-good grooves. Norman has shared the stage with George Benson, John Scofield, Joe Lovano, John Faddis, Candido Romero, Stefon Harris, Rudy Linka, Stevie Wonder, Pharoah Monche and Bobby Sanabria. Norman Edwards Jr. plays Vic Firth Sticks, Zildjian Cymbals, and Gon Bops Percussion. www.normanedwardsjr.com
Isaac Kaplan, Jazz Trombone Originally from Long Beach, California, Isaac’s love of music ultimately brought him to New York City for studies at Manhattan School of Music. As a freelance musician, Isaac has performed at Central Park Summerstage, Music Hall of Williamsburg, Segerstrom Hall, and Carnegie Hall and he has performed with artists including George Porter Jr, Los Amigos Invisibles, Patrizio Buanne, and Michael McDonald. Isaac also leads a jazz trio that performs frequently around the New York area. He holds Bachelor (’11) and Master (’13) degrees from Manhattan School of Music. Isaac has a private teaching studio in New York and has been on the Manhattan School of Music Precollege jazz faculty since 2012.
Remy Le Boeuf, Jazz Ensemble Director, Jazz Saxophone Remy Le Boeuf is a Grammy-nominated composer and saxophonist whose music is rooted in the jazz tradition and overlaps into the contemporary classical realm, drawing on various influences from Aaron Copland to Charles Mingus. Le Boeuf is also the founder and director of the Assembly of Shadows jazz orchestra. He has worked with a range of collaborators including the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis, HAIM, JACK Quartet, Knower, Linda Oh, and his identical twin brother Pascal, with whom he co-leads the Grammy-nominated ensemble, Le Boeuf Brothers. www.RemyLeBoeuf.com
Nadje Noordhuis, Jazz Trumpet Nadje Noordhuis’ journey has taken her from a youth spent studying classical music in her native Australia to a headlong dive into the world of jazz that has earned her acclaim in the music’s mecca, New York. She was one of ten semi-finalists in the 2007 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Trumpet Competition and was selected as a Carnegie Hall Young Artist to undertake a residency with trumpet great Dave Douglas in 2010. Noordhuis is a member of several big bands, including Darcy James Argue’s Grammy- nominated Secret Society as well as the Diva Jazz Orchestra. She also leads her own small ensembles and is a member of Rudy Royston’s 303. As a composer, Noordhuis has been commissioned by the Baroque ensemble ThoroughBass, the new music ensemble ExhAust, and by the 2009 Festival of New Trumpet Music (FONT). Noordhuis’ self-titled debut album was released in 2012 on the Little Mystery Records label. She has maintained a private teaching studio for thirty years, and holds a Masters of Music degree in Jazz Trumpet from Manhattan School of Music. Manhattan School of Music Precollege faculty since 2014.
Sean Richey, R & B Ensemble, Jazz Guitar
Rohin Khemani, Jazz Percussion Rohin Khemani has shared the stage with many luminaries of jazz and world music. He has performed for audiences at some of the world’s most prestigious concert halls and festivals including Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center, Sauti Za Busara in Zanzibar, Tanzania, The Monterey Jazz Festival, closing ceremonies at the London 2012 Olympic Games, a U.S. State Department sponsored tour of the U.A.E., and Peter Gabriel’s WOMAD Festivals in the UK, Australia, and New Zealand. Rohin was a founding member of the Grammy-nominated jazz/Indian music band Red Baraat and is co-leader of the bands Surface to Air Trio and The Lore Dogs. His principal instruments include the drum set, tabla, and an eclectic collection of percussion and found objects from around the world. Rohin holds a bachelor’s from Berklee College of Music and a master’s from Manhattan School of Music.
Jeremy Levine, Classical percussion Jeremy holds Principal Timpani positions in several orchestras, including the Princeton Symphony Orchestra, the Vermont Symphony Orchestra, and Symphony in C (formally known as the Haddenfield Symphony Orchestra). Levine has also traveled all over the world performing as timpanist including the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra and the National Orchestra of Spain. He often played in the Broadway pit orchestra of the hit musical Something Rotten. Jeremy has a substantial private teaching studio and is the timpani professor at New Jersey City University. Mannes College of Music (BM); Manhattan School of Music (MM).
Mina Kusumoto, Piano Mina Kusumoto has performed as a soloist and collaborative pianist in many world-renowned venues such as The Kennedy Center (under conductor Leonard Slatkin), Lincoln Center, Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, Merkin Concert Hall at Kaufman Center, Steinway Hall, DiMenna Center, Yamaha Salon in NY, Tokyo Metropolitan Arts Hall, Minatomirai Hall in Japan, Oxford Town Hall, and Jacqueline De Prez Memorial Hall in the United Kingdom. In 2007, Mina gave a NY debut recital at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall as a winner of the Artist International Competition. She was also a prize winner in the International Arts Federation Competition and the All Japan Soloists Competition. She is a founder and artistic director of International Music Organization New York which gives opportunities to perform for young musicians. Currently, Mina is a piano faculty at Horace Mann School and Riverdale Country School. A native of Japan, Mina earned her Bachelor of Music Degree at Musashino Academia Musicae in Tokyo. She received her Master of Music Degree from Manhattan School of Music.
YinJia Lin-DeMercurio, Piano Chinese pianist YinJia Lin has drawn international attention since her concerto debut at the age of 15 with the Hong Kong Sinfonietta,Dr. Lin completed her Doctor of Musical Arts at the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music. An experienced and versatile musician, Dr. Lin plays the harpsichord and the organ in addition to orchestral and choral conducting. Her recent performance of the Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No.1 with Coral Gables Opera was broadcast on PBS channel thirteen. A Steinway Education Partner, Dr. Lin resides in NYC and is on faculty at the Avenues School and SAR Academy.
Julie Mech, Piano In 2003, Julie Mech played her debut recital at Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall, having won a Special Presentation Award from Artists International and was invited to perform on the “Concerts at One” series at St Paul’s Chapel (Wall Street). She has given numerous solo recitals in the New York area, including at Weill Hall, Steinway Hall, and the Goethe-Institut New York as well as in Europe, where she received enthusiastic critical acclaim. As a collaborative artist, Ms. Mech has appeared at Columbia University, SUNY Purchase, the Metropolitan Museum, Alice Tully Hall, Rose Theater, and Carnegie Hall. As a choral accompanist she has traveled to England, The Netherlands, Belgium, Czech Republic, Hungary, Austria, and Italy. She was awarded scholarships to the Queensland Conservatorium of Music (Brisbane, Australia), the University of Illinois, and Manhattan School of Music, where she received a Master of Music degree. Ms. Mech released two CDs, featuring Three Partitas by J.S. Bach and works by Ravel, Ginastera, and Schumann.
Alice Tsui, Piano Alice Tsui was awarded the Gold Medal of Excellence in the Brooklyn Technical High School Orchestra. At Manhattan School of Music where Alice studied piano, she was awarded the Eva Van Gelder Piano Scholarship; at NYU, Alice was awarded the Steinhardt Education Scholarship and the Eileen E. Zaglin Scholarship for Showing Exceptional Creativity and Promise in the Arts. In May 2012, Alice won the American Music Teachers League Competition and performed at Carnegie Hall as part of the Young Musicians Concert. Alice graduated from New York University with a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance and a Master of Arts in Music Education. She is the founding music teacher at P.S. 532 New Bridges Elementary, a new arts-integrated elementary school in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. Alice is currently pursuing her doctorate in Music Education through Boston University. www.alicetsui.com
Alan Goldberg, Orchestra Conductor Alan Goldberg holds Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees in performance from Manhattan School of Music. He also holds a Master of Education degree from Teachers College, Columbia University. He studied violin with renowned teachers Raphael Bronstein and Ariana Bronne. He also studied conducting with Harold Farberman and Anton Coppola, and chamber music with Artur Balsam. Mr. Goldberg was Orchestra Director (grades 4-12) in the Irvington (NY) UFSD for eighteen years. Previously, he taught at Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts in New York City and directed the New York City All-City High School Orchestra. In 1996, the Adlai E. Stevenson High School Jazz Band (Bronx, NY), under the direction of Mr. Goldberg, won third place in the first annual Essentially Ellington competition for the tri-state area, sponsored by Jazz at Lincoln Center, Wynton Marsalis, Artistic Director. Mr. Goldberg is a member of NAfME, NYSSMA, and WCSMA. He has served as a strings adjudicator for NYSSMA at the regular and All-State levels. He joined the MSM Summer Faculty in 2020.
Rafael Betancourt, Violin Rafael Betancourt is a frequent guest on concert stages around the world. Born in Venezuela, he earned his Bachelor and Master of Music degrees with full scholarships at Florida International University (with Robert Davidovici) and Lynn University (with Elmar Oliveira and Stephen Majeske) respectively. In Germany he worked intensely with Professor Ida Bieler (Robert Schumann Hochschule Duesseldorf). He has performed in orchestras such as the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival Orchestra, the New World Symphony, and Florida Grand Opera among others. As a chamber musician, he has collaborated with artists from the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Frankfurt Opera and Museum Orchestra, and other major ensembles. He has given master classes in Europe and North and South America, and his students have won prizes in numerous competitions. www.betancourtviolin.com/rafael/
Nick Borghoff, Viola Nick Borghoff is currently a member of the Hartford Symphony Orchestra viola section. Nick was a member of the distinguished New York Youth Symphony for four years, performing regularly at Carnegie Hall. He served as assistant principal of the viola section and was awarded a chamber orchestra fellowship where he served as principal of the viola section. He has worked under conductors Carolyn Kuan, Joshua David Gersen, Ryan McAdams, Leon Botstein and JoAnn Faletta. In addition to playing in symphony orchestras, Nick is an enthusiastic advocate of musical theatre, performing regularly at professional regional theaters across the tristate area. Nick has studied viola with several well-known performers and pedagogues, including Steve Larson and Tamara Reps Freeman. He is currently pursuing his Master of Music degree in orchestral viola performance at Manhattan School of Music, studying under Craig Mumm, Karen Dreyfus and Shmuel Katz.
Max Jacob, Double Bass Max Jacob, as a musician-entrepreneur, is the co-founder, executive director, and bassist of the conductorless string ensemble “Shattered Glass.” Max studied with Metropolitan Opera bassist Jeremy McCoy at Manhattan School of Music to earn a Bachelor of Music degree in orchestral double bass. Doubling on electric bass, Max has performed with Talib Kweli and Pumpkinhead. He currently performs and tours with Zusha as bassist and music director. As an active composer/arranger, Max has had string arrangement commissions from Kinetics & One Love, Vita Chambers, and Zusha. Max Jacob plays on an exceptional Milanese double bass from the early 19th century as well as a G&L L2000 electric bass.
Elad Kabilio, Cello Praised by The New York Times for his playing “vibrantly”, “full of texture and nuance”, and with “marvelous imagination”, Israeli cellist Elad Kabilio is an active soloist, chamber musician and teaching artist. Among his recent performances are Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall, the Morgan Library and the Joyce Theater in New York City. He has also performed at the Aspen Music Festival, Young Artist Festival in Bayreuth – Germany and was featured on WQXR Radio. Mr. Kabilio collaborates frequently with dancers from top ballet companies such as New York City Ballet and the American Ballet Theater, and served as the music director of Ballet Next (2011-2014). Mr. Kabilio is committed to bringing music to new audiences and is the founder of MusicTalks, a chamber music series devoted to breaking down the barriers between musicians and audience. www.eladkabilio.com
Alyson Kanne, Harp In 2018, Alyson Kanne performed solo works by Pescetti and Parish-Alvars in a recital at the J. Elsner School of Music in Warsaw. As an orchestral musician, Kanne has performed at such venues as the Chicago Theatre, the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing, and the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México.
A passionate advocate for contemporary music, Kanne collaborates frequently with composers and often premiers and records new works. As an undergraduate, Kanne served as the principal harpist of Indiana University’s renowned New Music Ensemble for over two years. In 2019, Kanne was the first harpist admitted to Manhattan School of Music’s Contemporary Performance Program.
Kanne holds degrees from Manhattan School of Music (MM, ‘21) and Indiana University (BM, ‘19). In Fall 2021, Kanne will begin her studies at the Peabody Institute in pursuit of her Doctorate of Musical Arts.
E.J. Lee, Violin E.J. Lee began playing the violin in Seoul, Korea at the age of four and made her solo debut three years later playing the Vivaldi Violin Concerto with full orchestra. As a teenager she won a national violin competition in Korea and performed with the Seoul Symphony. In 2004, E.J. earned her master’s degree from Manhattan School of Music. She has performed in various prestigious concert venues including Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall, and the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts. She has toured with Clay Aiken, performed at the Kenzo x H&M fashion show, and is regularly featured in “Mozart in the Jungle,” an Amazon Original Series.For over twenty years she has taught both privately and in schools. Currently, she teaches at Convent of the Sacred Heart, Geneva Conservatory of Music, and Riverdale Country School. E.J. is committed to service, which she demonstrates through her role as a board member at The Chelsea Symphony. As an advocate for musical outreach, she actively seeks to address a larger philanthropic goal of bringing music to audiences for whom access to music and concerts is challenging.
Irena McGuffee, Viola A native of Bulgaria, violist Irena McGuffee has appeared in recitals, chamber music concerts and orchestral performances throughout North America and Europe. She has performed under the baton of many renowned conductors, Leonard Slatkin, Pierre Boulez, Gunter Schuller, Charles Dutoit, and Kurt Masur, among others. She received her Master of Music degree from Manhattan School of Music and her Bachelor degree Summa Cum Laude from the Conservatory of Music at Lynn University. Irena regularly performs with the Berkshire Bach Ensemble, Mark Morris Dance Group, DCINY Orchestra, and in chamber music settings in New York City, where she currently resides. Past credits include performances with the Rochester Philharmonic, Princeton Symphony and Matilda The Musical on Broadway.
Everhard Paredes, Violin Everhard Paredes has appeared as soloist with the Simon Bolivar Symphony Orchestra, Venezuelan Chamber Orchestra, Chacao Symphony, Pan American Symphony, Orchestra Celebrate and others. Mr. Paredes is one of the products of the famous music program “El Sistema” in Venezuela. In November 2008, he was one of the two performers representing “El Sistema” to perform for the Quincy Jones Prize. He has also been featured multiple times at the “Strad for Lunch” concert series at WMP concert hall, playing on a three-million-dollar Stradivarius. Mr. Paredes has been on faculty at many music schools including the Youth Orchestra of Simon Bolivar Conservatory in Venezuela, Philadelphia International Music Festival, Noel Pointer Foundation in Brooklyn; he currently teaches at The Elisabeth Morrow School in Englewood, New Jersey. Mr. Paredes plays on a 1797 Jean Francois Aldric violin loaned to him since 2005.
Christopher Yick, Double Bass Born and raised in Honolulu, Chris Yick is a dynamic musician and entrepreneur. He is a graduate student at the Manhattan School of Music under Jeremy McCoy, a member of the Hawaii Symphony Orchestra, and Founder of the Hawaii Chamber Music Festival. Inspired by a love for chamber music and a desire to give back to his home state, Chris combines his passion for artistry and business. He is a graduate of The Robert McDuffie Center for Strings at Mercer University where he studied with Daniel Tosky and Jeffrey Turner. Chris plays on a bass made by Arnold Schnitzer (AES #36 2014).
Tiffany Bizup, Voice Faculty Originally from Lehighton, Pennsylvania, Tiffany is a graduate of Manhattan School of Music, where she earned her Bachelor’s degree under the guidance of Patricia McCaffrey. Currently Tiffany is a performer and educator based in Manhattan, and is the Director of the Precollege Division of Manhattan School of Music. Tiffany has performed at venues including Symphony Space and the Villa Mazzotti; she has worked with the Martina Arroyo Foundation and with the early music quartet The Good Pennyworths. Tiffany continues to perform throughout the New York City area.
Nancy Chamberlain, Assistant Music Director Nancy Chamberlain is a collaborative pianist at Manhattan School of Music, William Paterson University, and Caldwell University. She won the Premier Prix in Piano from the Conservatoire National in Nice, France, where she studied as a Rotary Foundation Scholar. While in Europe, Nancy performed with the Aspremont Quartet, winning First Prize in the International Chamber Music Competition in Tradate, Italy. She has taught K-12 vocal/choral/theatrical music in New York City and New Jersey and has worked as a Broadway audition pianist for Telsey and Co. Other work has included Musical Director at The Duplex Sessions cabaret in Greenwich Village, The Actor’s Project NYC at the Triad, and Barefoot Shakespeare at Alchemical Theater on 14th Street. Nancy holds an M.M. in Piano Performance from Manhattan School of Music.
Sarah Childers, Voice Faculty, Chorus Sarah Childers (mezzo-soprano) is a New York City based opera singer and music educator. Some of Sarah’s performance credits include Rusalka, The Mikado with the Tupelo Symphony Orchestra, Pirates of Penzance, and Die Zauberflöte with Festival South. As an educator, Sarah worked closely with Mississippi Opera and The University of Southern Mississippi’s Linkup programs. She is an associate conductor and voice technician with the National Children’s Chorus (Manhattan division). Sarah received her BM in vocal performance from The University of Southern Mississippi and Masters of Music in vocal performance from Manhattan School of Music.
Kayla Fuentes, Voice Faculty, Acting Kayla Fuentes is a mezzo-soprano, vocal pedagogue, and quirky theatre teacher from Starkville, Mississippi, where her passion for music and singing found its roots. She received her Bachelor’s degree from Mississippi College under the guidance of Kristen Johnson. She then moved on to graduate from Manhattan School of Music with a Masters in Classical Vocal Performance under the tutelage of Mignon Dunn. Kayla has performed at many venues and companies including Carnegie Hall, Opera America, Opera Mississippi, and has performed with the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra. Some of her roles include the Old Maid from Old Maid and the Thief, Madame Thenardier from Les Miserables, Emma Goldman from Ragtime and Bloody Mary from South Pacific. She is currently a member of the voice and piano faculty at Larchmont Music Academy.
Jeanai LaVita, Voice and Musical Theatre Faculty Jeanai La Vita is a dedicated voice instructor and performer who has appeared with leading companies such as New York City Opera, Boston Lyric Opera and the Ravinia Festival. A member of National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS), American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA) and Actors’ Equity Association (AEA), Jeanai has performed in Broadway musicals with Patti LuPone, Audra McDonald, Michael Cerveris and has worked directly with Stephen Sondheim, earning his personal praise for her performance of his musical, Anyone Can Whistle. Jeanai’s vast expertise and mastery of foreign languages, with fluency in French, German and Italian, in addition to proficiency in Mandarin and Spanish, distinguish her as a first class performer and highly sought after instructor. A winner and finalist in major international competitions, Jeanai received her Master’s degree in Classical Vocal Performance from Manhattan School of Music and is a classically trained dancer, actor and athlete. www.jeanai.com
Anthony Marsden, Jazz Voice Faculty Anthony Marsden is a jazz vocalist and composer originally from Co. Down in Northern Ireland. While he grew up learning the traditions of choral music and the traditional music of Ireland, he became deeply interested in vocal jazz through his teens. After completing his bachelor’s degree at Birmingham Conservatoire, Anthony spent several years working in the UK as a vocalist, composer and educator. He was also an active member of ‘London Vocal Project’, a professional jazz choir that has worked with Bobby McFerrin, Kenny Wheeler and Dave Holland, amongst others. Anthony moved to New York in 2018 to pursue his Masters at MSM and having just graduated, is setting about forging a career in the city’s lively jazz scene.
Laquita Mitchell, Voice Faculty Soprano Laquita Mitchell consistently earns acclaim in eminent opera companies throughout North America and Europe. Already in her young career, she has led performances with the Los Angeles Opera, San Francisco Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, New York City Opera, Washington National Opera, Opéra Comique in Paris, among many others. In her compelling debut as Bess in Porgy and Bess with the San Francisco Opera, Opera News said “Soprano Laquita Mitchell, in her first outing as Bess, dazzled the SFO [San Francisco Opera] audience with her purity of tone and vivid theatrical presence.” She has since reprised the role with New Jersey State Opera, the Atlanta Opera; Madison Symphony, the Boston Symphony Orchestra (at both Tanglewood and Symphony Hall), and also the Robert Russell Bennett Porgy and Bess Suite with the Cleveland Orchestra, Santa Barbara Symphony, Sheboygan Symphony and with the Polish Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra in Sopot, Poland. Hailed in the New York Times for her portrayal of Violetta in Verdi’s La Traviata in New York City Opera’s 2012 season opener said “Ms. Mitchell’s voice is rich, shimmering and sizable, her singing was tender and expressive.” M.M., P.S., Manhattan School of Music; B.M. Westminster Choir College www.Laquitamitchellsoprano.com
Giuseppe Spoletini, Musical Theatre Faculty Canadian baritone Giuseppe Spoletini has performed widely throughout Canada and the United States. A member of the Manhattan School of Music Precollege vocal faculty, Mr. Spoletini is also co-director of the musical theater programs of both the Precollege division and MSM Summer. Additionally, he is the music director at the Greenville Community Church in Scarsdale, New York and a founding member of the renowned classical crossover ensemble, O Sole Trio. The trio has performed sold-out concerts at major venues including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, The Redlands Bowl, CA (to a crowd of 6,000+), Ronnie Scott’s, London, and tours extensively all over the United States, Canada, and the UK. For more information please visit www.osoletrio.com
Stephanie Tennill, Musical Theatre Faculty Soprano Stephanie Tennill has sung with such companies as the Aspen Opera Theater Center, Encompass New Opera Theatre, Union Avenue Opera and has made appearances at Alice Tully Hall, the Metropolitan Room and has been featured at Lincoln Center as well as with Trinity Wall Street’s Concerts at One series. Additional musical theater credits include a 10-month run as Cornelia in the critically acclaimed off-Broadway American Girls Revue (NYC), Deb in Hot ’n’ Cole, as well as The Cabaret Singer in the world premiere of the Rodgers and Hart ballet Glad To Be Unhappy. Ms. Tennill was a member of the Manhattan School of Music Precollege voice faculty and has taught privately at the 92nd Street Y, Highbridge Voices (Outstanding Teacher Award), Stagecoach Theatre Arts School, and the world-renowned Saint Thomas Choir School, where she headed the vocal program for eight years. She is currently Assistant Professor of Music at Saint Louis University where she heads the Vocal Program, teaching voice as well as Musical Theatre Performance. AEA member since 2007. M.M. Manhattan School of Music.
Mark Broschinsky, Classical Trombone Trombonist Mark Broschinsky has been praised by the Rapid City Journal as a “true virtuoso on the instrument.” A zealous advocate of new music, he has commissioned numerous solo pieces, performs regularly with ensemble mise-en, and has appeared with New York-based ensembles Argento New Music Project, Talea Ensemble, and Tilt Brass. An active chamber musician, Mark is a founding member of The Guidonian Hand Trombone Quartet. He has performed as a guest artist at the Casals Festival in Puerto Rico and with orchestras including the Utah Symphony Orchestra, the New World Symphony, and the Britten-Pears Festival Orchestra in England and has presented solo recitals at numerous universities. Mark was awarded the Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Manhattan School of Music. www.slidetrombone.net
Heather Dahl, Clarinet Clarinetist Heather Dahl enjoys a wide ranging career as a soloist, chamber musician, orchestral performer and devoted music educator. She is equally at home performing in concert venues such as Carnegie Hall and Chicago’s Symphony Center as she is performing in schools, libraries and senior centers throughout the community. Heather has performed with Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic, New Haven Symphony, Reading Symphony, and Chicago Civic Orchestra, is a founding member of Tempest Winds and the Aeros Quintet and has received numerous honors and awards including Grand Prize in the International Clarinet Association Orchestra Competition. Heather received her Bachelor of Music from the University of Michigan and her Master of Music degree from Manhattan School of Music.
Sungwoo Kim, Classical Flute Korean American flutist Sungwoo Steven Kim has performed around the world. He served as a Konzertexamen fellow at ‘Hanns Eisler’ Hochschule für Musik and was named Acting Principal Flutist with Nürnberg Staatphiharmonie. As an established soloist, Mr. Kim was awarded 1st prize at the New York Flute Club Young Artist Competition in 2006, Bohuslav Martinů Prize at the 61st Prague Spring Int’l Competition, and Third Prize Winner at the 38th National Flute Association Young Artist Competition. Mr. Kim teaches at the Thurnauer School of Music JCC on the Palisades and New York Music School. In addition to his musical career, he has studied with the acoustic engineering department at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. D.M.A. candidate, M.M., B.M. New England Conservatory of Music.
Remy Le Boeuf, Jazz Saxophone Remy Le Boeuf is a Grammy-nominated composer and saxophonist whose music is rooted in the jazz tradition and overlaps into the contemporary classical realm, drawing on various influences from Aaron Copland to Charles Mingus. Le Boeuf is also the founder and director of the Assembly of Shadows jazz orchestra. He has worked with a range of collaborators including the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis, HAIM, JACK Quartet, Knower, Linda Oh, and his identical twin brother Pascal, with whom he co-leads the Grammy-nominated ensemble, Le Boeuf Brothers.
Alejandro López-Samamé, Classical Trumpet Alejandro López-Samamé is a Peruvian classical trumpet player based in New York City. He made his solo debut with the Peru National Symphony Orchestra and has appeared as principal trumpet with numerous ensembles around the world, including Virginia Symphony Orchestra, the Schleswig-Holstein Festival Orchestra, and the Peru National Symphony Orchestra, in addition to performing with the New World Symphony and the Lima Philharmonic, among others. A versatile performer with interests beyond classical performance, Mr. López-Samamé has toured with the world-famous jazz artist Ibrahim Maalouf since 2017. Also a dedicated educator, he was the primary trumpet professor at the Peru National Conservatory of Music (now Peru National University of Music) from 2012 to 2014, and is an honorary professor at the Peruvian Trumpet Academy, in addition to being a sought-after master class artist in Latin America. Mr. López-Samamé holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the Eastman School of Music, where he studied with James Thompson, and a Master of Music degree and Professional Studies certificate in orchestral performance from Manhattan School of Music, where he studied with Thomas Smith.
Kevin Newton, French Horn As a chamber musician, Kevin has performed across the United States, South America and Europe. An active freelancer, he has played with a variety of groups, most recently Roomful of Teeth at The Kennedy Center. Before moving to New York to pursue a master’s degree from Manhattan School of Music, he served as principal horn of the Waynesboro Symphony in Virginia. Kevin is a member of the Metropolitan Horn Authority.
Phil Rashkin, Oboe Phil Rashkin is a New York City based oboist and conductor. Mr. Rashkin is the music director for Opera Upper West and The Special Music High School’s Wind Ensemble. He also teaches at the Horace Mann School and Mannes Prep, the precollege division of The New School. Mr. Rashkin toured as an oboist with Josh Groban for the release of his album Stages; other artists with whom Mr. Rashkin has worked with include Wycliffe Gordon, Sasha Cooke, and Mark O’Connor. Mr. Rashkin’s musicianship has been described as “particularly ravishing” (The Observer) and “choice, tersely delivered moments from Phil Rashkin” (Lucid Culture).
Renee Rosen, Clarinet Renée Rosen has performed with orchestras such as Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra, Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic, Stamford Symphony, Reading Symphony, Eos Orchestra, Dicapo Opera Company, New World Symphony, and New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players. She has worked with conductors such as Kurt Masur, James Levine, and Zdenek Macal. Her solo appearance includes Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra. Ms Rosen has participated in summer festivals such as UBS Verbier in Switzerland and East-West International Academy of Music in Germany. Ms Rosen holds a BM and MM in Orchestral Performance from Manhattan School of Music and an MM from Northwestern University School of Music. Manhattan School of Music Precollege faculty since 2003.
Taylor Smith, Bassoon Bassoonist Taylor Smith is an active freelance orchestral, opera, and chamber musician and has performed with ensembles such as the New York Philharmonic, Boulder Philharmonic and the Imani Winds. Originally from Fulton, Missouri, he holds a bachelor’s degree in bassoon and musicology from the University of Kansas. He earned a Master’s degree in orchestral performance from Manhattan School of Music and a Professional Studies diploma from the Mannes School of Music. Taylor believes that the bassoon is the heart and soul of an orchestra and takes every opportunity to live out his dreams of bassoonery.
Gordon Ostrowski, Acting Gordon Ostrowski, Assistant Dean/Opera Producer Emeritus, served as administrator, artistic producer, stage director, and teacher at Manhattan School of Music from 1991 until his retirement in 2016. He produced fifty operas and fifteen opera recordings during his tenure. At MSM, he remains on faculty and directs the Amato Opera-in-Brief educational outreach productions of Cendrillon, Cosi fan tutte, Hansel and Gretel, and The Magic Flute. An expert in educational outreach, he has written a family outreach program for Chautauqua Opera called Alice and Alex in Operaland. He has directed Don Giovanni and Le Nozze di Figaro for the New Opera Festival of Rome and Die Zauberflote for the Tuscia Opera Festival in Viterbo, Italy. He made his directing debut with Madama Butterfly for Opera Pacific in 1990.
Rocco Dapice, Basics of Pop Music Production Rocco Dapice is a pianist, teacher, writer, and currently a Jazz Arts graduate student at Manhattan School of Music. In recent years, Rocco has studied privately with pianist and composer Taylor Eigsti; with vibraphonist and percussionist Mark Sherman; at The Juilliard School with pianists Reuben Allen and Dave Meder; and currently at Manhattan School of Music with jazz master, Phil Markowitz. While a classical performance major at the Crane School of Music in Potsdam, NY, Disney Entertainment selected Rocco to spend the summer performing daily in front of the iconic castle with the All-American College Show Band. The eight-piece ensemble also worked weekly with guest musicians Bob Mintzer, Jim Snidero, Matt Harris, Jiggs Whigham, and Allen Vizzutti, among others; and attended exclusive Epcot master classes led by Billy Taylor, Diane Schuur, Mercer Ellington, Maynard Ferguson, Rosemary Clooney, and others.
For a decade Rocco taught music and theology on the college level, built and directed a church orchestra of over 40 members, and taught private piano and sax students of all ages. During that time he also traveled to over 300 cities across the country communicating in word and song in 47 of the 50 states, including Canada and the Caribbean. Rocco has also served as teacher and band leader at People’s Church, performed “Peanuts Christmas” shows at Westchester Country libraries, taught multiple times on the topic of jazz history at the Greenburgh Library, and played background roles in a few blockbuster movies. www.roccodapice.com
John Verkuilen, World Music John Verkuilen is a first year Doctor of Musical Arts student in Choral Conducting at Manhattan School of Music under the tutelage of Dr. Ronald Oliver and Kent Tritle. Prior to the program, John served for two years as the Artistic Director of Sine Nomine, a select 24-voice ensemble in Fall River, Massachusetts, two concert cycles as a guest conductor of the 85-voice Falmouth Chorale and 16-voice FC Chamber Choir, and a year as Interim Artistic Director of Calliope, a collaborative chorus and orchestra in Boston. John earned a Master’s degree in Choral Conducting from The Boston Conservatory and received a B.A. in International Studies, Economics, and Music from Macalester College in St. Paul, MN. Before coming to Boston, he was appointed Macalester’s Assistant Choral Conductor, completed a yearlong music liturgy internship at St. Olaf Catholic Church in Minneapolis, and performed two seasons as a member of the Minnesota Opera. John has served as Assistant Conductor of the Newburyport Choral Society and Berkshire Choral International and has been on faculty of The Boston Conservatory Vocal/Choral Intensive.
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