Administration
Mr. Christopher Liccardo
Director/Suzuki Piano Coordinator
Christopher Liccardo is the founder and coordinator of the Suzuki piano program and member of the piano faculty since 1985. In demand as a clinician throughout the United States, he has also been featured several times as a master class teacher and presenter at the Suzuki Association of the Americas’ North American conference. Mr. Liccardo is the former president of the Associated Music Teacher’s League and former piano coordinator for the SAA North American Conference. He is one of the contributors to the book, 10 Teachers’ Viewpoints on Suzuki Piano. Mr. Liccardo is also the editor and publisher of two volumes for pianists entitled, Repertoire for Intermediate Pianists, Volumes A and B, for which he has recorded companion CDs.
Mr. Liccardo’s students have won numerous awards and prizes in local, state and national competitions, have been selected to perform in master classes at the SAA National Conference and have won numerous concerto competitions. Two of his students were selected as performers in the Bach Concerto for Four Pianos at the 2008 SAA North American Conference.
As a performer, Mr. Liccardo has appeared at Alice Tully Hall in Lincoln Center and at Weill Recital Hall. His performances have also been broadcast over WNYC radio. He holds Bachelors and Masters degrees in piano performance from the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College, where he studied with Nadia Reisenberg and Morey Ritt.
Anthony Newton
Piano Coordinator
Anthony Newton enjoys a musical career as a classical concert pianist, piano instructor, music director, church organist and choir director. He earned his Master of Music degree from the Manhattan School of Music and his Bachelor of Music degree from the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College. After winning the Artists International’s New York Debut Award in 1996, Mr. Newton had made several concert appearances performing in the major New York City concert halls. He also performed both solo piano and chamber music in several summer music festivals including the Waterloo Music Festival and the Sommerakademie Konz in Germany and France.
Mr. Newton fulfills a demanding schedule of piano students in his piano studio and at the Eisman Center for Preparatory Studies in Music at Queens College, where he has taught piano, chamber music, master classes and music theory since 1988. He was the founder and music director of both the Messiah Festival of the Arts concert series and the Young Artists Piano Showcase, which gave young pianists an opportunity to perform at Carnegie Hall. Mr. Newton is an active member and former president of the Associated Music Teachers League. He is also currently the church organist and choir director at Trinity Lutheran Church in Scarsdale, a position which he has held since 2012.
Ms. Dorothy Shorter
String Coordinator
Dorothy Shorter graduated from the State University of New York at Geneseo. Ms. Shorter studied violin with world-renowned violinist Elmar Oliveira and with Regis Iandiorio, first violinist of the Hampton String Quartet. In addition, Ms. Shorter received her certification in Suzuki Violin pedagogy at the School for Strings in New York City, under the tutelage of Louise Behrend. Ms. Shorter has taught violin in the C.W. Post Suzuki program and was director of the elementary string program at Friends Academy in Locust Valley, NY. In addition to her work as string coordinator at LECPSM, Ms. Shorter teaches violin and viola at Kellenberg Memorial High School and at the Music Institute of Long Island. Ms. Shorter performs in various chamber groups and orchestras on Long Island.
Ms. Pamela Russell
Musicianship Coordinator
Pamela Russell holds a BM in performance from the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College. Ms Russell also received Kodaly certification from NYU; Suzuki piano certification from School for Strings and Orff 1 certification from Hofstra. She has been on the Faculty at ECPSM since 1988 and maintains a private piano and flute studio in New Hyde Park, N.Y.
Ms. Kimberly Larkin
Music Theater Coordinator
Kimberly Larkin holds a MA in Vocal Performance: Concentration in Musical Theatre from NYU and a BA in Music Education from the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College, where she studied both voice and piano. Ms. Larkin is on the faculty of the Long Island High School for the Arts where she teaches voice in the Musical Theatre Department. She directs a music program she created at St. Andrew Avellino Catholic Academy in Flushing, Queens. She is currently studying voice with renowned Broadway actress/singer Judith Blazer and is a board member of Ms. Blazer’s theater company, The Artist’s Crossing. Ms. Larkin’s voice students have won numerous competitions, performed lead roles in many local productions and have been accepted to the top college programs in musical theater including Boston Conservatory, Marymount, Emerson, UArts and NYU.
In October of 2006, Ms. Larkin founded a theater company, I.M.P.A.C.T. Theatre Group, for young artists ages 11-18. The company performed at The Wings Theatre and Player’s Theatre in NYC and raised over $3,000 for children’s charities. Her recent NYC theatre credits include: Archon in the new musical Float (at the Dream Up Festival/Theater for the New City), Enid in F.F. of America (at the Riant Theatre Strawberry Festival), Miss Bunny in the new musical Molly Bloom-Lately (at the New York Children’s Theatre Festival), Claire Simmonds in Bare: A Pop Opera at The York Theatre and Eurydice in Antigone with The Storm Theatre Company. In May 2014 she had the opportunity to create the lead role in the new musical Evangeline, a Curious Journey in a one-night performance at Adelphi University PAC. She performed the role of Sarah Lincoln in the off-Broadway musical Honestly Abe at the Actor’s Temple Theatre in NYC for over 2 years and performed in the final performance of the show on November 2nd, 2014. This past December she was invited to perform as a featured soloist in an Equity Showcase/Benefit Concert of the show Christmas Rappings (she was part of the 2009 cast).
Faculty
Lilia Bigun (piano) Noam Beili (guitar, musicianship) Grace Sun Im Cho (piano, chamber music) Hansol Choi (percussion) Chloe Dickens (violin) Nicolas Giacalone (piano) Thomas Giles (saxophone, clarinet, flute, musicianship) Sunyoung Graves (violin, orchestra) John Hahn (piano) Michele Jordan (piano) Faina Khodos (accompanist) Hyun Min Lee Joseph Liccardo (piano, chamber music) Katherine Liccardo (violin) ChiChing Grace Lin
BM, MM in Piano Performance at ACSM Queens College, with numerous awards and honors. Student of Lalan Parrott (grandmother and pupil of Rosina Lhevinne), Irina Edelman at Mannes Prep, and Dr. Donald Pirone at Queens College. Winner of the 2015 Concerto Competition at Queens College, with subsequent performances of the Schumann Piano Concerto in LeFrak Hall. Solo and chamber performances in noted venues across the NYC area, including Alice Tully Hall, Steinway Hall, Mannes Concert Hall, and LeFrak Hall. Appearances as collaborative pianist in Weill Recital Hall and Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage. Faculty at ECPSM since 2020.
A multi-instrumentalist, composer, and performer from Jerusalem. He has a passion for teaching children and adults of all ages and has been writing and playing music for over 15 years. Noam is completing his BMus in guitar performance and music education at The Aaron Copland School of Music. Aside from music, Noam is passionate about computer programming and the fine art of juggling. Music theory is among his favorite subjects to teach, and he is excited to be joining the team at ECPSM.
Dr. Grace Sun Im Cho is a prize winner of Ibla Grand Prize International Music Competition in Italy and New York’s Artists International Competition. She performs frequently in solo and chamber music recitals throughout the New York metropolitan area, Europe and South Korea. As a winner of Artists International’s Special Presentation Award, she gave her New York recital debut at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall in 2001, followed by a solo recital at Merkin Concert Hall as an alumnus winner of Artists
International Competition in 2002. Her performances extended to the International Piano Festivals in France, Spain, and Italy, where she performed as a guest artist. In recent years, she has had numerous concerto performances with Metro Chamber Orchestra, Korea Soloist Orchestra, Manhattan Chamber Orchestra, solo performances at LeFrak Hall at Queens College, and chamber music performances with Tutti Chamber Ensemble, Muse Chamber Ensemble, and Lucidus Ensemble. Dr. Cho received her Master of Music degree as well as the Professional Studies Certificate from the Manhattan School of Music. She completed her Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the Graduate Center of the City University of New York and was a recipient of the University Fellowship award. She is a member of National Education Association, AMTL, American Musicological Society – Greater New York Chapter, as well as one of the founding members of Lucidus Ensemble, Tutti Chamber Ensemble, and Muse Chamber Ensemble. She has been a juror for LISMA International Music Competition, Manhattan International Music Competition, International Music Concours, New York International Classical Music Competition, New York Laureate International Music Competition, National Guild of Piano Teachers Audition, and Suffolk Piano
Teachers Foundation Piano Competition. She is currently an adjunct professor at Fordham University, Westchester Community College (SUNY) and Long Island Conservatory.
Currently enrolled in M.M in Classical Composition, Manhattan School of Music. B.Mus in Percussion Performance, Composition Concentration; Aaron Copland School of Music, Queens College. Recipient of The Allen Michael Cohen Percussion Award/Scholarship. Samulnori coach at Bayside HS.
Hailing from the UK, ChloëDickens is an award-winning violinist based in Queens, NY. Under
the tutelage of David Adams, Concertmaster of Welsh National Opera, she achieved first-class
honours in her Bachelor’s degree in Classical Performance at the Royal Welsh College of Music
and Drama. Most recently Chloe completed her masters degree in Classical Performance with
Daniel Phillips (founding member of the Orion Quartet – Chamber Music at Lincoln Center) at
the Aaron Copland School of Music.
Chloe is a founding member of the Alegría Ensemble, made up of Queens College graduates
who are championed for their diverse programming and engaging family concerts. Having begun
Suzuki violin at the age of five herself, Chloe teaches young violinists Suzuki method at the
Eisman Center for Preparatory Studies in Music at Queens College. She plays weekly with the
Collegium Musicum, a Manhattan-based professional orchestra dedicated to supporting
early-career musicians through abundant ensemble music-making opportunities and career
development resources.
She is very excited for the varying teaching and performing opportunities that await her in her
first year as a full-time freelancer, and how they will help her continue to discover her musical
voice in one of the most culturally and musically diverse cities in the world.
A Native New Yorker, is a talented and passionate young pianist. He has performed many times as a soloist with orchestra in America and Europe and has performed in prestigious locations such as Carnegie Hall, Steinway Hall, the Goethe Institute, and Tanglewood. He has been a piano educator for the past 14 years and has had many of his students receive outstanding scores in NYSSMA. Nico has won multiple prizes in international competitions such as the Nei Suoni dei Luoghi Festival di Musica e Territori and the International Mozart Competition in Vienna. He additionally has a multitude of recordings online, including the Chopin Ballades, the Minor Mozart Sonatas, and coming this spring, the Liszt Sonata in B.
D.M. in Woodwind Performance, the Florida State University; M.M. in Saxophone Performance, Illinois State University; B.M. Saxophone Performance, University of Southern Mississippi
Dr. Giles has over 10 years’ experience teaching woodwinds and music fundamentals to students of all ages and abilities. He has held teaching positions at SUNY Fredonia, Syracuse University, the Orchestra of St. Luke’s Youth Programs, and for many years was a Faculty Mentor at the City University of New York’s Harmony Program. Beyond his work at ECPSM, he is on faculty at the 92nd Street Y School of Music and frequently gives masterclasses at institutions across the United States.
Dr. Giles recently won the Honorarium Award (runner-up) at the prestigious Walter W. Naumburg International Saxophone Competition – the largest classical saxophone competition in history. He regularly performs as a soloist and with world-class ensembles, including the London Royal Opera co., New York City Opera orchestra, Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish (Broadway), Opera Parallèle (San Francisco), New World Symphony (Miami), and was a member of the San Francisco-based MANA Quartet for 10 years.
Violinist and teaching artist Sunyoung Graves advocates for an inclusive community through her
contributions to music performance and education. She has served as a concertmaster and
appeared as a soloist with various orchestras and ensembles, including Queens Oratorio Society,
Queensborough Symphony, Pusan Philharmonic Orchestra, Pusan Youth Philharmonic, and
others. She has appeared in recitals across Asia and the United States, including her New York
debut recital at Weill Hall Carnegie Hall, presented by Artist International’s Special Presentation
Series. Sunyoung holds a Master of Music in Violin Performance from Mannes College of Music
and an Advanced Certificate in Music Education from Aaron Copland School of Music. She has
served as an adjunct lecturer at CUNY and is currently a teaching artist at Midori & Friends, a
director of orchestra at Long Island Public Schools and preparatory orchestra at ECPSM Queens
College.
BMus, Aaron Copland School of Music, Queens College. Suzuki teacher training, School for Strings. Member of the Suzuki Association of the Americas. Former membership chairman Associated Music Teacher’s League. Maintains large private teaching studio in Port Washington, NY. ECPSM faculty since 1990.
Hyun Min received his Bachelor’s degree from Purchase College. He continued his studies at the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College, where he received his Master’s degree in performance. Hyun Min has been teaching music to all ages and all types of students for over a decade. Many of his students successfully achieve their goals such as NYSSMA all-state ensembles, LaGuardia High School and most importantly learning and enjoying music. Hyun Min, himself has participated in NYSSMA all-state ensembles both in 2012 and 2013 and the New York Youth Symphony’s Chamber music program in 2014 and 2015. He is an active member of the New York Wind Orchestra since 2015 and gives recitals regularly in the NYC and Long Island areas. He passionately believes that music can change lives.
Joseph Liccardo is active as a chamber musician, soloist, and music educator. His playing has been praised as “superb” (the Strad Magazine), “elastic in phrasing and transparent in detail” (Boston Globe), and having “clarity and taste” (Wall Street Journal). He has performed in concerts across the United States, including more recently at Carnegie Hall, Merkin Hall, Jordan Hall, the Chicago Cultural Center, Bargemusic, and Union College. In addition, he has performed, taught, and lectured across China in Wuhan, Chongqing, Nanjing, Ningbo, Hefei, and Hong Kong. His performances have been heard on WQXR New York and WFMT Chicago radio. He is an alumni of the Yellow Barn Chamber Music Festival (2013-2016), where he performed a wide variety of repertoire ranging from standard classics to new 21st century works. Since July of 2017, he has worked each summer as a collaborative pianist at the Ravinia Festival Steans Music Institute in Highland Park, Illinois. Since 2018, he has collaborated with the Tom Gold Dance Company for their bi-annual productions in New York.
In 2006, Joseph won first prize in the Young Artist Division of the MTNA National Piano Competition. Since graduating from the Eastman School of Music in 2006, Joseph has dedicated himself to teaching, sharing his passion for music and nurturing the next generation of artists. He is an adjunct lecturer of piano at the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College. In addition, since 2006, he has served on the faculty of the school’s pre-college division, The Eisman Center for Preparatory Studies in Music, where he teaches private piano, chamber music, and masterclasses.
Joseph holds degrees from the Eastman School of Music and the Juilliard School. His primary teachers include Donald Pirone, Douglas Humpherys, and Robert McDonald.
MM from Manhattan School of Music in Violin Performance 2015; BM from Mannes College of Music in Violin Performance 2013. Certified Suzuki teacher books 1-8 from the School for Strings 2014. Founding member of the Blue Hill String Quartet. Winner of the 2015 J.C. Arriaga Chamber Music Competition. Active performer through organization Groupmuse.
Chiching maintains a varied chamber music and orchestra career in the New York City area. She has performed with the New York City Opera, The Met Opera Orchestra, National Choral, Regina Opera, Binghamton Philharmonic, New York Wind Orchestra as well as others, in venues such as Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center-Rose Hall, Merkin Hall and the United Nations Conference Hall. ChiChing has also performed as soloist in the U.S. and abroad. Ms. Lin is on the music faculty of St. Ann’s School as a percussion instructor since 2022. She is also a percussion faculty of Youth Orchestra, CYCNY since 2006. ChiChing received her Master’s degree from Queens College Aaron Copland School of Music and Professional Studies Diploma from Mannes College of Music (New School), where she studied with Michael Lipsy, Michael Werner, Jim Priess, Berry Centanni and Glenn Valez.
Kyle Miller (guitar, ukulele)
Kyle Miller is a New York based genre-fluid composer, performer, educator, and audio engineer. He blends rock and classical styles to create a compelling musical language that is at once familiar and novel. He received his Bachelor of Music in Classical Guitar Performance and Master of Arts in Composition at the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College. Kyle also spent time studying guitar at the Universidad Veracruzana in Xalapa, Mexico and Balinese Gamelan in Bali, Indonesia. He is an active performer and composer of Gamelan Yowana Sari, Gamelan Dharma Swara, Ictus Novus and Wildacat.
Rosemary Nelis (viola, orchestra)
Rosemary Nelis has performed as chamber musician and soloist throughout the United States, Europe and the Caribbean. Major performances include American premieres of works by composers Brett Dean, Hilda Paredes, and Jörg Widmann, in addition to her Carnegie Hall solo debut at the New York City premiere of György Kurtág’s …Concertante… for solo violin, viola and orchestra. Nelis received both Bachelor of Music and Bachelor of Arts degrees from Bard College Conservatory of Music, where she studied with Steven Tenenbom and majored in Chinese Language and Literature. Nelis was the proud recipient of a Kovner Fellowship during her Masters studies at The Juilliard School, where she worked with Roger Tapping and Misha Amory. She also studied at the University of Glasgow, Qing Dao University, and Yale School of Music, working with violists Duncan Ferguson and Ettore Causa. Nelis has spent summers performing chamber music at Yellow Barn, Bard Music Festival, Music@Menlo, and Kneisel Hall. In 2022 Nelis served as faculty at the Kinhaven Music School and is currently a Professor of Viola at the Special Music School, the Eisman Center for Preparatory Studies at Queens College, and the Cali School of Music at Montclair State University. In 2024 Nelis will serve as faculty at Yellow Barn’s Young Artist Program and Vilacello String and Piano Festival in Pennsylvania.
Juliet Ariadne Papadopoulos
Juliet has performed solo in many of the major halls in New York City, including Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall, David Geffen Hall, and Symphony Space. In the last year, she performed in Austria, Scotland, and England. Juliet received her Masters in Music from the Yale School of Music and Yale Institute of Sacred Music and she holds a BM degree from Purchase Conservatory at SUNY. This year, she won the Grand Prize in the CSU Bakersfield Music Performance Award for her recording of Doug Davis’ song cycle Family Portraits, and she also was named as finalist in the Lyndon-Woodside Oratorio Solo Competition. She sings regularly with the Yale Consort and is part of BERGAMOT, a clarinet, piano, and voice trio.
Dr. Jeong Hwa Park (piano)
Dr. Jeong-Hwa Park earned her Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts Degrees in piano performance from Arizona State University and her Suzuki Piano Teacher Certificate from the Suzuki Association of the Americas (SAA). She has been on the faculty at CPSM since 2003. In addition to teaching at CPSM, Dr. Park is an assistant adjunct professor at Nassau Community College and is on the Suzuki piano faculty at the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music. She also serves as a board member for the Associated Music Teachers League (AMTL) and as a chairperson for AMTL Winter Musicales.
Her students have participated and won prizes in numerous auditions and competitions such as
NYSSMA, ABRSM, Royal Conservatory Music Development Program, Manhattan International
Music Competition, and New York International Music Concours.
Dr. Park, as a performer, has won numerous competitions including a Special Presentation Award from Artists International Presentations in New York, resulting in her New York debut recital at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall. She has been performing continually in the U.S.A. and South Korea and has appeared in various halls, including Stern Auditorium at Carnegie Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Adelphi University Performing Arts Center, LeFrak Concert Hall at Queens College, Yamaha Hall in Manhattan, and Daejeon Arts & Cultural Center in South Korea. Her performances have also been broadcast on WWFM The Classical Network in New York and public radio, KBAQ, in Arizona.
Charles Reed (cello)
Charles is a cellist, gambist, educator, and composer based in New York. He is a founding member of Nuova Pratica, a collective of historical composers and improvisers, and La Forza delle Stelle Baroque Orchestra. His festival appearances include Blue Hill Bach Festival in Blue Hill, Maine and Dans les Jardins de William Christie in Thire, France. He is a graduate of Juilliard’s Historical Performance program, where he was the school’s first combined baroque cello/gamba major, as well as a graduate of the Eastman School of Music and Oberlin Conservatory. A passionate teacher, he is a certified Suzuki Cello instructor. Besides ECPSM, he teaches students of all ages at the Diller-Quaile School and the Lindeblad School of Music.
Belinda Rosen (oboe)
Belinda Rosen has garnered an international presence playing the oboe and English horn to a wide range of audiences throughout the United States, South America, and Europe. She has engaged listeners as both an orchestral and chamber musician and has developed a strong musical profile with her diverse range of recorded music. A recent graduate of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Belinda is an avid freelancer, and has performed with many orchestras such as the San Francisco Symphony, Houston Symphony, California Symphony, Sacramento Philharmonic, Berkeley Symphony, Santa Rosa Symphony, Monterey Symphony, Opera San Jose, Santa Cruz Symphony, and the Modesto Symphony. Belinda earned her MM in Oboe Performance from Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music in 2020 and completed her BM in Oboe Performance from the University of Michigan in 2016, graduating with top academic honors.
Currently based in New York City, Belinda is on faculty at the Eisman Center for Preparatory Studies in Music at Queens College’s Aaron Copland School of Music and the 92nd Street Y. She is also an avid chamber music coach and has led many masterclasses and sectionals in schools and youth orchestras both nationally and internationally. Belinda maintains a flourishing private teaching studio where she enjoys working with students of all ages. Born and raised in Belle Harbor, NY, Belinda is also a graduate of the premier LaGuardia High School for Music & Art and the Performing Arts.
Belinda’s major teachers include Eugene Izotov, Robert Atherholt, Pedro Diaz, and Nancy Ambrose King.
Sarah Schoeffler (cello, musicianship, chamber music)
American cellist Sarah Schoeffler is active as both a performer and pedagogue in New York City. From 2018 to 2021, she was a member of The Orchestra Now, where she served as one of the principal cellists. She has performed at Carnegie Hall’s Stern Auditorium, Alice Tully Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Severance Hall, Symphony Space, Teatro Petrarca, El Museo del Barrio, and Kaye Playhouse, as well as at summer festivals including Arezzo Opera Festival (Arezzo, Italy), Kneisel Hall Chamber Music Festival (Blue Hill, ME), and the Bowdoin International Music Festival (New Brunswick, ME).
Her piano trio made its Carnegie Hall debut at Weill Recital Hall in 2016 and other notable chamber performances include concerts at the Bohemian National Hall, The Frick Collection, Carnegie Hall’s Zankel Hall, the Guggenheim Museum, National Sawdust and the French Institute Alliance Francaise.
She is a faculty member at Lucy Moses School at the Kaufman Music Center and the Lawrence Eisman Center for Preparatory Studies at Queens College, in addition to maintaining a large private studio in Manhattan. Sarah holds BM and MM degrees from the Mannes College of Music, where she was a scholarship recipient and student of Marcy Rosen and has received Suzuki teacher training at the School for Strings under the tutelage of Pamela Devenport and Alex Croxton.
Weini Tekeste (violin, chamber music)
Weini Tekeste is a Suzuki violin and viola teacher in New York City who has taught students of all ages for the past twenty years. In her studio, Weini accompanies her students on the piano during lessons and recitals, and is a strong believer in introducing note-reading as early as possible. She grew up listening to and playing different styles of music from around the world and encourages her students to do the same. She strives for each student to leave the lesson motivated and in a better mood than the one they started with. Weini has been a Suzuki participant since she was five years old, when she started playing the violin as part of the Amarillo College Suzuki program in West Texas. One of her earliest memories was watching Dr. Suzuki and his touring violin students perform in her hometown. During her senior year of high school, Weini was given the opportunity to assist in teaching a Pre-Twinkle class of young violinists under the age of six. As her interest in violin pedagogy grew, she continued teaching violin beginners of all ages throughout her undergraduate and graduate career. Weini received a Bachelor of Music in violin performance from the University of Oklahoma and a Master’s in Suzuki pedagogy and violin performance from the University of Minnesota and currently teaches in her home studio in Brooklyn.
Alfrida Tozieva (musicianship)
Alfrida Tozieva, a classically trained violist, received her B. A. in Viola Performance and a Master’s degree in Culture and Arts Management from the Faculty of Musical Arts in North Macedonia. Alfrida was a member of the viola section at the Macedonian Philharmonic Orchestra and the Opera Orchestra (Macedonian National Theater). As a violist, she was also performing and recording with Kaldrma, an ensemble promoting Macedonian chalgia music and cross-genre collaborations with traditional music ensembles, and the alternative rock band String Forces.
After teaching and performing with Recife Symphonic Orchestra (Brazil) in 2005 Alfrida moved to New York where she received her Master’s in Education from Teachers College, Columbia University. As a Kodaly and Orff certified music educator and Dalcroze practitioner Alfrida teaches general music, music theory, strings, and Orff ensembles that integrate music, movement, speech, and drama as a way to develop children’s musicianship skills. Her teaching experience includes working at schools such as Brearley, City and Country, Friends Seminary, Bank Street School for Children, and, Diller-Quaile School of Music.
Apart from teaching, Alfrida maintains an active freelance career performing at venues ranging from Symphony Space and Knitting Factory to Carnegie Hall, Zankel Hall, Merkin Hall, DiMenna Center for Classical Music, Indiana University, NYU, and La Mama Experimental Theater. She has played in concerts with the New Jersey Philharmonic, Montclair Orchestra, Chelsea Symphony, Riverside Orchestra, Astoria Symphony, One World Symphony, Glass Menagerie, Academy for Teachers Chorus, and ensembles led by music artists from Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Ensemble.
For the last five years, Alfrida has been one of the 100 New York City music teachers selected to participate in the yearlong program consisting of workshops, master classes, and orchestra performances organized by Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute.
Maiko Yasuda (piano)
Marcelline Yellin (piano)
BM Queens College, M.A in Education Queens College, M.F.A. in Musicology Brandeis University. Studied piano with Nadia Reisenberg and Anna Schenderoff-Switkin. Has served on the faculties of Brandeis University and Tel Aviv University. Performed on Voice of America. Music Director of North Shore Hebrew Academy and Musical Theatre Director of New Jersey “Y” camps for 20 years as well as on the faculty at ECPSM.
