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.
Dr. Jeong Hwa Park
Piano Coordinator
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.
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
Adam Ali (piano) Kate Arndt (violin, chamber music) Lilia Bigun (piano) Grace Sun Im Cho (piano, chamber music) Dr. Cho received her Master of Music degree as well as the Professional Studies Hansol Choi (percussion) Thomas Giles (saxophone, clarinet, flute: musicianship) 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. Margrét Hjaltested (violin, viola) Michele Jordan (piano) Faina Khodos (accompanist) Kyoungsoo Kim (orchestra) Mikhail Kofman (piano, accompanist) (on leave) Marta Lambert (violin, viola, orchestra, musicianship, chamber music) The Juilliard School, Bachelor of Music (2017); Yale University, Master of Music (2019) Marta Hortobágyi Lambert was born in Greenville, North Carolina, and began her musical studies on piano and violin, later developing a love for the viola. A passionate educator and advocate for the arts, Marta has held teaching fellowship positions at The Juilliard School and Yale University, and is currently on faculty at Queens Pre-College (ECPSM) and Suzuki on the Island. Marta’s devotion to chamber music has created opportunities to perform with members of the Cleveland, Alban Berg, Brentano, Ensō, Orion, and Daedalus String Quartets, including performances with Miriam Fried, Ida Kavafian, Colin Carr, Maria Lambros, and Michael Kannen. Marta has also performed at music festivals including Ravinia Steans Music Institute, Prussia Cove, Portland Chamber Music Festival, Four Seasons-Winter Workshop, and Kneisel Hall, where she was a founding member of the prize-winning Blue Hill String Quartet. Marta was recently awarded The Presser Foundation Graduate Music Award at The Juilliard School in March 2021, the Dean’s Prize, “the School’s highest excellence award,” at Yale University in May 2019, and is a current recipient of the C.V. Starr Fellowship for doctoral studies at The Juilliard School.
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.
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.
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.
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.
MMus Mannes College; BMus The Juilliard School; Diploma in Mus Ed & Viola Performance, Reykjavík College of Music. Suzuki Teacher Certification, School for Strings NYC. Active performer, including with Westchester Philharmonic and The American Classical Orchestra. Member and co-director of the chamber ensembles Queens Consort and Tríó Fókus. Faculty at SummerKeys in Lubec, ME; Faculty at ECPSM since 1995.
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.
MA and BM in piano performance from the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College; studied with Prof. Morey Ritt and was the winner of the 2008 Concerto Competition, along with numerous special achievement awards, including the Getty Foundation Award. Faculty at ECPSM since 2008. Faculty at the United Nations International School (UNIS).
The Juilliard School, Doctor of Musical Arts (2024)
Sunkyong Lee (choir) Amanda Levy (voice) Joseph Liccardo (piano, chamber music) Katherine Liccardo (violin) Linda Mayo (musicianship) Anthony Newton (piano, chamber music) Ina Paris (violin, viola) (on leave) Sarah Schoeffler (cello, musicianship, chamber music) Weini Tekeste (violin, chamber music) 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. Naomi Wu (piano) Maiko Yasuda (piano) Marcelline Yellin (piano)
Currently enrolled as M.M. in Choral Conducting; B.A. in Music Education/Composition (Cum Laude), Aaron Copland School of Music, Queens College; Graduate Diploma in Piano, Queens-Brooklyn Conservatory. CBSN Broadcasting Music Program main speaker and host, Music Director Roslyn Church. Awards: Karol Rathaus, Best Student Teaching, 24th Seoul International Competition, and President Award.
MM The Juilliard School; B.M. Eastman School of Music. 1st prize, MTNA National Piano Competition. Active as a chamber musician, soloist, and freelance accompanist. Participated in the Yellow Barn, PianoTexas, and PianoSummer at New Paltz music festivals. Studied with Donald Pirone, Douglas Humpherys, and Robert McDonald. Faculty member at ECPSM since 2006.
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.
MM and BM in Music Performance from Queens College. Graduate of the prestigious Amadeo Roldan Conservatory of Music (Havana, Cuba). Five-time prizewinner in the Cuban National Competition. Former member of Havana-based Camerata Romeu, Cuba’s premiere chamber orchestra. Played for sitting Prime Ministers and Presidents. Recorded CDs “Oasis”, “Akua Dixon”, and “La Bella Cubana” that garnered the Premio de la Critica Especializada (Cuba’s “Grammy”). Performed in major venues worldwide with Quartetto Tomassini, GlamourTango, Astoria Tango Orchestra, Camerata of New York, Washington Heights Camerata, Quartette Indigo, Orquesta Broadway. Appears in the Netflix series Lillyhammer. Assistant Director of the Mozart Academy. Adjunct Professor in the Music Education Department at Queens College 2005. Teaches the Alexander Technique at ACAT and at The Mannes College The New School for Music.
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.
