Faculty
One of the keys to a successful musical journey for students of any age or ability is having a great student-teacher connection. By speaking individually with students and their families, and discovering their musical interests, learning styles, and goals, we are able to match them with appropriate teachers.
Our 43-member professional faculty is composed of educators and performers trained at the highest caliber schools in the U.S. and abroad. Every teacher is passionate about instilling in each student a life-long love of music. Whether it is classical, jazz, pop, flamenco, fiddling, or musical theatre, our teachers bring rich and vast experiences to their studios.
Piano
Melissa Alexander :: www.musicora.info »
B.A. SUNY Albany, M.A. Hartt School of Music.
Faculty: Hoff-Barthelson Music School.
Lois Anderson
B.A. and M.A. Manhattan School of Music.
Carole Brill :: www.cdbaby.com/cd/carolebrill »
B.A. Clark University. Additional Studies at Turtle Bay Music School and Institute for Consciousness and Music.
Helen Butkov
Advanced degrees from the Academy of Pedagogy in Piano and Choir in Latvia, and University of Ukraine in Music in Esthetic. Additional studies at Sunbridge College in Musical Pedagogy and Eurhythmy School in Music in Movement.
Jan Deats
B.M. Oberlin Conservatory, M.M. Southern Methodist University,
School of Fine Arts. Master Classes with Mennahem Pressler.
Head of the RCM Piano Dept. Faculty: Elizabeth Morrow School. Performances throughout Europe and the United States. McCall-Deats Duo.
Edwin Hymovitz
M.A. New England Conservatory. Additional Studies at Philadelphia Music Academy, Yale School of Music, and Chatham Square Music School.
Yelena Kuzmenko
B.A. Kharkov Music College, M.A. Kharkov Conservatory.
Louis Landon :: www.louislandon.com »
(Jazz Piano) Certificate in Arranging and Composition, Berklee College of Music. Additional Studies at Boston Conservatory and SUNY Stony Brook. Performances with Baryshnikov and Pucho and his Latin Soul Brothers.
Janice Nimetz
B.M. and M.M. Eastman School of Music. Doctoral Studies in Musicology, NYU.
Faculty: Emma Willard School.
John Tibbatts
B.M. and M.M. Manhattan School of Music.
Strings
Tatiana Feigin :: www.cdbaby.com/cd/tefeigin »
(Violin) B.A. Moscow Conservatory, M.A. St. Petersburg State Conservatory. Performances in Holland, Russia, and the United States.
Judith Gaffney
(Suzuki Violin) B.S. and M.A. in Music Education from Hofstra University. Additional Studies at the School for Strings.
Julia Lutzke Evans
(Suzuki Violin) B.M. Mannes College of Music. M.A. in Music Performance from New York University. Additional studies at School for Strings.
Sarah Molina
(Violin/Viola) Diploma of Advanced Studies from Montreal Conservatory. Additional Studies at McGill University. Performances in Canada, United States and Europe.
Jane E. Palmquist
(Suzuki Violin) B.M.E. Northern State University, M.Mus., Ph.D. in Music Education University of Texas at Austin.
Faculty: Brooklyn College.
Darcie Pickering
(Violin/Viola/Bass on sabbatical for 2011-12) B.M. University of Massachusetts. M.A. in Music Education Teachers College, Columbia University.
Karin Pollok
(Suzuki Violin) B.S. Pace University. Additional Studies at Mercy College and School for Strings. Co-director of RCM Suzuki Program.
Patricia Santos :: www.patriciasantos.com »
(Cello/Suzuki Cello) B.M. Baldwin-Wallace Conservatory. Additional studies with Andor Toth and at School for Strings.
Edward Simons
(Violin/Viola) Violin Studies at Pittsburgh University.
Co-founder of the Rockland Conservatory of Music. Former Chair of Music at Rockland Community College. Director and Conductor of the Rockland Symphony Orchestra.
Anna Teigen
(Suzuki Violin) B.M. University of Wisconsin. Additional Studies at School for Strings. Co-director of RCM Suzuki Program.
Bernard Zeller
(Violin) M.A. Hochschule fur Musik in Berlin, Germany. Special Studies at L'Accademia Chigiana in Sienna, Italy. Conductor and Coach at Inter School Orchestra of NY.
Faculty: Crestwood Music Education Center and Rowan University.
Guitar
Adam Falcon :: www.adamfalcon.com »
Mentored by George Benson. Toured with Phyllis Hyman, Sophie B. Hawkins, and Roberta Flack. Recordings with Digable Planets, Arif Mardin, and George Benson.
Jonathan Trotta :: www.musicora.info »
(Classical/Flamenco/Suzuki) B.F.A. SUNY Purchase.
Faculty: American Institute of Guitar, Amati Conservatory, Chair of RCM Guitar Dept.
Winds and Brass
Noreen Baer :: www.baertracksmusic.com »
(Trombone/Euphonium) B.M. and M.M. California State University, Long Beach. D.M.A. University of Southern California.
Patricia Lazzara :: www.cdbaby.com/cd/elainepatricia »
(Flute) B.M. Hartt School of Music. Additional Studies at Carnegie Mellon University.
Michael Gorham
(Trumpet/French Horn) B.A. University of California, Los Angeles, M.Mus and Professional Studies Certificate in Orchestral Performance, Manhattan School of Music.
Keith Kreindler :: www.quintettabor.com »
(Bassoon/Clarinet/Saxophone) B.A. SUNY Binghampton, B.M. Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College, M.M. Mannes College of Music. Faculty: Park Conservatory.
Brenda Sakofsky
(Flute) B.M. and M.M. The Juilliard School.
Wendy Stern
(Suzuki Flute) M.M. The Juilliard School. Additional studies with Keith Underwood and Toshio Takahashi (founder of the Suzuki Flute School). Master Classes for the National Flute Association. Performances in Australia, Canada, and U.S.A. Played with the New York Philharmonic. Member of the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra.
Percussion
Joe Quesada :: joeq.com
Drum Performance Studies, NYU. Faculty at Rockland Community College.
Jerry Kwashie Dzokoto :: www.chikuawali.org »
(Djembe and African Drums) General Diploma in Music University of Education Winneba, Ghana. Drumming Instructor/Performer with Chiku Awali African Dance, Arts & Culture.
Voice
Lynne Bearman
(Chorus) B.A. Boston University, M.A. Columbia University. Former Faculty at East Ramapo Central School District and former director of East Ramapo All-District Chorus.
Shirley Crabbe :: www.shirleycrabbe.com
B.M.E. Northwestern University, M.M. Manhattan School of Music.
Marigene Kettler :: www.musicora.info »
B.M. Ithaca College. Additional Studies at Aspen Music Festival, Hochschule fur Musik, Vienna, Austria, American Institute for Musical Studies, Graz, Austria. Executive Director, Rockland Conservatory of Music.
Nina Louis
B.A. Northwestern University, M.M. Northern Illinois University. Further studies at Chatham College for Elementary School Certificate. Faculty at Concordia Conservatory.
Julienne Marshall
B.A. Barnard College. Additional studies at Emerson Graduate School of Theatre Arts.
Music Therapy
Connie Leidy
Board Certified Music Therapist, LMT. Degrees from Westchester University and Montclair University.
Arianna Pallens
B.S. in Music Therapy, B.A. in Applied Music (Voice), B.A. in Psychology, SUNY College at Fredonia.
