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Private Instruction Faculty
Listed by Instrument
 

Cello

Christopher White
  M.M. in Performance, Ithaca College. A classical and jazz cellist, Chris has released two solo CDs and has played on recordings by other artists. He is a member of the Binghamton Symphony and the director of the international New Directions Cello Association and Festival, now in its 12th year.

Clarinet

Lenora Brown Schneller
  B.A. Sarah Lawrence College. M.M. and Artists Diploma, Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music. Active performer of solo, chamber, and orchestral music, playing with the Louisville Opera, Starling Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Chamber Players, and Cornell Contemporary Chamber Players. Recent benefit recital in Amman, Jordan. Founding member of local new music group, Tabula Rasa.

Electric Bass

Nick Bullock
  see listing under Guitar
Sean Kobuk Kennedy
  see listing under Guitar

Fiddle

Joseph Prusch
  see listing under Violin

Flute

Lisa Craig Fenwick
  Holds a degree in music performance in flute from Boston University's School for the Arts. She has worked as an adjuct professor of music at SUNY Cortland and has performed flute with many local groups including the Elmira Symphony. Lisa has maintained a private flute studio for over 25 years and has taught Kindermusik and run Kindermusik of Ithaca for the past 10 years. Lisa also plays both celtic and pedal harp and performs with the harp ensemble, Harps on the Susquehanna in the Binghamton area as well a harp circle in Syracuse area. Lisa is also currently a student in the national MHTP (Music, Healing and Transitioni Program)where she is learning how to play music to help ease those in pain.
Beth Kelly
  see listing under Recorder

Guitar

Nick Bullock
  B. M. in Jazz Studies, Ithaca College. Plays professionally, locally and regionally. Principal teachers include Steve Brown, Bob Sneider (Eastman School of Music) and John Stowell. Five years teaching experience.
Joe Crookston
  Professional performing acoustic guitarist who plays at theatres, venues, and festivals across the US. Has released four full-length recordings on Milagrito Records. In 2004, his playing was featured on NPR's "All Songs Considered" and in "Performing Songwrite Magazine." Studied classical guitar at Kent State University and has 15 years teaching experience.
Sean Kobuk Kennedy
  B.A. in Music, Hampshire College, Amherst MA. 20 years performing experience in Boston, Washington, D.C., San Francisco, and Seattle, playing rock, folk, reggae, blues and country. Original CD to be released in fall, 2004. Five years teaching experience.
Jan Nigro
  Majored in music at Hunter College, NYC. Over 25 years guitar teaching experience in folk, blues and pop styles. Songwriter for and co-founder of VITAMIN L, a nationally acclaimed local young people's chorus. He has also written songs for Disney and National Geographic. In addition, he is the founder of and musical director for Mostly Motown and currently a composer in residence for Hangar Theater's Project 4.
Townsend Plant
  DMA Candidate, Eastman School of Music; MM, BM, Ithaca College. Classical Guitar studies with Nicholas Goluses, Pablo Cohen, Joel Brown. Master class performances with Manuel Barrueco, Sergio and Odair Assad, and Peter Segal. First Prize, Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) Performing Artist Competition. Director and adjudicator, D'Addario Classical Guitar Competition, Ithaca College.

Percussion

Caryn Christianson - Percussion & Marimba
  B.A. Music Education, Syracuse University. Active local performer. Over ten years teaching experience in classical, rock and jazz.
Steve Reichlin - Drums & Percussion
  B.M. in Jazz Studies, Ithaca College. Teaches all styles of drum-set and percussion. Recorded and performed in various groups including: The Louisiana Philharmonic, George Porter, and Chubby Carrier. Studied with John Vidacovich, Gordon Stout, Steve Houghton, and attended The Henry Mancini Institute. Has been teaching since 1996.
Michael Wellen - Drums & Percussion
  Studied percussion at the University of Buffalo and performed with the university's Percussion Ensemble under the direction of Jan Williams. Founding member of the infamous Zobo Funn Band. More than 30 years professional performing experience playing Jazz, Rock, Latin and other styles. Owned and operated Hillcrest Productions, a small recording studio. Has taught at CSMA for over 20 years.

Piano

Amy Opperman Cash
  B.A. Piano, Ithaca College. Attended High School of Music and Art, NYC. Studied with Kendall Taylor in London, England. Over twenty years teaching experience.
Peter Cirka
  B.M., Ithaca College 2006. Winner, 2006 Ithaca College Concerto Competition; First prize, 2006 Mary Hayes North Piano Competition. Has appeared as soloist with the IC symphony orchestra, and with the Ithaca College Contemporary Chamber Ensemble. Extensive chamber music and vocal collaboration experience. Private teacher since 2004.
Anna Gorska
   
Lori Marion
  B.S. in Piano Performance, Magna Cum Laude, Roberts Wesleyan College, Rochester, NY. Over 5 years private and group piano teaching experience.
Christopher Morgan Loy
  D.M.A. in Music Composition, Cornell University. M.M. in Music Composition, Cleveland Institute of Music; B.M. in Piano Performance, Wayne State University. Active and extensive performer; solo recital, chamber, composer/pianist series. 20 years teaching experience.
Molly MacMillan
  Molly MacMillan is a well known musician living in Ithaca, NY. She has been a featured pianist at the Sacramento Jubilee Traditional Jazz festival, performing there also with the Lowdown Alligator Jass Band, as well as other jazz festivals including Ottawa, Montreal, Buffalo and the Thousand Islands, and Corning's Crystal City jazz festival. Ms. MacMillan plays a beautiful piano, both with her tasteful "comping" and her very melodic solos. She is also a vocalist of uncanny agility with a light, mellow sound. Molly has been involved in workshops with Marion McPartland and Dr. Billy Taylor. She has traveled and recorded with such diverse groups as The Hot Foot Club (swing band), the Molly MacMillan Trio, and cabaret acts with Margaret Wakely, and with Richard Driscoll. She has recorded CD's with various artists including the Trio and the HotFoot Club, and is the producer of several CD's by the children's artist Mrs. McPuppet.
Karen Melamed Smith
  B.M., Piano Performance, University of Southern California. M.A. Liberal Studies, concentration in Philosophy and the Arts, New School for Social Research. Provisional certification in elementary education, SUNY Cortland. Over 20 years teaching experience including piano, music and movement, and various music theory and appreciation courses.
Jonathan Petronzio
  B.A., Music Education, Ithaca College. Is trained in both classical and jazz piano and currently specializes in jazz, rock, blues and ragtime styles. Active performer, currently accompanying and directing the local multicultural choir, VOICES, as well as touring nationwide with his band. Over five years prior teaching experience.
Dave Streater
  B.M. in Piano Performance, Cleveland Institute of Music. M.M. in composition, SUNY, Binghamton. Graduate work in mathematics. Active local jazz and classical performer and composer.
Claudia Tomsa
  .M., Piano Performance, Ithaca College. A native Romanian, she studied with Stela Dragulin and Cornelia Orban, Transylvania University, and attended Walnut Hill High School for the Arts, Natick, MA. Recipient of numerous awards including a scholarship and Collaborative Artist Position at the Aspen Music Festival. Has served as a vocal coach and staff accompanist at Ithaca College. Several years of prior teaching experience.

Recorder

Beth Kelly
 
M.M. Indiana University School of Music. Frequent local performer. Over 15 years teaching experience.
Jennifer Lawrence Birnbaum
  B.A. in Music Education, concentration in voice, Ithaca College. M.A. in Ethnomusicology and Music Education, Teachers College, Columbia University. Tenured music teacher and choral director, Little Red School House and Elisabeth Irwin H.S., New York, NY.

Saxophone

Joseph Ford
  B.A. in Music Education, University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA. Current graduate studies, Ithaca College. Experienced performer in jazz, rock and classical styles. Over 7 years varied teaching experience.

Trombone

Craig Harrigan
  B.A. Ithaca College. M.M. in Orchestral Performance, Manhattan School of Music. Previous teaching experience in group and private instruction through the Manhattan School of Music Outreach Program.

Violin & Viola

Augusto Diemecke - Violin
  Student of Fredel Lack and graduate of University of Houston School of Music and Ithaca Suzuki Institute. M.M. in Violin Performance. Has performed with the Cayuga Chamber Orchestra and Lake Charles Symphony Orchestra. Active performer: solo, orchestra, chamber music; co-founder of Finger Lakes Strings. Over 15 years teaching experience.
William Hurley - Violin
  M.A. in Violin Performance, Ithaca College. B.A. in Violin Performance, University of South Carolina. Member of Augusta Symphony, Mercersburg Area Orchestra, Cumberland Valley Chamber Players and other ensembles. Over 6 years prior teaching experience.
Joseph Prusch - Violin / Viola / Fiddle
  Fifth-year at Ithaca College, majoring in Viola Performance and Education. Experienced performer in Rock, Folk, Traditional, Historical and Classical music. Former Baroque violist with Les Petits Violons du Cornell. Currently plays with the Orchestra of the Southern Finger Lakes, the Cornell University Middle Eastern Ensemble, the Blue Sky Mission Club, the Urban Horse Thieves, and the 77th NY Regimental Balladeers. Seven years teaching experience.

Voice

Doreen Kelly Alsen
  M.M. in vocal performance, Ithaca College. 20 years teaching experience. Taught Musical Theater at the University of Trier in Germany.
Thom Baker
Active soloist in Ithaca, New York City and nationwide. Long affiliations with several professional ensembles, including Musica Sacra, Voices of Ascension, AmorArtis and the Grammy-nominated a capella ensemble, Pomerium. Seven years prior teaching experience. Also teaches in Cornell's Vocal Coaching Program. Available for parties.
Sharon Costianes
  B.M. in Music, Vocal Performance emphasis combined with sociology. Currently pursuing teacher and practitioner certification in the Feldenkrais Method. Current member of the Cayuga Vocal Ensemble. Four years prior teaching experience of both individuals and groups.
Ivy Buterbaugh Walz
  A mezzo soprano, Ivy Gaibel has performed with the Spoleto, USA festival in Charleston, SC, Des Moines Metro Opera, Syracuse Opera, and is a graduate of the Tri-Cities Opera Resident Artist Training Program. Awards include Artist of the Year-Syracuse Opera, First Place- National Association of Teachers of Singing, The George L. Hinman Award and Guild Scholarships-Tri-Cities Opera. Ms. Gaibel is an alum of Ithaca College MM voice, where she is an assistant professor of voice.
Sherry Scanza
  M.M. in Vocal Performance, B.A. in Music Education, Ohio University. Adjunct vocal instructor and assistant director of University Chorale, Pepperdine University. Associate conductor and managing director of Angel City Chorale, Los Angeles. Performances include frequent solo appearances, recitals and several operatic roles. Currently a member of The Cayuga Vocal Ensemble. Extensive teaching experience.
Elisa Sciscioli
  B.M., Vocal Performance and Music Education, Ithaca College. Former member of IC's College Choir, Women's Chorale and Vocal Jazz ensembles. Performances with the Ithaca Opera Company, Syracuse Opera Company and Syracuse Symphony Orchestra. Prior pre-K, elementary and high school teaching experience. Currently singing with local classic R&B band, The Destination.