ROCKY RIDGE FACULTY & STAFF

Ilona Vukovic-Gay pursues a career as a composer and a performing musician. In the Tucson Symphony Orchestra she is the Young Composer’s Project Instructor, the Assistant Principal Viola and the violist in the TSO String Quartet. She is also on the Arizona Commission on the Arts roster as the violist in the Southwest String Quartet. … Continued

Andrew Campbell has established himself as one of the most versatile collaborative pianists in the United States with a performing career that has taken him to six continents. Recent appearances include a South African concert tour, highlighted by a recital at the Johannesburg International Mozart Festival; a performance of Bach’s keyboard concerto in d minor … Continued

Fred Hammond, born in Venezuela, is currently teaching piano at the Young Pianists Program of the Indiana University and IUPUI Music Academy. He has played in Spain, France, Peru, Mexico, Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela and the United States. Together with his wife Marina Beretta-Hammond, the Hammonds made their debut as a duo in 1991 at the … Continued

Regarded by international critics and audiences alike as an artist of extraordinary musicianship and rare sensibility since his acclaimed solo recital debut at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., pianist Gerardo Teissonnière brings to the concert stage an exciting amalgam of the diverse and important musical traditions he represents, performing in major concert … Continued

Multi-Instrumentalist Greg Tanner Harris leads the “Greg Harris Vibe Quintet,” and is a member of Bluegrass legend Pete Wernick’s Flexigrass, hip-hop/jazz/soul group Future Jazz Project, New World Citizen Band, 9th & Lincoln Orchestra, and SuperCollider. Among his work as a studio musician, he has released 5 albums- Greg Harris Vibe Quintet “Glass Gold,” “Open Space,” … Continued

Since making her stage debut at age 4, Chinese pianist Hsing-ay Hsu (“Sing-I Shoo”) has performed at such notable venues as Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center, and abroad in Asia and Europe. A Steinway Artist, Ms. Hsu is winner of the William Kapell International Piano Competition Silver Medal, the … Continued

James Welch serves on the faculty at the State University of New York at Fredonia as a collaborative pianist and instructor of class piano.  He has accompanied for students and faculty on various instrumental juries and recitals, the accompanying and vocal coaching of the mainstage musicals, and various master classes.  International experiences have included the … Continued

Larry Graham launched his career with numerous successes in piano competitions such as the Kosciusko and Concert Artists Guild auditions. He was winner of the coveted “Prize of the Public” by overwhelming vote at the Queen Elizabeth Concours in Brussels. Graham has performed over 35 different concerti with orchestras and numerous solo engagements. Graham has … Continued

Born in Poland, Magdalena Baczewska [baCHEVska] has enjoyed a multi-faceted career as a pianist, harpsichordist, educator, recording artist, producer, and an administrator, currently serving as Director of the Music Performance Program and Lecturer in Music at Columbia University. The press describes her as a “world-class” musician (The American Record Guide), and a “player of taste … Continued

Marina and Fred Hammond made their debut as a duo in 1991 at the Fifth Latin American Music Festival in Caracas, Venezuela. Since then, they have been committed to promoting contemporary piano music. The Hammonds have given recitals and played with orchestra in the United States, Argentina, Venezuela, and Spain. In 2014, the duo released … Continued

Nathan Hess has appeared throughout the United States and Europe in solo, chamber, and concerto settings. He has soloed with the Manassas Symphony Orchestra, Erie Philharmonic, Erie Chamber Orchestra, Western New York Chamber Orchestra, and York Symphony Orchestra, among others. Recent recital appearances and masterclasses have included the American Liszt Society Festival; The Americas Society in … Continued

Sergio Gallo joined Georgia State University in fall 2006, having previously served as faculty at the University of North Dakota and Millikin University. Dr. Gallo received his degrees from the Conservatoire Européen de Musique in Paris (Diplôme d’Excellence), the Franz Liszt Academy of Budapest, Hungary, the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (Master of Music and Artist … Continued

SoYoung Lee, Executive/Music Director at Rocky Ridge Music Center, received her Doctorate in Musical Arts in Piano Performance from the University of California, Santa Barbara. She has held director positions at Baldwin-Wallace College Conservatory Adult Education & Preparatory Department, Millikin University Preparatory Division, and the Boulder Arts Academy & Boulder Ballet. A strong believer in … Continued

Pianist Tamara Goldstein enjoys a varied career as chamber musician, educator and recitalist. From a musical family, she received her early training at the PreCollege Divisions of the Manhattan School of Music and The Juilliard School before earning performance degrees at Indiana University (BM), The Juilliard School (MM), and the University of Colorado at Boulder … Continued

Adam Flatt, conductor, enjoys a busy and versatile musical presence in three different regions of the United States.  He serves as Music Director of the Colorado Ballet, the Newport Symphony (the Oregon coast’s professional orchestra) and the Tuscaloosa Symphony Orchestra. His prominent presence in the musical life of Colorado extends back many years.  When Marin … Continued

Originally from Detroit, Michigan, Ken Marrs began studying the double bass with Derek Weller and Stuart Sankey.  He received a bachelor’s of music education in choral and instrumental music from Indiana University where he studied bass with Bruce Bransby and Lawrence Hurst.  Ken has performed with the Ann Arbor, Flint, Saginaw Bay, Toledo, and Tucson … Continued

Dave Hammond performed professionally in Boston, South America and Denver before becoming one of the founding music instructors at the Denver School of the Arts (DSA). Under the direction of Mr. Hammond DSA bands have performed at 13 of the last 16 Colorado Music Educators Association conferences, performed 14 times at the CBA State Concert … Continued

Multi-Instrumentalist Greg Tanner Harris leads the “Greg Harris Vibe Quintet,” and is a member of Bluegrass legend Pete Wernick’s Flexigrass, hip-hop/jazz/soul group Future Jazz Project, New World Citizen Band, 9th & Lincoln Orchestra, and SuperCollider. Among his work as a studio musician, he has released 5 albums- Greg Harris Vibe Quintet “Glass Gold,” “Open Space,” … Continued

Aaron’s journey with the bass has followed a varied route. After a childhood spent exploring the electric bass and performing in as many venues as possible, he initially chose not to pursue music full-time, and began attending liberal arts school in Athens, Ohio. It was here, however, that he became introduced to bluegrass and old-time music, and … Continued

Dr. Benjamin received his Bachelor and Masters degree from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music under the instruction of professor Albert Laszlo, and his Doctorate at the University of Colorado at Boulder. He first came to Colorado in 2002 to attend the Aspen Music Festival and School. After attending the AMFS for several years … Continued

Braun Khan is from Mount Pleasant Michigan and began playing the acoustic guitar and the electric bass in high school. He quickly developed a love for music and began performing extensively in church groups and local bands. His experiences ranged from pop/rock to gospel to funk. A few years after taking up the electric bass … Continued

David Evans has been performing country blues (vocal and guitar) since 1962, having learned directly from many southern blues musicians of an older generation. Much of this learning was gained in the course of field research beginning in 1965. Evans is Professor of Music Emeritus at The University of Memphis and is the author of … Continued

David Rife, a native of South Carolina, received a Bachelor of Music Degree in Violin Performance from the Eastman School of Music and a Master of Music Degree in Violin Performance from the New England Conservatory of Music.  He has studied with Donald Weilerstein, Mazuko Ushioda, Jerry Lucktenburg, Dennis Bourret, and members of the Cleveland … Continued

David Rose was born in Regina, Saskatchewan and there began his early musical education and violin study. At the suggestion of his first teacher, Ernest Kassian, David switched to the viola at age 12 and immediately enjoyed the deep, warm sound of this new instrument. A few years later, he became a member of the … Continued

Highly sought after as musician with a wide range of styles and interests, violinist Dawn Dongeun Wohn has performed throughout North and South America, Asia and Europe. She has appeared as a soloist with orchestras such as the Korean Broadcasting Symphony and the Aspen Conducting Orchestra, performed recitals across the world including Carnegie Weill Hall, Alice … Continued

Eric Thompson took up the guitar as a teenager in Palo Alto, California in the early 1960’s, at a time when very few folk guitarists were playing more than basic rhythm guitar. Among his earliest bands were the Black Mountain Boys (with Jerry Garcia and David Nelson) and Mother McCree’s Uptown Jug Champions. He quickly … Continued

Ilona Vukovic-Gay pursues a career as a composer and a performing musician. In the Tucson Symphony Orchestra she is the Young Composer’s Project Instructor, the Assistant Principal Viola and the violist in the TSO String Quartet. She is also on the Arizona Commission on the Arts roster as the violist in the Southwest String Quartet. … Continued

Originally from Detroit, Michigan, Ken Marrs began studying the double bass with Derek Weller and Stuart Sankey.  He received a bachelor’s of music education in choral and instrumental music from Indiana University where he studied bass with Bruce Bransby and Lawrence Hurst.  Ken has performed with the Ann Arbor, Flint, Saginaw Bay, Toledo, and Tucson … Continued

Mary Beth Tyndall is a cellist in the Tucson Symphony Orchestra and performs in the symphony’s string quartet. She is also on the Arizona Commission on the Arts roster as a member of the Southwest String Quartet. As a chamber musician she has performed a wide variety of string quartet works from the classical to … Continued

Singer, fingerpicking guitarist, and lap-slide expert Mary Flower has become an internationally-known player, singer/songwriter, and teacher.  Called “a world-class finger-style guitarist” by Downbeat, Mary, a native of the Midwest, relocated from the  Denver music scene to Portland, Oregon in 2004. She continues to perform full-time at folk festivals and concert stages domestically and abroad, appearances that include … Continued

Guitarist Matt Fuller is an active performer and educator, he teaches jazz guitar at Denver Metro State University. Matt recently relocated back to his home state of Colorado after living in NYC as a freelancing musician and teacher from 2012-2015. His debut album as a leader Waiting for Violet was released in May 2014 and … Continued

Peggy Browning began as a student at the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago, IL in the mid ’90s. There she found a place amidst music with friends and history that would come to be an integral part of her life. Ten years later she was hired to teach and has proudly carried … Continued

In 1956 or ’57, finger-style guitarist Rich Moore saw and heard a guitar for the first time, somewhere on a tourist boat, maybe near Bermuda. And, as fate would have it, that guitar player with the big archtop, a broad smile and a big hat, was also wearing a thumb pick, something that would later … Continued

Cellist Si-Yan Darren Li has appeared in solo and chamber music performances at many renowned concert venues, such as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center, the 92nd Street Y, Victoria Concert Hall (Singapore), Izumi Hall (Osaka), Suntory Hall (Tokyo), National Concert Hall (Taipei), and the Basilica de San Lorenzo (Florence). He has also performed at the Ravinia Festival, the Kronberg … Continued

Musician and writer Stephen Wade has spent nearly his entire life in study of American folklife, uniting the twin strands of scholarship and the creative arts. Growing up in Chicago in the 1950s and 1960s, Wade was exposed to a number of vernacular musicians who had moved north to the city from the Mississippi Delta … Continued

Suzy Thompson is one of the rare musicians today who has mastered the acoustic blues violin, following in the footsteps of Lonnie Chatmon, Clifford Hayes and Eddie Anthony. A powerful blues singer in the styles of Memphis Minnie and Bessie Smith, and a highly respected blues fingerpicking guitarist, Suzy is unique in her ability to combine … Continued

Wynne Wong-Rife has a multi-faceted career as a member of the Tucson Symphony Orchestra, The TSO String Quartet and the Southwest String Quartet. In addition, she teaches a large class of violin students, several of whom have placed in competitions and soloed with local orchestras. After studying with John Ferrell at The University of Arizona … Continued

Lyric Baritone Daniel Ihasz earned a Master of Music degree in Performance and Literature from the Eastman School of Music, along with the prestigious Performer’s Certificate. Since 1992, he has been a member of the voice faculty at the State University of New York at Fredonia where he is currently Full Professor and former Chair … Continued

Derek Granger is the Director of Choirs at Flowing Wells High School in Tucson, Arizona. Under his direction, the Flowing Wells Choirs have maintained an active presence in the community, have earned numerous superior ratings at state and local festivals, and were invited to perform with the University of Arizona Community Chorus (2015) and the Tucson Symphony Orchestra (2016). Past teaching … Continued

Helen Ihasz has 25 years of teaching experience at a variety of levels in general, choral, and instrumental music in the public schools. She received her Bachelor’s of Music Education from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In 1993 she was the recipient of a Summer Fellowship at Northwestern University. Ihasz has been teaching beginning conducting at … Continued

Mollie O’Brien is a singer’s singer. She came to the acoustic music world’s attention through her folk and bluegrass recordings with her brother, Tim O’Brien, and through her performances on 1996’s Grammy winner for Best Bluegrass Album True Life Blues: The Songs of Bill Monroe. In addition she is known for her work on A Prairie … Continued

Peggy Browning began as a student at the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago, IL in the mid ’90s. There she found a place amidst music with friends and history that would come to be an integral part of her life. Ten years later she was hired to teach and has proudly carried … Continued

Scott Glysson is the Director of Choral Activities at West Liberty University in West Liberty, West Virginia. Glysson has been recognized for his achievements in conducting in both the choral and orchestral genres. As the conductor of university, high school and community ensembles, he has performed both nationally and internationally. Under his leadership as the … Continued

Catherine Peterson is second/assistant principal flutist of the Colorado Symphony Orchestra. A regular substitute flutist with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra since 2010, she has performed Afternoon of a Faun at Myerhoff Symphony Hall under the direction of Louis Langree, and toured Carnegie Hall with the BSO under the direction of Marin Alsop. She has also performed with the … Continued

Claudia Anderson is known for her originality and brilliance as a solo and chamber music performer across the U.S. She is a founding member of the innovative flute duo ZAWA! and of New Prairie Camerata, a chamber initiative that showcases a community’s historical and architectural gems through performance and stimulates community participation. A Fulbright scholar … Continued

David Shea currently serves as an Assistant Professor of Clarinet at Texas Tech University, and is also principal clarinet in the Abilene Philharmonic and Lubbock Symphony Orchestras. He has earned degrees from the Oberlin Conservatory (BM), the University of Illinois (MM) and Indiana University (DM). His teachers have been Howard Klug, Lawrence McDonald, Eli Eban, … Continued

An active recitalist and proponent of new music, saxophonist Grant Larson has premiered works for saxophone by Paul, Hanson, Philip Wharton, Chiayu Hsu, Steven Makala, and John Drumheller at regional and national conventions. He is the soprano saxophonist with the Colorado-based Chautauqua Saxophone Quartet and has performed with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra, the Colorado Music Festival Orchestra, … Continued

Jason Lichtenwalter joined the Colorado Symphony as oboist/English hornist in 2002 and has held the same position with the Britt Festival Orchestra since 1998.  Besides prior positions with the Dallas Opera Orchestra (Principal), Honolulu Symphony (2nd/Asst Principal, Acting English Horn), and East Texas Symphony (Principal), he has also performed with the Dallas, Fort Worth, and New World symphonies, the Naples and Boulder philharmonics, Colorado Music Festival Orchestra, … Continued

Principal Oboist of the Colorado Symphony since 1993 and Senior Instructor of Oboe at the University of Colorado at Boulder, Mr. Cooper has also held positions as Associate Principal Oboist of the San Francisco Symphony and Principal Oboist of the Hong Kong Philharmonic. He has performed and taught master classes throughout the United States as … Continued

Bassoonist Rémy Taghavi is an active performer and educator in the New York City area with interests spanning classical, jazz and popular music. Originally from St. Paul, Minnesota, he has performed, toured and recorded with numerous groups and festivals across the US, Canada, Ecuador and Japan, and he recently co-founded the Annapolis Chamber Music Festival … Continued

Dianne Betkowski is an avid performer, teacher, chamber musician and composer who has lived in Denver since 2001.  She has performed, toured and/or recorded with the Saint Louis Symphony, the Utah Symphony, the Honolulu Symphony and the Colorado Symphony, among others.  Her compositions have been performed by such orchestras as the National Symphony, the Rochester … Continued

Fiddler, composer, and storyteller Max Wolpert conjures up monsters and myth where the traditional, classical, and theatrical meet. Drawing from tradition both musical and mythological, Max makes music inspired by stories from around the world.  Whether built upon the verve and bounce of an Irish jig, the endearing asymmetry of a Welsh pipe tune, or … Continued

Margie Patterson has over 25 years teaching experience at all levels. She received her Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees from the University of Colorado, Boulder where she studied with Dr. David Korevaar. A prizewinner in the Simone Belsky Competition, she is in demand as a soloist and collaborative pianist. Many of … Continued

A native of Dallas, Parisa Zaeri maintains an active career as a pianist, conductor, and vocal coach.  Her recent musical engagements include serving as Music Director of Pacific Opera Project’s 2017 La Boheme, as Conductor for Opera Steamboat’s production of The Enchanted Pig by Jonathan Dove, and as Resident Coach/Accompanist of Opera Colorado’s Young Artist Program. Additional special honors include Parisa’s … Continued

SoYoung Lee, Executive/Music Director at Rocky Ridge Music Center, received her Doctorate in Musical Arts in Piano Performance from the University of California, Santa Barbara. She has held director positions at Baldwin-Wallace College Conservatory Adult Education & Preparatory Department, Millikin University Preparatory Division, and the Boulder Arts Academy & Boulder Ballet. A strong believer in … Continued

Pianist Tamara Goldstein enjoys a varied career as chamber musician, educator and recitalist. From a musical family, she received her early training at the PreCollege Divisions of the Manhattan School of Music and The Juilliard School before earning performance degrees at Indiana University (BM), The Juilliard School (MM), and the University of Colorado at Boulder … Continued

Dr. Benjamin received his Bachelor and Masters degree from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music under the instruction of professor Albert Laszlo, and his Doctorate at the University of Colorado at Boulder. He first came to Colorado in 2002 to attend the Aspen Music Festival and School. After attending the AMFS for several years … Continued

Dianne Betkowski is an avid performer, teacher, chamber musician and composer who has lived in Denver since 2001.  She has performed, toured and/or recorded with the Saint Louis Symphony, the Utah Symphony, the Honolulu Symphony and the Colorado Symphony, among others.  Her compositions have been performed by such orchestras as the National Symphony, the Rochester … Continued

Colorado native Ethan Lorentz is a classically trained guitarist who has won awards as both a soloist and a chamber musician.  These have included top prize in the Denver Guitar Competition and 1st prize in the Shark Tank Entrepreneur Competition.  He was also a semi-finalist in the Schadt String Competition, a prizewinner in the Lamont Solo … Continued

Katarina Pliego is currently pursuing a doctorate in cello performance at the University of Northern Colorado, studying with Gal Faganel. She holds a Bachelor of Music degree with honours from Anglia Ruskin University Cambridge (UK) where her teacher was Caroline Bosanquet, and a Master of Music degree in cello performance from the Royal Conservatoire of … Continued

“Keith is a perfect example of what we want in the field: brilliant, hard-working, patient, kind and charismatic.” ~Zachary Carretin, Artistic Director of the Boulder Bach Festival Keith Barnhart is an energetic performer and teacher living in Boulder, Colorado. Adept on multiple instruments, he can be seen and heard performing regularly with the Boulder Bach … Continued

Fiddler, composer, and storyteller Max Wolpert conjures up monsters and myth where the traditional, classical, and theatrical meet. Drawing from tradition both musical and mythological, Max makes music inspired by stories from around the world.  Whether built upon the verve and bounce of an Irish jig, the endearing asymmetry of a Welsh pipe tune, or … Continued

Timothy Cuffman has over a decade of violin and viola teaching experience with students of all ages and levels of experience. He is committed to the progress of his students as well as their enjoyment and appreciation of music. Cuffman has served as a teaching assistant at the University of Iowa, where he earned his … Continued

Jon Bee comes to Rocky Ridge Music Center by way of St. Louis, MO. A longtime musician and thespian, he most recently worked with the Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis, as well as STAGES St. Louis, both in the administrative offices and as a Teaching Artist for the metropolitan area. Identifying as a musician first … Continued

Daniel Nester begun studying the bassoon at the age of 12 in Israel, where he finished his Bachelor of Music degree in the Tel Aviv University, under the guidance of Richard Paley, Mordechai Rechtman, and Gadi Ledderman. Daniel then studied with Judith Farmer at the University of Southern California for his Masters, there winning the … Continued

Dr. Kathryn Eagles is a flutist and educator from Fairbanks, Alaska. She holds both a BM and MA from the University of Alaska Fairbanks, and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Colorado Boulder. Her primary teachers include Dorli McWayne and Christina Jennings. In addition to her studies at the university, she … Continued

Clarinetist Kellan Toohey is an avid performer whose varied career includes recitals and solo appearances, chamber music, teaching, and orchestral playing. He holds a DMA from the University of Colorado and his teachers include Daniel Silver, Bil Jackson, and Jon Manasse. An active orchestral player, Mr. Toohey currently holds the positions of Principal clarinetist in the Boulder … Continued

Kim has lived in Boulder since 2001. She moved here from Chicago, where she played in numerous orchestras throughout the whole metro area. She taught at North Park University and Valparaiso University, as well as private students in her home. She earned a Bachelor of Music degree from St. Olaf College in Minnesota, and continued … Continued

Teresita Lozano is a PhD candidate in ethnomusicology at the University of Colorado Boulder. A native of the El Paso, Texas – Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua borderland and daughter of Mexican immigrants, Teresita engages in music research that explores the relationship between music, Diaspora, and inherited memory in the construction of multicultural identities. Teresita has a … Continued