Conservatory Faculty(in alphabetical order)
| Peter Arnsteinpiano | |
| BM, Manhattan School of Music; MM, University of Illinois; DMA University of Wisconsin-Madison | |
| Dr. Arnstein is well known in the Twin Cities area as a pianist and composer. He has often served as pianist and harpsichordist with the Minnesota Orchestra, and has accompanied many members of the Twin Cities’ two main orchestras and college music faculties. A winner of international competitions in both composition and piano, he has toured the Midwest as pianist and composer-in-residence for the Sylmar Chamber Ensemble, was a frequent pianist with the Macalester Trio. Dr. Arnstein’s compositions include more than a hundred chamber music works, hundreds of piano solos and duets, and music for orchestra and chorus. His music has been published in both the United States and Europe. More at www.peterarnstein.com | |
| Paul BoehnkeHarpsichord and Baroque Ensemble | |
| As harpsichordist, organist, and conductor, Paul Boehnke specializes in the performance of Baroque music. In 2007 he was appointed Artistic Director of the Bach Society of Minnesota. With that organization Mr. Boehnke leads professional performances of the music of J. S. Bach and Bach's colleagues. He also leads day-long workshops for amateurs in which participants learn and perform a Bach cantata in one day. Mr. Boehnke's other performances include appearances at the National Music Museum, Chatanooga Chamber Music in San Francisco, the joint conference of the Southeast, Midwest, and Western Early Keyboard Societies, Madison Early Music Festival, Tucson Early Music Society, numerous appearances at the University of Minnesota's Bach Festival, as well as concerts in Denmark. He has performed with the Newberry Consort, Second City Music, and the Lyra Baroque Orchestra. Mr. Boehnke has led masterclasses locally and as far away as Seoul, South Korea. He has recorded for Centaur Records. His major teachers include Jacques Ogg (Academie voor Oude Muziek, Amsterdam) and Robert Clark (Arizona State University). Mr. Boehnke also serves as organist/choir director at Olivet Congregational Church in St. Paul, Minnesota. | |
| Koralynn Boisvertearly childhood | |
| As a licensed teacher and daycare provider, Koralynn Boisvert has been teaching music and movement to children and adults for nineteen years in many different environments. She received her Bachelor of Music in Education from the University of Minnesota, and has continued her studies with ongoing training in Musikgarten, Orff techniques, sign language, and child development. She teaches regularly in area schools, churches, and her private studio, where she gives individual and group cello, piano, violin, and guitar lessons. Mrs. Boisvert is part of multiple local performance groups, including the Roseville String Ensemble, where she plays in the cello and violin sections, and serves on the Board of Directors. In addition to making music with her friends and family, she enjoys biking, reading, and gardening in her free time. She believes that music is "caught," as well as taught, and is always excited to help parents and children learn to love, experience, and create music together. | |
| Karen Brooksbassoon | |
| M.M., New England Conservatory of Music. B.M., Music Education, University of Lowell | |
| Ewa Bujakviolin | |
| MA, Academy of Music (Warsaw, Poland); MM, University of Minnesota | |
| Born in Krakow, Poland, Ewa began playing the violin at age seven, continuing a long family tradition and surrounded by centuries-old European culture. She received her Master’s Degree, magna cum laude, from Wyzsza Szkola Muzyczna in Warsaw. Following a 2-year engagement with the Orchestra of the Lyric Opera of Warsaw, she joined the Veracruz Symphony and later Mexico City Philharmonic. In Mexico City, Ewa was also engaged as a soloist with Sinfonia Varsovia. Ewa later joined the Los Angeles Philharmonic Institute Orchestra where she enjoyed working with such conductors as Michael Tilson–Thomas, Kurt Masur, Klaus Tennstedt, and Leonard Bernstein. Her musical journeys also took her to Ann Arbor, where she studied with the legendary violinist Camilla Wicks, and finally to the Twin Cities, where she graduated from the University of Minnesota with a Master’s of Music Degree under the guidance of Roland Vamos, and where she has received extensive Suzuki Pedagogy Training. In the Twin Cities she has performed with Minnesota Opera, Vocal Essence and is an active freelance musician. Ewa is on the faculties of St. Joseph’s School of Music, the Saint Paul Conservatory of Music, Concordia University and the College of St. Catherine, where she is also the director of the String Chamber Orchestra. Ewa maintains a full teaching studio at St. Joseph’s School of Music, where she has taught for nineteen years. Her students have won school–wide competitions and have been members of MYS and GTCYS youth orchestras. Ewa's hobby and other passion is playing and dancing the Argentinean Tango. | |
| Max Corcoransaxophone | |
| Max Corcoran graduated Summa Cum Laude from McNally Smith College of Music with a B.A. in Woodwind Performance. He has been teaching at the conservatory since July, 2010. He has also been teaching music at Highland Park Jr. High. Max has played with various musicians, including Sheila E, across many genres. He has also started his own project, which can be found at www.maxcproject.com <http://www.maxcproject.com> . | |
| Kim Craigpiano | |
| BA cum laude, San Jose State Universtiy, MA (music), University of Minnesota; Doctoral Studies in piano, University of Minnesota | |
| Kim Craig received a B.A. degree with honors from San Jose State University, where she studied with Aiko Onishi. She studied with Alexander Braginsky at the University of Minnesota, where she received an M.M. degree, and has done doctoral work at the University with Lydia Artymix. Craig, first place winner of the Northern California Piano Competition, has performed numerous solo recitals, including her own stage production of Babar the Elephant with MPR’s Eric Friesen and participated in the Schubert Club Metro Artists Series at Landmark Center. She has adjudicated for numerous organizations and her students have been prize winners in competitions sponsored by the Chopin Society, Schubert Club, Minnesota Music Teachers Association, Thursday Musical and the Music Teachers National Association | |
| Julie Elhardviola da gamba | |
| BA, Concordia College; Performing Artist's Certificate, The Royal Conservatory of Music - The Hague, Netherlands | |
| Julie Elhard appears regularly as a soloist and chamber musician and has made several appearances with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, including performing Bach's St. Matthew Passion under the direction of Nicholas McGegan. She has been a guest artist with Apollo's Fire in Cleveland and is a founding member of Violes Egales and Glorious Revolution Baroque. Ms. Elhard also performs regularly with Lyra Baroque Orchestra in the Twin Cities. She was awarded a Jerome Foundation grant to study vielle and early string playing with Margriet Tindemans and received a Performing Artist Certificate from the Royal Conservatory of Music in The Hague, Netherlands. Ms. Elhard has taught at workshops in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and at the Viola da Gamba Society of America's national Conclaves. Currently, she teaches viola da gamba at the Saint Paul Conservatory of Music where she has created a Suzuki-style program for children to learn the viola da gamba. | |
| Cléa Galhanorecorder & Baroque Ensemble conductor | |
| BM, College Santa Marcelina, Sao Paulo, Brazil; Composition Studies, University of Sao Paulo, Brazil; MM, New England Conservatory of Music, Fulbright Scholar; Post Graduate Studies, The Royal Conservatory of Music - The Hague, Netherlands | |
| Internationally renowned recorder player Clea Galhano is an accomplished performer of early, contemporary and Brazilian music. Galhano has performed in the United States, Canada, South America and Europe as a chamber musician, collaborating with recorder player Marion Verbruggen, Belladonna,Lanzelotte/Galhano Duo and the Galhano/ Montgomery Duo and Jacques Ogg. As a featured soloist, Galhano has worked with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra conducted by Christopher Hogwood , Nicholas McGegan and Emmanuelle Haim, Lyra Baroque Orchestra and New World Symphony. Among other important music festivals, Ms. Galhano has performed at the Boston Early Music Festival, and the Tage Alter Music Festival in Germany. A popular teacher and ensemble director, Galhano regularly conducts workshops across the United States and Brazil. | |
| Nick Haasguitar & Rock Ensemble coach | |
| BM, Hamline University | |
| Nick Haas (guitar) holds a degree in Guitar Performance from Hamline University, where he studied with David Crittendon; other instructors include Joel Shapira and Scott Mateo Davies. A popular jazz guitarist, Nick's work with the Nick Haas Trio, the Jessie Bryan Quartet, the Just Friends Big Band, and other ensembles has led to performances at the Dakota Jazz Club, the Artist's Quarter, Hell's Kitchen, and many other Twin Cities venues. He also enjoys solo work, and teaches at the Saint Paul Conservatory of Music where he is also involved in the Conservatory's satellite program in the Saint Paul Public Schools. | |
| Asako Hirabayashiharpsichord & continuo | |
| Composer and harpsichordist, Asako Hirabayashi’s first recording on Albany Label, whose program is entirely composed and played by herself, was selected as one of the 5 best classical CDs of the year 2010 by Minneapolis Star Tribune. It was described as “A superb player, is also a gifted creator of music” (The Diapason, 2010),“A strong case for her instrument's third-millennium credentials…the best harpsichordist. A delight!”(Minneapolis Star Tribune, 2010),“Twenty-four tracks of passionate, sparkling, lyrical, even poignant music to help secure the harpsichord’s presence in the new millennium.” (Fanfare, 2010) “…charming, unreservedly melodic, poignant and lighthearted”(American Record Guild, 2010) “ Her contemporary harpsichord music is ingenious, fanciful, diverse and unpretentious… I admit I’ve never been a fan of the harpsichord, she has changed all that for me and awakened me to the idea that a composer can reinvent an instrument…” (Fanfare, 2010) As a harpsichordist, she has appeared as a guest featured soloist in international festivals and music series worldwide, including her New York debut recital at Carnegie Hall, the Boston Early Music Festival, the International Bach Festival in Ukraine, the International Contemporary Music Festival “Contrasts” in Ukraine, the Festival Musicale delle Nazioni in Rome, Italy, the concert series at Palais du Pharo in Marseille, France, the Bach Society of Minnesota, the Schubert Club Concert Series etc. She won numerous grants and awards including the 2009 -10 McKnight Fellowship for Performing Musicians, the Irene Diamond Scholarship from the Juilliard School, and the Fund for U.S. Artists at International Festivals and Exhibitions. Her performances have been broadcast worldwide and she appeared as a guest solo performer on A Prairie Home Companion in 2009. As a composer, she won several first prizes at international composition competitions, such as the Alienor International Harpsichord Composition Competition and NHK International Song Writing Competition in Japan, and awarded Subito grant from American Composers Forum. Her works have been published by Skyline publications Inc. and Tundradogs Music Publishing Inc. and have been performed worldwide. She has taught classes and given lecture recitals at the Juilliard School, Miami University, the University of Kentucky, Northern Kentucky University, and the International Bach Festival in Sumy, Ukraine, the Tchaikovsky National Academy of Music in Kiev, Sumy Conservatory in Ukraine and Northern Kentucky University, the University of Minnesota. She serves as vice president of Midwestern Historical Keyboard Society, and is a founder and a harpsichordist of Cincinnati Baroque Orchestra, Duo Libero, Duo Tastiera and Ladyslipper. She holds Bachelors and Masters degrees in composition from the Aichi Art University in Japan and Doctoral degree in harpsichord performance from the Juilliard School. | |
| Ora Itkinpiano | |
| BM, Tel Aviv University; MM Hebrew University of Jerusalem | |
| Ora Itkin was born in Moscow where she started piano lessons at the age of four under the guidance of her father, an accomplished jazz musician. After graduating from Moscow Academy of Music she emigrated to Israel where she continued her music education and graduated from Tel-Aviv University and Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Ms. Itkin was awarded an educational grant from the American Israeli Cultural Foundation. Internationally, and has performed in Russia, Israel, Belgium, Czech Republic, Cyprus, and Italy. She has also been heard live on public radio in Russia and Israel. Ms. Itkin has performed as a soloist and chamber musician in prestigious venues of the Twin Cities including the Schubert Club, and at Sundin Hall, Janet Wallace Fine Arts Center, Temple Israel, and the University of Minnesota’s “Bravo Festival”, among others. Ms. Itkin is currently on the piano faculty at the University of St. Thomas and the Saint Paul Conservatory of Music, and maintains a private piano studio. Recently she was a guest performer and clinician at the Second Caribbean Festival of Humanities, and the Latin American Composers Forum. Ms. Itkin is co-Artistic Director of "Muse" Salon, a chamber ensemble. Her experience of living among different cultures, combined with her passion for music, literature, arts, and philosophy led to the development of recreating the old time European tradition of the Salon. | |
| Sten Johnsontrumpet | |
| BM, McNally Smith College of Music | |
| Sten Johnson graduated from summa cum laude McNally Smith College of Music with a B.M in Trumpet Performance. While at McNally he studied with some of the Twin Cities’ finest musicians, including hornmen Dave Jensen, Pete Whitman, and Jim Marentic. Around the Twin Cities Sten has performed with acclaimed groups such as Salsabrosa, The Jack Brass Band, and K Libre 24. As part of his work in the Minneapolis Latin scene, Sten has also performed with salsa and Latin Music legends Frankie Negron and Sheila E. Besides being a performer, he is also an active composer and arranger. Sten’s music is featured in several salsa bands in Minneapolis as well as his own group The Black Heralds Quartet. | |
| Elizabeth Kenopiano | |
| BA, Whitworth College; MA, University of illinois; Dalcroze training, Longy School of Music | |
| Betsy Keno is a teacher of piano, Dalcroze Eurythmics, and piano pedagogy. Her musical influences include piano study with Margaret Ott at Whitworth University, Spokane, WA (BA), and the Dalcroze program developed by Lisa Parker and Anne Farber at Longy School in Cambridge, MA (Dalcroze Certificate). Betsy is also active as a free-lance accompanist. | |
| Ivan Konevpiano and music theory | |
| Ivan Konev graduated from the Russian Academy of Music in Moscow, Russia. He later came to study piano and liberal arts at Hamline University in Saint Paul, Minnesota, where he completed a Master of Arts degree in Liberal Studies (2006). In 2010, Ivan completed his Doctoral degree in Piano Performance from the University of Minnesota, where he studied with Alex Braginsky. Ivan has been a prizewinner of numerous piano competitions, including the Andorra International Piano Competition, Corpus Christi International Piano Competition, Schubert Club Scholarship Competition, University of Minnesota School of Music Concerto Competition, and the Bell Scholarship Competition. | |
| Rena Krautclarinet | |
| BM and BA, Northwestern University; MM, Rice University; DMA, University of Minnesota | |
| Rena Kraut is Adjunct Professor of Clarinet at St. Cloud State University and Augsburg College. She received her D.M.A. from the University of Minnesota, where she studied with Burt Hara, and she holds degrees from Rice and Northwestern Universities. Dr. Kraut has held positions with various orchestras including the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra, the Duluth-Superior Symphony Orchestra, and the Sarasota and Des Moines Metro Opera Orchestras. She performs frequently with the Minnesota Orchestra and recently appeared as a guest artist with ensembles in Minnesota and Michigan. Dr. Kraut is in demand as a clinician at several area schools and also serves on the faculty of the Saint Paul Conservatory of Music. Rena directs the SPCM Clarinet Choir, and is the director of our summer Children's Music Workshop. | |
| Oleg Levinpiano | |
| Diploma with honors, College of Music, Mogilev, Belorussia; BA, University of Minnesota; DMA, University of Minnesota | |
| Pianist Oleg Levin,a member of the Saint Paul Conservatory of Music piano faculty, received his DMA in piano performance at the University of Minnesota with esteemed professor Alexander Braginsky. Oleg maintains an active performance schedule, which includes the Conservatory Coffee Concerts, the Schubert Club, and the Thursday Musical Series. | |
| Marc LevineBaroque Violin | |
| Marc Levine's (violin) versatile performances have been described as "eloquent as well as technically superb combining technical mastery with emotional perceptiveness and beautiful sound" (Southampton Press). He is artistic director of the Southampton Cultural Center Chamber Music Series, has performed at Carnegie Hall and Symphony Space, and has been a member of several notable groups including the Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble, the YouTube Symphony Orchestra, and The New Tango Project, with whom he recorded in collaboration with the Center for Contemporary Opera. As a baroque violinist, Marc was a prizewinner in the 2008 American Bach Soloists International Competition for Baroque Violin and has performed with top baroque ensembles, including Concert Royal, the Lyra Baroque Orchestra, the Aulos Ensemble, and Early Music New York, a group with which he has served as principal 2nd violin and recorded on the Ex Cathedra label. Marc is a founding member of the baroque ensemble Flying Forms, known for innovative, interdisciplinary performances and considered "names to watch" (Berkshire Review for the Arts) and "the bright future of early music" (Arthur Haas, harpsichord). Marc teaches privately and is on the faculty of the Saint Paul Conservatory of Music. Marc holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Stony Brook University and Master and Bachelor of Music degrees from Indiana University. His teachers include Pamela Frank, Ani Kavafian, and Franco Gulli. On baroque violin, Marc has played in master class or studied privately with: Cynthia Roberts, Monica Huggett, Robert Mealy, Dana Maiben, Marc Destrubé, Michael Sand, and Elizabeth Blumenstock. | |
| Marita Linkvoice | |
| BM, Indiana University | |
| Marita Link has been teaching voice at the Conservatory since 2002. She's a cantor, section leader and director of the women’s Gregorian chant schola at St. Louis Church in downtown St. Paul. She performs regularly with the Ensemble Singers of VocalEssence and Ensemble Polaris, and is co-director of Virgin Ground, a women's vocal trio. She also sings with the Waltham Abbey Singers and Consortium Carissimi, and conspires upon other early music projects. Marita has a voice performance degree from Indiana University, studied at Westminster Choir College, and is an Interlochen alum of both the camp and academy. Over the years in the Twin Cities she's also sung with the Dale Warland Singers, the Rose Ensemble, Ex Machina Baroque Opera Company, the Lyra Concert and the Gregorian Singers. | |
| Mag McDermottirish fiddle | |
| Mag McDermott has an extensive background in Irish fiddle, including both performance and teaching. Her repertoire spans old and new, from incendiary reels to soulful airs. She is devoted to educating youth in playing proficiency, confidence in performance, and musical group camaraderie on the violin and viola. She uses a wide range of musical material and has developed a unique instructional approach for groups and individuals. Her playing can be heard on a number of recordings, and she delights in performance, from concert settings to ceili dance, illuminating the range of Irish fiddle. | |
| Patricia McPhersonpiano | |
| BM, Boston University; MM, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill | |
| Patricia McPherson is an active soloist and chamber musician in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area. Her solo performances have included appearances with the Minnetonka Symphony Orchestra, the Eastern Music Festival Young Artist Orchestras, the Raleigh Symphony, and the University of North Carolina Symphony. Ms. McPherson has appeared at the Oregon Piano Festival and was a regional winner and national finalist in the Music Teacher’s National Association Young Artist Competition. McPherson holds a M.M. degree from UNC-Chapel Hill and a B.M. from Boston University where she was a student of Bela Nagy. She also was a faculty member of the Eastern Music Festival in Greensboro, North Carolina, where she supervised the festival’s accompanying program. Currently on the faculty of the Saint Paul Conservatory of Music, as well as maintaining a private studio at home, Ms. McPherson collaborates with several Twin Cities choirs, including the Minnetonka Chamber Choir and Symphony Chorus, the Apollo Male Chorus and Partners in Praise Girls Choir. | |
| Natalia Moiseevaviolin | |
| Violinist Natalia Moiseeva was born in Orel, Russia. She holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Violin Performance from the Musical College of Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory, and a Master of Music degree from Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory. Her teachers were Viktor Meleshin and Sergey Girshenko. She holds a Doctoral degree in Violin Performance from the University of Minnesota, where she studied with Sally O’Reilly. Natalia has won a number of competitions, including several National Youth Competitions in Russia, the University of Minnesota Concerto Competition (2009), and the Kenwood Symphony’s Concerto Competition (2009) with whom she performed as soloist. Natalia also often performs as a substitute player with with the Minnesota Orchestra and the Minnesota Opera. She recently performed Beethoven’s Triple Concerto under the baton of Mark Russell Smith, and enjoys an active chamber music schedule, often performing with her husband, pianist Ivan Konev. When not busy with her musical life, Natalia enjoys reading and the companionship of her cat, Kuzya. | |
| Laura Nortwenoboe | |
| BM, University of Iowa, MM, University of Minnesota | |
| Oboist Laura Nortwen is also the Administrative Associate of the Saint Paul Conservatory of Music. Prior to her appointment, she was the office manager and oboe specialist at Midwest Musical Imports, a double reed specialty shop which serves the national and international double reed communities. Laura earned her Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Iowa and her Master of Music Degree from the University of Iowa. Her teachers have included Rachel Brudnoy, James Lakin, Carl Holub and Rhadames Angelucci. An avid freelance performer, she has performed with many ensembles over the past 25 years, including the Joffrey Ballet, New York City Ballet, American Ballet Theater, Bolshoi Ballet, Minnesota Sinfonia, Minnesota Opera, and numerous chamber music groups. She was tenured oboe instructor at Gustavus Adolphus College for 12 years, and has also taught at Bethel College and in the Owatonna School system. Laura has often served as an adjudicator for musical organizations, including the Schubert Club, Minnesota Orchestra WAMSO and YPSCA Competitions, Thursday Musical, Minnetonka Orchestral Association, and the Greater Twin Cities Youth Symphonies. Besides working with the SPCM, she also maintains a small private oboe studio in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Laura looks forward to one day using all of her old reed shavings to fuel a very nice fire in her outdoor firepit. | |
| Jean Allison Olsonrecorder | |
| BA, Bethel College; Graduate Studies in musicology, University of Minnesota | |
| Leif Petersenviolin | |
| Violinist and teacher Leif Petersen has been involved with the Suzuki method since the age of 4 when he began taking lessons with Janet Fuller at the Suzuki Institute of Seattle. Now a dedicated teacher of the Suzuki method, Leif teaches private and group lessons at the St. Paul Conservatory of Music. Leif studied Suzuki Pedagogy, covering books 1-10, at the University of Minnesota with renowned teacher Mark Bjork in addition to studying violin performance with Sally O'Reilly. At the University of South Carolina Leif studied with Dr. William Terwilliger and was the winner of the University of South Carolina Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition. Earning his Bachelor of Music degree in violin performance from the University of Montana, Leif studied with Dr. Margaret Baldridge and was the winner of the University of Montana Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition. As a member of the Blue Mountain Piano Trio, Leif traveled to Toronto as a finalist in the MTNA National Chamber Music Competition. Leif has also performed in master classes for internationally renowned artists such as Midori, Monica Huggett, and William Preucil. | |
| Kari Petersonpiano | |
| BS (education), Concordia College; MM (education), University of Michigan | |
| Pianist Kari Peterson received her Bachelor's degree from Concordia College, and her Master's degree from the University of Michigan, where she studied music education, piano performance, and piano pedagogy. She has received fellowships from the Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs and the Minnesota Humanities Commission to study the arts in education. Her students are active in piano and composition competitions in the Twin Cities. Kari also teaches music at Somerset Elementary School in Saint Paul, MN. | |
| Elena Piastropiano | |
| Diploma, Belorussian State Conservatoire, Russia | |
| Originally from St. Petersburg, Russia, Elena studied at the Music Conservatory of Minsk, Russia, and taught at the Okhtinski Center for Arts in St. Petersburg. A devoted follower of the old Russian classical piano teaching tradition, many of her Russian and American students have won local and international competitions, and have performed professionally around the world. Elena teaches at the Saint Paul Conservatory of Music, and maintains an extensive piano studio at home. An avid educator, Elena has organized many cultural exchange programs, creative events, and is Director of the popular SPCM All Around the Piano Festival. Website: www.elenapiastro.com Email: elena@elenapiastro.com | |
| Annie Richardsonflute & Suzuki flute | |
| Flutist Annie Richardson received her Bachelor of Music in performance from East Tennessee State University. Ms. Richardson also completed additional undergraduate performance studies at Indiana University in Bloomington. Principal flute instructors include Nancy Osteraas, Rebecca Paluzzi, Jacques Zoon, Barbara Kallaur (baroque flute) and Kate Lukas. Ms. Richardson has performed in masterclass with Toshio Takahashi, Samuel Baron, Bart Feller, George Pope, Emmanuel Pahud, Susan Hoeppner, and Flute Force. Additionally, Ms. Richardson has completed extensive Suzuki flute training and has taught at MacPhail Center for Music, Levine School of Music, East Metro Music Academy, Washington International School and is currently teaching at the Saint Paul Conservatory of Music. Richardson has performed with orchestras, flute choirs and chamber music ensembles in Tennessee, DC, Maryland and Minnesota and currently performs with the Minnetonka Symphony Orchestra. | |
| Emily RolkaSuzuki Violin | |
| BM, University of Michigan; MFA, University of Iowa | |
| Emily Rolka is a DMA (Doctoral of Musical Arts) at the University of Minnesota studying with Mark Bjork. Born and raised in Michigan, Emily began violin as a Suzuki student at age six. She made her solo debut with the Toledo Symphony in 2002 after being a winner of the Toledo Youth Competition. Since then Emily has performed across the country, Italy, and toured Bulgaria. In 2009, Emily was a Finalist in the Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp Staff solo competition and the University of Iowa Concerto competition playing the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto. With interests in many genres of music, Emily studied Jazz improv and film music at the Henry Mancini Institute in Los Angeles, recording a CD with the orchestra in the Warner Brothers Studios. As a chamber musician, Emily was a member of the Aiyanna Piano Quartet for over two years and gave recitals and outreach performances. As a teacher, Emily has completed "Every Child Can" with Geri Arnold in Michigan and Suzuki books 1-4 with Christie Felsing at the Pruecil School of Music in Iowa City. Emily has taught a Master Class at Bethal College in Kansas and loves teaching all levels. Her MFA thesis is titled "The Visual Journey: Strategies and Techniques for Memorizing Music for Musicians with Dyslexia or Auditory Memory Challenges." Growing up with dyslexia, Emily has a special passion for working with children that have learning challenges. Passionate about music from baroque all the way to new music, Emily dedicates her time as a DMA candidate at the University of Minnesota, teaching, and performing. During her vacations, Emily loves traveling and being outdoors. | |
| Wendy Tangen-Fosterviolin | |
| BS (music), University of Idaho; MM, University of Wisconsin - River Falls | |
| Dedicated to the Suzuki Approach, Wendy Tangen-Foster has been teaching Suzuki private and group lessons for ten years. Wendy has studied Suzuki Pedagogy with such renowned teachers as Joanne Bath, Ronda Cole, Alice Joy Lewis, Nancy Lokken, Edmund Sprunger, and Craig Timmerman. She has completed Suzuki Violin Teacher Development Units 1 through 5, Violin Practicum, Books 1-4 Overview, Books 1-6 Overview, and Every Child Can. An avid performer, Wendy has studied chamber music with the Philadelphia String Quartet, the Lafayette String Quartet, and the Apple Hill Chamber Players and has performed as a first violinist with the Washington-Idaho Symphony, the Eau Claire Chamber Orchestra, and the Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra in the Twin Cities. Wendy’s interest and expertise expands beyond classical, having studied jazz violin and improvisation with Randy Sabien. | |
| Jeannie Trellescello | |
| BA, University of Minnesota; MM, University of Minnesota | |
| Jeannie Trelles began her studies of the cello with Anna Vazquez at the age of eight. When in high school, she began studying with Tanya Remenikova at the University of Minnesota. She graduated from the U of M with a BM degree in Cello Performance and a BA in Spanish. Jeannie continued her studies with Professor Remenikova and earned her MM in Cello Performance. Jeannie began teaching cello lessons in 1998. While attending the U of M, she studied traditional cello pedagogy with Professor Remenikova. Jeannie had always been interested in the Suzuki Method, and in 2008 and 2009 she attend the International Suzuki Festival in Lima, Peru. There she studied Suzuki pedagogy with Nancy Hair and Beth Goldstein-McKee. In addition to teaching at the SPCM, Jeannie maintains a large private studio in Minneapolis and Golden Valley and teaches a beginning cello group at Hale Elementary. Jeannie enjoys teaching and performing as a freelance musician. When she is not teaching, she manages the Bean Factory coffee shop in St. Paul and designs and makes jewelry for her jewelry line, Vikse. | |
| Sandy Watermanearly childhood | |
| BS Music Education University of Minnesota | |
| SANDY WATERMAN is a music educator of children, teens, and adults, teaching Early Childhood Music classes, general music classes in schools, private (traditional and Suzuki) and group piano lessons, and creating original children's musicals. She also serves as co-director of music for Living Spirit UMC in Minneapolis, directing an adult vocal ensemble and a world drumming ensemble as well as accompanying all solo musicians there. Trained as a classical pianist, she embraces all genres of music, including jazz, New Age, folk, blues, rock, and more. Sandy earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Music Education from the University of Minnesota, and earned teaching certification for K-12 general music in Minnesota. Using improvisation as a springboard for her teaching, she also calls on those gifts in an all-female jazz trio, ELBOW ROOM, and a classic rock cover band, ONE IN A ROW, as a keyboardist. Recent guitar and folk harp study have her excited about the never-ending possibilities in music! She has worked for the Saint Paul Conservatory since about 2009. | |
Conservatory Staff
Cléa Galhano
Executive Artistic Director
Laura Nortwen
Administration Associate
Elaine Evans
Administration Associate
Executive Artistic Director
Laura Nortwen
Administration Associate
Elaine Evans
Administration Associate