Tenor Vincent Festa holds degrees in Vocal Performance from The Juilliard School, Bard College, and Indiana University. While at Indiana University Vincent was an Assistant Instructor, teaching undergraduate private voice lessons to non-degree majors. It was this experience as well as a growing private studio that has developed his teaching range of repertoire from art song, opera, musical theater, and contemporary styles. Every voice has something unique to share but it is with a solid foundation and clear goal that a student’s development unfolds.

Aleksandar Reupert, bass, has been recognized for his diverse abilities in opera, recital, and choruses both in the Midwest and abroad. Recent performances include Mahler’s Symphony no. 2 with Chicago Sinfonietta and the role of Bartolo in Le nozze di Figaro at Stavovské divadlo in Prague. Aleksandar’s passion for song can be seen in his recitals which span diverse genres, languages, and time periods; including collaborations with notable living composers.

A graduate of The Curtis Institute of Music in Opera, Alize Rozsnyai is a professional singer and actor who performs internationally, and has premiered countless works. She is co-founder of Alter Ego Chamber Opera and former lead vocalist of the band, The Fancy Balloons.

Praised for his “dark, rolling baritone“(Münchener Merkur) and “soft and compact timber“(Corriere del Ticino), Italian baritone Nicola Ziccardi is a sought-after performer throughout Europe. Under the baton of Maestro Gustav Kuhn, Ziccardi had become a regular member of the Tiroler Festspiele Erl. In February 2018 He made his debut in Teatro La Fenice of Venice in Die Lustige Witwe directed by Damiano Michieletto and conducted by Montanari...

Alison Bieber, soprano, is a graduate of the Boston Conservatory at Berklee and holds a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance. Alison has formal training in Opera and Musical Theater, with recent interests in Cabaret and Jazz. Her passion for music began as a young singer/songwriter, influenced by classic rock, pop, and country music. She has experience accommodating her music instruction to an array of different disabilities and severity levels.

Jazz vocalist Rosalie Swana has been teaching a wide range of students for five years, ages ranging from 3 to over 65. The daughter of Philadelphia’s renowned Jazz trumpeter John Swana, Rosalie came up fully immersed in Philadelphia’s rich Jazz culture. She started singing at the age of 3 and then pursued trumpet. Shortly after, Swana began studying piano at the Curtis Institute of Music and continued until she was 18. Throughout high school, Rosalie sang as well as played trumpet in various Jazz programs throughout the greater Philadelphia are

Izaya Perrier is a PNW Native singer now based in New York City. In his earlier years of singing Izaya spent a lot of time studying and singing Jazz and Musical Theater before he found his true passion for Classical Music. For his undergraduate studies he attended the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music and studied under Timothy Noble. Izaya has always found that variety and flexibility in singing is very important. When teaching vocal technique he uses music of different genres to solidify vocal strength and confidence in students.

Flávia Darcie (she/her) is a Brazilian Mezzo-Soprano based in New York City. She holds a Master's Degree of Music in Voice from New York University and a Bachelor's degree of Music in Conducting from a university in São Paulo, where she was born and raised. She has been teaching voice for over 5 years, all music genres, and her goal as a music teacher is to help people develop and unlock their creativity while giving them strong pillars to do so. She creates a safe and nurturing environment where the student feels inspired to explore their own voice.

Marina Poplavskaya Guedouar has performed on stage since 1990, at first with the Bolshoi Theater children choir, and then, in 1997, she became a soloist with the New Opera in Moscow, where she performed under the leadership of Maestro E.Kolobov. Later, in 2001 she became the lead soloist at the Stanislavsky and Nemirovitch Danchenko Musical Theater. Since 1996 she has won numerous international competitions, including Maria Callas Grand Prix in 2005. Marina has helped artists and young singers to prepare for roles, graduate, and prepare for auditions.

Hailing from Perth, Western Australia, Elena has performed with internationally acclaimed Philadelphia Orchestra, English National Opera, West Australian Opera, Opera Philadelphia in iconic venues such as Carnegie Hall, Apollo theater, Mann Center, Kimmel Center and Supreme Court Gardens. Equally as passionate off stage for teaching, Elena encourages students to find their inner voice and promotes techniques to build confidence so they can find security to express their natural artistic talent in all genres of music.

Salam has studied with professors of Russia's Tchaikovsky Conservatory, France's Conservatoire National Supérieur de Lyon, and is a graduate of Oberlin College & Conservatory with degrees in viola performance and international relations. His effective violin & viola teaching methodologies are tailored to each students’ technical and musical goals. He relies heavily on establishing a powerful technique foundation for his students that makes playing any piece easy and effortless.

Corinna Canzian is a graduate from Triest Conservatorio, HfMDK Frankfurt am Main and Lucerne Musikhochschule, where she holds a BA in Violin, Master in Contemporary Music, Master in Violin Performance and Master in Solo Performance. She appears regularly in orchestras, chamber music groups and as a soloist all over Europe.

Praised for her “enchanting musical personality” ~ de Volkskrant violinist Tosca Opdam is among the most prominent artists to have emerged from the Netherland in recent years . Dividing her time between the US and Europe, she embraces the idiosyncratic qualities of both cultural worlds to enrich a personal expressiveness in music. Tosca received her Masters of Music at the Juilliard School of Music, studying with Catherine Cho and Sylvia Rosenberg. She received her Bachelors of Music at the Manhattan School of Music where she studied with Patinka Kopec.

Atlanta native Erin Pitts has studied the violin and the viola for 13 years. A recent graduate of the Juilliard school, she now is returning to get her master's degree at the Juilliard School. Erin has much experience with kids from when she started her own private studio based in Atlanta from 2013-present. Erin is able to offer a unique teaching experience to her students that curates the musical, educational and creative sides of the arts world into a concise, exciting lesson!

Kimberly Bill is a recent graduate of University of Colorado Boulder where she served as a Masters Teaching Assistant for Takács String Quartet violinist, Harumi Rhodes. Kimberly received her B.M. from the Oberlin Conservatory where she had the privilege of studying Suzuki method pedagogy under the instruction of Mary Price at the Oberlin Community Music School. Kimberly has participated in festivals such as The New York String Orchestra Seminar and National Orchestra Institute, and is a substitute violinist for symphony orchestras in Colorado.

Violinist Ye Jin Min is currently a candidate for Doctor of Musical Arts degree at Yale School of Music, where she also holds Masters degree. Alongside her performance activities as a soloist, chamber and orchestral musician, Ye Jin is also a passionate teacher. As a committed music educator, she has been teaching violin, viola, music theory and music history in private lessons, workshops, and festivals since 2010. She also has been an audition panel for KNVC. Ye Jin's former students have won places in competitions and conservatories.

Ariel Seung Hyun Lee, 23, a native of Seoul, South Korea, is currently pursuing an Master of Music degree in Violin Performance at the Juilliard School under the tutelage of Li Lin. She has received her Bachelor of Music degree from the Juilliard School and she is a former prize winner of the WDAV’s Young Chamber Musician’s Competition as well as the New York Concerti Sinfonietta Concerto Competition.

Gregory Harrington is a concert soloist who has performed with esteemed orchestras & conductors around the globe. He has released 5 acclaimed solo recordings & his latest album of the Philip Glass Violin Concerto #2 & his arrangement of the "Hours Suite" (Janacek Philharmonic & Mark Shapiro) debuted at #3 on the Billboard Charts. He has 20 years teaching experience & studied under esteemed soloist & pedagogue Erick Friedman & Sally Thomas. Ideal for students looking to create an excellent foundation in violin playing. gregoryharrington.com

Natalia Badziak is a graduate of the Oberlin College and Conservatory of Music, where she completed Bachelor’s degrees in viola performance and comparative literature, and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where she completed her Master’s degree. Natalia has taught both violin and viola for seven years in music schools, privately, and through conservatory preparatory departments to students of all ages. She specializes in contemporary music and has commissioned several new works for the viola that involve experimental techniques.

Israeli violist Yehezkel Layoun (1991) earned his bachelor of music (2014) from Temple University as a student of Che-Hung Chen of the Philadelphia Orchestra and a master of music (2016) on full scholarship from Wichita State University, where he was a student of Boris Vayner of the St. Petersburg String Quartet. Most recently, he studied three years in an artist diploma program (2017- 2020) from Rutgers University on full scholarship, under the tutelage of Daniel Panner of the NYC Opera.

Rachel Halvorson is the principal violist of the Sarasota Orchestra and plays in the Sarasota String Quartet. She holds her Bachelors of Music from Oberlin Conservatory, and recently completed her Masters of Music at Rice University. She formerly held a contract with the Akron Symphony, and has performed with orchestras such as the Cincinnati, Houston, San Antonio, Syracuse and New World Symphonies. Rachel has joined Tanglewood, Spoleto Festival and National Repertory Orchestra on summer fellowships, and now performs at Music in the Mountains.

Unrestrained curiosity and a devotion to fundamentals fuel Dan Pappalardo's relationship with music. Performing on both upright bass and bass guitar, Pappalardo has served artists from Billy Hart, Wallace Roney, and Sullivan Fortner to Cautious Clay and John Mayer. Dan has taught across different mediums for more than 15 years. His approach is simple: joy is infectious. He hopes to empower students to break perceived impossibilities into manageable pieces, with and without the bass.

Based in Los Angeles, Luke Storm is Principal Tuba of the Santa Barbara Symphony and has recorded for numerous film and television soundtracks, including Batman vs. Superman and portions of the Transformers, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Fast and the Furious franchises. Winner of the 2015 Atwater Kent Concerto Competition, he holds a doctorate from UCLA and is on faculty at the Herb Alpert School of Music at CalArts.

Wyeth Aleksei, from the Washington DC/Baltimore MD area, went to the Oberlin Conservatory and the Juilliard School. He has played at some of the worlds finest venues including, the Carnegie Hall, David Geffen Hall, The Metropolitan Opera House, and The Kennedy Center. He has also had the opportunity to play with some of the worlds top orchestra’s including the New York Philharmonic and the Metropolitan Opera. He is also a dedicated teacher. His students have successfully won auditions for some of the countries top collegiate music schools, as well as their local All-state/district ensembles.

Andrew is a Trombone and Euphonium performer and instructor residing in New York City. With performance degrees from Interlochen Arts Academy, Oberlin Conservatory of Music, and Mannes School of Music, he has studied extensively with industry leaders from the Metropolitan Opera and New York Philharmonic, among others. He has performed at notable venues across the country and was appointed as the trombonist of the NYC new music collective Resonant Refractions.

George is a versatile teacher and performer. A recent graduate with a Masters of Music from the San Francisco Conservatory, he has experience teaching and playing across the country. He has been involved in his communities wherever he has landed. He has taught private individual lessons as well as at several high schools, middle schools and elementary schools in San Francisco, CA and Boston, MA.

Stephen Whimple, hailing from Clifton Park, New York, is currently a 1st year DMA student in Trombone Performance at the University of Alabama, where he studies with Dr. Jonathan Whitaker. Prior to his studies at UA, Stephen attended The Juilliard School as an Irene Diamond Graduate Fellow, Morse Teaching Artist Fellow, Music Advancement Program Teaching Fellow and Teaching Assistant for the Tenor Trombone studio. During this time, he was student of Joseph Alessi, Principal Trombone of the New York Philharmonic.

Performer and composer Caleb A. Smith is a multi-faceted artist who hopes to use his art to present relevant, relatable, and thought-provoking narratives to his audience. Caleb received his Bachelor’s in Jazz Performance from Oberlin Conservatory of Music, where he attended on a full-tuition scholarship. Currently, Caleb is pursuing his Master’s Degree from Boston’s New England Conservatory of Music. He has studied with musicians such as trombonist Robin Eubanks, as well as with performer composers like Jason Moran, Vijay Iyer, and Gary Bartz.

Ben is currently the Principal Trombone of Symphoria (Syracuse, NY) and The Cayuga Chamber Orchestra (Ithaca, NY). Ben has also been fortunate to perform with the Buffalo and Rochester Philharmonic Orchestras as well as the Clinton Symphony, National Orchestral Institute Philharmonic, and American Institute of Musical Study in Graz, Austria. Ben holds a B.M. from the Eastman School of Music and is currently pursuing a M.M. at Yale University where he is also a Teaching Artist in The Yale New Haven Music In Schools Initiative.

Zoe Obadia is a saxophonist, composer, and teacher. She began her studies at the Juilliard School in 2014 and has since performed in New York City at venues such as Smalls, the Blue Note, and Jazz at Lincoln Center. She has performed with notable musicians including Wynton Marsalis, Christian McBride, and Bill Charlap. She has worked as a teaching assistant at the Jazz House Kids Summer Workshop and the Middle School Jazz Academy at Jazz at Lincoln Center. She recently graduated from Juilliard with a masters degree in Jazz Saxophone.

Max Bessesen is a saxophonist, composer, and educator based in Chicago. His work as a sideman has received accolades from Downbeat, Jazziz and NextBop and his debut album as a bandleader will be released on September 4th 2020 via Ropeadope Records. In 2016 Max was the first jazz musician awarded a fellowship from the Frank Huntington Beebe Fund, which allowed him to travel for a year across India, Ghana, and Cuba. He has performed and recorded with musicians like Ron Miles, Greg Ward, and Russ Johnson and holds a BM from Oberlin Conservatory.

Jarien Jamanila is a saxophonist from San Diego, California. He graduated from Juilliard in June 2021 with a Bachelor's in Music in Jazz Studies. Some of his mentors include Gilbert Castellanos, Kamau Kenyatta and Charles McPherson, Marshall Hawkins, Wynton Marsalis and George Coleman. He’s had the opportunity to share the stage with Bobby Watson, Delfeayo Marsalis, Eric Reed, Gaslamp Quarter Jazz Orchestra and the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra. He is a specialist in with jazz music but is open to all kinds of music!

Praised for his “technically superb and musically convincing playing” (Hamburger Abendblatt), León Bernsdorf continues to establish himself in the international classical music scene. Born in Hamburg, Germany, León began his journey at the piano at age 5. One year later he received a scholarship from the Hamburg Youth Music Foundation and was taught by the renowned piano pedagogue Carol Tainton. After his pre-college studies with Volker Banfield at the Hochschule Hamburg, he moved to the East Coast of the US.

Stefan Chaplikov studied at the Conservatoire de Paris with Michell Béroff and was a Rebanks Family Fellow at The Glenn Gould School. He holds an Artist Diploma at Yale School of Music with Peter Frankl and is a now doctoral student at the Peabody Institute, where he studied with the legendary Leon Fleisher. His latest recording featured a solo album with Clementi Piano Sonatas for the Naxos Label, hailed by the critics as “breathtakingly beautiful” (American Record Guide), “a true musical pleasure” (Ritmo), “utter perfection” (The WholeNote).

Josue González has been described by legendary pianist Daniel Pollack as a technically flawless and fearless virtuoso, characterized by his strong temperament and lyrical touch. Currently 26 years old, Mr. Gonzalez expanded his knowledge attending top music conservatories such as the Tchaikovsky Conservatory of Music and the USC Thornton School of Music. Mr.Gonzalez has attained international recognition winning more than 2d national and international awards and competitions.

Alfonso Hernández is a Doctorate in Musical Arts candidate at the University of Maryland working with Russian pianist Larissa Dedova. Alfonso holds degrees from the University of Houston, Eastman School of Music, and Lynn University; he has participated in many renowned music festivals including the Chautauqua, Aspen, and Zeister Muziekdage in the Netherlands. A passionate educator, Alfonso is Co-founder of the International Chamber Music Festival of Guatemala and has served as visiting faculty at the University of San Carlos in Guatemala.

Based in Toronto, Filipino-American pianist Tristan Savella has been an active soloist and chamber musician in the United States, Canada, and Europe. His career has taken him to performances across New York, Austria, and Canada. Tristan holds a Bachelor of Music in Applied Music from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, a Master of Arts (Klavier Solistenausbildung) with highest distinction from the Universität Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria, and an Artist Diploma from The Glenn Gould School in Toronto.

Stephen Joven-Lee is a graduate of the Oberlin Conservatory ('18) and The Juilliard School ('20). He is an award winner of almost two-dozen national and international competitions, and has performed in renowned halls including Carnegie Weill Hall, Severance Reinberger Hall, Steinway Hall. Joven-Lee is also a passionate teacher and scholar, with award winning students who have performed in Carnegie Weill Hall and Walt Disney Concert Hall. He also teaches music theory and ear-training classes at the Juilliard School.

Born and raised in Brazil, I started taking piano lessons when I was 7 years old and played in my first recitals and took part in piano competitions by 8 years old. I moved to Curitiba to college, where I took my Bachelor in Music at the School of Fine Arts of Paraná. In 2019, I moved to the USA, where I went to the University of Massachusetts Amherst. I have been working as piano, music theory and history of music for 9 years and I am looking forward to teach and learn much more.

Markus Kaitila (b. Helsinki, 1992) has appeared as a recitalist and soloist of orchestras internationally. He won the Bronze Prize in the 2nd WPTA Finland International Piano Competition 2020 and First Prize at the Köhler-Osbahr piano competition (Duisburg) in 2013. Markus has completed residences at Music Academy of the West, Chautauqua Institution, Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, and Pianofest in the Hamptons. He is an active performer, music director, coach, educator and producer based in New York City, where he freelances and teaches.

Jazz pianist, producer and educator Aman Almeida grew up in Bangalore, India. He has played with many distinguished artists including trumpet player Dominick Farinacci, film scorer Terence Blanchard and tenor saxophonist Ernie Krivda. In 2021, Aman received his B.M in professional music from the Berklee College of Music, Boston.

Oboist, optimist, and singer/songwriter Dr. Lydia Consilvio is an avid chamber musician, having appeared on the Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Center with her ensembles. She has played with the Annapolis (MD) Symphony and the Rochester (NY) Chamber Orchestra. Parts of her recording of Pasculli’s “Le Api” were played on an episode of BBC Radio 3. Lydia is a creator across genres, making double reed arrangements of Bach and popular music alike. Her instruction style is spirited, open-minded, and accessible. Connect with Lydia at oboestudio.com.

Antonia Chandler lives in London, where she performs with the chamber orchestra Southbank Sinfonia. She earned a Master of Music degree and a Master of Musical Arts degree from the Yale School of Music, and a Bachelor of Music degree from Oberlin Conservatory. Antonia is a substitute horn player in the New World Symphony, the New Haven Symphony, and the Princeton Symphony, and has performed in venues such as Carnegie Hall, the Royal Opera House, and Chicago Symphony Center.

Lauren Anker is currently pursuing a master’s degree at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music and studying under William VerMeulen. She recently graduated from Oberlin College and Conservatory with degrees in Horn Performance and History. She has performed with the Houston Symphony and Akron Symphony Orchestra. She was the horn instructor for college students at Oberlin, and for the past year has been teaching private lessons and masterclasses at high schools in the Houston Independent School District.

Hornist Liana Hoffman is currently pursuing her master’s degree at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music where she studies with William VerMeulen. She previously attended the Manhattan School of Music and has participated in music festivals all over the country. She is a substitute musician with the New World Symphony and has performed as an extra hornist with the London Symphony Orchestra. Liana has several years of teaching experience in both group and private settings and with horn players of all levels.

A French native, I combine the teaching I received from Paris Conservatoire and the Juilliard School. After each lesson I send detailed practicing guidelines. When teaching, I love creative analogies and I won’t stop until I see the a-ha moment on your face and fingers! Outside of Virtu.Academy I perform at Carnegie Hall, Royal Albert Hall, Concertgebouw, Théâtre des Champs Elysées, Kennedy Center.

Praised for her “powerful command and nuanced facility”, Violetta Maria Norrie is a harpist of diverse range and ability. She began playing the harp at the age of 6, after falling in love with the instrument at a Renaissance Faire. Since then she has performed orchestral, solo, and chamber music at venues such as Carnegie Hall, Merkin Recital Hall and Symphony Space. Violetta earned her Bachelor of Music degree from the Manhattan School of Music where she studied with Susan Jolles. She spent her junior year studying abroad at the Conservatoir

Over the years Roni Eytan has developed a unique way of playing the harmonica, by drawing on influences from a wide range of music, transcending the traditional sonorities associated with the instrument, and achieving a singular musical voice. Still only in his twenties, Roni has already performed with a galaxy of world-renowned musicians, such as bassists John Patitucci and Eddie Gomez, drummer Brian Blade, pianist-vocalist Kevin Hays and pianist John Beasley.

Benjamin Ellis is adjunct professor of Guitar and director of the Classical Guitar Ensemble at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and the St. Peter’s Community Arts Academy. Ellis performs regularly and has been a featured soloist at festivals, universities and concert venues throughout the north east. Ellis is an active teacher in the Syracuse area and has been featured as a guest instructor at Syracuse University, Mansfield University and the Eastern U.S. Music Camp at Colgate University.

I'm a professional guitarist and educator based in Chicago, IL. I graduated from Oberlin's Double Degree program in Jazz Guitar Performance, and currently perform in projects that range from jazz and improvised music to country and indie rock. I welcome students of all ages and all experience levels.