The Music Academy of North Carolina has grown to become the #1 resource center for music education in the state. The name is reflective of its size, scope, and impact in North Carolina, which now serves individuals, private, public schools, and colleges from 45 towns and communities in two states. Over 35 highly qualified faculty members offer the finest in music lessons to almost 1,000 students of all ages.
MANC Students:
• Continue to place in national, regional, and local competitions and receive awards and college scholarships;
• Many former MANC students are now active professional musicians and/or educators in well-respected colleges and universities; and
• Some former students are now teaching at MANC.
MANC’s Artistic Faculty Members:
• Have been trained in some of the country’s best music schools (including, Eastman, Northwestern, Berklee, Oberlin, Peabody, and Indiana);
• Have recorded CD’s and performed nationwide and abroad with major symphonies and commercial groups;
• Are in strong demand to adjudicate at state and regional competitions;
• Also teach at nearby colleges and universities;
• Some have been teaching for more than 30 years; and
• The majority hold advanced degrees.
HEIDI BIRKNER, oboe and English horn faculty member at The Music Academy of North Carolina, received her Bachelor of Music degree in Oboe Performance from UNCG. Heidi performs in and around the Triad area, and has taught at MANC since 1994. She can be reached at (336) 691-0672, ext. 201 or email: hbirkner@musicacademync.org.
BEN BLOZAN, piano faculty member at The Music Academy of North Carolina, received his Master of Music in Accompanying and Opera Coaching from Temple University, his Master of Music in Piano Pedagogy from the University of Illinois, his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Music from Warren Wilson College, and is currently pursuing his Doctorate in Collaborative Piano from UNCG. In addition to his degree work, Benjamin furthered his education in workshops at the American Institute of Musical Studies in Graz, Austria; Academie International d’Ete de Nice; and the Academie de Villecroze. Benjamin is an experienced coach, accompanist, and performer. As opera coach and accompanist he has worked with the Young Artist Program at the Nashville Opera, Lake George Opera, Delaware Valley Opera Company, Westminster Choir College, Illinois Wesleyan University, and Illinois State University. Benjamin’s honors include the A.J. Fletcher Merit Scholarship and Helen Kirkpatrick Award for Excellence in Music and First Place in the Asheville Symphony Young Artist Competition. He can be reached at (336) 691-0672, ext. 205 or email: bblozan@musicacademync.org.
DIANE BONDS comes to MANC with extensive teacher training and many years of teaching and performing experience. After receiving a BM from UNC-Chapel Hill and MM from the University of Texas at Austin, she completed All-Level Music Certification at the University of Houston and Suzuki Cello training from teachers across the country. One of the highlights was participating in 1999 at the International Suzuki Teachers Conference in Matsumoto, Japan. Up until 2005, most of Diane’s teaching was centered in Houston, TX. She taught for over 20 years at Parker Music Academy, a music magnet school, building the program from just a few to over 55 cello students. During that time her students were honored with the invitation to perform in both 1996 and 1998 for the National Suzuki Teachers Conference in Chicago. Former students have gone on to major music schools and conservatories including Curtis Institute and the Juilliard School, one student being a top prize winner in the 2001 Rostropovich Competition and the XII Tchaikovsky Competition in 2002. Returning to Greensboro in 2005, Diane first held an adjunct position at Greensboro College and now continues as teaching artist for the Community Music School at Appalachian Sate University. When not teaching in Texas or here in Greensboro, she freelances having performed in such orchestras as the Austin and Galveston Symphonies, Opera in the Heights in Houston, Opera Roanoke and Roanoke Symphony and the Greensboro Symphony. Diane can be reached at (336) 691-0672, ext. 235 or email: dbonds@musicacademync.org.
KEN BROWN, guitar faculty member at The Music Academy of North Carolina, began studying classical guitar at the age of eleven and has studied in master classes and privately with many of the top classical guitarists of today. In addition to classical guitar, Ken has performed in a wide array of musical genres including both Jazz, and Rock, and in settings ranging from film scores, to musical theater. In 2009 Ken has appeared as a guest artist at Arizona Musikfest, and with Nascar’s Kyle Petty at the Reckless Kelley Celebrity Softball Jam, an event organized to help fund programs for exceptional children in Austin, TX. His compositions range in scope from classical to electronic, three of which were recently featured in a modern dance premier in New York City. Ken holds degrees in both music and psychology, and works in depth with students with autism, ADHD, Downs syndrome, and cerebral palsy. He is currently in the process of revising three guitar method books and interactive DVD’s, one of which is written specifically for exceptional children. In addition to guitar, Ken plays sitar, mandolin, pedal steel, and bass. He is an avid visual artist whose artwork was featured on the cover of Soundboard in the spring of 2009. Ken can be reached at (336) 691-0672, ext. 229 or email: kbrown@musicacademync.org.
KELLIE BURGESS, Dean of Faculty and Master Teacher, has taught at The Music Academy of North Carolina since 1994. She received her Master and Bachelor of Music degrees in Cello Performance at UNCG where she was the recipient of the Henry Weil Fellowship. Kellie has been trained in Musikgarten, Kindermusik, Orff, and Suzuki cello. She performs with the BESK Quartet and is an active freelance artist in the Triad area. She is the recipient of a 1997 Teaching Excellence Award and a 2002 Merit and Service Award. She can be reached at (336) 691-0672, ext. 106 or email: kburgess@musicacademync.org.
CANDICE BURROWS, Mezzo Soprano and a faculty member at The Music Academy of North Carolina, has had an extensive singing career that has spanned over much of the world starting in 1982. The beginnings of her vocal career featured singing jazz and musical theater in her undergraduate years but quickly turned to classical repertoire. She received her Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Oregon after a year of study abroad at the Guildhall School of music in London. Upon returning to the States she was invited to study with Gwendolyn Koldofsky at the University of Southern California where she did her Masters of Music studies. She was awarded the USC opera award and vocalist of the year. She was also a finalist in LA for the Metropolitan Opera competition that same year. During her formative years, she studied with Arleen Auger, Ellen Faull and Georgio Tozzi. Her career blossomed after being a vocal fellow at Tanglewood, the summer home of the Boston Symphony where she first worked with Seiji Ozawa, John Williams, Marin Alsop and Andre Previn. It was also at Tanglewood where she established a long-standing performance relationship with Leonard Bernstein. She has sung with numerous opera companies around the U.S. and more notably, has had the honor of working with some of most prestigious symphonies in this country, including the New York Philharmonic, Boston Symphony and Pops, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra and the Santa Fe Symphony. After a sabbatical to raise her three children, Candice has returned to the music field with a desire to sing and teach. She is currently working on her DMA degree at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and can be heard performing in Arizona, Oregon, and Mexico this year. She will be featured in the world premier opera, “Picnic” by Libby Larsen in Greensboro (2009). Her collaboration with jazz pianist Chris Robinson culminated in a recently released CD, “This is Chris Robinson” which received the best independent recording award in the U.S. September 2007. Candi can be reached at (336) 691-0672, ext. 209 or email: cburrows@musicacademync.org.
COLLEEN CHENAIL, violin faculty member and Master Teacher at The Music Academy of North Carolina, received her Master of Music in Violin Performance from UNCG, and her Bachelor of Music in Music Performance and Education from Ithaca College. She currently performs with the Greensboro Symphony and has performed with the Raleigh, Winston-Salem, and Eastern Music Festival Faculty Symphony Orchestras. Colleen teaches traditional and Suzuki violin, and also teaches at the Community School of Music in Winston-Salem. Colleen has taught at MANC since 2001. She was a recipient of the 2004 Mary Elizabeth King Brown Teaching Excellence Award. She can be reached at (336) 691-0672, ext. 207 or email: cchenail@musicacademync.org.
ANDREW DANCY, percussion faculty member at The Music Academy of North Carolina, completed the Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG) in 2008. At UNCG, Dr. Dancy taught undergraduate percussion lessons, percussion ensemble, steel band, and percussion techniques. He teaches percussion lessons annually at the UNCG Summer Music Camp. Dancy performs frequently throughout North Carolina and has presented concerts at the National Conference on Percussion Pedagogy, the International Double Reed Society Convention, the North Carolina Day of Percussion, Greensboro College, North Carolina A&T State University, and Guilford College. Dr. Dancy is founder and director of Marimba Christmas, an annual holiday percussion event in Greensboro. He has performed on numerous occasions as a soloist with the UNCG Percussion Ensemble and the Greensboro Concert Band and is currently timpanist with the NOVUS Chamber Orchestra. He can be reached at (336) 691-0672, ext. 219 or email: adancy@musicacademync.org.
BRENT DAVIS, saxophone faculty member of The Music Academy of North Carolina, graduated cum laude from Indiana University of Pennsylvania with a Bachelor of Science in Music Education and a Bachelor of Arts in Performance. He has also completed a Masters in Music Performance in Saxophone at the University of North Carolina Greensboro. Brent is an active MENC, NCMEA, and CDBA member, as well as the American Federation of Musicians. In 1997, Brent attended the John Phillip Sousa National Honors Band held in Washington, DC. The band performed a full concert with the U. S. “President’s Own” Marine Band at Georgetown University. The band had the honor of being conducted by the two previous Marine Band conductors, Col. Timothy Foley and Col. John R. Bourgeois. While at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, he was awarded the 2002 Fischoff National Competition Bronze Medal as a member of “A Few Good Reeds” saxophone quartet. “A Few Good Reeds” traveled to places such as Vermont, Pennsylvania, and Maryland giving performances/master classes to elementary through high school students. In 2002, 2003, and 2005, Brent performed at the U. S. Navy Saxophone Symposium in Fairfax, Virginia. Brent was also a member of the Indiana University of Pennsylvania Wind Ensemble and Keystone Wind Ensemble lead by composer/ conductor, Dr. Jack Stamp. In 2005, Brent completed his studies at University of North Carolina Greensboro in Saxophone Performance. Besides performing with the UNCG Wind Ensemble lead by conductor/clinician Dr. John Locke, he was also in the UNCG Miles Davis Jazz Ensemble with Steve Haines. His solo work includes performing in master classes and many recitals throughout his career. While attending UNCG, award-winning composer Adam Murphy commissioned Cameoflage, for solo saxophone and string quartet, in which he premiered in the spring of 2005. He is currently a full-time band teacher at Mendenhall Middle School in Guilford County. He is also the founder of the Greensboro Saxophone Quartet, which perform for many functions throughout the Piedmont Triad region. Brent performs regularly with the Greensboro Community Concert Band, the Brent Davis Jazz Combo, and The Seabreeze Band. He can be reached at (336) 691-0672, ext. 230 or email: bdavis@musicacademync.org.
STEPHANIE FOLEY DAVIS is thrilled to be joining the voice faculty of The Music Academy of North Carolina. She has been teaching private voice lessons since high school and has since developed a wide range of teaching styles from opera to pop and rock. A successful opera singer since 2005, Ms. Davis brings solid technique, professionalism, and dramatic interpretation to her studio and the stage. Davis was praised by the New York Times in her Glimmerglass Festival debut as “a poised, touching Ma Moss” and Opera News said she was “a loving, careworn Ma, warm of voice and presence.” Mrs. Davis returned to The Glimmerglass Festival this summer to create the role of Mary McCarthy in Jeanine Tesori’s A Blizzard in Marblehead Neck. She will make her Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra debut as Giovanna in Rigoletto in 2012. Mrs. Davis joined Arizona Opera’s Pullin Opera Studio for the 2010/2011 season and performed Kate in Pirates of Penzance, Mercedes in Carmen, and Emilia in Otello. She has also been engaged at Nashville Opera (Giovanna/Countess Ceprano in Rigoletto) and Opera Carolina (Marcellina in Le Nozze di Figaro and Berta in Il Barbiere di Siviglia.) Ms. Davis created the role of “Flo” in the World Premiere of Libby Larsen’s Picnic in April 2009. She also made her Piedmont Opera debut as the “Sandman” in Hansel and Gretelin October 2009. Mrs. Davis received a Professional Artist Certificate at the A.J. Fletcher Opera Institute at the North Carolina School of the Arts where she studies with Marion Pratnicki. She completed a Master of Music degree in vocal performance with Robert Wells at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She can be reached at (336) 691-0672, ext. 206 or email: sfoley_davis@musicacademync.org.
BRAD DICKERSON, guitar faculty member at The Music Academy of North Carolina, is a graduate of Appalachian State University where he received his Bachelor of Music degree in guitar performance, cum laude. Upon the recommendation of his teacher, Douglas James, Brad taught private lessons to students preparing for auditions at ASU in addition to students in his own private studio. Brad regularly performs in Western NC. He can be reached at (336) 691-0672, ext. 238 or email: bdickerson@musicacademync.org.
KEVIN DOLLAR, guitar faculty member, Master Teacher and Director of Recitals at The Music Academy of North Carolina. On classical, steel string, electric or gypsy guitar, Kevin Dollar represents a multifaceted approach to the instrument. His performances vary from solo classical guitar and chamber ensemble, to early 20th century traditional music, to the gypsy jazz guitar style of pre-WWII France. Being a versatile musician has always been a top priority for this well-rounded performer and teacher. Kevin is currently the Director of the MANC Guitar Competition, an instructor at the Music Academy of NC (since 1995, now with master teacher status), and on the faculty of Elon University, where he serves as a guitar instructor as well. His performance credits include recitals given at Elon University, the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Shorter College, Greensboro College, for the Piedmont Artists Guild, the Music Academy of NC, the Millenium Center and for several major concert series in the Piedmont region, as well as the world premiere of several works for guitar by Mark Mazzatenta and for guitar and voice by Linda Lister. Kevin regularly performs with the Greensboro Symphony Orchestra and has shared the stage with the likes of Doc Watson, David Holt, Katherine Whalen, Jimbo Matthus and Clay Aiken. Kevin has also performed with the Greensboro Opera Company, the Triad Guitar Quartet, Duo Dolce, Bel Canto and the Hot Club of North Carolina, a group dedicated to the preservation of gypsy jazz. Kevin received his MM from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 2001 and has several recordings to his credit including Alamance Christmas Cheer, “On Our Own” original film score (featured selection in the 2007 Charlotte Film Festival), “Long Ride Home” by Lyn Koonce, etc. where he can be heard playing many different styles on as many different types of guitars. The recently formed Carolina String Duo (with Carey Harwood) serves as an outlet for the wide variety of guitar music that both duo members are interested in. The duo performs on Guitar, Lute, Mandolin, Banjo and in a number of different styles including classical, gypsy jazz, bluegrass and traditional music. He has taught at the Academy since 1995. He received the 1998 MANC Board Service Award, the 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2004 MANC Faculty Merit and Service Awards, a 2002 Teaching Excellence Award, and the 2003 Pamela A. Allen Achievement Award. He can be reached at (336) 691-0672, ext. 105 or email: kevindollar@musicacademync.org.
JACK DOU
GHERTY, guitar faculty member at The Music Academy of North Carolina, holds a Bachelor of Music degree from UNCG in guitar performance, cum laude. He was a featured guest artist at the Chatham County Guitar Festival and teaches a weekly guitar class for students with Autism Spectrum Disorders in Hillsborough, NC. Jack has performed with bands and as a solo performer in the Greensboro area as well as in Greenville, NC. He can be reached at (336) 691-0672, ext. 226 or email: jdougherty@musicacademync.org.
MITTIE DOUGLASS, vocal faculty member and Director of Student Relations at The Music Academy of North Carolina, received her Bachelor and Master degrees in vocal performance from Mississippi College. She joined the faculty of The Music Academy in 2007. Mittie was the recipient of the Mary Elizabeth King Brown Teaching Excellence Award for 2008-2009 and the Faculty & Staff Merit & Service Award for 2008-2009. She can be reached at (336) 691-0672, ext. 102 or email: mdouglass@musicacademync.org.
KIMBERLY DUNN (Lyric soprano), vocal faculty member of The Music Academy of North Carolina, is a native of Kansas City, Kansas. She received her Bachelor of Music Performance degree from Wichita State University and Master of Vocal Performance from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Kimberly has performed and studied in Europe and received many accolades from Unites States Army Battalion Commanders, Generals, and the German community. She has been soprano soloist for Handel’s Messiah on several occasions and has appeared with the Colorado Springs Symphony Orchestra, Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra, Greensboro Symphony Orchestra and the Greensboro Philharmonia. Kimberly has won many vocal competitions as well as performed several operatic roles such as Tosca in Tosca, Leonora in Il Trovatore, and the Mother in Amahl and the Night Visitors to name a few. As a concert recitalist and guest artist, she has performed for the Greensboro Opera, Reynolda House Museum, and on Fine Arts Series at Fayetteville State University. She has been a master class clinician for public schools, colleges and universities. Kimberly is the founder of an educational outreach program called African American History through Classical Music. Currently, Kimberly is an instructor at Bennett College for Women. She can be reached at (336) 691-0672, ext. 221 or kdunn@musicacademync.org.
SAMEE GRIFFITH, piano faculty member at The Music Academy of North Carolina, received her Masters of Music degree in piano performance andcollaborative piano from Bowling Green State University and her Bachelor of Music in piano performance from Wright State University, summa cum laude. Samee joins the Music Academy with over ten years of teaching experience in both private and group piano instruction. She teaches at Penn-Griffin School for the Arts in High Point and she is working towards Doctor of Musical Arts in Piano Performance at UNC-G. Her honors include: First Place in the Undergraduate Division at the Marjorie Peatee Art Song Competition (2004), MTNA Star Award (2002), and Third Place at the OFMC Collegiate Solo Competition (2001). She can be reached at (336) 691-0672, ext. 216 or email: sgriffith@musicacademync.org.
JACOB HAHN, piano faculty member at The Music Academy of North Carolina, received his Master of Music degree in piano performance from Syracuse University and his Bachelor of Music degree from Capital University. While at Syacuse, he received a Certificate in University Teaching though the Future Professoriate Program. Jacob has also studied at the Kodaly Institute of Pedagogy in Kecskemet, Hungary. Currently, Jacob is a staff accompanist at Catawba College and is also on faculty at the Community Music School of Catawba College. As a performer, he has won the Concerto Competition at Capital University, and placed first at the 2006 OMTA Collegiate Buckeye Auditions. Recently, Jacob was awarded the Evalina Vernon Honsinger Memorial Prize for excellence in keyboard performance from Syracuse University. He can be reached at (336) 691-0672, ext. 213 or email: jhahn@musicacademync.org.
KAREN HAYDEN, voice faculty member, comes to The Music Academy of North Carolina from Greensboro Performing Arts, where she has taught voice lessons for the past year. She holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Performance from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, and will receive her Master of Music degree in Vocal Performance from UNC Greensboro this May. Operatic roles have included Orlofsky in Die Fledermaus, Lisetta in Haydn’s Il mondo della luna, Mrs. Nolan in Menotti’s The Medium, and Miss Todd in The Old Maid and the Thief. Karen has also sung as a chorus member in various operas with the Magnolia Baroque Festival, UNCG, UNCSA, Greensboro Opera, and Piedmont Opera. She can be reached at (336) 691-0672 ext. 233, or email: khayden@musicacademync.org.
CAT KEEN HOCK, clarinet faculty member at The Music Academy of North Carolina, originally from Four Oaks, NC, is pursuing a DMA in clarinet performance and jazz studies at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro where she is a graduate teaching assistant for the jazz department. She holds the MM in Clarinet Performance from UNCG and the BA with Honors in Music Performance with a minor in international studies from Wake Forest University. Mrs. Keen Hock was a William L. Poteat Scholar, and winner of the Concerto Competition and Giles-Harris Competition for Performance at Wake Forest. She currently performs with the UNCG Wind Ensemble, University Symphony Orchestra, Casella Sinfonietta and Jazz Band, and is the bass clarinetist for the Salisbury Symphony Orchestra. As a member of the Obsidian Clarinet Quartet, she premiered two new compositions at the 2008 ClarinetFest in Kansas City. Her primary teachers include Michael Waddell, Eileen Young, Edwin Riley, and Kelly Burke, and she is a member of Alpha Phi Omega, Sigma Alpha Iota, and the International Clarinet Association. She can be reached at (336) 691-0672 ext. 227, or email: ckeen-hock@musicacademync.org.
BUTCH LAVALLEY, banjo faculty member at The Music Academy of North Carolina, specializes in bluegrass banjo and mandolin instruction for the beginner and intermediate student. He has taught at MANC since 1999 and has enjoyed performing and teaching in the Greensboro area for many years. He received his music theory training at UNC Chapel Hill. He can be reached at (336) 691-0672, ext. 220 or email: blavalley@musicacademync.org.
MARK MAZZATENTA, jazz guitar facuty member at The Music Academy of North Carolina, is active in both the jazz and classical worlds as performer and composer. He earned the Master of Music at Florida State University in 1987 and began teaching at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, where he heads the guitar program. Mr. Mazzatenta performs with his twin brother Michael on piano and with his jazz group MAZZJAZZ. He has played in workshops with Robin Eubanks, Byron Stripling, Fred Wesley, Teri Lyne Carrington, played with Mike Stern and performed concerts with Chris and Dan Brubeck. He can be reached at (336) 691-0672, ext. 237 or email: mmazzatenta@musicacademync.org.
AARON MOOD, piano faculty member at The Music Academy of North Carolina, received his Master of Music degree in piano performance from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and his Bachelor of the Arts degree in music from Allegheny College, where he graduated magna cum laude. Currently, Aaron holds the position of Staff Accompanist at Winston-Salem State University, and teaches piano at the Music Academy of North Carolina. Aaron is the recipient of the Edith Mead Osbourne Memorial Prize for distinguished pianism, as well as the Frederick Marantz Memorial Prize in recognition of marked talent with the piano, and has participated in master classes with Anna Maria Trenchi de Botazzi and Jon Nakamatsu. Aaron is musically active both at his church and in the community as a freelance accompanist. He can be reached at (336) 691-0672, ext. 215 or e-mail: amood@musicacademync.org.
CHRISTINA PALERMO, percussion faculty at the Music Academy, received her Master of Music in Percussion Performance from the University of North Carolina Greensboro and her Bachelor of Science in Music Education from Penn State University. At UNCG, Christina taught undergraduate percussion lessons, percussion ensemble and steel drum ensemble. She has been teaching drum set and percussion privately for 8 years. A native of New Jersey, Christina has performed with the Williamsport Symphony, Nittany Valley Symphony, Community Theater of Greensboro, Gallery Players of Burlington, City Arts of Greensboro, UNCG Opera Theater as well as various local schools and churches. She currently teaches general music, chorus, piano, and guitar for grades 4th- 8th at The Academy at Lincoln and serves as a lead teacher for Guilford County Schools. Christina is also the Assistant Band Director/Marching Percussion Instructor at Western Guilford High School. She can be reached at (336) 691-0672, ext. 222 or cpalermo@musicacademync.org.
CLAY PERRY, trumpet faculty at the Music Academy, received a Bachelor Music in trumpet performance from UNC-Greensboro and will complete a Master of Music degree in trumpet performance in May 2012. He comes to The Music Academy with experience as a private instructor, master class clinician, and sectional coach for local marching and concert bands. He currently teaches at the Conservatory International in Pinehurst, NC and is an active performer both at UNCG and as a freelance musician in the Triad area. Mr. Perry is the recipient of the Hester Music Scholarship at UNCG and a first place winner of the Picquet Music Festival Scholarship Competition. He can be reached at (336) 691-0672, ext. 214 or cperry@musicacademync.org.
WOLFGANG PLANZ, electric bass guitar faculty member at The Music Academy of North Carolina, specializes in electric bass instruction for jazz and rock students. A native of Düsseldorf, Germany, Wolfgang brings to The Music Academy his extensive performance experience in the United States and Europe. He studied at the Wolfwang School of the Arts in Essen, and with Michael Weiss in Cologne. His experience as a performer includes jazz performances in central North Carolina, quartet and trio performances in Germany and Austria, and various studio recordings. Wolfgang can be reached at (336) 691-0672, ext. 231 or email: wplanz@musicacademync.org.
CHRIS RACHAL, Recording Engineer at The Music Academy of North Carolina, received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Speech/Mass Communications from the University of West Georgia. Following an 18-year career in radio broadcasting as a Disc Jockey, Chris embarked on a career in music and music production by attending The Recording Workshop in Chillicothe, Ohio. Chris has worked in the Music Technology Department at the Music Loft, also as a sound editor and score creator at Notion Music in Greensboro. Chris also owns Spin It On Entertainment Professional Mobile DJ business and has over 30 years experience recording everything from radio voiceovers, recitals, school choral performances, church choirs to solo artists and rock ‘n’ roll bands. Chris also plays guitar and sings, and he is back on the radio after a 13-year “break” and can be heard Thursday mornings from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. on WQFS 90.9 FM. Chris can be reached at (336) 691-0672, ext. 217 or email: crachal@musicacademync.org.
WAYNE REICH, received the Masters of Music from Syracuse University, and the Bachelors of Music degree from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, where he is currently pursuing the Doctor of Musical Arts. Mr. Reich has served as the concertmaster of the Syracuse University Symphony, the UNCG Symphony, and has served as the Associate Concertmaster in the Salisbury Symphony. Wayne Reich is also a member of the Fibonacci Chamber Orchestra and has participated in several festivals, including the Chenango Summer Musicfest, where he served as the Senior Music Intern. Mr. Reich is an adjunct faculty member at Guilford Technical Community College where he teaches sections of Music Appreciation. He was a recipient of the Faculty & Staff Merit & Service Award for 2008-2009. Wayne has taught at MANC since November, 2006. He can be reached at (336) 691-0672, ext. 224 or email: wreich@musicacademync.org.
CODY REX, a faculty member at The Music Academy of North Carolina, is a double bassist and educator, currently pursuing a DMA at UNC Greensboro. He earned his MM from the University of Michigan, and his BM at Bowling Green State University. A proponent of contemporary music, Cody has premiered new works for double bass, chamber ensembles and for orchestra. He has collaborated with prominent composers, including Samuel Adler, Michael Daugherty, Frederic Rzewski, McGregor Boyle and Bright Sheng and has performed at the Bowling Green New Music and Arts Festival and the North Carolina Computer Music Festival. He most recently performed at the Carnegie Hall premier of composer Evan Chambers’s song cycle, The Old Burying Ground. Cody enjoys balancing his teaching and performing career, and has held a variety of positions throughout the United States. He has taught at the Marrowstone Music Festival, Bowling Green Summer Music Institute, and the Blue Lake Fine Arts Festival International. He has also performed with Pine Mountain Opera Festival, Domaine Forget Academie de Musique, Detroit Civic Orchestra, Arbor Opera Theater, Dearborn Symphony, Plymouth Symphony, Midland Symphony, and the Adrian Symphony. He can be reached at (336) 691-0672, ext. 204 or email: crex@musicacademync.org.
PETER SHANAHAN, flute teacher at The Music Academy of North Carolina, regularly performs as a freelance musician with the Charleston, Winston-Salem, Western Piedmont, Salisbury, and Greensboro Symphonies, as well as with the Carolina Chamber Symphony and Southwest Florida Symphony. His students have placed at the highest levels of local and state-wide competitions and have attended the University of North Carolina School of the Arts and the Cleveland Institute of Music. As a performer and teaching artist with the Open Dream Ensemble, he has performed hundreds of concerts and many teaching residencies across the Southeast. In the Open Dream Ensemble, Peter performs as a flutist, singer, and actor in creative, original works of theater for children and adults and can be seen in the first educational web series for kids: The Adventures of the Open Dream Ensemble. Peter received his Master of Music from Indiana University and a Bachelor of Music from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. His past teachers include Tadeu Coelho, Philip Dunigan, and Thomas Robertello. He can be reached at (336) 691-0672, ext. 218 or email: pshanahan@musicacademync.org.
STEPHANIE SILVESTRI, violin faculty member at The Music Academy of North Carolina, is currently a graduate assistant at the University of North Carolina – Greensboro school of music. She graduated magna cum laude in 2009 from Florida State University with degrees in Music Education and Violin Performance. Stephanie is an experienced teacher, having maintained a private studio for the past ten years. As a performer, Stephanie has played in masterclasses for artists such as James Ehnes, Michael Davis, Janet Sung, and the Audubon and Cavani string quartets. In Tallahassee, Stephanie was a contracted member of the Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra and assistant director of the fundamentals violin class for the youth orchestra. Summer festivals include the Brevard Music Center, the Hot Springs Music Festival, LyricaFest, and the Aria International Music Academy. In addition to performing classical music, Stephanie enjoys playing Irish, Old Time, and Bluegrass music. Her principal teachers include Marjorie Bagley, Beth Newdome, William Goodwin, and Melody Brock. She can be reached at (336) 691-0672, ext. 212 or email: ssilvestri@musicacademync.org.
SUSANNAH STEELE, piano faculty member at The Music Academy of North Carolina, received her Master of Music from UNCG, her Bachelor of Music from Furman University, and is currently pursuing her Doctoral Degree in performance from UNCG. In addition to teaching private piano lessons, she has completed certification to become a Musikgarten teacher of children ages birth-5. A member of the faculty at Furman’s Summer Keyboard Institute as well as UNCG’s Summer Music Camp, Susannah also taught Class Piano and accompanied the Opera Theatre program at UNCG. She has also completed a year as a teacher at Furman University. As a performer, she has studied at the New Orleans Piano Institute and abroad at the Prague International Masterclasses. She won the state MTNA Young Artist competitions in 2003 and 2007 and the 2007 GMTAYoung Artist Competition. Susannah performed with the UNCG orchestra after winning the 2008 Concerto Competition. She can be reached at (336) 691-0672, ext. 202 or e-mail: ssteele@musicacademync.org.
ANGELA TONEY, a faculty member at The Music Academy of North Carolina, a violist who teaches violin and viola, graduated from the University of NC at Greensboro with both a Bachelor’s and Master’s in Music Education. She is currently teaching at Morehead Elementary, where she has been the violin (strings) teacher for eleven years. Before beginning at Morehead, she taught both middle and high school orchestra in the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools. She is also a member of many performing groups, including IMPACT (music ministry) and both the Danville and B.E.S.K. String Quartets. She can be reached at (336) 691-0672, ext. 211 or email: atoney@musicacademync.org.
JANICE WELLS, piano faculty member and Master Teacher at The Music Academy of North Carolina, earned her Master of Music degree in Piano from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, and her Bachelor of Music degree in Piano from Newberry College. She has taught private and class piano for many years, and is available to teach Suzuki-style lessons for younger beginners. She is also an active freelance accompanist in the Triad area. Janice began teaching at MANC in 2002. She was a recipient of the 2004 Mary Elizabeth King Brown Teaching Excellence Award. She can be reached at (336) 691-0672, ext. 234 or email: jwells@musicacademync.org.
ALLISON WILLET, violin faculty member at The Music Academy of North Carolina since 2007, performs and teaches in many styles, including baroque and fiddle. Allison earned the degree of Master of Music in violin performance from the University of North Carolina in Greensboro in 2008 and graduated Summa Cum Laude in 2006 from Appalachian State University with the degree of Bachelor of Music in violin performance. She is the founder and director of Greensboro Early Music, an ensemble devoted to showcasing historical performance on period instruments. Allison holds the position of Principal Second Violin for Salisbury Symphony Orchestra. She has served as Concertmaster for the Philharmonia of Greensboro, the UNCG Symphony, as well as the Appalachian Symphony Orchestra. Allison is also an active performer of both modern violin and baroque violin throughout the southeast, including North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and Georgia. She performs regularly with Salisbury Symphony, Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra, Western Piedmont Symphony, The Symphony of the Mountains, Atlanta Baroque Orchestra, Opera Carolina, and Greensboro Early Music. Before coming to The Music Academy, she taught at Music & Arts, UNC-G Community Music School, UNC-G Summer Music Camp, and Methodist University MusiCamp. Allison can be contacted at (336) 691-0672, ext. 223 or email: awillet@musicacademync.org.
CHRISTY WISUTHSERIWONG, piano faculty member at The Music Academy of North Carolina, is a native of Raleigh, NC. She received her Bachelor’s of Music in piano performance and pedagogy at Meredith College in Raleigh and studied collaborative piano with Benton Hess at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, where she earned her Master’s of Music in accompanying. Currently, Christy is pursuing doctoral studies in music at UNCG and is studying collaborative piano under Andrew Harley and James Douglass. She has been on faculty at MANC since July 2006. Christy works in the Greensboro area as a freelance pianist playing for lessons, rehearsals, master classes, and recitals for students at UNCG, Greensboro College, and Guilford College. She has served as an official accompanist for MANC’s Annual Cello Competition for the past three years. She has worked frequently as an accompanist for the UNCG Opera Theatre Department, playing for the Opera Tour to the Schools and the North Carolina premiere of Mark Adamo’s Little Women among other shows. Christy has been a chorus accompanist for several shows with the Greensboro Opera Company, has worked as an accompanist for their summer opera camp, and has played for musicals for both the UNCG Theatre department as well as the Community Theatre of Greensboro. She has also participated abroad in the summer opera performance and language study program Oberlin in Italy. In summer of 2007, Christy will be participating in the University of Miami Frost School of Music German lieder program for singers and pianists in Salzburg, Austria. Christy was a recipient of the Mary Elizabeth King Brown Teaching Excellence Award for 2008-2009. She can be reached at (336) 691-0672, ext. 203 or email: cwisuthseriwong@musicacademync.org.
AMY ZIGLER, piano faculty at the Music Academy of North Carolina, earned her Ph. D. in Musicology with an outside cognate in Piano Performance from the University of Florida, her Master of Music in Piano from Belmont University, and her Bachelor of Music in Piano from the University of Alabama. In addition to her formal education, Amy studied at the Landesmusikakademie in Heek, Germany with Falko Steinbach, she participated in the Deeper Piano Studies workshops with Frederic Chiu, and she has also performed in Puerto Rico and the southeastern US. She joins the MANC with over ten years of private and collegiate teaching experience in piano, music theory, and music history. Previously, Amy was a member of the Gainesville Chamber Orchestra in Gainesville, FL and a member of the Doris Bardon Chamber Ensemble. She is currently a member of the Greensboro Music Teachers Association, the College Music Society, the American Musicological Society, and the North American British Music Studies Association. In addition to teaching, Amy is an active soloist and collaborative artist, specializing in the music of the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries. She can be reached at (336) 691-0672, ext. 232 or azigler@musicacademync.org.