Private Study Biographies
Junior Faculty
Samantha Bisaro, clarinet, is a senior music education major at the University of Delaware. She has been a member of the UD Marching Band, Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, Orchestra and UD Opera Pit Orchestras. Every summer, she has been a camp counselor at a music camp up in Ithaca, New York teaching middle school and high school aged students how to improve their tone production, technique, and overall sound on the clarinet.
Ali is a senior music education major with a concentration in saxophone and minor in voice. Ali studies saxophone privately with Todd Groves, and has been an active performer in the UD Music Department. She has participated in numerous University ensembles including Wind Ensemble, Jazz Ensemble, Pep Band, and Sax Quartet, and is a third year drum major of the Fightin' Blue Hen Marching Band. In addition to teaching private saxophone lessons through the Community Music School and NCCL, Ali enjoys teaching the marching band at William Penn High School. Ali is a sister of the Women's Music Honors Fraternity, Sigma Alpha Iota.
Stephen Carroll, tenor, is a fifth-year student at the University of Delaware. He spent the first four years at the university completing a degree in music education and will be spending the coming year finishing a degree in vocal performance. Last spring, he student taught at Cab Calloway School of the Arts and Middletown High School. He has appeared numerous times in UD Opera Theatre's productions, holding roles in The Magic Flute, Street Scene, and Cosi fan tutte. He has taught multiple students of varying ages and voice types through the Community Music School. This coming year, he will be playing the roles of Basilio in Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro and Prince Philippe in Lennox Berkeley's A Dinner Engagement.
Cecilia is a junior music education major with concentration in saxophone and a jazz minor. She has participated in the marching band (music section leader), jazz band (as a featured soloist), chamber jazz band (which has a focus on improvisation), sax quartet (on bari), and the wind ensemble (classical group). In high school, she participated in the all state concert and jazz bands and was drum major for the Cab Calloway School of the Arts. She has been teaching lessons privately since she was in 10th grade and for the community music school since her sophomore year.
Lisa Anne Diver is a Senior Music Education Major with a concentration in voice at the University of Delaware. She began her musical journey at a young age when her parents enrolled her in the Children’s Chorus of Maryland (CCM) and Children Around the World, a sign-language group which sang and signed for the hearing impaired. Through these music ensembles she has had the opportunity to perform at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, Walt Disney World, the Olympics, the White House, Carnegie Hall, and throughout Europe. She is a member of Phi Kappa Phi and Alpha Lambda Delta, Delaware’s High Academic Honors Society and enjoys traveling, reading and playing the piano. Lisa has received Level 1 Certification in Early Childhood Music from the Gordon Institute of Music Learning. Lisa looks forward to her fourth year working with children and their families in the CMS program.
Alexis Nicole Droke is a Senior Music Education and Vocal Performance Major at the University of Delaware. She is deeply involved with the vocal arts at Delaware, and is a member of the Opera Theatre Program, Chorale (the premiere choral ensemble), and the American Choral Directors Association. She has directed multiple musical events including most recently a production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat with Red Clay Creek Drama Company. She also directs the church choir at the New Ark United Church of Christ, and has established a summer children's choir program there as well. Alexis will be graduating from the university in spring of 2010, and will then pursue a masters degree in vocal performance and pedagogy. She hopes to one day perform with a professional opera company and teach choir and private voice.
Angela Gan is a Senior Music Education Major with a Choral/General concentration at the University of Delaware. She has received certification in the Edwin Gordon theory of Music Learning for the Early Childhood level and has been teaching CMS classes for 4 years now. Not only is she proficient in piano and violin, but also enjoys being part of the UD Chorale and hopes to continue working with children by becoming a promising music teacher.
Katie Gloede is a sophomore at UD, where she is pursuing a Bachelor of Music in Music Education through the University Honors Program. She has studied flute for the last ten years, taking lessons with Judy Peckmore (New Jersey) and Eileen Grycky (Delaware). Throughout middle and high school, Katie worked with children at hospitals, libraries, and schools in her community to help introduce them to music. Since coming to UD, Katie has performed on flute and piccolo with the Marching Band, Symphonic Band, Chamber Orchestra, Pep Band and Wind Ensemble.
Christine is a junior Instrumental Music Education Major with a concentration in flute and a minor in Voice. She is a member of the University’s Wind Ensemble and Schola Cantorum. She is also one of the drum majors for the Fightin’ Blue Hen Marching Band, and she also participates in the Pep Band. Through Christine’s involvement in MENC, she has been able to attend conferences in Milwaukee, WI and Providence, RI. She also represented UD at the Collegiate Leadership Conference while in Rhode Island. In addition to MENC, Christine is a University of Delaware Spirit Ambassador to Alumni Relations, a member of ACDA (American Choral Directors Association), GIML (The Gordon Institute for Music Learning), and NSCS (National Society of Collegiate Scholars). Christine also enjoys teaching both private lessons and early childhood music classes through the UD Community Music School.
Karen Hauge is a senior at UD, where she is pursuing a Bachelor of Music in Music Education. She has studied flute for the past twelve years and her principal teachers include Mardee Reed-Ulmer (New Jersey) and Eileen Grycky (Delaware). As a high school senior she performed with the Monmouth Symphony Orchestra as the winner of that orchestra's concerto competition. Since beginning her studies at UD, Karen has performed in master classes for Keith Underwood and Emily Skala. A member of the University Honors Program, Karen has been inducted into Pi Kappa Lambda, national music honors fraternity, and Phi Kappa Phi, the nation's oldest honor society. Karen is an undergraduate researcher studying musicality with Dr. Suzanne Burton; her research will be used to write her senior thesis in pursuance of an Honors Degree with Distinction. Karen is a teacher of Early Childhood Music classes as well as a private flute teacher with the Community Music School.
Jeremy Norris is starting his junior year at the University of Delaware as a Music Education major, with a focus in horn. He has played in many of the University of Delaware’s ensembles including Wind Ensemble, UD Symphony, UD opera pit, Fightin’ Blue Hen Marching Band, Horn Ensemble, many small horn combos, and the Anonymous 5 Woodwind Quintet. At UD, Jeremy’s main instructors have been Dr. John David Smith, Dr. Susanne Burton, and Dr. Robert Streckfuss.
Before college Jeremy participated in many in-school and extra curricular ensembles. From honors and all state bands, spring musicals, the Greater Baltimore Youth Orchestra, and school ensembles, such as marching band and wind ensemble. He has an understanding for the busy lives of K-12 students and will work to accommodate any schedule.
Jess Santiago, a native of Long Island, New York, is a Senior Applied Music major at the University of Delaware. After starting horn at age 11, Jess was a member of the Metropolitan Youth Orchestra of New York, New York All State, and the Saratoga School of the Arts. Currently she studies with Dr. John Smith, an active performer in the Philadelphia and New York areas. Last summer Jess attended the Aspen Music Festival & School, and this past spring Jess won the University of Delaware Concerto Competition. For the past three years Jess played principle horn in both Orchestra & Wind Ensemble. She also plays in Chamber Orchestra, Horn Ensemble, and the Badinage Woodwind Quintet. Last year Jess was a member of Shades of Brass, a brass quintet composed of UD brass players that traveled to local schools to perform and promote music as a fun and essential part of life.
Duo Shen is a sophomore majoring in violin performance at the University of Delaware. Born and raised in Beijing, China, Mr. Shen started studying the violin at the age of five with concert violinist Ms. Zhang Zhiqin, who was also the associate concertmaster of the Chinese National Symphony Orchestra. Since coming to the University of Delaware in 2008, Duo has been studying the violin with Professor Xiang Gao, who is also a world class concert violinist. During Mr. Shen’s freshmen year, he won the UD concerto competition (open to all music students) which made him one of the very few freshmen to win this honor in the history of the University of Delaware. As a result of winning this prize, Mr. Shen was engaged to perform the Paganini Violin Concerto in D Major with University of Delaware Symphony Orchestra. Prior to his arrival in Delaware, Mr. Shen performed in many countries as the concertmaster of his high school Symphony Orchestra, including Vienna, Italy, Russia and France.
Su Xu, a senior from the Music department at the University of Delaware, is pursuing his bachelor degree under the instruction of Professor Xiang Gao. Mr. Xu was born and raised in Beijing, China where he began violin studies at the age of six. He studied with famous Chinese violin soloist Mrs. Zhiqing Zhang for more than 10 years. In 2006, Mr. Xu arrived at the University of Delaware with the highest scholarship offered in the history of the Music department. In his freshman year, Mr. Xu was selected to be an artist in the Delaware classical showcase competition and then gave his debut recital at University of Delaware. In 2007, as the recipient of Vincent J Kowalewski Music Scholarship, Mr. Xu won the 45th American Polish Society competition. In 2009, Mr. Xu was the winner of the Delaware Idols Competition in the college division and performed Tzigane on the winner gala concert.
Professional Faculty
Brian Bersh is a Masters student at the University of Delaware. He received his Bachelor's degree in Music Education, with a minor in Jazz Studies. He currently teaches and performs percussion in the greater Philadelphia area. Mr. Bersh has been teaching with the Community Music School since 2006.
Gerry Brunner received his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Delaware in 1969 and his master's degree from Indiana University, Bloomington in 1971. While still in school, he taught guitar at Wilmington Piano, and performed professionally in clubs and churches. In Indiana he was a staff guitarist and singer, performing popular and jazz music on the stage of the local Imperial Inn. Since 1999, Gerry has been a private guitar instructor on the faculty of the Delaware Music School, Middletown Music-Wilmington, and UD's Community Music School. He also created and conducted: "Five Decades of Popular Music" and "Broadway" sing-along courses for UD; a "Build a Song" after-school music enrichment course; and a summer "Overview of Guitar" Workshop. After private study with UD's Christiaan Taggart in the late 90s, Gerry completed: three one-week workshops in jazz and classical guitar at the National Guitar Workshop; studies at the World Guitar Congress; Suzuki guitar initial instructor certification training under Andrea Cannon; and levels 2 through 4 Suzuki instructor certification under William Kossler and MaryLou Roberts. Gerry continues to play classical, popular, and church music solo and in small groups. He performs for private parties, weddings, receptions, and clubs.
Airee Cha, having obtained a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Delaware, is currently working toward a Master of Music degree in piano performance at Delaware. Airee has exceptional experience in the fields of piano performance as well as education. She has taught through the University of Delaware for many years and has also taught privately for over 10 years. She is the principal accompanist for the Delaware Korean United Methodist Church in Hockessin, Delaware, and she has amassed a great deal of experience accompanying various instrumentalists and vocalists at the University of Delaware and elsewhere. In 2003, she was the winner of the Music Department’s Concerto/Aria Competition which culminated with the performance of one movement of a concerto with the University of Delaware Symphony Orchestra. Airee also holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of British Columbia, Canada.
Rebekka Cleland is completing her master’s degree at the University of Delaware this year. Her Master's concentration is in early childhood music. Rebekka attained a Bachelor's Degree in Music Education and a Bachelor's Degree in Piano Performance from Columbia College, South Carolina. Rebekka is certified to teach early childhood music and has been an active classroom teacher and a private piano instructor in the Community Music School. In addition, Rebekka supervised undergraduate CMS teachers and assistants and she coordinated the early childhood music program for the past two years.
Anabelinda de Castro holds a BM in piano performance from Towson University (studied with Reynaldo Reyes), and she is currently pursuing a MM as a scholarship student at University of Delaware under Marie-Christine Delbeau. Her awards include: Exhibition Prize from TCL 2003, 1st prize; Chiang Wen Yeh International Young Artist’s Piano Competition 1998, 1st prize; Charlotte Nachman Junior Keyboard Competition 2001, 1st prize; TU Talent Awards 2005, recipient of awards from Notables of Anne Arundel County Music Competition 2007 and Henry Sanborn Music Competition 2007 and 2009.
Kevin J. Cope is a graduate of the University of Delaware having obtained a master's degree in music composition and a second master's degree in guitar performance. He has taught guitar through many programs including the University of Delaware Community Music School, Darlington Arts Center, and the Bloomsburg University Preparatory Program as well as teaching many private students. He has studied with guitarists Dr. Matthew Slotkin and Christiaan Taggart, as well as composers Dr. Patrick Long of Susquehanna University and Dr. Andrew Bleckner and Dr. Jennifer Barker of the University of Delaware. Mr. Cope's guitar and flute composition entitled Penumbra can be purchased through www.fluteworld.com. For more information on Kevin J. Cope, see www.kevinjcope.com.
Lillian Green holds a BM in music education from West Virginia University, where she studied piano, violin and viola. Lillian has been teaching private students since high school, and has taught at community music schools both at WVU and the University of Delaware. She is currently pursuing a master's degree in Music Performance at UD, studying with Andrea Priester Houde, with an anticipated graduation date of May 2010.
Rebecca Haas began teaching with the Community Music School as an undergraduate, and has been working with them ever since. Besides teaching as a private flute instructor, she has also been the flute instructor at the Middle School Band Camp for several years. She completed her undergraduate degree at UD in 2003 and her master’s degree in 2005, both in music performance with a concentration in flute. Besides teaching at CMS, she also maintains her own private studio based out of Bear, has worked for both Accent Music and the Music School of Delaware, and teaches middle school band at Glasgow Christian Academy. Rebecca is also an active performer in the area, both as a soloist and as a member of various chamber ensembles.
Jessica Hoffman, violin, received her Bachelor of Music degree in violin performance from the Cleveland Institute of Music and Case Western Reserve University and her Master of Music degree in performance from Esther Boyer College of Music at Temple University. A former member of Symphony in C, she currently freelances in the Philadelphia/Delaware area. Miss Hoffman is a registered Suzuki violin teacher having studied string pedagogy with Linda Fiore (Hartt Suzuki Institute), Ronda Cole (Greater Washington Suzuki Association), Michelle George (Greater Pittsburgh Suzuki Institute), Ed Kreitman(Ithaca Suzuki Institute), Edmund Sprunger (GWSA/Ithaca) and Mimi Zweig (Indiana University).
Kristen LaPorte is a senior at the University of Delaware with a major in Music Education with a voice concentration and a minor in Disability Studies. She has been influenced by music since the age of two when her parents enrolled her in early childhood music classes. Kristen has had experience working with young children at Newark United Methodist Church and young children at her church's Vacation Bible School music program in addition to various other camps. Kristen has been assisting and more recently teaching early childhood music classes in the Community Music School for two and a half years. She is interested in teaching early childhood music and young children when upon graduating.
Matthew Lavanish is a graduate of the University of Delaware, having received his Bachelor's degree in classical guitar performance in 1999, and his Master's degree in classical guitar performance in 2003, both under the instruction of Christiaan Taggart. He has also studied extensively with celebrated guitarists Alice Artzt of Princeton, NJ and Paulo Martelli of Sao Paulo, Brazil, and has performed in master classes for Jason Vieaux, The Katona Twins and Eleftheria Kotzia, among others. Matthew has been playing guitar for 24 years, has performed in a variety of venues and styles, and has been teaching guitar for more than 15 years, primarily through the Community Music School, The Music School of Delaware, and privately. Mr. Lavanish specializes in classical guitar instruction, but is experienced teaching guitar in a variety of different styles to students from ages 6 to 60. Matthew is also co-founder of the Wilmington Classical Guitar Society, and in addition has recently taken up the craft of luthiery, completing his first guitar in 2009.
John Keister holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education from Susquehanna University as well as a teaching certification in Special Education from West Chester University. After college, John served in two active duty Army Bands for nearly five years where he served for two years in Heidelberg, Germany and two more in Aberdeen, MD in the AMC Band at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds. John has performed in numerous countries and has been a member of many ensembles playing for everything from ceremonies to international marching band shows. He has also played with the Bel Air Community Band as well as substituting with the Newark Symphony in Delaware. John teaches private lessons locally and enjoys teaching as much as playing.
John is currently in his second year at the university pursuing his Masters in Music Performance in Horn. He is playing in many of the groups in the university and is also playing with the UD graduate woodwind quintet having been formed this semester. Additionally, John continues his military service in the National Guard as a member of the 287th Army Band in the Delaware National Guard and plays with a woodwind quintet in Harford County, MD with a group of educators living in the area.
Eliza Krivo recently completed her Bachelor’s degree in Violin Performance from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music. She is currently working on her Master’s degree in Violin Performance as a member of the University of Delaware Graduate String Quartet. While here at the University of Delaware, Eliza will also complete her Masters in Music Education. Eliza has been teaching violin for over ten years and more recently has taken on other instruments such as viola, cello and bass. She was a piano student growing up and can also teach piano. Eliza has won many awards, scholarships and competitions, most recently the Mittenthal Chair competition with the Skokie Valley Symphony Orchestra. She has studied under various teachers including, Paula Fischer, Gerardo Ribiero (Northwestern), Lynn Chang (The Boston Conservatory) Gregory Fulkerson (Oberlin Conservatory). Almita Vamos (Northwestern) and currently Xiang Gao. She is a vibrant and energetic young teacher who understands the importance of music and the values in learning an instrument. She hopes to always have students and to continue teaching so that she may share her love of music with everyone!
Scott Lynch began his study of the horn at age 9 and the bass at age 14. A Delaware native and graduate of Newark High School, Scott performed in a variety of different ensembles in the Christina School District music program, as well has having studied at the UD Community Music School. He has performed in a variety of different ensembles as a music education student at the University of Delaware, varying from marching bands to symphony orchestras, jazz ensembles, contemporary music groups, and others. Most recently, Scott explored the realm of choral music as a member of the University of Delaware Chorale.
A 2009 graduate of UD, Scott studied music education under Dr. Suzanne Burton and Dr. Robert Streckfuss. In his teaching, he encourages students to develop their listening skills to provide a foundation for both the music reading process and the development of proper instrument technique. Students under his instruction can expect to learn how to accurately sing the music that they will play on their instruments.
Kathryn Makos is a first year Master's student at the University of Delaware with a concentration in early childhood music. She graduated from the University of Delaware with a Bachelor's Degree in Music Education in 2009 with a concentration in instrumental music education. She has been playing the violoncello for over 15 years and teaching privately for eight. Along with teaching cello privately, she also teaches violin. Kathryn is currently one of the string teachers at Cab Calloway School of the Arts in Wilmington, Delaware. She has studied with Lawrence Stomberg, a University of Delaware faculty member and member of the Serafin Sting Quartet for the past four years. Kathryn also supervises the CMS Early Childhood teachers and assistants, coordinates early childhood activities, and teaches early childhood classes for the Community Music School.
Kathleen Strahm started playing the violin when she was four. Growing up in Southern Oregon, Kathleen participated in a number of competitions, placing first in the Youth Symphony of Southern Oregon Concerto Competition. Strahm recently participated in her fifth year at the Britt String Academy and has also attended the Madeline Island Music Camp. This last spring, Miss Strahm finished her Bachelor of Music degree with a full tuition scholarship at the University of Missouri, St. Louis. Kathleen Strahm has studied with several distinguished quartets, such as the Shanghai String Quartet, the Ames Piano Quartet, and the Arianna String Quartet. She has also had lessons on musical interpretation from pianist Ruth Price. Her private teachers have included Faina Podolnaya, Joyce Robbins, and John McGrosso. Kathleen has been awarded the Graduate Quartet Fellowship at the University of Delaware and is currently studying violin with Mr. Xiang Gao.
Stephanie Tornatore is a graduate oboe performance major at the University of Delaware. As an undergraduate student at UD, she was first chair in the Wind Ensemble, Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra, Opera Orchestra, and has played in numerous chamber ensembles including Badinage Woodwind Quintet. Stephanie plays many instruments including the oboe, english horn, piano, flute, and she loves to sing! She is also the choir director of the West Grove Presbyterian Church. Recently, Stephanie accepted an internship with the Delaware Symphony Orchestra as stage manager and marketing analyst. To fill time over the summer, she is the conductor and musical director for the Newbury Musical Theater Company, located in Southbury, Connecticut.
Colleen Torpey, a native of southern New Jersey, began playing clarinet at the age of nine. As she progressed on the instrument, she began to receive many honors. Some of these included playing in regional and All State ensembles, making her best showing senior year when placing 2nd overall in regions and 5th overall in the state. In addition, Ms. Torpey was the concerto competition winner at York College of Pennsylvania, was honored as a Brander Wyatt Memorial award winner, and has been inducted into such honor societies as Alpha Chi and the Pi Kappa Lambda Music Honors Society. She received her Bachelor of Arts, Magna Cum Laude, from York College of Pennsylvania and recently earned her Master of Music in Clarinet Performance from the University of Delaware. Ms. Torpey is currently finishing her teaching certification at Rowan University.