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Music Adjunct Professors

Laura Arganbright

Laura ArganbrightOboe

Dr. Laura Arganbright is in demand as an oboist with a diverse portfolio of musical projects including performance, education, and reed-making. She is the principal oboist with the Bakersfield Symphony Orchestra and the Arizona Philharmonic. Most recently, Laura was featured in the opening gala of the 2024 International Double Reed Society conference performing Viet Cuong’s double concerto Extra(ordinarily) Fancy, a piece she premiered in 2019. As a soloist, Laura has also performed Oscar Navarro’s concerto Legacy and Alessandro Marcello’s Concerto in D minor. Laura regularly performs throughout California, and has played in concert with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Pacific Symphony, Redlands Symphony, Modesto Symphony, and others. Passionate about inspiring the next generation of musicians and music lovers, Laura currently serves as the Oboe Teaching Artist for the LA Philharmonic’s YOLA program, in addition to maintaining a robust and competitive private teaching studio. An enthusiastic reed-maker, she has operated a handmade reed business since 2015 and derives joy and pride in supplying reeds to oboists throughout California and beyond. Laura holds Bachelor and Master’s degrees from Arizona State University, and earned the Doctorate of Musical Arts from USC in 2018


Tamara Chernyak

Tamara Chernyak

Violin

Tamara Chernyak, originally from St. Petersburg, Russia, started playing the violin at the age of five. She studied with Michael Viman and graduated with honors from the Rimsky-Korsakov College, Conservatory and post-graduate programs with degrees in both performance and pedagogy. While studying, she became a member of the Mihaylovski opera and ballet theater and in 1972 she joined the Leningrad Philharmonic.

In 1974, Ms. Chernyak emigrated to the U.S where she spent the summer playing at the Sarasota Festival and was awarded the Leonard Bernstein personal scholarship to play in the Tanglewood Festival. There she participated in master classes with Richard Burgin, Josef Gingold, and Joseph Silverstein. In September, Ms. Chernyak was appointed Associate Concertmaster of Kansas City Philharmonic and Concertmaster of Kansas City Opera.

One of the first women from Russia to become part of a major symphony orchestra, Ms. Chernyak joined the Los Angeles Philharmonic in 1976 and played 38 years in the Music Center, Hollywood Bowl and Disney Hall stages. She has appeared as a soloist several times including performances of Bartok's Violin Concerto with Zubin Mehta and concertos by Vivaldi conducted by Christopher Hogwood and by Carlo Maria Giulini.

In her orchestral career, Ms. Chernyak has worked with world-renowned conductors and soloists including Sir Simon Rattle, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Lorin Maazel, Joshua Bell, Lang Lang, Itzhak Perlman, Emmanuel Ax, Sarah Chang, Midori, Evgeny Kissin, Leila Josefowicz, Gil Shaham, Martha Argerich, Gidon Kremer, Yo-Yo Ma, John Williams and Gustavo Dudamel among others.

She has played in the Salzburg Festival, Austria; Stravinsky Festival, Paris; Shostakovich Festival, Los Angeles; and Mahler Festival, Caracas and performed on the most famous stages in the world, including La Scala, Kennedy Center, Royal Albert Hall, Concertgebouw, and Carnegie Hall.

Not a stranger to studio work, Ms. Chernyak has been part of hundreds of recordings, including iconic soundtracks such as Star Wars, ET, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and Grammy award-winning Brahms Symphony No. 4. She has played with numerous jazz and rock artists like Ella Fitzgerald, Pink Martini, Herbie Hancock and performed with Andrea Bocelli and The 3 Tenors.

She is the founder of the Daria String Quartet and served as the Calabasas Chamber Orchestra's Concertmaster and soloist, performing throughout Southern California and touring in Europe. Ms. Chernyak's chamber music collaborations include her performances with Christian Zacharias, Lars Vogt and others. She was a founding participant of the Green Umbrella Contemporary Music series and regularly performed at the Japan American Theatre and Gindi Auditorium.

Ms. Chernyak has been recognized as one of the most dedicated and respected teachers in Southern California in both her private teaching practice and as a regular member of Gold Coast and International Beverly Hills festivals. She has served on the faculty of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Institute and has been a member of the Pepperdine University music faculty since January 2015.

She currently lives in the San Fernando Valley with her family.


Anastasios Comanescu

Taso Comanescu

Guitar

Anastasios Comanescu is a promising, young guitarist in the Los Angeles area. He was a finalist at the 2009 California A.S.T.A. competition and grand prizewinner at the 2011 Pacific Guitar Festival. His debut solo classical record, "Epitaphios" (2011), features the music of Narvaez, Tansman, Barrios and Theodorakis. It is available on iTunes, Amazon and CDBaby.

In 2010 Comanescu began a new musical project with internationally acclaimed lyric tenor Charles Castronovo, performing guitar and arranging music for the ensemble. Their program, entitled Charles Castronovo's Italian Songbook, consists of popular Neapolitan, Sicilian and Italian folk songs. Past performances, including a debut at the famous Zipper Hall in Los Angeles, have been received with critical acclaim. Performing Arts Live writes of an "extraordinary performance.... A grand program of famous arias and Neapolitan Songs...(Castronovo) was accompanied by an impressive five piece musical ensemble." Their debut recording "Dolce Napoli: The Neopolitan Songs" is available on iTunes and Amazon. The 2012 - 2013 concert season will see the group perform around the world.

Comanescu is a founding member of the "Gi-táhr Duo", a successful collaboration with guitarist Austin Grant (2009). Their eclectic programming has garnered praise from guitar virtuoso Christopher Parkening as "an exciting, young, American guitar duo of this generation". More recently he has also shared concerts with esteemed Slovenian guitarist Mak Grgic.

Comanescu studied flamenco guitar with Charles Sedlak and classical guitar with David Dueñas prior to college. He earned a Bachelor's degree in 2010 from Pepperdine University where he studied classical guitar with Christopher Parkening. Comanescu completed his Master's degree at the University of Southern California under Scott Tennant in 2012.

In addition to classical guitar, Comanescu has studied contemporary, jazz and flamenco guitar. Past teachers include electric guitar virtuoso Steve Trovato and Falla Guitar Trio members Kenton Youngstrom and Adam Del Monte.

Anastasios has been a member of the music faculty at Pepperdine University since Fall 2011.

www.TasoGuitar.com


Nicholas Daley

Nicholas Daley

Jazz and Trombone

Originally from St. Paul, MN, Nicholas Daley is an active freelance trombonist in the greater Los Angeles area where he regularly performs with a diverse collection of ensembles ranging from orchestras to jazz, salsa and pop bands, while playing recording sessions for video game, television and movie scores. Noted performances include playing with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Poncho Sanchez Latin Jazz Band, Broad Stage Celebrity Opera Recitals, MUSE/IQUE, Pasadena Master Chorale, Pete Myers Orchestra, Frank Stallone, Jazz on the Latin Side All Stars, Buddy Rich Band, Disneyland Band and early music ensembles Tesserae, San Diego Bach Collegium,Tenet and Dark Horse Consort.

Nicholas attended Oberlin Conservatory to study with James DeSano, where he earned a Bachelor of Music degree. Subsequently, he moved to Los Angeles, attending the University of Southern California for a Master of Music degree. He maintains a private teaching studio in addition to work with the Oakwood Brass Outreach Project, Harmony Project, and Idyllwild Arts Academy.


Kevin Enstrom

kevin

Guitar

Kevin Enstrom is an up and coming guitarist in the Los Angeles area. Originally from Ontario, Canada, Kevin has performed throughout the U.S, Canada, and Europe, playing works by Torroba, Tedesco, Rodrigo, Dyens and many more. In 2014 Enstrom co-founded the “Orpheo Guitar Quartet” along with guitarists Tomasz Fechner, Christian Cruz, and Sean Mulholland, premiering on KUSC’s radio concert hour at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. The quartet began touring recital halls, schools, and correctional facilities showing the beauty and versatility of the classical guitar. Recently Enstrom and The Orpheo Quartet performed alongside Grammy-winning guitarists Scott Tennant, Andrew York, and Bill Kanengiser at the Pasadena Conservatory of Music. The group was later awarded the “Outstanding Ensemble Award” from the Thornton School of music at the University of Southern California.

Outside of live performances, his love of many styles has given him the opportunity to record with many artists backed by both major and independent record labels. Some of his musical contributions have been heard at the 2016 Los Angeles Film Festival, on VH1, as well as MTV shows “Finding Carter”, “Awkward”, “The Real World”, and “Are You the One?”. Enstrom received his bachelor's of music from Pepperdine University in 2014 studying under world-renowned classical guitarist, Christopher Parkening. And, in 2016, graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Masters of Music from the University of Southern California, where he studied under Scott Tennant of the LAGQ.


Sue Falletti

Sue FallettiVoice

Lyric-coloratura soprano, Suzanne Falletti is a two-time Grammy Award winning artist and was a member of the full-time Metropolitan Opera Chorus for 24 seasons. Suzanne is a graduate of the University of Northern Iowa earning a B.A. in Music and a Master of Music Degree in Opera Performance and Literature from the Eastman School of Music. Suzanne was a Regional Winner in the National Association of Teachers of Singing Graduate Level Competition and Finalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. Suzanne was an adjunct voice instructor at NYU’S Tisch School of the Arts in New York City, and many of her students have appeared on Broadway. Ms. Falletti was a guest speaker at both the Eastman School of Music and The Boston Conservatory, offering students practical wisdom and insights into having a sustainable career in a highly competitive performing arts business. Currently, she has a private voice studio and teaches at California Lutheran University as an adjunct voice professor. She also sings with the Arete Vocal Ensemble.


Alexander Frederick

Alexander FrederickPercussion

Alex is a freelance percussionist in the Los Angeles area, where he has been a regular performer with the Los Angeles Philharmonic since 2001. He has performed on numerous recordings for itunes, CD, and DVD, as well as multiple national and international tours, including performances in the USA, Canada, the UK, Belgium, Switzerland, Finland, Japan, China, South Korea, and Singapore. Some conductors he has worked with include Esa-Pekka Salonen, Gustavo Dudamel, John Williams, John Adams, Leonard Slatkin, David Robertson, Zubin Mehta, Pierre Boulez, Christoph Eschenbach, Charles Dutoit, Vasily Petrenko and Valery Gergiev. He formerly served in the US Army as a member of the US Military Academy Band at West Point, NY, and as a reservist with the 300th Army Band in Los Angeles, CA. He is a former member of the West Virginia Symphony, the Cleveland Chamber Orchestra and the National Repertory Orchestra.


Mary Gale

Mary GaleClarinet

Mary Gale, clarinetist with the Los Angeles Opera Orchestra for twenty-five years, played in the first production of Wagner's Ring Cycle in Los Angeles. She has played with the Santa Barbara Symphony, Los Angeles Master Chorale, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Long Beach Opera Orchestra, Joffrey Ballet Orchestra, Royal Ballet Orchestra, Los Angeles Concert Orchestra, William Hall Chorale, and Honolulu Symphony. She is principal clarinetist of the Amara Ensemble and was featured as guest principal clarinetist with the San Diego Symphony. She performs in the Motion Picture, TV, and Recording Industry.

Known for her exquisite tone, musicality and sensitive ensemble playing, her major teachers were Mitchell Lurie, Harold Wright, and Larry Combs. She studied chamber music with Marcel Moyse and James Galway, and breathing techniques with Arnold Jacobs. She attended the Music Academy of the West with Maurice Abravanel, conductor, where she was a scholarship recipient and winner of the Simon Kovar Award for outstanding performance. She is a recipient of the Theodore Presser Foundation Award. A graduate of California State University, Northridge, she later was professor of clarinet there for twelve years. She was also a faculty artist at the Idyllwild Summer Music Festival for more than ten years and at the Fairbanks Alaska Music Festival. Other summer festival appearances include the Hindemith Festival in Oregon and California and the San Luis Obispo Mozart Festival.

Artists she has worked with include Plácido Domingo (as singer and conductor), José Carreras, Vladimir Chernov, Joyce DiDonato, Renée Fleming, Eric Halfvarson, Anna Netrebko, Luciano Pavarotti, Samuel Ramey, Erwin Schrott, Frederica von Stade, Carol Vaness and Rolando Villazón, as well as conductors Richard Armstrong, Philippe Auguin, Richard Bonynge, Valery Gergiev, Grant Gershon, Kent Nagano, Julius Rudel and Simon Rattle. In musical theater, she has worked with Richard Burton, Christine Ebersole, Robert Goulet and Richard Harris.

Mary Gale is married to conductor James Martin and has two daughters and two stepdaughters who all share a love and passion for the arts.


Susan Greenberg

Susan Greenberg

Flute

Flutist
 Flutist Susan Greenberg enjoys a versatile career as soloist, chamber musician, symphony player, and recording artist. The Los Angeles Times has described her playing as "brilliant," "elegant" and "supple," and has lauded her "panache" and "musical projection." As a member of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra from 1975-2011, she was a frequent soloist on both flute and piccolo, premiering a concerto for piccolo by Bruce Broughton and performing a concerto for flute, alto flute and piccolo written for her by Gernot Wolfgang. Ms. Greenberg has also appeared as guest soloist with the San Francisco and Oakland Symphonies, the Santa Monica Symphony, the Napa Valley Symphony, and at the Hollywood Bowl. She has performed with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, L.A. Opera, New York City Opera, American Ballet Theater, Joffrey Ballet, as well as at the Casals, Ojai and Martha's Vineyard Music Festivals. Ms. Greenberg was the principal flutist for the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra's tour of Japan, and has received the "Most Valuable Player" award on the flute from the National Association of Recording Arts and Sciences.

Ms. Greenberg began her career performing throughout the U.S. and Canada, Europe and the Middle East, as principal flutist with the Roger Wagner Chorale and Orchestra. She was a fellowship recipient to Tanglewood and to the Music Academy of the West. She received both her B.A., cum laude, and her M.A. from UCLA. Ms. Greenberg is also a speaker for the Los Angeles Opera Speaker's Bureau. Ms. Greenberg is presently an adjunct professor at Pepperdine University and has also taught at California Institute of the Arts and Occidental College. Ms. Greenberg is the Co-Artistic Director of Chamber Music Palisades, now celebrating its sixteenth season (www.cmpalisades.org). She often performs at LACMA and at the South Bay Chamber Music Series. Ms. Greenberg has recorded for over 500 motion pictures and is the flutist for The Simpsons television show.


Scott Hosfeld

Scott HosfeldDirector

Scott Coulston Hosfeld, born and raised in Wenatchee, Washington, began his musical journey at the age of seven with the violin. His early studies with notable teachers, including the acclaimed Camilla Wicks, set the foundation for a distinguished career. Scott pursued a double major in violin performance before receiving a full scholarship to the Manhattan School of Music, where he earned both BM and MM degrees in viola under the eminent artist teacher Lillian Fuchs. His passion for chamber music flourished as a member of the Riverside String Quartet, which debuted at Carnegie Hall. He later founded the ValCoeur Quartet, touring extensively with groundbreaking performances in Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Estonia, Georgia, and Latvia. As Music Director of the Malibu Coast Chamber Orchestra (MCCO) and the Malibu Concert on the Bluffs Orchestra, Scott creates performance opportunities for professional musicians from the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, and others. He has led concerti for premier international soloists such as Nathaniel Rosen, Camilla Wicks, Andrew Shulman, and Paul Coletti. His orchestral collaborations include working with Academy Award-nominated composer Marco Beltrami, actor Pierce Brosnan, and composer Trevor Rabin. In addition to his work in Los Angeles, Scott fulfilled a lifelong dream by founding the Icicle Creek Center for the Arts in Central Washington, expanding educational programs and community outreach. After relocating to Los Angeles, he and his wife, composer Maria Newman, founded the Malibu Friends of Music and the Malibu Coast Music Festival, further enriching the local arts scene. He also served as music director and conductor at the Idyllwild Arts Academy, supervising its chamber music program and contributing to the classical music community.


Grace Lee

Grace Lee's headshotPiano Accompanist

Grace Lee is a concert pianist, teacher, and active accompanist in Los Angeles Area. 

She has performed at New York Carnegie Hall, Walt Disney Concert Hall, Zipper Hall, Wilshire Ebell Theater, and in addition to many other stages in Los Angeles, Europe, and Asia.

Lee received her Masters of Piano Performance from Nuremberg University of Music in Germany and her Bachelor of Music at Mount Saint Mary’s University. 


Kyung Lee

Kyung Lee

Piano

Dr. Kyung Lee is a gifted artist who emigrated from Korea to the United States at age 9. She made her debut with orchestra at age 10 and her first television appearance at age 11. She won numerous competitions from Florida Federation of Music Clubs and was awarded many scholarships, including a 10-year scholarship allegiance from Miami Music Club.

Upon entering University of Miami, she won the prestigious Van Steenberg Scholarship which is awarded to an incoming freshman at the university's music department open instrument competition. At age 21, she won the West Regional Chopin Competition in the 21 to 29-year age category. She was the winner of the Outstanding Keyboard Student of University of Miami Music Department where she received her Bachelor of Music degree with major in piano performance.

She continued her studies at University of Southern California where she earned both her Master of Music degree and Doctor of Musical Arts degree with Piano Performance Major. She is now a very active teacher and member of the Music Teachers' Association of California, having served as both Vice President and President of the MTAC-Conejo Valley Branch.

Dr. Lee's teaching experience spans over 20 years, that of Conejo Valley beginning in the year, 2000. Her students' accolades include winning SYMF competition, Southern California Junior Bach Showcase, and Conejo Valley Contemporary Fall Festival Gold Medal, among others. In addition to her private studio, she has taught group music lessons at a local music academy for 8 years. Her strengths lie in versatility of teaching styles and the depth of understanding her students. Such forte is reinforced by her minor fields in music education with emphasis on early childhood music, and piano pedagogy. Consequently, her expertise lies, not only on the technical and musical levels, but also on the levels of cognitive and emotional development.

Dr. Lee is active in the music community, and is an enthusiastic supporter of the performing arts and organizations, especially the Thousand Oaks Philharmonic. She is serving on the board of T.O. Philharmonic and is committed to giving back to the community by performing regularly in benefit recitals.


Deb Lew

Deb LewVoice

Deborah Lew is a singer, actor and teacher, with a career spanning from Broadway to Los Angeles and beyond. As a performer, Deborah’s Broadway credits include Belle in Beauty and the Beast, and Vixen in The Threepenny Opera at Studio 54. On Broadway she also performed the role of Liat in Bartlett Sher’s production of South Pacific at Lincoln Center. She has sung with the New York City Opera in Candide as the Pink Sheep, and Cinderella (Cinderella standby). Other Off-Broadway credits include Psyche in Cupid and Psyche at the Houseman, and No, No Nanette at City Center Encores. Regionally, Deborah has starred in shows such as Up In The Air (Sujata, World Premiere, Kennedy Center), West Side Story (Maria, Joseph Jefferson Award nomination), Les Miserables (Cosette, Atlanta TOTS & Wolf Trap Theatre), Amour (Isabelle, Goodspeed), Cinderella (Cinderella, North Shore), Miss Saigon (Kim, WBT), Myth (Elizabeth, O'Neill Theatre Center), The King and I (Tuptim, Westin Playhouse). Most recently she played Frieda/Betty in Sarna Lapine’s production of Sunday in the Park With George at the Pasadena Playhouse. Workshops include Princess Ssu-Ming in The Nightingale by Duncan Sheik, and Linh in Tears of Heaven by Frank Wildhorn.

In addition to performing, Deborah is a theatre educator and voice teacher who has taught master classes in theatre institutions across the United States as well as Europe. She has a vocal studio in Los Angeles and is currently serving as adjunct lecturer at the USC School of Dramatic Arts, and as a member of the adjunct music faculty at Pepperdine University.


Lori Maier

Lori Maier

Voice

A graduate of the University of Miami with emphasis on Studio Recording and Jazz Vocal Performance, Lori has extensive vocal experience as a recording artist, commercial session singer and live performer, and her songwriting has earned her Billboard Magazine's Songwriter of the Year Award. She was the director of DePaul University's Jazz Vocal program from 1991-1997 and is a vocal clinician for the National Association of Recording Arts and Sciences (the GRAMMYS) with emphasis on jazz and contemporary vocal instruction. She currently teaches voice at Pepperdine University, is the founder and Executive Director of Chick Singer Night, a national performance network for female artists (www.chicksingernight.com), and is the founder and President of Breathe - A Foundation for the Artist, a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) corporation dedicated to the needs of all artists.


Javier Iglesias-Martin

Javier Iglesias-Martin

Cello

Spanish cellist Javier Iglesias-Martin is a first prize winner of the 2016 American String Teachers Association National Solo Competition and the American Protégé Strings Competition, who gave him the opportunity to play at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Hall. Other awards include the 3rd prize at “Villa de Llanes” International Competition, the Nathaniel Rose Award, and the Juventudes Musicales scholarship awarded by the Queen of Spain. He has participated in festivals such as Yellow Barn, Perlman Music Program, the Heifetz Institute, “Pablo Casals”Festival in Prades, Norfolk Chamber Music Festival, Juilliard String Quartet Seminar, the New York String Orchestra Seminar and has been accepted to Ravinia Steans Institute and the Piatigorsky Cello Festival. As a chamber musician, he has performed with artists such as Donald Weilerstein, Joel Krosnick, Anthony Marwood, Roger Tapping, Lucy Shelton, Ronald Leonard and Robert McDonald, and played in masterclasses for the Takacs, Guarneri, Tokyo and Emerson String Quartets. 

Based in Los Angeles, Javier is an active chamber musician and a regular member of Kaleidoscope Chamber Orchestra and Delirium Musicum. A former student of Amit Peled at the Peabody Conservatory and Paul Katz at the New England Conservatory, he recently finished his doctorate at the University of Southern California where he studied with Ralph Kirshbaum. In addition to teaching his own private studio, Javier is the new adjunct professor of cello at Pepperdine University. 


Dustin McKinney

Dustin McKinney

Trumpet

Originally from Des Moines, IA, Dustin McKinney is a Los Angeles based freelance trumpet player and teacher.
Prior to moving to Southern California, he studied trumpet at DePaul University in Chicago, IL. Dustin has performed with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, Santa Barbara Symphony, and Golden State Pops Orchestra. He can also be found playing lead trumpet in the orchestra pits of many Los Angeles area theaters, various big bands, and as a substitute with
the world famous Disneyland Band.
As an active chamber musician, Dustin is a co-founder 3brass, a Southern California based brass trio. This award winning ensemble released their first album, An Offering, in June of 2012 and is available on iTunes.
Dustin currently serves as the adjunct professor of trumpet at Pepperdine University in Malibu, Occidental College in Los Angeles, and coaches brass chamber music at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
Dustin McKinney is a Yamaha Performing Artist.


Bradley Moller

Bradley MollerTuba/Euphonium

Originally from Cape Town, South Africa, Bradley Möller is a freelance tubist and educator based in Los Angeles. Mr. Möller actively performs throughout the Southern California region as an orchestral performer and can be heard on television, video game, and commercial soundtracks as a recording artist. In addition to his freelance career, Mr. Möller has made appearances with the Industry Opera Company, Berkeley Symphony Orchestra, Eastern Sierra Festival Orchestra, Kaleidoscope Chamber Orchestra, Claremont Symphony Orchestra, and was a member of the Disneyland Band from 2017 to 2020. As a competitor, Mr. Möller won 1st prize at the 2019 IWBC Tuba Solo Competition, and was a finalist and semi-finalist at the VTEC, Falcone, ITEC, and Markneukirchen international solo competitions.

As an educator, Mr. Möller holds faculty positions at Pepperdine University and California State University Dominguez Hills, where he teaches trombone, euphonium, tuba, and academic classes in brass methods, brass literature, and musicianship. Additionally, he is a teaching artist at the Los Angeles Philharmonic El Sistema-inspired programs, YOLA at Torres and YOLA at Hola, providing instruction in low brass instruments and courses in music theory. He also maintains a private studio and frequently coaches chamber music at the University of Southern California.


Cristina Montes Mateo

Cristina Montes MateoHarp

In the words of Maestro Zubin Mehta: "... Cristina is one among those very few individuals who have reached the very top of her field, the harp.” Unanimous 1st Prize winner at the “Torneo Internazionale di Musica” (Rome) and the International Harp Competition “V. Bucchi”, Cristina Montes Mateo has also won four more international contests (Paris -Laskine and Sacem-, Madrid and Tokyo), as well as numerous national awards.

She usually appears as a soloist with major orchestras and has performed at many world leading festivals, highlighting the concert for the King and Queen of Spain and the President of the U.N. at the Royal Palace in Madrid, being broadcasted live internationally.

She was selected by Lorin Maazel as Principal Harp of the Valencia Opera House Orchestra (Spain), where she spent more than a decade. In March 2024, she won the position of Principal Harp of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra. She is also a regular guest with the Munich Philharmonic, Staatsoper Berlin, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and Los Angeles Philharmonic. 


Karolina Naziemiec

Karolina Naziemiec, Violinist

Viola

Karolina Naziemiec is a Polish violist who has been training, teaching and performing in the United States since 2001. Ms. Naziemiec earned her Masters in viola performance from USC. She was granted an artistic visa on the recommendation of the American Federation of Musicians, who cited her as being “a violist of extraordinary ability.” Ms. Naziemiec appeared with many orchestras in Poland, Germany, France, Belgium, Japan, and USA and participated in numerous music festivals throughout the world. She has worked with some of the most distinguished composers and musicians in the world: John Williams, Jan A.P. Kaczmarek, Jorge Calandrelli, Randy Newman, Alf Clausen, Kent Nagano, James Conlon, Gunther Schuller, Arturo Sandoval, Joshua Bell, Gil Shaham, James Newton-Howard, Patrick Williams, Andy Williams, Sue Raney, Bonnie Raitt, Diana Krall, Carmen Bradford, John Corigliano, Randy Newman, Sergio Commissiona, Jerzy Maksymiuk, Jacek Kaspszyk, Larry Livingston, Carl St.Clair, David Zinman, Noreen Green, Burt Bacharach, and Hal David.

As a teacher, Ms. Naziemiec was on the faculty at California State University, Northridge 2007-09 while also teaching at the Idyllwild Summer Festival as a viola coach. Now she has her private studio as well as she has been a coach to students in Santa Monica and Malibu district for ten years. She’s also performed as a jazz vocalist in Los Angeles and Poland, and has recorded in scoring sessions at studios such as Warner Brothers, Fox, Sony and Paramount.


Barry Newton

Newton

String Bass

Barry Newton, a Los Angeles native, studied at the University of Portland and received his B.F.A./ M.F.A. from the California Institute of the Arts. He has studied extensively with notable bassists including Tommy Thompson, Fred Tinsley, and Peter Rofe. His orchestral credits include Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, New West Symphony, and the New York Philharmonic. Barry has worked with such eminent conductors as Leonard Bernstein, John Mauceri, John Williams, and Boris Brott. He has accompanied Yes, Chicago, Moody Blues, The Scorpions, Elton John, Brian Wilson, The Three Tenors and Andrea Bocelli, among others. Barry's dedication to contemporary performance practice has included regular performances with the Cal Arts New Century Players directed by David Rosenboom. His jazz experiences have lead him to performances with Peter Erskine, Anthony Braxton, Buddy Childers and the Dave Pell Octet. Barry often works and composes with various Rock/Pop projects on the west coast. His current group 'Kiss the Frog' is an assortment of pop, electronica, and experimental improvisation. His interest in non-western music has guided him to regular performances with the Indonesian gamelan group 'Bali and Beyond' and Suzanne Teng's 'Mystic Journey' an eastern/western hybrid collaboration. Barry has been the recipient of scholarship awards by the Ahmanson Foundation, the Surdna Foundation, and the Doris Duke Charitable Trust Foundation. Barry currently lives with his daughter Hannah in Topanga, California.


Alexander Park

Alex Park

Guitar

Alex Park is an acclaimed international concert guitarist engaged as a soloist and collaborator throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe. He has received numerous competition awards including first place in the Thomas M. Osborn Concerto Competition. He was also a Prizewinner of the Parkening International Guitar Competitions, Miami GuitArt International Competition, the Philadelphia Classical Guitar, the Lee Ritenour’s Six String
Theory Competitions and was a recipient of the USC Thornton Ensemble Award. In 2019, Alex released his debut album, Classical Guitar, receiving positive reviews from critics and press. Classical Guitar Magazine wrote the album is "Fantastic!" and Fanfare wrote, “a winning combination of technical assurance, versatility, and interpretive finesse.”

Alex received his Bachelor of Arts from Pepperdine University studying under one of the world’s preeminent virtuosos of the classical guitar, Christopher Parkening. He received his Master of Music degree with Andrew York at California State University Fullerton and is currently working on his Doctor of Musical Arts degree with Brian Head and Scott Tennant at the University of Southern California. He also had the opportunity to study with the two members of the “Royal Family of the Guitar,” Pepe and Angel Romero.

In addition to his classical guitar career, Alex has worked on film and media projects as a session guitarist and composer. He has been on the music team for films that have won awards from the Emmy Awards, Cinema Los Angeles Film Festival, and the International New York Film Festival. Alex is currently on faculty at Pepperdine University which is ranked #1 in “The Ten Very Best Colleges for Classical Guitar Performance” by Music School Central. He also has a private studio of guitar, piano, and music theory/composition students. Alex is endorsed by Augustine Strings.

For more information, please visit https://www.alexparkguitar.com .


Hasesung Park

Hasesung ParkPiano

Dr. Haesung Park began her music studies at the age of four in her hometown of Seoul, South Korea. She received her musical training at the Korean National University of Arts, her Master of Music degree from Boston University and her Doctor of Musical Arts degree with outstanding honors from the University of Southern California where she studied piano and organ with Norman Krieger and Dr. Ladd Thomas, respectively. In 2014, she was the first prize winner of the Los Angeles Liszt Competition. Dr. Park was the resident pianist and teaching artist for the Hollywood Master Chorale, University Campus Choir at UCLA, LA Opera, and Camerata of Los Angeles Chorus. Her notable solo recitals include the Flentrop Organ Recital Series at Harvard University, Saint-Saëns’s Organ Symphony No. 3 with the Santa Barbara Symphony, Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue with the Palos Verdes Symphonic Band, and Rising Star Organist for American Guild of Organist at All Saints’ Beverly Hills. She can be heard as the featured pianist on the soundtrack of the documentary With Great Power: The Stan Lee Story, which was recorded at the Capitol Records studio in Hollywood. Furthermore, she was the first artist in the United States to master the German composer Julious Reubke's Organ Sonata and Piano Sonata. Dr. Park is currently the organist and pianist at St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church in Pacific Palisades as well as at Vallejo Drive Seventh Adventist Church in Glendale. She is also the principal keyboardist for The Chamber Orchestra at St. Matthew’s. She has previously served as the keyboard collaborator and coaching faculty at California State University, Los Angeles, Scripps College, Pomona College, and Fuller Theological Seminary. In addition, Dr. Park is a member of Pi Kappa Lambda, the national honor society for musicians, and is also an executive committee member of the American Guild of Organists, Los Angeles Chapter.


Wesley Park

Wesley ParkGuitar

Wesley Park is a concert classical guitarist and educator from the Los Angeles area. He is in the Park Brothers guitar duo with his brother Alex, and is signed under the artist management label, Jean Schreiber Management. Together, they perform many concerts and events throughout the world. One these includes performing a tribute concert honoring the great Spanish guitarist, Andrés Segovia, alongside the Grammy® Award winning artists, the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet and Andrew York in 2019. They are also the recipient of the USC Thornton Ensemble Award for making a significant contribution to upholding the long tradition of guitar ensemble excellence.

Wesley is currently teaching at Pepperdine University as an Adjunct Professor of Music. On top of his work at Pepperdine, he has a private studio of dedicated students. He received his Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Southern California studying guitar, musicology, and music theory. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Pepperdine University studying under Christopher Parkening. He has also studied privately with the Spanish Guitar Virtuoso, Angel Romero. When not engaged in musical activities, Wesley also enjoys surfing, trying out new restaurants, and participating in the devotional activities at his church, Citizens LA.


Tomas Peire-Serrate

Tomas Peire-SerrateComposition (Music Theory)

Tomàs Peire Serrate is a composer born in Barcelona and currently residing in Los Angeles. His music has garnered international recognition and has been performed in several festivals and concert series in Europe, America, and Asia. Tomàs has received numerous awards, including the Antonin Dvorak Composition Competition (Czech Republic, 2010), American Composers' Orchestra (USA, 2018), New Vision Composition Competition (USA, 2019), Krzysztof Penderecki International Composers Competition Arboretum (Poland, 2019), Grand Prize at the iSing! Festival Composition Competition (China, 2020), 1st prize at the Mieczysław Karłowicz International Composers' Competition 2021 for his orchestral piece "Borealis," and the 2022 Left Coast Composition Contest. In addition to his concert works, Tomàs has composed, arranged, and orchestrated music for feature films, TV, and virtual reality (VR) experiences. 

Tomàs pursued his piano studies at the Sant Cugat Conservatory and composition at ESMUC (Barcelona) and the Sibelius Academy (Helsinki). He holds a Masters of Music degree in Film Scoring from NYU and a Ph.D. in Music Composition from the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music. Since 2019, Tomàs has served as the Associate Artistic Director for the Du Vert a L'infini Music Festival in Besançon, France.


Giovanni Piacentini

Giovanni PiacentiniComposition (Music Appreciation)

Featured in the Los Angeles Times in 2021, Giovanni Piacentini is a composer, performer, educator and advocate for the music of others. Recently praised as “paying homage to the important cultural heritage of music in the west” by Forbes magazine, his original music has been described as “…able to encapsulate tiny, winsome worlds as if passing through a gallery of paintings” (Winnipeg free press), and as “Stunningly beautiful with accessible compositional language.”(The Clarinet Magazine). Giovanni has established himself as a significant voice in Latin American classical music. 

As a true embodiment of a Composer/Performer, Giovanni has drawn the attention and praise of the guitar world. Arkiv Magazine described Piacentini’s playing as “displaying degrees of sophistication and control that can’t help but mark him as a virtuoso.” He was invited to do a solo guitar tour of China in 2018 and has performed his own compositions in prestigious halls such as the San Francisco Palace of Fine Arts, the Museo Nacional in Mexico City and Carnegie Hall. His music has been performed by some of the worlds greatest instrumentalists like classical guitarist Eliot Fisk, the Minneapolis Guitar Quartet, the Lyris string quartet, violinists Tim Fain and Movses Pogossian among many more. He has released 5 albums that have earned him a feature on the prestigious British music magazine Gramophone and a nomination for an Independent Music Award in 2020. 

He graduated summa cum laude from Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA., earned his MA in Composition under renowned American composer Richard Danielpour and recently earned his PhD in Music Composition at the University of California Los Angeles where he served as Teaching Fellow in music theory and aural skills. 

In October 2022 he premiered a concerto for guitar and orchestra dedicated and performed by legendary classical guitarist Eliot Fisk with the Orquesta Juvenil Carlos Chavez in Mexico City, Mexico. He was recently appointed Teaching Artist Fellow by the prestigious Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra. He resides in Los Angeles where he teaches music theory, orchestration, composition and music history at Pepperdine University,The College of the Canyons and the National Children’s Chorus. 


Teag Reaves

Teag ReavesFrench Horn 

Teag Reaves, French horn player, a Los Angeles native, grew up studying the French horn with the great Los Angeles studio players. Teag graduated from the University of Southern California, where he honed his orchestral and chamber music experience with the help of Vince Derosa, Mitchell Lurie, Annie Bosler and Dylan Hart. Teag is now principal horn of the Santa Barbara Symphony. He also plays with the San Diego Symphony, Pacific Symphony, Pasadena Symphony, Chamber Orchestra of the South Bay, and numerous music and film projects.


Theo Schmitt

Theo SchmittComposition

Théo Schmitt is a Swiss composer and conductor currently working in Los Angeles. After obtaining a Master's degree in conducting at the Haute École de Musique de Lausanne (HEMU), he studied composition at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and Screen Scoring at the University of Southern California (USC). On September 7, 2019, Théo won the 9th Swiss National Conducting Competition in Baden. 

Théo's recent compositions include a Passion du Christ premiered at Lausanne Cathedral on April 22, 2022 by the Micro-Harmonie, and Voyages Imaginaires for solo trumpet and desynchronized tapes for the opening exhibition of the State Fine Arts Museum of Lausanne. His other concert works include commissions by the Société Cantonale des Musiques Vaudoises, the Association Suisse des Musiques and the World Association for Symphonic Band and Ensemble. In 2021, he was nominated for the Marvin Hamlisch International Music Awards. In 2023, he is nominated for the Jerry Goldsmith Awards and the Shanghai International Digital Music Festival. In 2024, he co-founded the Unprecedented Music Association (UMA) and serves as its Artistic Director. 


Dr. Naomi Sumitani

Dr. Naomi Sumitani's head shotPiano

Solo Performance Accomplishments

3rd place Carmel Music Festival (2007)
Winner of USC Concerto Competition (2004)
Featured soloist with the USC Symphony under Yehuda Gilad (2004)
Featured soloist with the Culver City-Marina Del Rey-Westchester Symphony under Frank Fetta (2002)


Composition Accomplishments

Winner of the Composition for Orchestra and Featured with the Asia America Youth Symphony (2003)
Composition featured in the Asia America Symphony Concert (1995)
“Junior Original Concert” graduate—Yamaha (1998)
Selected to perform at the International Junior Original Concert in Japan (1993, 1997, 1998)

Teaching Experience

Adjunct Piano Instructor at Pepperdine University (2018—present)
Yamaha Junior Original Concert Composition/Performance Program Consultant/Specialist (2014—present)
Orff Music Teacher at Peninsula Montessori School (2013—2019)
Private Studio (2000—present)

Collaborative Experience

American Contemporary Ballet Inferno/Burlesque (2017, 2018, 2019)
Rehearsal pianist for Anne Akiko Meyers (2017—Present)
Pianist for Los Angeles Master Chorale (2016)
Piano Concerto Accompanist (2008—present)
Chamber Music Pianist (2008—present)
Teaching Assistant for Keyboard Collaborative Arts (University of Southern California) (2008—2013)


Mariné Ter-Kazaryan

Mariné Ter-Kazaryan

Voice

The Los Angeles Times called her “The Nightingale Who Sang on Los Feliz”. Known for her colorful, crystal clear voice, and dramatic and expressive stage presence, soprano Mariné Ter-Kazaryan has been performing around the world as a singer and a pianist since she was a child. She made her debut with the Armenia Philharmonic at the age of 5, and her recordings since that age are still aired on the Armenian National Radio. She has received warm recognition and high ratings from Russian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Georgian, American, Mexican and Armenian music critics and professionals. A devoted teacher and a highly sought-after adjudicator, Ms. Ter-Kazaryan is the Chair of the Vocal Arts Department at the Pasadena Conservatory of Music, and is an Adjunct Associate Professor of Music at Glendale Community College.

Most recently, Ms. Ter-Kazaryan recorded Art Songs by Carlos Guastavino, as part of the Latin American Composers themed Faculty Concert at the Pasadena Conservatory of Music. Another major project was the recording of the film- concert titled “Bel Canto” (based on Ann Patchett’s book), as part of the Musical Interludes Series at PCM. In the film, Ms. Ter-Kazaryan portrays the famous opera diva Roxanne Coss, singing arias from the heroine’s repertoire from the story, while the film is narrated by the multiple Golden Globe and Primetime Emmy nominated actress Jane Kaczmarec. Ms. Ter-Kazaryan also performed a Solo Faculty Concert of operatic arias with the Glendale Community College Orchestra, and made her debut at Carnegie Hall! She was the featured musical artist on the Life Changes Radio Show on the BBS network.

Ms. Ter-Kazaryan is a winner of International and local competitions, including the Los Angeles International Liszt Competition. She is a graduate of the Tchaikovsky School of Music in Yerevan with a diploma in Piano Performance. She holds a Bachelor of Music degree, Cum Laude in Piano Performance and Vocal Arts, and a Master of Music degree Magna Cum Laude in Vocal Arts from USC Thornton School of Music.


Alexander Treger

Treger Pic

Violin

Alexander Treger, noted violinist, gifted educator and accomplished conductor, has joined the Pepperdine University Music Department as an Artist-in Residence in Fall 2013. The Russian-born Treger, studied with renowned violinist David Oistrakh at the prestigious Moscow Conservatory – he often refers to these six extraordinary years as the most influential in his development as a musician. After a few years with the Moscow Radio Orchestra led by Gennady Rojdesvenski and with the Israel Chamber Orchestra, where he held the post of Concertmaster/Soloist, Mr. Treger moved to the United States and joined the Los Angeles Philharmonic in 1974. He became Assistant Concertmaster in 1978, and was appointed Concertmaster in 1985, a position he has held for 25 years. Mr. Treger won high praise for his numerous solo performances with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion and at the Hollywood Bowl, under the direction of Zubin Mehta, Carlo Maria Giulini, Simon Rattle, Pierre Boulez, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Valery Gergiev, Yuri Temirkanov, and Esa-Pekka Salonen. He has also appeared as a soloist with other major U.S. orchestras, including the San Francisco, Denver, Dallas, and Houston Symphonies. An avid chamber performer, he has collaborated in concerts with Radu Lupu, Yefim Bronfman, André Previn, Bernard Greenhouse, and Emanuel Ax.

Recognized for his inspiring work with promising young musicians, he held the position of violin professor at UCLA from 1977 to 1997, and he has given master classes around the world. He is currently the Music Director of the American Youth Symphony and Music Director/Conductor at Crossroads School where he has developed a youth chamber orchestra of the highest caliber. Under his leadership, the American Youth Symphony has performed at Carnegie Hall and Walt Disney Disney Concert Hall, and received the hands-on support of world class musicians, including Yefim Branfman, Sarah Chang, Midori, Johannes Moser, Alan Silvestri, and John Williams. He has developed the orchestra into a first-class training ground for young musicians of the 21st century.


Vincent Trombetta

Vincent Trombetta

Saxophone

Vince Trombetta III comes from a very musical family. From grandfather to father, music and teaching music were always part of the household. Teaching has always been a great passion for Vince, as he loves to impart the knowledge he has learned throughout the years. Vince went to the University of the Arts in Philadelphia where he earned a Bachelor of Music. Upon his return to the Los Angeles area, he began touring with Ben Vereen and the Brian Seltzer Orchestra.

Vince has been an active member of the Los Angeles music community since 1995 and has worked on such live television shows as "Dancing with the Stars" and "American Idol." He has also performed with many great musical legends such as Frank Sinatra Jr., Steve Lawrence and Eddie Gorme, and Keely Smith.


Christin Webb

Christin WebbBassoon/Contrabassoon

Bassoonist Christin Phelps Webb is a freelance chamber and orchestral musician based in Los Angeles. Originally from Fairfax County, Virginia, Christin relocated to California after attending the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara. She holds degrees in music performance from Indiana University and the Peabody Conservatory, where her principal teachers were Sidney Rosenberg and Linda Harwell; she also studied at the University of Southern California with Stephen Maxym and Judith Farmer.

For over 25 years Christin has played with Southern California’s finest orchestras as well as logging many hours as a studio musician. As a member of the trio Ceora Winds, Christin is featured on the trio’s debut album “Postcards” and was praised for her “perfectly even fast articulations and rich even tone” by The Double Reed. She is also noted for playing bassoon and contrabassoon on the critically acclaimed album by flutist Jenni Olson, “The Dreams of Birds,” released on the Delos label.

In addition to her position teaching bassoon at Pepperdine University, Christin maintains a private teaching studio in the San Fernando Valley, coaches woodwinds in local schools, and will soon publish several of her chamber music arrangements that have been performed and recorded by Ceora Winds.