Concordia Conservatory Faculty & Staff

We boast a faculty of over 50 experienced teaching artists.

• Staff
• Early Childhood
• Suzuki
• Piano
• Voice
• Strings
• Winds, Brass & Percussion
• Musical Theater
• Composition & Theory
• Academy
• Arts for Healing

Staff

Kathleen Suss, Executive Director
M.M., Manhattan School of Music
B.M., DePauw University

Melinda Magnani, Associate Director
M.B.A., University of Chicago
M.S. & B.A., Drake University

Keith Kreindler, Program Coordinator
M.M., Mannes College of Music
B.M., Aaron Copland School of Music–Queens College
B.A., SUNY Binghamton

Marilou Yacoub, Administrative Assistant
B.A., Queens College

 

Early Childhood

Julie Schmidt
M.M., Florida State University
B.M., Wichita State University

Kathleen Suss
M.M., Manhattan School of Music
B.M., DePauw University

Suzuki

Hubert Chen, violin, Suzuki Department Head
B.A. in Music, SUNY Geneseo

Julie Diesslin, cello
B.S., City University of New York–Lehman College
Advanced Studies at Mannes College of Music and California State University–Long Beach

Emily Kalish, violin
M.M., Manhattan School of Music
B.M., University of Hartford–Hartt School of Music

Thomas Flippin, guitar
Artist Diploma, Yale University
M.M., Yale University
B.A., University of Chicago

Lee Metcalf, guitar
M.M., SUNY Purchase Conservatory
B.F.A., City College of New York
Diploma in Music, University of Hartford–Hartt School of Music

Rami Vamos, guitar
M.A., Queens College
M.M., Yale University
B.M., Oberlin College Conservatory of Music

Piano

Marija Ilić, Piano Department Head
D.M.A., Rutgers University
M.M., Mannes College of Music
B.M., Belgrade University

Sohyun Ahn
Professional Studies Certificate, Manhattan School of Music
M.M., Tokyo National University of Music and Arts
M.M., Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama
B.M., Yonsei University

Melissa Alexander
M.M. University of Hartford–Hartt School of Music
Post-graduate studies, Mannes College of Music
B.A., State University of New York, Albany

Jacob De Hoyos
D.M.A., Stony Brook University
M.M., Stony Brook University
B.M., Texas Tech University
Pedagogy Certificate, Texas Tech University

David Friend
D.M.A., Cornell University
M.M., Manhattan School of Music
B.M., Manhattan School of Music

Yoko Gingery
M.M., City College of New York
B.M., The New School for Jazz & Contemporary Music
Diploma, Berkelee College of Music
B.A., in Music Education, Kunitachi College of Music

Fiona Grant
M.M., The Juilliard School
Advanced Studies Certificate, Guildhall School of Music & Drama
AGSM, Guildhall School of Music & Drama

Stephanie Ho
Graduate Performance Diploma, Peabody Institute of John Hopkins University
M.M., Northwestern University
B.A., Oberlin College

Jon Klibonoff
M.M., The Juilliard School
B.M., Manhattan School of Music

Karen Nisenson
M.M., The Juilliard School
M.A., New York University
B.S., Hunter College
Additional studies at L’Ecole de Musique

Caroline Park
D.M.A., Manhattan School of Music
M.M., Yale University
M.M. The Juilliard School
B.M. The Juilliard School

Rosa Shin
D.M.A., Rutgers University
M.M., Manhattan School of Music
M.M., Peabody Institute
B.M., Oberlin College Conservatory of Music

Matt Van Brink
D.M.A., Boston University
B.M., Indiana University

Helen Yedigarian
Professional Studies Certificate, Manhattan School of Music
M.M., Manhattan School of Music
M.M., Yerevan Komitas Conservatory
B.M., Yerevan Komitas Conservatory

Voice

Sun Young Chang
M.M., Mannes College of Music
B.M., Hanyag University
Advanced studies at the Actor's Studio

Sarah Gleason
M.A., Columbia University Teachers College
B.M., Texas Christian University

Sheri Hammerstrom
M.M., Mannes College of Music
B.M., University of Texas–Arlington

Rina Kim
M.M., Mannes College of Music
M.M.Ed., Columbia University–Teacher’s College
B.M., EWHA Woman’s University, Seoul
Artist Diploma, SUNY–Purchase
Vocal Pedagogy Certificate, New York University

Julie Schmidt
M.M., Florida State University
B.M., Wichita State University

Christian Šebek
B.M., University of South Florida
Advanced Studies, Manhattan School of Music

Strings

Rami Vamos, guitar, String Department Head
M.A., Queens College
M.M., Yale University
B.M. Oberlin College Conservatory of Music

Monica Bauchwitz, violin
M.M., SUNY Purchase
Perfectionnement, Conservatoire de Geneve, Switzerland
B.M., Eastman School of Music 

John Chang, guitar
B.A. Aaron Copland School of Music–Queens College
B.M. Hanyag University
Advanced studies at the Actor’s Studio

Hubert Chen, violin
B.A. in Music, SUNY Geneseo

Julie Diesslin, cello
B.S. City University of New York–Lehman College
Advanced Studies at Mannes College of Music and California State University–Long Beach

Annette Espada, cello
D.M.A., University of Miami
M.A., New York University
B.M., Puerto Rico Conservatory of Music

Thomas Flippin, guitar & Suzuki
Artist Diploma, M.M., Yale University
B.A. University of Chicago

Robert Gingery, guitar, electric bass
M.A. City College of New York
Performance Diploma, Berklee College of Music
B.A. California State University, Chico

Emily Kalish, violin, Suzuki
M.M. Manhattan School of Music
B.M. University of Hartford-Hartt School of Music

Jiwon Kim, viola, violin
D.M.A., State University of New York – Stonybrook
M.M., B.M. The Juilliard School

Chungsum Kim, cello
D.M.A., M.M., B.M. The Juilliard School

Jee Sun Lee, violin
D.M.A. Stony Brook University
M.M. Eastman School of Music
B.M. Seoul National University School of Music

Emanouil Manolov, violin
D.M.A., Stony Brook University
M.M., Stony Brook University
B.M., Eastman School of Music

Lee Metcalf, guitar
M.M., SUNY Purchase
B.F.A., City College of New York
Diploma in music from University of Hartford–Hartt School of Music

Anca Nicolau, violin
M.A., Columbia University
B.M., Manhattan School of Music
Certificate of Teacher Training, School for Strings

Winds, Brass & Percussion

Michael Gorham, trumpet, trombone
M.M., Manhattan School of Music
B.M., University of California–Los Angeles

Clare Hoffman, flute, recorder
B.M., Mannes College of Music
L'Ecole d'Et Certificate

Mark Katasounis, percussion 
M.M., University of Cincinnati – College-Conservatory of Music
B.M., University of Hartford–Hartt School of Music

Keith Kreindler, bassoon, saxophone, clarinet
M.M., Mannes College of Music
B.M., Aaron Copland School of Music–Queens College
B.A., SUNY Binghamton

Yousif Sheronick, percussion, world music
M.M., Yale University
B.M., University of Iowa

Musical Theater

Ana Dimas, dance
B.F.A., NYU Tisch School of the Arts
Diploma, North Carolina School of the Arts High School

Sarah Gleason, voice
M.A., Columbia University Teachers College
B.M., Texas Christian University

Jon Klibonoff
M.M., The Juilliard School
B.M., Manhattan School of Music

Julie Schmidt, voice
M.M., Florida State University
B.M., Wichita State University

Kathleen Suss
M.M., Manhattan School of Music
B.M., DePauw University

Gregory Suss
Ph.D., Graduate Center–City University of New York
M.A., New York University
B.A., University of Pennsylvania

Matt Van Brink
D.M.A., Boston University
B.M., Indiana University

Composition & Theory

Matt Van Brink, Composition & Songwriting Department Head
D.M.A., Boston University
B.M., Indiana University

Keith Kreindler
M.M., Mannes College of Music
B.M., Aaron Copland School of Music–Queens College
B.A., State University of New York-Binghamton

Julie Schmidt
M.M., Florida State University
B.M., Wichita State University

Academy

Keith Kreindler, Academy Head
M.M., Mannes College of Music
B.M., Aaron Copland School of Music–Queens College
B.A., SUNY Binghamton

John Chang
B.A., Aaron Copland School of Music–Queens College
B.M., Hanyag University
Advanced studies at the Actor’s Studio

Sheri Hammerstrom
M.M., Mannes College of Music
B.M., University of Texas–Arlington

Jon Klibonoff
M.M., The Juilliard School
B.M., Manhattan School of Music

Julie Schmidt
M.M., Florida State University
B.M., Wichita State University

Arts for Healing

Karen Nisenson, Arts for Healing head
M.M., The Juilliard School
M.A., New York University
B.S., Hunter College
Additional studies at L’Ecole de Musique

Jennifer Ellyson
M.A., Columbia College
B.S., State University of New York–Brockport

Matthew Hennessy
M.A., New York University
B.A., Western Connecticut University
Additional studies at Stellenbosch University, South Africa

Corissa Streuli
B.A. Montclair State University