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
- Music & Art Therapy
Staff
Kathleen Suss, Executive Director
M.M., Manhattan School of Music
B.M., DePauw University
Melinda Magnani, Director
M.B.A., University of Chicago
M.S. & B.A., Drake University
Keith Kreindler, Program Coordinator, Conservatory Department Head
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
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
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
Marija Ilić
D.M.A., Rutgers University
M.M., Mannes College of Music
B.M., Belgrade University
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
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
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
Robert Gingery, guitar, double bass, electric bass, Rock Band coordinator
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
Chungsun Kim, cello
D.M.A., M.M., B.M. The Juilliard School
Stephanie Liu, violin
D.M.A. Stony Brook University
M.M. Stony Brook University
B.A. Princeton University
Emanouil Manolov, violin
D.M.A., Stony Brook University
M.M., Stony Brook University
B.M., Eastman School of Music
Lee Metcalf, guitar, Jazz Ensemble
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
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
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
Music and Art Therapy
Elizabeth Ast, music therapy
B.A., The Catholic University of America
Lauren Cristino, art therapy
M.A. Hofstra University, B.A. Iona College
Karen Nisenson, music therapy
M.M., The Juilliard School
M.A., New York University
B.S., Hunter College
Additional studies at L’Ecole de Musique
Carissa Streuli, art therapy
B.A., Montclair State University