Executive Director and Dean • Department Coordinators Strings • Woodwinds • Brass • Percussion • Guitar Piano • Organ • Harpsichord • Voice • Staff Accompanists Chamber Music • Composition • Conducting • Eurhythmics Musicianship • Music Technology Lab • Jazz Studies Program Preschool Piano TANYA BANNISTER - Piano B.M., Royal Academy of Music in London; M.M. Piano Performance, Yale School of Music; Artist’s Diploma, Mannes College of Music. Studied: Christopher Elton, Hamish Milne, Richard Goode, Claude Frank, Sequiera Costa. Winner: 2003 Concert Artists Guild Auditions, 2005 New Orleans Piano Competition. Co-founder: AlpenKammerMusik Festival. Solo and chamber performances on radio, television, and stages around the world, including WQXR, NPR, Carnegie Hall, Nikkei Hall, Wigmore Hall, Kennedy Center, Concertgebouw. ELENA BELLI - Piano B.M., M.M., Manhattan School of Music. Piano studies: Mikowsky. Concerto, chamber music and solo performances in U.S., Europe and South America, including numerous world premieres. Radio broadcasts: WQXR, WNYC. Pianist/Assistant conductor: West Village Chorale. Chairperson and coordinator: AMTL Young Musicians Concert at Carnegie Recital Hall. Member: Associated Music Teachers League, Leschetizky Association. Faculty: Manhattan School of Music Precollege Division, Concordia College. JOAN BEHRENS BERGMAN - Executive Director, Piano B.M., M.M. Mannes College of Music. Studied: Lhevinne, Ganz, Aldwell, Hungerford, Schachter. Former Director, 1989 - 1996 Preparatory Division, Mannes College of Music; Chairperson, 1987 - 1989 Piano Department, Preparatory Division, Mannes College of Music; Faculty: Mannes College of Music College Division; Coordinator, 1980 - 1984 Chamber Music Concerts, Pierre Monteux Memorial Festival. Teaching and Master Classes: Japan; Walla Walla College; University of the Philippines; California Summer Music Institute; Lucy Moses School; Marymount College. Performance: Carnegie Recital Hall, solo recital; Memphis Symphony; North Jersey Symphony; Colorado Springs Symphony; Walla Walla Symphony; New Jersey Cultural Council; Pierre Monteux Memorial Festival. Member: Leschetizky Association; Piano Teachers Congress of New York. Listed: Who's Who Among America's Teachers. EILEEN BUCK - Piano, Chamber Music B.M., M.M., Curtis Institute of Music, Mannes College of Music. Studied: Eleanor and Vladmir Sokoloff, Edward Aldwell, Carl Schachter, Adolph Baller. Performances throughout the U.S., Canada and Denmark. Winner: 1994 Mannes Concerto Competition, Josef Fidelmann Prize, 1996 Josef Hofmann Piano Competition. Soloist: Palo Alto Chamber Orchestra, Mannes Orchestra, Etherridge Chamber Orchestra, Collegium Westchester Orchestra. Festivals: Sarasota, Bowdoin, Taos. Chairperson, Ensemble Program: Piano Teachers Congress of New York. Recordings: Bridge, Cedille. Previous faculty: Queens College, Vassar College. Faculty: Mannes College, New School for Music Preparatory Division. STEPHEN BUCK - Piano, Musicianship B.A., Johns Hopkins, Peabody Conservatory; M.M. in piano, University of Michigan; M.M.A. Yale University, D.M.A., Yale, 2007. Studied: Peter Frankl, Anton Nel, Ann Schein, David Volckhausen. Co-Founder: Alpenkammer Musik Festival, Liesing, Austria. Performance and Faculty: Adriatic Chamber Music Festival, Bonefro, Italy. Faculty: Purchase College. SARA CRAWFORD - Piano B.A., M.A., Columbia; University of Washington, St. Louis Institute of Music, Hunter College, Juilliard. Studied with Sirota, Michna, Friedberg, Steuermann. Board: Associated Music Teachers League of New York. Past faculty: Pace Univ. Faculty: Mannes Prep. ROCHEL DEOLIVEIRA - Piano B.M., Vassar College; M.S., Columbia University. Studied: Rosoff, Bilson, Uribe. Certifications: Abby Whiteside Foundation, Suzuki piano. Winner: Frances Walker Piano Prize. Active as soloist and chamber musician. MARGALIT FEINSTEIN - Piano, Suzuki Piano B.M., Hebrew Univ., Tel Aviv; Piano Diploma, Rubin Academy, Jerusalem. Suzuki Seminar in Piano & Pedagogy with Behrend and Keats, School for Strings. Studied with Hertz, Vardi in Israel; Van Barenzon, Conservatoire de Paris. MING-FUNG FUNG - Suzuki Piano, Piano B.M., M.M., Manhattan School of Music. Studied: Raymond Lewenthal, Zenon Fishbein, Donn-Alexandre Feder. Private study with German Diez. Master Class: Yoheved Kaplinsky. Prize Winner: Hong Kong Schools Music Festival; Distinction from the Associated Board of Royal Schools of Music, London. Performed: Hong Kong television and radio; Hong Kong City Hall, Cliburn Piano Institute, Fort Worth, Texas. Solo Recitals: New York. Adjudicated: New Jersey Music Teachers Association Young Artists Competition; New Jersey Music Teachers Festival Auditions; Cecilian Music Club of Freehold Young Artists Competition; New Jersey Young Artist Competition Music Educator's Association; New Jersey Jewish Center Audition for Master Class; Piano Teachers Congress of New York; Associated Music Teachers League; New Amsterdam Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition in NYC; Staten Island Young Artists Competition. Faculty: Turtle Bay Music School. Active Member: Piano Teachers Congress of New York, Associated Music Teachers League, the Music Teachers National Association, Westchester Musicians Guild. HÉLÈNE JEANNEY - Piano Artist Diploma: with Sebök at Indiana University. First Prize: piano and chamber music, Paris Music Conservatory. Professor Assistant to Menahem Pressler. Prizewinner: International competitions. Played with Cleveland and Indianapolis Orchestras. Concerts: US, Europe and Australia, Weill Recital Hall, Alice Tully Hall, Kennedy Center. Performs with: New York Philharmonic chamber music ensembles, Merkin Hall. Debut: Carnegie Hall, 2002, with New England Symphony Orchestra. Recordings: Naxos, Accord labels. GLEN KIRCHOFF - Piano, Harpsichord, Piano Consultant B.M., Baldwin Wallace. Studied with Kuprevicius, Golandsky, Clymer. Has appeared in chamber and solo works as pianist and harpsichordist in Spain and New York area. CLAUDIA KNAFO - Piano M.M University of Michigan; D.M.A. Boston University. Studied: Anthony di Bonaventura, Patricia Zander, Jerome Rose. Winner: Artists International 1994. New York Recital debut: Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital Hall, 1995. Solo recitals and master classes: Campinas and Sao Paulo, Brazil, 1996. Opening recital and Jury: National Piano Competition of Paulo Giovanini, 1998. Concert series: Merkin Concert Hall; Weill Recital Hall; Wave Hill; Steinway Hall; University of Campinas (Brazil); Carnegie Mellon University; Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; Wain Wright House; Eric Brown Theater (JCC on the Palisades); Assumption College Faculty: Manhattanville College; Manhattan School of Music Preparatory Department. WILLIAM KOMAIKO - Jazz and Classical Piano B.M., M.S., DMA studies, The Juilliard School. Studied: Carter, Gorodnitzki, Helps. Awards: George Gershwin Memorial Prize; outstanding teacher award from the White House. Performance includes national commission as pianist/composer/conductor celebrating the 25th Anniversary of Kennedy Center. Faculty: Mannes College of Music. YUKIKO KONISHI - Piano, Musicianship, Eurhythmics B.A., Osaka College of Music. Studied: Kanazawa, Dorensky, Mikowsky. World Music Drumming Certificate, Dalcroze Certificate, Dalcroze School of Music, NY with Abramson, Alperson, and Farber. License training at Longy School of Music, MA with Parker. Winner: Young Artists Piano Competition, Hanshin, Japan. Soloist: Kansai Philharmonic, Arukadia Chamber. Recording: EMI. Current vice president of Dalcroze Society of America. WILMA MACHOVER - Director of Artistic Programs, Pedagogy Seminars, Music Resource Center, Piano Graduate, Juilliard. Pianist, teacher, author, lecturer. Consultant on 21st century music curriculum. Author: Sound Choices: Guiding Your Child's Musical Experiences, Oxford University Press. RIE MATSUMOTO - Piano, Coordinator of Adult Chamber Music, Chamber Music B.M., M.M., Juilliard. Studied with Gorodnitzki, Nakaya, Sandor. Chamber music with Fuchs, Nakaya, Lotto. Chamber music appearances at Beethoven Society, SUNY/Purchase with Philharmonia Virtuosi, WQXR. Active as chamber and solo artist. BENITA MESHULAM - Piano B.M., Indiana University. Studied: Perahia, Shaw, Goode, Rose. Chamber Music; Starker, Sebok. Performed: 92nd St. YMHA; Merkin Hall; Purcell Room, London. Lecture/Recitals at CUNY Graduate Center; City College CUNY; Music Mountain; Music Educators Association; Instituto Cervantes. Lecture/Recitals: MEA of New Jersey. Recordings: Classic Masters, Chesky Records, ASV, Brilliant Classics Records, Brioso Records. Record Awards: Classic CD Record of the Month, Classic CD Choice, BBC Five Stars. EDMUND NIEMANN - Piano, Musicianship, Coordinator, Performers Showcase and Music of Our Time Festival, Director, Community Outreach B.M., M.M., Manhattan School of Music. Studied: Goldsand, Balsam, Canteros, Degaetani, Fuchs, Katz. Co-founder: Double Edge. Tours: U.S., Canada, Europe, Australia, New Zealand. Member: Steve Reich and Musicians (1998 Grammy winner). Former Member: Parnassus, Contemporary Ensemble. Faculty: Princeton, Pace, Sarah Lawrence. Recordings: Nonesuch, Koch, CRI, New World, New Albion. DAVID OEI - Piano, Chamber Music Studies at Peabody Conservatory, Juilliard. Soloist: NY Philharmonic, Pittsburg Symphony, Baltimore Symphony. Guest Artist: Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, Orpheus Chamber Ensemble, St. Luke's Chamber Ensemble. Recordings: Vanguard, Delos, Arabesque, Adda, Pro Arte, New World Records. Director: Salon Chamber Soloists. Member: Festival Chamber Music, Elysium, Ecliptica. Faculty: Summertrios, Bennington Chamber Music Conference, Mannes College of Music. Visit David Oei's Wikipedia page >>> GENA RAPS - Piano M.S., The Juilliard School; B.A., Brooklyn College; Ph.D. candidate, ABD, New York University. Studied: Artur Balsam, Irwin Freundlich. Grants and fellowships: The New School, Chamber Music America, The Juilliard School. Soloist and chamber music concerts include: Alice Tully Hall, Merkin Hall, Carnegie Recital Hall, Phillips Gallery, throughout the USA, Europe, Philippines. Collaborated with Artur Balsam, Kenneth Cooper, Claude Monteux, Carol Wincenc, The New York Lyric Arts Trio. Founder of the Downeast Chamber Music Festival. Publications: "Notes" record jacket, Dvorak Waltzes, Op. 54; "The Master Class" article, Keyboard Classics; "Air Russe Varie", Louise Farrenc, editor G.K. Hall; Etudes, Opus 41, Louise Farrenc editor, Hildegard Les Musiciennes, Piano Today (summer, 2001). Adjudicator: Juilliard Concerto Scholarship Competition; IMF. Member: Fulbright Committee. Recordings: Trio, Theme & Variations (Louise Farrenc); Complete Waltzes, Slovanic Dances (Dvorak); Complete Piano 4-Hands, Mozart at 8 Flute and Piano (Mozart). Classic Raps, Musical Heritage Society, Arabesque, Naxos. Former faculty: Sarah Lawrence College. Faculty: Mannes College of Music. VERED REZNIK - Piano B.M., Rubin Academy of Music, Jerusalem; M.M., New England Conservatory, Boston. Chamber music studies: Music Hochschule, Vienna. Piano Studies: Ilana Gutman, Michael Bogoslavsky, Charlie Banacos, Sophia Rosoff. Chamber Music Studies: The Alban Berg Quartet. Theory and Composition: Robert Cogan. Winner: 1994 Jeunesses Musicale International Competition, 1990 Rubin Academy Competition. Scholarships: 1984-1993 American-Israel Cultural Foundation, 1992-1994 Alban Berg Foundation. Festival appearances: Bayreuth (Germany), Janacek (Czech Republic), Abu Ghosh (Israel), Israel Festival. Orchestra Appearances in Israel and Austria. Radio and Television: Austrian National Television, Bavarian Radio, WQXR, CSPAN, Israeli National Radio. GERALD ROBBINS - Piano, Coordinator, ChamberFest B.M., M.M., U.S.C. Studied with Brown, Crown, Gimpel. Artist-in-Residence: Queens College. Recitals and concerts throughout Europe, Middle East, Asia. Soloist: Los Angeles Philharmonic, BBC Symphony, Royal Philharmonic, London Mozart Players, NY Virtuosi, BBC Scottish Symphony. Former faculty: U.S.C., Colchester Institute College, Carpentras Festival. Member: Lyric Piano Quartet. Faculty: Queens College, Manhattan School of Music. JUNKO TSUMURA SCEDROV - Piano B.M., The Juilliard School. Studied: Adolph Baller, Nadia Reisenberg, Jacob Lateiner, Joseph Kalichstein. Studied chamber music with Felix Galimir. Performances: Alice Tully Hall, Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concerts, Varazdin Baroque Evenings Festival, Zagreb Music Biennale. Concert tours for Jeunesses Musicales. Recipient: Grant, Fund for U.S. Artists at International Festivals and Exhibitions. SAYAKA TANIKAWA - Piano B.A. Columbia; M.M., A.D., Yale School of Music. Piano studies with Frankl, Andjaparidze, Lotto. Chamber Music: Tokyo String Quartet, Boris Berman. Solo appearances: Alice Tully Hall, Weill Recital Hall, Merkin Concert Hall, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Suntory Hall in Japan. Second Place winner, Hilton Head Int'l Piano Competition. Faculty: Diller-Quaile School of Music. Summer faculty: South Carolina Grovener's School for the Arts and Humanities. OLDRICH TEPLY - Piano B.A., Hunter College (summa cum laude); M.A. Hunter College. Studied: Crawford Drogheo, Graff Diez, Bernstein, Silverman, Bloch. Awards: Benno Lee Prize for Excellence; 2002 Hunter Symphony Concerto Competition. Recipient: Ray E. Nussbaum Scholarship Award; Blanche Sata Scholarship in Music. Performed: Soloist, Hunter Symphony. Accompanist: Columbia University Dance Department; Marymount Dance Company; Dance Theatre of Harlem. Recitals: New York metropolitan area. Chamber Music: 92nd Street Y. DELANA THOMSEN - Piano B.M., Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville; M.M. Manhattan School of Music. Studied: Ruth Slenczynka, Arthur Balsam, Dalmo Carra, Elizabeth Moschetti. Former Staff Accompanist: Juilliard, Mannes, Aspen Music Festival, Meadowmount, Eleanor Lawrence Flute Seminars. Pianist for Ivan Galamian, Dorothy Delay, Sally Thomas, Leonard Rose, Channing Robbins, Eleanor Lawrence, Uta Graf. Performances: Carnegie Recital Hall, Noontime concerts Trinity Church, St. Paul's Chapel, Juilliard and numerous recitals throughout the NY area and USA, Iceland and the Chamber Music Society of Iceland; Soloist 'Collegium for Chamber Music', Bulgaria. Pianist and Assistant Conductor: The Dalton Chorale. Master classes in Iceland and Bulgaria. Piano faculty: Manhattan School of Music Pre-College Division; Long Island University, C.W. Post Campus. JON VERCESI - Jazz Piano B.S., Piano Jazz Performance, NYU. M.A.,Teaching Music, Lehman College. New York State Certification K - 12. Studied: Jim McNeely, James Williams, Barry Harris. Performs: Broadway show orchestras; Nationally broadcast radio and television commercials. Music Director: VH1 Specials. Performance and/or recordings: Ronan Tynan, David Byrne, Idina Menzel, Jerry /Vale, Donny Osmond, The Spinners, The Mirales, SWV. DAVID VOLCKHAUSEN - Coordinator of Honors Program, Piano B.M., M.M., Juilliard; M.M., Manhattan School of Music. Studied with Steuermann, Kabos, Firkusny. Concertos, recitals and chamber music in U.S. and Venezuela. Performances and master classes in Taiwan. Faculty: Manhattan School. top of page