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 Strings NESRINE BALBEISI - Viola B.M., Violin Performance, Pennsylvania State University; Professional Studies diploma, Viola, Mannes College of Music; M.A., NYU. Studied: Weigang Li, Tim Deighton, Karen Ritscher, John Graham, Martha Katz, Pedro de Alcantara. Chamber coaches: Daniel Phillips, Michael Tree, Hiroko Yajima, David Krakauer, Julius Levine. Suzuki trained teacher; Level I certified Orff Schulwerk teacher. Began her musical training in Jordan under patronage of Queen Noor. Active as soloist, chamber and orchestral musician. Performs a variety of genre including classical, rock and roll, hip-hop, jazz, and new music. Appearances: Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall, Avery Fisher, The Today Show, The View, The Martha Stewart Show, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Saturday Night Live, others. Taught: Penn State University; Virginia Commonwealth University Community School for the Performing Arts. ANN BELMONT - Jazz Guitar, Electric Bass B.S.CUNY Baccalaureate, guitar/composition. Studied: John Abercrombie, Jack Wilkins, Jim McNeely. Guitarist: Swing Fever, Hall of Fame Band, Big Apple Playback Theater. Bassist: Pure Gospel America and many other theatrical productions. Two nominations for BMI Charlie Parker Prize in jazz orchestral composition. BARBARA BERG - Suzuki String Department Coordinator, Violin, Suzuki Violin, Chamber Music B.M., M.M., Eastman; postgraduate study, Juilliard; Suzuki Teacher Certification/former faculty member, School for Strings. Performs with Brooklyn Philharmonic, Opera Orchestra of N.Y., American Ballet Theatre, Chautauqua Symphony, Concert Society of Northern Westchester. Faculty: Queens College; Edgemont Public Schools. CHI-CHI LIN BESTMANN - Viola, Violin B.M., Orchestra Conducting, M.M., PSD, Viola, Mannes College of Music. Studied: Michael Charry, Karen Ritscher. Chamber coaches: Felix Galimir, Daniel Phillips, Todd Phillips, Hiroko Yajima, Harris Goldsmith. Festivals: International Musician's Seminar, Prussia Cove. Former faculty: The Children's Orchestra Society. Faculty: Mannes College of Music Extension Division. CLAIRE BRIGHT - Violin, Suzuki Violin B.M., M.M., Juilliard. Studied with Fujiwara, Fuchs, Kaplan. Suzuki Teacher Certification, School for Strings. Performs with Concordia, The Bach Choir of Bethlehem, Long Island Philharmonic. LANI KING CHANG - Violin, Viola, Chamber Music B.M., M.M. San Francisco Conservatory of Music; New England Conservatory of Music with chamber music distinctions. Violin studies with Delay, Melikian, Abel. International Musicians Seminar, Prussia Cove. Prizewinner, Coleman National Chamber Music Competition. Member, San Francisco Opera Orchestra 1980-1996; Apollo Chamber Players, London; Guest Concertmaster Taipei National Symphony, Taiwan; Concertmaster and soloist, San Francisco Concerto Orchestra. Suzuki Pedagogy, Ithaca College; Dalcroze Eurhythmics training. Faculty: Usdan Center for the Performing and Cultural Arts, S.F. Conservatory. Performer: New York metropolitan area orchestras. LOIS COLIN - Harp B.M., Manhattan School of Music; M.A.T., Lehman College. Studied: Lucile Lawrence; Institute for Advanced Musical Studies - Montreux, Switzerland; Interlochen Arts Academy. Piano studies: Emily Harris, Mannes Institute, Dewey Owens, composer and harp teacher, Vassar. Director: Westchester Harp Ensemble since 2004. Performances: New York City Ballet Orchestra; Festival of Two Worlds, Spoleto Italy; Orchestra de Camera Intere,Venice, Italy; Institute for Advanced Musical Studies, Montreux; Switzerland; Manhattan School Of Music Orchestra; Orchestral Society of Westchester; Festival Orchestra of Waterloo, New Jersey; Filharmonica de Caracas, Venezuela; Interlochen Arts Academy Orchestra: Bronx Symphony Orchestra; Westchester Symphony Orchestra. Performance credits: Records, Jingles, Film scores, Shows, Ships, and Hotels. Membership Affiliations: Local 802 A F of M (American Federation Of Musicians); SHSA (Scottish Harp Society of America); AHS (American Harp Society); Westchester Musicians Guild. HARP MUSIC PUBLISHING: 8 books arranged for classic pedal and folk/lever harp. Former Faculty Member: NWCA (Northern Westchester Center for the Arts) CINDY D’ERASMO - Violin, Suzuki Violin B.M. M.M., Violin performance, The Mannes College of Music. Suzuki Certification: Chicago Suzuki Institute, Suzuki Institute in Stevens Point, WI. Studied: Sally Thomas, Ann Setzer. Chamber Music coaches: Todd Phillips, Paul Tobias, Diane Walsh. Former faculty: The Mannes College of Music Preparatory Division. Faculty: Strings Director - Bethwood Suzuki School, Elementary Schools, City School District of New Rochelle. MICHAEL FINCKEL - Cello, Chamber Music Concert artist U.S. and abroad. Founding member: Cabrini Quartet, Trio of the Americas. Member: Ensemble 21, Contemporary Chamber Ensemble, Ysaye String Quartet, Finckel Cello Quartet, Brooklyn Philharmonic. Director: Sage City Symphony. Recordings: CRI, Vanguard, Vox/Candide, ECM/Warner Bros. Faculty: Chamber Music Conference and Composers Forum of the East, Bennington; Composers Conference and Chamber Music Center, Wellesley College; Princeton; Cornell; Bennington. SUZANNE M. FLEISHAKER - Double Bass B.A. Sarah Lawrence; studies at Oberlin Conservatory; M.A., NYU. Studied with Messing, Portnoi, Mensch. Participant: Tanglewood Music Festival. Orchestral performances in New York metropolitan area and Europe. MICHAEL GOETZ - Jazz Bass B.M. University of Miami M.F.A. SUNY Purchase Studied: Dr. Lucas Drew, Eddie Gomez, Michael Moore. Jazz performances include: Ira Sullivan, Pete Minger, Joe Beck, Ray Vega, Dave Stzyker. Broadway credits include: Young Frankenstein, The Producers, Crazy for You, Miss Saigon, Les Miserables. Movie recordings: Femme Fatale, Twilight, Snake Eyes. Faculty: University of Bridgeport, Yorktown School District. APRIL JOHNSON - Violin, Suzuki Violin, Chamber Music B.M. Oberlin; Advanced studies at Brooklyn College Conservatory. Studied with Kaplan, Kawasaki, Gabora, Clapp. Performed for Perlman, Rosenberg, Buswell. Concertmaster: Canton Ohio Symphony (1992), Galatea Ensemble, Queens Oratorio. Associate Concertmaster: Norwalk Symphony. Member: Jupiter Symphony, Bridgeport Symphony. Active soloist and chamber player, NYC area. HBMS faculty since 1993. NICOLE JOHNSON - Cello, Suzuki Cello B.M. Cleveland Institute of Music; M.M. Juilliard. Studied: Alan Harris, Andres Diaz, Christoph Henkel, Joel Krosnick. Suzuki training: Nancy Hair, Alice Vierra, Barbara Wampner, Carol Tarr. Former member: Avanti Ensemble, Cleveland Chamber Orchestra. Former faculty: Renaissance Music Academy—cello and chamber music. Cellist: Cassatt String Quartet. Faculty: Diller- Quaile, Greater Washington Suzuki Institute, Hartwick Summer Music. CHRISTINA KHIMM - Violin, Suzuki Violin, Chamber Music B.A., Sarah Lawrence. Studied with Delay, Bronstein, Ricci, Magnes, Rosand. Winner: Young Concert Artist Competition. Soloist: Korean National, Manhattan School and Sarah Lawrence Orchestras. Concertmistress: Allegro Chamber Ensemble. Former member: Laurentian String Quartet. Faculty: Westchester Conservatory. PEGGY KLINGER - Violin Licentiate, Trinity College of London. Scholarship to further studies in London. Chamber Orchestra, Morley String Trio, London Mozart Players. Former faculty: London College of Music, Westchester Conservatory. GARY KOSLOSKI - Violin, Chamber Music D.Mus. Indiana University, principal teacher Josef Gingold. Additional studies: Franco Gulli, Tadeusz Wronski, Max Rostal. Chamber music studies: William Primrose, Menahem Pressler, György Sebök, Janos Starker. Founding violinist: Elysian Trio. Former concertmaster Ohio Chamber Orchestra, Cleveland Chamber Symphony. First violins: Detroit Symphony. Former chamber music coordinator: Music Academy of the West, Lucca Festival, Oberlin-in-Italy (Urbania). Articles: Strad, Strings and ASTA Journal. Translator: The Violin Within (Le violon intérieur by Dominique Hoppenot). Former violin faculty: Baldwin-Wallace College Conservatory, University of Oklahoma, Florida State University. DAVID KRIEGER - Cello Rubin Academy of Music, Tel Aviv University; full scholarship student. First prize: cello competition. M.M., Peabody Conservatory. Further studies: M.M.A,. Yale University with Aldo Parisot; D.M.A., Indiana University with Janos Starker. Former solo/principal cellist Israel Orchestra of the Kibbutzim; Westchester Philharmonic. Founding member: Emelin Trio. Director: Summit Music Festival. Adjunct professor: Fordham University. Former faculty: Columbia University, Purchase College Conservatory. ELEKTRA KURTIS-STEWART - Violin, Suzuki Violin B.M., Sibelius Academy of Music (Helsinki). School for Strings Suzuki Program. Studied with Arai-Kimanen, Ignatius, Piorkowski, Behrend. Performance: Kapyla Chamber Orchestra, Sibelius Academy String Ensemble, Kirkkonummi Chamber Orchestra, Opera Orchestra of the Great Theatre (Warsaw). Faculty: Harlem School of the Arts, Diller-Quaile School of Music. MARK KUSHNIR - Violin, Suzuki Violin, Viola, Chamber Music B.M., Cleveland Inst. of Music; M.F.A., Sarah Lawrence; Suzuki Pedagogy, School for Strings. Studied with Delay, Gingold, Dubinsky, Kawasaki, Behrend. Member: Hudson Highlands String Quartet. Former member: Laurentian String Quartet. Former Adjunct Faculty: Marymount College. JULIA LUTZKE - Violin, Chamber Music B.M., Mannes College of Music; M.A., New York University. Suzuki Teacher Certification, School for Strings. Studied: Louise Behrend, Anne Setzer, Hiroko Yajima. Chamber music Studies: Edna Michelle, Anne Setzer, Hirko Yajima, Ani Kavafian, Liuh Wen Ting, Stephanie Baer, Fabio Gardenal. Participant: Assisi Music Festival in Italy, Aspen Music Festival, The New York Youth Symphony and chamber music program. Member: The Orchestra of St. Luke's. Broadway Show: Hairspray. Baroque Performance: The American Classical Orchestra. MAXINE NEUMAN - Cello, Chamber Music B.M., M.M. Manhattan School of Music. Solo recitals, North America, South America, Europe, Japan. Three-time Grammy winner. "Who's Who in the World." Grant recipient, Rockefeller Foundation, Ford Foundations, National Endowment for the Arts. Performs: Belmont Trio, Claremont Duo, Crescent String Quartet, Vermont Cello Quartet, Breve Early Music Trio, Orchestra of St. Luke's, American Composers Orchestra, Westchester Philharmonic, NY Virtuosi. Montreux Jazz Festival, Metallica. Solo and chamber recordings: Deutsche Grammophon, Columbia, Angel, EMI, Austrophon, Nonesuch, Biddulph, CRI, Orion, Leonarda, Argo, Opus One, SONY/Virgin, AMC, Thorofon, Vanguard, Musical Heritage, Albany, Northeastern CBS World Records. American premiere, G. B. Viotti Cello Concerto (Town Hall). Judge: international competitions. Faculty: School for Strings. Former faculty: Bennington College, Williams College, C.W. Post University. ANCA NICOLAU - Violin, Suzuki Violin, Chamber Music B.M., Juilliard; M.M., Manhattan; M.A., M.Phil., Columbia; Suzuki Teacher Cert., School for Strings. Studied with Galamian, Bronstein, Ricci, Behrend. Finalist: George Enesco Competition. Winner: Roumanian National Competition, Silverstein Award. Participant: Tanglewood, Spoleto, Caramoor, Drottningholm, The Proms, Edinburgh Festivals. Member: Orchestra of St. Luke's; The Bach Ensemble, Drottningholm. Recordings: Musical Heritage Society, Decca, Sony Classical, Deutsche Grammophon. Former Faculty: Brixen Academy for Early Music, Italy. Faculty: Westchester Conservatory. PETER PRESS - Guitar B.F.A., Suny/Purchase. Studied with Starobin. Recent collaborations include Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, 20th Century Classics Ensemble, N.Y. Philharmonic, Shelly-Press Flute-Guitar Duo. Soloist with Mid-Atlantic Chamber Orchestra, N.Y. City Ballet Orchestra, Bridgeport Symphony. Recordings: Koch, International Classics, Bridge,Centaur, BMG, ESSAY. NAOMI GRAF ROOKS - Viola, Viola Club, Coordinator, Chamber Music/Strings & Piano, Chamber Music B.M., Juilliard School of Music, M.M.,Yale School of Music. Studied with Lillian Fuchs, Paul Kantor, Donald McInnes. Former faculty, New Haven Suzuki School, All- Newton Music School, Ma., Waldorf School, Ithaca. Active performer, area orchestras, chamber ensembles. JOSEPH RUSSO - String Bass B.M., Juilliard, M.M. Yale. Principal bass, Manager, Orchestra New England. Performs: Hartford Symphony, Springfield Symphony. Former Principal Bass: Opera Orchestra of New Mexico, New York City Opera Touring Orchestra, Broadway shows. Freelance: Tristate area. www.JosephMRusso.com ERIKO SATO - Violin, Chamber Music Juilliard. Studied with Delay, Grumiaux in Brussels. International prize winner and recitalist. Soloist: Tokyo Symphony, Louisville Orchestra, San Francisco Chamber Orchestra. Member: Aspen Soloists Piano Trio, St. Luke's Chamber Ensemble, Orpheus. Recordings: Music Masters, Deutsche Grammophon, Vanguard, ESSAY, Delos, Grenadilla. Radio and TV appearances, including CBS News Sunday Morning. Faculty: Mannes College of Music, Bennington Chamber Music Conference. ROBERT SCHWARTZ - Cello, Young People's Symphonette, Chamber Orchestra B.A., Montclair State; M.A., Teacher's College; M.F.A., Sarah Lawrence. Studied with Janigro, Ricci, Borodin Piano Trio. Cofounder, former cellist: Laurentian String Quartet, Aspen Music Festival. Faculty: Lakeland School District. PETER SEIDENBERG - Cello B.M., Eastman School of Music; M.M., New England Conservatory; Artist Diploma, Cleveland Institute of Music. Studied: Nell Novak, Marc Johnson, Paul Katz, Bernard Greenhouse, Larry Lesser, Alan Harris, Ron Leonard, Burton Kaplan. Solo work: Chicago Symphony (age 18), Eastman Philharmonia, DePaul Chamber Orchestra, Century Orchestra Osaka. Festivals: Marlboro, Norfolk, Aspen, Meadowmount. Current member: Elements Quartet, Queens Chamber Band. ROLF STURM - Jazz Guitar B.F.A. Ithaca College, jazz guitar; Studied: Baldwin Wallace Conservatory, Berklee College of Music. Studied: Jim Hall, Joe Pass, John Abercrombie, Bill Frisell. Guitarist for Eddy Arnold, Giora Feidman Quartet, Tony Trischka Band, Feed The Meter, Illuminati, Walter Thompson Orchestra, Tricycle. www.rolfsturm.org. FREDERICK ZLOTKIN - Cello B.M., M.S., D.M.A. Juilliard. Studied with Piatigorsky, Rose, Robbins. Recitals and concerts throughout Europe and the U.S. Soloist: Minnesota Orchestra, St. Louis Symphony, Aspen Festival Orchestra. Principal Cello, New York City Ballet Orchestra; Substitute, New York Philharmonic. Guest Artist: The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. Former Artist-in-Residence, Aspen Music Festival, Waterloo Music Festival. Member: Lyric Piano Quartet. Faculty, Manhattan School of Music, Queens College. top of page