Brattleboro Music Center

Kathy Andrew, violin, viola, Senior Orchestra.  B.A., University of New  Mexico; M. M., Peabody Institute. In addition to frequent performances with  various area chamber and orchestral ensembles, Kathy is the Assistant  Concertmaster of the Vermont Symphony Orchestra, Concertmaster of Opera  North, a member of the Springfield Symphony Orchestra and the Burlington Chamber Orchestra, and teaches in Norwich, VT.

Steve Cady, bass. Steve Cady lives and teaches in the Keene area and performs with professional groups throughout New England. As a double-bassist, Steve has performed with the Windham Orchestra, Raylynmore Opera, Keene Chamber Orchestra, and The Opera Theatre of Weston. He also works regularly in the Boston and Providence areas playing general business and jazz bass for private and public functions. Steve holds a BM and a BA from Keene State College, where he was a freshman talent-scholar, and KSC Instrumentalist of the Year in 2002. Mr. Cady has been a performer in several world premiers by New Hampshire composer Ted Mann, and has recently completed his own major compositions for jazz ensemble, dance accompaniment and solo bass. Steve has been Music Department Head at Vermont Academy in Saxtons River, VT since 2003, where he directs a Jazz Ensemble, teaches Music Theory, Music Appreciation, and Electronic Music. Steve is also adjunct instructor of double-bass at the Brattleboro Music Center, The Putney School in Putney, VT, and teaches private electric and double-bass students in the Keene area. Steve enjoys studying improvisation and electronic music as personal interests.

Kristen Carmichael-Bowers, voice, Music Adventure Program, Get Real Camps.  M.A. in Music with a focus on vocal pedagogy from Smith College.  She has performed in both operatic and musical theatre settings, and teaches both bel canto and contemporary belt singing techniques. In recital and concert, she sings programs of diverse repertoire that highlight her versatility, presenting works ranging from Renaissance lute songs to substantial song cycles by contemporary composers.  She is on the faculties at both The Putney School and Northern Stage, where she teaches amateurs to professional singers. Kristen is the founder and director of the BMC’s “Get Real!” vocal camps.

Carol Compton, piano accordian, Ed.M. from Harvard University. Carol's accordion career emerged from her conversion from classical pianist to folk dance musician in the 1980's.  Initially sharing time with her other instruments (piano and recorder) accordion took on a life of its own when she moved home to New England and began accompanying traditional Morris and Rapper Sword dance groups in the Monadnock region. Playing regularly for contra, English country, and community dances Carol has played for dances and festivals from Ontario to West Virginia, and in the streets of southern England.  She has also performed Early American music at the Smithsonian, Winterthur and other historic sites.  She can be heard on the 2000 Smithsonian Folkways Recording "Choose Your Partner," and appears in the contra dance video "What's Not to Like?"  Carol also currently serves as the Education Programs Director at the Brattleboro Music Center.

Susan Dedell, piano, Brattleboro Concert Choir. B.A., University of Michigan. Susan studied piano with Charles Fisher and was a staff accompanist in the voice department of the U of M before joining the BMC piano faculty in 1983. Susan is the Director of Music at St. Michael’s Episcopal Church and is also the Artistic Director of the Brattleboro Concert Choir. In addition to teaching at the BMC, Susan also teaches piano at The Putney School.

Lisa Ferrigno, violin. M.M, Florida State University, B.M., Eastman School of Music. A native New Englander who studied at the New England Conservatory Extension Division, Lisa is currently Concertmaster of the Brevard Symphony and Walt Disney World Orchestras in Florida. She has served as Concertmaster of the Orlando Philharmonic, Principal 2nd violinist of the Glimmerglass Opera Orchestra, and was a member of the Rochester Philharmonic and Florida Symphony Orchestras. Lisa has performed as soloist with orchestra and in chamber recitals in the US, Europe, and South America.

Annie Frelich, Movin’ Into Music. B.A. in Early Childhood Education. Annie is currently one half of a musical duet called The Annies, who have been performing their show of original children’s music and running creative workshops throughout New England since 1996. Annie's approach to music education is natural, intuitive and fun with the goal that her young students will experience the pure joy and endless creative possibilities the world of music has to offer.

Bruce Griffin, piano. A native of Vermont, Mr. Griffin received his formal musical training at the Peabody Conservatory of Music studying with Walter Hautzig and Leon Fleisher. In 1985, Mr. Griffin gave his New York debut at Carnegie Recital Hall. Bernard Holland of the New York Times described Mr. Griffin as “serious and imaginative”, a pianist of “unusual warmth and virtuosity” who exhibited and “exceptional feel for melody’s magnetic pull”. Mr. Griffin has appeared in solo recitals and chamber music programs throughout the country as well as soloist with the Vermont Symphony and Tacoma Symphony Orchestras. He is presently a member of the Abendmusik Chamber Players. Mr. Griffin is a member of the Leschetizky Association in New York. 

Jennifer Carol Hansen, voice, BA in French and Music, magna cum laude, Dartmouth College. Jennifer has performed as a soloist with the Brattleboro Concert Choir and throughout New England with the Manchester Choral Society, the Handel Society of Dartmouth College, the Maine Music Society, the Concord Community Chorus, and the Vermont Symphony Orchestra. Jennifer was a semifinalist in the Oratorio Society of New York Solo Competition and a New England finalist in the National Association of Teachers of Singing Artist Award Auditions. Jennifer has 24 years of teaching experience, specializing in musicianship, technique and repertoire for singers from ages 8 to 84. Her high school students have gone on to sing in programs at Oberlin Conservatory, Belmont University, Elon University, Ithaca College, Dartmouth College and more.

Alisa Hauser, voice, BFA in Musical Theatre from the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music. Alisa has taught theatre, voice, and dance in the New York City area for the past nine years. As a performer, Alisa has appeared on Broadway in the original cast of Thoroughly Modern Millie (Alice), Grease! (Frenchy), and the original cast of Disney’s Beauty And The Beast (Silly Girl).  Other theatre credits include shows at Paper Mill Playhouse, Music Theatre Wichita and the Goodspeed Opera House. Also a lyricist and book writer, she is an alum of the prestigious BMI/Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Writing Workshop. She wrote book adaptation and lyrics for the new concert version of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, which had its world premiere at the Baltimore Symphony in 2011. For television she has written lyrics, for the Disney Channel's Johnny And The Sprites. Her cabaret songs have been performed at various venues around the country including The Kennedy Center, Ars Nova, and Joe’s Pub.

Draa Hobbs, guitar. A student of jazz greats Attila Zoller and Jimmy Raney, Draa has also studied with Gene Bertoncini and Peter Leitch. As a professional musician for over twenty years he has played in a wide variety of contexts, including performances with Attila Zoller, composer David Amram, Vic Juris, John Stowell, pianists Armen Donnelian, Don Friedman, and many others. He has performed club dates in New York with tenor saxophonist Jed Levy, drummer Ferenc Nemeth and bassist Thomson Kneeland. In addition to his work on a number of regional Jazz CDs, including “Not A Day Goes By” with the Steve Sonntag Quintet, Draa has also performed on recordings by Grammy nominated singer songwriter Lisa McCormick. Draa is also featured on “The House With Four Chimneys” performing the music of classical composer Erik Satie, a project by award winning producer, engineer, and guitarist Ed Eastridge. This CD received glowing reviews from Guitar Player magazine. As an educator Draa has taught at Marlboro College, Amherst College, and Plymouth State University, where he ran the guitar program and coached guitar ensembles. He currently teaches at The Putney School, The Vermont Jazz Center, and privately at his studio in Woodstock, Vermont.

Karen Horton, french horn.  BS in Music Education- Western Connecticut State College, MM in French Horn – Manhattan School of Music. A student of David Jolley, Karen is currently a member of the Windham Orchestra and an instrumental and vocal music teacher at Whitingham Elementary School and Twin Valley Middle School. She was formerly an adjunct professor of French Horn at Keene State College. She is also a former member of the Orquesta Filarmonica de Caracas and the Orquesta Municipal de Caracas, Venezuela, and has played with numerous groups in New England.

Michelle Liechti, violin, viola, New Approach. B.A., Mills College. A student of David Abel and Kato Havas, Michelle is a member of Arcadia Players, and free lances throughout New England.  She conducts the Prima and Junior Orchestras at the BMC Music School, where she teaches adult beginning violin class, coaches chamber music and specializes in the New Approach. She also teaches at Northfield Mount Hermon School. 

Luba Lischynsky, piano. B.Mus., M.Mus.Ed., New England Conservatory; Certification, Kodaly Musical Training Institute. A member of the faculty since 1983, Luba is a frequent accompanist in the area. She has performed in numerous recitals as a soloist, and has appeared with the Windham Orchestra. Luba is also on the faculty of the Chesterfield School in New Hampshire.

Joseph MacCaffrey, clarinet, received both his bachelor's and master's degrees in Clarinet Performance from Boston University where he was a student of Gino Cioffi, principal clarinetist of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Mr. MacCaffrey was an Instrumental and General Music teacher in the Northampton, MA school system for 34 years retiring in 2006. He was principal clarinetist with the Commonwealth Opera Orchestra as well as the American Legion Band of Northampton and the Holyoke City Band. He is currently principal clarinetist with the Westfield Legion Band and the Pioneer Valley Band.

Robin Tinkler Matathias, flute, Flute Ensemble Camp. B.A., U.C. Santa Cruz; M.A., City College of New York. Robin was a student of Frances Blaisdell and Deirdre Manning. She has performed on both the East and West coasts as a soloist and in orchestral, opera, chamber, and jazz ensembles. Before moving to Vermont, in 1992, she taught graduate courses at the City College of New York and in the New York City public schools. She also teaches flute at Keene State College and directs the flute ensemble.

Margery McCrum, voice. A.B., Brown University; M.D., UVM College of Medicine; M.Mus. in Voice Performance and Pedagogy, Westminster Choir College, Princeton. Margery has pursued vocal study with Laura Brooks Rice, Nan Nall, Dalton Baldwin, Glenn Parker and Jane Bryden. In addition to performing and teaching voice, Margery is a Board-certified Anestheasiologist with a MD degree from the University of Vermont College of Medicine. Margery has a particular interest in discovering the full potential of one's unique voice, working with a holistic approach to integrate all aspects of health - physical, emotional and spiritual - in freeing one's voice.

Raquel Moreno, Suzuki piano. Raquel began serving as the BMC's Education Programs Artistic Director during the 2010-11 academic year after a year as Co-Dean at the Music School. She received her Master's Degree in Music Teacher Education from the Autonoma University in Madrid, Spain, after she graduated from the Royal Conservatory of Music of Madrid on Piano; Solfege, Theory, Transposition and Accompaniment; and Pedagogy. Her interest in piano education brought her to the British Suzuki Institute in London, England, where she studied with Caroline Gowers and received her Certification as a Suzuki Piano Teacher. Raquel is certified by both the European and American Suzuki Associations, and has taught at the BMC Music School since 2003.  Raquel also currently serves as the Education Programs Curriculum Director at the Brattleboro Music Center.

Keith Murphy, traditional music classes, summer programs, Northern Roots Traditonal Music Festival. Keith is a veteran performer, teacher, composer and recording artist in the traditional arts. For twenty years Keith has toured extensively as a singer and guitar, mandolin and piano player appearing at festivals, folk clubs and performance art centers. Originally from Newfoundland, he has been based in Brattleboro since the early 1990s. He has taught instrumental classes at dozens of traditional music events around the country, working with hundreds of mandolin players, piano players and guitarists.

Thomas Nasiatka, saxophone. Thomas is currently an Instrumental Music Teacher at Brattleboro Area Middle School and Brattleboro Union High School in Brattleboro, Vermont. His teaching responsibilities include instructing the school’s 7th and 8th grade concert and jazz ensembles, 7th and 8th grade group instrumental lessons, general music, and 9th-12th grade saxophone and clarinet lessons. Thomas is also an active freelance saxophonist in the western Massachusetts area. Thomas holds a Master’s Degree in Music Education with an emphasis in Applied Saxophone and Bachelor’s Degrees in Music Education and Saxophone Performance from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. During his time at UMASS, Thomas studied saxophone with esteemed Professor Lynn Klock, performed in several of the University’s top ensembles, and was the 2003 recipient of the Theodore Presser Award. As saxophonist with the University’s top quartet, he performed at the 2003 World Saxophone Congress in Minneapolis, MN. Thomas also served as an Undergraduate Teaching Assistant in the Saxophone Studio, and taught private saxophone lessons to area music students. Thomas holds memberships in the Music Educators National Conference (MENC) and the Vermont Music Educators Association (VMEA).

Vladimir Odinokikh, piano. B.Mus., M.Mus., Tchaikovsky Conservatory, Gnesin Institute, Moscow. A soloist and collaborative musician at the Moscow Philharmonic and Rosconcert, Vladimir has performed throughout Europe and North and South America. He taught at Ippolitov-Ivanov College of Music, in Moscow, and was a Professor at the Conservatorio de las Rosas in Mexico. 

Alex Ogle, flute, Flute Ensemble Camp.  Alex Ogle, Senior Lecturer in Music and Director of the Performance Laboratory in Chamber Music at Dartmouth College, has performed at the Marlboro and New England Bach Festivals and played principal flute for, among others, the D'Oyly Carte Opera, the Grand Teton Music Festival, and the original American production of Jesus Christ Superstar.  At conventions of the National Flute Association he has performed several times and moderated a panel on the teaching of Arnold Jacobs.  Mr. Ogle also teaches flute at the Putney School and for many years taught flute at Amherst and Mount Holyoke Colleges.  He attended Harvard College and the Juilliard School of Music and studied with Douglas Royal, James Pappoutsakis, Julius Baker, Harold Bennett, Marcel Moyse, and Keith Underwood. He has recorded for MusicMasters and Opus One.

Moby Pearson, violin, Chamber Music. Moby Pearson grew up in the Boston area where he studied with Lucy Parker and George Zazofsky.  He received his degree from Oberlin Conservatory as a student of Robert Soetens and Steven Staryk.  Mr Pearson’s active chamber music career has included extensive periods as principal violinist with the Apple Hill Chamber Players and the Atlanta Chamber Players, with concerts at Carnegie Recital Hall, Merkin Hall,  Alice Tully Hall, and the Phillips Collection (Wash. DC),  as well as tours to Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.  He has performed with many Boston area orchestras and ensembles including Cantata Singers,  Emmanuel Music,  Boston Muscia Viva,  Boston Lyric Opera, and the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra.  Mr Pearson has been a soloist with the Concord Chorale and the Nashua Chamber Orchestra, as well as giving many solo recitals including Jordan Hall, the Gardner Museum, and WGBH radio.  In addition, Mr. Pearson has performed with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra in Carnegie Hall and major concert halls throughout Europe. Recordings include the Deustche Grammaphon, Centaur, and Koch labels. Currently he is a member of the Sarasa Ensemble. His violin is by Bartolomeo Tassini, 1752.

Sabine Rhyne, cello, Cello Ensemble Camp. B.A. summa cum laude, Smith College. Having studied with cellists Alan Smith and Sharon Robinson in North Carolina, Sabine is a chamber music free-lancer and a frequent performer in a variety of larger ensembles, including the orchestra of the American Repertory Theater, in Cambridge, Mass.; the Monadnock Chorale, in Peterborough, N.H.; the Handel Society at Dartmouth College, and the Windham Orchestra. She has taught at the Putney School, Keene State College, and at the BMC.

Steve Ritchie, trombone. M.Mus., Northwestern University. Steve studied trombone with Frank Crisifulli and Vincent Cichowitz, both of the Chicago Symphony. He has played trombone with the Windham Orchestra and was instrumental music director at St. Michael's School in Brattleboro.

Christopher Rymes, trumpet. BM. Berklee College of Music.  Chris, a native of Keene, NH, now
lives in Boston, MA where he works as a professional trumpet player.  Chris has studied with local musicians such as Scott Mullett, Robert Cummings, Dan Farina, Eric Anderson and also Boston based Jay Daly, Lin Biviano, Phil Wilson, Tiger Okoshi, Ken Cervenka and Jeff Stout. He has performed locally with the Keene Jazz Orchestra, The Vermont Jazz Center Big Band, the Windham Orchestra, The Nines Band and the Tom Foolery Band.  Chris has been heard playing in pit orchestras at the Palace Theatre in Manchester NH, the Lyric Stage in Boston MA, the Turtle Lane Playhouse in Auburndale, MA and The Concord Players in Concord, MA.  Chris has performed in theater orchestras for Royal Caribbean Cruise Line and as a sub for the Glenn Miller Orchestra.  He also enjoys working on studio projects where he has recorded on various albums, including Beantown Swing Orchestra's "A Beantown Christmas."  Chris also freelances in the New England area as both a performer and teacher.

Judith Serkin, cello. A graduate of the Curtis Institute, Judith was a founding member of the Brattleboro Music School. She has been a member of the Iceland Symphony, the Guilford and the Hebrew Arts (now known as the Mendelssohn) String Quartets, and a participant at the Marlboro Music and Yellow Barn Schools and Festivals. Judith has performed around the world, and has served on the faculty of American University in Washington, DC.

Chonghyo Shin, piano. B.Mus. and M. Mus., New England Conservatory; private studies with Nadia Reisenberg and Stell Andersen. A former teacher at the Preparatory Division of the New England Conservatory and at Keene State College, Chonghyo now teaches at Amherst College. She has been a soloist with the Boston Pops, the Pioneer Valley Symphony, the New England Conservatory Orchestra, and the Windham Orchestra.

Bill Shontz, saxophone, recorder, Intro to Improv. M.Mus., in flute, clarinet, saxophone, and recorder, Ohio State University. Bill has performed and recorded widely as a member of RosenShontz, the nationally acclaimed duo. He has also taught at the University of Illinois, Ohio State University, Muskingum College, and Bluffton College and performs classical and jazz for children, families and adults.

Peggy Spencer, violin, viola, Camp Andantino. Peggy Spencer was concertmaster of the New England Bach Festival Orchestra under the direction of Blanche Honegger Moyse for two decades, charming Marlboro audiences with the violin solos in all of Bach’s great choral works.  She is also a consummate chamber musician (a former member of the Bella Rosa Quartet and the New England Camerata) and has toured with various period instrument ensembles throughout the country.  She has taught at Putney School, Brattleboro Music Center, Bennington Chamber Music Conference, and Apple Hill Center for Chamber Music.  She owns a farm in Guilford, Vermont.

Dave Sporny, trombone, euphonium, tuba. holds a bachelors and masters degree from the University of Illinois, and is a performer, educator, conductor, and arranger. He is currently on the faculty of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst where he is a trombone professor, conducts the Chapel Jazz Ensemble, Trombone Choir, and performs with the Faculty Brass Quintet. Dave has been a frequent recitalist, clinician, and freelance trombonist in New England. He founded the Jazz Studies program at both the Interlochen Arts Academy and National Music Camp, and has performed with many jazz greats, including the Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey Orchestras, the Tonight Show Band, Dave Brabeck, J. J. Johnson, Marian McPartland, and vocalists Joe Williams, Nancy Wilson and Frank Sinatra, Jr. As a member of the Silk Road Ensemble, he more recently performed with YoYoMa.

Heather Sommerlad, Music-in-the-Schools, Prima Orchestra, violin.  Heather Swas born and raised in El Paso, TX, where music became the foundation for her continuing studies at Bennington College.  At 16, she began playing with the El Paso Symphony under the direction of Gurer Aykal, an opportunity which prompted the beginning of her professional career.  During her time at Bennington, Heather worked closely with emerging composers, performing a countless number of new works.  As first violinist of the Bennington College String Quartet, she traveled with the group to perform and teach in Kingston, Jamaica, and the Czech Republic. Today, Heather continues to promote new music as a regular performer for Brooklyn Emerging Artists, as well as the experimental folk band, Horse's Mouth. She has recently returned to the southern Vermont area having spent the past several years teaching both group and private violin classes in New York City. Heather is dedicated to nurturing passion, dedication, and enthusiasm in all her students to maintain a healthy balance of technical proficiency and musical integrity.

David Tasgal, violin and cello, clarinet, String Play Group. M.M., M.S., University of Massachusetts. David has taught string instruments for more than 30 years.  He teaches violin classes in various area elementary schools, and is director of the BMC's String Play Group, an ensemble class for beginning string players. A composer of educational string orchestra music, he is the author of The Family String Method and Strings Fun and Easy which are in widespread use nationwide.  A multi-instrumentalist, David is a also a very eclectic performer, appearing with rock and klezmer bands as well as orchestral and chamber concerts.

Becky Tracy, fiddle, traditional music classes, summer programs, Northern Roots Traditonal Music Festival.  Becky's fiddle playing and repertoire combines elements of traditional Irish and French Canadian music. She is a veteran of the New England contra dance scene and has performed and traveled widely. Becky began playing for contra dancing in Maine, bending her early classical training to the demands of dance music. Later, she studied Irish fiddling styles with Brendan Mulvihill and Eugene O'Donnel and French Canadian fiddling with Lisa Ornstein. She has been a defining presence in some of the most popular and innovative contra dance bands to come out of New England, being the fiddler for both Wild Asparagus and Nightingale.

Lynn Trowbridge, French horn, Fundamentals of Music Theory. B.F.A. degrees in French Horn Performance and Music Education, Carnegie Mellon University; M. Mus. and Ph.D. in Musicology, University of Illinois. Lynn studied horn with Forrest Standley, Dale Clevenger, and Thomas Holden. He has taught music theory, history, and brass instruments at Alma College, Duke University, and The American University, and has held positions in the Georgetown, Arlington, Prince Georges, and Pan American Symphonies in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area and in the Saganaw Symphony in Saganaw, Michigan.

Richard Ullman, guitar, solfege. B.A., Harvard College; M.F.A. in Early Music, Sarah Lawrence College; graduate of the Kodaly Pedagogical Institute, Hungary; studied with Peter Pears at the Britten-Pears School for Advanced Musical Studies, England. Richard, who won a national guitar competition in Washington, D.C., specializes in accompanying singers. He also teaches guitar and solfege at Castleton State College. He has performed widely and has taught at Tufts, Sarah Lawrence, Concordia, Central Connecticut State, and Green Mountain College. He has taught at Castleton College for fourteen years. Ullman can be heard playing in the movie Meet the Parents.

Junko Watanabe, voice.  M.Mus. in Opera Performance, from both Longy School of Music and Osaka College of Music. She has performed operas, oratorios, and recitals in the U.S. and in Japan. Her solo appearances include performances with the Boston Lyric Opera, Northwest Florida Symphony Orchestra, Key West Symphony Orchestra, Boston Classical Orchestra, Chorus ProMusica, and the BMC Concert Choir. From 2004 through 2007 she participated in the Marlboro Music Festival. She was a finalist in the Oratorio Society of New York Solo Competition and winner of the NATS Competition Professional Division. Currently she is a member of the Wistariahurst Chamber Music Society, and she is on the faculty of Amherst College and Rivers School Conservatory in Massachusetts.