|
|
*denotes head of division
Cello
Sarah Piper* is a teacher of Suzuki and traditional cello. As well as her private studio in Chicago, she taught at the Betty Haag Academy of Roosevelt University. She is a practice coach and instructor at junior and senior high schools, and has conducted a children’s orchestra. She holds her Masters in Cello Performance and Pedagogy from Northwestern University. She earned her Bachelor of Music from the Eastman School of Music. Some of her principal cello teachers have included Hans Jorgen Jensen, Steve Doane and Pamela Frame. Sarah is a member of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago and has played with the Aspen Music Festival Orchestra, the Eastman Philharmonia and the Northwestern University Symphony Orchestra, in addition to a variety of chamber ensembles.
Drums
Matt Hart graduated from Illinois State University in May of 2006. He earned a bachelors degree in Music and has been teaching at Metropolis since February of 2007. Aside from teaching, Matt is also an active performer. He plays drums and percussion for theatre productions and various artists in the Chicago Area. Matt has been involved with the stage reading of Another Tomorrow at Metropolis, the LZP production of 110 in the Shade, The Backstage Theater Company production of Zombies From the Beyond, the Harper College Wind Symphony, and his rock band The Factory to name a few. Matt is very excited to be working with the Metropolis School of Performing Arts.
Flute
Award-winning flutist Jack Chen is part of the new generation of instrumental performers with musical versatility that runs from classical to new age, pop to world, and a passion and flare for performing! Having shared the stage and camera with artists such as Amy Grant (CBS), Bobby McFerrin, Doc Severinsen, Alan Silvestri, Alf Clauson and Michael Giacchino, Jack also tours with new age artist Tim Janis (PBS, QVC), EMI artists Giorgia Fumanti, Ryland Angel and “Sasha and Shawna.” Jack can be heard on the recent albums “Horizons” and “Illuminations”, a collaboration with the City of Prague Philharmonic and composer Christopher Nickel. Aside from performing, Jack thoroughly enjoys teaching and is very excited to be joining the wonderful music faculty at the Metropolis Performing Arts School as the new flute instructor. While not learning how to beat box or do other crazy things with his beloved flute, Jack loves to chase his cat up and down the house; Toby, possibly the first ever 28-lb cat to own a flutist!
Guitar
Paul Henry* has received much acclaim for his performances across the United States and Europe. He received high praise from Guitar International Magazine following his first Carnegie Recital Hall performance. He was recently featured in Guitar One Magazine as one of the top 10 guitarists in the United States. His numerous compact disc recordings have received outstanding reviews. His performance scores and his new method book for classical guitar are published internationally by the Hal Leonard Corporation. Paul is currently on the faculty at the Chicago Musical College of Roosevelt University and Concordia University in River Forest. He conducts master classes at many colleges and universities throughout the United States.
Robbie Kellogg holds a Bachelor of Music from Moody Bible Institute and a Master of Music in Classical Guitar Performance from Roosevelt University. He has taught as a freelance guitar instructor of classical, rock and blues for several years, and taught at Merit School of Music and Creator Arts Center. Robbie has been a choir director, band director, accompanist and worship leader at churches around the Midwest. He is a member of the Moody Symphonic band and has played guitar in rock, jazz and hip-hop bands. Robbie, who studied under Paul Henry, also composes and arranges music.
Piano
Elif Allenfort* earned an early admission to the Hacettepe University State Conservatory in Ankara, Turkey where she graduated at the top in both piano and in the conservatory. Elif then won a full scholarship to the prestigious Queen Elisabeth Musical College to study under Jean-Claude Vanden Eynden and later was admitted to Roosevelt University Musical College where she completed her Master’s program with honors and her post-graduate degree. Elif has continued to develop her performance career through a regular schedule of recitals, orchestral appearances, special engagements and collaborative efforts with many professional musicians. Elif taught at the Betty Haag Academy of Roosevelt University for 5 years. Currently, in addition to her private studio, she is also the pianist for the Lake Shore Unitarian Society in Winnetka, Illinois.
Bryan Shilander, has performed widely as a pianist throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico and Korea, with recitals in Chicago, Los Angeles, San Diego, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Toronto, Mexico City, Seoul and Pusan, Korea. In addition to recital and concerto engagements he is sought after as an accompanist and chamber musician. He performed a concert series in three cities in Taiwan with the Sinorica Piano Trio in 1989. In 1985, 1992, 1995, and 2003 he performed in Korea in engagements including solo recitals, concerto appearances with the Pusan Symphony Orchestra, and recitals with violinist Hae Young Chung and soprano Seungwon Lee. He was the pianist and organist for the Chicago Boy Choir’s 2004 tour of England.
Mr. Shilander teaches piano at the Metropolis School of Performing Arts, Arlington Heights, Illinois, and is the music director at St. John’s Episcopal Church, Chicago. From 1985–2005 he was a piano instructor and Associate Dean of the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University. Bryan Shilander studied piano at the Cleveland Institute of Music as a preparatory student with Betty Zimmer, and at the Sherwood Music School, Chicago, with Leo Podolsky, where he received the B.M. and M.M. degrees.
Sevgi Giles has appeared in venues throughout America and Europe as a recitalist, chamber musician and orchestral pianist. In 2001 Sevgi was awarded the prize for best performance of a French Suite at the International Bach Competition. Sevgi received a Bachelors degree from Ankara Conservatory in her native Turkey where she captured all of the top performance awards. She has done graduate work at both the University of North Texas and Roosevelt University. In December, Sevgi made her Chicago debut on the Dame Myra Hess Series, broadcast live on WFMT. She is also a member and soloist of the renowned North Texas Wind Symphony. In addition to her private studio, she is on the faculties of the Music Arts School and the Northwestern University Music Academy.
Saxophone/Clarinet
Charles Gorczynski, who holds a bachelors in Jazz Studies/Composition at DePaul University, is an actively performing saxophonist, composer and teacher in the Chicago area. Aside from freelancing with large and small jazz groups, Charles co-leads the progressive jazz quintet Video Gum Culture and Clarity Trio. Recently Charles’ compositions have been featured with the experimental theater company’s ETC Festivals 2004-2005, as well as the complete soundtrack for Dreamfast Cinema’s 2005 release “The Door”. Through both national and international tours, Charles has played with Phil Woods, Ernie Adams, James Moody, Slide Hampton, David “Fathead” Newman, and many more. He also currently teaches saxophone, flute, clarinet, piano, composition, and jazz theory in Edgebrook, IL.
Violin/Viola
An Australian Violinist, Christie-Keiko Abe* performs extensively as a soloist, chamber and orchestral musician. She has given solo recitals in the USA, Japan and Australia and has performed at numerous music festivals including the Aspen and Pacific International Music Festivals. She received her Bachelor of Music with Honors from The Sydney Conservatorium of Music-University, her Master of Music from the Australian Institute of Music and her Specialist in Music in Violin Performance /Performance PhD with Pi Kappa Lambda Music Honors from The University of Michigan School of Music. She earned an Artist Certificate in Violin Performance (post-graduate degree) from The University of Wisconsin-Madison where she served as an assistant to David Perry.
As a solo performer, Christie appeared with the Sydney Conservatorium Symphony, Metropolis Performing Arts Center Classical Concert series, Australian Musicians Academy Recital Series, Starling recital Series in Aspen, and Akademie Konzert Series in Austria. She has won many awards and competitions and has recorded for NAXOS records, Albany and Arabesque Labels with the IRIS chamber Orchestra and Equilibrim with the Chicago Philharmonic Orchestra. Among many others, she is currently a member of the Chicago Trio / Duo and Metropolis Duo, the Chicago Philharmonic Orchestra, the Elgin Symphony Orchestra, the Chicagoland Pops Orchestra, the Ravinia Festival Orchestra and a founding member of the IRIS Orchestra under conductor, Michael Stern in Memphis, Tennessee.
Christie teaches both Suzuki and traditional violin, piano and master classes at several schools, is a faculty member at the Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp in Michigan, a residency coach/instructor at the Chicago Youth Prep Strings, and instructor at various local high schools.
Gail Rodin holds a Bachelors degree in Music Education from DePaul University and Masters in Music Education from Western Connecticut State University. She has been serving as the Orchestra Director in several school districts for the past 20 years, most recently at Kenilworth School District 38. Gail taught at the Betty Haag Academy of Roosevelt University since 2001. In addition to her vast experiences in directing and instruction, Gail was the first violinist with the Ridgeland Symphony Orchestra. She is a teacher of both Suzuki and traditional violin and viola.
Violin
Vasile Ardeleanu received his Masters degree in Orchestral Performance and his Bachelors degree in Violin Performance, graduating with honors from the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University. He studied with Cyrus Forough, Joseph Golan and Stefan Hersh. He has played with the Civic Orchestra of Chicago for the last two years, as well as with The Roosevelt University Symphony Orchestra and Chamber Orchestra in addition to various amateur orchestras throughout the city. His previous teaching experiences were in Romania where he provided one-on-one instruction to students at a variety of levels. Vasile also plays in a Romanian folk band.
Voice
Mezzo-soprano Stephanie Durant performs, teaches and directs throughout Chicago and the Midwest. She is in her second year of teaching voice at Metropolis School of the Performing Arts and teaches in her home studio in Evanston. Stephanie performs in the Metropolis Faculty Recital Series, gigs as a soloist and cantor actively around Chicago and co-directs the Metropolis Youth Choir.
She graduated with a bachelor's degree in Vocal Performance from Northwestern University and was a member of Northwestern University Chorale and Northwestern University Chorus both under direction of Dr. Robert Harris. She has appeared in many operas and oratorios in Chicago and at Northwestern University including as Suor Infermiera in Puccini's Suor Angelica, The Israelitish Man in Judas Maccabaeus, Le nozze di Figaro, Falstaff . She performed in Chicago's Opera Moda's first production as Sister Mathilde in Poulenc's The Dialogues of the Carmelites in the Chicago Cultural Center. She was one of five vocalists to sing in the 2004 live radio broadcast on Chicago's WNUR of Dido and Aeneas, as the Second Witch.
For five seasons, she was a cantor and choral section leader for First United Methodist of Evanston, where she performed as the Alto soloist in Handel's Messiah and Soprano soloist in Schubert's Mass in G and other sacred and popular works.
Tiffany Gates Etchell, Soprano, is from Cleveland, Ohio. Having performed consistently since age seven, Tiffany received a talent scholarship to attend The Cleveland Music School Settlement, earning a Certificate in Classical Vocal Performance. At the Settlement, she worked with Cleveland composer Michael Leese, who wrote an original song for Tiffany, which she performed for the Cleveland Composers Guild. She was also a member of the Blossom Festival Chorus, which sings with the Cleveland Orchestra. Tiffany continued her vocal studies at Ohio Northern University, where she received many scholarships, and earned a Bachelor of Music Degree in Vocal Performance in 2002. At the University, she was a member and Assistant Conductor of The University Singers national touring chorus. Tiffany was a frequent soloist with the group, singing Aaron Copland’s In the Beginning, Handel’s Messiah, and Mozart’s Missa Brevis in F, to name a few. As the Assistant Conductor, Tiffany was seen leading the choir on national television during The Hour of Power with Dr. Schuller at the Crystal Cathedral in Los Angeles. Tiffany was also the founder/director of the Ohio Northern University Women’s Chorus, as well as a performer and choreographer for The Northernaires, a touring vocal jazz quartet. While in attendance at the University, she performed in four dance showcases and fifteen musicals/operas, with nine lead roles.
After moving to Chicago in 2004, Tiffany became a registered Music Together instructor. She now teaches this nationally recognized early childhood music program in two Chicago locations. Tiffany is also a professional musical theatre actress in Chicago. She has been seen as Belle in Metropolis’ A Christmas Carol and most recently starred at New York City’s Lincoln Center in a staged reading of a rock musical called Another Tomorrow. In 2007, Tiffany was chosen for The Circle in the Square Theatre School’s Summer Intensive Workshop in Manhattan, where classes where held in The Circle in the Square Theatre, the only accredited acting school on Broadway.
Jon Landvick, Tenor / Belter-Extraordinaire, has been teaching voice since 2001 in high schools, universities, and private settings. In the spring of 2003, he graduated with Bachelor of Arts degrees in Theatre and Music Education (Choral) from Western Illinois University. At Western, he created the Musical Theatre Organization where he was President, Musical Director, Choreographer, and Performer. In addition, he was a University Singers Soloist, a Jazz Band vocal soloist, and an Illinois NATS Musical Division Finalist. Some of his musical direction credits include: You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, (SOPA Summer Camp), Phantom & Victor, Victoria (LZP Productions), Anything Goes & Hair (Timber Lake Playhouse), and Songs for a New World (Western Illinois University). As a performer, Jon has been seen in such roles as Oscar d'Armano (The Wild Party - Bohemian Theatre Ensemble), Jinx (Forever Plaid, Metropolis), Beadle Bamford (Sweeney Todd, Porchlight Music Theatre), Jacob (La Cage aux Folles, Music on Stage), and Hugh Pitney (Men Exposed...", Metropolis).
Some of Jon's students have starred as Fantine & Javert (Les Miserables), Harold Hill (The Music Man), Martha (The Secret Garden) and numerous as concert soloists. Lastly, Jon has studied with Charolette Megginson (Classical), Lynn Thompson (Classical / Musical Theatre / Belt), Matt Bean (Musical Theatre / Belt), and Jim Collins (Musical Theatre / Belt).
Brandon Magid is an active musical director, accompanist, and vocal coach in the Chicagoland area and recently graduated from Loyola University Chicago with degrees in music and theatre. While at Loyola, Brandon musical directed productions of Godspell, The Secret Garden, and Rodgers & Hammersteins' Cinderella. Most recently, he musical directed Tantrum on the Tracks and the musical theatre workshop for new musicals at Theatre Building Chicago. As a pianist, he has worked with various theatre companies and institutions including Emerald City Theatre Company, BackStage Theatre Company, Open Eye Productions, Columbia College, and East Prarie Middle and Niles North High School. He also teaches musical theatre performance classes for the Eileen Boevers' Performing Arts Workshop at Apple Tree Theater and has served as a musical theatre instructor, accompanist, and Curtains Up! musical director here at Metropolis for the past year. Upcoming projects include playing shows at Annoyance, musical directing Frosty at Emerald City, and musical directing the remount of the Jeff-award winning production of Fiorello! at TimeLine Theatre Company.
Sarah McIntyre*, soprano, has appeared with the Amadeus Opern Ensemble in Salzburg, Lexington Opera, Nashville Opera and Disney’s Voice Experience. Operatic roles include Susanna in Le Nozze di Figaro, Frasquita in Carmen, Adele in Die Fledermaus and Felice in Test Tube, where she was the first to sing the fully staged role of Milton Granger’s Opera. Ms. McIntyre will make her debut with Chicago Folks Operetta this fall as Jou Jou in Franz Lehar’s Mitislav.
A frequent concert soloist, Ms. McIntyre has sung for the Greensboro Oratorio Society, Chicago Lyric Opera Guild and the Northbrook Parisian Salon series among many others. Ms. McIntyre is the recipient of numerous awards, most recently from the Society of American Musicians Competition.
Ms. McIntyre holds degrees in Performance and Pedagogy from Samford and Belmont Universities. She maintains private studios in Chicago and Arlington Heights.
Sheetal Bhagat began studying music at the age of 5 with a focus on western classical violin and Indian classical voice. It was upon entering the University of Michigan’s School of Music and venturing from the parochial setting of her Eastern upbringing that Sheetal enveloped herself in the study and performance of jazz and classical western music.
In 1995 Sheetal moved to Los Angeles where she did session vocal work and commercial and film acting. Soon after her arrival, she began performing and touring with seminal LA rock band Zen Cowboys. Sheetal also began work as a music educator at Marymount High School, significantly redefining the choral program there and teaching, among other courses, Fundamental and
Advanced Placement Music Theory. In 2002 Sheetal became a member of the acclaimed St. Charles Boromeo Choir.
In 2004, Sheetal’s recorded and released her debut CD, “Love of Ages,” a result of her diverse influences - a recording that definitively captures and coalesces the range of musical inspiration that is Sheetal.
|
