Kazuyo Kuriya
Flute
Bio:
Flautist (piccolo, flute and alto flute) Kazuyo Kuriya, studied at Musashino Academia Musicae in Tokyo, Japan where she acquired a Bachelor’s of Music degree in classical music performance. Yet she studied so many more styles of music by studying with various well-known musicians in Japan including Emmanuel Pahud (principle flautist, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra), Davide Formisano (principle flautist, Milan Orchestra), and Takashi Shirao (Musasino Acadimia Musicae).
In January 2007, she enrolled in Berklee College of Music with a scholarship from the Asia World Scholarship Tour where she studied jazz composition, arranging and performance.
She has performed with Maria Schneider, McCoy Tyner at the Montreal International Jazz Festival, and with the Brazilian composer, arranger and producer, Cesar Camargo Mariano who has praised her work in performance. She has had two highly successful tours in Japan with her own groups, Ceu do Brasil and the Kazuyo Kuriya Quintet.
She is the winner of the Toshiko Akiyoshi Award, 2010, and was selected as a Jazz Revelation Records 2010 Artist. She has performed at Carnegie Hall, is a member of the ‘Women of the World’ ensemble, has been commissioned to compose music for the National Flute Association Flute Big Band 2011 and is a fluatist and composer/arranger for the Boston World Flute Ensemble under the director of Wendy Rolfe.
Lessons offered in English or Japanese.
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Coto Pincheira
Piano, Composition, & Theory
Bio:
Chilean-born pianist Coto Pincheira is an internationally experienced pianist and band leader with over 20 years of education and experience, playing a variety of musical styles which include but are not limited to: Classical, Jazz, Afro-Cuban Jazz, Cuban Salsa, to Pop music.
Coto started his studies of music at the early age of nine, studying Organ at the Yamaha Academy in Viña Del Mar with Leonardo Barrientos, and at the Conservatorium of the Catholic University of Valparaiso with Professor Anibal Correa, Chile’s most renowned classical pianist. Coto also studied classical music in several consevatorium in Viña del mar and Santiago. In 1990 Coto furthered his studies by attending the Modern School of Music, Chile’s most prestigious institution. However, he believes that his best training of all comes from the best school of all – “La Calle” (The streets) – where there is an infinite amount to learn and to experience that will never end.
At the age of 24 he headed to Havana Cuba for ten years where he met, studied, and worked with Cuba’s most renowned pianists and artists including Hilario Duran, Ernan Lopez Nussa, Ruben Gonzales, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Chucho Valdes, and Frank Emilio. Coto performed for two years in the world famous Tropicana Cabaret – the first and only foreign pianist to accomplish the honor of playing with the big band (36 musicians ). He also played for Omara Portuondo, Oscar Valdes, Amaury Perez Los Papines, Bamboleo and Diakara.
He came to New York City in 2010 and is a part of the Cuban Salsa and Jazz scenes.
Lessons offered in English and Spanish.
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Kamala Sankaram
Voice, Composition, & Theory
Bio:
Kamala Sankaram has collaborated with and premiered pieces by the Philip Glass Ensemble (EINSTEIN ON THE BEACH), the Wooster Group (LA DIDONE), Anthony Braxton (TRILLIUM E), John Zorn, eighth blackbird, Phil Kline, David T. Little, Corey Dargel, Taylor Ho Bynum, Tristan Perich, Fred Ho, the Dogs of Desire, and Anti-Social Music, among others. She has recorded with Anthony Braxton (TRILLIUM E: Braxton House), Phil Kline (Around the World in a Daze: Starkland Records), End (The Sick Generation: Hymen Records), Death Comet Crew (Dominatrix), the Albany Symphony Orchestra and Anti-Social Music.
Kamala’s compositions have been featured as part of the Bang on a Can Summer Festival, the Santa Fe New Music Festival, the Lucerne Festival, the Music with a View Festival at the Flea Theater, American Opera Projects’ series “Opera Grows in Brooklyn”, and in the article “More Song, Less Art(ifice): The New Breed of Art Song” in New Music Box magazine. She had the featured commission on the 21st Century Liederabend (produced by Beth Morrison Projects and Vision into Art), selected as one of Time Out’s 10 Best Classical Concerts of 2009. Her music for SOUNDING (directed by Kristin Marting and written by Jennifer Gibbs) was praised as “gorgeous pop-rock interludes” (Time Out NY). She is currently a Con Edison Composer-in-Residence.
Kamala’s full-length, multi-media chamber operetta, MIRANDA, will premiere at HERE Arts Center in January of 2012. She is also collaborating with acclaimed playwright Susan Yankowitz on “The Thumbprint of Mukhtar Mai,” a new chamber opera blending Western and Hindustani classical music. Kamala has trained with Siti Company, the South Wing, and Red Bastard and studied composition with Chester Biscardi and George Tsontakis. In addition to her musical pursuits, she has created voice characters for the Cartoon Network, Comedy Central, and Studio Mouse.
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Jason Sagebiel
Guitar, Composition, Theory, and Pedagogy
Bio:
Jason has an interesting history as a composer, US Marine Sergeant, guitarist and teacher. He is the only guitar teacher in the Northeastern US to receive the prestigious designation of Nationally Certified Teacher of Music by the Music Teachers National Association. He teaches guitar, theory, composition, and pedagogy at the Long Island City Music School in addition to teaching musicianship, guitar performance, music pedagogy, and music history at the City University of New York. He performs regularly with the Brooklyn-based chamber-rock band Mappa Mundi, and conducts and directs the Guitar Orchestra of the New York City Classical Guitar Society in addition to solo engagements. He teaches guitar in every style from rock to classical to fingerstyle to celtic, except jazz improvisation, although he has worked with many jazz guitarists to refine their technique. For more information please visit his website.
Education:
Master of Arts in Music, Queens College; Bachelor of Music, Magna Cum Laude, Loyola University New Orleans.
Certifications:
MTNA Nationally Certified Teacher of Music. NY Dept. of Education background check.
Experience:
14 years private instruction experience; Adjunct Professor, City University of New York; Director, New York City Classical Guitar Society’s Guitar Orchestra; Instructor, Concordia Conservatory of Music; PS 232Q, Performances at Carnegie Hall, Merkin Hall, Cornelia Street Cafe, The Stone, The Warebrook Festival, and others; Invitations to perform internationally in Mexico and Russia; Soloist – Princeton Music Festival and Van Der Stucken Music Festival; Published by Earthsongs Music; Featured on WNYC radio program Soundcheck; writer for the guitar blog Queens Guitar.
Teachers Statement:
I strive to provide the best possible for all my students and teachers – not just as musicians, but as the great people that they really are. I believe in helping them to become complete musicians, and to become the best people that they can possibly be. I like to help them grow, to challenge them and support them when things might be hard – but I always am sure provide a clear path for their progress, with attainable goals, and a comfortable setting. It makes me very happy to see their weekly progress, and the joy they receive over their many well-earned accomplishments.
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Aleksandra Kocheva
Piano, Composition & Theory
Bio:
A native of Bulgaria, Aleksandra Kocheva began her musical training on the piano at age five. In 1998, she graduated the International School of Music in Sofia and furthered her training at the Academy of Music in Sofia, Bulgaria where she studied piano performance with Teodora Nestorova and received her Bachelor of Music degree in 2002. At that time Aleksandra cofounded Kocheva Duo together with her twin sister Nikoleta Kocheva and foundations “Soros” and”Pro Helvetia” released their debut album for piano duo “Ad Libitum” As a recipient of the prestigious Erasmus award and scholarship given by European Union program for outstanding performance, Aleksandra Kocheva continued studying at the Hochschule für Music und Darstellende Kunst in Stuttgart, Germany, where she studied with Michael Seewann, Marialena Fernandes, Katherine Wickers and Bojidar Noev.
In 2004, Ms. Kocheva was invited by “International Stradivarius Competition” in Malta as a jury member and special guest for the Piano Summer Festival. As a very active chamber music Player, Aleksandra worked with such artists as Second Instrumental Unit, conductors Tito Muñoz and Marc Williams, violinist David Fulmer and clarinetist Asuka Yamamoto with whom she co-founded Clara Duo in 2006.
In 2006, Aleksandra earned Master of Music Degree in Piano Performance from CUNY Queens College, Aaron Copland School of Music, New York. During her study, she was awarded Artur Balsam scholarship and received Chamber Music Live award given for extraordinary achievements in chamber music. She studied with Morey Ritt, Charles Neidich, Michael Lipsey, Daniel Phillips and Marcy Rosen.
Aleksandra has been recognized for her artistry in solo recitals and chamber music concerts in United States, Europe and Japan. Her varied repertoire ranges from Baroque to contemporary works. Ms. Kocheva premiered many compositions by American composers Takuma Tanikawa, Paul Riker and others. On her Merkin Hall debut concert in 2006, she played the world premiere of Milton Babbitt’s Composition for Twelve Instruments. Highlights of her concert series include performances at Carnegie hall, Steinway hall, Tonhalle Zürich, and Osaka, Japan.
Ms. Kocheva is a highly sought after piano teacher, and has been offering her gifts as a teacher and performer to children and adults of all ages.
Lessons offered in English or Bulgarian.
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Taro K. Morino
Guitar
Bio:
Taro Morino is a guitarist who enjoys practicing, teaching and performing on the instrument that has been part of his life since the 90’s. His early years were spent playing such diverse styles as Latin, Jazz, Rock, Blues and Hip Hop. A new direction came when Mr. Morino enrolled at the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College. The music to which he was exposed there immediately fascinated him and the Classical Guitar became his new instrument of choice to explore the world of Art Music. Among other events Mr. Morino has appeared as a performer – on both, Classical and Electric Guitar – on the radio on Chamber Music Live, at the Cornelia Street Café Serial Underground series, at Weill Hall (Carnegie Hall), and at the Warebrook Contemporary Music Festival. Mr. Morino graduated from Queens College in 2009 with a degree in Music Education and holds a NYS Teaching Certificate for Music.
Certifications:
New York State Certificate for Teaching Music.
Teachers Statement:
Experience has taught me that a practical approach is the only way to get great results with my students. With this in mind, my aim is to set clear goals for the student and to provide challenges that provide for weekly progress, not only in a technical sense, but also in a musical sense.
Lessons offered in English, German, or Japanese.
