2025 Faculty

Violinist Emma Burge is a third generation Suzuki violinist, whose grandparents Sandy and Joan Reuning were pivotal in bringing the Suzuki method to the US. Emma got her degree from the New England Conservatory, and is an active freelancer/teacher in both Boston and Seattle. Because of her intense performance education, she learned a lot about balance and how to use music as a positive force. She cares about fostering a healthy and beautiful relationship with music through teaching young musicians the importance of self confidence, understanding and navigating emotions, and using the body in a relaxed and natural way. Emma cares about developing children as people as well as musicians, using the Suzuki method as a tool to bring out these qualities. Most recently, she has been appointed a teacher at New England Conservatory’s Preparatory Suzuki Program and the University of Hartford’s Hartt Community Division for the fall of 2024. Emma is currently Assistant Director of the Ithaca Suzuki Institute, as well as the Massachusetts Suzuki Festival. Emma is also an avid supporter of contemporary and new music, seeking to combine her classical training with improvisation. Emma is a founder of the new music ensemble Alinéa, formed at the New England Conservatory. She has premiered thirty new chamber works in the past two years, including Arturo O’Farril’s Tiny Little Walls. She also recently recorded with artist Heather Maloney on her newest album, Soil in the Sky. In Boston, Emma is a member of the Phoenix Chamber Orchestra, Fermata, the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Coda Ensemble. She also teaches through From the Staff, providing lessons to students in need. Emma gives many thanks to her pivotal teachers: Heidi Flanders, Gabriel Pegis, Ayano Ninomiya, and Lucy Chapman.

Kathryn Drake (they/them) is a Director and a full time Suzuki violin teacher at Ithaca Suzuki Music Education (formerly Ithaca Talent Education). Drake’s work is focused on the use of violin mastery as a landscape for inner work from a very young age. Drake began violin in the Suzuki Method at the age of four with Deanna Badgett, and later studied with Tim Washecka and Kristi Manno. They attended The University of Texas at Austin where they studied Violin Performance under the instruction of Sandy Yamamoto and the Miro Quartet while also completing dozens of hours of elective pedagogy courses with Dr. Laurie Scott and Dr. Robert Duke. While in Austin, Drake taught at Monarch Suzuki Academy and The University of Texas String Project, maintaining a studio of over 20 while also a full-time student. They graduated with a Masters of Music in Suzuki Pedagogy and Violin Performance from Ithaca College. While undertaking long-term Suzuki training with Carrie Reuning-Hummel at Ithaca College, Drake lived in residence at the Ithaca Zen Center. Their interests include mindfulness, unhindered self expression, equity in the music studio, the interplay of learning and culture, transparent leadership, and media as a teaching tool. In 2024 Drake was honored with the Distinguished Young Teacher Award and Certificate of Achievement from the Suzuki Association of the Americas.

Christie Felsing is Director of Teaching and Learning at the University of Hartford’s Hartt Community Division where she teaches violin in the Hartt Suzuki Program and leads the Suzuki graduate pedagogy courses. She has been active in the Suzuki Association of the Americas as a registered teacher trainer for many years, served on the SAA Board of Directors from 2004 to 2009, coordinated the 2010 SAA conference, worked as a staff member from 2014 to 2016, and served as a consultant for teacher development. Christie was assistant director at the Preucil School of Music in Iowa City, Iowa, for 17 years, and taught on its violin faculty from 1996 to 2014. In 2013, the Iowa String Teachers Association named her the Leopold LaFosse Studio Teacher of the Year. Christie received her Master of Music degree in Suzuki pedagogy with John Kendall at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, and her Bachelor of Music degree with Vartan Manoogian and Marvin Rabin at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In addition, she completed a nine-month Suzuki internship with Doris Preucil in Iowa, and her arts administration training (AMICI) with the National Guild of Community Schools of the Arts.

Breana Bauman believes: diversity and representation matter in music education, every child should have the opportunity to study music with highly trained, enthusiastic teachers, and nurturing excellence over a perfectionist mindset will foster creative change-maker executive skills. As the Founder and Director of Cambridge Suzuki School of Music in Massachusetts, an anti-racist program, she believes in coaching families in communication and consistency, to create the diversity, inclusion, and emergence that will make our world a better place for everyone. Breana holds violin performance degrees from Boston University, Cleveland Institute of Music, and Oberlin Conservatory. Her performance studies were with Bayla Keyes, Malcolm Lowe, Steve Rose, Roger Chase and Kyung Sun Lee. Breana is an avid chamber musician and enthusiastic concertmaster, who regularly sat first chair as a fellow at Tanglewood Music Center in MA and was even reviewed in the New York Times! Breana’s Suzuki Pedagogy Studies were with with Kimberly Meier-Sims (long-term, double-major during her Masters at CIM), Christophe Bossuat (Director of the European Suzuki Association), and has taken multiple professional development courses with Ed Spunger, the SAA SPA course with David Madsen, Music Mind Games with Michiko Yurko, and Growing Equitable Music Studios (GEMS) with Clara Hardie. Since the COVID global pandemic, she has taken numerous enrichment courses online! Breana’s extracurricular activities include gardening, sewing garments, knitting, cycling, and sailing. She practices SuJo Method to manage previous violin-related injuries and prioritizes healthy movement in her teaching. Breana’s passion is chamber music which she taught during the summers at Boston University Tanglewood Institute and during the school year at Rivers Conservatory in Weston, MA. In June, she teaches at the New England Suzuki Institute, NESI, in Waterville, Maine.

Kenneth Mok completed a long-term Suzuki teacher training program at the School for Strings in New York under the tutelage of Allen Lieb. He has also participated in various summer teacher training programs, such as the Hartt Suzuki Institute in Hartford, the American Suzuki Institute in Wisconsin, and the Los Angeles Suzuki Institute. He has also worked with several local Suzuki programs around Boston, including Newton Suzuki School and Suzuki Institute of Boston. Recently, he completed the Massachusetts Cultural Council’s Music Educator/Teaching Artist (META) fellowship program and currently serves as a faculty member at the University of Massachusetts, Boston.

Ms. Potts holds a Master of Music with an Emphasis in Pedagogy from the Longy School of Music. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music, summa cum laude, from Case Western Reserve University where she also studied with faculty from the Cleveland Institute of Music. Ms. Potts is an active member of the Suzuki Association of the Americas and has taken Suzuki training with Moshe Neumann, Kimberly Meier-Sims, Sherry Cadow, Joanne Melvin, Tom Wermuth, Doris Preucil, and Nancy Jackson. Additional pedagogical studies have been with Clay Hoener, Valerie Bobbett Gardner and Terry Durbin. Since 2021, Ms. Potts has served as a Registered Suzuki Violin Teacher Trainer through the Suzuki Association of the Americas. In addition to her private studio in Framingham, Ms. Potts teaches through the Rivers School Conservatory, where she coordinates the Suzuki Programs. She formerly served as President of the Massachusetts Suzuki Association. Students of Ms. Potts have performed in the Rivers School Conservatory Orchestras, Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras, the New England Conservatory Orchestras, the Northeast Massachusetts Youth Symphony Orchestras, and the Bay Area Youth Symphonies. Several of her students have also chosen to participate in the Royal Conservatory Music Development Program assessments, and have received marks of “First Class Honors,” and “First Class Honors with Distinction.” Her students have also earned certificates for “Best in the Center,” “Best in the State,” and the “Gold Medal: Best in the Nation.”

Nicole is a classically trained violist and violinist, and an active Suzuki Method and Alexander Technique teacher. In 2017 she formed her private studio, Bright Strings Studio, that serves up to 30 music students each year in Watertown, Massachusetts. She holds a M.M in String Performance on viola from Boston University, has completed teacher training in Suzuki Violin Books 1-4, SECE Phase 1, and is certified to teach Alexander Technique. She has been a part of the board of the Suzuki Association of Massachusetts for 2 years and counting. She holds a special place in her heart for all of her teachers, including Kathie Aagaard, J.T. Posadas, Karen Ritscher, and Tommy Thompson. When not in the studio, Nicole loves being outdoors with her horse Mikey, and beachcombing for seashells.

Building community through music, Arab-American cellist Annie Barley Givler (she/her) is a passionate advocate for access to high quality music education for all. As a music educator, Annie specializes in culturally responsive music pedagogy, having taught in the music classroom for the past 17 years. Currently, Annie serves on the faculty of Springside Chestnut Hill Academy, an independent school in Philadelphia, where she directs ten different string ensembles, working with students in third through twelfth grades. She is the founder and director of PRYSM Prep, the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra’s entry level string ensemble. Annie maintains a private Suzuki studio in her home in Bryn Mawr. Annie is also the founder and director of Connected Arts College Prep, a consulting service for high school students who wish to pursue music at the collegiate level. As a performer, Annie is an incredibly versatile cellist, at home in a multitude of genres. She has performed all over the world in ensembles ranging from professional symphony orchestras to Kanye West’s back-up band. She is the active vice-president of the Greater Philadelphia Suzuki Association and can be heard on Bridge, Cantaloupe, and New Amsterdam Records.

Alyssa Lawson holds a master's degree in Cello Performance from Boston University, where she studied with Michael Reynolds. She is a Fulbright scholar with a B.A. in Music from Swarthmore College and an M.A. in Ethnomusicology from UCLA. Alyssa has completed Suzuki teacher training in all ten volumes, primarily with Nancy Hair and David Evenchick. She has also received training in Music Mind Games. Alyssa teaches at the Suzuki School of Newton and is on the faculty of the New England Suzuki Institute. She is a founding member of Cellos on the Charles, a group that supports cello education in Eastern Massachusetts. Alyssa has performed with the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra, indie folk band The Morning Architect, the Boston Arabic Orchestra, the Aurelia Ensemble, and many chamber ensembles. She helped create the innovative performance group Spectacle Collective.

Rachel Fabulich is a registered Suzuki Viola, Violin, and Early Childhood Education teacher, as well as a former Suzuki student and a current Suzuki parent. She is the director of Suzuki MetroWest, and teaches at the New England Conservatory of Music Preparatory School, in Boston, MA. An avid Suzuki teacher, Ms. Fabulich has been a clinician at programs, institutes, and workshops around the country. She was a viola coordinator for the Suzuki Association of the Americas 2014 and 2016 Conferences and has served on the board of directors for the Suzuki Music Association of California, Los Angeles. She has additionally been on the faculties of the Pasadena Conservatory of Music and Westridge School in Pasadena, CA, as well as the Music Institute of Chicago. As a performer Rachel enjoys playing in the viola section of the Wellesley Symphony and with her chamber group, Trio Pastorale. She has enjoyed playing on stages across North America, Europe, and Japan. Ms. Fabulich has a Bachelor of Music degree in viola performance with a concentration in Music in Education from the New England Conservatory of Music. She earned a double Master of Music degree from Northwestern University School of Music in viola performance and string pedagogy. Rachel’s primary teachers have been Roland Vamos, Marcus Thompson, Lewis Rosove, and Ann Montzka-Smelser. Rachel currently resides in Framingham, Massachusetts, with her husband and their three children.

Laura Williamson is a string player in the Boston area. She received a masters degree from New England Conservatory following her undergraduate studies at Vanderbilt University. Her most influential teachers include Aaron Janse, Kathryn Plummer, and Marcus Thompson. Laura can be heard performing around Boston with the Eureka Ensemble, Cape Ann Symphony, and others. Laura began her graduate studies at New England Conservatory in 2016 and in her second year joined the faculty of NEC’s Preparatory School where she teaches private violin and viola lessons, violin ensembles, and Suzuki Early Childhood Education. She has taken teacher training with Judy Bossuat-Gallic, Teri Einfeldt, Carol Smith, Kirsten Marshall, and Lynn McCall. While at NEC Laura studied pedagogy under Magdalena Richter. Having graduated with her Masters in 2018, Laura endeavors to prioritize working with young musicians for the duration of her career, and to be a “life-long learner” in furthering her pedagogical awareness. In addition to her private studio, Laura teaches at Suzuki Metro West and New England Conservatory Preparatory School.

Sachiko Isihara has served as the Executive Director of Suzuki School of Newton for over 20 years. As a European Suzuki Association and Suzuki Association of the Americas certified piano teacher, she completed her Suzuki training in Matsumoto, Japan with Haruko Kataoka and long-term teacher training in Lyon, France with Colette Daltier. She is a frequently sought after clinician for the Massachusetts Suzuki Festival and adjudicator for the South Shore Conservatory piano competition. Prior to her appointment as Executive Director of Suzuki School of Newton in 1998, Sachiko served on the faculties of Ecole Koenig in Paris and Third Street Music School in New York. As a pianist, Sachiko has performed in solo and chamber music recitals throughout the USA and France. She earned her B.M. in piano performance with honors from New England Conservatory and her M.M. in piano performance form Juilliard. Sachiko is also the Director of the Suzuki by the Green summer piano institute, and she has been a certified Suzuki Teacher Trainer since 2008.

Blancamaria Montecinos helps to deliver piano lessons to each preschool student twice each week. Ms. Montecinos also teaches students of all ages at the Preschool’s sister program, the Suzuki School of Newton and serves at the head of the piano department. Blancamaría Montecinos began her pedagogy studies in 1981, at the Universidad Metropolitana de Ciencias de la Educación, graduating in 1988 as Professor of Music Education.

David Madsen founded what is now the Hartt Suzuki Guitar Program in '90. He is the Suzuki Guitar Coordinator for the Community Division at the Hartt School of Music in West Hartford, Connecticut, USA. David graduated with a BM in guitar performance from the University of Connecticut and has since studied with David Leisner and Pepe Romero. His Suzuki guitar training has been with Bill Kossler and Frank Longay, and he has also trained with Lynn McCall in Suzuki Early Childhood Education. He became the 3rd registered Teacher Trainer with the Suzuki Association of the Americas in 2000 and has conducted courses throughout North America and in Italy, Singapore, Peru, Puerto Rico and Argentina. Mr. Madsen is a member of the SAA Guitar Committee, and he is a former member of the Board of Directors for the Suzuki Association of the Americas. In 2008 he was invited to direct the Advanced Ensemble at the 1st International Suzuki Guitar Festival in Santa Cruz, CA, and he was also invited to direct the Guitar Ensembles at the SAA conferences in 2014, 2016 and 2018. David received a “Creating Learning Community” award in 2014 for his work in producing “The Sound of Success” video for the SAA, an informative video about the Suzuki guitar method.

Ann Carroll Bundy is a Boston area freelance flutist and music educator. As principal flute with the U.S. Coast Guard Band, she toured internationally, performing for Presidential inaugurations, in ceremonial work for heads of state, and as a member of the woodwind quintet. During her time as principal flute with the Debut Orchestra of Los Angeles, Ann performed under the baton of Zubin Mehta, John Williams, Danny Elfman, Elmer Bernstein, Bobby McFerrin, and Merv Griffin. She has shared the stage with Eric Idle (Monty Python), Michael Crawford (Phantom of the Opera), and Jodi Benson (Little Mermaid), as well as Sir James Galway. She was a Yamaha Young Performing Artist and has been an invited soloist with orchestras and ensembles throughout North America, in addition to her work as a chamber musician. Ann has been a featured musician on National Public Radio and voiced instruments for the Verne Q. Powell and Wm. S. Haynes Flute companies. Ann is the flute instructor for the Wayland School of Music and Making Music Matters, a non-profit committed to equity in arts education in the Boston Public Schools. A student of Jim Walker, former Principal Flute of the L.A. Philharmonic, Ann earned her B.M. in Flute Performance from the University of Southern California, and completed post-graduate study at the Studio School in Kent, England where she was a pupil of Trevor Wye of the Royal Northern College of Music.

Folk Baroque explores the counterpoint and connections between Baroque music and traditional music from around the world.  We perform on period instruments (fiddle, Baroque viola, and Baroque 'cello) and share music old and new, from a variety of traditions. Our concerts offer up anything from Bach to ragtime, and centuries-old fiddle tunes to our own compositions. We love sharing with the audience about the music we play, and discovering how our own musical roots connect with those of listeners.      Folk Baroque was a featured chamber ensemble of Classical Uprising's 2023 Portland Bach Festival, with sold-out concerts throughout Southern Maine. Other recent performances include the SwitchArts chamber music series in Rhode Island. Please follow our performance calendar, available at emilyrideout.net.      Joy Grimes, Baroque violin / fiddle, is a versatile performer and teacher of violin and viola. Highlights of her performing career include touring Japan with Cambridge Concentus, serving as principal violist of the Orchestra of the Southern Tier, and touring Ireland with band West O'Clare. Joy is an established violin and viola instructor, has extensive background in Suzuki Method, and holds degrees from Southern Illinois University and Boston University.       Emily Rideout, Baroque viola, enjoys an active and varied performing career, on both modern and Baroque viola. She has appeared as guest with the Muir, Emerson, and Avalon String Quartets, and performs regularly with ensembles such as Boston Baroque, the Handel and Haydn Society, A Far Cry, and Grammy Award-winning orchestra Boston Modern Orchestra Project. She has extensive training in Suzuki Method and holds degrees from Boston University, Stony Brook University and Moravian College.      Daniel Rowe, Baroque 'cello, divides his time between performing as a cellist and programming as a software engineer.  He has performed with the American Repertory and Huntington Theatre companies, is co-principal cellist of the Providence Baroque Orchestra, and has toured internationally with the Renaissance group 'Renaissonics.'  He also plays electric cello with the Guy Ford Band.

Leah Bartell is a passionate performer and educator with over 20 years of teaching experience. Her teaching philosophy is that musical expression is fundamental to the human experience. In her work as a teacher, she has combined young, aspiring musicians and seasoned professionals to create performances that are moving, inspirational, complex, strong.      Leah is the founder and music director of the Great Meadows Chamber Orchestra, and is the music director at the Waldorf School of Lexington. She has conducted young orchestras at New England Conservatory, Longy School of Music, and Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras.      Ms. Bartell has performed as a soloist with the Calcutta Foundation Orchestra in India , and with Lexington Symphony in MA where she is a member. She has performed with the Vermont Symphony, Opera North, PORT Opera, National Lyric Opera, Emmanuel Music, and the Portland Ballet. She has played under conductors János Sándor, Jaime Laredo, and Jonathan McPhee. Ms. Bartell has collaborated with members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Handel and Haydn Society, and with world-renowned harpsichordist Shalev Ad-El, and has performed in recitals across the U.S. and Canada.

Angela Leidig joined the Suzuki faculty at New England Conservatory Preparatory School in 2013, teaching both private lessons and group classes and maintains a private studio in Somerville, MA as well. She has been co-coordinator of the Suzuki Program at NEC since 2016. In addition to teaching violin, Angela is a certified Alexander Technique (AT) teacher; she is dedicated to teaching how to play your instrument with an attitude of creativity, awareness and enjoyment, developing a technical and musical foundation of ease, balance and freedom from the beginning stages. Angela teaches AT group and private lessons in the greater Boston area, as well at the Alexander Technique School of Cambridge teacher training program. She teaches AT at Meadowmount String Summer Institute to advanced string players ages 13 and up and has taught AT courses for NEC Prep and Conservatory. M.M. Boston University, MA. B. A. Roanoke, College, VA. Doctoral work at University of Colorado-Boulder with the Takacs Quartet. Suzuki Pedagogy training Books 1-10

Originally from Thousand Oaks, CA, Molly Tucker grew up with the Suzuki method and since then has become a classically trained violinist, accomplished fiddler, composer, and educator. Now based in Boston, Molly has performed across the Northeast in multiple ensembles, including Casey Murray & Molly Tucker, a duo dedicated to playing original and traditional fiddle tunes, as well as Quartet Davis, a multi-styled string quartet integrating improvisation and original compositions. As an educator and dance musician, she has been on faculty at the Fiddle Camp at the Kanack School of Musical Artistry, Summer Suzuki at the Rivers School Conservatory, and Harmony of Song and Dance at Pinewoods, and is trained in Creative Ability Development. Molly is on faculty at Wayland School of Music, Winchester Community Music School, and runs a private studio in Medford, MA. She has an MM in Violin Performance from Boston University and a BM in Violin Performance/BA in Economics and a minor in French from Oberlin College and Conservatory.

Pianist Arthur Simoes enjoys a multifaceted career as a performer, composer, and educator. His music is influenced by an eclectic mix of genres, including jazz, classical, video game music, and his Brazilian heritage. Arthur has performed extensively across Europe, Latin America, and the United States, and frequently presents lectures, workshops, and masterclasses worldwide. Passionate about education, Arthur has successfully led a private studio for the past 10 years. His teaching philosophy is grounded in the belief that every person has an innate ability to learn music. He integrates elements from Dalcroze Eurhythmics and the Taubman Approach into his teaching. In addition to his private studio, Arthur has served on the faculties of the Haute École de Musique and the Institut Jaques-Dalcroze in Geneva, Switzerland. He has also been a guest teacher at prestigious events and institutions, including the Dalcroze International Congress (Switzerland), Encontro Internacional sobre Pedagogia do Piano (Brazil), Longy School of Music (USA), Tufts University (USA), and NEOJIBA (Brazil). Arthur is the first prize winner of the 29th European Music Competition "Città di Moncalieri" in Italy, among other piano competitions. He has appeared at renowned venues and festivals around the world, including Victoria Hall (Geneva), La Schubertiade sur la Colline (Neuchâtel), and the Berklee Performance Center (Boston). Arthur attended Berklee College of Music for a Diploma with concentrations in Jazz Composition and Performance. He also holds a Bachelor’s degree in Piano and a Master’s degree in Music Pedagogy with a concentration in Dalcroze Eurhythmics, as well as the Diplôme Supérieur of the Dalcroze method. During his Dalcroze studies, Arthur was awarded the Institut-Jaques Dalcroze Award “for his qualities as eurhythmician”, the Emile Jaques-Dalcroze Foundation Award “for the excellence of his improvisation exam” and the Aletheia Foundation Award “for the excellence of his Diplôme Supérieur choreography”. He also received the Arditi Award for the best final recital of the year at the end of his studies at the Conservatoire de Musique de Genève. In parallel, Arthur pursued extensive studies of the Taubman Approach with his mentor Edna Golandsky, in New York. Currently residing in Boston, Arthur continues to perform, compose, and teach. In his free time, he enjoys learning about different cultures and studying foreign languages. He speaks French, Portuguese, English, Spanish, Italian, and German at varying levels of fluency, and is currently learning Japanese as a hobby.

Dr. Charles Speicher currently works for the Norristown Area School District as a curriculum writer and music teacher. Additionally, he teaches piano, keyboard improvisation, and music theory at summer music institutes for the Hartt School of Music in Connecticut, Colby College in Maine, and the Suzuki Music Institute of Chicago. From 2012 – 2014 he was curriculum director at Little Kids Rock, the largest national non-profit serving the musical needs of U.S. public school children. During his time at Little Kids Rock he had the opportunity to work alongside many popular music icons, including Bruce Springsteen, Lady Gaga, Elvis Costello, Brian Wilson, and Carlos Santana, in fundraising efforts to benefit public school music programs. His teaching and performing engagements include the Newburyport Chamber Music Festival in Massachusetts, the New England Suzuki Institute in Maine, the Wellington Suzuki Workshop in New Zealand, the Suzuki Institute of Alaska, the International Music Festival in Ohio, the South Carolina Suzuki Institute at Furman University, the Peaks to Plains Institute in Colorado, the Indianapolis Academy of Music Summer Festival, the Summer Jazz Workshop at Montclair State University, and the Stokes State Forest Music Festival in New Jersey. In 2006 he served as a judge in the Alaska State MTNA Piano Competition and adjudicator for piano students in the cities of Anchorage and Homer. From 1996 – 2005 Dr. Speicher was the Suzuki Piano Coordinator at Montclair State University, where he also taught an undergraduate keyboard harmony class. In 2002 he traveled with the Crazy Energy Orchestra to Morocco to perform at the wedding of King Mohammed VI. He is a recipient of the New Jersey State Governors Award in Arts Education. In addition to his musical career, Dr. Speicher is a competitive martial artist, earning gold medals in two consecutive state competitions as well as representing New Jersey in the U.S. Taekwondo Nationals. He founded the Cole Manor Martial Arts Club in 2022 and is currently in training for his fourth degree black belt under his master of 33 years, Grandmaster Tae Hee Kim of Ridgewood, NJ.