SUMMER CAMP FACULTY

PIANO

Michael Chertock is Assistant Professor of Piano at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music where he earned his Masters of Music degree. He is also the pianist for the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and has garnered numerous awards at major competitions, among them the top prize in the 1989 Joanna Hodges International Piano Competition (Brahms Division) and the grand prize in the 1993 St. Charles International Piano Competition.

Michelle Conda, Professor of Piano at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, earned her B. M. degree in piano performance from Mansfield University in Pennsylvania. She went on to earn her M. M. degree in piano performance from Bowling Green State University, and her Ph.D. in Piano Pedagogy from the University of Oklahoma.

Dr. Robert Thomas (D.M., Indiana University in Bloomington, 1979), is Professor of Piano and head of the keyboard area at Miami University, teaching studio piano and piano literature. Following a debut solo recital in New York and two recitals broadcast on national radio from Chicago, he has toured Europe extensively including solo recitals in London, Manchester, York, Luxembourg, Baden-Baden, Stuttgart, and Salzburg. Dr. Thomas has premiered several works by living American composers, has been a judge at many piano competitions, and is listed in the 2006 and 2007 editions of Who's Who In America.

Inna Terekhov (Piano Camp Director) has been a piano faculty member at The Center For The Arts, Wyoming since its inception. Educated in Russia, she received her Bachelor & Master degrees in Piano Pedagogy and a Master of Accompanying and Chamber Music Ensemble. She is an accomplished Piano teacher with a large and loyal studio of award winning students at The Center For The Arts, Wyoming, Northern Kentucky University and at home.

Sandra Rivers has concertized throughout the world and across the United States appearing at many prestigious venues such as Mostly Mozart Festival, Tanglewood and on the Great Performers Series at Lincoln Center. She has worked with such noted conductors as Arthur Fiedler, Jean Morel and Keith Lockhart and partners with many of the world's leading soloists including Itzhak Perlman, Kathleen Battle, and Joshua Bell. Ms. Rivers has been a member of the collaborative piano faculty of the College-Conservatory of Music since 1982.

Dr. Siok Lian Tan is Associate Professor of Piano at Miami University, Oxford, Ohio. She teaches applied piano and piano pedagogy, and coordinates the class piano program at the Department of Music. She holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in piano from University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM). A native of Penang, Malaysia, Tan went to Cincinnati in 1988 as a scholarship student of Frank Weinstock at CCM. She has been heard in live broadcasts on Cincinnati Public Radio Station WGUC and has appeared as soloist with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and Miami University Symphony Orchestra. As an active pianist, Tan has performed in Asia, Europe, Australia, Africa, and the United States. Her recent performances include solo and chamber music concerts in New York, Chicago, Luxembourg, Cologne, Cape Town, Hong Kong, and London. An active clinician and adjudicator, Tan has presented lectures at College-Music Society-Great Lakes Conference, Ohio Music Teachers State Conference, and the National Group Piano and Piano Pedagogy Forum. She has also presented master classes at University Sains Malaysia, Sedaya International University in Malaysia, Hong Kong Baptist University, and the University of Cape Town. She has articles published in Piano Pedagogy Forum and Clavier.

Atarah Jablonsky is a graduate of the Manhattan School of Music in New York City. Ms. Jablonsky taught at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, College of Mt. St. Joseph and Edgecliffe College. She is currently retired but teaching privately. She is also a regular instructor for the annual Piano Summer Camps at The Center for the Arts, Wyoming.

Takako Hayase completed her doctorate in piano performance at University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) and her master's degree from the Eastman School of Music. She immigrated to the U.S. in 1991 after receiving intensive training at the preparatory division of Toho Gakuen of Music in Japan. She has performed internationally and throughout the US, including a 1998 appearance at Weill Hall (Carnegie Hall) in New York City. Dr. Hayase is currently on the piano faculty at CMA, is coordinator of the Suzuki program at CCM Prep and co-founder of Cincinnati Piano Institute at CCM.

Carolyn Miller (Composition) holds a Bachelor of Music Education degree from the College Conservatory of Music (CCM) at the University of Cincinnati where she studied with Mme. Olga Conus. She was chosen to perform the Grieg Piano Concerto and was inducted into Pi Kappa Lambda. She holds a Master of Education degree from Xavier University. Carolyn has taught piano to students of all ages for many years, both privately and in classroom situations. She has taught composition privately and at the Wyoming Fine Arts Center. She has given workshops and showcases throughout the United States and is often asked to adjudicate. Carolyn has conducted at ensemble concerts, piano camps, and festivals and has been commissioned to write music for these special events. She has composed music for over 35 books and about 100 solos and duets and is one of the leading pedagogical composers. Her music teaches technical skills, is fun to play, and has enormous appeal to both children and adults. Many of Carolyn’s compositions appear on contest lists. Regis Philbin has performed her “Rolling River” and “Fireflies” on national television. The Sportacular Warm Up series has been widely used by students both here and abroad. Carolyn loves being part of her church music program where she directs a large choir and plays piano for special services. She also loves to spend time with her family and especially her seven grandchildren for whom she has composed seven solos. Carolyn is listed in the Who’s Who in America and Who’s Who in American Women.

STRING

Gabriel Pegis (Chamber Music Camp Master Class) joined the Cincinnati Symphony as a member of the second violin section in June of 1999, and in September of 2000 he was appointed to the Principal Second Violin Chair. Previously, Pegis was Assistant Principal Second Violin with the North Carolina Symphony. Other past positions include a violin faculty position at Western Illinois University and the Concertmaster position with the Illinois Symphony Orchestra in Springfield, IL. In addition, Pegis has taught at numerous summer music festivals including the Sewanee Summer Music Center, The Music Festival of Arkansas and The Young Musical Artists Association in Lawrence, Kansas. Pegis has also appeared as soloist with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, the Rochester Philharmonic, the North Carolina Symphony and the Illinois Symphony among others. As a violist, Pegis has appeared on both the Cincinnati Chamber Music series and the Linton Chamber Series, with members of the North Carolina Symphony and as a faculty member at Western Illinois University. In 1994 he was awarded a Doctoral Fellowship at the University of Illinois where he studied with Emmanuel Vardi.

ROCK n' ROLL

Tony Neumayr (Bands Instructor/Coordinator) is an accomplished bass educator, jazz and rock musician, and studio recording engineer. A jazz bassist since age 11 and rock musician from age 14, Tony received his Bachelors Degree in Commercial Music from Millikin University in Decatur, IL and a Masters Degree from CCM. Tony's performances have taken him all over the country as a bassist in high demand for both Jazz and Rock collaborations. He has been on the faculty of The Center since 2000 and bass instructor at Earlham College since 1998. Tony has been an instructor in the Midwest Modern Music School's band programs since their inception.

Matt Frechtling (Bands Instructor) is a graduate of CCM, where he received a degree in music with a focus on guitar performance. He has been teaching guitar for over ten years, and has been a faculty member at The Center since 2004. Matt also directs the classical guitar ensemble at The Center and gets a lot of pleasure out of seeing these students perform. His background has a strong foundation in rock n' roll, and he has performed and composed music for rock bands for several years. He currently performs in a band with his wife Jenny on lead vocals.

ART

Melinda E. Welch earned her Master’s degree and teaching license in Art Education form UC’s school of Design Architecture, Art and Planning. Melinda’s masters thesis focused on developing a visual arts curriculum for a community art center.

Melinda’s teaching experience includes Kennedy Heights Art Center, after school art at Pleasant Ridge Montessori, student teaching at Walnut Hills high school, Sherwood Elementary, North Avondale Montessori, and Anderson high school. She has completed internships at the Cincinnati Art Museum, the Taft Museum of Art, Manifest Gallery and Prairie Gallery. This past year, she was part of a youth community photography program in conjunction with Happen Inc, Prairie Gallery and the Mill Creek Restoration Project.

Melinda is an active artist who works in ceramics and photography. She shares a clay studio in Over the Rhine with her creative partners and currently resides in East Walnut Hills with her husband, dog and three cats.

DANCE / THEATER

Amy Garcia,dance instructor for The Center for the Arts, teaches classes year-round in the Center's Ballet/Tap and Jazz/Hip-Hop program. Her classes see a very high rate of return as her students enjoy the encouragement and training she provides. The intensive week planned for this summer will help continuing students maintain and refine their talents, as new students are able to experience for the first time the excitement and energy of Mrs. Garcia's dance classes.

Keith Minnery,theater music director, has a BA in Theatre and a Masters of Music Education Degree from the NKU. He has directed numerous theater workshops at both The Center for the Arts, Wyoming and Playhouse in the Park. Keith was guitarist/keyboardist for the band Going Commercial, which became semi-finalists in the 2004 Ohio Corporate Battle of the Bands in Columbus; a competition judged by band members from Lynyrd Sknyrd, 38 Special, and Billy Joel. He is currently working with others developing the band, Wicked Splendor, in which he will sing back up vocals and play guitar.

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