Piano Teachers
Art Bailey
Piano • Trombone • Trumpet • Tuba • Baritone Horn
Art Bailey
Piano • Trombone • Trumpet • Tuba • Baritone Horn
For more than 30 years, Art Bailey has been a performer, composer, arranger, and educator, working in the NYC area and worldwide. As a freelance pianist and accordionist, he has performed in a wide variety of styles including jazz, classical, klezmer, and Cuban music. He has shared the stage at times with Itzhak Perlman, Steve Lacy, Del McCoury, Kirk Knuffke, Guy Klucevsek, Rez Abbasi, Matt Wilson, Marty Ehrlich, Dave Valentin, Karl Berger, Binky Griptite, Alfredo (Chocolate) Armenteros, The Atlanta Symphony, The Metropolitan Opera, The New York City Opera, Andy Gonzales, David Krakauer, and the Grammy award winning Klezmatics. In addition, he has performed in Broadway pit orchestras, most recently in “An American In Paris.”
Art has performed on, produced, and arranged or composed for numerous albums as a sideperson, including three recent projects of his own, “Quiet as a Bone,” a jazz piano trio recording featuring Art’s compositiongs, “Branch from the Tree,” a klezmer quintet with settings of compositions associated with Romanian tsimbalist Joseph Moskowitz, and a free-jazz duo with saxophonist Bryan Murray, “Clownmower.” He continues to have a busy schedule as a working jazz pianist and organist (and occasional trad jazz trumpeter) around NYC and NJ.
Finally, Art is thrilled to share whatever he’s learned over the last 30 years! He’s very much looking forward to meeting and working with new students of all levels.
Jonathon Dawson
Piano • Voice
Jonathon Dawson
Piano • Voice
Jonathon is a graduate of Rutgers University with a B.M. in Music Performance from the Mason Gross School of the Arts. As a student, Jonathon studied classical voice as his primary instrument. He performed in both the Kirkpatrick Choir, the select choir that has a yearly performance in Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center, and in the Rutgers University Glee Club, a men’s choir that recently toured Sweden, Finland, and Estonia. He also has experience performing musical theater, participating in shows throughout both high school and college. Jonathon has also studied piano since he was 7 years old. He has focused both on classical performance and jazz piano, which has helped him develop a unique musical ear. Jonathon has several years experience teaching private voice and piano lessons in South Plainfield, NJ. Jonathon is currently a Master’s student at Montclair State University, pursuing a Master of Arts in Teaching Music (MAT) with additional certification for working with students with disabilities. Jonathon’s wide range of musical experience enables him to meet the needs of any students.
Suzanne Delonas
Voice • Piano • Flute • Clarinet • Saxophone
Suzanne Delonas
Voice • Piano • Flute • Clarinet • Saxophone
Suzanne Delonas is a licensed K-12 music educator with over a decade of experience teaching music in New Jersey’s public schools and as a private lessons teacher. Suzanne studied flute and voice at Kean University and has expertise in teaching vocal and instrumental music to diverse student populations including students with special needs. Beyond her teaching role at Elefante, Suzanne connects with learners and music educators globally through her online music classes and Magic of Music Ed business where she blogs about music education and designs digital music lessons and resources for music teachers and classrooms around the world.
Eddie Guttman
Piano • Voice
VIRTUAL ONLY
Eddie Guttman
Piano • Voice
VIRTUAL ONLY
Eddie studied at Binghamton University and New York University, where he earned his Master’s in Composition. He has over 25 years of teaching experience, including at the New School/The Actors’ Studio and NYU. He studied with world renowned pianist Walter Ponce. Past performances include appearances at the Papermill Playhouse, Off Broadway, and CBGB’s. He served for 10+ years as the pianist for the Meet The Artist Series at Lincoln Center. Eddie composed “Equilibrium”, written for and performed by then NYC Ballet principal dancer Peter Boal. Eddie received the honor of being named “Favorite Piano Accompanist” by the readers of the national publication Back Stage. He gave tutelage to Mary Illes (Phantom of the Opera, Music Man), Ta’Rea Campbell (Aida, Hamilton), Eric Scott Kincaid (Newsies, Cats), Adrienne Moore (Orange is the New Black), Doug Plaut (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt), Kathy Brier (Hairspray), Bashira Cresswell (Lion King) and Joel Robertson (Les Miserables).
Mary Hrebin Haas
Piano
Mary Hrebin Haas
Piano
Mary studied piano at Carnegie-Mellon University. She studied piano with Elizabeth Weiss and Carol Ferri, as well as Jascha Zayde in New York City. Throughout her career as a piano instructor, she gained experience teaching students age 5 to 65 of all levels. She has accompanied many singers and instrumentalists for recitals and auditions. For 11 years, she was recital chairperson for the Music Educators Association (MEA) of New Jersey (a non-profit piano teachers organization).
Diane Smith Kirsh Piano • Voice
Diane Smith Kirsh
Piano • Voice
Diane has been a professional singer with over 25 years experience in the music business. She has sung radio and television commercials (jingles) for top brands such as Diet Coke, My Little Pony, Chevrolet: including singing a solo for a Clio Award winning Max Factor Ad. As a recording session singer for records she has recorded with Michael Bolton, Marc Cohn, Patty Austin and Bebe and CeCe Winans. Diane has also shown her talents as a producer of the “Broadway Kids” and “Broadway Kids Sing Christmas” albums featuring Kathy Lee Gifford. She has performed in Off Broadway musicals and is a member of SAG-AFTRA and AEA. Diane teaches Vocal Technique and Performance Coaching Privately and at Elefante Music School. She continues to perform at festivals and fundraisers with her band “Kings Road” and is lead singer in her Church Praise Band.
David Lipowitz
Piano
David Lipowitz
Piano
David Lipowitz has over 30 years of experience teaching children and adults of all ages, primarily in the Morris and Essex County area. He is especially excellent with children because of his upbeat, fun and enthusiastic personality. David specializes in teaching music of all genres, including popular, current hits, Disney, Broadway show tunes, children’s favorites, holiday tunes, movie/tv themes, jazz and classical music. His teaching style focuses on the importance of building a solid piano foundation along with having a knowledge of music theory, improvisational skills and scale/chord progressions. David enjoys passing on his musical knowledge to his students, some of whom have gone on to become professional musicians. David’s eclectic style of music and his instinctive ability to play to any audience has captured the hearts of audience members for over thirty years. He has performed professionally as the in-house piano player at The Manor in West Orange and The Short Hills Hilton and has played at hundreds of private parties/weddings in the tri-state area’s finest establishments. Currently, David is the pianist for the L’Elegance Duo (piano & cello).
Kyle Moffatt
Piano • Saxophone • Clarinet • Flute
Kyle Moffatt
Piano • Saxophone • Clarinet • Flute
Kyle studied at the Berklee College of Music and the New England Conservatory, earning a Master’s in Jazz Composition. In addition to private instruction, he was instructor at Camp Encore-Coda, a summer music program in Brookline, Maine. Kyle performed with Bob Brookmeyer, Joe Lovano, Don Byron, Andy McGhee, and Max Weinberg. He performed as a member of groups the Rainbow Band (Berklee College of Music), the Jazz Composers’ Workshop Orchestra, the Jazz Composers’ Ensemble (New England Conservatory), and with the Brian Lewis Big Band, Greg Hopkins Jazz Orchestra, Beantown Swing Orchestra, and Joe Pino Sextet. He appeared at clubs and festivals including Somethin’ Jazz, The Garage, Silvana, Small’s, Caffe Vivaldi, North Shore jazz Festival, Chianti, Opal Room, Real Bar and All Asia Café. Kyle teaches all styles including jazz and classical, and can also incorporate theory and composition as primary or supplementary instruction.
Akira Rosillo
Piano
Akira Rosillo
Piano
Akira Rosillo is a pianist from North Bergen, New Jersey. Growing up, her life was surrounded by music, having it be played all the time around the house and later taking piano lessons starting at the age of 7. She spent her college years studying music, piano performance, being involved in different music groups such as Sigma Alpha Iota, performing with colleagues, creating art within her community through her band, and instructing in multiple teaching settings ranging from elementary through high school. She graduated from Bergen Community College with an Associates Degree in Music Technology as well as earning a Bachelor’s Degree from New Jersey City University in Music Education K-12 Certification. Currently, she plays with two bands in the New Jersey area playing R&B, rap, and jazz music. She has played in notable venues throughout her career thus far in the New Jersey and New York City area including Arlene’s Grocery, The Bitter End, and Sounds of Brazil NYC. Akira has taught in New Jersey as a high school choir teacher where she had the opportunity to work with students in putting on performances in school and in the community. Akira has been teaching privately for the past five years, teaching students of all ages and backgrounds. She is always eager to learn and grow with every student that comes her way.
Jeff Sassaman
Piano • Violin • Viola • Cello • String Bass
Jeff Sassaman
Piano • Violin • Viola • Cello • String Bass
Jeff Sassaman is a bass player and teacher in the NYC area, both in the classical and jazz genres. He has numerous overseas tours reaching Europe, Africa and Asia and South America. He has performed with Placido Domingo, Jon Manasse, Carter Brey to name a few. He has performed at the White House, Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, and Alice Tully Hall. As an educator, Jeff has taught hundreds of students in his 20 year career. He is very knowledgeable of all of the gold star teaching methods on various instruments. He is a member of The American String Teachers Association (ASTA),The Music Educators Association of NJ (MEA), The International Society of Bassist and The American Federation of Musicians. Jeff holds a B.F.A. from the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA.
Marina Stefanovsky
Piano • Violin • Viola
Marina Stefanovsky
Piano • Violin • Viola
Marina earned her BA and MA from Gnessins Academy of Music in Moscow. She was an instructor at the Village Music Guild in New York City and Arts on the Hudson in Jersey City. Marina has extensive experience teaching violin, viola, piano, and music theory. She has instructed individuals and groups, conducted string orchestras, and transcribed music for string instruments. She taught at Moscow City Music School from 1985-1990. Since 1990, Marina has been teaching privately in Russia, New York, and New Jersey. Marina prides herself on being a responsible and reliable person, as well as a motivated, creative, and patient teacher.
Peter Toth
Piano
Peter Toth
Piano
Peter earned his Ph. D in Musical Arts/Piano Performance from the University of Texas at Austin. He is a worldwide concert performer and regular guest artist at various piano festivals, such as the ALS Festival in San Francisco and the Festival Musique en Vallée du Tarn in France. Among his many accomplishments, he won a special award for the best performance of a major romantic work for his interpretation of Brahms’s First Piano Sonata at the Southern Highland International Piano Competition in Australia. He performed concerts in Europe, including Hungary, Austria, Slovakia, Germany, Russia, France, Holland, Spain, Italy, and Switzerland. He also performed in Japan, South Korea, Peru, Costa Rica, China, Australia, and the United States. He was invited to serve on the jury panel of the Franz Liszt International Piano and Voice Competition in Los Angeles (2014), and adjudicated at the Liszt-Garrison International Piano Competition in Baltimore in October, 2015. He has been a member of the American Liszt Society since 2011. An advocate of Franz Liszt’s music, Mr. Toth has a wide and diverse repertoire, ranging from J.S. Bach to contemporary music, with a particular focus on the piano music of the 19th century. He is an enthusiastic interpreter of the works of Beethoven, Schubert, Chopin, and Brahms. Peter’s additional honors include winning the American Paderewski Piano Competition in 2013, the Franz Liszt International Piano and Voice Competition in Los Angeles in 2010, and the Franz Liszt International Piano Competitions in Budapest in 2001 and Weimar in 2000. His first released CD recording won the Grand Prize of the Hungarian Liszt Society in 2006.
Andrzej Winnicki
Piano
Andrzej Winnicki
Piano
As a classical and jazz pianist, Andrzej toured all over Eastern Europe, including Poland, the former Soviet Union, Germany, and the Czech and Slovak Republics. His quintet won a Polish National Jazz Competition, and recorded and performed on national radio and television. He performed in the Lincoln Center, the Polish Consulate General, St. Peter’s Church in New York City, and many top jazz clubs in the tri-state area. Andrzej is also a recording artist for J-Bird Records and WM Records and released three albums (“In the Bush,” “Crazy Girl,” and “Requiem”) of original compositions on these labels. Played with Jeremy Pelt, Mark Egan, Ralph Alessi, Scott Colley, Rodney Holmes, Nasheet Waits and many other top players on the NYC jazz scene. He performed with top stars of Broadway, including Joel Grey and Bernadette Peters. As a part of the Hank Lane Music organization, Andrzej played at countless major corporate functions throughout the United States, including Kurt Masur’s 70th birthday celebration for the New York Philharmonic, many New York City Ballet fundraisers, and events for major corporations. He has been a member of ASCAP since 1997 and local 802 of the American Federation of Musicians in New York City since 1989.
Video: Highlights from Andrzej’s virtual piano recital
Upright bass, also called string bass or double bass, is a member of the orchestra family. Just as often, however, it appears in jazz, bluegrass, folk, and other genres. With a large hollow body and 4 thick strings, the tones produced by the upright bass are low and rich. The instrument is capable of long, expressive tones when played with a bow; and short, percussive tones when plucked with the strings. String bass is a dynamic and impressive instrument to play!
The oboe is a woodwind and a member of the double-reed family. It is played by blowing air through the reed, attached at the top of the instrument. The reed consists of two very thin pieces of cane, pressed together with a small opening to allow air to pass through. The sound can be high in pitch, but it has a variety of colorful tones, from bright and piercing to low and mysterious.
