Voice Teachers
Karen Cantor
Voice • Acting
Karen Cantor
Voice • Acting
Karen studied at Bucknell University and has been serving as Director of Elefante Music’s Performing Arts program for many years. She is the creative force overseeing the many performing arts classes at Elefante. She was Director of Elefante’s popular Musical Theater Camp. Karen is a proud member of Actor’s Equity Association. Past credits include playing Venus in the revival of Kurt Weill’s One Touch of Venus at the Goodspeed Opera House, Louisa in The Fantasticks with the Miami Opera, and touring as Susan in The Desert Song. Additionally, she played the title role in Naughty Marietta in NYC, Josephine in HMS Pinafore, The Mistress in Evita with Carolee Carmello, Anna in Tintypes, Maria in The Sound of Music, and Starting Here, Starting Now in the Cayman Islands. Karen directed and/or served as the musical director for musicals at NJ venues such as the Light Opera of New Jersey, South Mountain TheatreWorks, and Summit Playhouse. As director and musical director of Elefante’s musicals, she helmed productions of Annie, Honk, Willy Wonka, The Wizard of Oz, Once Upon a Mattress, and more. Karen is particularly proud of the success of her students, many of whom have been cast on Broadway, National Tours, television, film, music video, top New York cabaret venues, professional regional theaters, local community theaters, and their school plays and musicals.
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.
VIDEO: Suzanne Delonas intro
Eddie Guttman
Voice • Piano
VIRTUAL ONLY
Eddie Guttman
Voice • Piano
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).
Diane Smith Kirsh
Voice • Piano
Diane Smith Kirsh
Voice • Piano
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.
Stefanie Santoro
Voice • Flute • Piano
Stefanie Santoro
Voice • Flute • Piano
Stefanie studied at the John J. Cali School of Music at Montclair State University. She studies flute with Judith Mendenhall, principal flautist of the American Ballet Theater. At Elefante Music, she teaches flute, piano and voice to over 30 students ranging from kindergarten to adult. She performed at Carnegie Hall with the Montclair State University orchestra and flute ensemble. She played in chamber ensembles and in the pit orchestra for Montclair State University’s productions of Sweeny Todd, A Chorus Line, Carousel, and Poulenc’s opera Dialogue of the Carmelites. As a vocalist she was part of University Singers, and the Montclair State University chorale. She performed Mozart’s Requiem and Mahler’s third symphony with University Singers and the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra. Stefanie is a founding member of Les Non Triolets, a trio featuring flute, double bass, and piano that performs a variety of music from classical to jazz. She was part of the baroque chamber music ensemble Millennial Musicale Concert Series and the New York and New Jersey Flute Club. In addition to private instructions on flute, piano, and voice, Stefanie created and directs Flute Ensemble, a flute class that promotes solid technique and repertoire in a group setting.
VIDEO: Stefanie Santoro Introduction
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.
