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Liana Zaretsky Violin Liana Zaretsky, violin, appears regularly with the Boston Symphony and the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra, and is former principal second violinst of the Portland Symphony (ME). Ms. Zaretsky holds a Master’s and Graduate Diploma degree in music from Northwestern and New England Conservatory respectively. She also teaches at the School of Continuing Education at the New England Conservatory. l.zaretsky@rivers.org

Chris Brainard Conductor, Rivers Youth Orchestras—Primo Chris Brainard conducts the Primo Orchestra at Rivers Conservatory. She also teaches elementary and middle school strings in the Lexington Public Schools, where she has been encouraging young musicians since 2010. Prior to that, she taught strings in the Quabbin District in central Massachusetts. Chris earned a bachelor’s degree in Music Education from Boston University, where she studied violin with Yuri Mazurkevich, and received a Master of Music in Music Education from the University of Connecticut. She has taught at the American String Teacher’s Association (ASTA) Conference in both Maine and Massachusetts, and has been a guest conductor at the ASTA String Fling in Connecticut. She’s been involved with the Massachusetts Music Educators’ Association as an adjudicator and also as a festival orchestra manager at both the junior district and All-State levels. In addition to teaching, Ms. Brainard is an active performer, playing both violin and viola (but not at the same time) with symphony orchestras, pit orchestras, and chamber groups across New England. c.brainard@rivers.org

Naoko Sugiyama Piano Pianist Naoko Sugiyama, a native of Japan, has been active as a soloist and chamber musician throughout Japan and the Northeastern United States. She has appeared with the Boston Chamber Music Society, Bargemusic in New York, and the Chestnut Hill Concerts in Connecticut. She was a 2005 prize winner in the Krenek Competition of the Virginia Waring International Piano Competition (formerly the Joanna Hodges International Piano Competition). In 2007, she performed the world premiere of “Lullaby” by the eminent American composer Ned Rorem at the Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, New York. Sugiyama holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music (Tokyo Geidai), a Graduate Performance Diploma from the Longy School of Music, and a Master of Music degree and Graduate Diploma with Distinction in Performance from New England Conservatory. Between 2001-2008, she served as a member of the faculty at Bowdoin International Music Festival in Maine. She was the resident pianist with the North Shore (Boston) Chamber Music ensemble, Music at Eden’s Edge. Sugiyama was an adjunct faculty member at the Boston Arts Academy and a faculty member at Longy School of Music of Bard College. She currently teaches at her private studio, at the New England Conservatory Preparatory School, and at the Rivers School Conservatory. n.sugiyama@rivers.org

Whitney Tandon Conductor, Rivers Youth Orchestras—Preparatory Whitney Tandon has been the director of the elementary and middle school orchestras in the Wayland Public Schools since 2008; her ensembles have repeatedly earned superior ratings at festivals and gold medals at the MICCA festival. She has also served as director of the Sudbury Valley New Horizons Orchestra, and maintains a private violin studio. Ms. Tandon began conducting with The Rivers Youth Orchestras in the fall of 2016, and currently conducts the Preparatory Orchestra; she attended Middlebury College, and earned her Master’s degree in music education from Boston University. w.tandon@rivers.org

Steve Sussman Piano Mr. Sussman is frequently heard as a soloist, accompanist, chamber musician and orchestral member throughout the Boston area. He earned a Master’s of Music in performance from Boston University studying with Anthony D’Bonaventura and a Bachelors degree from Indiana University where his principal teachers were Enrica Cavallo Gulli and Jorge Bolet. Mr Sussman is the director of Opera Presto, an educational/performance group. He also teaches at the St. Marks School and maintains a private studio in his home. s.sussman@rivers.org

Jin-Kyung Joen Violin, String Department Chair Violinist Jin-Kyung Joen has performed extensively in Italy, USA, Poland, Greece, and Korea for various music festivals and concert series. In addition to serving on the violin faculty of the New England Conservatory’s Preparatory School, as well as the Killington, Foulger and Bosa Antica (Italy) music festivals, Ms. Joen recently served as the Artistic Director of Project STEP, a string training and education program for students from underrepresented communities. Ms. Joen’s students have been top prize winners in regional, national, and international competitions, including first prize in the BSO Concerto Competition, Arthur Grumiaux Competition (Brussels, Belgium), Alexander and Buono (NYC), and all the categories of NEC Prep Concerto Competition. Her students also gained acceptances to undergraduate and graduate programs in conservatories, music colleges, liberal arts colleges, international music festivals, as well as top level youth orchestras. Ms. Joen holds a Doctor of Musical Arts from Boston University, an Artist Diploma from the Boston Conservatory, and a Bachelor of Music from the Conservatorio di Piacenza, Italy. Since 1996 she has been a member of the violin faculty at the Preparatory School of New England Conservatory. j.joen@rivers.org

Marc Ryser Piano Pianist Marc Ryser performs in North America and Europe. Among the highlights of his solo career are the first performance in Bulgaria of Bela Bartók’s 3rd Piano Concerto, with the Vratsa Philharmonic, and concert tours in Switzerland which have included recitals and concerto performances with the Sinfonietta de Lausanne. He is a founding member of Music-by-the-Sea, a festival and artists’ residency on the Pacific coast of Vancouver Island, now in its seventh season.Mr. Ryser is a member of the piano faculty at the New England Conservatory Preparatory School, the Walnut Hill School, the Rivers School Conservatory, and is adjunct piano faculty at Brandeis University. He has appeared as a guest artist at Music from Salem, the Rockport Chamber Music Festival, and with the Walden, MIT, Holy Cross, and Smith College Chamber Players. He is also well known at the Banff Centre for the Arts in Alberta, Canada, where he was senior artist and resident collaborative pianist from 2003-2005. m.ryser@rivers.org

Jason Fisher ChamberMusicLab Director, Viola Violist Jason Fisher is a founding member and co-artistic director of A Far Cry. A child of the Northwest, Jason grew up in Seattle and is a proud enthusiast of rainy days. He first picked up an instrument at age 11 in elementary school when the orchestra teacher told him they needed “somebody to play the viola.” Jason went on to study with Helen Callus, Victoria Chiang, Katherine Murdock, and Roger Tapping, and is a graduate of Peabody Conservatory, and the Longy School of Music. A Carnegie Hall Fellow and a Peabody Singapore Fellow, he has toured Europe, Asia, Kazakhstan, and the Kyrgyz Republic and has given concerts at Vienna Musikverein, Singapore Esplanade, The Kennedy Center, and Carnegie Hall. Jason has performed with Pink Martini, Jake Shimabukuro, Itzakh Perlman, Yo-Yo Ma, Renée Fleming, Kiri Te Kanawa, and with members of the Florestan Trio, and the Æolus, Brentano, Cleveland, Emerson, Mendelssohn, and St. Lawrence String Quartets. Principal violist of Boston Baroque, Jason plays period viola with the Handel and Haydn Society, Trinity Baroque Orchestra, The English Concert, ACRONYM Ensemble, The Thirteen, Sound Salon, Teatro Nuovo, Opera Lafayette, Relic, and The Sarasa Ensemble. He has spent recent summers on viola and viola d’amore at the Staunton Music Festival, Oregon Bach Festival, Connecticut Early Music Festival, and the Aston Magna Music Festival. Jason is on viola faculty at The Rivers School Conservatory where he also serves as Director of the Chamber Music Lab. He is the Artistic Program Lead for Portland Summer Ensembles, a chamber music workshop for advanced-level teenagers in Oregon. Jason plays on an English viola by Richard Duke, 1768, and a recently commissioned copy of that instrument in period setup by Timothy Johnson. j.fisher@rivers.org

Taylor Stobinski Suzuki Cello Taylor Stobinski is an active cellist frequently performing, teaching, and studio recording in the greater Boston area. Stobinski has served as faculty at several music schools and youth programs such as the Toledo Symphony Suzuki School of Music, Detroit Symphony WFA Youth Orchestras, Black Swamp Fine Arts School, and the Boston Landmarks. In addition to his teaching, Stobinski has recorded on projects both national and international ranging from chamber and orchestral groups to solos in film, pop, and game scores. As a performer, Stobinski previously served as the quartet cellist of the Lima Symphony in addition to holding membership. He also served as the Principal Cellist for the Perrysburg Symphony Orchestra, and performed with the Sono Novo Chamber Ensemble, Adrian Symphony, and Toledo Symphony Chamber Music Series. Stobinski recently earned his Master of Music in performance from Boston Conservatory at Berklee and previously obtained his Bachelors of Music in performance from Bowling Green State University. His primary teachers include Rhonda Rider, Alan Smith, Robert Clemens, and Brian Snow. Additionally, he has worked with Nancy Hair, Andrea Yun, and Mark Mutter in earning his Suzuki training. t.stobinski@rivers.org

Alexander Badalov Cello, Chamber Music Alexander Badalov received his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Cello Performance from the Tbilisi College of Music, his PhD from Tbilisi State Conservatory, and an Artist Diploma from the Longy School of Music. He also received a Kodaly Method Certification Level I from the New England Conservatory. He has since performed many times with the Cape Cod Symphony, Nashua Symphony, Central Massachusetts Symphony, New Hampshire Symphony and Bangor Symphony Orchestras. a.badalov@rivers.org

Eleanor Perrone Piano Department Co-Chair Pianist Eleanor Perrone has concertized in Brazil and Europe, performing in Sao Paolo, Campinas, Brussels, German-American Institutes at Kiel, Saarbrucken and Heidelberg, Teatro alle Vigne di Lodi, and the American Academy in Rome, featuring the piano music of former Academy prize winners, Yehudi Wyner and Stephen Hartke. Eleanor received her Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from Boston University and has studied with Patricia Zander, Anthony di Bonaventura, Bela Boszormenyi-Nagy, and Leonard Eisner. Former piano faculty of Concord Academy and the Longy School of Music of Bard College, Perrone also served as Associate Chair and Chair of piano in Community Programs division of the Longy School from 2005-2010. She has recorded Beethoven Diabelli Variations and Bagatelles Op. 126 on a VQR digital CD. For more information about Eleanor, visit: www.eleanorperrone.com . e.perrone@rivers.org

Adult Offerings Adult Private Instruction Private instruction is available for adults of any level. Read More » Adult Chamber Music Adult intermediate/advanced musicians are invited to join the RSC adult chamber music program. Groups are formed with 2-5 adult players of similar ability following an informal placement audition. Adult chamber groups will be coached by an experienced faculty member on a weekday or weekend according to each person’s schedule. Read More » Adult Guitar Group Class Open to all adults with little to no guitar experience (no prerequisites). Students will learn to play all of the notes in first position, basic chords and chord progressions, rest stroke, and ensemble music. Read More » Adult Piano Masterclasses Piano faculty member Marc Ryser teaches four two-hour evening sessions per semester. These masterclasses provide an opportunity to perform, discuss, and be coached on advanced repertoire in a supportive group setting. Enrollment is limited. Read More » Adult Jazz Ensemble The RSC Adult Jazz Ensemble is open to adult musicians who have some experience playing in a jazz ensemble and want to resume playing with other musicians. The goal of the ensemble is to work on jazz repertoire and jazz language. Read More » Rivers Symphony Orchestra RSO is a community orchestra for adults and students of all ages. Principal string chairs are filled by RSC faculty to assist less-experienced players as well as lead sectional rehearsals. There is no fee for this ensemble. Rehearsals are Mondays, 7:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. Read More »

Anne Hooper Webb Violin, Viola Anne Hooper Webb teaches violin, viola and Scottish fiddle. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Music at the Mannes College of Music, studying with violinists William Kroll and Raphael Bronstein. She played for nine years in Europe, with the Camerata Academica, Salzburg and with Sinfonieorchester Graunke. She is a member of Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra and Boston Philharmonic. She was the 1993 and 1998 champion of the U.S. National Scottish Fiddling Championships and is a frequent performer for Scottish concerts and dance events. a.webb@rivers.org

Clayton DeWalt Trombone, Jazz Ensemble Coach Clayton DeWalt is one of the most sought after freelance trombonists in New England. He is equally at home in a section or as a soloist, and has made a career of studying and performing virtually all styles of music. Growing up in rural Western Pennsylvania, Clayton began playing music with his father on piano, and then picked up the trombone at age 10. He immediately loved the horn and never put it down. In addition to his school band, he was lucky to be able to play in his father’s jazz band, learning the tricks of the trade from experienced pros on the bandstand. Clayton performed all throughout high school, even performing in South Africa on an ex-pat’s homecoming tour. Clayton enrolled at Slippery Rock University to study music education, while he continued to gain valuable experience performing in the Pittsburgh area freelance scene. He also began teaching privately and in summer jazz camps, where his love for teaching first developed. After graduating and freelancing in Pittsburgh for about a year, Clayton moved to Boston to attend the New England Conservatory of Music, where he earned a master’s degree in jazz performance. While at NEC, Clayton studied under the brass legend Laurie Frink, as well as with John McNeil, Norman Bolter, Andre Hayward, Steve Davis and Frank Carlberg. He studied the music of the Balkans and began performing in Balkan brass groups regularly. Clayton was accepted into the Doctor of Musical Arts program at NEC, and is pursuing that degree currently. Clayton has performed across the globe in venues ranging from Birdland to the Monaco Opera House, and festivals ranging from Newport Jazz to Montreaux Jazz. He has performed and recorded with many major artists and bands, including Toshiko Akiyoshi, Carol Bailey, Big Gigantic, Randy Brecker, Anat Cohen, Pee Wee Ellis, Greg Hopkins, Dave Liebman, Mike Manieri, Cecil McBee, Robin McKelle, Bob Moses, Fred Wesley, Nancy Wilson, The Artie Shaw Orchestra, The Gene Krupa Orchestra, John Brown’s Body, The Temptations, Regis Philbin, and many others. Clayton can be heard playing regularly with the BTALC Big Band, Cocek! Brass Band, The Duppy Conquerors, The Felipe Salles Interconnections Ensemble, and many other groups in the Boston area. Clayton has always been committed to teaching musicians young and old, and currently holds positions at the Rivers School, Lincoln Public Schools, Babson College, Catholic Memorial and the Maynard Schools. c.dewalt@rivers.org

Lindsey Robb Piano, Music Theory Lindsey Robb has taught piano, music history, and chamber music at the Rivers School Conservatory since 1998 and has served Assistant Director since 2012. He received his BA at Lawrence Conservatory of Music. His teachers include Theodore Rehl, Edwin Light, Jean Stackhouse (pedagogy), and Jonathan Bass. He has also taught at All Newton Music School and The Joy of Music Program in Worcester. Lindsey was very active in the New England Piano Teachers Association (NEPTA), where he served as Treasurer for 15 years. Lindsey’s piano students have won 1st place at the RSC Concerto Competition, the Rivers division of the Rivera Piano Competition, and been awarded the Oliva prize in NEPTA competitions. l.robb@rivers.org