We would be like any other school without our incredible faculty and staff. We have 1:16 class ratios and 66% of our staff hold either Masters or PhD/DMA degrees. Small class sizes allow our faculty of academic scholars and of performing artists to provide personalized attention to all students. We use a grade-level approach to support students holistically, integrating studies and reinforcing cultural norms to bring out their best. We appreciate our faculty and staff’s everyday efforts, their commitment to excellence and passion for teaching.
Band 5-12, Brass
Why ASA?
ASA is an incredible place to teach and inspire learners. As a musician, ASA is also very supportive of my outside-of-school professional life. This allows me to always bring in new ideas to the classroom.
A graduate of the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign, Derek Sanchez is currently starting his fifth year here at ASA. Outside of ASA, he is a very active freelance musician. He is currently the principal solo cornetist and personnel manager with the Salt River Brass Band. He is also the principal trumpet in the MusicaNova Orchestra based in Phoenix. Since arriving in Phoenix, Mr. Sanchez has performed with the Phoenix Symphony, West Valley Symphony, Phoenix Opera, Scottsdale Arts Orchestra, and Arizona Repertory Orchestra. He performs regularly for local theatre companies, Phoenix Theatre, The Palms Dinner Theatre, as well as various community college productions. Prior to moving to Arizona, Mr. Sanchez was the assistant principal and 3rd trumpet of the Illinois Symphony Orchestra from 2007-2010.
Area/Grade Levels:
Band Teacher/5th-12th Grades
Total Years at ASA: 15
Total Years of Teaching Experience As Teacher of Record: 16
Teaching Experience: ASA
Other Years of Teaching Experience: 5
Education and Degrees Earned:
B.M. Music Performance | University of Illinois in Urbana Champaign, 2007
Band 5-12, Woodwinds; Jazz Band Director
Why ASA?
ASA constantly pushes students’ ability to think critically and creatively to help them become well-rounded individuals who can go out and contribute to the world in a meaningful way.
Lucille Berk graduated from ASA in 2015 before heading to Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, where she graduated with a BM in clarinet performance and a BME in instrumental band. Once graduated, Lucille began working in Hope, Indiana, where she was the first-ever certified general music teacher. There, Lucille created and implemented a new elementary general music curriculum focused on creative learning and musical play. After her time in Hope, Lucille returned to Arizona, where she began teaching in the Tempe Elementary school district. During her time in Tempe, Lucille used her class to promote a fun and supportive learning environment where young students could explore their creative minds through musical projects. Lucille has found great joy in facilitating open-ended projects to encourage self-reflection and transparency. She is excited to share these projects with the unique and inspired ASA student body.
Area/Grade Levels:
Band Teacher/5th-12th Grades
Total Years at ASA: 3
Total Years of Teaching Experience As Teacher of Record: 6
Teaching Experience: ASA, Tempe Elementary (Carminati and Getz), Hope Elementary
Other Years of Teaching Experience: None
Education and Degrees Earned:
B.M. Clarinet Performance | Indiana University/Jacobs School of Music, 2019
B.M. Music Education | Indiana University/Jacobs School of Music, 2019
Band 5-12; Band Director
Why ASA?I chose to work at ASA because of its unparalleled commitment to educating the young people of our community equally in the arts and academic fields.
Dr. Thomas Mark Breadon Jr. is an active educator, bassoonist, and composer living in Phoenix, Arizona. He is currently adjunct faculty at Glendale Community College, where he teaches bassoon and composition lessons, chamber music, music theory, and humanities courses. He is also in his first year as Band Director at Arizona School for the Arts and maintains a private bassoon and composition studio in the greater Phoenix area. For the last three summers, he has taught bassoon, chamber music, improvisation, and composition at the Mill Ave Chamber Players Summer Chamber Music Camp.
Dr. Breadon performs as a bassoonist with the Mill Ave Chamber Players, The West Valley Symphony Orchestra, and a myriad of ensembles throughout the greater Phoenix metropolitan area. In addition to performing orchestral and chamber music, he collaborates as an improviser with various artists, including Provisions DJ Collective and Oh My Ears Black Air.
Dr. Breadon maintains an active career in music composition and arrangement. In the summers of 2017 and 2018, his works Impressions for Wind Quintet and Aesop’s Fables were recorded with the Mill Ave Chamber Players. This coming fall, his works Lyddimy for bass clarinet and bassoon and Sonatine for violin and piano are being recorded by faculty members at Grand Canyon University. Most recently, he premiered a new work, entitled North American Folktales, for woodwind quintet and narrator, as a continuation of the Mill Ave Chamber Players’ educational programming.
Thomas received his Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Arizona State University, holds Master’s degrees in Bassoon Performance and Music Theory from The University of Akron, and earned a Bachelor’s degree in Music Performance from Morehead State University.
Area/Grade Levels:
Band Teacher/5th-12th Grades
Total Years at ASA: 6
Total Years of Teaching Experience As Teacher of Record: 10
Teaching Experience: ASA, Glendale Community College, Cicero Preparatory Academy
Other Years of Teaching Experience: 5
Education and Degrees Earned:
B.M. Bassoon Performance | Morehead State University, 2010
M.M. Bassoon Performance | The University of Akron, 2012
M.M. Music Theory | The University of Akron, 2013
D.M.A. Bassoon Performance | Arizona State University, 2015
Band 5-12, Percussion
Why ASA?
People are always amazed that I have taught at ASA for so long. My answer is always, “Where else would I be able to teach percussion where the whole community (students, teachers, parents) is so supportive and dedicated to the arts and education?” ASA is an amazing place that turns students into artist scholars. I wish I had gone to ASA when I was in high school!
Liz Guzman received her degree in percussion from Arizona State University in 2004 under the direction of Dr. Douglas Nottingham, Dr. JB Smith, Dr. Mark Sunkett, and Bill Wanser. (Phoenix Symphony, retired). In 2005, she joined the ASA faculty as the percussion specialist. In addition to ASA, Ms. Guzman maintains a busy private studio where her students have performed and earned honors at the AMEA Solo & Ensemble, Arizona Regional & All State Band and Orchestra, Curry Summer Music Camp, Berklee Percussion Camp, the AzPAS Solo & Ensemble Festival, Phoenix Youth Symphony, and the Academy Drum & Bugle Corp. In 2011, she was named a Surdna Arts Fellow, which granted her the opportunity to study with world-renowned marimbist Naoko Takada. Ms. Guzman regularly performs with various groups around the Valley, including the Rosewood Rascals Marimba Band and Salt River Brass. She is a member of the Arizona Music Educators Association and the National Association of Music Education.
Area/Grade Levels:
Band Teacher/5th-12th Grades
Total Years at ASA: 19
Total Years of Teaching Experience As Teacher of Record: 21
Teaching Experience: ASA, Paradise Valley School District
Other Years of Teaching Experience: 2
Education and Degrees Earned:
B.A. Music | Arizona State University, 2004
Dolce 5-6; Concert Choir 9-12
Why ASA?
I love the way ASA partners the arts and academics. I have watched students transform into true artists in all areas of their education.
Jessica Elder earned a Master of Music in Vocal Performance from the University of Arizona in 2000. Her professional career began on the operatic stage, where she performed leading roles with reputable opera companies and served as a guest soloist with numerous symphonies and choruses in the San Francisco Bay Area. She has also served as a director of youth choirs and musicals, as well as a teacher of voice lessons, piano lessons, and singing classes, since 1996. Her experience as a music educator includes a position as master voice teacher for the San Francisco Girls Chorus, and she has served as a guest technician for several community and symphony choruses. Mrs. Elder moved from the Bay Area to Phoenix in 2011 and became a member of ASA’s choral faculty in 2013.
Area/Grade Levels:
Choir Teacher/5th-6th, 9th-12th Grades
Total Years at ASA: 12
Total Years of Teaching Experience As Teacher of Record: 12
Teaching Experience: ASA
Other Years of Teaching Experience: 23
Education and Degrees Earned:
B.M. Vocal Performance | University of the Pacific Conservatory of Music, 2000
M.M. Vocal Performance | University of Arizona, 2002
Voces 6-7; Choral Union 8-12; Chamber Singers 9-12
Why ASA?
I want to teach new generations of students who will say, “Choir was my favorite subject in school!”
Dr. Josef Curtis is a classically trained tenor from Orem, Utah. He holds a D.M.A. in Vocal Performance from ASU. He enjoys performing a wide variety of choral music around the valley with the Trinity Cathedral Choir, Helios: A Modern Renaissance, and the Grammy Award-winning Phoenix Chorale. He has previously sung with Solis Camerata, True Concord Voices and Orchestra, the Phoenix Symphony, Arizona Musicfest Festival Orchestra, and the Tempe Wind Ensemble. In addition to his performance schedule and his work at ASA, Josef also teaches music history and voice at Phoenix College and operates a private voice studio in Mesa.
Area/Grade Levels:
Choir Teacher/6th-12th Grades
Total Years at ASA: 7
Total Years of Teaching Experience As Teacher of Record: 10
Teaching Experience: ASA, Arizona State University, Central Arizona College, Phoenix College
Other Years of Teaching Experience: 4
Education and Degrees Earned:
B.M. Vocal Performance | Brigham Young University, 2010
M.M. Vocal Performance | Arizona State University, 2012
D.M.A. Vocal Performance | Arizona State University, 2017
Cantible 5-7; Choral Union 8-12
Why ASA?
The community and the joy of ASA is what made me want to work here! I can’t wait to see what we accomplish together!
Tiffany O’Neill is trained in classical bel canto style and Hawaiian music. She holds a Master of Music in choral conducting from Arizona State University and a Bachelor’s degree in Hawaiian Music from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.
Tiffany has had diverse experiences, including teaching undergraduate choral conducting, directing a tenor bass ensemble, serving as a hula clinician for the 2023 Hawaii Aloha State Festival, and working as a research assistant with the Kealakai Center of Pacific Strings. She was also the assistant conductor of the University of Hawaii’s community chorus and interned with the Hawai’i Youth Opera Chorus, along with other organizations. Tiffany has also participated in a Hawaiian music immersion program, Mana Mele, where she taught Hawaiian music and history to 4th through 11th graders. Additionally, Tiffany has performed in numerous operas, from La Boheme to Mikado, in the Neal Blaisdell Concert Hall between the ages of seven and twenty-two. She has been involved in several choirs at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa and ASU.
Outside of work, Tiffany enjoys quiet nights with her partner, her dog, Boo, and her cat, Joey.
Area/Grade Levels
Choir Teacher/5th-12th Grades
Total Years at ASA: 1
Total Years of Teaching Experience As Teacher of Record: 6
Teaching Experience: ASA, Mana Maoli Hawaiian Immersion Charter School, Arizona State University, University of Hawaii
Other Years of Teaching Experience: None
Education and Degrees Earned:
B.A. Hawaiian Music | University of Hawaii, 2022
M.M. Choral Conducting | Arizona State University, 2024
Cantus 6-7; Bel Canto 8-12
Why ASA?
ASA fosters a unique environment where everyone’s voice is heard and valued. The relationships between faculty, staff, and students create a very special, highly-effective learning environment.
Katherine Rosenfeld graduated from Northern Arizona University in 2019 with a degree in choral music education. Her time at NAU was marked by leadership roles including serving as the President for both the NAU chapter of the American Choral Directors Association and the Shrine of the Ages Choir. During her time at NAU, she participated in many ensembles, singing everything from opera, to contemporary pop a cappella, to musical theater. Since graduating, she has taught at Arizona School for the Arts, Mesa Public Schools, and runs a private voice studio in North Phoenix. She has sung with many Arizona-based choirs including Quartz ensemble in Prescott, the Sedona Academy of Chamber Singers, and the Grammy-award-winning Phoenix Chorale. An alumnus of the Phoenix Children’s Chorus and Horizon High School’s choir program, Rosenfeld loves serving the choral community in Phoenix through service on the state board of the American Choral Directors Association. She is thrilled to be teaching at ASA once again!
Area/Grade Levels:
Choir Teacher/6th-12th Grades
Total Years at ASA: 4
Total Years of Teaching Experience As Teacher of Record: 5
Teaching Experience: ASA, Rhodes Junior High School
Other Years of Teaching Experience: 2
Education and Degrees Earned:
B. A. Choral Music Education | Northern Arizona University, 2019
Ballet 5-12
Why ASA?
Because the culture, mission, and core values of ASA are what make this school an outstanding place to work and thrive in!
Gia Firicano received her formal ballet training at the Boston School of Ballet under a full scholarship. She began her professional career in 1984 with the Tennessee Festival Ballet, under the directorship of Anne-Marie Holmes. She went on to become a principal dancer with The Berkshire Ballet, the Southwest Ballet, and Ballet Arizona. Her repertoire includes the leading roles of Giselle, Juliet, Cinderella, Swanhilda, and the Sugar Plum Fairy. Additionally, her repertoire encompasses a diverse range of contemporary and Balanchine pieces. Ms. Firicano retired in 2003 after 13 years of performing with Ballet Arizona. She has been an instructor with The School of Ballet Arizona, Phoenix Dance Academy, and The Plumb Performing Arts Academy. In 2004, she joined the arts faculty at ASA and currently serves as the Artistic Coordinator of the school’s ballet program. She is also a faculty member at The School of Ballet Arizona.
Area/Grade Levels:
Dance Teacher/5th-12th Grades
Total Years at ASA: 19
Years of Teaching Experience As Teacher of Record: 19
Teaching Experience: School of Ballet Arizona
Other Years of Teaching Experience: None
Education and Degrees Earned:
Boston School of Ballet
Modern Dance 5-12
Why ASA?
I had the privilege of being a guest teaching artist a couple of times at ASA for the 2023-2024 school year, and I had such a wonderful experience working with the students. They were open, curious, receptive, respectful, and hard workers. When I was invited to join the ASA faculty, it was an instant yes!
Angelica DeLashmette is a hybrid dance artist passionate about Hip-Hop Culture, Contemporary dance forms and lineages, Somatic research, and the intersection of improvisational practices and social dance forms. Her study and pedagogical application of Western Contemporary forms encompasses Release Technique perspectives, floorwork, and improvisation. Her practice and study of Capoeira, House Dance, Street Dance styles, and freestyle within the context of Hip-Hop culture inform the way she approaches teaching Hip-Hop technique and lecture courses. Her creative research focuses on Western and Afro-Diasporic dance practices at the intersection of the social moving body, examining how a responsive and conversational body (the mode of call and response) is activated both in practice and performance. She is the Founder and Creative Director of Third Space Dance Project – a nonprofit organization that produces platforms for professional dance artists in Arizona. Angelica also continues to perform and create professional work as a freelance artist. Through her roles as a community organizer, producer, and curator, she aims to contribute to and invest in her local dance community, as well as beyond, to support growth, excellence, and innovation in the professional dance arena and within the classroom with her students. Angelica sees dance as a powerful art form that cultivates shared experiences and constantly reinforces the significance of meaning-making through the body. It is in her capacity to connect, collaborate, and be part of a community with others that dance has had its most profound influence on her life.
Angelica has been an educator for over 10 years and has been teaching in Arizona since 2021 as an Adjunct professor/faculty member at local higher education dance degree programs, including ASU, GCU, Scottsdale, Mesa, and Paradise Valley Community College. She has also been an invited teaching artist at local high schools throughout the PHX Valley, and is excited to join the ASA faculty!
Area/Grade Levels:
Dance Teacher/5th-12th Grades
Total Years at ASA: 1
Total Years of Teaching Experience As Teacher of Record: 13
Teaching Experience: School of Ballet Arizona, Mesa Community College, Scottsdale Community College, and Paradise Valley Community College, ASU, and GCU
Other Years of Teaching Experience: None
Education and Degrees Earned:
B.A. Dance/Minor in Nonprofit Management | Brigham Young University, 2013
Certification CLM Analyst & RSM Educator/T, 2018
M.F.A. Dance, Choreographic Emphasis | The University of Iowa, 2020
Ballet 8-12
Why ASA?
Because I am passionate about dance and because dance, besides being a form of expression, is a powerful tool to discover the extraordinary in ourselves, allowing us to communicate with ourselves and others.
Originally from Barquisimeto, Venezuela, Mr. Duran is an imaginative choreographer, experienced artist, and dynamic collaborator. He studied at the Fundación Arte Nuevo and danced professionally with the National Ballet of Caracas, Danzahoy, Tulsa Ballet Theatre, and for eight consecutive seasons with the Eugene Ballet Company.
His teaching philosophy focuses on developing dancers’ attention to detail while nurturing artistry and movement quality. His professional training includes diverse curriculum applications to provide students with the tools needed by most dance makers and ballet professionals today.
Area/Grade Levels:
Dance Teacher/8th-12th Grades
Total Years at ASA: 6
Total Years of Teaching Experience As Teacher of Record: 15
Teaching Experience: School of Ballet Arizona, City Dance School and Conservatory, Classical Ballet Theatre, Evergreen City Ballet
Other Years of Teaching Experience: None
Education and Degrees Earned:
Ballet | Fundación Arte Nuevo, Venezuela
B.A. Fine Arts/Studio | Saint Mary’s College of California, 2017
Horton Dance 8-12
Why ASA?
Because ASA is an art school and accepts all people.
Kleiton Sistélos was born in Recife, Brazil. He studied classical dance in the royal method and graduated in 2006. He studied the Technique Cubana from 2005 to 2007. He has trained in Brazil, the United States, and at the Teatro Carcano in Milan, Italy. Mr. Sistélos has studied jazz and modern dance, specializing in the Horton Technique, in Brazil and at Alvin Ailey in New York City. He has danced in festivals throughout Brazil and Europe, including the Latin American Tour in Milan, the Dell’Art Festival in Genova, the Nice Festival in France, and the Festival of Valencia in Spain. He has performed in major productions on the stage and on television in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Area/Grade Levels:
Dance Teacher/8th-12th Grades
Total Years at ASA: 11
Total Years of Teaching Experience As Teacher of Record: 11
Teaching Experience: School of Ballet Arizona, Soleil D’or Dance School, Terpsichore Dance Studio, Studio 21, Ballet Etudes School of Dance
Other Years of Teaching Experience: 16
Education and Degrees Earned:
Teacher Certification | Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre NYC, 2008
Guitar Foundations 2; Guitar Foundations 3; Classic Guitar; Modern Guitar; World Guitar
Why ASA?
Because ASA allows me to most effectively put my skill set to work.
Joshua Pierce holds both a B.M. and M.M. in Classical Guitar Performance from Arizona State University, where he studied with Professor Frank Koonce. During his time at ASU, he was the recipient of the Richard and Babette Burns Classical Guitar Scholarship, the Northern Trust/Virginia G. Piper Enrichment Award, and was a two-time finalist in the ASU Concert of Soloists Concerto Competition. Mr. Pierce has studied with Chuck Hulihan at Glendale Community College, where he participated in premier performances of compositions written expressly for the GCC Guitar Orchestra and Octet. He has also performed in master classes with world-renowned guitarists, including Pepe Romero, David Russell, and Scott Tennant, and studied at the International Guitar Symposium in Iserlohn, Germany, in 2007. As a teacher, Mr. Pierce has been active in the Phoenix area since 2006, working with several studios and organizations, and serving as a teaching assistant at GCC and co-director of guitar ensembles at ASU. Mr. Pierce serves on the boards of three organizations: the Phoenix Early Music Society (vice president), the Phoenix Guitar Society (secretary), and the Grand Canyon Guitar Society (board member).
Area/Grade Levels:
Guitar Teacher/5th-12th Grades
Total Years at ASA: 9
Years of Teaching Experience As Teacher of Record: 9
Teaching Experience: ASA
Other Years of Teaching Experience: 13
Education and Degrees Earned:
B.M. Classical Guitar Performance | Arizona State University, 2013
M.M. Classical Guitar Performance | Arizona State University, 2016
Guitar Foundations 1; Intro to Guitar; Romantic Guitar; Popular Guitar
Why ASA?
ASA is devoted to a comprehensive college preparatory education in academics and the performing arts. This school shares a passion for the arts that encourages a positive, supportive, professional, and enthusiastic learning environment that inspires, motivates, and empowers students to engage in and enrich the community.
A native of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, guitarist Erik Sloyka holds a B.M. in Guitar Performance from the Eastman School of Music, and M.M. and D.M.A. in Guitar Performance from the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts—School of Music at Arizona State University. His principle professors include Frank Koonce, Nicholas Goluses, and Paul Grove. Dr. Sloyka has been a graduate guitar teaching assistant for Professor Koonce at the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts—School of Music, where he taught undergraduate private guitar lessons and guitar methods courses. Additionally, he has taught at the Ahwatukee Music Studio, Foothills Music School, Destiny Community School, and the Youth Development Institute. In addition to winning numerous prizes and competitions, Dr. Sloyka has extensive performance experience, including radio broadcasts and appearing as a guest soloist with the Spokane Symphony Orchestra. He is also a faculty guitar instructor at Phoenix College and Kirk’s Music Studio, and teaches private lessons in the Phoenix area.
Area/Grade Levels:
Guitar Teacher/5th-12th Grades
Total Years at ASA: 12
Total Years of Teaching Experience As Teacher of Record: 18
Teaching Experience: ASA, Phoenix College
Other Years of Teaching Experience: 14
Education and Degrees Earned:
B.M. Classical Guitar Performance | Eastman School of Music, 2006
M.M. Classical Guitar Performance | Arizona State University, 2008
D.M.A Classical Guitar Performance | Arizona State University, 2014
Keys to Interpretation; Keyboard Mastery
Why ASA?
ASA’s wonderful balance between academic disciplines and the arts was very appealing, offering me the opportunity to further my teaching career in AZ while still allowing time for my extensive performing career.
Hailed for his “rhythmic integrity, singing tone quality, and refinement” (Clavier), Swedish-American pianist Dr. Elias-Axel Pettersson has established himself as a formidable soloist, chamber musician, and pedagogue. A Mason & Hamlin Concert Artist, he has garnered prizes on the national and international level. In 2008, Pettersson formed Duo Giocoso with French violinist Roland Arnassalon; in 2017, he formed Æterna Sirius with pianist Jessica Yam. Pettersson champions contemporary composers, premiering Michael Mauldin’s Petroglyph for Piano (2011), among other works. Pettersson has three albums on the Axel Records label and has cultivated a loyal online following through his website and YouTube channel. He has been a jury member for numerous regional and national competitions.
Pettersson is a frequent performer, lecturer, and masterclass teacher throughout the USA, Canada, and Sweden. He is known as a conscientious, patient, and motivational guide, combining his extensive background in music theory and history with the Alexander Technique to create a methodical yet holistic and creative approach. In 2015, Pettersson founded the Southwest Piano Festival; in 2018, he became Director of Program Development for the Arizona Piano Institute, where he has lectured, taught masterclasses, and performed alongside faculty artists, including Nelita True, Elisabeth and Eugene Pridonoff, Pavlina Dokovska, Yuri Kot, Eckart Sellheim, and Dian Baker. In 2019, Pettersson joined the faculty at Adamant Music School and Arizona School for the Arts.
Pettersson studied with Paul Stewart, Sergei Babayan, Larissa Dedova, Douglas Humpherys, and Maribeth Gunning; he also played for André Watts, Jean-Bernard Pommier, Arnaldo Cohen, Pavel Nersessian, Dina Joffe, Merling Trio, and the Guarneri String Quartet. Pettersson holds a doctorate from l’Université de Montréal.
Area/Grade Levels:
Piano Teacher/5th-12th Grades
Total Years at ASA: 6
Total Years of Teaching Experience As Teacher of Record: 6
Teaching Experience: ASA, Rosie’s House, Université de Montréal, University of Maryland
Other Years of Teaching Experience: 23
Education and Degrees Earned:
B.A. Music – University of Rochester/Eastman School of Music, 2003
M.M. Piano Performance – University of Maryland, College Park, 2005
D.Mus. Piano Performance – Université de Montréal, 2011
Keys to Creation; Keyboard Harmony
Why ASA?
ASA has values and standards that I share in the realm of music education. I feel that I can make a difference in the lives of the students and ASA is a natural follow up to my experience teaching music in both pre-college and college levels.
A native of Cairo, Egypt, Mohamed-Aly (Mo) Farag began playing the piano at the age of 5 and the violin at 7, and has since developed professionally on both instruments, as well as becoming an award-winning composer. He has performed in recitals and recordings as both solo and collaborative pianist in Egypt, Europe, Canada, and the United States, and is currently based in Tempe, Arizona, where he teaches both instruments and performs in various orchestras both locally and in surrounding states. He has taught piano for more than 20 years and has adapted many styles, including classical, modern, and Arabic.
Area/Grade Levels:
Piano Teacher/5th-12th Grades
Total Years at ASA: 2
Total Years of Teaching Experience As Teacher of Record: 25
Teaching Experience: ASA, Phoenix Conservatory of Music, Arizona State University, Bronx Conservatory of Music, American University in Cairo, Deutsche Ewanglische Oberschule Kairo, Ethos International School in Cairo, Cairo Conservatoire, University of Western Ontario
Other Years of Teaching Experience: 22
Education and Degrees Earned:
B.M. Violin Performance and Composition | University of Toronto, 2008
M.M. Music Composition | University of Western Ontario, 2010
D.M.A. Music Composition | Arizona State University, 2021
Keys to Piano; Keyboard Basics
Why ASA?
I chose ASA because I also attended a similar arts school as a student and enjoyed being surrounded by peers, parents, and teachers who valued the arts.
Mr. Sungmin Kim is currently pursuing a D.M.A. in Collaborative Piano at Arizona State University, studying with Dr. Andrew Campbell and Dr. Miki Aoki. Mr. Kim also serves as the collaborative pianist at the Trinity Episcopal Church (Phoenix, AZ) and Northern Arizona University (Flagstaff, AZ). He is from New York City, where he attended the Special Music School and Lucy Moses School at Kaufman Center. In the summer months, Mr. Kim serves as the chamber music coordinator at the Saarburg International Music Festival & School in Saarburg, Germany.
Area/Grade Levels:
Piano Teacher/5th-12th Grades
Total Years at ASA: 1
Total Years of Teaching Experience As Teacher of Record: 8
Teaching Experience: ASA, Brophy College Preparatory, Saarburg International Music Festival and School. Teaching Assistant at Arizona State University, Ithaca College, and Hamilton College
Other Years of Teaching Experience: None
Education and Degrees Earned:
B.A. Music | Hamilton College, 2018
M.M. Collaborative Piano | Ithaca College, 2020
M.M. Organ Performance | Ithaca College, 2021
D.M.A. Collaborative Piano | Arizona State University (in progress)
Keys to Connection; Keyboard Basics; Keyboard Connections
Why ASA?
I chose ASA because I value arts education as an absolute necessity for students to have access to. It turns students into creative thinkers, problem solvers, and empathetic and compassionate people.
Mr. Kiernan Marriott is a graduate of Arizona State University, earning a B.M.E. in Music Learning and Teaching with an Emphasis in Popular Music. He seeks to include popular music in the music classroom and give it a stronger presence in music education. Mr. Marriott also teaches at a local non-profit, Phoenix Conservatory of Music, teaching students piano, music theory, and popular music ensembles.
Area/Grade Levels:
Piano Teacher/5th-12th Grades
Total Years at ASA: First Year
Total Years of Teaching Experience As Teacher of Record: 4
Teaching Experience: BASIS Scottsdale Primary West, Phoenix Conservatory of Music
Other Years of Teaching Experience: None
Education and Degrees Earned:
B.M. Music Learning and Teaching (Emphasis in Popular Music) | Arizona State University, 2023
Strings 5-12, Low Strings; Orchestra Director
Why ASA?
I wish I could have gone to this school!
Cellist Maria Simiz founded the Strings Department at ASA when it opened in 1995. A former student of the late Gabor Rejto, her experience as a musician is very diverse. Mrs. Simiz is currently the principal cellist with Musica Nova Orchestra. She is an active freelance cellist and a section cellist at the Music in the Mountains summer festival in Durango, Colorado. Mrs. Simiz has also performed with the Phoenix Symphony, the Arizona Opera, the Amabile String Quartet, and with her husband, Phoenix Symphony Associate Principal Cellist, Jan Simiz. Awarded the SURDNA Arts Teacher Fellowship Grant in 2010, Mrs. Simiz studied chamber music at the St. Lawrence String Quartet Chamber Music Seminar at Stanford University. As part of the fellowship, she augmented ASA’s chamber music library and brought in guest artists to perform for our students.
Area/Grade Levels:
Strings Teacher/5th-12th Grades
Total Years at ASA: 30
Total Years of Teaching Experience As Teacher of Record: 30
Teaching Experience: ASA
Other Years of Teaching Experience: 35
Education and Degrees Earned:
B.M. Cello Performance | University of Southern California, 1985
M.M. Cello Performance | California State University at Long Beach, 1987
Strings 5-12, Viola and Lower Strings
Why ASA?
Teaching strings at the Arizona School for the Arts allows me to inspire young musicians in a community that values artistic expression and academic excellence. I am passionate about nurturing students’ musical talents and helping them develop the discipline and creativity that will benefit them throughout their lives.
Nicole Allen is an Arizona-based violinist/violist and is currently the viola instructor at Arizona School for the Arts. She completed her Bachelor of Music degree in Violin Performance at the University of Iowa under the tutelage of Dr. Scott Conklin. She recently finished her Master’s of Music in Viola Performance and Pedagogy with Prof. Nancy Buck.
A native of Olathe, Kansas, Nicole began studying the violin at the age of four with Marty Dennington of Black Swan Suzuki Strings. She continued her Suzuki method studies until she started her university studies. Nicole fell in love with music performance in high school, under orchestra director Cecily Mahan, and had the opportunity to perform in jazz, bluegrass, and musical theater string ensembles.
Throughout her graduate degree, Nicole served as principal violist of ASU’s Symphony Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra, Musical Theater and Opera Orchestra, and Studio Orchestra. She was a member of the Herberger String Quartet—the university’s graduate string ensemble—for three years, traveling and performing numerous times on behalf of Arizona State University. Nicole is currently performing with Sol Chamber Orchestra, Firebird Music Company, Arizona Broadway Theater, Arizona Philharmonic, and the Arizona Bach Festival.
Area/Grade Levels:
Strings Teacher/5th-12th Grades
Total Years at ASA: 1
Total Years of Teaching Experience As Teacher of Record: 5
Teaching Experience: ASA, Arizona School of Music in Scottsdale, Arizona State University, Preucil School of Music
Other Years of Teaching Experience: None
Education and Degrees Earned:
B.M. Violin Performance | University of Iowa, 2021
B.A. History | University of Iowa, 2021
M.M. Viola Performance/Pedagogy | Arizona State University, 2024
Strings 5-12, Violin
Why ASA?
I love the creative abundance of ideas among students and teachers at ASA. Being surrounded and inspired by such artistic spirit makes teaching here an experience of a lifetime.
The Polish-born violinist, Dagmara “Daga” Suchon, began her violin studies with her father, Stanisław Suchon, the concertmaster of the Poznań Philharmonic. Under the guidance of Prof. Michal Grabarczyk, she graduated cum laude from the Ignacy Jan Paderewski Music Academy in Poznan, Poland. Upon graduation, Daga lived in Germany, where, as a pop musician, she joined her sister Joanna in an electric violin duo “Space Violins”. Coming from a family of musicians with extensive musical traditions, from an early age, she performed in a wide range of productions, from early music to symphony orchestras, film music recordings, jazz groups, flamenco guitarists, and live circus shows in many European countries. After moving to the United States, she continued her musical career in Los Angeles and then Phoenix, where she settled with her family and founded “Lady Daga’s Violin Studio”.
Her orchestral engagements include Poznan Philharmonic Orchestra, Goran Bregovic Orchestra, Tiroler Festspiele Erl, The American Youth Symphony, Redlands Symphony, Riverside County Philharmonic, San Bernardino Symphony, The Henry Mancini Institute Orchestra, Phoenix Opera, Arizona ProArte Orchestra, Musica Nova Orchestra, Arizona Musicfest Orchestra, and The Phoenix Symphony. As a chamber musician, she performs regularly with Celebration Strings and Duo Polonaise.
Area/Grade Levels:
Strings Teacher/5th-12th Grades
Total Years at ASA: 5
Total Years of Teaching Experience As Teacher of Record: 9
Teaching Experience: ASA, Great Heart Academies
Other Years of Teaching Experience: 23
Education and Degrees Earned:
M.M. Violin Performance | I.J.Paderewski Music Academy, 2003
Theatre 1; Musical Theatre, Acting; Theatre Creative Practices; Senior Seminar; Teaching Assistant
Why ASA?
Nice students and good arts opportunities!
Dr. Craig Kosnik graduated with his Ph.D. in Theatre for Youth from Arizona State University in 2014 after successfully defending his dissertation entitled “The Adolescent’s Voice: How Theatre Participation Impacts High Schoolers and College Students.” Two of Dr. Kosnik’s highlights from ASU include: directing the premiere staged reading of professional playwright Joanna H. Kraus’s “Christabel and the Amazing Pedal Power Challenge,” and co-creating with colleague Anne Negri a two-person non-verbal show called BOXES performed exclusively for preschoolers on campus. Before this, Dr. Kosnik earned his B.A. in Theatre from Gannon University in 2002 and his M.A. in Theatre Education from Emerson College in 2005. Through educational, professional, and community experiences, he has been fortunate enough to perform almost all duties of the theatre, including: teacher, director, actor, stage manager, house manager, designer, playwright, light and sound board operator, dramaturg, archivist, puppeteer, and mime. Dr. Kosnik is primarily a director/teacher and loves working with young people. In addition to ASA, Dr. Kosnik also teaches at Paradise Valley Community College.
Area/Grade Levels:
Theatre Teacher/5th, 10-12th Grades
Total Years at ASA: 8
Total Years of Teaching Experience As Teacher of Record: 21
Teaching Experience: ASA, New School For the Arts and Academics, Arizona State University, Grand Canyon University, Paradise Valley Community College, South Mountain Community College, Mercyhurst University
Other Years of Teaching Experience: 10
Education and Degrees Earned:
B.A. Theatre | Gannon University, 2002
M.A. Theatre Education | Emerson College, 2005
Ph.D. Theatre (Theatre for Youth) | Arizona State University, 2014
Theatre 3; Theatre Studies; Technical Theatre; Performance Practices
Why ASA?
In just about any part of the world, it’s a tremendous privilege to be making art in the 21st century. I have benefited from a superb education, and it is now my responsibility to pass on the lessons regarding creativity, presence, grit, and collaboration to the next generation of artists. As a theatre kid myself, I was seeking the kind of community that exists in a unique way here at ASA. And not least of all, I am an ASA parent who hopes to treat all of my students the way I hope all of my faculty peers treat my own child.
Brian is an award-winning performer and director, working consistently since 1990. He has walked the red carpet arm-in-arm with Madonna, been photographed for Entertainment Weekly with Jon Stewart (and an Elephant), and appeared on multiple episodes of Sesame Street. Brian has made nearly a dozen trips to mainland China in the capacity of the Associate Artistic Director of the World Clown Festival. He has stage-managed at the French Embassy in Washington, D.C., and juggled for Cirque du Soleil. As a special event producer, he has created entertainment concepts for Desert Ridge Marketplace, ASU’s President’s Club, and Crunch Fitness in NYC. He calls himself a ‘lazy vegan’ and loves to cook for the family and walk his dog.
Area/Grade Levels:
Theatre Teacher/7th, 9th-11th Grades
Total Years at ASA: First Year
Total Years of Teaching Experience As Teacher of Record: 8
Teaching Experience: New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts; Arizona State University; Chandler-Gilbert Community College; Benedictine University; Kentucky Governor’s School of the Arts; Arizona Circus Center; and hundreds of school residencies across the country.
Other Years of Teaching Experience: 24
Education and Degrees Earned:
B.F.A. Drama | New York University/Tisch School of the Arts
M.F.A. Performance Directing | Arizona State University/Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts, Phi Kappa Phi
Theatre 2; Production Practicum; Design Concepts; Theatre Studies, Stagecraft; Teaching Assistant
Why ASA?
Arts are at the center of the human experience and to be a part of a hub to educate our future artists is incredibly exciting!
Courtney is an award-winning stage manager, actress, and combat specialist, having worked in Arizona and Southern California for the past 10+ years. She received a Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Arts and Performance with a minor in Film Production from Arizona State University. She also earned a Masters in Management in International Arts Management from Southern Methodist University and HEC Montreal. This program allowed her to study around the globe in Canada, Colombia, India, China, and Italy. Just recently she received an AAFA in Theatre from Paradise Valley Community College and was the first in the program to graduate with the CCL in Stage Combat. Most recently, she is the co-founder/co-owner of Pantheon Movement Arts, a Phoenix-based organization focusing on stage and film combat, choreography, and training.
Area/Grade Levels:
Theatre Teacher/6th, 9th-12th Grades
Total Years at ASA: 2
Total Years of Teaching Experience As Teacher of Record: 8
Teaching Experience: ASA, Paradise Valley Community College
Other Years of Teaching Experience: 6
Education and Degrees Earned:
B.A. Interdisciplinary Arts and Performance/Minor in Film Production | Arizona State University, 2013
M.M. International Arts Management|Southern Methodist University and HEC Montreal, in partnership with SDA Bocconi, 2019
A.A.F.A. Theatre and C.C.L. Stage Combat | Paradise Valley Community College, 2023
Theatre 3; Theatre 4; Theatre Studies; Musical Theatre, Voice
Why ASA?
I get to work with great colleagues and create music everyday!
Elise Kurbat is originally from Cleveland, Ohio. She attended Kent State University and the Baldwin Wallace Conservatory of Music, earning degrees in criminology and music. She was a full-time piano accompanist, children’s choir director, music director, and private piano/voice teacher before moving to Arizona. Mrs. Kurbat has more than 20 years of teaching experience. As an accomplished pianist, Mrs. Kurbat was the assistant pianist for the Mansfield Symphony in Ohio. In addition, Mrs. Kurbat has music directed and played for such shows as “The Sound of Music,” “Cabaret,” “Cinderella,” “The Wizard of Oz,” “Pippin,” “Oliver,” “Kiss Me Kate,” “Seussical Jr.,” “Gretel and Hansel,” “Urinetown,” “Little Shop of Horrors,” and “Spring Awakening.”
Area/Grade Levels:
Theatre Teacher/7th-12th Grade
Total Years at ASA: 20
Total Years of Teaching Experience As Teacher of Record: 20
Teaching Experience: ASA, North Royalton High School
Other Years of Teaching Experience: 25
Education and Degrees Earned:
B.A. Criminology | Kent State University, 1992
B.A. Music (double emphasis on piano and voice) | Baldwin Wallace Conservatory of Music, 2005