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.
5th-12th Grade Band - 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, as well as personnel manager, with the Salt River Brass Band. He is also the principal trumpet in the MusicaNova Orchestra based here in Phoenix. Since arriving to 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.
Content/Grade Levels:
Band-Brass/5th-12th Grade
Total Years of Teaching Experience: 14
Total Years at ASA: 13
Schools taught at: ASA
Other Years of Teaching Experience: 5
Education and Degrees Earned:
BM – Music Performance – University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign, 2007
5th-12th Grade Band and 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 to work 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.
Content/Grade Levels:
Band/5th-12th Grade
Jazz Band Director
Total Years of Teaching Experience: 4
Total Years at ASA: 1
Schools taught at: Tempe Elementary (Carminati and Getz), Hope Elementary
Other Years of Teaching Experience: None
Education and Degrees Earned:
Bachelor’s of Music in Clarinet: Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, 2019
Bachelor’s of Music Education: Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, 2019
5th-12th Grade Band Director
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 orchestral and chamber music he performs as an improviser with many varying 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 Doctorate of Musical Arts from Arizona State University, holds Masters degrees in Bassoon performance and Music Theory from The University of Akron, and received a Bachelors in Music Performance from Morehead State University.
Content/Grade Levels:
Band Director/5th-12th Grade
Total Years of Teaching Experience: 9
Total Years at ASA: 4
Schools taught at: 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
5th-12th Grade Band - 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 and currently serves as the 504 Liaison for the Exceptional Student Services Department. 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 National Association of Music Education, and serves as president of the Arizona Chapter of the Percussive Arts Society.
Content/Grade Levels:
Band-Percussion/5th-12th Grade
Total Years of Teaching Experience: 19
Total Years at ASA: 17
Schools taught at: Paradise Valley School District
Other Years of Teaching Experience: 2
Education and Degrees Earned:
B.A. Music – Arizona State University, 2004
5th-12th Grade Choral Arts
Why ASA?
Creativity and intelligence abound at ASA, from teachers and students, and surrounding myself with these people is what makes it all fun.
Dana Bender received her Bachelor’s degree in Choral Music Education from Wichita State University in Kansas. After teaching several years, she relocated to attend Arizona State University where she obtained her Master’s degree in Choral Conducting. She has taught choral music in Mesa Public Schools and the Tempe Elementary School District, music theory classes at Phoenix College, and has served as a church musician and children’s choir director for many years. Ms. Bender taught at ASA from 2003-2005 and, after taking time away to pursue a career in Christian education, she returned to ASA full time in 2010. Ms. Bender was a soprano in the Grammy Award-winning Phoenix Chorale from 1995-2014 under the direction of Jon Washburn and Charles Bruffy. The Phoenix Chorale is the only fully-professional choir in Arizona.
Content/Grade Levels:
Choir/5th-12th Grade
Total Years of Teaching Experience: 22
Total Years at ASA: 15
Schools taught at: Centre Unified Schools, Wichita Public Schools, Mesa Public Schools, Tempe Elementary District
Other Years of Teaching Experience: 5
Education and Degrees Earned:
B.M. Music Education – Wichita State University, 1989
M.M. Choral Music – Arizona State University, 1995
5th-12th Grade Choral Arts
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.
Content/Grade Levels:
Choir/5th-12th Grade
Total Years of Teaching Experience: 8
Total Years at ASA: 5
Schools taught at: 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
5th-12th Grade Choral Arts
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, performing leading roles with reputable opera companies and as a guest soloist with many symphonies and choruses in the San Francisco Bay Area. She has also been a director of youth choirs and musicals, and 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.
Content/Grade Levels:
Choir/5th-12th Grade
Total Years of Teaching Experience: 10
Total Years at ASA: 10
Schools taught at: 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
6th-12th Grade Choral Arts
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!
Content/Grade Levels:
Choral Arts/6th-12th Grade
Total Years of Teaching Experience: 3
Total Years at ASA: 2
Schools taught at: Rhodes Junior High School
Other Years of Teaching Experience: 2
Education and Degrees Earned:
B. A. Choral Music Education Northern Arizona University, 2019
5th-12th Grade Ballet
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. In addition, her repertoire includes a wide 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 is currently the Artistic Coordinator of the school’s ballet program. She is also on the faculty at The School of Ballet Arizona.
Content/Grade Levels:
Ballet/5th-12th Grade
Total Years of Teaching Experience: 17
Total Years at ASA: 17
Schools taught at: School of Ballet Arizona
Other Years of Teaching Experience: None
Education and Degrees Earned:
Boston School of Ballet
5th-8th Grade Ballet
Why ASA?
I am excited to work with students who are interested in arts of all genres, but especially dance. I feel it is so important for the youth of today to be inspired and engaged in a creative environment. There are so many life lessons ballet teaches individuals and I look forward to sharing my knowledge.
Talia Boresow began her ballet training at the Kansas City Ballet School from the age of 6 to the age of 10. During those years, she also attended the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet (CPYB) summer program. By 2011 she had convinced her parents to move across the country to continue her training full-time at CPYB under the direction of founder, Marcia Dale Weary. Marcia took her under her wing at the age of 14 and she began assisting the primary division levels. Over the years, she gained immeasurable knowledge and experience and has been teaching part-time, working with levels ranging from primary to pre-professional. Along with countless hours of teaching, she has spent time backstage working with the hair, make-up, and wardrobe team at CPYB. This past summer, Talia was a guest faculty for the 5-week summer intensive program at CPYB. In addition to teaching group classes, she is also a private lesson coach, both in person and on zoom. Besides her love for teaching, Talia is passionate about all things horse. She has owned, ridden, and shown several horses over the last 5 years.
Content/Grade Levels:
Ballet/5th-8th Grade
Total Years of Teaching Experience: 8
Total Years at ASA: 1
Schools taught at: None
Other Years of Teaching Experience: None
Education and Degrees Earned:
Kansas City Ballet School
Central Pennsylvania Ballet
8th-12th Grade Ballet
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 fundacion Arte Nuevo and danced professionally with the National Ballet of Caracas, Danzahoy, Tulsa Ballet Theatre and 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. He is happy to join the faculty at the School of Ballet Arizona and the Arizona School of the Arts ballet program.
Content/Grade Levels:
Ballet/8th-12th Grade
Total Years of Teaching Experience: 13
Total Years at ASA: 4
Schools taught at: 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:
Fundacion Arte Nuevo, Venezuela – Ballet
B.A. Fine Arts/Studio Saint Mary’s College of California, 2017
8th-12th Grade Ballet
Why ASA?
As part of the full-time faculty of The School of Ballet Arizona, we are contracted to teach at ASA. That’s how I started at ASA. I stay because of the senior administrative staff and their unwavering devotion to their teaching philosophies and to the students.
David Krensing has been teaching at ASA since 2013. He is a former principal dancer with Pennsylvania Ballet in Philadelphia, where he performed numerous leading classical and contemporary roles by such renowned choreographers as Sir Fredrick Ashton, George Balanchine, John Butler, John Cranko, William Forsythe, Lar Lubovitch, Peter Martins, Jerome Robbins, Ben Stevenson, Paul Taylor, Twyla Tharp, Hans Van Manen. Additional performance credits include world premieres by Ib Andersen, Jorma Elo, Val Caniparoli, Trey McIntyre, Kevin O’ Day, David Parsons, Antony Rizzi, Dwight Rhoden and Christopher Wheeldon. Mr. Krensing has toured the United States and Europe both with Pennsylvania Ballet and as an independent artist and has been featured domestically and internationally in both company produced and independent productions with artists from New York City Ballet, American Ballet Theater, San Francisco Ballet, Frankfort Ballet, Paul Taylor Dance Company, Dance Theater of Harlem, Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet, and Martha Graham Dance Company, among others. He has taught for professional dance companies, colleges and universities, including: University of Arizona, The University of the Arts, Stephens College, Washington Ballet, Ballet British Columbia, BalletX, Ballet Idaho, and The Trey McIntyre Project.
Content/Grade Levels:
Ballet/8th-12th Grade
Total Years of Teaching Experience: 13
Total Years at ASA: 10
Schools taught at: School of Ballet Arizona, University of Arizona
Other Years of Teaching Experience: None
Education and Degrees Earned:
B.F.A. – Stephens College, 1985
M.F.A. – University of Arizona, 2012
5th-8th Grade Flamenco Dance
Why ASA?
I believe in art. Children should be exposed to the arts everyday, and ASA supports that. ASA allows me to share my passion for Flamenco. “Ole con Ole.”
Yumi La Rosa has studied in Spain with renowned Flamenco artists including Rafaela Carrasco, Juana Amaya, Belen Maya, Leonor Leal, Isabel Bayón, and “La Truco.” Upon returning to Phoenix, Ms. La Rosa joined Viva Flamenco directed by Lydia Torea as a company dancer and later became a soloist with Mosaico Flamenco at Hyatt Scottsdale Resort. Ms. La Rosa was also selected as a soloist with the prestigious touring group, Calo Flamenco, directed by Martin Gaxiola. She was later invited to Mexico, India, and Singapore to teach Flamenco workshops and to perform. Currently, she is performing at Tapas Papa Frita Spanish restaurant in Scottsdale as the featured dancer. She also organizes an annual theater production to give the public an appreciation of other cultures in general and of the richness of Spanish culture in particular.
Ms. La Rosa has been a flamenco instructor for all ages throughout the Valley, including The School of Ballet Arizona, Yen-Li Chen Ballet School, and Arizona School of Classical Ballet.
Content/Grade Levels:
Flamenco Dance /5th-8th Grade
Total Years of Teaching Experience: 6
Total Years at ASA: 6
Schools taught at: Arizona School of Classical Ballet, Yen Li Chen Ballet, School of Ballet Arizona
Other Years of Teaching Experience: 15
Education and Degrees Earned:
B.S. Accountancy (minor in dance) – Arizona State University, 2006
8th-12th Grade Horton Dance
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 Techinique 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, 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.
Content/Grade Levels:
Horton Dance/8th-12th Grade
Total Years of Teaching Experience: 9
Total Years at ASA: 9
Schools taught at: 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:
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre (Teacher certification 2008) (NYC)
5th-12th Grade 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, as well as serving as a teaching assistant at GCC and co-director of guitar ensembles at ASU. Mr. Pierce serves on the board of three organizations: Phoenix Early Music Society (vice president), Phoenix Guitar Society (secretary) and Grand Canyon Guitar Society (board member).
Content/Grade Levels:
Guitar/5th-12th Grade
Total Years of Teaching Experience: 7
Total Years at ASA: 7
Schools taught at: 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
5th-12th Grade 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. In addition, he has taught at the Ahwatukee Music Studio, Foothills Music School, Destiny Community School, and 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.
Content/Grade Levels:
Guitar/5th-12th Grade
Total Years of Teaching Experience: 16
Total Years at ASA: 10
Schools taught at: 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
Piano
Why ASA?
ASA is a great place to be! I love having the opportunity to teach ALL students how to play the piano – especially those who never even gave the piano a thought before they stepped on campus.
Pianist Dianne Cangelosi began her formative years of music study at Oberlin Conservatory of Music. She has an extensive background in the collaborative arts that encompass a wide range of styles, periods, and genres. She has freelanced at Grand Canyon University and several community colleges including Glendale, Mesa, Paradise Valley and Phoenix College collaborating with both vocalists and instrumentalists. She remains in demand as a collaborative artist for recitals, competitions, opera workshops, theatrical productions, choral festivals and community choirs. She has toured to Canada, Europe and throughout the United States with the Phoenix Girls Chorus and is the collaborative pianist for the choral concerts at ASA.
Content/Grade Levels:
Piano
Total Years of Teaching Experience: 18
Total Years at ASA: 18
Schools taught at: ASA
Other Years of Teaching Experience: 13
Education and Degrees Earned:
B.M. Piano Performance – Mason Gross School of the Arts/Rutgers University, 1990
M.M. Collaborative Piano Studies – Arizona State University, 2001
Piano
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 piano at age 5 and violin at age 7, and has since developed professionally on both instruments as well as 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.
Content/Grade Levels:
Piano
Total Years of Teaching Experience: 23
Total Years at ASA: First Year
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)
Piano
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 music theory and history background with Alexander Technique in creating a methodical, yet holistic and creative approach. In 2015, Pettersson founded Southwest Piano Festival; in 2018, he became Director of Program Development for 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, and 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.
Content/Grade Levels:
Piano
Total Years of Teaching Experience: 4
Total Years at ASA: 4
Schools taught at: 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
Piano
Why ASA?
ASA gives me the opportunity to teach piano. It also provides the space for students and faculty to be themselves and to learn from their successes and failures. It is an environment of academic education as well as lifelong lessons about cooperation, community, communication, ethics, respect and self expression.
Angelica Prado-Stern, raised in Miami, Florida, began her piano studies at the age of seven. In 1990, she was awarded an accompanying scholarship to Northern Arizona University, where she earned a Bachelor in Piano Performance and gained teaching experience through the Preparatory School of Music. Upon her graduation, she moved to Phoenix and joined the faculty at Music Works Academy, where she worked for 10 years. In 2005, Ms. Prado-Stern received her Masters in Educational Psychology from Arizona State University, and in 2008 earned her Nationally Certified Teacher of Music credential from the Music Teachers National Association. She opened her private piano studio in Avondale in 2005. She is currently a member of the Phoenix Music Teachers Association, where she was involved in the Ensemble Committee as stage director for 20 years and served for one year as the chairperson for the national certification program. Ms. Prado-Stern’s teaching goals are based on the concept of communicating creatively through respect and honesty. She believes in providing a positive professional attitude, and a nurturing, supportive environment suitable for learning and the enjoyment of music.
Content/Grade Levels:
Piano
Total Years of Teaching Experience: 11
Total Years at ASA: 11
Schools taught at: Music Works Academy
Other Years of Teaching Experience: 27
Education and Degrees Earned:
B.A. Music: Piano Performance-Northern Arizona University,1999
M.Ed. Educational Psychology-Arizona State University, 2005
5th-8th Grade Low Strings and High School 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.
Content/Grade Levels:
Low Strings and HS Orchestra Director/5th-8th Grade
Total Years of Teaching Experience: 28
Total Years at ASA: 28
Schools taught at: 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
5th-12th Grade Strings - 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, Stanislaw Suchon, the concertmaster of Poznan 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 the 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.
Content/Grade Levels:
Strings-Violin/5th-12th Grade
Total Years of Teaching Experience: 7
Total Years at ASA: 3
Schools taught at: Great Heart Academies
Other Years of Teaching Experience: 23
Education and Degrees Earned:
M.M. – Violin Performance – I.J.Paderewski Music Academy, 2003
5th-12th Grade Strings - Viola
Why ASA?
ASA is my dream school! I wish that I could have gone to ASA as a kid. Fortunately, I get to teach my craft to some of the most open-minded, intelligent and compassionate young people ever.
As an active violist, chamber musician, and teacher in the greater Phoenix area, Allyson Wuenschel has relished in the patchwork existence of a career musician since her arrival to the Valley in 2007. Receiving her B.M. in Viola Performance from Boise State University in her hometown of Boise, Idaho in 2005, she went on to earn a M.M. in Viola Performance from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music in 2007. During her doctoral studies, Ms. Wuenschel began teaching at ASA in 2011. She may be spotted performing in various ensembles and frequenting local coffee shops in Phoenix.
Content/Grade Levels:
Strings-Viola/5th-12th Grade
Total Years of Teaching Experience: 12
Total Years at ASA: 12
Schools taught at: ASA
Other Years of Teaching Experience: 18
Education and Degrees Earned:
B.A. Viola Performance – Boise State University, 2005
M.M. Viola Performance – San Francisco Conservatory of Music, 2007
D.M.A. Viola Performance – Arizona State University, 2017
6th-12th Grade Theatre Arts
Why ASA?
The combination of strong arts and academic education is very much at the heart of why I teach. ASA provides that in an environment that is open, warm, and values the individual dreams and voice of each student.
Rob Chambers brings more than 30 years’ experience as an educator, artist, and leader to ASA. He was the founding Theatre Department Head at The Chicago High School for the Arts for eight years. Prior to that, he led the Training and Education Division at The Second City, overseeing programming at six centers in the United States and Canada for the famed comedy and improvisation theatre. He has held leadership positions at Theatre Mir (Artistic Director), League of Chicago Theatres (Marketing Manager), Hartford Stage (Marketing Manager), and Melanie Stewart Dance (Managing Director), and he was awarded an arts management fellowship from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts. As a director of plays and musicals with an emphasis on original productions, he has worked with Common Ground Stage & Film in New York; The Second City, Silk Road, Circle, Live Bait, City Lit, Bailiwick, Public Trust, Chicago Dramatists, Women’s Theatre Alliance, and Barat College in Chicago; New Britain Repertory and Mark Twain Masquers in Connecticut; and Society Hill Playhouse and PlayWorks Company in Philadelphia.
Content/Grade Levels:
Theatre/6th-12th Grade
Total Years of Teaching Experience: 18
Total Years at ASA: 6
Schools taught at: Chicago High School for the Arts, DePaul University, Rowan University, The Second City Training Centers
Other Years of Teaching Experience: 4
Education and Degrees Earned:
B.A. Radio-TV-Film – Temple University, 1982
M.F.A. Directing The Theatre School at DePaul University, 1993
10th-12th Grade Theatre Arts
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.
Content/Grade Levels:
Technical Theatre/10th-12th Grade
Total Years of Teaching Experience: 6
Total Years at ASA: First Year
Schools taught at: 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
5th-12th Grade Theatre Arts
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 Mr. 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, Mr. 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. Mr. Kosnik is primarily a director/teacher and loves working with young people. In addition to ASA, Mr. Kosnik also teaches at Paradise Valley Community College.
Content/Grade Levels:
Theatre/5th-12th Grade
Total Years of Teaching Experience: 19
Total Years at ASA: 6
Schools taught at: 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
5th-12th Grade Theatre Arts
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 Baldwin Wallace Conservatory of Music for degrees in criminology and music. She was a full-time piano accompanist, children’s choir director, music director, and a 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 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.”
Content/Grade Levels:
Theatre/5th-12th Grade
Total Years of Teaching Experience: 18
Total Years at ASA: 18
Schools taught at: 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