About Our Teachers Hannah Barton: Violinist Hannah Barton moves easily between the worlds of classical, rock, and contemporary music. A native Chicagoan, Ms. Barton is an active performer on violin, viola, and electric viper violin. Her many ensembles include the Dubuque Symphony Orchestra, Renovo String Orchestra, Fort Wayne Philharmonic, Lost Dog band, and the Hager Quartet. Ms. Barton made her solo debut at age six, playing Vivaldi s a minor concerto with the Lincolnwood Chamber Orchestra. Since then, she has appeared as soloist on numerous occasions, most recently playing viper with the Dubuque Symphony. Ms. Barton began studying violin at age two with her sister Rachel Barton Pine. She earned a Bachelors Degree in Violin Performance from the Peabody Conservatory and a Masters Degree from the Lamont School of Music. Her teachers include Pamela Frank, Desiree Ruhstrat, Yumi Hwang-Williams, Mark Wood, and David Taylor. Mr Steve Reichelt: Stephen Reichelt is a Chicago area bassist and music teacher. He received his Bachelors in Music Performance on double bass from DePaul University in 2000. Since then he has become a member of the Dubuque Symphony Orchestra, performed with the Quad City Symphony, Chicago Philharmonic Orchestra,
is principal of the City Wide Symphony of Chicago, as well as performing regularly with the Chicago swing band Bopology. Also an accomplished electric bass player, Stephen has performed with The Tony Ocean Show, his original rock band Lost Dog (bass and vocalist), as well as many other freelance performances. Mr. Reichelt is an in-demand studio musician making many recordings in Chicago and Nashville including national television and radio appearances. In addition to maintaining a successful private teaching studio, Mr. Reichelt received his Illinois Music Educator Teaching Certification from Northeastern Illinois University in 2012. He also teaches at the Roselle School of Music, Cassandra Strings in Algonquin, is a frequent guest clinician in schools in the Chicago land area, and is a resident sectional coach with the Schaumburg Youth Orchestra. Ms Nereyda Sanchez-Tio: Nereyda teaches cello and classical guitar at Cassandra Strings in downtown Algonquin. During the summer term, she has also taught Mariachi summer camps at Cassandra Strings. She also teaches music in School District u-46, along with Mariachi after school at Streamwood High School and Kimball Middle School. Outside of education, she is the Music Assistant at Wesley United Methodist Church in Elgin. Ms. Sanchez first started studying music as a youth in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. She received her
Masters in Classical Guitar and Music Education at the National Conservatory of Music (Conservatorio Nacional de Musica) in Santo Domingo. Later on, she studied Medicine at the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo (Universidad Autonoma de Santo Domingo) and graduated in 1987. In 1996, Ms. Sanchez came to United States to earn her Bachelors in Music at Luther College in northeastern Iowa. She then studied at Western Illinois University and received her Masters in String Pedagogy. Recently, she has started the DMA program at the University of Iowa, which is currently in progress. Among her teachers are Dr. Moises Molina, Marc Johnson, Anthony Arnone, Peter Linger, Luis Simo and others. Mr Zach Green: Zach Green (Viola, Violin) earned his Bachelors of Music Performance from Northern Illinois University in 2014 while studying with Tony DeVroye, of the Avalon Quartet. He has also studied at the Northwestern University Music Academy with Stacia Spencer and at the Chicago College of Performing Arts with Lawrence Neuman, of the CSO. Additionally, Zach has studied with Roger Chase, former guest-principal violist for the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, while attending the CCPA and the Cassal Maggiore music festival in northern Italy. An active musician, Zach has
performed as vice-principal violist with the Illinois Valley Symphony Orchestra and the Midwestern Philharmonic Orchestra. In addition to his formal music studies, Zach is certified to teach Suzuki Violin 1-6. Currently he works in the repair and restoration department at Cassandra Strings while also giving private lessons. Ms Mary McGinty: Mary graduated from the University of Illinois with a Bacholor of Music Degree in Cello Performance. As a professional symphony player for 12 years in New Mexico, she played with the New Mexico Symphony and worked with a number of professional organizations including Santa Fe Opera and Dallas Ballet, as well as popular artists that passed throught town such as Glen Campbell, Ray Charles, Dolly Parton, etc. She had a string quartet as well with whom she performed at weddings and for other social engagements. She also had her own private teaching studio for many years. Mr Perry Smiar: I started playing the violin when I was six years old, using my mother's own full size violin. At eight, I was playing in my grade school orchestra and taking private violin lessons. When in eighth grade I won two scholarships to Illinois Summer Youth Music Camp. My principal teachers in high school were John Svaboda, first violinist in Lyric Opera of Chicago, and Morris
Gomberg, professor of violin at Chicago Musical College. In college I switched to viola and received a degree in music education. In 1974 I entered Chicago Civic Orchestra and studied with Milton Preves, Principal Violist with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. In 1980 I studied with William Shoen then Assistant Principal Viola with the Chicago Symphony. In 1984 I entered the South Bend Symphony and have played there ever since. As a freelance musician orchestra member I have played in Hungary, Austria, Poland, Germany and Yugoslavia. In America I've worked with the orchestras of Frank and Nancy Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., Melba Moore, Isaac Hayes, Tom Jones, Smokey Robinson, Ike and Tina Turner, and Wayne Newton to name just a few. Ms Lisa Bressler: Lisa Bressler, cellist, is originally from White Plains, New York and moved to the Chicago area in 2002. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree from State University of New York/College at Purchase, where she studied with Harvey Shapiro and Frederick Zlotkin. Lisa maintains a busy performing schedule as a member of the Illinois Philharmonic, where she is Assistant Principal Cello, as well as the Kalamazoo Symphony, the Madison Symphony, and the Rockford Symphony. She also performs as a substitute with the Milwaukee Symphony. Lisa has been teaching cello
privately since 1978 and has been an adjunct faculty member at Marymount College (Tarrytown, NY), McHenry County College, and Benedictine University. She currently teaches cello and coaches sectionals and chamber music at Niles West High School, teaches cello at Dundee-Crown High School, and occasionally coaches cello/bass sectionals for the McHenry County Youth Symphony. Ms Nancy Murray: Nancy Murray, Suzuki violin, graduated with her B.M.Ed. from Northwestern University and studied under Myron Kartman. At age nine, she began violin lessons with Betty Haag at the Haag-Leviton Suzuki program in Mount Prospect, Illinois and began her cadet-teaching at age 12 for the same program. Nancy has performed in various orchestral and chamber groups, weddings, church services and musicals, has made CD recordings, and has travelled as a violin teacher with Barrington Suzuki School. Her Suzuki trainers have included Betty Haag and Bettie Dyer. She begant teaching for Barringon Suzuki Strings in 1986 under the direction of Marianela McCammon, and after a brief sabbatical, returned and continued teaching under the direction fo Betty Mueller. Nancy has taught private violin Lessons at Wheeling High School, MacArthur Middle School, Dundee-Crown High School, Cassandra
Strings, and has also taught with the Elgin Area Suzuki Strings program under the direction fo Lamar Blum. Mrs. Jan Beagley: Mrs. Beagley recently retired after teaching orchestra in District 300 for twenty years. During those years, she taught elementary orchestra throughout the district, sixth grade orchestra at Carpentersville Middle School, and assisted with the Dundee Crown High School Orchestra. She earned a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Western Illinois University, as well as a Master of Music degree from Michigan State University, specializing in strings. She is certified to teach Suzuki Violin Book 1. She has previously taught private lessons out of her home, and assisted with the McHenry County Youth Orchestra at various levels. She has also directed a children s choir for children four years old to sixth grade at a church in Crystal Lake. Her major instrument is viola. She now will be teaching violin and viola lessons (any level) and beginning cello and bass lessons. Mr John Ronai: John's education includes a Bachelor of Music in Violin Performance degree from Wayne State University and a Master of Music degree in Violin Performance from University of
Michigan. He is also fully qualified as a Suzuki violin instructor having completed Suzuki teacher training for all ten Suzuki violin books. His private instructors include Carl Austin, Jacob Krachmalnick, Gustave Rosseels, Victor Aitay and Henryk Szeryng. His orchestral experience includes 6 years in Toledo Symphony Orchestra and 2 years in the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra and subbing with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. John has played for many of the traveling broadway shows including Les Miserables, Phantom of the Opera, Miss Saigon, Hello Dolly, Evita, Brigadoon, Oklahoma, Peter Pan, The Sound of Music, and more. His work as a theatre musician has included performing with Susan Boyle on the Oprah Winfrey show and with Sammy Davis, Smokey Robinson, Henry Mancini, The Spinners, Harry Belafonte, Anne Murray, Peter Allen, Wayne Newton, Diana Ross, Bernadette Peters, Kenny Rogers, Chicago, George Benson, John Denver, Julie Andrews, and more. John has over 12 years teaching experience including 7 years as a Suzuki instructor for the Music Institute of Chicago.