Current Available Faculty
PIANO / VOICE TEACHERS
Olivia Tsai – Piano – Available Mon – Clarendon Hills
Dr. Olivia is an associate professor of VanderCook College of Music and Steinway Teacher through the prestigious STEP Program. In addition, she has performed as a soloist with the QingDao Concert Hall Orchestra, Southern Illinois Symphony, and Highland Park Strings, and served as staff pianist and faculty at major international festivals in the U.S., Brazil, and Portugal. Author of Schubert’s Piano Trios (Scholar’s Press, 2014), she co-founded the Yang and Olivia Foundation to promote cultural exchange and diversity through classical music. Read more..
Ivona Kesic – Voice / Piano – Available Sat – Clarendon Hills / Downers Grove / In-Home
Ivona Kesic holds her Master’s degree in Piano Pedagogy from Northeastern Illinois University. Originally from Bosnia and Herzegovina, she has attended masterclasses with esteemed European pianists and has won the Elyse J. Mach Concerto Competition. With over a decade of teaching experience, Ivona has taught students of all ages, from beginners to advanced pianists and is known for her creative, student-centered approach, always finding innovative ways to tackle technical and musical challenges. Read more..
Madison Colasanti – Voice / Piano / Guitar – Available Wed – St Charles / Geneva / In-Home
Madison Colasanti is a multi-instrumentalist with a focus in voice, piano and guitar. She received a Bachelor’s in Music Education from VanderCook College of Music and is continuing her education by taking numerous vocal health courses to ensure students lifelong vocal safety across all genres. As a result, she emphasizes lifelong vocal safety while teaching students across all genres. With six years of teaching experience, Madison helps students develop healthy and confident vocal techniques. Read more..
Madison Finke – Voice / Piano / Ukulele – Available Tues & Wed – Clarendon Hills / Downers Grove / In-Home
Mezzo-soprano Madison Finke is a professional opera singer with more than a decade of performance experience. They earned her Master in Music from Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music and her Bachelor of Music from University of Hartford. Recognized for their “emphatic precision on and off the stage,” Madison has established a diverse career spanning opera, musical theatre, and concert performance. Read more..
Kasey Pennington – Voice / Piano – Available Tues / Wed / Thur – Geneva / St Charles / In-Home
Kasey Pennington is a classically trained vocalist and pianist with performance experience in opera, musical theater, and contemporary repertoire. They studied voice and piano at Northern Illinois University, earning a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education with a vocal emphasis. Read more..
STRING TEACHERS
Yang Liu – Violin – Available Mon – Clarendon Hills
Yang Liu is the first prize winner of the International Artists Award Competition, the Medici International Music Competition, China’s National Violin Competition, and a prize winner of the Twelfth International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow. In addition, He studied at the Central Conservatory in Beijing, China, and the College-Conservatory of Music in Cincinnati and performed as a soloist with world-leading orchestras as well as released an award-winning album, “Song of Nostalgia”. Also, he is a founder of the Yang and Olivia Foundation and Momento Virtuosi. Read more..
Bing Jing Yu – Violin / Viola – Available Sat – Clarendon Hills / Downers Grove
Bing Jing Yu received her Artist Diploma from New England Conservatory. She performs with the Chicago Lyric Opera Orchestra, where she has served as acting Concert Master and acting Assistant Concertmaster. Working with all levels, she believes in setting her students up for success and in meeting them where they are, to both engage and challenge them. Ms. Yu has coached violinists of all levels preparing their excerpts for orchestra auditions. Read More..
Remus Badea – Violin / Viola – Available Thur – Geneva / St Charles
Remus Badea received his Bachelor and Master of Music from the University of Cincinnati-College Conservatory of Music (CCM) in Violin Performance while under full scholarship. There he studied under world-renowned violin teachers Dorothy Delay, Won-Bin Yim, and Piotr Milewski. Also, he performs on a regular basis in solo concerts, recitals, and chamber music, including acting as concertmaster of several orchestras. Currently, concertmaster of the Southwest Symphony Orchestra, Mr. Badea and is the Executive Director of the American Music Institute. Read more..
Cathryn Cowell – Violin / Viola – Available Tues – Clarendon Hills / Downers Grove / In-Home
Cathryn received her Bachelor of Music degree in violin performance at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music and her Master of Music degree at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. Growing up performing in the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra, she has performed in numerous orchestras throughout the Midwest since. Also, being an accomplished Irish fiddler, she has performed internationally with several Irish music groups. Also, Cathryn has taught classical violin and Irish fiddling for over 15 years at various music schools and through private lessons. Read more..
Silje Sevcech – Bass / Cello / Guitar / Piano – Available Wed / Sat – Clarendon Hills / Downers Grove / In-Home
Silje Sevcech is a bassist who received their Bachelor’s degree from Illinois Wesleyan University under the instruction of Trevor Jones. Currently performing around Chicago, either as a bassist or playing their original music with a string quartet. As an educator, Silje strives to build their students a holistic foundation upon which students can grow. This includes learning solid technique, developing practice skills, and fostering the student’s passion and appreciation for music. Read More..
Ryan Koranda – Cello / Guitar – Available Wed – Clarendon Hills / Downers Grove / In-Home
Mr. Koranda holds his bachelor’s degree in music from Illinois State University and his master’s degree in cello performance from the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University. With a serious pedagogical passion, Ryan greatly enjoys teaching all ages and helping them achieve their lifelong goals through music. In addition, his students have performed in part of the Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra’s Rising Star Showcase, the Metropolitan Youth Symphony Orchestra, and ILMEA All-State orchestras. Read more..
Jon Gould – Guitar / Ukulele / Drums – Available Tues & Sat – Clarendon Hills / Downers Grove / In-Home
He graduated from The Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University, where he received his Bachelor of Music degree in Jazz Studies. Jon has recorded and performed with dozens of artists at some of the most well-known venues and festivals around the world. Read more..
Steven Suvada – Guitar – Available Mon / Wed / Sat – Virtual
Guitarist Steven Suvada has performed with over 30 orchestras nationwide and was recently a featured soloist with the Joffrey Ballet. A graduate of DePaul University under Richard Pick, he has appeared at major venues like Orchestra Hall and taught master classes across the country. Read more..
HARP TEACHERS
Natalie Man – Harp / Piano – Available Tues – Clarendon Hills
Natalie holds a Professional Diploma in Orchestral Studies Roosevelt Universities – Chicago College of Performing Arts, Master of Music degree, the Artist Diploma from the Cleveland Institute of Music, and Bachelor of Music degree from the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. She has performed with leading orchestras in the U.S. and Asia. Read more..
WINDS / BRASS TEACHERS
Alessandro Tenorio-Bucci – Saxophone / Clarinet – Available Wed – Clarendon Hills / Downers Grove / In-Home
Alessandro is a Chicago-area clarinetist, saxophonist, educator, and freelance musician. He earned both his Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees in Clarinet Performance from DePaul University. His work includes orchestral performance, chamber music, new music, concert band, rock, and blues. As a Leblanc/Conn-Selmer Artist he performs throughout Chicago and the Midwest on clarinet, E-flat clarinet, bass clarinet, and saxophone. He currently teaches through Harper College’s Community Music and Arts Center, at the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy, Midwest Music Academy, and Conant High School. Read more..
Justina Chu – Flute / Piano- Available Tues/Wed/Sat – Clarendon Hills / Downers Grove / In-Home
Justina Chu is a Chicago-area flutist with an active orchestral career. She earned her Master of Music degree from Longy School of Music and her Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Houston. Justina completed a Post-master’s Certificate in Flute Performance at DePaul University. She has performed as Second Flute with the Rockford Symphony Orchestra as well as with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, Des Moines Symphony Orchestra, and Elgin Symphony Orchestra, and appeared as a guest artist with the Peoria Symphony Orchestra. Read more..
Terry Leahy – Brass – Available Thur- Clarendon Hills / Downers Grove / In-Home
Dr Terry Leahy holds degrees from the Australian National University, the University of Minnesota and Northwestern University. He has performed as a soloist in recitals in the UK, Finland, Australia, the US, South Africa and Austria. As an orchestral musician, Dr Leahy has held tenured positions in the Finnish National Opera Orchestra, the Savonlinna Festival Opera Orchestra (Finland) and currently performs with the Peninsula Music Festival Orchestra (WI), the Chicago Philharmonic and is Executive Director of Landmark Brass Chicago. Read more..