In Person Music Lessons in Allison Park

Cathy Baranowski graduated from Slippery Rock University with a Bachelors Degree in Music. She has played in the Duquesne University and Slippery Rock Orchestras. Cathy has also been a private music instructor for over fifteen years. Her students have been chosen for the PMEA and Honors Orchestras. Through her education and music experience, she has the ability to teach students of all ages to understand, perform, and appreciate music. She makes learning fun as well as productive.

Rachel Waldron-D'Abruzzo's journey with the cello began at the age of eight, and since then she has been teaching and performing throughout the Pittsburgh area. Ms. D’Abruzzo’s education includes a Bachelor’s degree in Music from Duquesne University, where she studied with Mikhail Istomin from the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and Paula Tuttle from the Pittsburgh Opera and Ballet. She graduated with her Master's degree from Duquesne University under the tutelage of Adam Liu of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. Ms. D’Abruzzo has performed in a variety of church venues, as well as concert series such as Bach, Beethoven, and Brunch. She has also performed in various string and piano ensembles throughout the Pittsburgh area.

When she isn’t performing, she teaches a variety of string and piano students throughout the Pittsburgh area. Many of her students have gone on to pursue music degrees with cello being their main focus. Ms. Waldron-D'Abruzzo has performed as a section cellist in a number of orchestras such as Johnstown, Westmoreland, Washington, and Butler. She has also performed in several summer festivals including the CLAZZ music festival (Arcidosso, Italy) and the Aruba Symphony Festival (Oranjestad, Aruba).

Cellist Kyung-Won Jeon began learning the cello at the age of 11, He received a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in music from Korea National University of Arts (KNUA). Upon completing his studies at KNUA, he studied in a doctoral degree program in cello performance at Michigan State University (MSU) in Lansing, Michigan. At MSU, he was on a full-tuition scholarship (Stanley and Selma Hollander Endowed Scholarship for First Chair in Cello). However, in order to shift his focus of cello performance in the orchestral music context, Kyung-Won decided to enroll in the Artist Diploma Program at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he, again, was on a full-tuition scholarship and worked as a teaching assistant.

His first major music competition at a relatively young age; he won the first prize at the Chosun Newspaper Competition, Korea’s most prestigious classical music competition. Three years later, in 1995, he won the first prize at the Korean Festival Ensemble Competition. In 2002, he also won the Concerto Competition of Cheltenham Symphony Orchestra in the United Kingdom. He has debuted at the international stage where he played the Cello Concerto No. 1 by Dmitri Shostakovich with Cheltenham Symphony Orchestra.

Upon returning to Korea in 2008, Kyung Won began teaching at various pre-college level music and arts schools as well as universities. He was adjunct Professor of Kijeon University and also lecturer at Seoul Art High School, SunHwa Art High School, YeoWon School, Jeonju University, HanSei University, and SeoKyeong University. Also, he has provided a masterclass at Pennsylvania State University, Duquesne University, Slippery Rock University, and Uzbekistan National conservatory.

Currently, he is a cello faculty at Seton Hill University. He continues to stay active as a professional concert artist and professor.

Justin Kelly is a drummer and percussionist performing and teaching the Pittsburgh area. After picking up the sticks for the first time in 5th grade, Justin went on to attend Carnegie Mellon University and Manhattan School of Music, studying with members of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic, and Metropolitan Opera. Justin is equally at home playing in an orchestra, a jazz trio, or a recording studio, and can be seen doing all three in venues across the city. In addition to drumming, Justin enjoys writing, DJing, and an occasional game of chess.

Travis Butler is a drummer, audio engineer, and producer from Pittsburgh, PA. He began his drumming career in 2004 in the 4th grade band in elementary school. His music instructors recognized his natural talent and pushed him to take music seriously. By 10th grade, he was already building his own lesson studio, starting with teaching some of the younger kids in his school district. By the end of high school, Travis had auditioned and played for multiple PMEA advanced bands in the region, including the PMEA Honors Band, for which he took first chair percussion in both his junior and senior years.

Travis decided to continue his music journey when he was accepted into the Mary Pappert School of Music at Duquesne University, where he had the privilege of learning from some of the most talented musicians in the world, including many members of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. In 2017, Travis graduated from Duquesne University with a Bachelor's degree in Music Technology.

Since graduating, Travis has been highly involved in the Pittsburgh Music Scene. In 2018 and 2019, he focused solely on being a gigging musician, playing over 80 performances in 2019 alone. Today, with live music finally making a reappearance, the gigging life continues for Travis, as well as taking a position at Johnstonbaugh’s Music to continue his10+ year teaching journey. You can catch Travis playing all over Pittsburgh with local acts Brahctopus and Justin Fabus.

John V. Kulik, NCTM holds a B.S. degree in Music Education St. Vincent College, Latrobe, PA, and an M.M. degree in Piano Pedagogy from Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, PA. He is a Nationally Certified Teacher of Music with over 30 years of teaching experience with students age 4 and up. Mr. Kulik has taught private as well as class piano at Chatham College’s Laboratory School of Music, Pittsburgh, PA and at Westmoreland County Community College, Youngwood, PA. He has had many successful students place in performance and composition competitions at the local and state levels of PMTA. Mr. Kulik currently maintains an independent studio of children and adults in Murrysville, PA and is a frequent solo and collaborative pianist in the area as well as being a performing member of the Friday Evening Music Club, Greensburg, PA.

Originally from Akron, Ohio, David Stone is a graduate of New York University, holding a Bachelor’s Degree in Classical Piano Performance and a Master’s Degree in Music Technology and Composition. Since 2020, he has been an active presence in the Pittsburgh music community, both as a performer and a dedicated music educator.

With over 15 years of teaching experience, David has been on the faculty of the Church Street School of Music and Art in New York and the Bronx Conservatory of Music. His compositions have been featured by the NYU Symphony Orchestra at the Skirball Center. As a recitalist, he has performed at venues in the New York area, including Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center and Casa Italiana at Columbia University.

David's teachers include Michael Koonrod at Interlochen Arts Academy, Eduardus Halim at NYU, and Radoslav Kvapil at Charles University. He also studied film composition with Sonny Kompanek and Ira Newborn, and jazz piano with Donald Friedman. In addition to his classical pursuits, David performs on accordion and piano with folk groups Aubergine and Grayscale.

South African born Ingrid Beute is an accomplished pianist and has performed as soloist with all the major symphony orchestras of South Africa and Bophuthatswana, including the National Symphony Orchestra of South Africa. She has performed as chamber pianist and soloist in Portugal, Italy, USA, Bophuthatswana and South Africa. Since moving to Western Pennsylvania a little over a decade ago, she has performed as a freelance pianist and keyboardist with the Butler Symphony and as soloist with the Westminster College Symphony Orchestra. Performing honors include winning first prizes in the National South African Broadcasting Ensemble Competition, the Port Elizabeth Young Musicians Competition and the National ATKV Prelude Competition. On an international level, she won third place overall at the 1990 Marsala International Piano Competition in Italy as well as the prize for best South African pianist in the UNISA International Piano Competition, South Africa during the same year.

Ingrid is also an experienced music educator. She served as Fine Arts Coordinator at Colegio Internacional de Carabobo in Venezuela, piano instructor and chamber music faculty at Luzerne Summer Music Festival in New York, piano and ensemble coach for the Pittsburgh Center for Young Musicians, and instrumental instructor (clarinet, recorder and piano) at Redhill School, Johannesburg, South Africa.

Ingrid received her Master of Music in Piano Performance from the University of Cincinnati, College Conservatory of Music, and Graduate Artist Diploma in Piano from the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. Since her retirement from the concert arena, she earned a Master’s in Counseling and Development from Slippery Rock University and during the Covid pandemic earned certifications in Mindfulness Coaching and Positive Psychology. She enjoys devoting time after hours in sharing her love and appreciation for music with her piano students.

Daphne Alderson’s diverse career as lyric contralto includes opera, cabaret, oratorio, and chamber music. Her voice has been described as, “Haunting and mesmerizing.” Ted Sohier, (WQED-fm, Pittsburgh). In duo with accordionist Vladimir Mollov: “An original, unique artist in Pittsburgh, or anywhere ...beautiful renderings of French songs and Piaf,” (Pittsburgh City Paper, Andy Mulkerin). A passionate champion of cabaret genre, combined with theater has forged a unique path in the classical music scene. Stravinsky’s opera farce, MAVRA is a return to her roots in opera and a whole new exploration of the Russian repertoire. This production will be relaunched in the Fall of 2021.

The 2020 season held several new projects: THESE DAYS, Pittsburgh Festival Opera’s 2020 Festival, Cerverii Circus: Satie Souvenir (Lake George Summer Festival), Daphne and Dietrich, and Lenya In The Light...the world of Lotte Lenya. The Lenya and Dietrich programs are commissioned from Pittsburgh Festival Opera’s summer festival seasons.

Ms. Alderson debuted the role of Older Alice in Opera Theater of Pittsburgh’s acclaimed premiere of Gilda Lyons/Tammy Ryan’s: A NEW KIND OF FALLOUT, called “Haunting and memorable.”(Pittsburgh Tribune Review). Other PFO appearances include her celebrated, “Piaf at Carnegie Hall, 1956.” Her Madame Armfeldt in Sondheim’s A Little Night Music garnered: “Luscious, dark tones, an accomplished rendering.” (Pittsburgh Tribune Review and City Paper for Opera Theatre of Pittsburgh SummerFest). Other roles include Mere Jeanne in Pittsburgh Opera’s acclaimed production of Poulenc’s DIALOGUES OF THE CARMELITES, Microscopic Opera’s FANTASTIC MR. FOX (Agnes), Thomas Albert’s LIZBETH (Abby Borden) and the world premiere of NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (Helen Cooper). Other recent credits include AINADAMAR with Quantum Theatre and Miss Baggott in Benjamin Britten’s LITTLE SWEEP.

A Hallelujah at Love Café is a celebration of new versions of the folk rock movement that Leonard Cohen helped to create. It also features songs of Joan Baez, Joni Mitchell and Judy Collins, moving her intimate contralto into a new realm:

Daphne and the St. Michel Chamber Band is a fusion of chamber music and folk/pop with John Marcinizyn, guitarist, Elisa Kohanski, cellist and accordionist Vladimir Mollov. Her latest recording, JOAN OF ARC was released world-wide: Piaf chansons and Leonard Cohen ballads. Ms. Alderson toured extensively through the Eastern U.S. in Songs That Oscar Taught Me, a cabaret style tribute to Oscar Hammerstein and All Hear, All Judy, the songs of Judy Garland, and A Girl In Paris, World War II...arranged by Douglas Levine.

A concert tour with Philadelphia based pianist Norma Meyer: WE REMEMBER...THE INNER LIFE OF ANNE FRANK (Carnegie Hall in Carnegie), featured works by Mahler, Poulenc, Weill and Michael Cohen’s stunning “I REMEMBER.” Her most recent recital of the French chansons of Debussy, Hahn and Faure in Philadelphia was featured in MauriceRiver Concerts.

Her duo with guitarist John Marcinizyn toured through parts of Central and South America, as musical ambassadors for the Institute for Shipboard Education. The Piaf concerts for the Pittsburgh Symphony’s Paris Festival hailed, “Not to be missed!” (Mark Kanny, Pittsburgh Tribune Review). Notable collaborations include Chatham Baroque, Bricolage Theater and IonSound Project. As private voice teacher and director of opera studies, she is emeritus faculty as Associate Professor of Voice and Opera at Seton Hill University, now actively maintains a private studio and is part of new faculty at Pittsburgh’s Johnstonbaugh Music School. She lives in Pittsburgh with husband John Marcinizyn and a striped cat named Viola.

Mark Antonich preaches his love of guitar and music in many places. He is an adjunct faculty member in the music departments of Westminster College, Thiel College, and Waynesburg University. ln addition to his guitar duties at these schools, he also teaches jazz improvisation, guitar master classes, group guitar class, and guitar ensemble.

Born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Mark received his undergraduate degree in music from the University of Pittsburgh and a master's degree in music theory from Duquesne University. He also graduated from the Guitar lnstitute of Technology in Los Angeles, California. While studying at the Guitar lnstitute in Los Angeles, Mark was voted one of the Outstanding Students of the Year. Los Angeles studio guitarist, Tommy Tedesco, presented him with a brand new ovation guitar as his award. ln phoenix, Arizona, Mark also had the opportunity to attend and perform in masterclasses with jazz guitar legends, Howard Roberts, Herb Ellis, and Barney Kessel.

As a guitarist, Mark is a freelance musician throughout the tri-state area of Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia. He has worked in the pit bands for numerous shows and musicals such as Grease, working, Godspell, Bye Bye Birdie, and The Trailer Park Musical. ln 2007, Mark toured and performed with, "The New Holidays" vocal group. That same year he recorded and contributed musical arrangements to the Holidays newest CD, "Why Do Fools Fall ln Love." The CD was released throughout the United States by the independent record label, "Collectible Records" and received extensive airplay on many oldies radio stations.

Mark is currently performing and recording as a founding member of the Westminster Faculty Jazz Quartet. They perform many concerts throughout the area while conducting master classes and seminars at schools in the Pennsylvania/Ohio region.

“Exceptional talent with virtuoso technique,” writes Mike Cimballa, music critic and violinist with the Charlotte Symphony of his lyrical interpretations of his music. Born and educated in Pittsburgh, Matthew Korbanic has earned a master's degree in classical guitar performance from Carnegie Mellon University. Some of his noted teachers have been Dr. Nathan Davis, James Ferla, and Joe Negri. As a player on the newly innovated 8 string “Brahms” style guitar by Paul Galbraith, he has toured the east coast and mid-west and has received grants to study with Mr. Galbraith. He has been a return performer with the Three Rivers Arts Festival, the Pittsburgh Opera, and the Pittsburgh Arts Council. As a soloist and as a member of a flute and guitar duo, he has been presented live on WQED-FM in Pittsburgh. He has released a CD of original guitar compositions through his own record label titled “Orbit”. Click here to visit his website.

Brian loves to play and teach a variety of musical styles including traditional classical, blues, jazz and classic rock.

Brian holds a Bachelor and a Master degree in Classical Guitar Performance from Stetson University and Florida State University. Brian taught guitar, music theory and ensemble classes at Seminole College and Brevard Community College in Florida.

Brian has had guitar lessons with classical guitar legends Pepe Romero, Manuel Barrueco and Oscar Ghiglia. He audited guitar classes given by Roland Dyens at Conservatoire International de Music de Paris for a semester and lived in Granada, Spain where he took flamenco guitar lessons.

In 2015, Brian settled down in Pittsburgh with his wife and son who plays bass. With over 20 years of experience teaching guitar lessons to students of all levels and ages, Brian knows that students learn best when they are engaged in the lesson and having fun.