BLYTHE

Blythe's goal in teaching is to foster a love of music and a passion for the arts. She focuses on developing her students as musicians in general and on a relaxed technique that will allow for the best possible artistic expression. Rather than teaching students individual pieces, she teaches them how to teach themselves and spends time laying the foundations of good practice habits and fluency in reading music. Growing up in southeast Michigan, music has been a lifelong passion for Blythe. She began studying the violin at age three and added piano at age nine. Blythe sang in choirs throughout her childhood and began taking voice lessons in high school. She eventually decided to study voice performance at Westminster Choir College, where she completed both her Bachelor and Master of Music degrees. Blythe has performed extensively in operas and recitals but mostly enjoys choral singing. She sings regularly with several professional ensembles and she has been teaching music since 2008.

CHRISTINE

Christine began playing the viola at the age of eight as part of her public school music program. She earned her BM in Viola Performance in 2010 from the Cleveland Institute of Music where she studied with renowned teachers Jeffrey Irvine and Lynne Ramsey, and is currently pursuing her Artist Diploma from Montclair State University as a student of Honggang Li, violist of the Shanghai Quartet. Other instructors she has studied under include such luminaries as Caroline Coade Stanley Konopka, Kirsten Doctor, and Sara Cote. Before moving to New Jersey in 2017, Christine had been performing in the Cleveland area since 2013. She was a viola section member of the Ashland Symphony Orchestra, and has also played with the Erie Chamber Orchestra, the Youngstown Symphony (assistant Principal), The Warren Philharmonic, the Ohio Valley Symphony, Cleveland Opera Theatre, and Opera Circle. Her exhaustive performance credentials include numerous festivals and competitions, including the Fischoff International Chamber Music Competition (2017), Mimir Chamber Music Festival, LAMP (Lunenburg Academy of Music Performance), and the Mendelssohn Festival in Hamburg, Germany. Her teaching experience is just as rich and varied; Christine taught both privately and in group settings extensively for many years and was also chosen to teach at Interlochen School of the Arts as part of the fellowship quartet in 2017. Many of her students have gone on to pursue music further in conservatories, as well as participate in many elite festivals. Her intimate knowledge of the performance and steadfast attention to detail help her students discover the joy of strings and reach their ultimate potential.

GENNARO

Gennaro began his musical journey at the age of 12, starting with a traditional Venezuelan instrument, the Cuatro. Three years later, he discovered his passion, the double bass. This led Gennaro to participate in El Sistema, studying with masters such as Felix Petit, Luis Guillermo Perez, Freddy Adrian. After several years conducting and performing in Symphony Orchestras across Venezuela, Gennaro looks forward to sharing his love of music theory, analysis, and performance with all levels of string students.

JAIME

Jaime holds a Bachelors of Music in Cello Performance and Pedagogy from Kean University. He has performed in several local orchestras in New Jersey with the cello as well as being the bass guitarist for local post-hardcore band With Sails Ahead. In addition to his cello training, Jaime has played the guitar and bass for most of his life and is a collector of various stringed instruments (guitar, bass, cello, mandolin, ukulele). HIs students benefit from his wide variety of performance experience and eclectic taste in music.

LIA

Lia is a graduate of Berklee College of Music and holds a degree in Violin Performance. Following in the footsteps of her musical family, she took an interest in the violin at age five and from an early age, Lia began playing in orchestras and chamber music ensembles, which eventually lead to her acceptance into the New Jersey Region II and All-State orchestras and participation in the New Jersey Youth Symphony. Her diverse musical taste inspired her to delve into studying jazz music and improvisation in addition to the traditional classical string repertoire. Before attending college, Lia studied in the Jazz for Teens Program at NJPAC. Later, she attended the Berklee Five-Week Summer Program, which culminated in her receiving a full-tuition scholarship towards her undergraduate studies at Berklee College of Music. During her time there, Lia studied under jazz violinists such as Sara Caswell, Jason Anick, and Rob Thomas, as well as jazz trumpeter Jason Palmer and jazz saxophonist Ed Tomassi. Throughout her time at Berklee, Lia was involved in a multitude of different recording sessions and performances on-campus and in the greater Boston area, including projects with Jacob Collier and Harry Gregson-Williams. Lia has performed with orchestras and smaller string ensembles at venues such as Boston’s Symphony Hall, MIT’s Kresge Auditorium, Boston University’s Agganis Arena, Calderwood Pavilion at the Boston Center for the Arts, and Berklee Performance Center. In addition to session work and string section playing, Lia has led her own jazz quartets and quintets, playing original arrangements of jazz standards and original compositions.

MARISOL

As a child, Marisol studied with renown violinists Janet Sung, Dale Stuckenbruck, and composer Matthew Pierce. She graduated from the State University of New York Fredonia with a performance degree in piano and strings. She has worked with various artists around the world, notably performing with Yo-Yo Ma in 2012. Over the past 10 years she has performed in various countries as a solo artist, and symphony member.

ORION

Orion began playing the cello when he was seven years old, and has been playing ever since. Before attending college, Orion studied with Madeleine Golz and was first chair in both the Manhattan School Youth Orchestra and Montclair State Youth Orchestra. Orion received his degree in Music Education from the Mason Gross School of the Arts where he studied under Jonathan Spitz, principal cellist of NJSO, and performed in various chamber ensembles as well as the Rutgers Symphony Orchestra. He spent several years teaching in the East Brunswick school district where he taught all string instruments and conducted a multitude of orchestral concerts. It was through his time freelancing and working with students in public school districts that Orion discovered his real joy - teaching private music lessons and encouraging his students to hone their craft.