Multi-Instrumentalist and Composer, Ryan Leaver received his B.A. in Jazz Composition from Berklee College of Music in 2003 and his M.A. in Modern American Music from the Longy School of Music of Bard College in 2006. He has received instruction in the Feldenkrais Method, the Alexander Technique, Eurythmics, and the Lydian Chromatic Concept of Tonal Organization from leaders in each respective field. Some of his teachers include Dennis Sandole, Charlie Banacos, George Garzone, John Lockwood, Bob Gullotti, Bob Moses, Ran Blake, John Thomas, and Ben Monder.

Jeff has a Bachelor of Music in Percussion Performance from Temple University. He has performed as a percussionist with the Korean Symphony Orchestra, the Hot Springs Music Festival Symphony Orchestra, Opera, and Percussion Ensemble, United Percussion, and the Reading Buccaneers Drum and Bugle Corps. He is also a performing member of the Outside Sound Ensemble, an educational program that implements art and music to work with students and adults with disabilities. Jeff is currently the Percussion Caption Head at Neshaminy High School, as well as percussion and drum teacher at Springside Chestnut Hill Academy.

In 2014, Jeff joined the staff of the North Penn High School Percussion Ensemble. In the past, he has instructed the drum line at Upper Darby and Pennsbury high schools. Jeff has a WGI Percussion Independent Open Gold Medal with United Percussion and a WGI Percussion Scholastic Open Bronze Medal with Upper Darby High School. Jeff is a Grammy-nominated timpanist with the Temple University Orchestra, and he has recorded timpani with the Hot Springs Festival Orchestra on the Naxos label.

Jeff recently released his debut solo electronic EP under the name Duncan in October of 2013, and joined the Philadelphia-based hard rock band Palaceburn as the drummer. He also plays drums for Revolution, I Love You, an up and coming electronic power pop band originally from Wilmington, DE. In 2015, Jeff will be joining the instructional staff of Field of View, a percussion ensemble based out of West Chester, PA.

Jeff has a Bachelor of Music in Percussion Performance from Temple University. He has performed as a percussionist with the Korean Symphony Orchestra, the Hot Springs Music Festival Symphony Orchestra, Opera, and Percussion Ensemble, United Percussion, and the Reading Buccaneers Drum and Bugle Corps. He is also a performing member of the Outside Sound Ensemble, an educational program that implements art and music to work with students and adults with disabilities. Jeff is currently the Percussion Caption Head at Neshaminy High School, as well as percussion and drum teacher at Springside Chestnut Hill Academy.

In 2014, Jeff joined the staff of the North Penn High School Percussion Ensemble. In the past, he has instructed the drum line at Upper Darby and Pennsbury high schools. Jeff has a WGI Percussion Independent Open Gold Medal with United Percussion and a WGI Percussion Scholastic Open Bronze Medal with Upper Darby High School. Jeff is a Grammy-nominated timpanist with the Temple University Orchestra, and he has recorded timpani with the Hot Springs Festival Orchestra on the Naxos label.

Jeff recently released his debut solo electronic EP under the name Duncan in October of 2013, and joined the Philadelphia-based hard rock band Palaceburn as the drummer. He also plays drums for Revolution, I Love You, an up and coming electronic power pop band originally from Wilmington, DE. In 2015, Jeff will be joining the instructional staff of Field of View, a percussion ensemble based out of West Chester, PA.

Irene Bernstein earned her Master’s Degree in theory, piano pedagogy, musicology, and composition from St. Petersburg Conservatory in Russia. She is a classically trained pianist with 45 years of teaching experience. For the Past 25 years, she was on the Faculty of The Music Academy and State College Suzuki Program. There she taught piano, theory, and composition to children (starting 4 years old) and adults. Her students range from beginner to advanced levels. Her teaching is a melting pot of European, American, traditional, and Suzuki methods. Irene loves arts, travelling, reading, and cooking. Her real passion lies in teaching piano to young kids. She believes that music training, specifically piano instruction, is very important for the mental development of children. Irene teaches them that music, art, and dance feed the heart and soul. Music is to the brain as physical exercise is to the human body. Learning how to play piano means much more than simply learning to play a song. Her students are doing very well in school. Their piano accomplishments help them to become intelligent, successful, and upstanding people.

Emilily received a Bachelor of Music with honors in piano performance from Temple University’s Boyer College of Music and was the Jacobs Music Steinway Award recipient in 2006. While studying piano at Temple, Ms. Kosasih accompanied several choirs including the Temple University Women Chorus and Recital Chorus. Through this exposure, she developed an interest in conducting which led her to pursue a Master of Music in Choral Conducting under the tutelage of Alan Harler.  Previously the music director for the Swarthmore Chorale and Ming-de Chorus, Ms. Kosasih is currently the music director of Community Music School’s Cantabile Chorale, a chorus open to high school students and adults. She also teaches piano at Community Music School and is an adjunct conducting instructor at Temple University.

Multi-Instrumentalist and Composer, Ryan Leaver received his B.A. in Jazz Composition from Berklee College of Music in 2003 and his M.A. in Modern American Music from the Longy School of Music of Bard College in 2006.  He has received instruction in the Feldenkrais Method, the Alexander Technique, Eurythmics, and the Lydian Chromatic Concept of Tonal Organization from leaders in each respective field.  Some of his teachers include Dennis Sandole, Charlie Banacos, George Garzone, John Lockwood, Bob Gullotti, Bob Moses, Ran Blake, John Thomas, and Ben Monder.

Christopher Macy is an active performing artist, composer, educator, author, and personal coach. His piano students benefit from his integrated approach to developing artistry, skill mastery, literacy, and knowledge. His coaching-teaching style also fosters personal awareness, and a continuous growth mindset. Raised in Pottstown, Christopher studied piano with Dorothy Sutton. Under her guidance he was a prize winner in several competitions and festivals, including the Music Teachers National Association Young Artists Regional Competition, and The Reading Symphony Foundation Competition, performing Felix Mendelssohn’s G minor Piano Concerto, and Franz Liszt’s E-flat Piano Concerto. His formal music education includes undergraduate and graduate studies in music composition, piano performance and piano pedagogy at The Philadelphia College of Performing Arts, San Francisco State University and West Chester University.

Odessa has a degree in Music Composition with a Violin Concentration from Temple University’s Ester Boyer College of Music and Dance. Ms. Balan is a certified Suzuki teacher with certifications through Book 5. Ms. Balan is a unique voice in the contemporary music scene. Her musical genres include, but are not limited to, classical, jazz, folk, and adult contemporary rock. Over the past 20 years she has composed music for Group Motion Modern Dance Company, collaborating with Andrea Clearfield and Manfred Fischbeck; she collaborated on classical-jazz fusion projects with jazz pianist and recording artist Dave Burrell; she had many performances in the Philly Fringe Festivals, and performed at the Kimmel Center, the Jazz Clef Club, Chris’ Jazz Café, the Annenberg Theater at University of Pennsylvania, and the Arts Bank in Philadelphia, and at Carnegie Hall in NYC. Her orchestral work Winter Dance was played by the Romanian Symphony Orchestra on their tour of Romania and Italy. Her compositions have been used in independent films and television shows, and have been played on NPR’s Creatively Speaking on 90.1 FM, and UPenn Radio 88.5 FM. She is now a proud mother of two boys, and keeps busy performing, recording, and teaching violin, viola and music theory at CMS.

Odessa has a degree in Music Composition with a Violin Concentration from Temple University’s Ester Boyer College of Music and Dance. Ms. Balan is a certified Suzuki teacher with certifications through Book 5. Ms. Balan is a unique voice in the contemporary music scene. Her musical genres include, but are not limited to, classical, jazz, folk, and adult contemporary rock. Over the past 20 years she has composed music for Group Motion Modern Dance Company, collaborating with Andrea Clearfield and Manfred Fischbeck; she collaborated on classical-jazz fusion projects with jazz pianist and recording artist Dave Burrell; she had many performances in the Philly Fringe Festivals, and performed at the Kimmel Center, the Jazz Clef Club, Chris’ Jazz Café, the Annenberg Theater at University of Pennsylvania, and the Arts Bank in Philadelphia, and at Carnegie Hall in NYC. Her orchestral work Winter Dance was played by the Romanian Symphony Orchestra on their tour of Romania and Italy. Her compositions have been used in independent films and television shows, and have been played on NPR’s Creatively Speaking on 90.1 FM, and UPenn Radio 88.5 FM. She is now a proud mother of two boys, and keeps busy performing, recording, and teaching violin, viola and music theory at CMS.

Ms. Campetti is a former member of the Philadelphia Orchestra, Philadelphia Opera Orchestra, Pennsylvania Ballet Company and the Concerto Soloists of Philadelphia. A graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music with a degree in violin performance, Ms. Campetti studied with world-renowned teachers, Ivan Galamian and Jascha Brodsky. For the past 35 years, Ms. Campetti has committed her time to teaching private students in the Philadelphia region. Ms. Campetti is on staff at Eastern University, Darlington Fine Arts Center and Community Music School.  Cindy is a Master Level Faculty member at CMS.

Hsiao Ming Chen received both her bachelor and master degrees  in Performance from Temple University. She has been teaching cello since 1992 . She starts out teaching at the community program at Temple University  where she was graduating at the same year with her bachelor degree. She ,at the same time ,was teaching at the Temple Music Preparatory school from 1992 till the summer of 2002. During that time, she was mentored by both of her teachers, Orlando Cole (founding member of the Curtis Quartet and New School of Music) and Metta Watts, his assistant teacher of some 50 years. In addition to her private lessons at Temple, one of her many joys was to coach the young cello ensemble group. She also taught at the Kimberton Waldorf School as well as the Community Music School in Trappe.

In the summer of 2002, she moved to Colorado where her son was born in Jan. of 2003.  While she was busy being a mom, she helped out with the local Taiwanese chorus where children learn Chinese and Taiwanese through songs. She also performed with a piano/harp , violin and cello trio. They, in addition to the standard repertoire,  also worked on traditional music from Taiwan and China as well as pieces composed by Taiwanese composers. In 2007, she moved back from Colorado and resumed teaching at the Kimberton Waldorf School and the Community Music School. Although her focus is on teaching, she has performed in solo and chamber music recitals as well as in church settings with choirs.

Raymond Mallari graduated from West Chester University with a degree in Viola Performance. He continued his graduate studies at West Chester University in both violin and viola emphasizing pedagogy. His orchestral participation includes Temple University Symphony Orchestra, West Chester Symphony Orchestra, Lower Merion Symphony, Pottstown Symphony Orchestra, ChescoPOPS, and Philadelphia National Symphony. Internationally, he had the pleasure of touring China with the Philadelphia National Symphony 2011—2012. He participated in the 2013 ChamberArt Madrid Music Festival as principal violist, earning a certificate diploma of chamber music. His chamber music activities includes numerous String Trios, String Quartets, Guitar Quintet, and Piano Quintets. He was a participant in the MTNA Young Artist and Chamber Music Competition placing Alternate in the 2009 Chamber Division, an Honorable Mention in the Young Artist 2008 Division, and a National Finalist in the 2009 Young Artist Division. Mr. Mallari teaches violin and viola beginners to advancing levels and is Suzuki certified. In addition to working at CMS, Mr. Mallari is also a faculty member at Immaculata University and has a home studio in West Chester, PA.

Alessandra Gabbianelli is a Dramatic Coloratura Soprano from Pittsburgh, PA. Alessandra is very excited to be coming on board as a vocal teacher with Community Music School. She received her bachelor’s degree in vocal performance from Baldwin-Wallace College. There she made her operatic debut as Miss Titmouse in Too Many Sopranos. She then went on to sing Musetta in La Bohème, and Donna Anna in Don Giovanni. She received her Master’s of Music in Opera Performance from the Boston Conservatory. There she starred as Madame Goldentrill in The Boston Conservatory’s production of Mozart’s The Impresario, Chocholka in Leo Janacek’s The Cunning Little Vixen,  and The Queen of the Night in Mozart’s Magic Flute. In summer 2014, she made her professional debut as Irina Arkadina in Pasatieri’s The Seagull with Opera del West. Recently, she performed the role of the Queen of the Night in the  Gilded Angel Opera’s production of The Magic Flute.

Alessandra Gabbianelli is a Dramatic Coloratura Soprano from Pittsburgh, PA. Alessandra is very excited to be coming on board as a vocal teacher with Community Music School. She received her bachelor’s degree in vocal performance from Baldwin-Wallace College. There she made her operatic debut as Miss Titmouse in Too Many Sopranos. She then went on to sing Musetta in La Bohème, and Donna Anna in Don Giovanni. She received her Master’s of Music in Opera Performance from the Boston Conservatory. There she starred as Madame Goldentrill in The Boston Conservatory’s production of Mozart’s The Impresario, Chocholka in Leo Janacek’s The Cunning Little Vixen,  and The Queen of the Night in Mozart’s Magic Flute. In summer 2014, she made her professional debut as Irina Arkadina in Pasatieri’s The Seagull with Opera del West. Recently, she performed the role of the Queen of the Night in the  Gilded Angel Opera’s production of The Magic Flute.

Thad received a Bachelor of Music from Combs College of Music in Philadelphia, PA. On the operatic stage Mr. Shirey’s rich baritone has been heard in major roles including those in Pagliacci, Cavelleria Rusticana, La Boheme, La Traviata, Lucia di Lammermoor, Massenet’s Manon, Madama Butterfly, Carmen, The Merry Widow, Die Fledermaus, The Student Prince and Land of Smiles.  Equally at home in crossover work, Thadd’s Broadway and light opera repertoire includes principal roles in Carousel, Kiss Me Kate, A Little Night Music, Showboat, Man of La Mancha, 1776, Old Man and the Thief, Amahl and the Night Visitors, The Telephone, H.M.S. Pinafore and The Mikado at Philadelphia’s famed Academy of Music. International performances and cruise circuits have brought Thad to Iceland, Scotland, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, Viet Nam and Paris.  He has appeared as guest soloist in the Mozart Requiem, The Brahms Requiem and Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony.  At home, he has appeared as guest artist at Carnegie Hall, with The New York Grand Opera, the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra, The Ocean City Pops, The Kennett Symphony, The Syracuse Symphony and The Orchestra of St. Peter by the Sea.

MM in voice performance, Temple University.  BM in oboe and voice performance, Temple University. Performance Certificate, Academy of Vocal Arts.

Cindy is a music educator with experience teaching students of all ages; from private and group instruction to directing bands and choirs. Currently, she teaches instrumental music at Holy Cross and Mater Dei Catholic Schools, where some of her students have been selected for Festival and Honors Bands. She is adjunct faculty on flute at Ursinus College. As a soloist and chamber musician, Cindy performs with the Audubon Symphony Orchestra, where she is also Associate Director, occasionally with the Anthracite Philharmonic, and other chamber ensembles. An active church musician, Cindy can be heard at St. Eleanor’s where she directs the Contemporary Ensemble and as a guest performer in churches around the area. She has performed in a variety of ensembles and recorded a CD as part of a flute and guitar duo. Cindy holds a B.S. in Music Education from the Pennsylvania State University and has completed graduate courses in Music Education at West Chester University and Duquesne University. At Penn State, she studied with Dr. Eleanor Armstrong. She has also studied with Michel Debost at an Oberlin Flute Institute and performed in a masterclass for Jeffery Khaner(principal flutist of the Philadelphia Orchestra).

Multi-Instrumentalist and Composer, Ryan Leaver received his B.A. in Jazz Composition from Berklee College of Music in 2003 and his M.A. in Modern American Music from the Longy School of Music of Bard College in 2006.  He has received instruction in the Feldenkrais Method, the Alexander Technique, Eurythmics, and the Lydian Chromatic Concept of Tonal Organization from leaders in each respective field.  Some of his teachers include Dennis Sandole, Charlie Banacos, George Garzone, John Lockwood, Bob Gullotti, Bob Moses, Ran Blake, John Thomas, and Ben Monder.

Multi-Instrumentalist and Composer, Ryan Leaver received his B.A. in Jazz Composition from Berklee College of Music in 2003 and his M.A. in Modern American Music from the Longy School of Music of Bard College in 2006.  He has received instruction in the Feldenkrais Method, the Alexander Technique, Eurythmics, and the Lydian Chromatic Concept of Tonal Organization from leaders in each respective field.  Some of his teachers include Dennis Sandole, Charlie Banacos, George Garzone, John Lockwood, Bob Gullotti, Bob Moses, Ran Blake, John Thomas, and Ben Monder.