LAPC Music Department Chair & Music Theory Email: @email Phone: (818) 719-6476

Office Hours Mondays & Wednesdays Room 3423 9:00 am - 9:30 am 12:35 pm - 1:10 pm Tuesday Zoom 11:00 am - 12:55 pm Thursday Zoom 9:00 am - 10:00 am

Dr. Wendy Mazon is the Department Chair and a full-time Associate Professor of Music at Pierce College. Her duties include teaching music theory, musicianship, music appreciation, AMP clarinet lessons, faculty advisor and Distance Education Support. Throughout her career, Mazon has taught at various instrumental music programs and institutions of higher education and is a strong believer in life-long learning.  

As a performer, she is a clarinetist with the Filipino American Symphony Orchestra and has carried principal or supporting roles with the Santa Monica Symphony Orchestra and the Los Angeles Clarinet Choir, among others. As a chamber musician, she was a founding member of the chamber ensembles, The Anfangen Quintet, Le Petit Duo, Lotus Chamber Players and the Kayumanggi Quartet. Mazon has performed and given masterclasses and workshops nationally and internationally, including in several provinces in the Philippines.  

In addition, Dr. Mazon has presented her original research on lung function and musicians in various academic settings, including the International Clarinet Association’s Research Competition, Desert Skies Symposium on Research in Music Education, the Hawaii International Conference on Arts and Humanities and at the California Institute of the Arts. 

Wendy Mazon holds an Associate of Arts Degree from Cosumnes River College, a Bachelors of Arts Degree in Music Education and a Masters of Music degree in Music Performance from California State University, Northridge (CSUN). She later went back to school and received a Doctorate of Music Degree and College Teaching Certificate from the University of Arizona in Music Performance and a minor in Music Education. Mazon is a three-time recipient of an Excellence and Achievement award from CSUN and received the Outstanding Masters Degree Graduate Award from CSUN’s Department of Music. Her clarinet teachers include Dr. Julia Heinen, Hakan Rosengren, Jerry Kirkbride and Jim Kanter.  

Choir and Voice @email

Office Hours Room 3405-E Mondays & Wednesdays 9:30 am -11:00 am 2:15 pm - 3:30 pm Fridays  8:30 am - 9:00 am

Garineh Avakian (mezzo-soprano) is originally from Los Angeles, California. She graduated with a Doctorate of Musical Arts in Vocal Performance from the University of Southern California, Thornton School of Music.  She holds a Bachelor and Masters in Music from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, also a Graduate Certificate Diploma from the University of Southern California, Thornton School of Music.  She has minored in both piano and conducting during her graduate studies.  Dr. Avakian has been on voice faculty and has taught Advanced Music Theory/Musicianship, Piano and Voice at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy College and Conservatory for the Performing Arts in Hollywood, Ca.  She has also been the Music Director at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Granada Hills, Ca, where she conducted two children’s choruses and the Chancel Choir.  Dr. Avakian is a member of Pi Kappa Lambda National Music Honor Society, and the Southern California Vocal Association. She is also a member/chorister of the Los Angeles Master Chorale, Walt Disney Hall and Hollywood Bowl.  Dr. Avakian has served on faculty as a Full time Visiting Assistant Professor in Voice and Commercial Piano at the University of Texas at El Paso.  In 2014-2015 Dr. Avakian was the Music/Choral Director at Maranatha High School (Christian, College Preparatory) in Pasadena, CA and an Adjunct Professor in Voice at El Camino College.  Currently Dr. Avakian is a Full Time Tenured Associate Professor in Voice and Choral Music at Los Angeles Pierce Community College in Woodland Hills, CA also the Associate Conductor for the National Children’s Chorus, Los Angeles chapter.  

Dr. Avakian made her Walt Disney Concert Hall solo debut with the Los Angeles Master Chorale’s Sing Along Messiah 2016 as the alto soloist.  She has sung on soundtracks such as Star Wars: The Last Jedi.    In March 2016 Dr. Avakian sang the alto solos in Bach’s St. Matthew Passion with the Lark Musical Society.  In April 2015 she was the alto soloist in Ian Krouse’s world premiere of “Armenian Requiem” at UCLA, Royce Hall conducted by Neil Stulberg with the Lark Musical Society.  In May of 2015, she performed the roles of both mothers in Armen Tigranian’s opera Anoush with the Lark Musical Society at the Ambassador Auditorium in Pasadena Ca.   In May of 2015 she also sang the west coast premiere of David Lefkowitz’s “Love Fragments” for Mezzo Soprano, Viola and Harp at UCLA, Schoenberg Hall.   She has sung the role of Katisha in Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Mikado with the Lark Musical Society and Opera A la Carte.    December of 2010 and 2012 Dr. Avakian sang a recital at Carnegie Hall in New York organized by the Armenian General Benevolent Union.  She has been invited by the Eurasia Foundation to perform at the Cosmo’s Club and the Turkish Embassy in Washington DC. In 2006, she received an honorable mention at the Western Regional Finals of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions.  She has appeared as Dido in Purcell’s Dido and Aenaes, Madame de la Hartiere in Massenet’s Cendrillon, La Ciesca in Gianni Schicchi, the role of Arsamene in Handel’s Xerxe, Arnalta in Monteverdi’s The Coronation of Poppea, the role of Sandman in Hansel and Gretel, Athamus in Handel’s Semele, and as Rosina in Scarlatti’s The Triumph of Honor.  Dr. Avakian sang the role of Fay Doyle in the west coast premiere of Lowell Liebrmann’s Miss Lonelyhearts based on Nathanael West’s novel. She has also sung the role of Donna Elvira in Mozart’s Don Giovanni with the USC Opera in April of 2009.   

Described by the San Francisco Classical Voice “Avakian is a singer of student age, not a student singer.  The young mezzo sings with power and charisma, showing a veteran’s stage presence, delivering every note on the money, with great diction”.  Ms. Avakian is equally at home on the operatic as well as the concert stage.  She has performed as a soloist in Handel’s Messiah at the San Francisco Symphony, alto soloist in Mozart’s Requiem with Maestro Carl St. Clair conducting the USC Chamber Orchestra and Choral Artists.  She has performed with the San Jose Symphonic Choir as a soloist in Bach’s St. Mathew Passion, Chichester Psalms by Leonard Bernstein with the Monterey Symphony.  

 In the early 1990’s, Dr. Avakian released two cassette tapes (E Zen Hayer & Ganche Hoghin) consisting of Armenian patriotic and national songs in support of Armenian orphans living in Armenia. All proceeds totaling over $65,000.00 was sent primarily for the children and their families.  In addition to her professional engagements Dr. Avakian regularly performs for non profit organizations and at various fundraising functions throughout the United States.

Music Theory AMP Voice Faculty @email Website

Office Hours: Tuesdays 9:35 am - 10:10 am VLGE 8340-D

Gabriella Bluvband-Bogusz is a Los Angeles-based classically trained soprano. She received her bachelor’s degree in vocal performance from California State University, Northridge, where she studied under soprano Diane Ketchie. She returned to her alma mater to pursue her Master's degree in Music Performance, which she received with distinction, as well as being inducted into the musical honor society Pi Kappa Lambda and receiving numerous scholarship awards throughout her educational career. She is also a Pierce alum who began her musical career in Pierce’s Applied Music Program and has returned to share the knowledge she has received since her completion of the program.

As a performer, Ms. Bluvband has been lauded for her acting abilities, excellent work ethic, and commitment to her art. In addition to being classically trained, she has much experience working in contemporary styles such as musical theater and popular music. In addition to performing, Gabriella has dedicated much of her career to education and considers it her calling and greatest joy in life to share the gift of music with those who are seeking to learn.

Symphonic Band Director Music Club Advisor AMP Clarinet Professor @email

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Ryan Espinosa is a freelance performer-composer and teacher based in Los Angeles. A California native, he earned his Bachelors in Fine Arts from California Institute of the Arts in 2014 where he studied clarinet with William Powell and composition with Dr. Milen Kirov. In 2018, he earned his Masters in Music from the University of North Texas in Clarinet performance, where he studied clarinet with Dr. John Scott and Daryl Coad. Additionally, throughout his education, Ryan Espinosa had studied vocal jazz performance with Anna Jalkéus, jazz arranging with Richard DeRosa, as well as African and South Indian music traditions from Andrew Grueschow and Poovalur Sriji, respectively. Notable ensembles he has performed with include the LA Winds, CSUN Youth Orchestra, Santa Clarita Valley Youth Orchestra, CalArts Chamber Orchestra, the Master’s College Wind Ensemble, the Los Angeles Clarinet Choir, the North Texas Wind Symphony, the NOVA contemporary music ensemble, the UNT Jazz Singers, and the Advanced South Indian Bridge ensemble.

As a clarinetist and educator, Ryan regularly performs music from various compositional styles and eras, but he personally committed to performing works that expand the definition of new music/electro-acoustic/experimental music as well as to further research of pedagogical methods of extended clarinet technique. He has performed in numerous recitals and has participated in several recording sessions performing alongside some of the most respected players in the West Coast. In the summer of 2016, Espinosa participated in the Interharmony International Music Festival in Arcidosso, Italy, serving as principal clarinetist in the Interharmony Opera Orchestra. Ryan Espinosa is also professionally affiliated with Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, a fraternal organization dedicated to advancing music in America.

Ryan currently teaches clarinet privately as an applied music instructor at Los Angeles Pierce College. He currently lives in Winnetka, California.

Guitar Classes AMP Guitar Faculty @email

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Dr. Bryan Fasola grew up in Los Angeles. From the ages of 18 to 21, he composed and published music through BMI that has been used by television shows around the world. After receiving his  Performing Arts Diploma under Hubert Kaeppel Germany, he returned to Los Angeles in 2007 to take a position as lecturer of music at California State University, Northridge while completing the Doctorate of Musical Arts degree at USC. As a teacher, Bryan has adjudicated numerous local programs as well as guitar competitions. In his solo performances, Bryan has entertained audiences at numerous universities and arts societies, as well as radio stations such as KUSC  91.5 in Los Angeles, and was featured on “Inside the Classical Guitar” RAF 107.3 in St. Louis.  Bryan’s classical guitar project, LADuo, focuses on developing new music for the genre and has performed as soloists at recent music festivals such as The Cabrillo Festival with conductor  Marin Alsop, and the Southern Guitar Festival in South Carolina.

Music Appreciation @email

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Dr. Frank Garvey, Pianist

Dr. Frank Garvey is an accomplished pianist whose passion for music shines through his dynamic performances and dedication to teaching. Equally at home in solo recitals, collaborative performances, and accompanying instrumentalists and vocalists, Dr. Garvey's versatility has taken him from his native Ireland to stages across Great Britain, France, Hungary, and California.

A sought-after educator, Dr. Garvey has shared his expertise with students at esteemed institutions such as UCLA (where he earned his Doctor of Musical Arts degree), Santa Monica College, the University of San Diego, and others. His commitment to fostering the next generation of musicians is evident in his private teaching studio and his roles as coach-accompanist and adjunct professor at Los Angeles Pierce and Valley Colleges.

Beyond performance and teaching, Dr. Garvey's creative spirit finds expression in premiering new works, arranging and composing for piano and vocal ensembles, and serving as pianist for the Metropolitan Master Chorale. He has also directed music in churches both in the US and Ireland.

Fundamentals of Music Samba Club Advisor ASO Concert DIrector AMP Percussion Faculty @email Website

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Kevin Good is composer and percussionist from Las Vegas, Nevada currently residing in Los Angeles. Kevin’s music explores silence, extended durations, the use of notebooks and personal experiences. As percussionist he has performed at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention with DesoDuo, Monday Evening Concerts, and the Dogstar Festival and Orchestra.
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He is a member of Quartet Friends, a contemporary chamber ensemble with Percussionist Katie Eikam and Pianists Richard An and Wells Leng. He is also a member of DesoDuo, a percussion duo with Katie Eikam dedicated to performing new and experimental works. Kevin received his Bachelor’s in Percussion Performance and Musical Composition where he studied with David Macbride, Ken Steen, Robert Carl, and Ben Toth. Kevin also holds a Masters of Fine Arts in Performer-Composer at California Institute of the Arts where he studied primarily with Michael Pisaro, Jonathan Hepfer and Laura Steenberge. His first album Listen is available from Edition Wandelweiser Records. In December 2020, he percussionist Michael Jones released a second Edition Wandelweiser Records release: slow, silent, singing an 80 minute glockenspiel solo. Additionally, Kevin has self-released several albums including: Three Casinos In Las Vegas (with Richard An) and Wandering Thoughts #3 (wtih DesoDuo and Matt Sargent).

Chamber Music Faculty AMP Cello Faculty @email Website

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Thomas (Tamás) Lovasz is a cellist and teacher based in Los Angeles. He received his BM in Cello Performance from the University of Pecs in Hungary and his MM in Cello Performance from California State University, Northridge.

As an active soloist, orchestral and chamber musician, Thomas had the privilege to perform with artists such as John Williams, Zoltan Kocsis, Lynn Harrell, and Istvan Vardai in countries such as Hungary, Germany and the United States. Currently, he is a member of LA and Ventura based chamber ensembles such as the Santa Barbara String Quartet or the LA Chamber Music Company. Thomas performs with multiple orchestras such as Orchestra Santa Monica, and he has also performed multiple times as a soloist with the Vietnamese American Philharmonic Orchestra.

Besides performing, Thomas enjoys teaching students of all ages. He started teaching in 2011 at his Alma Mater, the Ferenc Liszt School of Music in Hungary. Since then he has taught in numerous music schools and privately as well. Currently, he is a chamber music instructor at Los Angeles Pierce College and an elementary strings director at Village Christian School. He also coaches cello at Sierra Canyon Lower School and coaches strings at A. E. Wright, Lindero Canyon and A.C. Stelle Middle Schools. He also maintains a private cello studio in Mission Hills, CA.

Beginning Guitar @email

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Hugo Nogueira won the 2011 American Guitar Society competition in Los Angeles, California. After attending three prestigious conservatories in Brazil, he obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Composition in 2007 and a teaching credential in 2010. Hugo continued his studies earning his Master’s Degree in Guitar Performance at Azusa Pacific University. Additionally, he has had masterclasses with world class guitarists such as Ana Vidovic, Jason Vieaux, Scott Tennant, and Marc Teicholz.

Hugo has also participated at guitar festivals such as La Guitarra in San Luis Obispo, Sierra Nevada Guitar festival, and New Mexico Guitar Festival. In 2012, Hugo Nogueira performed and gave masterclasses at Cal State San Bernardino and University of Redlands.

Awarded an assistantship in the fall of 2013, Hugo began to work on his Doctorate in Classical Guitar Performance at UNLV with the internationally renowned concert guitarist, Ricardo Cobo. In 2014 and 2015, Hugo was invited to be part of the guitar competition committee at the Clark County School District, Las Vegas Academy of Arts, and Junior festival in Las Vegas, Nevada. From 2013 to 2017, while working on his terminal degree (DMA), Hugo was teaching group guitar class, theory, private lessons, and guitar ensemble at UNLV.

In the last few years, Hugo has been performing in different states across the U.S such as California, Nevada, New Mexico, Florida, Ohio and Michigan. In May 2017, Hugo Nogueira graduated with a Doctor of Musical Arts. In 2018, Dr. Nogueira is invited by the South Bay MTAC ( Music Teachers' Association of California) to give a lecture-recital about the Spanish composer, Francisco Tárrega. In October of 2019, Dr. Nogueira performed with Duo Imaginalis at the Universidad de Panamá, Facultad de Bellas Artes, in Panamá. Dr. Nogueira is currently teaching classical guitar at Los Angeles Pierce College.

Music History and Literature Music Theory String Instrument Instruction AMP Strings Faculty @email

Office Hours: Mondays 1:00 pm - 2:15 pm Zoom Thursdays 10:15 am - 11:00 am VLGE 8340-D / Zoom

Dr. Leila Núñez-Fredell plays with the DuselForty58 Chamber Ensemble, the critically acclaimed Pacific Opera Project, and Opera Ritrovata. A dedicated chamber musician, Dr. Núñez-Fredell has performed on concert series such as UCLA Live at Royce Hall, Casa Classic, Concerts at One, and Sundays Live at LACMA. Other performance engagements include collaborating with artists such as David Krakauer, John Cale, and the Borromeo String Quartet at the Italian festival Incontri in Terra di Siena. In the studio she has recorded music for films and played violin in a Funny or Die skit about Beethoven. A founding member of Dr. Núñez-Fredell is a faculty member at the Colburn Music Academy, teaching and overseeing the music history curriculum. She is a music theory instructor and applied violin teacher at Los Angeles Pierce College.

Leila Núñez-Fredell is a founding board member and violinist for Opera Ritrovata, an organization dedicated to playing chamber music and opera by composers whose voices have been suppressed by prejudice. She worked with Pico-Union Housing Corporation’s Graff Lab, an artist sanctuary, to win a 2019 Arts Activation Grant from the Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs for a Pico-Union Arts Festival which featured Opera Ritrovata. Opera Ritrovata has also made the first publicly available recording of some of the vocal music by Joseph Bologne, the “Chevalier de Saint-Georges” (1745-1799), a wonderful composer whose legacy has suffered due to racism.

With the Royce String Quartet, Dr. Núñez-Fredell won the 2013 San Diego MTAC Chamber Competition and the 2013 Ladies Musical Club of Seattle (founded 1891) Small Ensemble Competition. As winners of the Ladies Musical Club the Royce Quartet performed in Seattle and was featured in an hour-long live broadcast on Seattle’s classical music station KING-FM 98.1 Northwest Focus. The Royce Quartet’s engagements also include recitals in Palos Verdes, Rolling Hills, and San Clemente. Other performance highlights included the finals of the 68th Annual Coleman Chamber Ensemble Competition (2014), Sundays Live at LACMA, and a concert with Naumburg Competition winner Robert Davidovici.

Leila Núñez-Fredell received the degree of Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of California, Los Angeles, in June 2013. She studied violin with Movses Pogossian and Guillaume Sutre at UCLA. Other past teachers include Laurie Smukler, Timothy Ying, and Susan Waterbury; chamber coaches include Antonio Lysy, Richard O’Neill, Calvin Wiersma, Ira Weller, and the Ying and Colorado quartets. She has also received coaching and participated in master classes by Arnold Steinhardt (Guarneri Quartet), Lynn Harrell, Gilbert Kalish (SUNY Stony Brook), Luc-Marie Aguera (Ysaÿe Quartet), and Fred Sherry (Lincoln Center Chamber Music Society).

A recipient of UCLA’s prestigious Dissertation Year Fellowship, Leila Núñez-Fredell’s dissertation focused on the exchange between eighteenth- and nineteenth-century musical androids and human virtuosi: “Performing the Mechanical: Industrialism, Androids, and the Virtuoso Instrumentalist.” After completing her degree, she taught an undergraduate music history survey course as a lecturer at UCLA. Dr. Núñez-Fredell performed Arnold Schoenberg’s Phantasy, and presented on its extended techniques and use of the violin, as part of a lecture by Fred Sherry and also at an academic conference. She also serves as concertmaster of the Grassroots Chamber Orchestra in Ithaca, NY and has performed as soloist with this and other orchestras works by Beethoven, Khachaturian, Sibelius, and Brahms.

Elementary Piano AMP Piano Faculty @email Website

Office Hours: Mondays 4:40 pm - 5:15 pm VLGE 8400

Southern Californian pianist, Jason Stoll, enjoys a multifaceted career as concerto soloist, recitalist, chamber musician, educator, and collaborative artist. Past concert highlights include giving the U.S. premiere of Benjamin Britten’s Rondo Concertante for piano and strings, numerous solo recitals and chamber music throughout his native California, across the United States and internationally, and has appeared with numerous orchestras as soloist including the Santa Monica Symphony, the Loyola Law School Symphony, the MUSE/IQUE Orchestra, the North Charleston Pops, Midland-Odessa Symphony, Victoria Symphony, Miami Music Festival Orchestra, the Westlake Village Symphony, the California State University, Northridge Symphony, the Antelope Valley Symphony, the York Symphony Orchestra, and the Tehachapi Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Stoll has also competed internationally and was named a Semi-finalist in the 2015 Dublin International Piano Competition and Finalist in the 2013 American Paderewski Piano Competition. 

In addition to a busy schedule of performing as a solo artist, Mr. Stoll is also a lover of chamber music. He has been actively involved over the years in a various amount of ensembles including ACE Trio (flute, clarinet, and piano) as well as a multitude of duos, trios, quartets, etc. all with unique instrumentation and repertoire.

A versatile performer, Mr. Stoll has also performed with violinist, Lindsay Deutsch, and the genre bending trio, Take 3. Together with cellist, Mikala Schmitz, they performed an eclectic mix of music including the Beatles, Game of Thrones, Pirates of the Caribbean, current pop hits and mashups. 

Over the years, Mr. Stoll has had the privilege of participating in masterclasses working closely with many distinguished artists including Leon Fleisher, Emmanuel Ax, Stephen Hough, and Manahem Pressler. As a teacher himself, Mr. Stoll has served on the faculty of the Bronx Conservatory of Music for three years as a private piano instructor.

Mr. Stoll holds degrees from California State University, Northridge, the Juilliard School, and the Glenn Gould School of the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto. His principal teachers included John Perry, David Louie, Jerome Lowenthal, Matti Raekallio, Dmitry Rachmanov, and John Roscigno. Additionally, Mr. Stoll has attended several prestigious summer music festivals including the Miami Music Festival, Pianofest in the Hamptons, Aspen Music Festival, and the Adamant Music School. 

Currently, Mr. Stoll is a piano instructor and lecturer at California State University, Northridge, and is also a freelance pianist, masterclass presenter and adjudicator throughout the Los Angeles area. Apart from pianistic activites, Mr. Stoll is a fan of the NBA, professional tennis, juggling, and loves to live stream on Twitch.

Studio Jazz Band AMP Jazz Guitar Faculty @email Website

Office Hours: Mondays 10:00 am - 11:00 am Zoom

John founded New West Guitar Group and has been recognized by the Downbeat Student Music Awards, the National Foundation for the Advancement of the Arts, Jazz Society of Oregon, Cascade Festival of Music, Guitar Foundation of America, the ASCAP Foundation, and Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz. In 2005, John was selected as one of 10 semi-finalists in the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Guitar Competition. 

His performances with the New West Guitar Group - a guitar trio based in Los Angles - have taken him to Indonesia, the Philippines, Japan, Canada, and Germany. NWGG continues to be a driving force in the global music scene with 8 albums on the Summit Records Label, and their latest independent release "Live at the Mauch Chunk Opera House". In addition to New West, John currently performs with Spencer Day, Steve Tyrell, Sarah McKenzie, Too Marvelous for Words: The Music of Nat King Cole, Sara Gazarek, Kathleen Grace, True North Quartet, and many other LA-based jazz musicians.

In 2012, John joined actor Jeff Goldblum's "Mildred Snitzer Orchestra" and has since performed in Goldblum's weekly show at Rockwell Table and Stage. His performances in the MSO have been featured on NBC/Universal television, Comedy Central, and CBS television and reviewed in the Los Angeles Times, GQ Magazine, Vice Magazine, and Los Angeles Magazine. In 2014, their performance at the famed Carlyle Hotel in New York City received acclaim from the New York Times, New York Post, and Wall Street Journal.

In 2017, John recorded with Grammy™ Award Winning pop artists Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton for their album "You Make it Feel Like Christmas" (Interscope Records) which charted at No. 6 on the Billboard Top 100 and peaked at No. 1 on the iTunes streaming charts. 

Education:
-2006, B.M. Studio/Jazz Guitar Performance, University of Southern California
-2012, M.F.A. Jazz Guitar Performance, California Institute of the Arts

Affiliations/Endorsements:

-Traugott Guitars
-Marchione Guitars
-Reunion Blues Instrument Cases
-Henriksen Amplifiers
-Strymon Pedals
Member, Local 47 American Federation of Musician

Fundamentals of Music Music Appreciation @email

Office Hours: Tuesdays 2:20 pm - 4:05 pm VLGE 8000

Jon Titmus has made a career as a French horn player and an educator in the Los Angeles area.  He is been called on to perform with the New West Symphony, Los Angeles Master Chorale, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, and Pasadena and Pacific Symphonies.  As Principal Horn of the Los Angeles Mozart Orchestra, Jon played on the critically acclaimed recordings of Haydn and Mozart symphonies as well as many chamber music concerts.  Jon can also be heard as solo horn on the Los Angeles Master Chorale recordings of Dominick Argento’s “Te Deum,” and Philip Glass’s “Itaipu.”  He has recorded with the New West Symphony, Southwest Chamber Music, the Americus Civil War Band, and numerous movie and television soundtracks.  After graduating with an M.A. from CSUN, Jon played with the American Ballet Theatre, the New York City Opera, the Mexico City Opera, and the Coleman Education Concerts.  In addition to performing, Jon has a busy teaching schedule at various institutions of higher education and counts many years of previous teaching service with Santa Monica College, Pepperdine University, the Idyllwild Arts Academy, and the CSUN Youth Orchestra Academy.  

Music Appreciation and Music Theory AMP Composition Faculty @email Website

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A native of California, Anthony Wardzinski has composed music for orchestra, wind ensemble, chorus, as well as a wide variety of chambermusic. He studied composition with Roger Bourland, Paul Chihara, George Heussenstamm, Daniel Kessner, Ian Krause and David Lefkowitz. Dr. Wardzinski received his B.M. degree, cum laude, his M.M. with distinction from California State University, Northridge and a Ph.D in Music from the University of California, Los Angeles. He is a member of the College Music Society, the National Association of Composers/USA, and the Society of Composers,Inc. Wardzinski is also an avid bassoonist, playing in several orchestras and chamber groups in the Los Angeles area. He currently teaches music at Moorpark College, Los Angeles Pierce College, and Tamarack Arts in Southern California.

Chamber Music Performance Workshop AMP Trumpet Faculty @email

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Cameron Wilkins is an active freelance musician and educator throughout Southern California. He can be found performing with groups such as the Pacific Opera Project (POP), Culver City/Marina del Rey Symphony Orchestra, and small chamber ensembles of various genres. Cameron serves the Los Angeles and Ventura counties as a brass/trumpet clinician, private trumpet instructor, and is an adjunct instructor of trumpet at Los Angeles Pierce College. In addition to his freelance work, Cameron is currently working towards completion of a Doctoral Academic Degree in Trumpet Performance from the University of Southern California under the mentorship of Tom Hooten (Principal Trumpet/LA Philharmonic) and Jennifer Marotta (Freelance Musician). Cameron holds a Master of Music degree in Classical Trumpet Performance from California State University, Northridge under the mentorship of Jon Lewis (LA Studio Musician).

Musicianship and AMP Director @email Applied Music Program

Office Hours: Mondays 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm VLGE 8000 / Zoom Thursdays 11:30 am - 12:30 pm Zoom

Charlotte Betry is an active performer and music educator throughout the greater Los Angeles area. Ms. Betry is currently a member of the Santa Clarita Regional Theatre Orchestra, the La Canada Presbyterian Orchestra, the Afro-American Orchestra of Los Angeles, the Emmanuel Orchestra, and the Vitus Ensemble, a Modern Music Ensemble based in the San Fernando Valley. She is a substitute for the Bakersfield Symphony Orchestra and the Antelope Valley Symphony Orchestra, and is regularly called for various solo and chamber performances.

In August of 2014 and 2016, Charlotte was invited to participate at the National Flute Association’s annual convention with the Wyndfall Chamber and FluteSonic Orchestras, and in 2015 was a participant in Jim Walker’s Beyond the Masterclass at the Colburn School. Charlotte has participated in master classes with artists such as Carol Wincenc, Cathy Karoly, Tracy Harris, Mary Karen Clardy, and Anne Zentner among others.

Additionally, in 2017 she was a featured concerto soloist at the Beverly Hills International Chamber Music Festival and in 2019 Charlotte was invited to present the Warm-Ups Session at the 2nd Annual CSUN Flute Fest at California State University, Northridge. Charlotte is currently an Adjunct Faculty member at Los Angeles Pierce College where she teaches Applied Flute lessons, Musicianship, and Music Appreciation courses. Charlotte is also the Music Instructor at Los Angeles Academy of Figurative Arts where she teaches Music Appreciation. In addition to her collegiate teaching, Charlotte is the Flute Specialist at several Southern California High Schools including Valencia High School, Oak Park High School, and Thousand Oaks High School. She is the Co-Founder/Director of the Sterling Junior Flute Choir based in La Crescenta, CA and maintains a private flute studio in the San Fernando Valley. Charlotte is an active member of the Music Teacher’s Association of California where she currently serves as the Vice-President for the 2018-2020 Pasadena Branch Board. Charlotte received her Bachelor of Music (Summa Cum Laude) and Master of Music (with Distinction) degrees in Flute Performance from California State University, Northridge under the tutelage of Sandy Kipp Iles and Heather Clark.

Elementary Piano Music Theory AMP Piano Faculty @email Website

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LACMA’s Sundays Live. He toured China as piano soloist and principal keyboardist with Los Angeles Film Symphony, performing in 15 cities across the country.

Dr. Zhu is an enthusiastic educator of piano, music theory and composition. He was a featured presenter at the MTNA Collegiate Piano Pedagogy Symposium, and has been published in the California Association of Professional Music Teacher’s CAPMT Connect. He is a member of MTNA and MTAC, and serves as the President of the USC MTNA Chapter. His students have been accepted to music programs across the country, including MIT, USC and UCLA.

AMP Bass Faculty @email

Jake Leckie is a bassist whose playing is firmly rooted in the jazz tradition, and informed by classical, gospel, latin music, and hip-hop. His credits include touring with Sixto “Sugarman” Rodriguez, traveling to the Havana Jazz Festival to perform with Spanish saxophonist Gianni Gagliardi, recording two albums with Canadian pianist/composer Cat Toren for her Human Kind project, recording and touring with The Harlem Gospel Travelers, working as a session player with producer Bekon, playing SFJazz and Angel City Jazz Festival and recording Water Stem with saxophonist Hitomi Oba, and playing at The Apollo Theater and Newport Jazz Festival with piano prodigy Matthew Whitaker. He has performed with a diverse array of artists including pedal steel guitarist Susan Alcorn, avant-garde saxophonist Matana Roberts, and Grammy® Award-winning Latin Big Band Pacific Mambo Orchestra. Additionally, he has performed on the stages of Jamboree Club (Barcelona), LACMA, Mintons, Smalls and Blue Note (NYC), Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival (San Francisco), Pilgrimage Festival (Nashville), and The Montreal Jazz Festival. He produced several albums, including Chris McCarthy’s Ropeadope release Still Time To Quit, and mixed five albums by Thumbscrew (Mary Halvorson, Michael Formanek, Tomas Fujiwara). His work as a composer can be heard on PBS, BBC, HBO, CNN, and NBC. 

Born in Boston, Leckie developed an interest in improvised music at a young age studying with John Lockwood. He recorded with avant-noir pianist Ran Blake, reggae guitarist Lyn Taitt, and long time friends Eli “Paperboy” Reed and Eli Keszler. He earned a degree in Anthropology at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore while studying bass with Michael Formanek, and earned a Masters in Audio Science from the Recording Arts department of the Peabody Conservatory. He recorded his debut album The Abode in New York with trumpeter Kenny Warren, pianist Sebastien Ammann, and drummer Nathan Ellman-Bell, which was released on Outside In Music in 2019 to critical acclaim. After relocating to LA, he formed The Guide Trio with guitarist Nadav Peled and drummer Beth Goodfellow who play on his second album The Guide, a rootsy analog acoustic folk-jazz recording released on Ropeadope Records in April 2022. As a trio they have performed at The Tucson Jazz Festival, The San Joaquin Jazz Festival, and several of LA’s jazz venues. His third album of original music, Planter of Seeds, featuring The Guide Trio with pianist Cathlene Pineda, saxophonist Randal Fisher, and trombonist Darius Christian, will be released in June of 2024.

AMP Clarinet Faculty @email

Dr. Micah Wright received his degrees in clarinet performance from the USC Thornton School of Music (D.M.A.), Rice University's Shepherd School (M.M.), and Drake University (B.M.). An active musician in the Los Angeles area, Dr. Wright performs regularly in solo, chamber, orchestral, and studio settings, teaches clarinet and saxophone at Pierce College and California Lutheran University, and holds several positions as a collaborative pianist. 

Dr. Wright has received numerous prizes as a soloist and chamber musician, most recently winning the 2018 Beverly Hills National Auditions, 2nd Prize at the 2017 Backun International Clarinet Competition, Honorable Mention at the 2017 William C. Byrd International Young Artists Competition, winning the 2016 Frances Walton Competition, and winning the 2016 MTNA California Young Artist Woodwind Competition. As a concerto soloist, Dr. Wright has appeared with several ensembles including Rice University’s Shepherd School Symphony, Drake University’s Symphony Orchestra, the Masterworks Festival Orchestra, the Meyer Chamber Orchestra, the Des Moines Metro Concert Band, and the Orange County Youth Symphony Orchestra. 

AMP Jazz Guitar Faculty @email

Jarret Myers is an esteemed guitarist and educator with more than a decade of professional performance experience all around the country. He has worked with hundreds of bands, production shows, and singers in a variety of styles including jazz, blues, classical, rock, and fusion. Along with performing, Jarret considers education to be the most important aspect of continuing our musical traditions. He first attended the University of New Mexico where he studied with the great LA studio guitarist Michael Anthony. He later moved to the world-renowned University of North Texas where he graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelors of Music in jazz studies. While there, he had the opportunity to study with Fred Hamilton, Lynn Seaton, Stefan Karlsson, and Steve Weist among many others. He moved to Las Vegas to study with the unrivaled guitarist Joe Lano at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He graduated from UNLV with a Masters of Music in jazz performance, where he also lent his services as an adjunct professor teaching jazz guitar lessons and directing the university’s jazz guitar ensemble. Most recently, Jarret received a Doctorate of Musical Arts from the University of Southern California where he studied with Bruce Forman and Bob Mintzer. Jarret now resides in the Los Angeles area and continues to be a dedicated performer and teacher.

AMP Piano Faculty @email

Received his BA in music from Queens College, City University of New York, and his Master of Music from California State University LA. Originally from New York, John toured internationally for sixteen years as keyboardist and musical director for John Phillips and the Mamas and the Papas. Over the course of his career he has performed with many other artists, including Cesar Rosas (of Los Lobos), Madonna, Chuck Berry, Rupert Homes, Lou Christi, Lesley Gore, and Chris Montez. His Broadway credits include keyboard of Les Miserables, Cats, and Leader of the Pack. After relocating to Los Angeles, John composed, orchestrated and conducted The Enlightenment, which debuted in 2007 at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center, Long Beach. Since 2004, John has been a full-time lecturer in the music department at CSU Northridge, and continues to be active in the Los Angeles Music society.

AMP Saxophone Faculty @email

Shai Golan is an Israeli saxophonist currently residing in Los Angeles. Shai has performed with numerous distinguished artists including David Binney, Billy Childs, Walter Smith III, Chris Potter, Nate Wood, Louis Cole, John Daversa, Ali Shaheed Muhammad, Adrian Younge, Estelle, and Black Thought. As a touring musician, Shai has performed internationally at music festivals around the world, including Brazil, Ecuador, China, Thailand, Russia, and numerous countries in Europe. He graduated with a Master’s Degree in Jazz Arts from the Manhattan School of Music in 2017 and with a Bachelor’s Degree from California State University Northridge in 2015. Shai is currently teaching at California State University Northridge and at Pierce College.

AMP Voice Faculty @email Website

Born and raised in Southern California, April Amante is a versatile soprano with expertise and facility in repertoire spanning from early music to contemporary musical theater. Her strong musicianship draws her toward contemporary and modern music. Five-time Grammy award winner, John Corigliano (The Ghosts of Versailles, The Red Violin, Symphony No. 2) once described Amante’s singing as “beautiful [with …] a long line and a beautiful sound …”

April most recently made her Carnegie Hall solo debut as Mrs. Sinclair in Eric Whitacre's The Gift of the Magi for the New York City premiere with DCINY. In 2020 she made her Los Angeles Opera debut as the Solo Soprano Voice and Chorus Soloist in the world premiere of Matthew Aucoin's "Eurydice". She has been the Soprano Soloist for Handel's "Messiah" with the Los Angeles Master Chorale twice (both performed in Walt Disney Concert Hall) and once for the Santa Barbara Choral Society in Hahn Hall at the Music Academy of the West. April sang the Mozart Requiem Soprano Solo with the Angeles Chorale, and was one of the Vocal Soloists in Dylan Mattingly's Bakkhai with Jacaranda Music for their 2022 season opener. April played the role of Mrs. Sinclair in the world premiere of Eric Whitacre's mini-opera "The Gift of the Magi" at Walt Disney Concert Hall at the 2019 Los Angeles Master Chorale's Festival of Carols concert. She has performed and covered mainstage roles with Pittsburgh Festival Opera, Opera San Luis Obispo, Pacific Opera Project, New York City Opera's 'Opera for Kids!', and the Los Angeles Opera Outreach Program. Favorite roles performed include Laurey (Oklahoma), Johanna (Sweeney Todd), Pamina and First Lady (Die Zauberflöte), Frasquita (Carmen), and Lauretta (Gianni Schicchi). She has been a featured soloist with the Opera San Luis Obispo Grand Orchestra in concert at the Vina Robles Amphitheater and  Opera San Luis Obispo’s Broadway by the Sea.

In addition to her performance credits, April was most recently selected as a Semifinalist in the Music International Grand Prix Classical Voice Competition (2022), and the Camerata Bardi International Vocal Competition (2021). She was also a Semifinalist in the Loren L. Zachary Opera Competition (2019), the Lyra New York Mozart Vocal Competition 2018 (Opera Category), the James Toland Vocal Arts Competition 2018, and in the 29th International Nuits Lyriques de Marmande Competition 2017 in Marmande, France. She was the winner of the 42nd Annual American Educators of Italian Origin United (AEIOU) Opera Competition in 2012, a finalist in the 36th Annual Carmel Music Society Vocal Competition, and a finalist in the NATS National Musical Theater Competition in 2014. April holds a Doctorate of Musical Arts (D.M.A.) from the University of California Santa Barbara in Vocal Performance where she studied with Isabel Bayrakdarian. She received her Master of Music (MM) from the University of Arizona, and her Bachelor of Music (B.M.) magna cum laude from California State University Northridge.

AMP Voice Faculty @email

American baritone, Ralph Cato has traveled the world extensively, telling stories in song using his warm, clarion baritone. A graduate of the University of Southern California and the University of California in Los Angeles, Cato has always been a champion of performance and education.

Cato studied musical theater with Paul Gleason and later with John Hall at UCLA. Later, he traveled extensively with Albert McNeil’s Jubilee Singers as a featured soloist. He sang his first Carmina Burana, with the Estonia National Symphony and it has become a work he has since sung numerous times to critical acclaim.  In Köln, Germany, he sang the Mozart Vesperes Sollennes de Confessore Mass with the Cologne Philharmonic and will sing the baritone role in Carmina Burana this spring. He has sung the title role in Gianni Schicchi, Sharpless (Madama Butterfly), Marcello (La Boheme), Sonora (Fanciulla del West), Germont (LaTraviata), Escamillo (Carmen) and Tonio (I Pagliacci). In Porgy and Bess, he has portrayed Sportin’ Life, Porgy and Jake as well as Peter and Robbins all in different productions.  Cato has toured Europe, China, Canada, Australia, and the US as a featured soloist with the Irish dance show Riverdance. and was a part of the ensemble in Baz Luhrman’s La Boheme.  He has performed with Los Angeles Opera, Los Angeles Master Chorale, Bangor Symphony, Long Beach Symphony, San Bernadino Symphony, Symphony Silicon Valley, Stockton Symphony, The California Philharmonic, The Pacific Symphony, The Southeast Symphony, The Pacific Chorale, Chorale bel Canto, and The Santa Barbara Choral Society.

When not performing, Cato teaches applied voice and diction to singers at UC Riverside and Los Angeles Valley College.

Terrence has performed some of the most celebrated roles in opera: Ferrando in Mozart’s Così Fan Tutte, Mack the Knife in The Threepenny Opera, Paolino in Domenico’s Secret Marriage. But for Terence Trevor Lopez Panganiban, there’s a part out there he was practically born to play—one that represents a glorious melding of three important elements of his life. It’s the role of Ibarra, the hero of Felipe Padilla de León’s Noli Me Tangere, the first all-Tagalog opera composed in the Western tradition. The story is based on the writings of José Rizal, the profoundly influential 19th-century Philippine independence hero, martyr, and Freemason. 

It’s easy to understand the appeal for Panganiban, whose pride in his heritage and affinity for Masonry are personified in Ibarra. It’s also a tidy encapsulation of the East-meets-West alchemy that distinguishes so much of the culture of the Philippines—and which Panganiban celebrates through his work.

It wouldn’t be the first time Panganiban’s Masonic and professional worlds have collided. Offstage, prior to a performance in Manila several years ago, Panganiban was introduced to the pianist Nathaniel Silva, a member of Gardena Moneta No. 372, where Silva is the lodge organist. Four years later, it was a connection of Silva’s, Jovi Rivera, who invited Panganiban to perform at Torrance University No. 394’s America’s Got Talent–style concert. Panganiban, whose father had been a grand lodge officer in the Philippines, knew he’d found kindred spirits among the musical Masons, and in 2012 he petitioned to join the lodge.

Since then, Panganiban’s voice has been a staple at Masonic gatherings. By his estimation, he’s performed during at least 20 officer installations, and in 2014 he was invited to sing Andrea Boccelli’s “Because We Believe” at then-Grand Master John Cooper’s banquet. “My whole family came from the Philippines,” Panganiban says. “It was a way of saying thank you to Filipino Americans for sending so much relief back home.” 

The performance was a success, and two years later, Panganiban was invited to sing an aria from Mozart’s famous Masonic opera, The Magic Flute. 

Panganiban has found success as a performer outside Masonry, as well. As an undergraduate at Manila’s Santo Tomas University, he was a featured soloist with the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra. After relocating to the United States (his mother is American, and the family lived in Southern California off and on during Panganiban’s youth), Panganiban joined the Land of Enchantment Opera in Gallup, New Mexico, and performed with the Taos Opera Institute—all while receiving a master’s degree at Cal State Fullerton.

Panganiban has been something of a trailblazer as a Filipino American vocalist. Opera was first introduced to the Philippines in the 19th century, and while the major companies there still mainly perform the canonical works from European composers like Puccini and Verdi, the islands have developed a distinct local take on the form. That heritage can be seen in the Philippine sarswela, a short operetta that blends singing and folk dancing. In form and name, it’s adapted from the Spanish zarzuela, a style seldom seen in the United States. “Our training growing up was more of what you’d call bel canto, or ‘beautiful singing,’” he says—a centuries-old technique.

Though Filipinos are still relatively uncommon among the upper echelon of opera performers, a small number have started to break through. Panganiban points to the tenors Noel Velasco and Arthur Espiritu, the first Filipino to sing at the famed La Scala in Milan. Now a new generation of Filipino and Filipino American performers arebreaking through. “It’s getting more diverse,” Panganiban says of the opera world. “But it’s really competitive. It’s a lot of behind-the-scenes work in the choir before we ever hear from most performers. But we’re getting there.”

AMP Voice Faculty @email Website

Marisa Rawlins-Bradfield is a Los Angeles native who has been an active member of the choral community for the past twenty years.  From an early age, she had the opportunity to sing for radio, television, and feature films, along with performing with some of the most prestigious vocal ensembles in the United States.  Ms. Bradfield is currently the Performing Arts Program Director, Department Chair, & Choral Music Director at Providence High School in Burbank, California. Her dedication to music education and vocal music also extends into the college environment where she is a member of the voice faculty at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, California.  Marisa is passionate about the art of singing and believes in being of professional service. Outside of her teaching, she serves as the Vice President of the Southern California Vocal Association (SCVA) Vocal Solo Competition and is the Music Director at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Granada Hills where she conducts the adult and children’s chorus. 

In the Fall of 2021, Marisa was named as Artistic Director of the San Fernando Valley Youth Choir, an ensemble that provides inclusive opportunities for artistic and personal growth through superior choral instruction, arts education, community outreach, and performance.  In past years, she has served as the Artistic Director of the Los Angeles All-Diocese Queen of Angels Honor Choir and the Choral Director at the Los Angeles Music and Art School (LAMusArt). Under her direction, the LAMusArt choral ensemble performed at Luckman Performing Arts Center, The Broad Stage, The Aratani Japan American Theater, The Ford Amphitheater, The Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, and many other civic events in the Los Angeles community.

Ms. Bradfield received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Music Education from California State University, Northridge where she studied with Paul Smith and attended Mount San Antonio College where she studied with Bruce Rogers.  Ms. Bradfield holds a Master of Arts degree in Music Education and Teaching Credential from the University of Southern California, where she was the recipient of the USC Flora L. Thornton School of Music 2009 Honors Convocation, D ’Addario Foundation Achievement Award.  In the fall of 2022, Marisa returned to her alma mater to pursue her DMA in Choral Music at the University of Southern California.  

Marisa has had the pleasure of working with professional recording artists, conservatory music program students, and individuals who love to sing as a hobby. Her students have appeared on the Disney Channel, ABC, FOX, Lifetime, along with notable performances at the Hollywood Bowl, the Luckman Performing Arts Center, The Broad Stage, the Aratani Japan American Theater, the Ford Amphitheater, the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, and the House of Blues. Marisa enjoys coaching students on audition preparation and has had successful acceptances to the University of Southern California, Berklee College of Music, University of California, Santa Barbara, Chapman University, Renaissance Arts Academy, the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts, & Colburn School of Music.