Noam B. (guitar/piano/violin/bass/voice)

Noam is a guitarist, pianist, and composer from Jerusalem. He has written, arranged, and composed music ranging from classical to jazz to rock. He studied at the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance before coming to New York to study music performance, audio production, and music education at the Aaron Copland School of Music. Noam has been teaching most instruments for eight years, alongside directing classical and contemporary ensembles for all ages.

Conklin C. (violin/viola/piano)

Conklin has had a rich and varied career as a violinist and teacher for the past thirty-five years in the NYC area. He studied violin and piano with Robert Harris as an undergraduate at Juilliard and thereafter earned his masters in violin at City College. He currently performs as principal violinist and violist with the Lehman Symphony Orchestra, and has also been a member of the Jackson Heights Orchestra, the NY String Society, and the Forest Hills Symphony Orchestra. His teaching experience includes a wide array of public schools, adult continuing education, nursing & rehabilitation homes, and private lessons to youth and school-age children.

Antonio E. (piano)

Antonio has been playing piano since the age of seven in his native country of Spain. He is currently pursuing his second master’s degree in piano performance as a scholarship student at the New School in Manhattan, and previously earned a masters degree in music research from the Universidad Internacional de Valencia as well as a Bachelors in piano performance from Barcelona’s Conservatori del Liceu. He has been teaching piano for over ten years to students of all levels and backgrounds. He looks forward to sharing his expertise with the future generation!

Michele G. (piano/voice)

Michele began studying piano at the age of seven. At the age of eleven he got admitted into the “F. Cilea” conservatory in Reggio Calabria and made his recital debut with their string orchestra as soloist in Haydn’s famous Piano Concerto in D Major. He graduated at the age of fifteen with full marks, honors and honorable mention under the guidance of professor Delia Cappuccilli. He acquired CFU credits in areas of teaching including musical pedagogy and psychology. Over the past several years, he has taught a wide range of ages and levels and enjoys integrating artistic and educational methodology with theory, harmony and music history. He also developed and published a training method to enhance learning efficiency and develop essential skills in children with autism. Michele has performed several prestigious concerts as a soloist and in the field of chamber music. He has a large and versatile orchestral repertoire that includes no less than 30 concertos for piano and orchestra. In December 2020 he obtained a master’s degree in musicology and performing arts with a score of 110/110 and honors at the University of Tor Vergata in Rome. In March 2023 he got a second master degree in classical piano performance at the Aaron Copland School of Music in NYC. In addition to piano, Michele plays organ, violin and guitar. He is fluent in Italian and English.

Lucas G. (violin/viola/piano/cello)

Lucas is a classical violist based in NYC. He began his musical journey at the age of seven and since has performed in venues such as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Kupferberg Center, and Lefrak Concert Hall. He often premieres new composer’s works and is also a classical composer himself. He was a finalist in the 2022 Leipzig Bach competition judged by Daniel Philips and Marcy Rosen, some of the world’s finest chamber musicians. Lucas is also a media composer who has worked on indie video games, film festivals, and competitions. His most recent film score has won a “Best Short Production” award and also received three semi-finalist spots on a national level. Lucas composed and recorded the viola part for most of the score’s soundtrack. He’s currently wrapping up his performance and education dual degree at Queens College’s Aaron Copland School of Music.

Liz Hogg (owner)

Liz Hogg (b. 1993) is a guitarist and composer/songwriter from Brooklyn, NY. Hogg has been described as possessing “energy, expressive dynamics and phrasing” (American Record Guide), “fantastic work” (Classical Guitar Magazine) and “playing with a more distinctive and original approach that includes quickly-strummed chords, chiming arpeggios, and rapid-fire picking” (Geoff Cabin). Her playing has been further characterized as “strong, precise, and powerful” (Bushwick Daily), “radiating in its own light” (New Noise Magazine), carrying “élan and fine precision” (Fanfare), and “displaying a confrontational spectrum of emotions” (Music & Riots). As both a classical guitarist and performer of her original music, Hogg has toured thirteen countries and thirteen US states playing numerous festivals and concert halls, including SXSW, Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and Brookfield Place, as well as Portugal’s Casa da Música and Mexico’s Tlaqná Concert Hall. She has received grants from Chamber Music America, Citizens Committee for New York City, Queens College and Mannes College and won awards including the Mannes School of Music Dean’s Award and the Maurice Kagan Memorial Scholarship Award for Excellence in an Orchestral Instrument. Hogg has recorded around a dozen albums, self-released and released by labels Mouca, Albany, Acuarela, Marsyas, Centaur and Don Giovanni, some of which, in addition to performances have garnered reviews from The New York Times, NME, Big Takeover and MTV. Hogg holds a Master of Music in classical guitar from Mannes School of Music and a Bachelor of Music in classical guitar from Aaron Copland School of Music; her teachers included Michael Newman, William Anderson and David Starobin. Since completing school in 2017, she has taught guitar at Sarah Lawrence College, Jubilee University and throughout the northeast and Amsterdam. She currently performs and writes solo and in various groups, and teaches privately in addition to owning and operating Sonder since 2022.

Sam O. (guitar)

Sam is singer-songwriter and guitar instructor from Syracuse, NY. He moved to New York City to pursue a life in music in 2018.  Always in love with the craft of songwriting, he started writing songs at the age of ten and began recording his music just a few years later, having released his first album in his senior year in high school. He has studied guitar under multiple teachers throughout his teenage years, allowing him to approach songwriting from multiple perspectives. Often approaching his music on the acoustic guitar, Obrist continues to build upon his catalog of introspective and imaginative indie-folk songs while playing a variety of shows around NYC on a regular basis. He enjoys supporting the local talent he has become embedded with as well. Throughout his teaching career spanning over five years, Obrist has developed an approach that not only focuses on technical skills but also nurtures a deep understanding and appreciation for creativity, allowing his student body to develop their own unique voices on the guitar. His instruction focuses on music theory, rhythm and lead playing, songwriting and improvisation skills, music reading, ear training, fingerstyle and other important aspects of developing a well-rounded skill set on the guitar. His commitment to providing comprehensive music education and adapting to his students’ needs has helped him build lasting relationships with many of his students. Sam graduated with a degree in music from the University of Buffalo.

Frank P. (sax/trumpet/trombone/clarinet/violin/piano)

Frank, freelance musician, has been performing professionally for over 40 years on sax, trombone, euphonium, clarinet, baritone horn and bass trombone in the New York Metropolitan area. A graduate of The Juilliard School and Manhattan School of Music, Frank earned Masters degrees in Music Performance and Music Education. He has played with over 50 different orchestras, concert bands, brass ensembles and big bands, and has subbed on Broadway. In addition to being a full-time performer and teacher, Frank is a music contractor, a brass instrument and music instructor, and a brass and woodwind musical instrument repairman.

Khrystyna R. (piano)

As the third generation of musicians in her family, Khrystyna is a professional pianist and teacher with a bachelor’s degree from the Kyiv Academy of Gliere. She follows the Heinrich Neuhaus teaching method, which places emphasis on proper hand positioning for optimal comfort while playing virtuoso works. Khrystyna has over 10 years of experience working with students of all ages and has participated in various festivals since the age of seven in her native Ukraine.

Murad S. (guitar/drums/ukulele/piano/bass)

An Elmhurst native, Murad is wrapping up his double major in general music & music education at the Aaron Copland School of Music along with guitar studies there with William Anderson. Murad has always been passionate about music, playing guitar zealously since the age of 6 and teaching for many years throughout his home neighborhood and at various public schools. His specialty is classical guitar, but he also plays and teaches acoustic and electric guitar, as well as ukulele, drums and piano.

Alphonso V. (drums/piano)

Percussionist Alphonso is embodying what it means to be an adaptable drummer. Growing up in Queens, he was surrounded by music of all genres and styles for most of his life. He studied percussion at Frank Sinatra School of The Arts and at Queens College’s Aaron Copland School of Music and has developed an eclectic taste in music spanning multiple genres and styles such as classical, Afro-Cuban, funk, rock, gospel and more. He has a vast number of performances under his belt, including performances with groups such as Talujon, Gamelan Yowana Sari, the New Westchester Symphony Orchestra and the Eternal Love Baptist Church, as well as the myriad of performances done while attending high school and college, All City marching band, outreach performances at high schools, and several off Broadway shows. Alphonso teaches drums and percussion to students from beginner to advanced, in addition to piano. He also has experience teaching students with special needs with patience and understanding. Alphonso is excited to share his knowledge with the next generation of musicians!

Debbie Y. (voice/piano/flute)

Debbie is a NYC native multi-instrumentalist who specializes in voice, along with piano and flute. Debbie is passionate about passing on her knowledge and love of music to her students, and focuses on a student-based approach to allow each pupil to reach their individual music goals in their own unique way. She believes that music is one of the greatest joys in life and strives to bring that joy to every lesson and performance. She is a graduate of Adelphi University with a Bachelor’s degree in Music Education, where she not only refined her performance skills, but also developed her teaching technique. Debbie has performed in various ensembles at Adelphi including the Vocal Ensemble, Concert Band, and Orchestra, as well as in many shows including various musical theatre revues and operas. Since then, she’s enjoyed making music in all shapes and forms through both teaching and performance.