Noam B. (guitar/piano/violin/bass/voice/drums)
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 a diverse range of instruments for ten years, alongside directing classical and contemporary ensembles for all ages.
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.
Liz Hogg (owner)
Liz is a classical/electric guitarist and composer/songwriter from Brooklyn, NY. She became owner of Sonder School of Music in 2022. As a performer, she has toured 26 countries and 22 US states as a soloist and in various groups, 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. As a teacher, she has taught at Sarah Lawrence College and other universities in addition to several schools throughout NYC, as well as given masterclasses in Holland and Argentina. She has won numerous grants and awards from organizations including Chamber Music America, Citizens Committee for New York City, Queens College and Mannes College and has released around a dozen albums on labels including Albany, Aagoo, Centaur, & Don Giovanni. Her recordings and performances have been noted or reviewed in publications including The New Yorker, The New York Times, NME, Big Takeover, Classical Guitar Magazine and MTV. She holds a masters degree from Mannes College and a bachelor’s degree from Aaron Copland School of Music, both in classical guitar, and attended LaGuardia High School for instrumental music.
Albert K. (guitar/piano/bass/composition)
Albert is a professional composer and songwriter from Miami, Florida. He has been making music for over twenty years and teaching for fifteen years. He attended Berklee College of Music and is currently the house composer for the Brooklyn Center for Theatre Research.
José M. (woodwinds/piano)
Born in Havana, Cuba, José began his musical journey at the Amadeo Roldán Conservatory at age eleven. He later earned an excellence scholarship to study saxophone performance and music education at Georgia State University. José has performed in world-renowned venues such as Carnegie Hall & Jazz at Lincoln Center and collaborated with leading artists including Timothy McAllister & Miguel Zenón. Winner of international competitions including American Protégé as well as London’s Virtuoso Competition, he is also an experienced educator with over six years of teaching in high schools and music academies in both Cuba and the United States. Fluent in English and Spanish, José is dedicated to guiding students in developing strong technical and artistic skills on saxophone and piano.
Rianne M. (guitar/piano/drums/voice/bass)
Rianne is a guitarist and educator based in New York City. In 2009 she was awarded a scholarship to the Manhattan School of Music, where she studied with guitarist-composers David Leisner and Mark Delpriora and performed in master classes for Martha Masters and Benjamin Verdery. She received her B.M. in Music Performance in 2014 and completed her graduate studies in Music Education at the Conservatory of Music of Brooklyn College. She has been teaching guitar lessons for 15 years, both privately and as part of extracurricular music programs at private schools (the Wetherby-Pembridge School, La Scuola D’Italia) and for summer music programs (the Preparatory Center For the Performing Arts at Brooklyn College). She regularly performs as both a soloist and as a member of the New York City Classical Guitar Orchestra, the Sheer Pluck Guitar Orchestra, and her rock band Urban Scarlet at venues across New York City including the National Opera Center, Theater for the New City, and Roulette Intermedium.
Luis M. (violin/piano/cello)
Luis is a violinist and composer from Anchorage, Alaska whose talent and dedication has led him to excel in various musical endeavors on local and national stages. Throughout high school he earned co-principal positions in the Anchorage Youth Symphony and ASAA All-State Orchestra. He also won multiple Command Performance awards in the state Solo and Ensemble Festival and gained early professional experience as a founding member of Ensemble Summa. In addition, Luis participated in Carnegie Hall’s National Youth Ensembles, culminating in his final year where he toured Europe with the National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America. Post-graduation, he gained tenure with the Anchorage Symphony Orchestra, with whom he also had his first premiere. He is wrapping up his Bachelor of Arts in Music, studying composition under Professor Bruce Saylor and violin performance under Professor Daniel Phillips.
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, releasing his first album senior year of high school. He has studied guitar under multiple teachers throughout his teenage years, allowing him to approach songwriting from diverse 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. Throughout his teaching career spanning over seven 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 students to develop their own unique voice on the guitar. His instruction focuses on music theory, rhythm and lead playing, songwriting and improvisation skills, sight reading, ear training, fingerstyle and other important aspects of developing a well-rounded skill set. His commitment to providing comprehensive music education and adapting to his students’ needs has helped him build lasting relationships with countless students. Sam graduated with a degree in music from the University of Buffalo.
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 thirteen 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 recently graduated as a double major in general music & music education at the Aaron Copland School of Music along with guitar studies there under William Anderson. Always passionate about music, Murad has been playing guitar zealously since the age of six and teaching for many years throughout his home neighborhood and at several public schools. His specialty is classical guitar, but he also plays and teaches acoustic and electric guitar, as well as ukulele, drums and piano.
David S. (piano/voice)
David is a classical pianist and devoted piano teacher who is presently working towards his Bachelor of Music in Solo Performance at Manhattan School of Music under the instruction of Dr. Jiayin Li. He was born in Cluj-Napoca, Romania started piano studies there when he was eight years old. From there, he continued with a wide-ranging international musical education in Spain, Romania, France, and the USA. Throughout his musical career, he has worked with world class teachers including Monica Noveanu, Lucian Gheju, Daniel Goiți, Dimitri Bashkirov, and Hugues Leclère. His teaching style is based on a solid technical background and a strong understanding and awareness of style. As an educator, David has a reputation for being very patient, organized, and encouraging. He has a proven track record of working effectively with students of all ages and levels. His teaching approach focuses on healthy technique, musical expression, and the cultivation of artistic growth. In addition to teaching, David keeps an active performance career, performing in solo and
chamber music recitals throughout Europe and the United States, and is a prizewinner of several national and international competitions, including the Golden Classical Music Awards International Competition. He regularly draws on this performance experience to help students build confidence, musical independence, and effective practice habits. He has participated in masterclasses with leading international artists and attended prestigious summer programs such as the Luzerne Music Center, Sighișoara Academy, and Sonoro Interferente on full scholarship. He has further been supported by the MOL Romania Foundation, the Albéniz Foundation, and Manhattan School of Music.
Aizhan S. (piano/voice)
Aizhan started to play piano at age six in a musical school and by the age of fourteen she started on the professional path as a choral conductor, studying at the Music College of Pavlodar (Kazakhstan). In 2018, Aizhan won the National Scholarship of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan. She moved to Yekaterinburg (Russia) in 2019 to continue her education at Ural State Conservatory with a major in choral conducting and was an assistant conductor in the ensemble “Sinara Singers”. In 2023, Aizhan entered the piano performance department of Montclair State University. Since 2025, she has been serving as the organist at Grace Lutheran Church.
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 accomplished 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!