*Dr. RAY LANDERS  (Yardly, PA)   Founder/Director of the original Chicago Suzuki Institute and the International Music Festivals.  BM from Sherwood Conservatory of Music, MM from Northwestern University School of Music, Doctorate from Jacobs School of Music, Indiana University.  Founder and former teacher at The Suzuki Music Academy of Chicago. Former faculty member at Chicago State University (tenured), American Conservatory of Music (Chicago), Settlement Music School (Philadelophia), Montclair State University Prep (NJ), Mannes College of Music Prep (New York City), Westminster Choir College Conservatory (head, Suzuki Dept.) (NJ), Has taught and performed in 45 American states and in the following  countries: Australia, Austria (Vienna), Canada, China, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, Portugal, and Russia. Author of "The Talent Education School of Suzuki-An Analysis" and "Talent Education Curriculum Guide" and several recordings (Daniel Press), and "Is Suzuki Education Working in America?" and "Second Piano Accompaniments" (Volumes A and B, books and recordings) (Alfred Co.) Author of 24 articels for the American Suzuki Journal, and articles for other magazines (Suzuki World, Piano Quarterly, New Zealand Suzuki News) and newsletters. Listed in Who's Who in Entertainment and Who's Who Among International Educators. He is proud to have taught and performed for thousands of students worldwide. He firmly believes that, as Dr. Suzuki often stated, "all children can be educated"; he enjoys working with students of all ages and abilities.  His methodology combines the best of Suzuki's Talent Education (he observed Dr. Suzuki and other Japanese teachers in Japan and America, having written his doctoral dissertation on application of the Suzuki approach to piano and other subjects) and other innovative educators. He has had classes or seminars with Edwin Gordon, Howard Gardner, Frances Clark, Guy Duckworth, and Robert Pace.  His teachers have included Madeline Webster, Herbert Renison, Guy Duckworth, Pauline Lindsey, Ivan Davis, George Bolet, and Walter Robert in piano and Veda Pettit and Herbert Clark for organ, and Stanley Davis for clarinet.  For his Bachelor of Music degree he majored in piano and minored in organ; for the Master's his major was piano, minors were music history and theory; for the Doctorate, his major was piano performance and pedagogy with minors in education, music history, and psychology. He has participated in the Tchaikovsky Intewrnational Piano Competition in Moscow, the Vianna da Motta in Lisbon, Portugal, the Sullivan Awards in Chicago, and the American Rockefeller International Competition in Chicago.  He has performed in many distinguished venues, including, Chicago's Orchestra Hall, Auditorium Theatre, Lyric Opera House, Cultural Center, and Grant Park Band Shell, Portugal's Vianna da Motta Hall, Vienna's House of Music, Moscow's Great Tchaikosky Hall, Trenton's War Memorial, and various university halls in America and other countries.  His students have performed in many of these halls also and in other halls such as Carnegie Hall (New York), Kimmel Center (Philadelphia), Curtis Institute (Philadelphia), Meadowland Stadium (New York), Madison Square Garden (New York), Blossom Music Festival (Cleveland), His students have appeared on various national television shows.Dr. Landers has performed as piano or organist soloist with fifteen orchestras, including the Chicago Chamber Orchestra, the Sherwood Symphony, the Gold Coast Orchestra (Chicago), the Indiana University Philharmonic, the Chicago String Ensemble (harpsichord), the Colorado Suzuki Institute Orchestra, the Westminster Conservatory Orchestra (Princeton NJ) the South Carolina Insittute Orchestra, and others.  Dr. Landers, like Dr. Suzuki, believes that music is learned not necessarily as a career goal (though many of today's famous musicians were Suzuki trained), but rather as a means to a more happy and successful life. The discipline, sensitivity, and intelligence gained through music studies leads to gains in many aspects of human existance.  Like Dr. Suzuki, Dr. Landers is eclectic in his approach, combining the best of old and new approaches in search for the best instruction for each individual student.  He is a strong advocate of the "mother tongue talent education" philosophy advocated by Shinichi Suzuki and incorporated into many other educator's methodologies.  He is a Suzuki Association of the Americas sanctioned teacher trainer.

LIEST HOOK LANGMACK (Highland Heights, OH)   Liesl is a popular Suzuki violin and viola teacher in the greater Cleveland area. Her mother, Mrs. Cross is also a well known Clevelenad area teacher. Liesl has studios in her home and is also on the faculty of the Suzuki Program at the Cleveland Institute of Music.  She has taught lessons, repertoire classes, and chamber music and has performed for concerts for several years at IMF.  Liesl has Bachelor and Master of Music degrees in music and has had extensive SAA Suzuki teacher training. Her B.M. is from Baldwin-Wallace College Conservatory of Music; her M.M. is from the University of Akron.  Her principal violin studies were with  Dr. Gary Kosloski, Alan Bodman, and Stephan Clapp. Her string pedagogy studies were at the Cleveland Insitute of Music and her Suzuki teacher training was with several major leaders in the American Talent Education movement, Alice Joy Lewis, David and Terri Eindfeldt, and Linda Flore.  Liesl has participated in numerous Suzuki institutes including those in Ithaca NY, Chicago IL, Ottawa Canada, Cleveland OH, and North Carolina. She is a member of the Mansfield Symphony, and a substitute for the Canton Symphony and Erie Phiharmonic. We are happy to welcome Liesl back to IMF and look forward to her bubbly personality, her great teaching and performing.

*LAUREL ANN MAURER  (Colchester, VT)   Laurel Ann is an extraordinary flute teacher and performer with several published beautiful CD's to her credit.  She has a Bachelor of Music degree from the City University of New York (CUNY). Her flute studies have been with numerous renowned teachers, including Julius Baker, Jeanne Baxtresser, Samuel Baron, and the extraordinary Toshio Takahashi from Japan (the author of the Suzuki Flute School Method.)   She is currently a flute instructor at Saint Michael's College in Cochester and performs with the Vermont Contemporary Ensemble and the Vermont Symphony.  Laurel  Ann has over 12 realased CD's and is well known as a consumate performer with a wide range of repertoire.  She has been a Suzuki instructor since 1988 and an SAA sanctioned teacher trainer since 2006.  She states that "My love of music has culminated into the realization that I have a responsibility to educate the next generation.  It is also a great privilege to develop musical skills in children."  Laurel Ann was a founder of the Intermountain Flute, Piano, and Guitar Institute in Salt Lake City, UT.  IMF is very happy to welcome back this very gifted and giving musician.  Flute teachers last year were unanimous in their high praise of their sessions with her and the entire IMF membership benefited from her wonderful performances. 

ALYSSA MICHAUD (Westlake, OH)   Alyssa attended IMF for the past five years as a teenage student (so she definitely is the one who can show you the ropes if you are lost) along with her brother, Scott, and her mother, Paula (who also does administrative work for IMF).  Alyssa, or Aly, may be an alumni, but she just can't bear to leave! Residing normally in Westlake, OH, she is currently a student at Wittenberg Univeristy in Springfield, OH, where she studies business, theatre, and dance. She has had training in flute with Kim Hook, and in piano with Hanna Zaphe and Katie Cross. Her voice lesson credits go to private teacher, Jennie Naida, and Baldwin-Wallace Conservatory instructor, Norma Codespotti. During the festival you will find her most usually in one of two places, the rehearsal space for the family musical (where she, along with Audra Sloan) is assisting Dr. Hauck, in directing the "Lion King," or at the front desk answering your questions as an assistant to the festival directors. She is also working a summer internship for teaching kids ages 2 to 9 at the local preschool, Fit By Five.  Aly has been in many musical productions, and she most recently played Marcy Parks in the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at her university,  She has had lead roles in "Peter Pan" and "Beauty and the Beast" in previous IMF productions. As Vice President and winner of the Optimism Award of her showchoir in high school, Aly LOVES all singing and dancing. Ever since she could, she has been taking center stage and attempting to win over audiences. Part of this love for performance comes from the realization of the amazing ability it gives one to spread joy and happiness to others. Aly discovered this singing in the car with her mom, Paula, at a young age. To tie this all up, Aly is so excited to be part of the family musical staff for the Lion King and knows you will enjoy the show!!

*Dr. GARIK PEDERSEN (Ypsilanti, MI)   Dr. Pedersen is a full Professor of Music at Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti.  He has Bachelor of Music, Master of Music, and Doctor of Music Degrees in piano performance and pedagogy. Also, Dr. Pedersen has had extensive training with Dr. Edwin Gordon, the founder of the famous Gordon Learning Theory Method,  who was listed in Music Educators Journal as one of the five most influential music educators of the twentieth century. That list also included Suzuki, Orff, Kodaly and Dalcroze.  Dr. Pedersen studied with Dr. Gordon and worked with Marilyn Lowe, helping her in the development of the new Gordon Piano Method.  The Gordon principles have been applied to American public schools for many years and have had a major influence on music education, especially that in the earliest years.  The Gordon course that Dr. Pedersen is teaching wiill be beneficial for all instrumentalists and for parents in helping them understand even better the early learning theories.  The "audiation" aspect of the Gordon Method will especially benefit Suzuki teachers and families in understanding the importance of listening. This aspect of the Suzuki Method is not always understood well in America. Dr. Pedersen's teachers have included renowned artists Wesley True, John Simon, Gyorgy Sebok (for many years the accompanist for famous cellist Janos Starker at Indiana University) and Eugene Besset. He has twenty-five years of teaching experience in the college setting and also at various institutes, festivals, and workshops, including the renowned Interlochen Arts Camp, the Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp, and others in Michigan, Indiana, Iowa, Washington, and Taiwan. He has given lectures and master classes and has served as adjudicator in nineteen states.  Dr. Pedersen is a Steinway artist and a fantastic pianist who often presents innovative audience pleasing programs.  One such program even had him tap dancing.  We welcome for the first time to IMF this outstanding musician.

WILLIAM PREUCIL, JR.,  (Cleveland, OH)    Renowned soloist, chamber musician, orchestra member, clinician.  Mr. Preucil is the Concertmaster of the famous Cleveland Orchestra and member of the Clevelan Quartet.  He parents, Doris and William Sr., both served as Presidents of the Suzuki Association of the Americas.  They direct the Pruuecil School of Music, where William Jr. got his start in violin study.  He has performed as soloist and as orchestra member in various American orchestras, including the Cleveland, Santa Fe, and others.  IMF is honored to have hom present master classes at its 2010 summer institute in Cleveland.

REBECCA SANDROK (Glen Ellyn, IL)   Rebecca moved as a toddler with her family to Japan in 1952. She began piano studies at age 5 with her mother, and violin with a local violin teacher at age 8. In her words, "The "Suzuki Violin School" was the method, yet we knew in the beginning little about the Suzuki Method." Rebecca's violin teacher was one of the earliest Suzuki teachers to "convert" from traditional methods to the Suzuki "Talent Education" method after World War II.  Rebecca was the FIRST American to come up through the ten volumes of the Suzuki repertoire and graduate from the Japanese Suzuki School which Dr. Suzuki led.  She followed her freshman year at Wheaton College Conservatory, IL by moving to Matsumoto, Japan to study teacher training with Dr. Shinichi Suzuki, the founder of the Talent Education Method. After receiving her Suzuki Teaching Certificate in Japan in June 1970, Rebecca returned to Wheaton and started the Wheaton Suzuki Program. She is an SAA sanctioned teacher trainer and has taught at workshops and institutes in America and Japan.  Rebecca has raised three boys and a girl; all were Suzuki students. She continues to live in Glen Ellyn, IL with her husband, Richard. They have 2 dogs and a cat.  She has studios in her home, in Elmhurst, and Naperville IL.  She has a Bachelor of Music degree in violin performance and studied for many years with esteemed performer and pedagogue, George Perlman.  IMF feels blessed to have such a renowned Suzuki teacher as Rebecca Sandrok who had much experience directly with the Japanese schools, music programs, and culture and the opportunity to work for years with Dr. Suzuki and his associates.

MARLENE SEICEAN, (Bay Village, OH)   Marlene is an Assistant Director of IMF.  She was greatly responsible in 2007 for IMF's move to its new and greatly expanded facilities at Bay Presbyterian Church and Westlake Marriott Hotels Conference Centers and thus helped tremendously in its continued existence.  She has been a resident of Bay Village since 1984.  She and her husband of seventeen years, John, have three delightful, unique, and wonderful children, Anelise, Marla, and Eric.  All three are Suzuki students in violin and piano. They have been exposed to Spanish and Romanian languages in the Seicean household.  Marlene is director and teacher at a Spanish school in the Cleveland area.  She especially loves teaching children.  She states, "I have always been drawn to music and the arts because of my parent's love and appreciation for them.  My mother studied art history in Mexico and both parents, after marriage, painted in their free time.  My father always had us listening to classical music as we grew up, and then we all had the luxury of studying violin through the public school system.  As one of five children, the school was as far as it went, and I never knew  that a private lesson existed.  My children are living my dream of what I could have done better.  I know that IMF has already opened many new doors for my children, and I am here in the hopes of helping that happen for many others."  The International Music Festival appreciates deeply Marlene Seicean's devotion to its philosophy and programs. She has been a great supporter in many ways, through assisting with local housing, silent auction,meal programs, transportation services, insurance, extra pianos for the festival through the local Steinway store, and serving as IMF's liason with the Bay Presbyterian Church and the two Westlake Marriott Hotels. Her parents and her brother have assisted IMF over the years with faculty housing. Thank you, Marlene, for your devotion to children, music, and education.

ANN SLOAN (Indianapolis IN)  Ann has taught at IMF since its first programs in 1985.  She has music degrees from Butller University in Indianapolis.  Currently Ann is the director of the Indianapolis Suzuki Institute (IAM MUSIC). She is an expert in music theatre, especially in devleoping programs for younger children, and programs for music theory for all ages.  Besides her college degrees, Ann has had extensvie Suzuki training at the American Suzuki Institute in Stevens Point WI and other locations.  Through her participation with the Indianpolis Children's Choir she has toured various countries, including South Africa. Her main instrument is piano, but she has worked extenstively in music theory, presenitng revolutionary approaches in helping children learn theory in a fun, relexed but highly structured way.

AUDRA SLOAN (Indianapolis, IN)  Audra has attended IMF as a student every year since her infancy. In fact, she starred as a special baby in one of her mom's "Humor in Music" presentations at IMF's first year.  She is an outstanding student in flute and voice, and also a specialist in gymnastics.  She has starred in several of the IMF musical theatre productions over the years and has performed at IMF in several honors and concerto concerts and talent shows, including performances at the Blossom Music Center.  Audra is currently a music education student at Butler University's School of Music (yes that Butler that is also great in Basketball) and is majoring in voice and flute.  She is also an excellent pianist, having studied under the Suzuki approach since age three.  As a high school student, she was a member of the Indiana Music Educators Association Honors Band.  Audra was a member of the internationally known Indianapolis Children's Choir (ICC) for ten years and was a featured soloist on two ICC produced albums.  With the choir she traveled to seven countries and was a soloist on both voice and flute in venues around the world including a soprano solo with the Moscow Chamber Orchestra.  She has served as a performer, director, and make-up/costume designer for varous music theatre productions.  This spring, she was selected by the Butler Univeristy flute faculty to play the flute sounds in Butler's production of Mozart's opera, "The Magic Flute."  She was also honored as the outstanding member of the Butler University Choir.  Last year Audra and Allysa Michaud assisted with IMF's production of "Beauty and the Beast."  We welcome them both back to help in this year's production of the "Lion King" and also to help the director and assitant directors in administrative duties.

CAROL SYKES (North Falmouth, MA)   Ms. Sykes is the founder and director of the YOUNG PEOPLE'S STRING CONSORT in Falmouth, MA. She was also the founder and director of the MASSACHUSETTS SUZUKI INSTITUTE for 18 years and the founding member and first president of SUZUKI MA (Suzuki Associaition of MA.)  The Massachusetts Suzuki Institute eventually became part of the Great Woods Festival held at Wheaton College and Great Woods Pavillion between Boston, MA and Providence, RI. This festival was incredible in its offerings with such artists as Jean-Pierre Rampal, Y. Bronfman, the LeBeque Sisters, the Emerson Quartet, and Leonard Slatkin and the Pittsburgh Orchestra on site sharing their performances and teaching with the festival registrants. The motto of the MA Suzuki Institute was "Expect a Miracle." Ms. Sykes will be presenting a lecture at IMF on the many miracles of students, families, and teachers she has experienced in her long and productive career.  She received her Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from the famed New England Conservatory of Music in Boston. She was a scholarship student for five years at the Tanglewood, MA Festival, studying violin, chamber music, choral music, and conducting. She is a sanctioned Suzuki Association of the Americas Violin Teacher Trainer and has attended SAA National and International Conferences in various locations in the United States and in Japan, Canada, and Germany. Ms. Sykes has been a faculty member at the New England Conservatory of Music, the Dana School of Music, the Cape Cod Conservatory of Music, and the Dana Hall School.  She has taught in the public schools of Newton, Lincoln, Sudbury, and Falmouth, MA.  In 1964, while teaching at the New England Conservatory of Music, she was the first to introduce the Suzuki Method to the New England states after hearing Dr. Suzuki and 10 Japanese Suzuki Method students perform on their first USA tour. (That was a revolutionary year for the Suzuki Method, as the tour group and Suzuki appeared on numerous national television shows, including the Ed Sullivan Show, and were featured in many local, national, and international newspapers and magazines; they also appeared at the American String Teachers National Convention, creating an "uproar" over the potential of the Suzuki Method.) In 1965, Ms. Sykes studied with Dr. Suzuki at Oberlin College, OH in a three week workshop also attended by many of the other initial leaders in the U.S. Suzuki movement.  In 1966, she invited Dr. Suzuki to return to the New England Conservatory of Music where he received his first Honorary Doctorate and taught her students in a week long workshop.  In 1971, she attended the first American String Teachers tour to Japan to study with Dr. Suzuki for three and a half weeks.  While in Matsumoto Japan, Dr. Suzuki invited her to spend the next year studying and teaching there in Japan at his school.  After returning briefly to the United States, Ms. Sykes returned to Matsumoto for the next year to continue her studies with Dr. Suzuki and to assist in helping him teach the Japanese teacher trainees and conducting orchestras. She also became a close confidant of Mrs. Suzuki and assisted her in various aspects.  Ms. Sykes has served as a consultant, guest clinician, and teacher trainer at workshops and institutes in the USA, Germany, Canada, and Japan.  She has also served as clinician and orchestra conductor for All-State Music Conferences, the National Orff Conference, and the New England Festival Orchestras, the New England Conservatory Youth Orchestras, the Boston Youth Orchestras, and the Cape Cod Symphony.  Fifty of her former students have gone on to become professional violinists in symphonies and violin teachers throughout the US.  Two students became opera singers. Carol Sykes lives on Cape Cod and has a pet named "my darling little Emma."  As she says "We believe this little creature is a cat, but not completely sure!"  Carol has a great sense of humor, and, if you catch her at the right time and the right mood, she has dozens of fun stories about her times in Japan, things you will not find elsewhere!!  IMF welcome backs this incredible teacher, one of the founding members of the Talent Education movement in America with a wealth of experience in both Suzuki and traditional methods to her credit.

**NECHAMA TALPAZ (Israel)  We are happy to welcome back distinguihsed Israeli music educator Nechama Talpaz.  She has several times brought a large group of students from Israel to the festival and has also served a faculty member.  She is the director of a Suzuki  and traditional program in the Tel Aviv area that emphasizes study for handicapped students in addition to "average" students.  Some of her students have performed as concerto sololists with local Israeli orchestras; some have performed in as soloists with the International Music Festival Orchestra.   Unique in Israel is the fact that all students (male and female) are required to have years of military service; Nechama has developed a special program to work with these students during their service periods to help them maintain their music studies.   She has degrees from the Conservatorium and Israel Music Academy at Tel Aviv University.  Her Suzuki studies wiere with Carol Bigler and Valery Lloyd Watts at Suzuki Kingston in Ontaraio Canada.  In America she has taught at Michigan State U, Lansing and University of Texas , College Station.  Nechama is Vice President of the Israel Teacher and Artist Association. She states that "my belief is that loving and playing mjsic will bring grace and prosperity in the world."  With her vast amount of work with blind children, she was awarded the Outstanding Teacher Award for the Israel National Parents of the Blind Association.

ESTHER TYREE-MERTZ, (Lafayette, LA)   Esther attended IMF in the past as a Suzuki teacher trainee and as of last year joined its faculty.  She is now an Assistant Director and returns to IMF as a violin, fiddle, and piano instructor.  She was fortunate to be born into a musical family; her mother, Kathleen Tyree, has for many years been the director of the Greater New Orleans Suzuki Institute, and she was an early leader in the building of the Suzuki community in New Orleans, LA.  Esther started violin studies at age 7 with Doris Hansen, a member of the first group of teachers who traveled to Japan with Dr. Kendall in the '60's to meet Dr. Suzuki, and continued over the years with various teachers.  She has had extensive teacher training with such distinguished teachers as Moshe Neumann, Alan Lieb, Rhonda Cole, Mr. Reuning, Marjory Aber, and John Kendall.  Besides being an excellent classical violinist, Esther is also a very talented pop, jazz, and gospel violinist. Ms. Tyree graduated cum laude from Loyola University, NO, LA with a Bachelor of Music Education and continued on with her studies at McNeese Universtiy in Lake Charles, LA where she earned her Master of Music Education.  She calls her violin her ticket to the world, having had the privilege of traveling and playing in Japan, Belize, Russia, Hungary, England, Cornwall, France, Belgium, Canada,and Austria. She has been involved in the New Orleans and Lafayette areas in helping organize local concerts, workshops, and other events in both the Suzuki, traditional, and popular music world. Esther also plays and teaches piano and has written several articles, recently published in the American Suzuki Journal,on the importance of review and other aspects of Dr. Suzuki's philosophical statements.  She has compiled and recorded a Christmas CD, and is creating a Fiddle Fun series that closely follows the pedagogical steps of the Suzuki Volumes for Violin.  She is also currently working on a reading series for strings "Bridge to Reading" and "Road to Reading".  She has a terrific sense of humor and especially loves working with the youngest children; they are so inspired by her.  We are very happy that Esther is introducing a pre-twinkle violin class to IMF that is certain to make many beginners and their families happy.  Ms. Tyree lives in Lafayette, LA with her husband and three rescue dogs, the last joining the family just three weeks ago.

SUE VASQUEZ (Mexico, Spain)   Mrs. Vasquez is an internationally sanctioned SAA Piano Teacher Trainer. She studied piano at the famed Peabody Conservatory of Music (of Johns Hopkins University) in Baltimore, with Miecyslav Munz and at the Conservatory of Vienna, in Austria, with Viola Thern.  With her husband and duo piano partner, Panamanian pianist Claudio Vasquez, she has taught and concertized in Central and South America for ten years.  In Buffalo NY, she maintained a private studio teaching traditional and Suzuki piano for 25 years.  While in Stevens Point, WI at the American Suzuki Institute in the 70's, Mrs. Vaszuez met and joined the first Japanese oriented Suzuki piano teacher training offered there with Haruko Kataoka, co-author of the Suzuki Piano School Method. Further classes with Mrs. Kataoka in Steven's Point, Memphis, and London, Ontario followed over the years. Also at the American Suzuki Institute and later in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, Mrs. Vasquez worked extensivly with Carole Bigler and Valery Lloyd Watts, the first teacher, along with Constance Starr, to introduce Suzuki piano at American institutes.  Carol and Valery offered a more westernized, eclectic approach to Suzuki piano, and teachers such as Rita Hauck, Ray Landers, and Sue Vasquez were able to benefit in learning about the virtues of the two approaches. All three teachers implement the best of both in their student and teacher training courses.  Mrs. Vasquez has taught at numerous Suzuki institutes and festivals in the United States, in New York, Washington DC, Alaska, Virginia, South Carolina, Maine, Massachuestts, Florida, Oklahoma, Kansas, and in Canada in Ontario and Newfoundland, as well as in Puerto Rico, Panama and Mexico.  She and her husband, Claudio, were long time faculty members at Canada's leading Suzuki institute, Suzuki Kingston, Kingston, Ontario. Ray Landers taught with them there for 18 years and can vouch for their great talent, sensitivity, kindness and terrific teaching and performing abilities.  Mrs. Vaszqez presently lives on a ranch in Mexico (though she is often in Spain visiting family members) with her family, 60 cows, 2 horses, a burro, 15 birds, 5 dogs, 2 cats, and innumerable chickens and goats....and 3 grand pianos!! We are so delighted to have Sue join our IMF staff this year and know she will have much to offer.

JONATHON WOODHAMS  (Oxford, OH)  Jon Woodhams began piano studies at age 10, and shortly thereafter began studying with Bridget Jankowski (the former Administrative Director of the International Music Festival and a well recognized piano performer, teacher, clinician, church music director, and certified teacher of the Body Mapping Method.)  He received his Bachelor of Music degree cum laude in Piano Performance from the Baldwin-Wallace College Conservatory of Music (Berea OH), and earned his Master of Music degree in Piano Performance from Miami University (OH).  Jon will be continuing studies this fall at the University of South Carolina as a Doctor of Musical Arts candidate. An active collaborative artist and aspiring vocal coach, Jon performs numerous recitals with vocalists every year.  He works closely with the University of Miami program as rehearsal pianist/coach while maintaining great passion for instrumental collaboration.  Jon is an outstanding young pianist with great bravura and musicality and has been witnessed by many at IMF in his years as a student and teacher there.  Also, according to the girls, he is quite cute and charismatic, inspiring all to enjoy his performances even more!! It has been said that he resembles a certain famous foreign movie star (who has been in some American films , and is currently a co-star in the new movie, "Letters to Juliet," and is sometimes featured in magazine advertisements.) There will be prizes awarded at the final concert to those who guessed correctly who that star is. In his spare time, Jon enjoys landscaping, working on cars, computers, and anything remotely related to electronics and technology. This year marks his eighth year at IMF, attending first as a student, then as a Suzuki teacher trainee, staff member, and now faculty.  Besides teaching piano, playing on recitals and assisting with the teen program, he will be the piano accompanist  (along with lots of drummers) for this year's musical, the "Lion King." From IMF, "Welcome back, Jon! We appreciate your devotion to music. You are a great role model."