Laura Knight, Classical Guitar, Mini-Mozarts, & Orff

Laura Knight founded Knight Music Academy with the goal of providing the best quality music instruction in a relaxed and fun atmosphere. Laura has taught classical guitar to children and adults for more than a decade. She holds a B.M from DePaul University, and a M.M. from Northwestern University, she has completed all 9 levels of Suzuki guitar teacher training, and she is certified in the Orff music instruction method. Ms. Knight was the Guitar Area Coordinator for the 2006 Suzuki Association of the Americas Conference, and the Guitar Area Assistant Coordinator in the 2004 Conference. Laura regularly serves as a guest clinician at guitar workshops across the country, and produces annual guitar workshops for students in the Chicagoland area. In addition to teaching, Laura currently serves on the Board of the Chicago Classical Guitar Society and has performed as a professional classical guitarist for more than 25 years. Laura currently performs both as a classical guitar soloist and as a member of the Pedretti-Knight Duo. Her music is proudly featured on the instructional yoga CD Heart Offerings, and Parisian Reflections, a CD showcasing flute, guitar, and piano compositions by French composers.

Avril Bondy, Violin & Viola

Avril Bondy is a professional violinist and teacher with training in Suzuki and traditional pedagogy. She hails from Portland, OR, where she performed with several ensembles including the Portland Columbia Symphony Orchestra and the Vancouver, WA Symphony Orchestra. As a teacher, she has been a part of the Oregon Suzuki Association Annual Conference and a long-time faculty member of the Tacoma Youth Symphony Summer Music Festival. Avril's students have gone on to state solo and ensemble competitions, as well as pursuing college degrees in music and music education. Avril holds a Bachelor's degree in Violin Performance from the University of Puget Sound where she studied with Dr. Maria Sampen, and a Master's Degree in Violin Performance and String Pedagogy from the University of Oregon where she studied with Fritz Gearhart. When not playing violin, Avril enjoys cooking, traveling, and spending time with her husband, Trombonist Derek Bondy.

Dr. Max Anisimov, Violin & Guitar

Max earned his Master of Music (2002) and Doctor of Music (2009) degrees from Northwestern University. For his doctoral dissertation, Max researched the guitar compositions and life of perhaps the most outstanding violinist of all time, Nicolo Paganini, who has inspired Max to continue developing his performing career on both instruments. Max has taught guitar and violin to children and adults for over a decade. In addition to teaching, Max is an active performer and currently serves on the Board of the Chicago Classical Guitar Society.
Max Anisimov has been immersed in the world of music for as long as he can remember. Both of his parents are violin teachers and performers, and so it was only natural for him to have followed in their steps. Max's early music education was in violin, but in 1995, after he and his parents came to the United States, he also began studying the guitar. His first guitar teachers included Bill Brenckle and Lawrence McDonald. Since then, Max has studied and/or performed in master classes with such world renowned guitar performers and pedagogues as Kevin Gallagher, Anne Waller, Oscar Ghiglia, Paul O'Dette, Raphaella Smits, Nigel North, Stanley Yates, Hopkinson Smith, Lorenzo Micheli and others. Dr. Anisimov has enjoyed collaborating with many musicians as both, violinist and guitarist, and has continuously performed with his parents as part of their ensemble, Strings of the Heart.
Dr. Anisimov believes that perpetual search for new outlets of expression, which often transcend the boundaries of different art forms, is the ultimate purpose of a true artist. Thus, aside from music, Max has been increasingly active as a recording engineer and a photographer.

Stephanie Brune, Piano

Stephanie Brune has taught piano for well over a decade. She earned a B.M. in Piano Performance at Illinois Wesleyan University where she studied with Dr. Lawrence Campbell. She won both the university's Concerto-Aria competition and Honor Recital award her senior year. Her M.A. is in Liturgical Theology, from The Liturgical Institute at University of Saint Mary of the Lake. Mrs. Brune is the director of music at St. Peter Catholic Church, Volo, where she conducts four polyphonic choirs and two Gregorian chant scholas. Mrs. Brune believes that proficiency with any instrument is dependent more upon hard work than perceived natural ability. She is dedicated to giving each of her students a well-rounded musical education, complete with technique, theory, the ability to sight-read and transpose, and a stylistically diverse body of repertoire. When not teaching piano, playing organ, or directing choirs, Mrs. Brune loves to read, garden, and spend time with family.

Martin Pazdioch, voice

Martin Pazdioch has been a professional singer and voice teacher for over twenty years, and has students singing professionally throughout the country. By working on core vocal skills such as posture, breath support, tone quality, projection, register integration, diction, and learning the essential elements of singing in different musical styles, you can find your true voice for any style of music, gain confidence in your technique and sound, and polish your performance skills.
Martin has a wide variety of experience in opera, concert, recital and musical theater. He can be heard as a guest artist on two CD's with organist, Mary Gifford. Hear short samples of Martin's recordings here:
Ave Maria (mp3)
Panis Angelicus (mp3)
Victimae Paschali Laudes (mp3)
Martin is in demand as a voice teacher and clinician at numerous vocal workshops. He may also be heard on the London-DECCA recording of Wagner's Die Meistersinger by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus with Sir Georg Solti. He has understudied the role of Florestan in Beethoven's Fidelio for the Chicago Symphony at the Ravinia Summer Music Festival. Hired by the legendary Margaret Hillis, Martin was a professional member of the Chicago Symphony Chorus for 19 seasons, appearing regularly on the stage of Orchestra Hall and on 5 Grammy Award-winning recordings. Throughout the summer Martin can be heard singing "al fresco" with the Grant Park Symphony Orchestra and Chorus at the magnificent Pritzger Pavilion in Chicago's spectacular Millennium Park.
Martin has served as soloist, section leader, cantor, and assistant organist/pianist at several churches and synagogues, and is currently a member of the acclaimed Chancel Choir of Church of the Ascension in Chicago, IL, and at North Shore Congregation Israel in Glencoe.

Victor Ngo, Piano

Pianist Victor Ngo holds a B.M. in Piano Performance from Northwestern University, and a M.M. in Piano Performance from the Juilliard School in New York. Victor is currently completing his Doctor of Music degree from Northwestern University. Victor enjoys teaching piano to both beginning and experienced piano students, and focuses on the individual's strengths and weaknesses to improve overall piano technique and skill.
Victor has performed in local plays and on the stage of Carnegie Hall. This year, Victor performed a newly composed, choreographed piece with Juilliard Dance, and performed with new music ensembles, AXIOM & Syzygy New Music Collective. Previous year's highlights include soloing with the Julliard Percussion Ensemble, and with the Las Vegas Philharmonic, and in various orchestras. Victor's interests include cooking, walking, dance, and of course sharing the joy of performing and learning music.

Dorothy Deen, Cello

Dorothy Deen holds a Master's degree in cello performance and pedagogy from Northern Illinois University, and has been a freelance cellist in the Chicagoland area for over 25 years.
Dorothy has performed with numerous area groups such as the Chicago Jazz Orchestra, Kenosha Symphony, Northwest Indiana Symphony, Rockford Symphony and Illinois Philharmonic. She also was an Adjunct Professor of Music Appreciation at Joliet Junior College for two years.
Currently, Dorothy performs with New Philharmonic and is the principal cellist for Light Opera Works in Evanston. She also works with Signature Ensembles, Trio Caprice, Royal Trumpet Works and Athena Ensembles. She has been a member of the Seraphim Trio for the past five years.
In addition to teaching, Dorothy is an active recitalist in the Chicago area. She has enjoyed playing chamber music series performances in private homes throughout Chicago and on Chicago's classical radio station, WFMT. Recently, she premiered two new duet works for cello and saxophone and cello and flute at the Sherwood Conservatory of Music in Chicago.

James Donahue, Flute

Flutist James Donahue enjoys a multi-faceted career as soloist, chamber player, orchestral musician, and teacher.
An enthusiastic advocate of new music, he has collaborated with many exciting composers, including Warner Jepson, Timothy McCormack, Tamar Muskal, and Helmut Lachenmann. In 2008 he gave the world premier performances of McCormack's Tumma Pilvi for solo bass flute and chamber orchestra, and Hammara Pilvi for solo bass flute, both of which were dedicated to him. James has performed with the Waco and San Antonio Symphony Orchestras, the Lyric Opera of Waco, and from 2006-2008 was solo flutist with the acclaimed Oberlin Contemporary Music Ensemble.
As a teacher, James enjoys working with students of all ages and levels of achievement. His style of teaching is strongly rooted in the traditions of the French School of flute playing, and it is his goal to help all of his students become independent, creative musicians, who will have the skills they need to enjoy a lifetime of happy flute playing.
James holds a Bachelor of Music in flute performance (2006) from the Baylor University School of Music where he was a student of Helen Ann Shanley. In 2008 he was awarded the Oberlin Conservatory's prestigious Artist Diploma, following two years of intensive graduate study with the legendary French flutist Michel Debost.