Conservatory Outreach String Adjunct Faculty
Adam Bilchik (guitar private lesson student teacher) is currently a Junior Classical Guitar Performance Major at Baldwin Wallace Conservatory of Music and has been teaching private guitar lessons for 4 years. He specializes in the classical guitar, but can also teach the electric or acoustic guitar. All ages are welcome. Whether you are a beginner or have some experience, Adam can teach you the basics and/or help you perfect your skills. His teaching philosophy is to give students as much information and help as possible, while still keeping music fun and interesting. As a performer, Adam has played the guitar at various recitals, and events. He also participates in the B-W Concert Wind Ensemble where he plays percussion and plays the snare drum in the B-W Marching Band. Besides music, some of Adam's other interests include working on cars, skating, and sailing.
Teaching Location: Berea
Leslie Braidech (violin/viola private lesson teacher)Violinist/violist and string teacher Leslie Braidech holds a Bachelor of Music degree in violin performance from The Ohio State University and a Master of Music degree in violin performance from New England Conservatory. A faculty member of the Baldwin-Wallace College Conservatory Outreach Department, Cleveland Institute of Music Preparatory Division and strings teacher in the Solon City School District, Ms. Braidech is also an active performing musician nationally and locally (Opera Cleveland Orchestra, Cleveland Pops, Blossom Festival Orchestra, Akron Symphony, Cleveland Chamber Symphony). As a chamber music performer, Ms. Braidech has been heard on NPR (WGBH, Boston & WCPN, Cleveland), WCLV (Cleveland) and was a featured artist on WQXR's (New York City) "Young Artists' Showcase." She has been a full fellowship recipient with music festivals at Tanglewood, Aspen, Sandpoint (Idaho) and the Collegium Musicum Schloss Pommersfelden (Germany). One of her favorite professional activities is coaching chamber music at B-W's Summer Music Institute and through the B-W Outreach Department.
Teaching Location: Berea
Christopher Ellicott (guitar, beginning electric bass private lesson teacher) has been teaching for 18 years. He provides lessons for all ages from 8 years old to adult and instructs all levels, beginning to advance. Instruction in all styles is available with specialties in classical and rock. Mr. Ellicott has a Bachelor of Arts in Music from Baldwin-Wallace and an Associate Arts in Humanities/Music from County College of Morris (NJ). He frequently coaches with Dr. Loris Chobanian and has attended the University of Cincinnati Classical Guitar Workshop for the past seven summers as soloist and ensemble member. Mr. Ellicott performs frequently throughout the area as classical guitar soloist and as a member of the clarinet and guitar duo Sunday in the Park. In addition, he plays guitar and sings in contemporary worship services at area churches. As a runner for almost thirty years, he plans to complete his 10th marathon this fall.
Teaching Locations: Berea and Medina
Jessica Firing (violin private lesson student teacher) is currently a senior studying Violin Performance at Baldwin-Wallace College. She has been teaching violin for 2 years and is certified in Books 1-3 of the Suzuki Method. In addition, she has studied teaching with Mimi Zweig at Indiana University at Bloomington. In her teaching philosophy, Jessica believes that no matter the age or ability, every student should experience the joy and fun of learning music. She currently plays in the Baldwin-Wallace Symphony Orchestra, participates in chamber groups, and has played in the Bach Festival Orchestra. In addition to violin, she enjoys sound design, knitting, and playing with her two terriers.
Michele M. George (violin/viola/fiddle private lesson teacher) enjoys working with students of all ages to achieve their goals through solid technique and musicianship, whether the goal is recital preparation or personal enrichment. In addition to classical music, she loves learning about and playing non-classical styles, ranging from fiddle styles to rock and jazz. Michele holds Bachelor of Music from Baldwin-Wallace College, a Master of Music from Cleveland State University, and will soon be licensed in K-12 Music Education. In July 2009, she became one of the first forty strings teachers to receive certification in the Mark O'Connor Violin Method in New York City. A member of Cleveland Federation of Musicians, she has performed at Playhouse Square, Cleveland Playhouse, with regional orchestras and area rock bands. She enjoys her family and friends, biking, and fishing.
Rachel Harrington (double bass private lesson teacher) has been teaching for 10 years. She has experience teaching students of all ages. Rachel has had training in Kindermusik. She specializes in beginning to intermediate piano students and all levels of bass students. Rachel graduated from Baldwin-Wallace with a Bachelor's degree in performance. Prior to teaching at B-W, she taught at Talent Unlimited Music Studio and Richland Academy for the Arts and Sciences. She has experience accompanying a variety of groups, ranging from private students to opera workshops and theater groups. She keeps busy with three young children at home.
Teaching Location: Berea
Gayle Klaber (cello private lesson teacher) Cellist and string teacher Gayle Klaber holds her degrees in cello performance from The University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music. A faculty member of the Baldwin-Wallace College Conservatory Outreach Department, Mrs. Klaber is also an active performing musician locally (Cleveland Pops, Blossom Festival Orchestra).
Teaching Location: Berea
Dawn Kulikowski (violin private lesson teacher) has been teaching violin at B-W and area music studios for the past 5 years. She teaches students of all ages but specializes in grades 4-12. Dawn is also the orchestra director at Avon Lake High School. She has performed at the Beck Center, at Porthouse Theatre, with the Mansfield Symphony Orchestra, and she freelances in the Cleveland area. Dawn received her Master of Music degree in Violin Performance from Cleveland State University and her Bachelor of Music Education degree from Baldwin-Wallace College. She enjoys reading, going to concerts, and watching sports with her husband.
Teaching Location: Berea
Jeanette Meyer (violin/viola private lesson teacher) is a classically trained violinist and violist and has loved teaching students of all ages to develop their innate skills and potentials for over 40 years. One of Mr. Josef Gingold's (former Cleveland Orchestra Concertmaster) first four students, she became his teaching assistant at the Cleveland Music School Settlement after studying at the Julliard School, receiving her Bachelor's Degree from Western Reserve University, and exploring advanced studies with Ivan Galamian in New York. Founder of the B-W Youth Orchestra program in 1976, Mrs. Meyer has taught string pedagogy and viola and violin lessons for the Baldwin-Wallace Conservatory and continues her private lessons with the B-W Outreach Department. As Concertmistress of the Parma Symphony Orchestra for over 30 years, she has performed numerous solos and other professional engagements.
Teaching Location: Berea
Corrie Anne Riberdy (violin private lesson teacher) teaches violin to all ages from beginners to advanced players. She believes in the adage that students are rarely too young and never too old to start violin. A graduate of the Suzuki method herself, she incorporates that philosophy into all her lessons. In addition to the traditional violin repertoire, she utilizes fiddling, improvisation, and modern music in her teaching. She performs regularly with the Ashland Symphony, sometimes as concertmaster. She received her Masters degree in violin performance from Mannes College of Music in New York City and her Bachelors in Music from Baldwin-Wallace Conservatory. She studied with Carol Sykes at the International Music Festival for her Suzuki certifications. She is happiest spending time with her family; husband Jason teaches French horn and son Jonah is learning to talk. She especially enjoys reading and singing to Jonah, although he seems to prefer the bassoon over the violin!
Teaching Location: Berea
Marge Ricksecker (guitar private lesson teacher) has been teaching guitar at Baldwin-Wallace since 1980. Ms. Ricksecker teachers all styles of guitar, including: Classical, Acoustic, Electric and Bass. She specializes in teaching adults and advanced students. She is the director of the Contemporary Choir and Ensemble at St. Raphael Catholic Church in Bay Village and is an active performer throughout Ohio. Ms. Ricksecker received her Master of Arts in Education from Baldwin-Wallace College, as well as, her Bachelor of Music in Music Performance and Bachelor of Education from Baldwin-Wallace College. Her current interests include: travel, skiing, biking, gardening and reading.
Teaching Location: Berea
Anna Risch (viola private lesson student teacher)
Bio coming soon
Tanya Rogers (vioin private lesson teacher)
Bio coming soon
Carol Ross (Suzuki teacher) has taught Suzuki and traditional violin and viola to students of all ages for over 20 years. A former Suzuki student herself, Ms. Ross studied Suzuki pedagogy with Allen Lieb, traditional pedagogy with Sally O'Reilly and Pam Ryan and was a teaching assistant to Teri and David Einfeldt. In addition to formerly holding positions at Florida State University, Westminster Choir College and the Hartt School of Music, Carol founded the Suzuki Program and was the Assistant Director of the Rutgers Community Music Program at Rutgers University. She has been a clinician at workshops in OH, NJ, PA and TN. Ms. Ross began teaching at Baldwin-Wallace in 1997 and began directing its Suzuki Violin Program in 2005. She was a founding member of the Ohio Viola Society and served as its secretary. Since locating in the Cleveland area, she has played in the Cleveland Opera Orchestra, Ohio Chamber Orchestra and Cleveland Chamber Symphony. Prior to that, she performed in the Princeton Chamber Symphony and the Tallahassee Symphony. Ms. Ross earned her BM at the University of Memphis and MM at the Hartt School of Music. Her major teachers include Eric Rosenblith, Hiroko Yajima and Jeff Irvine.
Teaching Location: Berea
Julian Ross (violin private lesson teacher and B-W string faculty) Click link for full bio.
Xiao Lei Salovara (harp private lesson teacher) has been teaching harp for 30 years. At age of four, she began her musical training with her mother who is the first harp professor in Shanghai Conservatory. Ms. Salovara won The Woman of The Year in China for her outstanding film recording work while she was the principle harpist with the Film Orchestra. In 1984, she came to Cleveland. She has performed with the Cleveland orchestra and many other orchestras throughout Ohio. In 1988, Ms. Salovara appeared on Johnny Carson's Tonight Show. She taught at CIM prep harp department from 1991 - 2007. Ms. Salovara received her Bachelor's, Master's and Artist diploma in music performance at The Cleveland Institute of Music. She enjoys jigsaw puzzles.
Teaching Location: Berea
Sara Schimelpfenig (violin private lesson teacher and New Horizons Program adult violin class instructor) has been teaching violin for over 20 years. She teaches students from grade 5 through age 75 and specializes in balancing the business of learning with the necessity of fun. On a recent evaluation one of her students wrote, "Sara was so much fun to work with. She brought excitement to each lesson." Ms. Schimelpfenig is an active performer and member of the Cleveland Federation of Musicians, Local 4 of the American Federation of Musicians. She has taught at Cleveland State University and the Beck Center, and has performed with many of the area orchestras and productions at Playhouse Square. Her Masters of Music is from Cleveland State University and her Bachelors in violin is from Bowling Green State University. Current interests include walking her collie dogs, family fun nights, and fishing for perch on Lake Erie.
Teaching Locations: Berea and Medina
Erik Wagner (guitar private lesson teacher) has taught guitar for 18 years and has been teaching at Baldwin Wallace since 1998. He specializes in teaching children and adults. Mr. Wagner received his Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Toledo and his Master�s in Music Performance at University of Cincinnati Conservatory of Music where he received full scholarship and was a graduate assistant. Mr. Wagner teaches his students proper technique and music theory. His current interests include fishing, exercising and travelling.
Teaching Locations: Berea
Kyle Williams (violin/viola private lesson teacher)
Bio coming soon
Rebecca Yoder (cello private lesson student teacher) is currently working toward a Bachelor�s of Music Education degree at Baldwin-Wallace College. She is currently a junior and will be student teaching in the Spring of 2012. She has taught privately for 1 year and is currently a member of the Baldwin-Wallace Symphony Orchestra. She has also worked in several chamber ensembles, the l(a Contemporary Ensemble at B-W, and the Ohio Light Opera in Wooster, Ohio as a member of the pit orchestra. Rebecca is currently teaching mostly beginning to intermediate students, but is willing to work with any student who is willing to learn.
Teaching Location: Berea
Louise Zeitlin (viola private lesson teacher, intermediate and advanced students and B-W string faculty) divides her time between teaching in the conservatory at Baldwin-Wallace College and directing the Oberlin Community Music School. She has taught young children through adult for the past 25 years, specializing in the intermediate and advanced student. She loves to encourage young, serious violists. Ms. Zeitlin was educated at the Eastman School of Music and Yale University. She has served as Past President of the Ohio Viola Society and as both Secretary and board member to the American Viola Society. Ms. Zeitlin can be found regularly with her two teenage children and trying to stay in shape in any local swimming pool.
Teaching Location: Berea