Instructors

Yimiao Chen, a professional erhu player and singer-songwriter, inherited an intangible cultural heritage from Chen’s erhu performance and won all top three professional erhu competitions. Admitted to Berklee College of Music with a full scholarship in 2021 and to the graduate program in Music Education at Teachers College, Columbia University in 2024. she has collaborated with symphony orchestras at China's National Center, Lincoln Center in New York,
and Carnegie Hall, etc.  Yimiao's cross-genre performances are widely praised among Generation Z. She has held multiple cross-border concerts integrating singing and traditional Chinese musical instrument performances in Boston and New York. In 2019, she won second place in the global finals of World's Got Talent in China. She composed one of the theme promotion songs for the 2023
Chengdu World University Games. Having participated in the film "Dune" challenge initiated by the world's top film score master, Hans Zimmer, she received reposts and praise from the master on multiple social media platforms. In 2024, she performed as a guest for "LANG LANG PLAYS DISNEY" in Toronto, Canada.

Zixuan (Christy) Cheng is a pianist, music educator, and a scholar who has been engaging in piano studies and performance for over 16 years under the instruction of Artist Faculty member, Steinway Artist, Dr. Yoojung Kim.
Zixuan has been presented as a soloist and a chamber musician at venues in Il Maggiore Concert Hall (Italy), DiMenna Center (New York), Opera America (New York), NYU Shanghai Concert Hall, NYU Tandon, and NYU Black Box Theatre etc.
Zixuan has been teaching piano in the US and Shanghai for more than 4 years. During Zixuan’s undergraduate senior year, she won First Prize in the Charleston 2023 European Music Competition. Zixuan also won 2 Platinum Medals for the  2023-2024 Canadian International Music Competition and the 2024 Euro Elite International Music Competition. Also, Zixuan’s comparative study research paper focusing on Piano Education has passed, and been indexed and published by IMPES 2023, on CNKI, Scilit, ResearchGate, Google Scholar, and CPCI databases.

Chris Citera is NYC-based actor, singer, and voice teacher. He has appeared in concert at Feinstein’s/54 Below, (le) poisson rouge, and The Metropolitan Room. He holds degrees in voice performance and pedagogy from Teachers College, Columbia University and Ithaca College. He has trained extensively as an actor at the Michael Howard Studios and The Barrow Group. 

In addition to maintaining a professional private studio, he is on faculty with BroadwayEvolved, a musical theater training program designed by Broadway star, Betsy Wolfe. He is the Assistant Director of the Young Men's Workshop with the Singers' Workshops @ Teachers College, and is the voice consultant for Kidz Theater. Additionally, he is on faculty in the BFA Musical Theater program at Molloy College/CAP21. 

A lifelong learner and self-professed “voice-nerd”, he continues his training with Mike Ruckles (of whom he is an associate teacher) and Dr. Jeanne Goffi-Fynn. He draws upon principles of Feldenkrais, Alexander Technique, Fitzmaurice, Lessac, and others to create an individualized, multidisciplinary approach based on each singer’s unique, goals, learning style, and physiology. Chris believes in a student-centered approach to lessons and strives to honor the diversity that each student brings into the studio.

For more info: www.chriscitera.com / Instagram: @chriscitera

Dr. Drew X Coles is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, arranger, producer, serial entrepreneur, and educator, as well as an applied lessons instructor, ensemble facilitator, and adjunct professor of music entrepreneurship at Teachers College, Columbia University. His scholarly interests include; the construct of success as it applies to post-secondary music students, culturally responsive pedagogy in the music classroom, the use of technology in the applied studio, Jazz pedagogy, improvisation pedagogy, comprehensive musicianship coursework and curricula, and quantitative research methods in music education.

In his applied studio, Drew focuses on using technology to incite and support self- directed learning, both in digital music based students as well in traditional instrumental students. Dr. Coles has experience facilitating applied lesson in: Piano, Synthesizer/Keyboard, Digital Music Composition, Trumpet, Saxophone, Flute, Clarinet, Percussion (including pitched percussion), Film scoring, and Jazz Theory and arranging.

Examples of Dr. Coles’s performing/recording work, performance schedule, scholarly contributions, and applied lesson student performances can be found both on his website – www.drewxcoles.com and via his Instagram @drewxcoles.

Yan Carlos Colón was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico.  He studied classical and jazz guitar at the Puerto Rico Music Conservatory where he graduated with a B.M. in Theory & Music Composition in 2010.  He continued his graduate studies at the same institution where he obtained a Master’s Degree in Music Education in 2013.  In 2016 he obtained his second graduate degree: Ed.M Master of Education from Columbia University.  He is currently a Doctoral student at Columbia University.  Yan Carlos Colón’s music work is diverse.  As a performer he has worked with many artists in Puerto Rico and New York performing many genres of music from latin and jazz to electronic music and indie rock among others.  As a composer, he has written music for orchestra, chamber music ensembles and solo instruments.  His music has been performed in Puerto Rico, United States, and Europe.  He currently lives in New York City where he works as a music school teacher in Harlem where he developed a music composition program for his students.  He also works as a student instructor at Teachers College, Columbia University where he teaches guitar.

Vocalist Christine Correa is a native of Mumbai, India currently residing in Brooklyn, New York. After relocating the the U.S. to attend the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, she soon became involved in a variety of improvisational contexts. Christine has performed and recorded with artists such as Ran Blake, Steve Lacy and John LaPorta and has appeared at numerous festivals and clubs in the U.S., Europe, South America and India. She has performed at The National Center of Performing Arts (Mumbai), The Kennedy Center (Washington D.C.) and Finnish National Opera (Helsinki), Tribeca Performing Arts Center (NY), Jordan Hall (Boston) to name a few.

Christine is currently on the faculty at Columbia University’s Louis Armstrong Performance Program and has been Director of Maine Jazz Camp, a summer camp for middle and high school students, since 1994. She has given vocal workshops at Sibelius Academy and Oulunkyla Conservatory (Helsinki) and Cordoba (Argentina), Lagos (Nigeria), Windhoek (Namibia), Bowdoin College (Maine), University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and Kalamazoo, among others.

Hanan Aseelah Davis is an Atlanta-based performing artist and educator. She holds a  Bachelor of Arts in Music and Psychology from Spelman College and a Master of Mu sic in Vocal Performance from Ohio State University. Additionally, Hanan has trained for  over 20 years as a dancer, specializing in traditional West African dances. 

Throughout her career, she has been a featured soloist on stages in the South and the  Midwest, performing such works as Vivaldi’s “Gloria”, Pergolesi’s “Stabat Mater”,  Mozart’s “Requiem”, and Handel’s “Messiah”. She has participated in several young  artist programs, including Georgia State’s Harrower Summer Workshop and Manhattan  School of Music’s Summer Voice Festival. Hanan currently sings with the Atlanta Sym phony Orchestra and Chamber Choruses, and the Atlanta Opera Chorus. Hanan  teaches courses in private voice, performance technique, opera workshop, and African  diasporic studies. 

In the studio, Hanan strives to cultivate an environment built on mutual respect and the  search for knowledge. In using creative and varied learning strategies, Hanan encour ages the curiosity of students to expand without limits. 

Hanan is pursuing a Master of Music and Music Education at Teachers College, Co lumbia University.

Caitlyn DePriest, an Iowa native, earned her Bachelor's in Music Education from Bradley University, showcasing her musical versatility in Jazz, Chamber, and traditional choirs. A percussionist, she contributed to the Bradley Percussion Ensemble and University Winds Ensemble. Passionate about diverse genres, Caitlyn loves teaching traditional, popular, jazz, and musical theater. For the past two years, she's been a 6th-8th grade choir teacher in Indianapolis, inspiring creativity alongside musical excellence. During her time in Indianapolis, Caitlyn was able to form a jazz ensemble as well as a show choir for her students. Currently in her second semester in the EdM program at Columbia University, Caitlyn is loving enjoying all that the city has to offer and is excited to continue her educational journey.

Recognized by legendary musician Maria João Pires as "a pianist with an angelic sound,"Catarina Do Amaral has established herself as a compelling performer and educator across Asia, Europe, and the United States. As the Founder and Executive Director of Opus One Artists Association of Macao, she leads initiatives that bridge cultures through music, arts, and education, while maintaining an active academic and performing career in New York City.
Her artistry has brought her to prestigious venues across the world such as Carnegie Hall and The DiMenna Center in New York City. She has collaborated with renowned conductors including Leonard Slatkin and Perry So, performed in the premiere of Yuqin Strucky Yi's "Anabiosis," and achieved recognition in both the International Rosario Marciano Piano Competition and the Maria Herrero International Piano Competition. A multiple recipient of the Macau Cultural Affairs Bureau's education scholarships, Ms. Amaral has been consistently
recognized by her home city for being an ambassador of musical excellence.
A graduate of Manhattan School of Music, Ms. Amaral completed both her Bachelor's and Master's degrees as a recipient of the Flavio Varani Piano Award scholarship, studying under distinguished pedagogue Phillip Kawin and internationally acclaimed pianist Olga Kern, winner of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. Currently pursuing advanced studies in
Music Education at Teachers College, Columbia University, her commitment to arts education extends beyond her academics and teaching to her work with Opus One Artists Association of Macao, where she has organized numerous successful concerts, masterclasses, workshops, and
charity events featuring renowned artists, with proceeds directly funding music and arts education initiatives for local students. Her dedication to charitable work and community development in Macao has drawn international recognition, with features in major media outlets across Asia and Europe such as RTPi, Sapo PT, and Hoje Macau, among others. Beyond her musical accomplishments, Ms. Amaral's adventurous spirit and diverse interests captured public attention when she made headlines for being among the first musicians to perform on the world's highest commercial bungee jump.

Praised for his "great skill and captivating sound" by Clariperu, American clarinetist Calvin Falwell is quickly becoming a sought after soloist and chamber music collaborator. His performances have garnered praise from critics and audiences around the world. Currently, Calvin holds the 3rd/Bass Clarinet chair with the Sarasota Orchestra in Sarasota, FL and is on faculty at the University of South Florida where he teaches in the School of Music and the USF Honors College. During the summer months can be found performing with the Charlottesville Opera Festival in Virginia.

Calvin has also appeared with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, Alabama Symphony Orchestra, Colorado Music Festival, Florida Grand Opera, Miami City Ballet, Florida Orchestra, Louisville Orchestra, Lexington Philharmonic, Opera Tampa, Opera Naples, Green Mountain Opera and Pittsburgh Opera Theater among others. Former faculty appointments include The College of New Jersey, Holy Family University, Wilmington University, Hartwick College Music Festival and Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp.

His principal teachers and mentors include Paul Demers, Ron Samuels, Tim Zavadil and Dallas Tidwell. Both Calvin's BM and MM are in Clarinet Performance and are from the University of Louisville and Duquesne University respectively.

Calvin is both a Buffet Group USA and D'Addario Woodwind Performing Artist, performing on Buffet Clarinets and D'Addario Reeds exclusively.

Laura Falzon (Baldacchino) has performed throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia as a soloist, recitalist and chamber musician. Praised by the Musical Times magazine for her "versatile technique", by the British Flute Society's PAN Magazine for her passionate interest in contemporary flute music describing her as "fearless in tackling and promoting it", and hailed by the Music & Musicians as "an excellent instrumentalist", Dr. Falzon, an ardent advocate of contemporary music, has premiered numerous works written for her ranging from the conventional flute solo to works with non-western instruments like the zheng, African drums and tabla. Padma Phool is one such work written for her by the Anglo-Indian composer John Mayer (mostly known as the founder of Indo-Jazz Fusion and, in the flute world, for his flute Concerto for Sir James Galway). Among the list of works premiered are works by composers like Shirish Korde, Theodore Wiprud, Alvin Singleton, Mohammed Fairouz, Charles Camilleri, Reza Vali, Akin Euba and Geoff Poole. The recipient of numerous awards, she has received grants and awards from, among others, The British Arts Council, The Scottish Arts Council, The Rockefeller Foundation, Cambridge University, NY Women Composers, Rotary Foundation, and Columbia University. A graduate of Columbia University, she also studied in England with Royal Academy of Music professor and principal flutist of the London Sinfonietta Sebastian Bell and with Julius Baker, Susan Milan and Kim McCormick. She is a founding member and artistic director of Id-Dinja ensemble and ISSA Sonus ensemble, and, as well as having a full schedule of performances, she teaches at Teachers College, Columbia University and at the City College of New York, CUNY, where she coaches Chamber ensembles and teaches Music History and Performance. She also works as a Teaching Artist in NYC with organizations including The American Composer orchestra.

Richard Fields made his solo debut at age sixteen with the New World School of the Arts High School in Miami and went on to win awards in the Jazz at Lincoln Center Competition hosted by Wynton Marsalis. Based in New York City, he performs regularly with Classical and Latin Jazz ensembles. He received his Master's Degree from SUNY Purchase where his principal teachers were Graham Ashton, Rich Klemer and Lee Soper. He has also participated in the Luzerne Music Center and the Las Vegas Music Festivals. As a smooth jazz artist, he is currently featured as a performer and composer on the album Walk Away alongside Mike Marrocco. Richard Fields currently teaches music in a Title I high school where he initiated the school's first music program and currently teaches Beginning, Intermediate and Advanced Band classes as well as Beginning Piano and Guitar, and Latin Jazz. He also performs as part of his classical brass quintet Parallel Brass. His work as a performer and teacher has allowed him to experience the best of both worlds as he continues to pursue his musical dreams while helping others pursue theirs as well.