Private Lessons
Ms. Somlee L.
Background: Ms. Somlee earned her master's degree from Illinois State University with a double major in piano performance and collaborative piano. She earned both a bachelor's and another master's degree from Kookmin University in Korea. She took first place in the 2019 International Piano Festival in Naleczow, Poland. She has been teaching for over 6 years.
What are lessons like with Ms. Somlee?
"My two sons (4th-grader and 1st-grader at the time) took piano lessons with Ms. Somlee last year and it was a very rewarding experience for the whole damily. Both boys started as complete beginners and learned a lot during the year. With encouragement from Ms Somlee, both also participated in the end of year recital and felt very proud of their performances. The kids felt very comfortable with Ms. Somlee, she balanced being firm and being fun really well. She was also very patient when my younger son wanted to do things his his own way. She followed a method book and made sure the kids didnt have any gaps in their knowledge but also listened to the kids interests and guided them through songs they had picked for themselves..."
Ages she teaches: 6 +
Click a time below to register for lessons with Ms. Somlee.
Wednesday at Avon
Mr. Brian K.
Background: Mr. Brian K is an Artistic Leadership Fellow of Apollo's Fire and in 2019, he won a GRAMMY® Award for his work on their Songs of Orpheus recording with tenor Karim Sulayman. He was featured on the soundtrack of Netflix's The Witcher series. He has performed throughout the world at venues such as the National Concert Hall of Dublin, Belfast Castle (Ireland), Carnegie Hall, and the Kennedy Center. His live radio appearances include NPR, Baltimore's WYPR, Baltimore's 98ROCK, Boston's WGBH, and Cleveland's WCLV. He has recorded with record labels Avie and Sono Luminus and has appeared on more than 10 album releases.
Mr. Brian holds a Master of Music from Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University, summa cum laude, in performance in guitar instruments and drums, and a Bachelors of Music in performance from Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University, summa cum laude, in 2013. Mr. Brian has over 20 years experience teaching music to children aged K-12, and college students across the country. He has played professionally in orchestras, bands, and on film soundtracks. As a Grammy award winning musician, he has the skills to help students learn and guide them to enjoy music and into a career in music if that is what they desire. His approach to teaching is holistic, focusing on technique, musicality, expression, and creativity. He loves to share his passion for music with others.
Click a time below to register for lessons with Mr. Brian K.
Tuesday at Avon
Thursday at Avon
Mr. John P.
Background: Cleveland State University, piano performance with Grammy Award-winning pianist, Dr. Angelin Chang and Jackie Warren. Mr. John performs regularly in Cleveland and has appeared in concert as soloist performing the Mozart piano concertos #23 and #24, Beethoven piano concerto #3, and Chopin piano concerto #2 with the LCCC Symphony Orchestra. He is an avid accompanist collaborating with many different instruments and styles of music, including the score of the Romeo and Juliet suite by Prokofiev.
His goal is to help students play whatever music they would like to play from classical to pop while giving them all they need to play properly including sight reading, ear training, improvisation, transcription, music theory, and technique. He will teach students classical music, jazz, or music of their favorite band, for example, Taylor Swift, Nirvana, Legend of Zelda, and others. Mr. John has been teaching for over 5 years.
Click a time below to register for lessons with Mr. John.
Saturday at Avon
Ms. Courtney F.
Ms. Courtney teaches in-person in Avon and online for Strongsville and Fairview Park locations. For online lessons, the school offers 2 free lessons to try.
Online lesson review: "Courtney is an amazing flute instructor!! She’s very talented, knowledgeable, patient, and encouraging. I always look forward to my lessons with her." - Jenna Miller
Background: Ms. Courtney holds 2 degrees in flute performance, a B.A. from Denison University and a Masters of Music from Cleveland State University. She studied with Carla Colon at Avon School of Music, Dr. Leslie Maaser at Denison U., and with Sean Gabriel at CSU, principal futist of the award-winning Cleveland Chamber Symphony.
She went on to play with the Cleveland Philharmonic for a number of years, and she has been teaching with the Avon School of Music since 2018.
Recently Ms. Courtney had 2 online students receive scholarships and one accepted into 2 colleges to study flute at Baldwin Wallace University and Capitol University.
What her students are saying:
"I’ve been taking lessons for over a year now with the flute teacher Courtney and she’s amazing!! She’s prepared me for my music career in college and I’ve got accepted in Baldwin Wallace and Capital University! I’ve learned so much about flute and practicing in general. She cares about her students a lot and I appreciate it so much. She deepened my passion for music and I can’t wait to see what my music filled future holds!" (on Google) - Danielle Sabljic
"Avon School of Music was a great find for my teenager! They are very friendly and accommodating. Virtual flute lessons with Ms. Courtney have proven to be very beneficial. She has helped motivate my child to practice and has helped her learn some difficult marching band music. We would recommend Avon School of Music and Ms. Courtney to anyone." (on Google) - Denise Bales, online lessons.
Click a lesson time below to register for lessons with Ms. Courtney. She teaches both in-person and online according to the student's preference.
Monday at Avon
Friday at Avon
Friday at Strongsville
Saturday at Avon
Saturday at Fairview
Ms. Katelyn M.
Background: Cleveland State University, Music Education with emphasis in vocal performance and Music Composition. Ms. Katelyn regularly performs in the Cleveland vacinity and has been a Cleveland Metropolitan School District Tutor for 3-8th graders. She is passionate about teaching students of all ages any style of singing from popular, Broadway, Rock, to Classical, whether preparing for a recital or just for fun. She has been teaching for 2 years.
Click a time below to enroll in lessons with Ms. Katelyn:
Monday at Avon
Wednesday at Avon
Friday at Avon
Ms. Maeve W
Background:
Ms. Maeve earned her Bachelor’s degree in piano performance from Baldwin Wallace Conservatory of Music, where she studied under Steinway Artist, Dr. Sungeun Kim and Robert Mayerovitch. She is a classically trained pianist with experience performing as both a soloist and a chamber musician. During her 6 years of piano teaching, she has worked with young students and adult beginners.
Maeve also holds a degree in engineering and loves to work through technical challenges. In lessons, her main goals are to strengthen understanding of music theory, develop proper technique, promote self-discipline, and encourage creative expression. Most importantly, she wants her students to fulfill their individual goals and enjoy playing piano.
Click a time below to enroll in lessons with Ms. Maeve.
Monday at Avon
Thursday at Avon
Ms. Paulina Y.
All lessons are online with our easy to use online portal
Background: Award-winning soprano and actress Ms. Paulina is best known for her portrayal of Tuptim in the 2018 US National Tour and 2019 UK/International Tour of the Tony Award-winning Broadway revival of The King and I. She was also recently nominated for a Jeff Award for her outstanding work in the show that was produced at Chicago’s Drury Lane Theatre.
Aside from acting, she does voiceover work for TV shows and films and was featured as a solo vocalist on the soundtrack of the Emmy Award-winning Amazon Prime series “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” (Season 4). She has also worked as a principal artist with various theatre companies and festivals including Drury Lane Theatre, Opera Hong Kong, Pan Asian Repertory, New York Musical Theatre Festival, NY Lyric Opera, NAAP, and Philippine Opera Company. She is fluent in several languages and dialects including Mandarin, Hokkien, Cantonese, Filipino and English.
Ms. Paulina is a recipient of several awards including the 2015 American Prize in Collegiate Art Song and Oratorio and the Phyllis Bryn-Julson Award at the 2014 Civic Morning Musicals Voice Competition. She is an alumna of Manhattan School of Music, Shanghai Conservatory of Music and graduated cum laude from De La Salle University-Manila with a bachelor’s degree in international studies.
From Paulina: “As a teacher, I help students find and connect to their own voice. In lessons, we focus on building healthy singing habits, honing musicianship and creative expression, and celebrating vocal breakthroughs. For new students, the initial lesson will consist of a brief discussion about music background and goals, an assessment of where the student is at, and developing a customized vocal roadmap for the student. Succeeding lessons begin with an exploration of vocal technique including breathing and vocal exercises and application of technique through song work.”
What are lessons like? "Lessons have been going great! I really feel like I'm starting to understand how to use my voice through the technical knowledge she provides. Each lesson I feel improvement. She gives great feedback and encouragement. I always feel motivated after each lesson." Abi Mendez, current online student
Click a time below to register for lessons with Ms. Paulina.
Ages she teaches: 6 +
Tuesday at Avon
Wednesday at Avon
Thursday at Avon
Thursday at Strongsville
Friday at Avon
Saturday at Avon
Ms. Qiqi
Ms. Qi holds a Bachelor of Music in piano performance from Oberlin Conservatory, studying under the XI Van Cliburn International Piano Competition gold medalist Stanislav Ioundeitch. She has won prizes at several competitions, including the first prize at Canada Rocky Mountain Concerto Competition, the first prize and the audience favorite prize at Kansas City Young Artist Competition, the first prize at Hong Kong International Invitation Piano Competition and the Open Piano Competition in Guangzhou, the third prize at Xinghai Cup National Piano Competition. Ms. Qi has performed with the Azerbaijan National Symphony Orchestra under the baton of the Kansas City Symphony at the distinguished Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts under the baton of Micheal Stern; Volgograd Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Andrey Anikhanov; The Overland Park Orchestra under the baton of Shah Sadikov, and Uzbekistan National Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Alibek Kabdurakhmanov. She has performed concerts in Italy, Spain, China, and the United States. During her free time, Qi Qi enjoys traveling, and trying diverse cuisine from around the globe. She loves dogs and has a broader collie at her home. Ms. Qi loves to help others discover and develop their own musical passion, and focuses on creating a learning experience specifically tailored to each student.
Click a time below to enroll with Ms. Qi.
Monday at Avon
Thursday at Avon
Ms. Shayna R.
Instruments: violin, viola, cello, pre-school piano
Background: Ms. Shayna holds a Master of Music degree from Cleveland State University in violin performance and a Bachelor of Music degree from West Virginia University in violin performance where she also studied cello. She also has an associates degree in Early Childhood Education from Tri-C and is certified in early childhood music education. She was a former Suzuki program director in California prior to 2016.
Ms. Shayna has performed with the Gainesville Chamber Orchestra, Central Florida Symphony Orchestra, Central Florida Philharmonic Orchestra, the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra, Youngstown Symphony, the Canton Symphony Orchestra, the Akron Symphony Orchestra, the Ohio Valley Symphony, and the Wheeling Symphony Orchestra. During her overseas career, she performed with the Peterborough Symphony, Ely Sinfonia, Cambridge Orchestra, and the K239 Chamber Orchestra. Today she continues to perform with the Cleveland Philharmonic Orchestra.
She's been teaching for 30 years and joined the faculty of Avon School of Music in 2016.
Click a time below to register for lessons with Ms. Shayna.
Wednesday at Avon
Friday at Avon
Ms. Xenia B.
Background: Ms. Xenia holds a Bachelor's degree in piano performance from Ohio State University and has been a piano faculty of the School since 2016. She performs regularly for local events and is also a staff pianist at LCCC college.
What are lessons like with Ms. Xenia?
"Xenia is a wonderful teacher and my daughter loves being taught by her. She makes it very enjoyable!" (from Google) - Tony Paoletto
"Avon School of Music is an excellent place for all learners to go to experience music. Ms. Xenia, who teaches my daughter, does a great job instilling confidence and excitement in young learners. If you have an aspiring musician, I highly recommend the Avon School of music!" (from Google) - Mary Carlson
"My son loves learning piano from Ms. Xenia. She is kind and patient, a wonderful teacher." (from Google) - Christen Lee
Ages she teaches: 5 +
Click a time below to register for lessons with Ms. Xenia.
Monday at Strongsville
Tuesday at Avon
Wednesday at Avon
Thursday at Avon
Saturday at Avon
Mr. Micah K.
Online lessons only.
Background: Originally from Winnipeg, Canada, Micah Kroeker is pursuing his master’s degree at the Cleveland Institute of Music with Peter Sullivan. He completed his bachelor's degree at McGill University under James Box, during which time he performed with the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal (OSM), the National Arts Centre Orchestra (Ottawa), and the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra (WSO). In addition to being a winner of the 2022 Concerto Competition at CIM, he was twice a finalist in the McGill Concerto Competition (2020, 2022), a semi-finalist in the OSM Solo Competition (2020), and placed second in the WSO’s Concerto Competition (2016). He has been a part of summer tours with the National Youth Orchestra of Canada (2021, 2023), the National Academy Orchestra of Canada (2020-2022), and the National Youth Band of Canada (2018).
Click a lesson time below to enroll in lessons with Mr. Micah.
Thursday at Avon
Mr. Scott S.
Background: Master's Degree from Akron University in guitar performance. From graduating at the top 5 of his class with multiple performance scholarships to being called world-class by Cleveland.com from his debut as a classical guitarist in Westlake, Ohio, Mr. Scott continues to entertain and amaze audiences all over north-east Ohio with his nose to the grindstone musical style and expansive top grade repertoire. He teaches students of all ages and has been teaching private guitar lessons for over 8 years.
Click a time below to register for lessons with Mr. Scott.
Monday at Avon
Saturday at Avon
Mr. Steven B.
Background: Steven received his Master of Music from the Cleveland Institute of Music in the studio of Scott Dixon. Before that, he studied Music Education at Belmont University and received his Bachelor of Music, studying bass with Craig Nelson. Steven has played with numerous ensembles around Northeast Ohio including the Firelands Symphony, Mansfield Symphony.
Feedback: "We are writing in praise of Robert’s upright bass teacher, Mr. Steven B, who has been working with Robert this summer. Mr. Steven is really enthusiastic and encouraging. He helps Robert grow as a musician and feel good about his effort. Robert is enjoying his lessons and looks forward to them. He especially likes how Mr. Steven patiently explains notations and describes how the music should sound in a way that Robert can understand. He sometimes clarifies how a piece should sound by singing the notes with made up words, which is particularly helpful. Robert’s tone and timing has improved in just a few weeks and Mr. Brija helped him fine tune his pieces for what turned out to be a very successful audition. We definitely think Mr. Steven is an excellent teacher because he is positive, knowledgeable and creates an environment for fun and improvement." - Robert and Monica Mosack, parents
Click a time below to register for lessons with Mr. Steven.
Wednesday at Strongsville
Ms. Arianna F.
Background: Ms. Arianna is a second-year graduate assistant at Cleveland State University studying for her Masters in Music, with a concentration on Vocal Performance. She specializes in early music, such as Ancient Chant and Baroque Music, but also has experience teaching and singing musical theater and contemporary music. Arianna has over ten years of experience studying and working professionally as a soloist, cantor, and director of choirs in church services and concerts singing chant, solo music, and polyphony. After years of being a vocal coach in her own private studio, she began teaching at Avon School of Music in April of 2023. Currently, Arianna sings with the Blossom Festival Chorus and Cleveland Orchestra Chorus. In addition to her career in music, Arianna is a critical care nurse at the Cleveland Clinic. She has been teaching voice for over 5 years.
From Ms. Arianna: “My first goal for my students is to help and guide them in finding their own unique voice. I will help my students gain awareness of their voice and body as an instrument, become comfortable with efficient vocal production associated with both classical and contemporary styles of singing and increase their knowledge of vocal repertoire and basic music theory. Students will also learn individual practice skills and successful performance strategies.“
Click a time below to register for lessons with Ms. Arianna.
No timeslots available at the moment.
Ms. Jackie K.
Background: Baldwin Wallace Conservatory of Music, cello performance and music education. Ms. Jackie's teaching experiences include being a Teaching Assistant for the middle school orchestra program at Eastern Heights Middle School in Elyria, OH, and serving as a Chamber Music Coach for Baldwin Wallace's Community Arts School High School Chamber Music Program. In addition to teaching at Avon School of Music, she currently serves as an Education Research Intern for The Cleveland Orchestra. Her notable accomplishments include being awarded the Frank & Hazel Larimer Scholarship in Education, and the Tuesday Musical Gertrude Seiberling Scholarship. Her recent special performances include playing with the Ashland Symphony Orchestra, as a finalist in the Lauria Concerto Competition, and as a soloist on BW's Conservatory Convocation series. She has been teaching for 3 years.
Click a time below to register for lessons with Ms. Jackie.
Saturday at Avon
Ms. Kate S.
Background: Baldwin Wallace Conservatory of Music, vocal music education with performance emphasis.
Ms. Kate's goals for her students are that they develop a strong foundation in music reading and technique, but most importantly that they have fun while growing as a musician. She uses Kodaly rhythm practices, the solfège system, and other strong methods in vocal pedagogy. She loves teaching and performing, enjoying all genres of music, from jazz to musical theater to classical.
Ms. Kate is great at keeping all of her students engaged during lessons and is prepared to teach students of any age. She dreams that all of her students will gain an appreciation for music and be confident in themselves. She has been teaching for over 3 years.
Click a time below to enroll in lessons with Ms. Kate.
Friday at Strongsville
Saturday at Strongsville
Ms. Mercedes C.
All lessons are online.
Make faster progress with World-record setting Ms. Mercedes as she gives the insights and techniques that only great violinists know. Join her online as she teaches all levels. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity (online only).
"I learned more in one session than I have in numerous lessons with other teachers."
"The girls love Mercedes." - Mrs. Adams, mother (daughter's 7 and 9, online lessons)
Background: Ms. Mercedes is a world record-setting, concert violinist who has performed in some of the greatest international scenes, including her Carnegie Hall debut recital where she performed the complete Paganini's 24 Caprices at age 10. She holds the world record as the youngest ever to have performed and recorded Paganini's 24 Caprices on DVD and CD released in May 2012. She has been invited to perform at a young age with orchestras such as the Markham Symphony Orchestra, and the National Chamber Ensemble “Kiev Soloists” with violin virtuoso, Shlomo Mintz. She was awarded full scholarships from three major institutes namely the Juilliard School, the New England Conservatory of Music and the Phil and Eli Taylor Performance Academy for Young Artists of the Toronto Royal Conservatory of Music. She was appointed as Concertmaster/Co-Concertmaster by the Music Director for Ontario Philharmonic Orchestra. She has given concert tours and performs on a 1623 Giovanni Paola Maggini violin. Mercedes has a bachelor's degree in violin performance from the Cleveland Institute of Music and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in violin performance at Yale University on a full scholarship.
She helps students overcome the most difficult challenges of the violin just as she did and is accepting students of all levels, beginning to advanced.
Click a time below to register for lessons with Ms. Mercedes.
Monday at Avon
Wednesday at Avon
Wednesday at Strongsville
Thursday at Avon
Friday at Avon
Friday at Strongsville
Saturday at Avon
Saturday at Fairview
Saturday at Strongsville
Ms. Yiran S.
Background: Cleveland Institute of Music, Master’s degree in collaborative piano. Xinghai Conservatory of Music, Bachelor’s degree in music education, majoring in piano performance. MS. Yiran participated in the Piano Competition of NMCC 2020 Guangzhou Division Preliminary and won the first prize and second prize respectively in the preliminary competition of Liszt International Youth Competition. She has been teaching over 4 years. Yiran loves to explore student’s musicality and stimulate their interest in learning piano.
Click a time below to begin to enroll in piano lessons with Ms. Yiran.
Thursday at Avon
Friday at Strongsville
Mr. Austin P.
Lessons online only.
Background: Cleveland Institute of Music, bachelor's degree in piano performance. He has participated in numerous piano competitions in the Bay Area and has won numerous awards. He was the recipient of the radio station KDFC Classical Star Search “People’s Choice Award” in 2009. He participated in the Zeiter Competition, East Bay Music Festival, Ross Mckee Piano Competition, United States Open Music Competition, etc..
"Lessons have been going great! He is the best teacher..." Emily Nehls, mother
From Mr. Austin: "I like my students to learn that piano is quite a fun instrument, and with enough time and dedication, you will come to see how easy it is as well. I want to instill an understanding of the theory or math that is behind music. Even for young students, this is important to learn while also having fun! A typical lesson always involves playing and learning some form of warm-up techniques before getting into the major portion, which involves learning new pieces and perhaps even songs they may have heard or want to play. I also encourage all my students to improvise on the piano, because real joy comes from it."
Ages he teaches: 6 +
Click a time below to register for lessons with Mr. Austin.
Wednesday at Avon
Mr. Colin L.
Background: Oberlin Conservatory of Music, saxophone and clarinet jazz performance. Mr. Colin is a jazz multi-instrumentalist and composer who weaves together soulful melodies on the saxophone while embracing the harmonious connection between music and the natural world. He performs regularly in the Cleveland vicinity and has been teaching for 4 years.
Click a time below to register with Mr. Colin:
Saturday at Avon
Mr. Denver S.
Online lessons only. Background: Mr. Denver holds a Masters of Music Education from the University of Houston and Bachelors of Science in Music Education from Texas A&M University with emphasis in saxophone, brass, woodwinds performance.
Mr. Denver is the President on the Board of Directors for the Military Band International. Hailing from the Piney Woods of East Texas, Mr. Satterwhite graduated from Whitehouse High School under the tutelage of Mr. Denny Whitley.
An advocate of military bands, Mr. Denver helped in converting high schools to the precision style of military across Texas, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, Kansas, West Virginia, and Georgia. These bands have went on to see great success at competition both on and off the field. In the summer of 2016, Mr. Denver accepted a position with Dallas ISD. Before working at Dallas ISD, he was Director of Bands at Union Hill ISD and brass pedagogue and music arranger for Leveretts Chapel ISD. Mr. Denver is also a key developer in the drill writing software “Precision”. After graduating with his Masters in Music Education from the University of Houston, Mr. Denver taught at both Texas College and Jarvis University.
Mr. Denver had his composition debut in March of 2016 with the Texas A&M University- Commerce Flute studio under the direction of Dr. Julee Kim Walker. He regularly composes for large and small ensembles. His composition teachers are Dr. Theodore Hansen and Dr. John Rutter. He has had 18 original premieres to date for flute ensemble, Band, Military band, and chamber ensembles. Recently, the 156th Army Band of Louisiana premiered "Hickox March”. In summer of 2018 his second Symphony “At Sea” debuted.
Mr. Denver's professional affiliations include Texas Music Educators Association, Texas Bandmasters Association, Military Band International, National Association of Military Marching Bands, American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, and the Sousa Foundation.
He has been teaching for over 10 years.
Click a time below to register for lessons with Mr. Denver.
Monday at Avon
Mr. John M
Background: Bachelor's Degree in performance from Baldwin Wallace University and teaching certificate from Cleveland State University. He has performed frequently in Northeast Ohio as well as touring with the Mantovani Orchestra in the United States, Japan, China, Korea, Malaysia and Singapore. He also played with Seaside Music Theater in Daytona Beach. He has been teaching over 40 years including private instruction and conducting bands, orchestras and chamber groups. He has acquired many rocedures and strategies which have proved effective in encouraging his students to make music. He teaches all brass instruments.
Click a time below to register for lessons with Mr. John.
Tuesday at Avon
Wednesday at Avon
Friday at Avon
Mr. Mario B
Saturday at Avon
Mr. Mark B.
Background: Kent State University graduate in drums performance.
Favorite Genres - Rock, Country, Jazz, Church, Funk.
Teaching Style - Fun Individualized building block approach to fit student’s interests and needs.
Achievements - Touring Drummer, Session Drummer. Featured at Cleveland Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, 10 years teaching experience.
Click a time below to register for lessons with Mr. Mark.
Saturday at Avon
Mr. Nolan J, Online Guitar
Thursday at Avon
Mr. Zihan
Background: Xinghai Conservatory of Music, bachelor's degree in Piano Performance, Carthage College in Music Education, and Oberlin Conservatory of Music, Artist Diploma and Piano Technology.
Mr. Zihan loves to teach children, making learning fun and enjoyable. He helps students to cultivate basic skills, feel the charm of music, and follow a plan catered to their individual needs. He has been teaching for more than 7 years.
Click a time below to enroll with Mr. Zihan.
Monday at Avon
Thursday at Avon
Friday at Avon
Ms. Bethany F.
All lessons are online with our easy to use portal
"Thank you!! Addy LOVES HER!!" - Mrs. Eidel, mother (online lessons)
Background: Baldwin Wallace University, B.A. in Music performance, guitar and composition.
From Ms. Bethany: "In teaching my students, I hope to see them grow and excel at what they are passionate about while also creating an atmosphere for questions and engagement between the student and teacher. My goals are to teach them how to play any song in any genre that they love and learn to teach themselves a new song by gaining a deeper understanding of music theory."
Click a time below to register for lessons with Ms. Bethany.
Thursday at Avon
Thursday at Strongsville
Ms. Carlie G.
Background: Master's in Violin Performance from Youngstown State University and Bachelor's in Violin Performance from Easter Kentucky University. Ms. Carlie taught as a faculty in the String Project at YSU, and participated in community outreach and recruitment events. She also taught private lessons and group classes at the Western Middle School of the Arts, 2021-22. She has been teaching private lessons for over 5 years.
Click a time below to enroll in lessons with Ms. Carlie.
No timeslots available at the moment.
Ms. Fei X.
All lessons are online with our easy to use online portal (over 6 years of teaching online lessons)
Background: Ms. Fei is a current candidate for the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in vocal performance at West Virginia University with the Outstanding Merit Fellowship award. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music Education from Xinghai Conservatory of Music in China with a concentration in voice and piano; a Master of Music degree in Vocal Performance from the University of Miami and an Artist Diploma from Montclair State University. Ms. Fei made her Carnegie Hall debut as Juliette in Romeo et Juliette with the New York Lyric Opera.
She recently won the First Place in the American Protege International Vocal Competition(2021), the First Prize in “The Song” International Vocal Competition(2021), the Gold Medal in Quebec International Music Competition(2021), the second Place in Music and Stars Awards (2021), the Third Prize in North American Virtuoso International Music Competition (2021), and the
Third Prize in The North International Music Competition (2021).
She also has been recognized by many national and international vocal competitions, including VODIN International Music Competition(2020 Honorable Mention); Metropolitan Opera National Council Audition Florida District (2019 Finalist). Ms.Fei has been selected to be engaged with numerous professional opera companies, including Vienna Opera Festival, New York Lyric Opera, Manhattan Opera Studio, Miami Classical Music Festival, Berlin Opera Academy, and Taconic Opera Company Young Artist Program. Ms. Fei has been teaching over 5 years.
What are online lessons like with Ms. Fei?
"My 6 year old daughter loves Ms. Fei Xia’s voice lessons! She’s having fun and making noticeable progress in every lesson thanks to Ms. Fei Xia’s patient, encouraging, and precise instruction!" - Sophia's mother (online lessons)
"Ms. Fei has been teaching piano to my oldest daughter (7 years old) and voice to her little sister (6 years old), and they both very much enjoyed their time with Fei. She has fun, patient, and encouraging. Thanks to Fei, they made wonderful progress, gained confidence, and increased their interest in music. We would certainly recommend Fei as a teacher to other families." Parents of Alex and Eddie, piano and voice students (online lessons)
Click a time below to register for lessons with Ms. Fei.
Monday at Avon
Tuesday at Avon
Wednesday at Avon
Thursday at Avon
Friday at Avon
Ms. Frances
Saturday at Strongsville
Ms. Katie R.
Background: Baldwin Wallace Conservatory of Music, piano performance and history. She has performed at prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall, and can be regularly heard giving solo and collabortive performances in small/large ensemble works. She has over 6 years teaching experience in private piano lessons.
Katie loves sharing her passion for music with her students. In lessons, Katie strives to provide her students with a strong foundation of rhythm, technique, note-reading, and artistic creativity. While creating a focused and driven lesson environment, Katie’s main goal is for her students to enjoy playing and gain a lifelong appreciation for music.
She enjoys listening to all genres of music, but mainly performs classical music. Away from the piano, Katie enjoys reading, spending time with her cats, hiking, and creating classical music content for her instagram, @thepianoplayer_ .
Click a time below to register for lessons with Ms. Katie.
Tuesday at Strongsville
Wednesday at Strongsville
Ms. Laurie A.
Background: Master of Music in piano pedagogy from Kent State University and Bachelor of Music Education from Baldwin-Wallace College, performance study with Robert Mayerovitch. Ms. Laurie was a professor of piano classes in Oberlin College and an adjunct music faculty/accompanist at Lorain County Community College (2000-2016). Her students have been awarded full 4-year scholarships to attend music schools.
Click a time below to register for piano lessons with Ms Laurie.
Thursday at Avon
Ms. Linxi w.
Backgroud: Ms. Linxi earned a bachelor' s degree in piano performance from the New England Conservatory of Music and Master of Arts degree in Music Therapy from New York University. She is also a recent Master of Music graduate in Collaborative Piano from Cleveland Institute of Music. Linxi has performed in numerous venues such as Ganz Hall at Chicago College of Performing Arts, Keller room at NEC, Mixon and Kulas Hall at CIM. She is actively playing, collaborating and teaching around the Cleveland area.
Ms. Linxi loves to help others explore the inner-self (through music or sound) and reach the potential musicianship within every individual. In the path of finding harmony together, Ms. Linxi believes that we all have a natural striving for health and growth. The process of utilizing individual-tailored goals allows students to access the essence of music through the medium of adapted piano learning. She has been teaching for over 5 years.
Click a time below to register for lessons with Ms. Linxi.
Thursday at Avon
Friday at Avon
Ms. Liza W.
All lessons are online. Ms. Liza teaches students of all ages. First lesson is free.
Background: Cleveland Institute of Music, MM; Oberlin College Conservatory of
Music, BM; Interlochen Arts Academy, Diploma & Fine Arts Award; Suzuki Certification, School
for Strings NYC.
Ms. Liza is a classical pianist/keyboardist, organist, and instructor in Manhattan, performing regularly with professional musicians in the city, as well as internationally. She has been a long-time affiliate of many music organizations including Barnard College/Columbia University,
New York University, the Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity (Organist), the Rodney
Marsalis Philadelphia Big Brass, and Interlochen Arts Camp. She is also a studio pianist for
renowned pedagogues Josephine Mongiardo, Harolyn Blackwell, and Catherine Malfitano, as
well as a pianist and faculty for the Killington Music Festival.
Previously, she was a pianist/keyboardist for New York Stage and Film; Interlochen Arts Camp, School for Strings (NYC); on the faculty of the Professional Performing Arts School, Avenues: The World School (NYC), and Westchester Conservatory; Music Director of the Church of St. Denis; Assistant Music Director/Pianist of the New York Youth Symphony Singers; Assistant Music Director/Keyboardist for Columbia Artists' Theatricals National Tours North America; Pianist/Harpsichordist of the Bronx Opera, Chelsea Opera & Orchestra, and Concerts in Motion; Piano and Chamber Music faculty of the Diller-Quaile School of Music; and a sideline musician for NBC's music series 'Smash'.
Pedagogically, she has trained and taught at Oberlin College Conservatory's Piano Lab, Cleveland institute of Music's Preparatory Program, and School for Strings (Suzuki) and Diller-Quaile School of Music, in NYC.
Teaching specificities include concert/exam/competition preparation, facility in
sight-reading/vocal diction, as well as technique and musicality, for young children new to piano,
up through high school, college/conservatory adults, and continuing ed for
educators/presenters. She teaches students of all ages.
Click a time below to register for lessons with Ms. Liza.
Monday at Avon
Wednesday at Avon
Thursday at Strongsville
Friday at Strongsville
Ms. Mary S
Background: Ottawa Suzuki Strings Institute and Oberlin Conservatory of Music in violin performance. Her teachers include Shirley Star, Joseph Kaminsky, Sibbi Bernhardsson, Almita, Vamos, Brian Lewis, Erin Schreiber, Noah Geller, Benny Kim, Connie Heard, and Joseph Genualdi.
Ms. Mary has been playing her violin for more than 5,848 (and counting) consecutive days! In 2014, 2016, and 2018 she was selected to be in the Suzuki Association of the Americas Biennial Conference Youth Orchestra in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She later became a recipient of the G.A., JR. and Kathryn M. Buder music scholarship for the years 2021-2024. After she had received her grant from the Buder Foundation in 2021, she placed first in the Rising Talents Competition and had her debut performance with the Town and Country Symphony Orchestra in St. Louis on March 28, 2022. After her debut with the Town and Country Symphony Orchestra, she was awarded the grand prize of the Northland Symphony Orchestra’s Young Artist Competition in North Kansas City Missouri under the leadership of Maestro James Murray III. After her performance with the Northland Symphony Orchestra (NSO), she competed at the MFMC (Missouri Federation of Music Clubs) State Concerto Competition and received first place in the strings division. She was also invited to perform with the Gateway Symphony Orchestra, led by Dr. Leon Burke in July 2022. A couple months later, she performed Sarasate’s Introduction and Tarantella with the University City Symphony Orchestra (UCSO), as the prizewinner of the UCSO William Schatzkamer Young Artist Competition. This performance with the UCSO was also under the guidance of Dr. Leon Burke. In November 2022, she received first place in the Missouri Teachers’ National Association (MTNA) Young Artists Competition for the Senior Division in the State of Missouri. She was also selected to be the 2nd place runner up for the MTNA semi-finals out of 7 states (MN, MO, IA, CO, AR, OK, KS). In October 2023, she won the Heritage Philharmonic Orchestra Young Artist Competition and performed under the direction of James Murray III a second time. The most recent competition Mary has participated in was the MFMC State Concerto Competition a second time for the year 2024 and won first place in the senior strings division.
Apart from her solo competitions, she was a member of the Metropolitan Orchestra of Saint Louis "Share a Stand Program” and the Northland Symphony Orchestra in Kansas City, Missouri.
With regards to extracurriculars, she enjoys playing classical guitar and she competes in Global Traditional Martial Arts (GTMA) tournaments as a Fourth-Degree Black Belt. In her free time, she also loves to watch Disney short films with her younger sister on the weekends.
Click a time below to enroll with Ms. Mary S.
Thursday at Avon
Ms. Michele W.
All lessons are online. Background: Sincere and transparent are words that describe Michele Wagner. She writes songs about hope from God. Michele is a nationally known contemporary Christian recording artist who grew up in Cleveland, Ohio. She received her bachelor’s in music education, with a major in voice and a minor in piano from The Ohio State University in 1983.
She moved to Nashville, Tennessee in 1984 to begin her music career. She was signed as a staff songwriter with Meadowgreen Music Publishers in 1985. In 1989 the Benson Music Group signed Michele to a recording contract for four albums..
Michele's first, self-titled album, and her second album, A Heart That's Free contained four number one national hits, and her third album, entitled Safe Place, was named by Pulse Magazine as one of the 10 best Christian albums in 1992.
Her fourth released album, Heart of the Journey, included her first music video. The title song, "Heart of the Journey," was the theme song for the 1994 National Acteen Convention held in Birmingham where Michele was the guest artist.
Michele’s fifth album is a CD entitled "Michele Wagner - A Collection Vol. 1. It is a compilation of Michele's four previously released CD's.
Michele's CD, "A Miracle of Hope”, are described by Michele as "intimate and reflective personal prayers" that invite the listener on a healing journey with Lord.
Michele’s “Blind Now I See” CD contains nine songs inspired from God’s
Word and her “Out of The Overflow” EP is a fresh production of four new songs and two reproduced classics.
Michele also digitized her first album (1984) “Higher Than Mine”. These are her first songs she composed after Jesus became Lord of her life the end of high school.
Michele states that her songwriting is a "natural overflow of her walk with the Lord." The listener will notice a theme of hope for a broken-hearted world. You can find her new songs on her website here michelewagnermusic.com
Michele and her husband Gregg reside in Broadview Heights, Ohio and attend Cuyahoga Valley Church where Gregg is the Administrative Pastor and Michele ministers in music. Their son Chris and wife Whitney live in Raleigh, NC where Chris works as Sending Director at The Summit Church and Whitney serves in the Children’s Ministry at Summit. They both enjoy raising their new baby boy, Beckham who was born January 7, 2023. Michele has a special song she wrote about her own son off her "Miracle Of Hope" album titled “Christopher” and this song reminds her of new grand baby boy.
Click a time below to enroll in lessons with Ms. Michele
Thursday at Strongsville
Saturday at Strongsville
Ms. Olivia M
Background: Oberlin Conservatory of Music, violin performance with principal teacher and chair of Oberlin string division, Dr. David Bowlin. Ms. Oliva began playing violin when she was two years old with Martin Lopez. She has studied with several other notable violinists including Vanessa Vari - Director of Suzuki Strings of Denver, Sue Northup, Sarah Arndt, Vicki Szcepaniak - Director of Suzuki Early Childhood of Chicago, Ed Kreitman, Suzuki pedagogue Tom Wermuth, and Davis King of the Music Institute of Chicago. She has participated in the Apple Hill Center for Chamber Muisc, Ascent International Chamber Music Festival, the Chicago Musical Pathways Initiative program, and Sphinx Performance Academy. She has performed in prominent venues such as Orchestra Hall in Chicago as well as Carnegie Hall. She has been teaching privately for over 5 years. Along with teaching and playing violin, she is pursuing a degree in psychology and values the importance of mental well-being, especially for musicians. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, spending time with her dog, Henry, and exploring delicious foods and coffees.
Click a time below to register for lessons with Ms. Olivia.
Saturday at Avon
Ms. Rachel K.
Background: Ms. Rachel earned her Masters in Music in performance from the Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University studying with Ira Gold, section bassist of the National Symphony Orchestra. She also holds a Bachelors in Music from the Cleveland Institute of Music where she studied with Scott Dixon, section bassist of the Cleveland Orchestra.
Ms. Rachel is a double bassist of the Firelands Symphony Orchestra and performs regularly as a substitute bassist for the Canton, Mansfield, Maryland, and Akron Symphony Orchestras. She is a substitute bassist with the New World Symphony Orchestra in Florida (22/23 and 24/25). Rachel was previously an Associate Member (bassist) of the Chicago Civic Orchestra (22/23).
Rachel plays other genres on the electric bass including rock, jazz, funk, slap, pop, country, and blues. She studied with Chuck Rainey and Dwayne Heggar and performed as the bassist with professional groups Tommy Alverson, Missing 3s, Cuzin Lester, and Shaun Outen. Rachel was a Texas All State bassist in both classical and jazz. She has been teaching private lessons for about 5 years.
Click a time below to register for lessons with Ms. Rachel.
Monday at Avon
Ms. Soo S.
Background: Ms. Soo has a B.M and M.M degree in piano performance from South Korea. After
she moved to the US, she earned double master degrees in piano performance and piano accompaniment at Temple University. She has been teaching piano for about 30 years in age ranges from 3 to 70 years old students and has taught in South Korea, China, California, Pennsylvania, and now Ohio.
She also has substantial experience teaching students with special needs and disabilities,
and one of her accomplishments as a teacher is instructing students with deafness or hearing loss
by helping them feel the vibrations of different frequencies. She believes that it is important to
connect with each of her student to understand and meet their needs while providing them with the
best experience with music. She has been teaching with Avon School of Music since 2017.
What are lessons like with Ms. Soo?
"Ms. Soo is awesome. She has been very supportive and patient with my daughter." - Mrs. Sand
Click a time below to register for lessons with Ms. Soo.
Monday at Strongsville
Saturday at Avon
Ms. Wendy T.
Background: Ms. Wendy holds both Bachelor's and Master's degrees from the Cleveland Institute of Music in piano performance. She has been teaching and performing for about 30 years.
What are lessons like?
"Wendy is amazing and really cares about her students! After trying other places, moving to Fairview music academy has been fantastic!" Samson Strawder
"We have been very happy with the instruction given by Mrs. Wendy. Even when conducting virtual lessons, she does a fantastic job. Our daughter has made great strides since she started studying piano with Mrs. Wendy. She has created some great tools to help beginners learn how to play the piano and understand music notes, timing, etc. We highly recommend for piano classes." Ryan Lewis
"My daughter has been taking piano lessons for over a year and loves it! Wendy has made learning fun and exciting for her by tailoring lessons to her learning style. I would definitely recommend them!!" Lee Ann Dore
Ages she teaches: 4 +
Click a time below to register for lessons with Ms. Wendy.