Faculty & Staff

Meet Our Celebrated Faculty & Staff

Merit School of Music’s expert teaching artists and staff create a deep, inspiring, and motivating learning experience for music-lovers from across Chicagoland.

Get to know the faces of Merit who are dedicated to ensuring music students of all backgrounds, ages, and experience levels are able to reach their full musical and personal potential.

Faculty
Staff

Department Chairs | Brass | Early Childhood | Ensembles | Guitar | Jazz | Percussion | Piano | Strings | Theory & Composition | Voice & Choir | Woodwind

President’s Office | Programs | Student Services | Development & Marketing | Finance & Administration | Operations | Chicago Musical Pathways Initiative (CMPI)

Department Chairs

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Claire Bachman Department Co-Chair: Strings; Faculty: Cello

Dr. Elena Doubovitskaya Department Chair: Piano; Faculty: Piano

Brigid Finucane Department Chair: Early Childhood & General Music

Michael Nearpass Department Chair: Theory & Composition; Faculty: Theory

Bob Sherman Department Chair: Guitar; Ensemble Director: Guitar; Faculty: Guitar

Iris Wei Department Co-Chair: Strings; Faculty: Violin

Brass

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David Allie Faculty: Trumpet

Hamed Barbarji Faculty: Trumpet

Ryan Berndt Faculty: Trumpet

Nick Collins Faculty: Tuba & Euphonium

Timothy Riordan Faculty: Trombone

Ivan Saenz Faculty: Brass

Emma Sepmeier Faculty: Horn

John Wambach Faculty: Brass

Early Childhood & General Music

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Brigid Finucane Department Chair: Early Childhood & General Music

Sally Blandón Early Childhood & General Music Program Director

Frances Kennedy Early Childhood & General Music Program Manager

Briana Belding-Peck Faculty: Early Childhood

Miro Hernandez Faculty: Early Childhood

Ben Jacobs Faculty: Early Childhood

Jan Janz Faculty: Early Childhood

Annaeka Johnson Faculty: Early Childhood

Avo Randruut Faculty: General Music

Ben Weber Faculty: Violin/Viola, Early Childhood

Tanya Guerrero Faculty: Early Childhood

Ensembles

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Alexander Beltran Ensemble Director: Jazz Ensembles & Combos; Faculty: Jazz

Justin Berchtold Faculty: Band, Merit Music in Communities

Hope Bogusch Ensemble Director IVM Choirs; Faculty: Voice

Evan Bruno Department Chair: Voice; Choir Director: Merit Music in Communities

Bonnie-Heather Campbell Ensemble Director: Clarinet Ensemble; Faculty: Clarinet; Conservatory: Clarinet Technique Class

Scott Casagrande Director: Wind Symphony

Katelyn Curtin Faculty: Voice

Roger Dekind Director: Conservatory Band

Steven Gooden Merit Philharmonic Director, Conservatory Symphonic Band Director, Merit Music in Communities Band Director, Clarinet Faculty

Kristin Hedlund Ensemble Director: Cherub Orchestra, Merit Music in Communities; Violin Private Lessons Instructor

Jennifer Huang Music Director, Chamber Orchestra

Janet Janz Ensemble Director: Stradivarius Strings; Faculty: Cello

Daniel Klingler Ensemble Director: Gunsaulus Orchestra

Timothy Riordan Faculty: Trombone

Bob Sherman Department Chair: Guitar; Ensemble Director: Guitar; Faculty: Guitar

Christian Smith Ensemble Director: Encore Orchestra; Faculty: Violin & Viola

Joe Sonnefeldt Faculty: Percussion

Arturs Weible Orchestra Director: Merit Music in Communities; Faculty: Viola

Guitar

Bob Sherman Department Chair: Guitar; Ensemble Director: Guitar; Faculty: Guitar

José Luis Posada Faculty: Guitar

Eric R. Singh Faculty: Guitar

Joseph B. Glossberg Jazz Program

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Alexander Beltran Ensemble Director: Jazz Ensembles & Combos; Faculty: Jazz

Jimmy Farace Faculty: Concert Jazz Band

Aaron McEvers Faculty: Music Theory, Jazz, Saxophone and Combos

Adrian Ruiz Faculty: Jazz Piano

Percussion

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Brandon Podjasek Faculty: Percussion

Avo Randruut Faculty: World Percussion

Renata Rangel Faculty: Percussion

John Ringor Faculty: Percussion

Joe Sonnefeldt Faculty: Percussion

Piano

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Dr. Elena Doubovitskaya Department Chair: Piano; Faculty: Piano

Dr. Seungwha Baek Faculty: Piano

Maya Galperin Faculty: Piano

Mio Isoda-Hagle Faculty: Piano

Mikayla Jang Faculty: Piano

Mijin Kim Faculty: Piano

Anna Kovalevska Faculty: Piano

Weiwen Ma Faculty: Piano

Say Mayfire Faculty: Piano

Gleise Montemagni Faculty: Piano

Alessandra Odazaki Chincha Faculty: Piano

Cynthia Papierniak Faculty: Piano

Tina Qi Faculty: Piano

Toshiko Suzuki Faculty: Piano

Ligia Takei Faculty: Piano

Diego E. Tapia Faculty: Piano

Pedro Uceda Faculty: Piano

Lillia Woolschlager Faculty: Piano

Dr. Ann Yi Faculty: Piano

Strings

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Claire Bachman Department Co-Chair: Strings; Faculty: Cello

Iris Wei Department Co-Chair: Strings; Faculty: Violin

Jorge Amado Faculty: Violin

Andy Anderson Faculty: Bass, The Erika Cornelisen Bass Instructor

Hillary Bayley Faculty: Violin & Viola

Erica Carpenedo Faculty: Violin

Rebekah Dotzel Faculty: Cello

Christine Fliginger Faculty: Violin & Viola

Dan Galat Faculty: Violin & Viola

Nicole Gallucci Faculty: Cello

Kami Ghavi Helm Faculty: Strings

Matt Gold Faculty: Theory & Bass

Eva Barbados-Gutierrez Faculty: Cello

Jennifer Huang Director: Chamber Orchestra

Kristin Hedlund Ensemble Director: Cherub Orchestra, Merit Music in Communities; Violin Private Lessons Instructor

Jason Hurlbut Faculty: Violin

Emmett Jackson Faculty: Strings

Janet Janz Ensemble Director: Stradivarius Strings; Faculty: Cello

Daniel Klingler Faculty: Cello

Julia Koehler Faculty: Violin & Viola

Mónica Lugo Head of Alegre Strings; Faculty: Violin

Rasa Mahmoudian Faculty: Violin & Viola

Mona Mierxiati Faculty: Violin

Julian Ng Faculty: Violin

Dr. Keegan O'Donald Faculty: Cello

Samantha Peng Faculty: Violin & Viola

Sophie Petroski Faculty: Violin

Chad Polk Faculty: Cello

Molly Rife Faculty: Cello

Desirée Ruhstrat Faculty: Chamber Music

Patrick Rustandi Faculty: Violin & Viola

Nina Saito Faculty: Strings

Everardo Sanchez Faculty: Cello

Julie Schreiner Faculty: Violin & Viola

Hope Shepherd Faculty: Cello

Peter Slowik Faculty: Viola

Christian Smith Ensemble Director: Encore Orchestra; Faculty: Violin & Viola

Nathan Sonnenfeld Faculty: Violin & Viola

Santiago Uribe-Cardona Faculty: Strings

Ben Weber Faculty: Violin/Viola, Early Childhood

Arturs Weible Orchestra Director: Merit Music in Communities; Faculty: Viola

Hannah Wilson Smith Faculty: Bass

John Xia Faculty: Violin

Caitlin Yambao Faculty: Strings

Henry Zheng Faculty: Strings

Theory & Composition

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Michael Nearpass Department Chair: Theory & Composition; Faculty: Theory

Matt Gold Faculty: Theory, Bass

Aaron McEvers Faculty: Music Theory, Jazz, Saxophone and Combos

Ashley Pribyl Faculty: Theory

Emily Thompson Faculty: Voice and Theory

Voice & Choir

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Francy Acosta Choir Director: Merit Music in Communities; Faculty: Voice

Hope Bogusch Ensemble Director IVM Choirs; Faculty: Voice

Evan Bruno Department Chair: Voice; Choir Director: Merit Music in Communities

Ayana Cheston Faculty: Voice

Katelyn Curtin Faculty: Voice

Carling FitzSimmons Faculty: Voice

Nashon Halloway Faculty: Voice

Amanda Kohl Faculty: Voice

Gabrielle Lochard Faculty: Voice

Emily Thompson Faculty: Voice

Woodwind

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Hideko Amano Faculty: Flute

Alexander Beltran Ensemble Director: Jazz Ensembles & Combos; Faculty: Jazz

Richard Brasseale Faculty: Saxophone

Bonnie-Heather Campbell Ensemble Director: Clarinet Ensemble; Faculty: Clarinet; Conservatory: Clarinet Technique Class

Susan Crandall Faculty: Flute

Steven Gooden Merit Philharmonic Director, Conservatory Symphonic Band Director, Merit Music in Communities Band Director, Clarinet Faculty

Kenneth Leftridge Jr. Faculty: Saxophone

Anna Najoom Faculty: Clarinet

Christine Janzow Phillips Faculty: Oboe

Samuel Peters Faculty: Woodwind

Michael Thompson Faculty: Clarinet

President's Office

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Charles Grode President & Executive Director

Ayanna Smith Executive and Board Assistant

Programs

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Kurtis Gildow The Chicago Community Trust Dean & Vice President for Educational Affairs

Amy Bischoff Director of Program Operations

Sally Blandón Early Childhood and General Music Program Director

Jeremiah Price Band & Jazz Program Director

Leah Schuman Program Director: Strings, Orchestras, & Chamber Music

Pamela Shortall Voice, Guitar, & the Marlene M. Bowen Piano Program Director

Nylah Bradshaw Band & Jazz Program Manager

Sarah Forbes Piano, Voice, & Guitar Program Manager

Nicole Hernandez String Program Manager

Todd Humphrey Music & Instrument Librarian

Frances Kennedy Early Childhood & General Music Program Manager

Autumn Selover Program Coordinator

Student Services

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Dy'Anna Augustus Director of Student Services

Carmia Lowe Student Services Manager

Anna Garcia Student Services Associate

Ari Ferris Student Services Associate

Nora Burke Student Services Associate

Development & Marketing

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Meredith Barber Vice President for Development & Marketing

Mark Richard Director of Institutional Giving

Amy Riske Director of Development Operations

Erin Darge Marketing Specialist

Sam Doran Marketing Manager

Maggie Lin Donor Database Manager

Elizabeth Shuman Development Coordinator

Finance & Administration

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Amy Johnson Vice President for Finance & Administration

Andrew Bedessem Director of Finance

Andrew Levine Director of Human Resources

Operations

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Rogelio "Roger" Esparza Operations Manager

Cairo Benitez Assistant Manager

Yesenia Avila Front Desk Coordinator

Alex Luna Front Desk Associate

Bobbie Robinson Front Desk Associate

Elvia Ronnbeck Front Desk Associate

Rick Weixel Front Desk Associate

Kahauri Brown-Givens Operations Staff Member

Rafael Noriega Campos Operations Staff Member

Alexandra Diaz Operations Staff Member

Aleo Esparza Operations Staff Member

Carolyn Esparza Operations Staff Member

Raul Esparza Operations Staff Member

Genesis Mackins-Ali Operations Staff Member

Marycarmen Luna Operations Staff Member

Claudia Mendoza Operations Staff Member

Ramon Mendoza Operations Staff Member

Nati Noriega Operations Staff Member

Chicago Musical Pathways Initiative (CMPI)

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James Hall CMPI Project Director

Sarah Vander-Ploeg CMPI Project Manager

Becca Dora CMPI Student Manager

Locations

Comunidad de Alegre

Make Music

Meet our Music Teachers

The Parent’s Guide to Music Classes & Lessons

Benefits of Music Education

Apply for Financial Aid

Merit School of Music

Hall & Space Rentals

Joy Faith Knapp Music Center
38 S Peoria St, Chicago, IL 60607
312-786-9428

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