Ellyses Kuan (Music Director, Senior Piano Faculty)
Ms. Ellyses Kuan is a native Hong Kong pianist who started taking piano lessons at the age of three.In addition to the 2017 & 2018 Steinway & Sons Top Teacher Awards, she is also named the Teacher of the Year 2019-2020 by the Massachusetts Music Teacher Association. After she graduated from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Ellyses received a full scholarship for her Master Degree, studying Piano Performance with Barry Snyder at the Eastman School of Music. She was selected to represent Hong Kong and attended the International Kirishima Music Festival in Japan. Among her other major teachers and mentors are Dr. Siu-Wan Chair Fang and Paul Odette. She also performed in masterclasses by John Perry, Alan Chow, Dang Thai Son, Malcolm Bilson and Jane McGrath. Ellyses is enthusiastic about chamber music and collaborates with artists from all over the world. She also performs as a soloist often. She is passionate about Baroque and Classical Performance Practices and she strives to bring authentic music interpretation to her audiences. She also performed at the prestigious EperialHal at the Schloss Esterhazy in Austria. She is also the co-founder of the Duo Amie, a cello and piano duo in Greater Boston area.
Ms. Kuan also organizes and hosts house concerts at the Alida House Concert Series in the South Shore area. Her goal is to build a community, promote performing arts awareness, and support local young musicians through advocacy, inspiration and performances. She has recently set up a music scholarship fund at her school to support quality music programs in the area. In 2014, Ellyses was invited by the Boston GuitarFest Roundtable Panel to speak about Entrepreneurship and Making a Career in Music Work. Her music school was also featured in the Boston Globe the same year.
Ellyses is currently the Immediate President of the Massachusetts Music Teacher Association .
Dr. Ines Andrade (Senior Piano Faculty)
Portuguese pianist Dr. Inês Andrade is an avid and versatile soloist and chamber musician. She has performed across Europe and the United States in venues such as Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall (USA), Centro Cultural de Belém (Portugal), Teatro Comunale Luigi Russolo (Italy), and Centre Le Phénix (Switzerland). Recently, she has been a guest artist at the Boston Portuguese Festival, Bay Chamber Concerts, Boston Conservatory New Music Festival, Classical at the Cabot, and CAC Tejo's Autumn Festival.
She was praised for her “excellent technique and elaborate touch” (Diário de Notícias), after her performance of Grieg’s Piano Concerto with the Lisbon Sinfonietta Orchestra. As a winner of the 2013 Steinhardt Piano Concerto Competition, Inês performed Schumann’s Piano Concerto with the NYU Symphony Orchestra at the Frederick Loewe Theater (New York). She has also appeared as a soloist with the MPMP Orchestra, the ArtQuest Orchestra, the ESML Symphony Orchestra, and the Lisbon National Conservatory Orchestra.
A passionate chamber musician, Inês is a prizewinner of the Portuguese Young Musicians Prize, in duo with violinist Tamila Kharambura. The duo recently recorded “Quasi una Sonata” by composer António Pinho Vargas, which was released by MPMP in 2017. Inês also founded Duo Pianissimo, with pianist Marta Menezes, to celebrate and disseminate Portuguese music written for two pianos. She collaborates regularly with ensemble ALEA III and is a member of the ensemble Virtuoso Soloists, which was founded in New York City in 2014. Virtuoso Soloists has performed extensively in the United States, Italy, and Portugal. The ensemble recorded an album with music by acclaimed Italian composer Mario Pagotto, which was released by MEP Italia in January 2018.
Inês Andrade holds a Bachelor of Music and Master’s degrees in Piano Performance and Pedagogy from Escola Superior de Música de Lisboa (Lisbon, Portugal), under the guidance of Miguel Henriques. During her studies in Lisbon, she was named the Most Outstanding Student of the Year in 2008 and 2010. She moved to the United States in 2011 and continued her musical studies at New York University, where she studied with José Mendez and Marilyn Nonken.
Inês graduated last May with a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Boston University, under the tutelage of Pavel Nersessian (piano) and David Kopp (music theory). She was distinguished by the Boston University Women’s Council and invited to join the National Music Honor Society Pi Kappa Lambda. Her dissertation project, “Tradition and Innovation in the Piano Works of Portuguese Composer António Fragoso,” won a Graduate Arts Research Grant from the BU Arts Initiative.
Inês has taught piano, music theory, and ear training at New York University, Boston University, Sharon Music Academy, as well as in music conservatories in Portugal. She is currently on the faculty at Kingsley Montessori School and is the artistic director of the Bendada Music Festival. Her upcoming projects include a commercial recording of António Fragoso’s complete chamber music works and a tour of China in Summer 2019.
Rosemarie Gentile (Piano Faculty)
Rosemarie Gentile is an energetic and dedicated music teacher and pianist with extensive experience teaching students of all ages and levels in both private and school settings. She holds a Bachelor of Music in Music Education from the Eastman School of Music, and a Master of Music in Music Education from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Mrs. Gentile has maintained a private piano studio throughout her career of more than 30 years, and worked with children and adults at the beginning, intermediate, and advanced levels. For the past 16 years, she served as a full-time middle and high school music teacher at the Sturgis Charter Public School in Hyannis, and Notre Dame Academy in Hingham. In these positions she instructed beginning through advanced music classes and ensembles including music appreciation, class piano, beginning music theory, AP Music, International Baccalaureate Music, and directed choral and instrumental ensembles. In addition, she loves musicals and has served as the music director and pianist for annual full-scale musicals for her school positions as well as for community theaters. Mrs. Gentile enjoys teaching in a variety of educational settings with students of different ages and abilities, and appreciates the opportunity to offer them experiences with music that are suited to their particular strengths and musical interests.
Janice Lu (Classical Piano Faculty)
Yun Janice Lu is considered one of the leading Taiwanese pianists of her generation and is semi-finalist at the prestigious 2018 Geneva International Music Competition (Concours de Geneve) in Switzerland, winner of Chi-Mei Arts Award (2020), PianoTexas Young Artists Competition (2014), and Bronze medalist at Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition (2021).
Janice has performed in all major venues and renowned festivals throughout the States, Europe, and Asia including Van Cliburn concert hall, Weiwuying recital hall, the Hahn hall, the Studio Ernest-Ansermet, Walnut Hill Music Festival, Academie Internationale d’Ete de Nice, PianoTexas Festival (formerly known as the Cliburn Institute), PianoFest in the Hamptons, and Music Academy of the West. She played her debut recital at the age of ten and gave her debut performance at the Kaohsiung Cultural Center with all Beethoven repertoires including piano concerto No.4. Her orchestral debut at age of fourteen with the Taiwan Youth Orchestra at the Chih-Te Hall garnered considerable attention of the publishers who featured her in “MuzikOnline” magazine. Remarkable orchestral collaboration includes performance with Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Lio Kuokman. Her performance of Liszt piano concerto No.1 brought rave reviews from critics praising that “she captured Liszt’s style,” and "took full advantage of the fireworks.”
Not only a devoted soloist, but Janice regularly engages in many chamber music performances. Collaborations with musicians include Miriam Fried, Michael Kannen, Peter Frankl, Steve Tenenbom, Ara Gregorian, Stephan Stirling, Alan Kay, and soloist from l’Orchestre de la Suisse Romande. Her recent performance marks North American premiere of Ithaka by Helena Tulve with Lucy Shelton and Anthony Marwood at Yellowbarn chamber music festival. She performs consistently at concert series, including Four Season Chamber Music Festival, Taos Chamber Music Festival, Chamber Music Evergreen in Colorado, Yellow Barn chamber music festival, and Music@Menlo Chamber Music Festival. Janice has had the honor of working with prominent musicians such as the Brentano, Borromeo string quartets, members of the Tokyo String Quartet, Wu Han, Arie Vardi, Peter Serkin, Gilbert Kalish, among many others.
Born in 1996 in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, Janice began her musical studies at age of five. She moved to the United States to pursue studies with Ning An for four years at California State University Fullerton, and earned her both M.M (Master of Music) and M.M.A (Master of Musical Arts) degrees under the tutelage of Wei-Yi Yang at Yale School of Music as the recipient of the 2019 Elizabeth Parisot prize and the Evelyn Bonar Storrs scholarships (The Musical Club of Hartford, Inc). She currently lives in Boston and continues her studies in the highly selective D.M.A program at the New England Conservatory with Alessio Bax and Alexander Korsantia.
Andy Lo (Classical & Jazz Piano, Theory/Composition/Ear Training Faculty)
Andy Lo is a Pianist, Composer and Educator. He was a disciple of Ted Lo, Greg Hopkins, Bob Pilkington, Ayn Inserto, Maxim Lubarsky and Jeff Covell.
In 2017, he graduated from the Education University of Hong Kong, majoring in Music Education (Contemporary Music and Performance Pedagogy). Then he gets accepted into the Berklee College of Music with a scholarship, majoring in Jazz Composition. In 2018, he held a concert with his quartet, performing his own positions. In 2019, he held another concert with his 9-piece jazz band, performing his own compositions and arrangements.
Andy Lo is currently a freelance musician and educator based in Boston, MA. He is offering instruction in piano, music theory and composition.
Vinh Pham, (Classical Piano Faculty)
Originally from Vietnam, Vinh Pham received his Bachelor Degree in Piano Performance and a Teaching Artist Certificate from the prestigious Longy School of Music of Bard College in 2015. There, he studied with the late great pianist and teacher Ludmilla Lifson, Piano Pedagogy with Esther Ning Yau, Chamber Music with Carol Mastrodomenico, Mihail Jojatu, Jane Struss, Marco Granados, and multiple masterclasses with Wayman Chin, Hugh Hinton and Peter Serkin. In 2018, he completed his Master of Music studies with the phenomenal pianist and teacher Spencer Myer.
An experienced accompanist and soloist who has performed in multiple recitals, showcases, and chamber concerts in the Boston area, in 2016 he took on the role of Interim Music Director at the historic First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church of Medfield. Afterwards, as part of his assistantship for the Masters of Music degree at Longy, he continued to work with the Saint Peter School choir in Cambridge, providing musical accompaniment and solo performances for weekly and Holiday Services.
Vinh has taught both when he was in Vietnam, and non-piano majors at Longy. He currently maintains active teaching roles in many different Massachusetts communities, such as Sharon, Westwood, Norwood, Canton, Cambridge, Melrose. He is thrilled in 2022 to start playing an active teaching role in the charming Quincy community as well!
JENNIFER PEARL (Voice Faculty, EKS/RCM Coordinator)
Jennifer Ann Pearl has been teaching students of all ages for the last eighteen years, in private as well as in a choral setting. Her unique background includes classical vocal studies with an emphasis in the Italian bel canto method and a study and performance of the African-American Spiritual, both as a choral conductor and soloist. Her work as a young singer in both singing in and observing master classes with late Bass-baritone, William Warfield and Metropolitan opera vocal coach, Sylvia Olden Lee, shaped her approach to music as being "between the notes" and derived from the poetry/text of the song. Jen is beginning her third year on the voice faculty at EKS and is the founder and conductor of the Quincy-based Schiller Boston-Area Community Chorus. She frequently runs free choral and vocal workshops in Dorchester at St. Mary's Episcopal Church, to teach the congregants and members of the community to sing. As a performer, Jen sings in concert venues and various churches in the Boston-area. She has performed Russian, Italian, and Yiddish repertoire at Harvard University for concerts sponsored by the Harvard Chinese Students and Scholars Association. She also sings with Big Smile Entertainment and the Very Merry Dickens Carolers. As a conductor and singer, she has performed at such venues as the Cathedral of the Holy Cross (Boston), Carnegie Hall (NYC), St. Mary's Episcopal Church (Dorchester), and Riverside Church (NYC). She has a passion for singing Yiddish folk songs, German Lieder, and African American Spirituals. She earned her Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance in 2001 where she studied with Metropolitan Opera Baritone, Timothy Noble. Following her college studies, she traveled to Italy to train and perform in master classes with Verdi soprano, Antonella Banaudi. She is an active member of National Association of Teachers of Singing and the Greater Boston Choral Consortium. Ms. Jenn's student has been invited to Carnegie Hall for performance.
Susan Bill (Violin, Viola, Cello Faculty)
Susan Bill, is a New England native. She holds a bachelor's degree in education and a Master's degree in performance from the Boston Conservatory. As a violist she has been an active free-lancer in the Boston area, playing with such groups as the Cape Cod Symphony, New Hampshire Symphony, Vermont Symphony, Central Mass. Symphony, etc. She has taught at Quincy Catholic Academy and in the Brookline and Cambridge school systems and currently teaches in Quincy's public school string program. She is the founder and conductor of the Atlantic Youth Orchestra in Quincy and coaches the Boston City-Wide String Orchestra in Roxbury. She is also a keyboard artist and singer and is the organist/choir director at Emmanuel Episcopal in Braintree. Ms. Bill will be offering violin, viola and cello lessons at EKS Music School.
Ceili Connors (Guitar Faculty)
Céili Connors is a Boston based performer, teacher, and artistic administrator. She received her Masters degree in classical guitar performance at the New England Conservatory of Music under the primary instruction of Eliot Fisk and Jerome Mouffe and completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Rhode Island. As a Rhode Island native, she holds a faculty position at the Community College of Rhode Island while maintaining a private studio in Boston, as well as the New England Conservatory Preparatory School.
Fred Springer (Guitar Faculty)
Fred Springer is an artist dedicated to sharing music and art with the world through performance, outreach, education, and online content. Having performed formal and outreach concerts on three different continents in countries including the United States, Argentina, Switzerland, and Canada, Fred has developed a compelling way to share his passion for the classical guitar with audiences across different cultures. He has been awarded top prizes in international solo guitar, ensemble, and mixed instrument competitions. He earned a Bachelor of Music in Classical Guitar Performance from the University of Texas at Austin, where he also completed a minor in Art History. He went on to earn a Master of Music in Classical Guitar Performance from Columbus State University, where he served as a graduate assistant in the Schwob School of Music. In addition, Fred arranges and transcribes music for guitar and has a passion for film and visual art.
Raley Beggs (Senior Guitar Faculty)
Guitarist Raley Beggs is an active concert performer and pedagogue. He performs solo and chamber works for the classical guitar and seeks to emphasize the instrument’s versatility and collaborative capability. As an educator Raley Beggs served as faculty at Bridgewater State University and Middlesex Community College having students earn degrees in music as well as gaining entrance into advanced programs of study including Berklee College of Music in Boston. Raley is the founding guitarist at EKS Music School where his students have gone on to win international awards with The Royal Conservatory of Music and perform in concert venues that include Carnegie Hall in New York City. Raley also served as Competition Director for the prestigious annual Boston Guitarfest, where he taught private lessons, coached ensembles, and performed. Established through the Community Performances and Partnerships Program at New England Conservatory, Raley’s focus on community outreach led him to share concert programs all over the New England area for community centers, schools, places of worship, and assisted living facilities. Raley taught the Malden YMCA and later served as the first guitar instructor for the Boston-based guitar classes at Fiorentino Community Center with The Kithara Project. Raley Beggs received his Bachelor’s degree from Florida State University and Master’s from New England Conservatory of Music in Boston with the esteemed Eliot Fisk. He is currently pursuing his Doctor of Musical Arts as a teaching assistant under profound guitarist and pedagogue Bruce Holzman. Raley is also an established singer-songwriter, performs weekly, and competes in endurance athletics. Mr. Raley is returning to EKS after taking a year off settling down in his doctorate study in Florida. Welcome back, Mr. Raley!
EKS 2022 Holiday Giveaway
In the spirit of the holiday season, EKS Music School is giving away two group classes in January. Register Now!