Our Teachers
Aria Matthews
Piano and Classes
Aria Matthews, Owner & Founder
A native of Rochester and piano primary graduate of the School of the Arts, Aria Matthews has created and inspired music in every community she has been a part of. In 2001, Aria received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Music with a concentration in Piano from Nazareth College of Rochester. From an early age, Aria began her commitment to community engagement and outreach by teaching rising musicians in the Rochester area. 2002 marked the opening of "Aria's School of Music and Art" with the intent of bringing a more positive and modern attitude towards musical and artistic instruction. Aria's students have gone on to participate in the prestigious Howard Hanson Competition for aspiring high school pianists and have performed annually in the Nation Federation of Music Clubs festivals receiving an overwhelming number of Superior Ratings. As an adjudicator, Aria has served on the panels for various festivals in the area, the Howard Hanson Competition, and most recently for the Fingerlakes Music Teachers Association. Continually promoting the school's ideal of "fun and inspiration are our main goals," students at Aria's School have successfully performed and progressed through twice annual recital performances. In 2013, the school moved to its present location with the intention of adding a family-friendly, allergy concious cafe. New Roots Coffeehouse was born from this idea, providing a venue for consistent student and community performances while allowing for student art work to be displayed for the general public. As a result of her work, in 2014 the Greece Chamber of Commerce awarded New Roots Coffeehouse the Renovation Award. Through her teaching, students, and colleagues, Aria has continued to bring music into the lives of many and continues her commitment to inspiring musicians and artists of all ages.
Tina Eberhardt
Tina Eberhardt is a senior voice teacher and the manager at Aria's School of Music & Art and has been with the studio since it opened in 2002. Tina grew up in Greece, NY and went to Greece Athena High School and then earned her associate degree in music & art from Monroe Community College. She continued her music and art studies at Nazareth College where she participated in chamber choir and vocal jazz ensemble as a regular soloist. Throughout her college years she participated in many musicals including “Big River” as Miss Mary Jane, “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” as the narrator, and “Grease” as Jan. Tina also performed with Nik & The Nice Guys as a lead female singer at many weddings and events in Rochester and the surrounding areas. In her free time Tina enjoys camping, Disney World, and biking with her son Alex.
Manager & Senior Voice Teacher
Chris Davis
Guitar and Drums
Chris Davis is a Rochester native who has been teaching music in the Rochester area for over twenty-five years. Chris has a passion for teaching and performing and has performed at many venues around the area including retirement homes, festivals, coffee shops, nightclubs, weddings, and art galleries for special events. Chris has a personalized approach with each of his students and strives to find a balance between learning and having fun. Chris attended Monroe Community College and Majored in Music Theory concentrating on Classical Guitar, with a minor in Music History. Chris also studied piano, songwriting, and vocals at MCC, and went on to further his classical guitar studies at the Hochstein School of Music, studying under the head of the Rochester Guitar Society at the time, John Wiesenthal. Chris has been in bands that have headlined the East End Festival (Jametafuze), and have been named amongst the most popular bands in Rochester (Anti-M). Chris has had top finishes in the Guitarmageddon, and King of the Blues competitions, and in the Gibson Rochester Acoustic Guitar contest. Chris has been a session musician on several albums, and has a self produced CD that has received warm reception. Chris also works at the Arc of Monroe as a Supportive Employment Specialist for individuals with Developmental Disabilities. This occupation gives Chris the experience to relate to everyone with compassion, respect, empathy, and patience.
Piano
Joyce Stanzel
Joyce Stanzel is an experienced Music Educator with a Bachelors of Music degree from Eastman School of Music, and graduate hours from SUNY Brockport, Nazareth College, Robert’s Wesleyan College and The Institute for Music, Health, and Education with Don Campbell, Author of The Mozart Effect. Joyce has certification requirements for Transformational Sound School, and Images of Breath and Color, Columbia, Maryland, The International Piano Teaching Foundation, The Listening Program with Alexander Doman through Advanced Brain Technologies, and The Making of a Steinway Course, Long Island, NY, as well as Orff/Schulwerk Music Making.She has taught General Music at Schools #12, #14, #15, #16, #22, #23, and #36 in the Rochester City Schools , the Rochester Christian School, and is State certified for grades K-12. Joyce has provided educational seminars, teaching how music enhances health, wellness, and learning, through her company Visible Sound, especially for senior citizens in the states of New York, Florida and Michigan. Her professional memberships have included The National Federation of Music Teachers’ National Association, National Guild of Piano Teachers, Music Teachers’ National Association, and Rochester Piano Teachers Guild. Joyce is the organist for Bethlehem Lutheran Church and lives in Webster.
Shannon
Vanderlaan
Voice, Piano,
and Oboe
Shannon Vanderlaan is a singer/songwriter, pianist and classical oboist from the Western New York area. Shannon is a 2015 graduate from The College of Saint Rose, receiving her Bachelor of Science in Music Industry. At her time at Saint Rose, she served as principal oboist of the college’s Wind Ensemble, Symphony Orchestra, Woodwind Quintet, Double Reed Choir and Advanced Chamber Winds ensemble. Shannon also served as a founding board member and aided in the launch of the college’s student-run record label, Rose Record Label Group. In addition to being a board member, Shannon served as the Vice President of Artist Development as well as a Songwriting Mentor, leading a group of songwriters signed to the label’s publishing company. In May of 2015, Shannon released her self-produced album, Atmosphere, a full album of original songs all written, performed, engineered and mixed/mastered herself. Shannon is currently teaching voice, piano, and composition at Aria’s School. She instills passion, confidence, and originality in her students by encouraging them to be themselves as they grow as musicians.
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Marcus Kramer
Marcus Kramer is a classical guitarist constantly expanding his horizons by exploring the various genres of guitar music, with collaboration with instruments, including strings, woodwind, and brass. The grandeur of his collaborations is equaled by the diversity of his repertoire, ranging from Baroque music to the guitar heroes of today. Just as reputable is his performance in percussion and drum set, collaborating with various ensembles, from jazz to rock n’ roll.Marcus has performed in various stages throughout the Rochester area, as well as his hometown in Baltimore, MD. Notable performances include his various community outreach gigs, as well as performing with OSSIA, a new music ensemble based in Rochester.
Marcus achieved his Bachelor’s at Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University under the guidance of Ray Chester & Julian Gray. He perused his Master’s degree at the Eastman School of Music with Nicholas Goluses, and is continuing on for his DMA.
Guitar, Percussion,
Drumset
Caleb Winters is an Art Director/ Graphic Designer from Rochester, NY. Caleb holds a BFA in Visual Communication Design from Nazareth University and has worked with freelance clients throughout the country and with companies in NYC. Caleb loves sharing his passion for art and helping people learn how to express themselves through art. He resides in Corn Hill with his partner, their cat Sauvi, and their dog Renji. In his free time Caleb is a costume designer and a drag artist.
Caleb Winters
Art
Piano, Voice
Emily Beseau
Emily Beseau is a current graduate student at Nazareth College, studying music therapy. She has a B.M. in Vocal Performance from Ithaca College. Emily has studied private voice since she was 11, and grew up studying classical and jazz piano. She has artistic directed, vocal directed, and choreographed shows at multiple companies in the Rochester community. Emily also enjoys performing in the community; favorite roles include Jenny in MT Ed’s It Shoulda Been You, Alice in GPAS’s Addams Family, Mrs. Sowerberry in RAPA’s Oliver, and Doris in RAPA’s Damn Yankees. She also enjoys performing in the operas at Nazareth College, singing Madame Goldentrill in The Impresario and La Fée in Cendrillon. Emily loves teaching and helping other express themselves through the power of music.
Sarah Hendrickson
Piano
Sarah Hendrickson is originally from the Webster, New York and has recently graduated from Roberts Wesleyan College with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Music with concentration in piano. Her love of music started at a young age, specifically in fourth grade when she started violin and chorus. Throughout her school career, she participated in school musicals and fell in love with theater and also participated in marching band drumline. In college she realized her true passion was piano. While attending college, Sarah worked at the YMCA and realized her other passion for working with children. She is excited to become part of ASOMA as a kindergarten readiness teacher. Her goals are to help kids prepare for school in a fun, safe learning environment while learning the arts.
Seungyoung Hong is a musician and educator, and he composes songs and plays the
electric bass, double bass, guitar, piano and more instruments. As a performer, he has
a wealth of performance experience in New York and New Jersey area as a bassist,
including the performances in jazz festivals, the collegiate big band project of New
Jersey, the jazz room series, and jazz venues such as Dizzy’s Coca Cola club in New
York city as well as performances at Shea Performing Art Center for opening act for
concerts of Cecil McLorin Salvant, Bill Charlap, Nancy Marano, Trio da Paz, and John
Pizzarelli.
As an educator, he has sufficient experiences in teaching instruments and music theory
and coaching ensemble groups in diverse genres such as jazz, pop, soul, rock, and etc.
He also worked in the Center of Electroacoustic Music, which is a music technology
facility in William Paterson University, helping classes of music major students. He
teaches music since 2012, and he published and disseminated his thesis in 2020. Since
he is a versatile musician, he has abilities to play and teach various genres and to
perform and coach in diverse settings.
He studied at William Paterson University of New Jersey and earned his second
bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in Jazz. He studied with Grammy-awarded jazz
musician Bill Charlap, and many great musicians such as Harold Mabern, Steve
LaSpina, Marcus Mclaurine, Mike LeDonne, and more. He currently studies for a doctorate at the Eastman School of Music.
Guitar & Bass
Seungyoung Hong
Pedro Sperb began his study of the classical guitar at the age of 9, granting him many years to solidify his musicality: from collaborations with compatriot composers in debuting contemporary guitar pieces, to working closely with the historical performance of the plucked instruments, either playing solo repertory or accompanying in early music ensembles. At age 17, Pedro won the second prize in Concurso Souza Lima. With a master's degree in classical guitar and another in lute, Pedro is currently a doctoral student at The Eastman School of Music. As a performer, Pedro regularly plays the lute for the Schola Cantorum at Christ Church of Rochester, as well as singing as a choral scholar at the St.Thomas More Church. Pedro has also been working playing guitar, bass, and drums in jazz and pop genres.
Pedro Sperb
Guitar, Bass & Drums
Emily Jaworski is a cellist originally from Troy, NY. Emily is in Rochester working on receiving her Bachelors of Fine Arts in muisc education at Nazareth College. While at Nazareth, Emily has performed in the Symphony Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra, and the Opera Pit. When she's not teaching at Aria's School of Music & Art, Emily can be found working in the office at the School of Music at Nazareth, drinking coffee, or lounging around and hanging out with her roommates.
Emily Jaworski
Strings
John Gabriele is a piano teacher who has many years of experience teaching in the Rochester area. John is originally from Detroit, Michigan where he attended The University of Michigan and received a Bachelors degree. John went on to receive a Masters degree from Nazareth College. John worked for The Rochester City School District teaching at The School of the Arts, where he taught our very own Aria Matthews! John has also performed for years in Rochester and the surrounding areas with the Rochester based band, Twilight.
John Gabriele
Piano