Beth Novak - bacviolin@hotmail.com

Beth Novak began her formal study of the violin at the age of four. Her studies continued at Humboldt State University where she was Concertmaster of the Humboldt Symphony and winner of the 1996 Concerto Competition. Following completion of her B.A she attended the Hartt School of Music where she received a MM in violin performance and Suzuki pedagogy.

Other institutions of study include the Chautauqua Music Institute, Rocky Mountain Music Center, California Summer Arts, Britt Festival and Sequoia Chamber Music Institute. Beth has studied chamber music with world renowned quartets such as the Alexander String Quartet, Cavani String Quartet and the five time Grammy winning Emerson String Quartet. She has held numerous principal positions in orchestras such as the Humboldt Symphony, Solano Symphony, New Britain Symphony, Waterbury Symphony and Connecticut Virtuosi. Her performances have taken her across the United States and to Europe. Mrs. Novak currently resides in Chicago where she holds the position of Associate Director of the Naperville Suzuki School; teaching private lessons and group classes of all ages as well as teacing at Suzuki Institutes around the country during the summers.

Sherri Deroche - SLDeroche@sbcglobal.net

Sherri Deroche received her violin performance degree at University of Southern Maine. She was a student of Almita Vamos at the University of Minnesota. Sherri has taught independently in the LaGrange area for a number of years. She was invited to join the faculty of the Western Springs School of Talent Education after doing Suzuki Pedagogy training with Edward Kreitman at the school.

Rolando Freitag - rolandofreitag@gmail.com

Rolando Freitag teaches Violin and Viola at the Western Springs School of Talent Education. Prior to joining the faculty at WSSTE, Rolando was the director of the Suzuki Program at the Community Music School in Allentown, PA, and faculty member at the State College Talent Education Program, Penn State University, and DePaul University.

Rolando earned his Masters in Violin Performance form Penn State University, and his Bachelors in Violin Performance from Shenandoah Conservatory. He received his Suzuki teacher training from Allen Lieb, Carrie Hummel-Reunning, and Edward Kreitman.

Rolando has performed as concertmaster and principal violist with several orchestras in Brazil and the US. A native of Brazil, Rolando also enjoys sailing and scuba diving.

Sally Gross - SallyGross144@earthlink.net

Sally Gross has been a cello teacher with the Suzuki String School of Guelph since 1981, as well as the Artistic Coordinator since 1989. In her 23 years of teaching she has seen many young cellists grow up into extrodinary adults. Watching and learning from their development, both musically and emotionally has given her a powerful insights into teaching.

Sally grew up in the Chicago area, graduating from Northern Illinois University with a Bachelor of Music in Performance degree, where her teacher was Marc Johnson. She received her Masters of Music in Performance with a Suzuki Emphasis degree from Ithaca College where she did her cello Suzuki teacher training with Carey Beth Hockett. As well as completing all the cello teacher training units many times over, she also has six violin teacher training units with Sanford and Joan Reuning.

She has been a SAA Teacher Trainer since 1990 and has taught numerous short term Institute courses as well as many years of apprenticeship courses in southern Ontario. Sally is pleased that she has been able to support and guide so many new Suzuki cello teachers in the Ontario region. She is an active clinician throughout Canada and the United States, especially Ontario, Montreal and Newfoundland.

In September, 2004 Sally will be joining the faculty at the Western Springs Suzuki Talent Education Program and the Naperville Suzuki School. She is looking forward to becoming an active participant in the Chicagoland Suzuki community.

Nancy Jackson - Njackson58@aol.com

Nancy Jackson is currently Assistant Director of the Western Springs School of Talent Education. Prior to moving to the Chicago area, Ms. Jackson was Assistant Professor of Music at Western Illinois University, violin/viola instructor in the Talent Education Program of the University of Evansville in Evansville, Indiana, and the founder of the Suzuki School of Music in Bismarck, North Dakota. Ms. Jackson holds a Bachelor of Music Education and Master of Music in Violin Performance from Northwestern University. She is a registered Teacher Trainer with the Suzuki Association of the Americas and is a frequent clinician at workshops and summer institutes.

Helen Kim - Helenheran@gmail.com

Violinist Helen Heran Kim joins the faculty at Western Springs this fall of 2008. Helen was born in Toronto, Canada. She holds a Doctoral degree from The Juilliard School, where she was a C.V. Starr Fellow studying with Robert Mann. She earned her Master's degree at the Eastman School of Music. There she was a student of Zvi Zeitlin. Her bachelor degree is from Yale University where she majored in English. Her primary chamber music teachers were The Juilliard String Quartet and Cleveland String Quartet. Other major violin teachers include Robert Lipsett, Syoko Aki, Sylvia Rosenberg and Berl Senofsky. She was a Tanglewood Institute fellow. Other summer festivals included Music Academy of the West and Aspen Music Festival.

Helen received her Suzuki teacher-training from Louise Behrend at the School for Strings in New York, where she later became a faculty member. In Manhattan, she also taught at the Diller-Quaile School of Music.

Helen has performed all over the United States and in Canada, Austria and Italy. As an orchestral and chamber musician, she regularly performed in such venues as Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall. In New York, Helen maintained an active freelance career that included performing on numerous recordings, commercials, film soundtracks, on television, and on Broadway. She was in the Broadway orchestra for Mel Brooks's hit shows "The Producers" and "Young Frankenstein," and was the concertmaster for the Broadway touring production of "Jekyll and Hyde." Helen loves to perform music of our time, and has played in the contemporary music group, Insieme Musica. Helen has also played in the New Haven Symphony Orchestra.

Edward Kreitman - Edkreitman@earthlink.net

Edward Kreitman is the founder and Director of the Western Springs School of Talent Education. Mr. Kreitman received his undergraduate degree from Western Illinois University where he studied Suzuki Pedagogy with Doris Preucil and Almita Vamos. In 1986, he studied at the Talent Education Summer School with Dr. Suzuki in Matsumoto, Japan.

Mr. Kreitman has served the Suzuki Association of the Americas in many capacities including a member of the Board of Directors, Violin Committee, and Coordinator for several Suzuki Method Teachers Conferences. Presently he is a member of the SAA teacher development team. He is well known throughout the United States and Canada as a guest clinician at Suzuki institutes and workshops. Mr. Kreitman is a registered Teacher Trainer of the Suzuki Association of the Americas. Mr. Kreitman is the author of Teaching from the Balance Point - A Guide for Suzuki Parents, Teachers, and Students. (more details) (ordering information)

In 2008 Mr. Kreitman was honored with the Suzuki Chair Award at the American Suzuki Institute in Stevens Point, WI.

Victoria Kuchta - victoriakuchta@gmail.com

Victoria Kuchta began her violin studies at the Western Springs School of Talent Education at the age of five where she studied with Edward Kreitman and Thomas Wermuth. She received her Bachelor of Music in violin performance at Illinois State University where she studied with Sarah Gentry. While attending ISU, Victoria was a section member of Peoria Symphony Orchestra, and also regularly performed with Opera Illinois. Victoria completed a master’s degree in Suzuki Pedagogy from Ithaca College in New York, where she studied with Susan Waterbury and Sanford Reuning. Victoria also performed frequently with the Binghamton Philharmonic and Cayuga Chamber Orchestra while in central New York.

Victoria’s interest in teaching started during her sophomore year in high school, when she began to give private instruction to many middle school children in the LaGrange, IL area. During the summer of 2003, she was offered an invaluable opportunity to teach for WSSTE as Ed Kreitman’s substitute teacher, and has continued to do so for the past five years. In addition to her experience at WSSTE, Victoria also taught violin and viola for The Music School of the Illinois Valley from 2003-2006 while attending ISU. While working for this music school, Victoria managed a full studio and also took on an administrative role where she was an integral part of organizing recitals and concerts, publicity, group classes, as well as changing the process for scheduling and billing students. For the past two years, Victoria has continued to teach privately and also for Ithaca College. Ms. Kuchta will serve as the Associate Director of the Naperville Suzuki School beginning in the fall of 2008.

Meg Lanfear - meg.lanfear@gmail.com

Meg Lanfear began her Suzuki studies on piano at the age of three. She continued on to Suzuki violin lessons at the age of seven. Having received a Who's Who among American High School students, she went on to complete a BM and MM in both Violin performance and Suzuki Pedagogy at the Cleveland Institute of Music.

As a performer, Ms. Lanfear has won numerous awards and competitions including: Shouse Scholarship competition, Best soloist award from the North America Music Festivals and Finalist in the CIM concerto competition. She has had the opportunity to perform around the world with many outstanding artists both as soloist and as principal orchestra member in such venues as the Hollywood Bowl, Kennedy Center, Symphony Hall, Severance Hall, Seiji Ozawa Hall, and Tanglewood. Artists she has performed with include, Leonard Slatkin, Joshua Bell, Daniel Barenboim, Mark O'Conner, Regina Carter, Herbbie Hanncock, Diane Reeves, and Diana Krall. She has performed with or held concertmaster positions with ensembles such as the National Symphony Orchestra, Civic Orchestra of Chicago, CIM Symphony Orchestra, Canton Symphony, Akron Symphony, Classical Symphony Orchestra and the American Youth Philharmonic.

Ms. Lanfear can be heard on several record labels including Fresh Produce Records with the band "Velvetron" as well as the Audica Entertainment label.

Sarah Torrenga - smcconaghie@sbcglobal.net

Sarah Torrenga has been teaching violin since 1992. She started teaching at Western Springs School of Talent Education in the summer of 1997. A 1992 graduate of the Wheaton Conservatory of Music, majoring in violin performance, she also has taken teacher training for Suzuki Books 1-5 from Edward Kreitman. Sarah is involved in her church and community of Lawndale, where she also teaches violin and piano. Sarah is a member of the faculty at the American Suzuki Institute at Stevens Point Wisconsin. In free time she loves to read and take her dog, Sebastian, to the lake.

Alex Revoal - cellorevoal@gmail.com

An alumnus of the Denver School of the Arts, Alex holds a Bachelor of Music, magna cum laude from Lawrence University. He earned a Master of Music degree in cello performance and pedagogy, and a Performance Certificate from Northern Illinois University, where he studied with Marc Johnson of the Grammy-nominated Vermeer Quartet. While at NIU he played in the Alla Corda Quartet, a resident graduate ensemble, and taught an undergraduate music appreciation course. In the fall of 2002, he studied at the Institute for the International Education of Students in Vienna, Austria. His teachers have included Janet Anthony, Carol Tarr, Christine Vitoux-Erben (wife and assistant to Valentin Erben of the Alban Berg Quartet), Elisabeth Anderson, and Stephen Harrison. He has played in masterclasses for cellists Anthony Arnone, Lynn Harrell and Brandon Vamos, and for pianists Paula Fan and Gil Kalish, and has received chamber music coachings with members of the Vermeer, Fine Arts, Pacifica, Brentano, Cavani and Ives Quartets. For three seasons Alex was the Principal Cellist of the Kishwaukee Symphony Orchestra. Fully committed to the continuous process of pedagogical development, he has so far participated in Suzuki training for Every Child Can and books 1 through 10 at the Chicago Suzuki Institute, where his trainers included Nancy Hair and Jean Dexter. He has also had the pleasure of observing great Suzuki teachers in Japan and South Korea. Alex is currently on the faculties of the Rockford College Music Academy and the Western Springs School of Talent Education/Naperville Suzuki School and the Music Institute of Chicago.

Monica Stein - monica.stein@yahoo.com

Monica Stein teaches violin and viola at both Western Springs and the Naperville Suzuki School. Monica earned her bachelors and masters degree at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts as a student of Kevin Lawrence. Monica went on to complete a masters degree at Ithaca College in Suzuki Pedagogy as a student of Sanford Reuning. She is very excited to join the faculty at the Western Springs School of Talent Education.

Daina Volodka - Dainavolodka@gmail.com

Daina Volodka began violin studies with Edward Kreitman at the age of five. The Western Springs School of Talent Education became a musical home to Miss Volodka, and her violin playing flourished in the firm, yet loving Suzuki environment established by Mr. Kreitman.

WSSTE offered Miss Volodka many performance opportunities, including solo performances while touring with the prestigious Chicago Consort. Miss Volodka received her bachelor's degree in Violin Performance at the University of Minnesota in the Twin Cities. Throughout her college career, Miss Volodka had the great honor of working with many influential violinists, including Mark Bjork (Professor of Violin, University of Minnesota-TC), Charles Castleman (Eastman School of Music), Joe Golan (Chicago Symphony Orchestra). In the summer of 1998, Miss Volodka took part in the Aspen Music Festival, where she studied with Jennifer Johns (Professor of Violin, University of Colorada-Boulder). Miss Volodka returned to the Chicago area in December 1999 and became a member of the faculty at WSSTE.

Thomas Wermuth - Thomaswermuth@aol.com

Thomas Wermuth studied the violin at the Juilliard School in New York, where he was a student of Ivan Galamian and Dorothy DeLay. In 1974, he moved to Canada to join the Kitchener - Waterloo Symphony as assistant concertmaster. During the fifteen years there, Tom played both violin and viola in the orchestra, and was a member of the Canadian Chamber Ensemble.

In addition to his extensive performance career, Mr. Wermuth has dedicated his life to teaching young students at the Western Springs School of Talent Education. Tom's teaching follows the philosophy of the great teaching pedagogue Shinichi Suzuki. Mr. Wermuth enjoys an international reputation as a guest clinician and registered teacher trainer for the Suzuki Association of the Americas. Mr. Wermuth’s students have consistantly performed on the Young Steinway Recital Series and are regularly chosen to perform in the Master Classes for the national conference of the Suzuki Association of the Americas. His students have won first place in the West Suburban, Walgreens, Music Chorale and the Chinese Fine Arts Competitions. As a result of his students placing in the National Foudation for the Advancement of the Arts, Mr. Wermuth was awarded the Presidential Scholars Teacher Recognition Award. Thomas Wermuth is a graduate of the Barbara Brennan School of Healing.

Janis Wittrig - jkwittrig@aol.com

Janis holds an undergraduate degree in Violin Performance and a graduate degree in Music Education from the University of Illinois/Urbana. There she studied violin with the distinguished pedagogue, Paul Rolland, and chamber music with Gabriel Maguar, cellist of the Hungarian Quartet. While pursuing advanced study at the University of Southern California, Janis was the first violinist of the Graduate String Quartet.

Janis has taught in the Pasadena Suzuki Program, the Wheaton College Suzuki Program and joined the Western Springs School of Talent Education in 1995. She has been a guest clinician at Suziki institutes in Canada and the U.S. in Hawaii, California, Utah, Georgia, Mississippi, Indiana, Wisconsin and through out Illinois.

Students of Janis Wittrig have appeared as soloists with the Elmhurst Symphony, the DuPage Symphony, the Kishwaukee Symphony and the Elgin and DuPage Youth Symphonies, and have been first-place winners in contests held by the Glen Ellyn Musicians Club and the Society of American Musicians. Janis' students have also been chosen to perform as master class soloists for the Bi-Annual Conference of the Suzuki Association of the Americas.

Since 2006 Janis has served as the Concertmaster of the DuPage Symphony Orchestra.

Melissa Zindel - melissazindel@gmail.com

Melissa Zindel is the staff accompanist and coach at WSSTE. Melissa earned her Bachelor of Music degree in Keyboard Performance at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, where she studied with Linda Perry. While at SIUE, she accompanied and toured with the SIUE Suzuki String Development and Tour Group programs. She completed her Master of Music degree in Accompanying and Chamber Music at the Moores School of Music at the University of Houston with Timothy Hester, and received full assistantships in accompanying. Melissa has worked as a staff accompanist at the American Suzuki Institute at Stevens Point, the Preludio Violin Program at Ithaca College, the University of Houston and Greenbriar Suzuki programs, as well as Opera in the Ozarks, University of Central Arkansas, Hendrix College, and Georgia College and State University. She has also played for the masterclasses of Paul Kantor, David Perry, Rachel Podger, Marilyn McDonald, Fredell Lack, Norman Fischer and Jeffrey Solow.

1106 Chestnut Street • Western Springs • IL • 60558 • 708-246-9309
32 Foxcroft Road • Suite 104 • Naperville • IL• 60565• 630-420-9309