Faculty


Cleo Ann Brimhall (piano)
resides in Salt Lake City Utah where she teaches students and trains teachers in her private studio. Cleo holds an MM degree from the UofN and studied with Dr. Suzuki and Dr. Kataoka. As a teacher trainer with the SAA, she travels internationally as a clinician and lecturer. She has served as Institute Director and on Suzuki Boards nationally and locally. Her students have participated in Suzuki conferences and performed in 10 Piano concerts worldwide. Several former students have completed University Degrees in piano performance and returned to her to be trained as Suzuki Piano Teachers.

Laurel Ann Maurer (flute), Flutist, has been described by The New York Times as  a secure technician and an assured, communicative interpreter. Ms. Maurer studied with Julius Baker, Jeanne Baxtresser, Samuel Baron and Toshio Takahashi She has released over 12 CD's and appears on numerous others. Ms. Maurer has traveled throughout North and South America and Asia giving performances and master classes. She currently resides in Vermont where she plays regularly with the Vermont Symphony Orchestra, the Vermont Contemporary Music Ensemble and in recitals with pianist Paul Orgel. Laurel is a certified Suzuki Teacher Trainer in flute.

Stephanie Cathcart (violin) plays Violin and is a native of Salt Lake City.  She received her Bachelor of Music from the University of Colorado at Boulder and a Master of Music from Boston University.  While living in Boston, Ms. Cathcart studied with Bayla Keyes and performed with Boston Musica Viva, the Vermont Symphony, Boston Modern Orchestra Project, and the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra, with whom she toured nationally several times.  Stephanie has participated in many music festivals, including the Tanglewood Music Center and the Colorado Music Festival.  She has studied chamber music with the Takacs String Quartet, the Muir String Quartet, and members of the Juilliard String Quartet, among others.

Ms. Cathcart is an active chamber musician and her recent and upcoming chamber music performances in Utah include concerts on the Nova and Intermezzo Concert Series, as well as the Westminster College Concert Series.  In Salt Lake City, she performs regularly with Canyonlands New Music Ensemble, Utah Chamber Artists, Utah Chamber Orchestra, and the Utah Symphony.

Ms. Cathcart maintains an active private teaching studio and recently joined the faculty of Utah Valley University.

Nancy Toone (flute) is Assistant Principal Flutist with the Salt Lake Symphony, and has also performed with the Utah Symphony. She was an adjunct flute instructor at Weber State University for 10 years, and also taught at Utah State University and BYU-Idaho. She freelances in the Salt Lake area and has recorded for LA East recording studios as well as with several local performers. In 2003, Ms Toone presented a Jr. Master class and Pedagogy Potpourri class for the National Flute Convention in Las Vegas, and directed the Utah Youth Flute Choir at their concert for the 2008 National Flute Convention in Kansas City. She maintains a large private studio and has award winning students at state and national levels. Nancy enjoys reading, traveling, making jewelry and being with her husband and 4 children.

Cathy Lee (violin) San Francisco based violin teacher Cathryn S. Lee has taught families and teachers around the world since 1976. She is respected for teaching all ages and levels using her detailed and practical “best of both worlds” approach inspired by her studies with Dr. Shinichi Suzuki and her “traditional” studies with concert artist Dame Camilla Wicks.
As a teacher trainer, Cathryn has taught and lectured at SAA National conferences, Leadership Summits, Suzuki Method World Conferences and in 2009, at the first International Suzuki Teacher Trainer Conference. She has given master classes and pedagogy classes in Australia, Canada, England, Italy, Japan, New Zealand and throughout the United States. Cathryn is also a guest lecturer at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Cathryn is the author of Bow Exercises, Bow Strokes and the Bow Stroke Excerpt books.
In 1977, Cathryn founded the Suzuki Music Studio of San Francisco where she continues to teach students and train teachers. Her students have held titled chairs in numerous youth and school
orchestras and placed in competitions including the Junior Bach Festival. Cathryn has a B.A. in Performance and Composition, M. A. in Performance from San Francisco College for Women and a teaching certificate from the Talent Education Institute in Japan. She and her husband raised their sons, Whitney an actor/singer/violinist in New York City and Corin, a graduate of Juilliard, currently a teaching fellow in violin at Yale University.

Dr. Sasha Graver (flute)  is chair of the music program at Northern New Mexico College in Espanola, NM, where she teaches flute, voice, choir, aural skills and music theory. Sasha maintains a Suzuki studio in Santa Fe. She has been a soprano soloist with the Santa Fe Symphony and regularly substitutes with the Santa Fe Symphony and Festival Ballet Albuquerque on piccolo. Sasha performed for two years as second flute/solo piccolo of the Macau Orchestra, SAR China. While in Asia, Sasha studied with Mr. Takahashi and helped to form the Suzuki Association of Hong Kong and Macau. Sasha holds her DMA from CU-Boulder and has her MM from The University of Cincinnati. She received two Bachelor of Music degrees in flute and voice from CU-Boulder. Sasha is a columnist for Flute Focus International Flute Magazine (NZ), and has contributed to the American Suzuki Journal. Sasha has given lectures on topics ranging from pedagogy, Suzuki and performance practice at the Suzuki World Conference, the National Flute Convention and the Suzuki Association of the America’s International Conference. Certified in Suzuki Flute Books 1-8, Practicum, and Orff-Schulwerk level 1, Sasha has been faculty at Regis University, Colorado Christian University, Desert Suzuki Institute, Santa Fe Suzuki Institute, Rocky Mountain Center for Musical Arts, the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music Preparatory Department, and the 2009 Suzuki World Conference in Melbourne, Australia. She is faculty this spring at The Cedros-Pan American University Music Festival and Suzuki Institute in Mexico City. Sasha will be the Flute Ensemble Conductor for the 2012 Suzuki Association of the America’s Conference in Minneapolis.


Cathy Hargrave (piano) is a native of Louisville, KY. with a Bachelor of Music Degree (University of Louisville), a Master of Music Degree (Butler University), and a Suzuki Teaching Certificate (Talent Education Research Institute).

Cathy began teaching Suzuki Piano in 1979 and has extensive training in Suzuki Piano Pedagogy which includes summer institute training, an apprentice program under Gretchen Smith Brown, and 23 years of study with Haruko Kataoka, the co-founder of Suzuki Piano. 

Cathy lived in Matsumoto, Japan four years to study Suzuki piano pedagogy with Dr. Kataoka. During that time, Dr. Suzuki chose her for numerous performances as a soloist with orchestra and accompanist for his teacher trainees in graduation recitals and international conferences. In 1983, she became the fourth American pianist to receive a Suzuki Piano Teacher’s Degree from The Talent Education Research Institute and was added to the American Suzuki Institute faculty in Stevens Point, Wisconsin at Dr. Suzuki’s request.

Cathy is also a recipient of the Young Outstanding Teacher Award from Shar Music of Ann Arbor, MI., and has been a guest lecturer/teacher/performer at state, national, and international conferences in the U.S., Canada, Japan, and Russia. She is a registered teacher trainer for the Suzuki Association of the Americas and the European Suzuki Association. She is the author of articles for the American Suzuki Journal and two books, Reading Music by Ear and Basic Rhythm Studies.


Noelle Perrin's (flute) extensive teaching experience includes training in Suzuki, Dalcroze, and Montessori. She is the head of the Suzuki Flute Program at the JCC Thurnauer School of Music and founder of the FluteStars® Summer Camp now in its 17th year of success. She holds a Master's Degree from Manhattan School of Music and did her undergraduate work at University of North Carolina at Greensboro and the Nice Conservatoire. Noelle performed her New York City debut concert in 1994 at Weille Recital Hall as winner of Artists International. Noelle has attained “Teacher Trainer” status with the Suzuki Association of the Americas. Her Registered Suzuki Training includes “Every Child Can”, Flute Books 1-11 and the Flute Practicum. She presently enjoys performing and teaching throughout the United States and abroad.

 

 


Beth Goldstein-McKee (cello) brings her extensive performing and teaching experience to her work with students at institutes and workshops across the United States and in her studio in Ashland, Oregon. In addition to teaching, for over thirty years using the Suzuki method, Beth performs with the Rogue Valley Symphony.
A registered Suzuki Association of the Americas teacher trainer, she was delighted to train cello teachers from throughout South and Central America at the International Suzuki Festival in Peru in 2009. Beth has given presentations at both the American String Teachers’ Association and the SAA conferences, and has served on the Board of Directors of the SAA.
Previous to moving to Ashland, OR, Beth was on the faculty of Holy Names College’s Suzuki Program and the East Bay Center for the Performing Arts, and maintained a private studio in Berkeley, California. As the cellist in contemporary music ensembles in Boston, NYC and London, Beth premiered cello and chamber music works, and received grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Polaroid Foundation to bring new music to wider audiences. A native of NYC, Beth graduated from Brandeis University and was awarded the Sachar International Fellowship for study in London, England. Beginning her training as a Suzuki teacher in 1981 with Yvonne Tait, she continued with long term training at the School for Strings, NYC with Nellis Delay and Louise Behrend and has been an avid learner ever since.

 

Rachel Julian (percussion) received her Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of
Nevada, Las Vegas in 2005. She also holds a Master of Music and a Bachelor of Arts
in Music.  A freelance percussionist in Las Vegas, Rachel’s performance credits include the Las Vegas Philharmonic (Section, 2003-present), Nevada Pops (Principal, 2008-present), Lion King – Las Vegas, Hairspray, Opera Las Vegas, Nevada Opera Theatre, Luciano Pavarotti’s Farewell Tour, Killian’s Angels, Steel R & R Steel Drum Duo, the Tommy Rocker Band, and other freelance opportunities. Rachel appears on the DVD, Andrea Bocelli – Amore Under the Desert Sky, and has performed in Mexico, Canada,
England, China, Austria, and the Czech Repulic.
As an educator, Rachel is Director of Percussion at the Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy (2008-present) as well as Percussion Specialist with the Las Vegas Youth Orchestras and the Middle School Symphonic Band. She instructs camps, gives clinics for marching percussion and percussion ensemble, and maintains a small private studio.
Rachel is currently Secretary of the Nevada Chapter of the Percussive Arts Society. She a member of the American Federation of Musicians and the Vic Firth Education Team, and she endorses SABIAN Cymbals.

 

 

Additional Faculty
 (bios to come)

Karen Huffman, piano
Judy Bosuat-Gallic, violin
Jenny Jackson, violin
Jennifer Haliwell, violin
Mary Beth Norris, flute
Jeynifer Tribbitt, theater
Emma Shubin, Dalcroze
Cello Faculty, TBA