" ...All one has to do is hit the right notes at the right time and the instrument plays itself." Johann Sebastian Bach
"We do not play the piano with our fingers but with our mind." Glenn Gould
PIANO
PIANO
Timothy Del Collo started to play piano, as a young teenager, at Settlement School of Music, in Philadelphia. He earned his Bachelor's degree in music theory at Temple University, while studying piano under Dr. Mikhail Yanovitsky. Before his time at Temple, he studied piano with Kim Barrosso at Rutgers University. Tim is now a Master's student at Temple, studying composition under Professor Jan Krsywicki. He has composed for the acclaimed string trio, Sound Energy. Recently, his work has been performed by the Temple Youth Orchestra, as part of a collaboration project, at the Trinity Church in Rittenhouse Square, Philadelphia. Timothy believes that composition is essential while studying music theory, as it enables students to understand voice leading and harmony, as well as applies the practice of notation. Residing in Philadelphia, Timothy also teaches private theory and piano lessons.
Olena Haviuk-Sheremet began her piano studies at the Solomiya Krushelnytska’s Music School for gifted students in Lviv, Ukraine. She continued her education at the Mykola Lysenko’s Lviv National Music Academy, under the tutelage of Oksana Rapita. Olena’s first performance with an orchestra was when she was just eight years old. Since then, she played with the Lviv Philharmonic Orchestra and Kiev National Philharmonic Orchestra, under the batons of such conductors, as I. Yuzyuk, Y. Kolesa, Y. Bervetsky, A. Torybayev, M. Mestre, R. Filipchuk, S. Burko and many others. She has also performed at many festivals, some of which are, Summer Music Evenings (Kiev, Ukraine), International Festival “Improvisation” (Lviv, Ukraine), International Piano Forum “Bieszczady without boundaries” (Sanok, Poland), and Alion Baltic International Music Festival (Tallinn, Estonia). At the age of 10, she won the first prize at the Vladimir Horowitz Interantional Yound Piano Competition (Kiev, Ukraine). She was also a second prize winner at the International Piano Competition “Sribny Dzvin” (Uzhgorod, Ukraine), and a third prize winner at the Frederick Chopin International Piano Competition (Lviv, Ukraine). In addition, Olena was a participant at the Maria Canals International Piano Competition (Barcelona, Spain), Mykola Lysenko International Piano Competition (Kiev, Ukraine), and Emil Gilels International Piano Competition (Odessa, Ukraine). Olena participated in several masterclasses with many famous professors such as, B.Goetzke (Germany), V. Kozlov (Ukraine), N. Fisher (England), M. Mestre (Spain), M. Voskresensky (Russia), A. Mamriev (Germany), L. Morales (Spain), M. Yanovitsky (USA). Currently, she is pursuing her doctoral degree at Temple University in Philadelphia under the tutelage of Mikhail Yanovitsky.
Emma Lokmer, born in Croatia, started her music education at an early age, focusing on piano and music theory. She graduated from Temple University with a bachelor's degree in music theory and Piano Concentration at the Boyer College of Music and Dance. Currently, she is pursuing her master’s degree in music theory at the same institution, where she serves as a teaching assistant for the music studies department. Emma is a classically trained pianist who studied under acclaimed musicians Mikhail Yanovitsky and Sara Davis Buechner. She actively teaches piano and collaborates in various chamber ensembles with her colleagues. In addition, Emma is an aspiring orchestral conductor. She currently holds the role of Assistant Conductor for the Temple University Symphony Orchestra, while studying conducting under the guidance of Jose Luis Dominguez and Patricia Cornett. At Temple, she has an opportunity to lead the Temple University Repertory Orchestra and conduct other ensembles such as Owlchestra. She has also had the privilege of refining her conducting skills and performing at masterclasses, including ones with the Belgrade Philharmonic and the North Texas Wind Symphony. Emma serves as cover conductor for various youth and community orchestras in the Philadelphia area. Emma is a versatile teacher, experienced in both theory and piano education. While teaching music theory courses for undergraduate students at Temple University, she holds private piano lessons for students of all ages and levels.
Natalia Mamardashvili is a graduate of Westminster Choir College with a Masters degree in Piano Performance. Natalia is also a singer and long-time member of local choirs. Originally trained at the Tblisi Music School in Georgia (formerly in the USSR), Natalia also earned a medical degree and worked as a physician in Georgia. Natalia is a talented classical musician with over 20 years of experience as a teacher and accompanist and is particularly adept at teaching young students. She teaches a variety of musical styles including classical, jazz, blues, and improvisation, and coaching students towards performing live on stage. Prior to joining Elite Music Academy's faculty, Natalia taught piano at Westminster Choir College and the Doylestown Conservatory. Ms. Mamardashvili aims to make lessons fun and enjoyable with a variety of teaching techniques, along with helping students to understand musical theory as a basis for their learning.
Yelena Rader, born in Kiev, Ukraine is a classical pianist, and a dedicated pedagogue. She began her piano studies at the age of five, attending the Music School for Gifted Children in Kiev. When she was twelve years old, she placed second in Ukraine's national Tchaikovsky competition. In 1982, she completed her Bachelor’s degree in piano performance from the R. Glier Kiev State Musical College, with a concentration in piano performance and music theory. Yelena is a graduate of the A. Gorkiy Kiev State Pedagogic University, with a Master’s Degree in music, piano and voice, where she studied under Olga Orlova and Igor Ryabov. At the age of twenty-three, Yelena began to teach piano, and since then has become a dedicated and highly sought after teacher. Having taught piano for the past thirty years, it has become Yelena’s professional calling, and she enjoys sharing her knowledge and expertise with all aspiring musicians.
Larisa Yanovitsky, born in Leningrad (St. Petersburg), studied at the prestigious Leningrad Conservatory under the tutelage of Professor Vera Razumovskaya, one of the exemplary teachers in Russia.
Upon graduation, Larisa began teaching children at several district music schools, as well as adults at the Institute of Culture, now the St. Petersburg University of Culture. Teaching is her passion, which she has passed to many of her students, who now teach in Russia, as well as Germany, Israel, and the United States. The most accomplished of her many students is her son, Mikhail Yanovitsky, a Steinway artist, a winner of numerous competitions, a concertizing pianist, who is also on the piano faculty of Temple University in Philadelphia.
Upon arrival in the United States, Larisa continued her teaching career. For the past twenty years, she has been a part of the Settlement Music School piano faculty, and has an extensive private studio. Her most motivated students continued professional musical training at universities and conservatories, such as Manhattan School of Music, the University of Pennsylvania, and many others.
Emilyrose Ristine is currently pursuing a Master's degree in Percussion Performance at Boyer College of Music and Dance at Temple University, where she completed her Bachelor’s degree in Music Theory with a concentration in Piano Performance. She enjoys an illustrious freelance performing and teaching career, also teaching at the Lumberton School of Music and having performed with the Lancaster Symphony Orchestra. Emilyrose has also performed and recorded several albums with The Philadelphia Percussion + Piano Project, a chamber music ensemble which seeks to underscore the variety and depth of the chamber percussion and piano repertoire. Miss Ristine contributes both percussion and piano appearances on a number of their recent chamber music albums and recordings, including No Strings Attached, Radiant Outbursts (In)Human Progress, and Steve Reich’s Music for 18 Musicians. During her collegiate career, she has frequently performed in Wind Symphony, Symphony Orchestra, Opera Orchestra, Contemporary Music Ensemble, New Music Ensemble, and Percussion Ensemble. Her primary teachers include Mikhail Yanovitsky, Phillip O’Banion, Angela Zator-Nelson, William Wozniak, and Dolly Krasnopolsky. As a native of Philadelphia, Miss. Ristine attended The Arts Academy at Benjamin Rush and Settlement Music School, where she was taught by Jeffrey Loda, Ryan Roemer, Jason Chuong, Dolly Krasnopolsky, and Vasiliy Kifyak.