Share with us some of your professional accomplishments.

I have had the good fortune of growing up in a very supportive environment, with very dedicated parents and the most extraordinary teachers.  I owe all my accomplishments to them.

 

As a young musician I travelled around the world and participated in many international and national competitions, becoming the first Latino pianist to win a medal (3rd place) in the Horowitz Competition in Kiev, Ukraine, 3rd Place at the International Russian Music Competition in California, 1st place at the Concurso Nacional Ollin-Yolitzli in Mexico City, 2nd Place in Concurso Nacional Jose Jacinto Cuevas in Merida, and 2nd Place in the Concurso Nacional Parnassos in Monterrey among others.  

 

I studied my Undergraduate Degree at the New England Conservatory with Victor Rosenbaum, my Masters Degree and Professional Studies Diploma at Mannes School of Music with Pavlina Dokovska, and my Doctorate at Rutgers University with Vladimir Valjarevic.  During my Doctorate I focused on Spanish piano repertoire, specifically Federico Mompou’s music. 

 

As a collaborator I have played with many extraordinary instrumentalists, including pianists Eteri Andjaparidze, Margarita Rovenskaya, and Alex Tuchman, cellists Sumire Kudo and Sonia Mantell, violinist Jeremias Sergiani Velazquez, flutist Katie Althen, and many others.  I have had the pleasure of performing as a soloist with all major orchestras in my country, Mexico.  Most recently, I played Chopin's Second Concerto with the Orquesta Sinfónica de Xalapa, in Veracruz. 

 

As a teacher I started teaching at the Bronx Conservatory of Music and the Bronx School for Music.  I now teach mostly at Special Music School and Lucy Moses School at the Kaufman Center, but I still have a few private students that started with me before the pandemic!  My students at Special Music School have won the Kaufman Music Center Concerto Competition, the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center competition as well as VIVO International Music Competition. 

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What excites you about Luzerne Music Center?

Music making from morning till night time excites me! A sense of community and kinship as we all work and learn together how to be better performers and more well-rounded artists.  Although I will be there as a faculty member, Luzerne is a very special place because the faculty get to perform regularly, so I will be challenged as both a teacher and performer. 

 

What can campers expect to learn working with you this summer?

I’ll meet the students where they are at and strive to inspire them.  Whether it’s notes and rhythms, or working on the fine details of a piece, it is all part of the same journey and I’ll be happy to support the campers.  Beyond the basics of piano playing, I hope that I can instill some of the values that I was lucky to receive from my teachers at a young age, such as a strong work ethic, a sense of curiosity, respect for the music, stage, and fellow collaborators, and a sense of community with our peers.

Share with us some of your professional accomplishments.

Piano has taken me all around the world! I have had the privilege of performing at renowned venues such as Carnegie Hall, Steinway Hall, Merkin Hall, the Zimmerli Museum, the Ukrainian Museum, Teatro Machiavelli in Sicily, and the DiMenna Center. My performances have won prizes from the WPTA Finland International Competition, Constantine the Great International Competition, American Music Talent Competition, Mary Smart International Concerto Competition, and the Chopin Society Malaysia Competition. I also perform in recital series across the country, bringing classical music to diverse audiences.

My passion lies in championing Czech and Ukrainian composers. I recently performed Dvořák’s complete Poetic Tone Pictures at the Czech Center in NYC for Dvorak's 180th birthday, and regularly program Ukrainian solo and chamber music. My doctoral work focused on the music of Dvorak, and since then I have performed multiple solo recitals of Czech composers. As a dedicated chamber musician, I have collaborated with acclaimed artists and performed at festivals such as the Manchester Music Festival, Savannah Philharmonic’s Larsen Spotlight Series as a Rising Star, and the Bay Chamber Music Series. I am proud to participate in the annual Ukrainian Contemporary Music Festival, celebrating Ukrainian culture and avant-garde composers, as well as the newly formed Ukrainian Music Initiative, elevating Ukrainian composers to the Western canon. A recent highlight was premiering the newly discovered Chopin Waltz at Carnegie Hall in November 2024, marking the first live performance.

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I have had the privilege of studying with teachers such as Efrem Briskin, Peter Takacs, Eteri Andjaparidze, and Vladimir Valjarevic; it is our teachers who make us into who we are, and I feel privileged to have studied with professors who have formed me as the musician and educator that I am today.

Currently based in New York City, I have served as Co-Adjunct Faculty at Rutgers University, Adjunct Piano Instructor at New York University, and Head of the Piano Department at Newark School of the Arts. I am the President of the Piano Teachers Congress of NYC, and run my own studio, where my students regularly place in competitions and perform all over the tri-state area.

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What excites you about Luzerne Music Center?

Incredible musicians, beautiful surroundings, concerts and music every day - what else could you wish for? My own experiences as a student at music festivals and piano masterclasses were some of the most special, as a young pianist! I still have dear friends, chamber musician partners, and teachers with whom I'm still in touch from camps. While intense and demanding, those programs are where I had space to grow as a musician, practice for hours, and make friends in beautiful and fun surroundings. As a faculty member, it is so special to guide the students, help them to grow and develop, and to create that musical environment for them. 

 

What can campers expect to learn working with you this summer?

I tailor lessons to the specific needs of the student, with a focus on healthy technique, rich sound, and a deep understanding of the repertoire. I also encourage my students to be brave on stage, and to channel their energy into creating a performance that tells a story and connects with their understanding of the piece and the composer's ideas. My focus for student growth is on enthusiasm for their repertoire, a space to make mistakes and ask questions, fun practice sessions, and performances they can be proud of. 

Share with us some of your professional accomplishments.

My professional life is equally divided between teaching and performing. My performing engagements have led me to over 500 concerts in the USA, Israel, France, Serbia, Iceland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Montenegro and Slovakia as a solo performer and chamber musician. Beside many notable solo recitals in USA and abroad, including Carnegie Weill Hall, I have played as a soloist with Connecticut Valley Symphony Orchestra, Razgrad Philharmonic, Symphony Orchestra of the Army House of Serbia, National Symphony of Bulgaria and Foot in the Door Ensemble. As a member of Prometheus Duo with saxophonist Joseph Abad, I performed more than 50 concerts since 2016, premiering new music and traditional chamber music repertoire. The Duo was granted with artist-in residency at the Avaloch Farm Music Institute in 2016 and 2017, and was featured on the Parma Records CD compilation - “Spectra Vol.2” in 2018. I was also fortunate to collaborate with many great artists and ensembles, such as double-bassist Robert Black, soprano Maureen O’Flynn, Martha Graham principal dancer Miki Orihara, Foot in the Door, 016, HICO and many others.
 

Currently, I am head of the piano department at Silver Music school in NYC and piano faculty at JCC Thurnauer School of Music in New Jersey. My students were equally successful at competitions in the USA and abroad, and I am proud to say that many of my students enrolled in universities, and pursued professional piano performing and teaching careers.

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What excites you about Luzerne Music Center?

This is going to be my first time at LMC and I am very excited to meet piano students from all over the world, as well as other faculty. Summer music festivals are wonderful experiences for students and faculty, and as I hear from everyone, LMC offers a wonderful music program at a beautiful location. What else can a musician wish for?

 

What can campers expect to learn working with you this summer?

My teaching style is always geared toward student’s current needs and level. I like to encourage my students to ask questions and get animated about learning music in order to achieve their best. The focal point of my teaching is on the sound quality and the understanding of music. From there, appropriate work has to follow to achieve a  high-level performance. Teaching the most effective ways to practice and learn is a big part of my teaching philosophy.

Share with us some of your professional accomplishments.

While maintaining a busy teaching schedule at the University of Szeged and the Vántus Conservatory, I also enjoy an active international performing career as well, performing solos with the Budapest Strings, the Orchestra de Ciudad de Buenos Aires, among others. My performances include appearances in Hungary, Italy, Poland, Austria, Germany, Argentina, the Middle East and throughout the United States.

 

Since establishing my private studio in the United States in 2001, my students have been regular top prize winners at piano competitions, and several of them have continued their studies at the Juilliard School of Music, Manhattan School of Music, Bowdoin and Indiana University School of Music.

I am currently pursuing a Doctoral degree at the Franz Liszt Academy, while holding a full time teaching position at the University of Szeged, serving as International Liaison for the Music Department.

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What excites you about Luzerne Music Center?

Luzerne Music Center is a magical place! I will be returning for my 12th summer here, where I have witnessed so many students go through positive life changing experiences. The peaceful setting of the whispering pines and the lake create the atmosphere that brings us close to one another as human beings as well as musicians. The opportunities and insight we are able to give these young musicians by living in such close proximity, leading by example and letting them witness the daily life of professional musicians is priceless.

 

What can campers expect to learn working with you this summer?

While working together, all piano students can expect to utilize my extensive knowledge of music, piano playing and repertoire as a treasure chest: taking absolutely everything they need to better their own playing in an open and friendly environment. We each have different struggles at the various stages of learning piano. With daily masterclasses, I give students intensive and practical guidance towards successful, fulfilling and meaningful performances.  I am eager to provide immediate help as well as long term advice in technique, serving the deeper understanding of musical meaning and expression.