Piano
Viktoria Alexandrou , Piano
Laura Benjamin, Musical Beginnings, voice.
Laura graduated Cum Laude from Yale University in 1999, and is the Director of our Musical Beginnings program. Since 1995 she has been an instructor/tutor working with private students and group classes, and has developed and implemented music education programs for children ages 1-10. Laura has extensive experience performing with and directing vocal ensembles: In 1998 she was awarded “Best Soloist” at the New England A Cappella competition and was a semifinalist at the American Traditions Vocal Competition in Savannah GA.
Lauren Blanchard , piano.
Lara Carr , piano.
Brian Cray, Piano
A native of Raleigh, North Carolina, pianist Brian Cray debuted with the Durham Symphony at age 17, performing Mendelssohn's Piano Concerto in G Minor. His early studies were with Ann Hinson and Brenda Bruce. He studied with Jacob Maxin at the New England Conservatory and completed his graduate studies at Carnegie Mellon University with Sergey Schepkin. Possessing a diverse repertoire ranging from Bach and Scarlatti to Gubaidulina and Berg, he has also performed in numerous chamber and vocal recitals. He has collaborated with acclaimed soprano Julianne Baird, and he has participated in master classes with such artists as Walter Hautzig, Rebecca Penneys, Emanuel Ax, and Adam Wibrowski. Mr. Cray currently resides in Atlanta, and is an Artist Affiliate at Emory University.
Dr. Kyung-Mi Kim , piano.
Elizabeth Lamberth , piano.
Melissa Meghdadi, piano.
Melissa has a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance from the Mannes College of Music in New York, NY, a Master of Music in Piano Performance from Florida State University, and pursued further studies at the Moscow Conservatory and the Rachmaninov State Conservatory in Russia. She was featured soloist with the Shreveport Symphony Orchestra, Shreveport, LA and has placed as a finalist in many competitions, including first place awards in both the National Federation of Music Clubs State Competition and the Florida State Music Teacher’s Association Competition.
Irina Mogilevsky, piano.
With a Bachelor of Music Education from the College of Music and a Master of Music in Music Theory and Piano from the Conservatory of Music in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Irina brings a wealth of experience to the Georgia Academy of Music. For over twenty years she has taught both privately and in the classroom and is a published author whose works for piano and music theory were incorporated into the music curriculum at the College of Music in Tashkent where she served on the faculty. Irina has also taught at the Special Music School, Tashkent, Eureke College, Eureke, IL and with the Piano Preparatory School at Bradley University, Peoria IL.
Rachel Antman Oliver, piano.
Rachel was born in Israel. She studied at the Jerusalem Academy of Music with Alfred Schroeder pupil and assistant to Arthur Schnabel where she received her BA with distinction and BMMA with distinction. As a finalist in Artur Rubenstein’s first competition she followed Mr. Rubenstein’s recommendation and enrolled at the Royal Conservatory in Brussels. She studied there with Stefan Askenase receiving her MM. While there she won two unanimous first prizes in piano and chamber music. Ms. Oliver has since appeared all over the world on television, radio, concerts, and chamber music recitals. In Israel she was coached by Rudolph Serkin and Claudio Arrau and held a teaching position for many years at the Rubin Conservatory and Academy in Jerusalem, and in Brussels, Detroit, and Atlanta. She has played with principal members of the Israel, Detroit, and Atlanta Symphonies. Rachel has also performed several times with local symphonies.
Todd Qualls, piano.
Todd began piano studies at the age of nine here in Atlanta. He went on to earn a bachelor’s degreein music at Emory studying piano with William Ransom. He recently completed a masters degree in piano performance with a pedagogy emphasis at Florida State University where he studied with Carolyn Bridger. Todd has had a varied career in music, with experience in solo performance, accompanying , chamber music, and teaching. His recent recitals have included a solo recital, the 2004 annual alumni recital at Emory, and accompanist for the faculty recital for Emory’s Summer Bassoon Extravaganza. Most recently he appeared as a member of the Redeemer Piano Ensemble.
Timothy Whitehead, piano.
A young artist of many facets, American pianist Tim Whitehead holds a degree from the Eastman School, and has been both a long and short term resident artist at the Banff Centre in Alberta, Canada. As a chamber musician, he has shared the stage with such eminent talents as violinist Charles Castleman, cellists Bonnie Hampton and Emma Ferrand, and flutist Gergeley Ittzes. He has performed throughout the United States, Canada, and Western Europe, and has been heard on National Public Radio, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s Zed TV, and Radio Suisse Romande. His primary teachers have included Rachel Antman Oliver and Thomas Schumacher, and his collaborative skills were honed by further studies with Jean Barr. Mr. Whitehead is a laureate of the Academie de Musique de Lausanne, and has been presented in recital at the Holland Music Sessions. He has been the staff pianist for The Quartet Program at Bucknell University, and until the fall of 2005 was the accompianist, vocal coach, and piano teacher at Bennington College.
