Instructor Bios
Our talented and experienced faculty have degrees from major music, theater, and art schools as well as universities throughout the world.
- Alyssa Breid - flute
- Tonya Burton - Violin/Viola
- Bernardo De Leon - Guitar, Bass, Ukulele
- Lihua Fang - Piano
- Michelle Kelly - Voice
- Steve Larrance - Percussion
- Chang Eun Lee - Piano
- Jose-Luis Oviedo - Trumpet
- Emily Robinson - Clarinet, Saxophone
- Erin Snedecor - cello
- Heidi Sturniolo - Harp
- Emily Tsai - Oboe
- Vanessa Young - Harp
- Sherri Zhang - Violin/Viola
Alyssa Breid - flute
Alyssa Breid - flute
Noted for her “high level of fearless skill,” flutist Alyssa Breid is a dynamic orchestral, chamber, and solo artist. Breid has given her solo debut at Carnegie Hall as a First Prize Winner in the Alexander & Buono International Flute Competition. Additional accolades include First Prize in the Walfrid Kujala International Piccolo Competition, First Prize in the Upper Midwest Flute Association Young Artist Competition, First Prize in the Florida Bach Young Artist Competition, Honorable Mention in the Myrna Brown Flute Competition, and Finalist in the Byron Hester Flute Competition.
Equally versatile as an orchestral musician, Alyssa served as Principal Flute of the Sarasota Opera, Solo Piccolo for the Omaha Symphony and Des Moines Symphony, and as Second Flute for Des Moines Metro Opera. She has also served as Assistant Principal flute of the Omaha Symphony, Principal flute of the Des Moines Symphony, and Piccolo/ Assistant Principal flute of the Chattanooga Symphony & Opera. She has performed at Carnegie Hall as Principal Flute of the New York Festival Orchestra, and has also played with the Minnesota Orchestra, Minnesota Opera, Civic Orchestra of Chicago, Lexington Philharmonic Orchestra, and Orlando Philharmonic. She has performed with The Cleveland Orchestra at the Blossom Music Festival as part of the Kent- Blossom Summer Music Program, and has participated in prominent festivals including the Aspen Music Festival, Sarasota Music Festival, and Lakes Area Music Festival in northern Minnesota.
Committed to music outreach through education, Alyssa has served as a Music Mentor with the Omaha Symphony and performs extensive outreach concerts at nursing homes, libraries, and schools across the country. Alyssa served as flute faculty at the Omaha Conservatory of Music and as Adjunct Faculty at the College of St Mary. As a graduate of New England Conservatory, Alyssa held a Community Performances and Partnership fellowship for two years, where she prepared and performed interactive recitals in Boston, MA. At the Eastman School of Music, Alyssa received an Arts Leadership Certificate from the Institute for Music Leadership and was awarded membership to the elite Keidaeans Honor Society.
Alyssa holds a Master’s Degree with honors from New England Conservatory where she studied with Paula Robison, and a Bachelor’s Degree with distinction from the Eastman School of Music under the tutelage of Bonita Boyd. She engaged in post graduate flute studies with Elizabeth Rowe (Boston Symphony, Principal Flute), and piccolo studies with Cindy Meyers (Boston Symphony, Piccolo). Alyssa Breid is currently an Emerging Artist with Miyazawa Flutes.
Click here to submit an Inquiry for flute lessons with Alyssa Breid.
Tonya Burton - Violin/Viola
Tonya Burton - Violin/Viola
D.C. based violist, Tonya Burton is passionate about performing in diverse venues and settings. She is frequently traveling to perform and has been a guest artist for the Houston Viola Society, Texas A&M Corpus Christi College, Texas Lutheran University and has been featured on the All Classical Portland, Oregon 89.9 station as well as the Los Angeles KCRW 89.9 station. Tonya has also participated in Street Symphony performances on Skid Row, Los Angeles and can be found playing at her local churches, libraries and nursing homes.
An active chamber musician, Tonya is a core member of KINETIC. She both performs and programs for the Houston based chamber ensemble known for showcasing diverse, under represented and newly composed classical musical. Tonya is also a member of the D.C. based Natonya duo, plays with the Kaleidoscope Chamber Orchestra in Los Angeles and performs annually at the Caroga Lake Chamber music festival. Prior summers have been at esteemed festivals such as the Perlman Music Program, Talis Festival in Saas-Fee, Switzerland and Heifetz International Music Institute. She has collaborated with renowned artists including Donald Weilerstein, Jeffrey Irvine, Katherine Murdock, Mark Kosower, Saeunn Thorsteinsdottir, Wen Qian, David Ehrlich, Natsuki Fukasawa, Beatriz Blanco, Dimitri Ashkenazy, Richie Hawley, Fabio Di Càsola and Juan Pechuan Ramirez.
Tonya is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Musical Arts at the University of Maryland while serving as studio assistant to Katherine Murdock. She received a Master’s in Music from Rice University, studying with James Dunham and a Bachelor’s of Music at the Cleveland Institute of Music under the tutelage of Jeffrey Irvine. Tonya was a finalist in the Frances Walton Competition and has been the recipient of the Angela Svendson Memorial Music Scholarship, the Paula Meredith Mosle Endowed Scholarship in Music and the Elaine Christians Memorial Scholarship Award.
Click here to submit an inquiry for violin or viola lessons with Tonya Burton.
Bernardo De Leon - Guitar, Bass, Ukulele
Daniel “Bernardo” De Leon - Guitar, Bass, Ukulele
Towson Class of 2021 Jazz Performance major (BA)
7+ years of teaching experience
17+ years of performance experience
Proficient in many styles of music including jazz, rock, blues, Hip Hop, EDM, and R&B
Available for private lessons in electric/acoustic guitar, bass guitar, and ukulele
I have experience in teaching private lessons both in person and virtually. I've taught all ages, and all levels from very beginner to advanced students. I believe that lessons are for students to ask questions on the topics they have explored throughout their own musical journey. It is your own journey, but I'm here to guide you.
Click here to inquire about lessons in guitar, bass, or ukulele with Bernardo De Leon.
Lihua Fang - Piano
Michelle Kelly - Voice
Michelle Kelly (soprano) - Voice
Originally from Rome, GA, Michelle Kelly is currently based in the Washington, DC area. She completed her MM in Voice Performance at Catholic University, and her BM in Vocal Performance at Shorter College. She has taught privately and as an Adjunct Professor of Voice at Christendom College in Front Royal, VA. Her teaching philosophy is that anyone can learn to sing.
As a performer, Michelle recently appeared in Berlin Opera Academy’s July production of Die Fledermaus (Rosalinda - Cover). Additionally, she has appeared as a Russian Opera Workshop Artist, playing the role of Zemfira in Rachmaninoff’s Aleko, and in Joseph Kaz’s Alice Flagg (Alice) in the original Kennedy Center Page2Stage Premiere. She has also appeared in the Music Academy International production of Gianni Schicchi (Nella), in Catholic University productions including: Susannah (Susannah cover, Mrs. Hayes) and Hansel and Gretel (Sandmann).
Click here to submit an inquiry for voice lessons with Michelle Kelly.
Steve Larrance - Percussion
Chang Eun Lee - Piano
Jose-Luis Oviedo - Trumpet
Emily Robinson - Clarinet, Saxophone
Erin Snedecor - cello
Heidi Sturniolo - Harp
Emily Tsai - Oboe
Emily Tsai - oboe
Quoted by DMV Classical as having “a consistently lovely tone and [taking] her melodic twists and turns with stylish assurance,” Emily Tsai began her musical studies at the age of four on the violin and started the oboe when she was ten.
Emily is currently the oboist and touring director of the internationally renowned wind quintet, WindSync; gold medalist at the International Fischoff Competition; and medalist at the M-prize Chamber Arts Competition. She has performed with WindSync in prominent venues such as Ravinia, IL; the Library of Congress, DC; and Strathmore, MD. She has taught artist residencies at many colleges and universities, including the Eastman School of Music, Northwestern University, University of Maryland, Orchestra of the Americas, and New World Symphony. She has made solo appearances with the Lafayette Symphony Orchestra, the River Oaks Chamber Orchestra, the Alba Music Festival Orchestra, and the Amadeus Orchestra, among others. Besides WindSync, Emily has performed chamber music concerts with such prominent musicians as Clive Greensmith, Martin Chalifour, Che-Yen Chen, and Frank Morelli.
Based in the Washington, DC area, Emily is an active freelancer performing with such orchestras as the National Philharmonic, Amadeus Orchestra, Maryland Lyric Opera, Allentown Symphony Orchestra, Alexandria Symphony, and she is the principal oboist in the Garden State Philharmonic. Along with her position as adjunct oboe professor at St. Mary's College, MD, Emily also teaches at the prestigious Holton-Arms School, arts magnet Northwestern High School, and the Opal Music Studio, and has a robust private studio of both oboe and violin students.
In past summers, Emily has studied under such prominent oboists as Neil Black, Allan Vogel, Nancy King, Richard Killmer, Werner Herbers, Randall Ellis, John Ferillo, and Robert Sheena in festivals across the globe. Her main teachers include Mark Hill, Richard Killmer, and Malcolm Smith. Emily received her Bachelor of Music degree in Oboe Performance, with a Performer’s Certificate and the Chamber Music Award, from the Eastman School of Music, and her Bachelor of Science degree in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from the University of Rochester, graduating Magna Cum Laude. She received her Master of Music from the University of Maryland, where she was part of the Graduate Fellowship Quintet, SIREN.
In her downtime, Emily has completed a trail half marathon, a marathon, an Olympic triathlon, and a Tough Mudder, and loves to do various outdoor adventures with her husband, Karl. Inside, she can be found playing video games, and spoiling her two adorable cats, Xenia and Perch.
Click here to submit an inquiry for oboe lessons with Emily Tsai.