P R I VAT E
LESSONS
@ MKA
MKA After School Music Program
Dear Parents, Registration is now open for private music instruction offered through the MKA After School Music Program. Private lessons are strongly recommended for all students enrolled in the MKA Strings or Band Programs. We hire the highest caliber private instructors to cater to your needs. This program offers flexibility in terms of scheduling a convenient time for you. All of this is at the same cost you would pay for lessons in a music store with an instructor possibly lacking the proper credentials and qualifications. Our music faculty is affiliated with such institutions as Carnegie Hall, New York University, The Juilliard School, CUNY, New Jersey State Opera Orchestra, NJPAC, Indiana University, and more. This year we are offering private instruction on Violin∗, Piano*∗, Viola, Cello, Bass, Guitar, Flute, Oboe, Trumpet and Percussion. Sincerely,
Dimitri Hadjipetkov Director: After School Music Program, Tri-Campus Strings *Limited availability
For more information and enrollment please contact Dimitri Hadjipetkov at: strings@mka.org
Dimitri Hadjipetkov, Director/Violin Marija Zorjan- Madison, Piano Marija ZorjanDimitri Hadjipetkov
Karen Kamp, Violin/ Viola
has established himself as one of the most prominent representatives of the young generation of Bulgarian violinists. He has appeared with various orchestras and has given numerous recitals in the United States, Germany, France, Spain, Monaco, Czech Republic, and Bulgaria. Dimitri began studying violin at the age of five. Four years later he won second place in the National Competition, “Svetoslav Obretenoff”, in his native country, Bulgaria. After receiving the third prize at the International Violin Competition “Kotzian” at the young age of sixteen, he was personally invited to join the studio of Professor Peter Hristoskoff at the Sofia Academy of Music. In May of 1997 he was featured in a New York recital entitled “Mentors & Protégés” organized by the New York Philharmonic and hosted by June LeBell from WQXR 96.3FM- the former classical music station of The New York Times. As a recipient of a full graduate scholarship at New York University, Dimitri Hadjipetkov completed his master degree in the violin studio of Professor Mark Steinberg, member of the Brentano String Quartet, Lincoln Center Chamber Music Society, and a faculty member at NYU, Princeton and Yale. He has served as a member of the New Jersey State Opera Orchestra in residence at NJPAC from 1999 until 2008. Dimitri’s 2007 album of Schubert’s virtuoso works and Beethoven and Schumann Violin Sonatas are available on amazon.com.
author of Drum Set Systems, an instruction manual for drum set. A contributor to Modern Drummer Magazine and the Education Team of the Vic Firth website, Matt is an active clinician and artist for Vic Firth drumsticks and MalletKat, an electronic mallet instrument company. Matt was conductor of the Jersey City University freshman Percussion Ensemble and taught private percussion lessons in his Karen and her husband moved to St. Louis, MO studio in Manhattan. Since moving to New Jersey in where she played for many ballet companies, symphonies, shows and such performers as Luciano 1998, Matt has been teaching private lessons at MKA and assisting Linda Larkin with Jazz Band and Concert Pavarotti, Natalie Cole, The Moody Blues, Rod Band rehearsals. He is available on Thursday and Friday Stewart and The Young Messiah. She also was the leader of the Canterbury String Quartet. Karen was for after school lessons. a fellow with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Institute and performed under conductors Leonard Slatkin, Dennis Masuzzo Neemi Jarvi, Alexander Schneider, and David Zin(BM, MM Juilliard) man in Royce Hall at UCLA. She taught violin and has been a memviola for the St. Louis Symphony Schools for the ber of the Paper Arts and helped found the Musical Arts Academy Mill Playhouse where she taught for 3 more years. since 1991 where Since her return to New Jersey she has performed he can be heard at NJPAC, Papermill Playhouse (Nutcracker), Mayo performing on Performing Arts Center, Count Basie Theater, PNC double bass & Arts Center and at Carnegie Hall. She maintains a electric bass guitar. private teaching studio and her students participate Mr. Masuzo was also the guitarist for the Broadway run in the American String Teachers Association Certifiof “The Pirates of Penzance” as well as for the Juilliard cate Advancement Program. Contemporary Ensemble. His musical connection to Karen has been the Sharon Holmes Memorial MKA goes back many years & he is now, in addition to Scholarship Chairperson for the past three double bass & electric, happy to offer Private Guitar years. Lessons to interested students.
Charles Postas, Piano and Jazz
Mr. Charles Postas began his musical career studying classical piano at a young age. After having studied jazz at William Paterson University, he pursued a career as a full-time musician. Mr. Postas returned to WPU to continue his education, earning a Bachelor of Music Degree in Music Education. He is currently completing a master’s degree in jazz history and research at Rutgers University. Mr. Postas is be-
Madison, born in Belgrade, Serbia began piano at the age of six. In Belgrade, she attended the Music Academy (Belgrade University of Arts) and continued her studies at the City College of New York. While in her native country, Mrs.Zorjan-Madison did solo performances in the Belgrade University of Arts. During her studies in the U.S., she received The Sidney Zolot Award for Excellency in piano performance, the Lisl Barnett Memorial Award for the talent in piano performance and The Mark Brunswick Award in music composition. She performed in the Donnell Library Center (NY Public Library), Alderton House, City College, the CUNY Graduate Center, the Brooklyn College and Queens College, where she completed her master degree in piano performance. Marija taught at New York’s City College from 1998-2004 as an adjunct. She was also an accompanist for conductor Dr. John Motley with the City College Choir during the same time period. She has been playing on a weekly basis in the Olympic Towers Atrium in NYC since 2001, and she has been employed as the piano instructor by the Montclair Kimberley Academy since 1999.
ginning his twentieth year of teaching, having taught previously middle school in the Wayne Public Schools and at Pequannock Township High School. He has worked as a pianist with the New Jersey Pops Big Band as well as the Colorado Springs Big Band. In the summer of 2013, Mr. Postas studied jazz arranging privately with jazz great Jim McNealy. In 2014, he was guest conductor for the Nassau County Big Band in Long Island, NY. He is currently director and coordinator for the North Jersey Region I High School Vocal Jazz ensemble. Mr. Postas teaches classical and jazz piano as well as music theory and has taught private lessons for over thirty-five years to students of all ages.
Karen was raised in New Jersey and as a teenager studied violin with Isabelle Wegmann. She attended Ithaca College and earned a Bachelor of Music in violin performance. After a year of freelancing and teaching in New Jersey she won an audition with the Albany (NY) Symphony and played there for five years.
Matt Patuto, Percussion Matthew is the
Dennis Masuzzo, Bass and Guitar
Rob Henke, Trumpet
Rob Henke, trumpet player, has been active in the NYC arts since 1988. He currently serves as music director for The Spirit of Life Ensemble. He performs and tours with many groups worldwide including The Walter Thompson Orchestra, Doctor Nerve, Strike Anywhere Ensemble, Fast and Bulbous, Diane Moser’s Composer’s Big Band, Tricycle, and the Rob Henke /Rolf Sturm Duo. He has also worked as writer and actor with Good Clean Fun, an educational theater company.
Linda Larkin, Oboe/Flute
As a professional oboist for over 25 years, Linda has performed with such organizations as the San Francisco Opera, the Indianapolis Symphony, the Opera Company of Boston and most recently as the principal oboist with the Lake Charles Symphony in Louisiana. She was the winner of the Concerto Competition with the Young People’s Symphony in Springfield, MA and she was awarded a Graduate Fellowship at Indiana University School of Music, Bloomington, where she was an Associate Instructor for Oboe. While at MKA, Linda has been awarded two PAMKA grants that have allowed her to further her studies in conducting, composing, and jazz pedagogy. As part of the Edinburgh International Jazz Festival, Linda studied jazz practices and pedagogy at Napier University. She received instruction from featured jazz artists, culminating in a live performance at the festival. During the St. Magnus Music Festival in the Orkney Islands, Linda attended conducting classes with Martin Brabbyns of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, as well as composition workshops led by Sally Beamish and Alisdair Nicolson. During this time, Linda was also able to gather data for, and further her research in the emerging field of Biomusic. Linda continues to be an active participant in the live composition technique of Soundpainting.
Suji Kim, Cellist Cellist Suji Kim, winner of the Concerto Competition at Montclair State University, is a recipient of numerous awards including Outstanding Music Performance Award, Chair’s Special Recognition Award and the Montclair State University Alumni Association Scholarship Award. She is currently a member of the Montclair String Quartet, the Alacorde Piano Trio, Montclair Piano Trio, The Little Opera Company of NJ, North Jersey Concert Opera, The Baroque Orchestra of North Jersey, Plainfield Symphony, New Brunswick Chamber Orchestra and The Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra. In 2006, the Montclair String Quartet won the First Prize of The Music and Earth International Competition in Bulgaria. As an active teacher, she is on the faculty at Judith G. Wharton Music Center, New Jersey Workshop of Art and the Paramus Community School. Ms. Kim received her Bachelor of Music in Cello Performance at Kei-Myung University in Dae-Gu, Korea and her Master of Music in Cello Performance at Temple University and Master of Arts & Professional Study degree at Montclair State University. She recently finished her Artistic Diploma Program at Montclair State University. She studied with Robert Betty at University of Missouri Kansas City, Jeffrey Solow at Temple University, Chaim Zemach at Metropolitan Opera Orchestra & Montclair State University, and Nicholas Tzavaras, a member of the Shanghai String Quartet.