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Instructors
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Teachers in the Anderson-Siprashvili Music Academy are experienced, degreed professionals who value a positive teaching and learning environment. Their background with children and music make them exceptionally qualified with high expectations for successful students. Generally, piano lessons for beginning through intermediate piano are offered in small groups (four maximum). Students are grouped by age and level. In our piano classes students learn on full-sized, highly advanced, state-of-the-art digital pianos. Students participating in group lessons progress rapidly, are less likely to quit, and are motivated by peer dynamics and enthusiasm.
We pride ourselves in teaching all learning styles through a variety of curriculum activities, hands-on theory, improvisation, learning games, technique, ear-training and repertoire development. Curriculum objectives are designed to develop a natural sequence of skills for success.
Groups also enjoy ensemble opportunities, computer and composing stations, and a loaning library.
We provide recital (semi-public) experiences three times a year (December, March and June) for all students at the academy. Furthermore, through the use of state-of-the-art technology, our students take home audio Compact Discs of their work at the end of the school year (June). This disc has become a treasure for many families and continues to be proof of our student's rapid and efficient progress.
Biographies
Mark Anderson (piano and music theory/musicianship) - Having begun piano studies at the age of 5, pianist Mark Anderson, a native of the San Francisco Bay Area, has become one of the world's outstanding pianists. In the United States, his formative teachers were Trula Whelan and Aiko Onishi while in the UK they were Ryszard Bakst and Benjamin Kaplan. He has performed in Japan, throughout Europe and the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, and the United States. Mr. Anderson’s recordings on Nimbus Records have received numerous awards and distinctions worldwide.
Mr. Anderson holds a bachelor degree in piano performance from San Jose State University as well as postgraduate degrees from the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, and the Royal Academy of Music in London. In June 2001, he was awarded the Master of Arts in Multimedia from California State University East-Bay.
Mark now resides in Pleasanton, California where he teaches privately and appears regularly as soloist, chamber musician, clinicians/lecturer and competition adjudicator. He currently enjoys collaborative work with artists such as Robert Stallman (flute), San Francisco Contemporary Music Players and the San Jose Chamber Players.
Mark Anderson is a Steinway Artist.
Kelly Kreutter (piano) has studied piano for over two decades. She has
twelve years of experience providing piano lessons to over fifty students, both
children and adults. Kelly's teachers include Lina Morita at the Eastman School
of Music in Rochester, NY., and Annie Nalezny of Berkeley, with whom she currently
studies. She received her undergraduate degree in Literature at UC Berkeley and,
since moving to the Bay Area five years ago, has maintained a full piano studio
and practice, including performances at the Berkeley Piano Club. Kelly is a patient
and encouraging teacher who understands that children thrive in the study of music
when they feel a sense of satisfaction and pride.
Katalin Kincses (piano) studied piano from age 5 at the State Music Conservatory Schools in Budapest, Hungary. After completing school, she was accepted to continue her studies at the Franz Liszt Academy. However, political events in Hungary forced her into a career in jurisprudence. In later years, she worked as an attorney both in Hungary and the United States. However, desiring to return to music, she earned her Master of Arts degree in Piano Performance. Upon retirement from the legal profession she established her private teaching studio in Livermore. She incorporates the Kodaly method in her teaching and enjoys teaching all levels of piano performance, music history and theory. Katalin has varied experiences: performer, accompanist, music and choir teacher; and is an active member of the Music Teacher's Association of California. She is very enthusiastic about the new opportunities afforded by high-tech methods in music teaching.
Podge Thomas (piano) recently graduated with a degree in Music from Mills College, Oakland, CA. Podge Thomas began her music career by singing in the church choir and studying classical piano with Andrew Hearst from age 8 to 18. After coming to America in 1997 Podge studied music at College of Marin and received her AA degree in music before transferring to Mills College in Oakland where she received a BA in music. Since 2000, Podge has studied with Linda Noble-Brown, Elizabeth Eshleman and Molly Holm. Ms. Thomas also performs regularly as a vocalist and has sung in choruses directed by Stan Krazcek and Boyd Jerell. Podge also performed with North Bay Rep as "Mrs. Kettle" in Beauty and the Beast and with Contemporary Opera Marin in Amahl and the Night Visitors directed by Paul Smith.
Juliet Strong
(piano) received her Bachelors of Music Degree from the University of Oregon School
of Music in 2005. She has performed with throughout Northern California and Oregon
at prestigious musical events such as the Oregon Festival of American Music, California
Shakespeare Theatre, Shotgun Players, A Travelling Jewish Theatre among others.
Juliet began studying piano at the age of 5, and began singing at the age of 8.
She has taught piano and private voice for 3 years, and encourages her students'
musical growth by utilizing imagination and musical games combined with age-appropriate
musical concepts.
Cass Mann (voice), a classical singer and teacher, is passionate about sharing beautiful music with others. Her favorite performed roles include Miss Silverpeal in The Impresario, Donna Anna in Don Giovanni, Laurie in Copland's The Tender Land, Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte, the Bergère and Screech Owl in Ravel's L'Enfant et les Sortilèges, Countess Almaviva in Le Nozze di Figaro, and the Narrator/Mother for Opera Fort Collins's Outreach production of Little Red Riding Hood.
Ms. Mann's concert and Oratorio work consists of soprano solos from Orff's Carmina Burana, Handel's Messiah, Mozart's Requiem, Haydn's Lord Nelson Mass, and Franck's Die Sieben Worte Christi Am Kreuz.
Ms. Mann earned her Master
of Music degree in Vocal Performance at Colorado State University. She has recently
relocated to the San Francisco Bay Area, where she enjoys teaching and singing
locally with Berkeley Opera, Festival Opera Chorus, Pocket Opera, and East Bay
Aria Club.
Ben Anjo (classical and jazz piano) recently completed an MA in jazz piano performance at San Jose State University (2008) where he studied with noted jazz educator and pianist Frank Sumares. Before pursuing music full time Ben completed a BA in physics and gender studies at Grinnell College in Iowa (2002). Ben teaches both classical and jazz piano to students of all ages. His teaching style is developmentally focused and he strives to cultivate a love of music in his students. Ben plays professionally throughout the bay area.
Paul Keyes (guitar) was born in the Philadelphia area and began his study of the guitar at the age of 11. During his High School years he was performing in various Rock and Blues bands in the area. He went on to study the classical guitar with Peter Segal at Temple University.
Paul operated a private teaching studio in Princeton, N.J. where he taught for 33 years. Many of the students have gone on to continue their study of music at some of the finest universities in the country. Some of his students have become performers in well known bands and tour internationally. He himself has performed in various festivals around the country such as Woodstock, Monterey and Ravinia outside Chicago.