KATE SHEERAN, KAUFMAN MUSIC CENTER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Kate Sheeran became Executive Director of Kaufman Music Center in August of 2018. Since then, she has launched several Center-wide initiatives, including Artists-in-Residence, robust community programming, and increased collaborations between the Center’s schools and professional presenting sides. Notably, she has led Kaufman through the COVID-19 crisis, resulting in programmatic and organizational success and international acclaim for its innovative approach during this time. Previously, Kate served as Provost and Dean of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.
JOHN ALBERT
A New York-based songwriter, actor, musician and teacher, John grew up performing professionally, beginning with the NYC/Metropolitan Opera and New York Philharmonic, and has been teaching children for the better part of a decade. He’s been part of the Kaufman family for over 10 years as a Summer Musical Theater Workshop camper and counselor, and a performer with the Poppyseed Players. He received a BFA in Musical Theatre from Montclair State University.
MARY ALBERT
A professional performer, writer and educator with 13+ years of teaching experience, Mary is a graduate of the American Musical and Dramatic Academy and holds a BFA in Musical Theatre from The New School. She attended Kaufman’s Summer Musical Theater Workshop as a camper, intern, assistant director and film editor and has taught at Different Directions, Bank Street School and Little Leaf Preschool. Mary is in the process of completing her third original full-length musical.
ALICIA ANDREWS
Alicia is Assistant Director and Adult Division Manager at Kaufman’s Lucy Moses School and Producer of the Kaufman Music Center International Youth Piano Competition. She holds a BA in Theater from Williams College, has studied Dalcroze Eurythmics and is a former teaching artist at City Lights Youth Theater. Her directing, costume design and acting credits include Target Margin Theater, American Opera Projects (Lincoln Center Festival), Ontological-Hysteric Theater, Galapagos, HERE, 92NY's Makor Center
RONI BEN-HUR
Celebrated as both a jazz guitarist and educator, Roni is the founding director of Kaufman’s Jazz Program and leader or co-leader on a dozen acclaimed albums. “The people who come to my jazz camps are serious amateurs,” Roni says. “I give them the opportunity to learn a lot – repertoire, rhythms, techniques – but I also give them the space to enjoy themselves in a relaxed, vacation-friendly environment. The goal is to have fun learning.”
OMAR CAMPS-KAMRIN
Omar is an award-winning composer, arranger, performer and educator who has composed music for film, podcasts, dance pieces and a web series; has co-written three original musicals with a fourth on the way; and is working on his first solo album. Since graduating from Swarthmore College in 2020, he’s been a teaching artist at Rosie’s Theater Kids and Different Directions, where he teaches classes ranging from musical theater, singing and music composition to stage combat.
ALEXIS COLE
Vocalist Alexis Cole is the founder and director of the online educational community JazzVoice.com, and the artistic director of the Virginia Beach Vocal Jazz Summit. Her latest release, Sky Blossom: Songs from My Tour of Duty reflects the repertoire created for her to sing with 18-piece big band during her time as the vocalist for the Army’s Jazz Knights. 2023 saw her touring the world with Both Sides of Joni, a reimagining of Joni Mitchell’s music.
RAFAEL CORTÉS
Born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Rafael is a graduate of the Peabody Conservatory of Music at the John Hopkins University and a Fulbright Scholar who has concertized in Germany, Central and South America, Puerto Rico and New York. An experienced educator and current Kaufman faculty member, he has given masterclasses and has served as Chairman of the Piano Department at the Turtle Bay Music School as well as a judge in numerous piano competitions.
SEAN HARTLEY
As Kaufman’s director of musical theater, Sean produces and hosts the popular Broadway Close Up and Broadway Playhouse series and teaches at Kaufman’s schools. As a lyricist, composer and/or playwright, his productions include the upcoming Prelude To A Kiss (book by Craig Lucas, music by Daniel Messe), Cupid and Psyche (with composer Jihwan Kim, Drama Desk nomination), Little Women (Syracuse Stage, Village Theater) and Snow (ASCAP Harold Arlen Award for Best New Musical) among others.
ANGELA HOWELL
Angela is currently Theater Coordinator at Kaufman Music Center with Sean Hartley and has been both the production coordinator and choreographer for the Broadway Playhouse series, and production coordinator for the Broadway Close Up series for over 16 years. She’s written and directed for Kaufman’s Summer Musical Theater Workshop and has taught movement and acting for the Winter Arts Camp. She loves watching children develop a strong connection to musical theater.
HSING-AY HSU
A Steinway Artist, Hsing-ay is focused on the art of listening, finding innovative solutions that synthesize music training, biology and emotional insight. Through concerts, residencies and courses, she empowers performers and learners to find transformational pathways through her performances and teaching on how creative listening is essential to making music and living fully. The recipient of numerous awards, Hsing-ay trained at Juilliard and Yale School of Music and has performed at Carnegie Hall, Kennedy Center and Lincoln Center.
MICHAEL JOVIALA
Michael is a pianist, clarinetist, composer and teacher who has served on the faculty of Kaufman Music Center, Columbia University, Diller-Quaile School, and the American Musical and Dramatic Academy. He received a Diplôme Supérieur from the Institut Jaques-Dalcroze in Switzerland and earned a Dalcroze Certificate and License from Juilliard and the Longy School of Music, and has served as Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the Dalcroze Society of America.
IGAL KESSELMAN
A pianist praised by The New York Times, Igal serves as Director of Kaufman’s Lucy Moses School and Music Director of Special Music School. One of today’s most forward-thinking performers and music educators, he also curates Kaufman’s popular Tuesday Matinees series and is the Founder and Artistic Director of the Kaufman Music Center International Youth Piano Competition. Igal holds degrees from S. Rubin Academy of Music and Peabody Conservatory of Music.
YUKIKO KONISHI
Yukiko has a BA in piano performance from Osaka College of Music in Japan and has performed as soloist with Kansai Philharmonic Orchestra and Arukadia Chamber Society, and released a solo recording with EMI. A faculty member at Mark Morris Dance Center and Kaufman Music Center, she received a Certificate from New York Dalcroze School of Music and is a former Vice President of the Dalcroze Society of America. She received additional training at Columbia University Teachers College.
KEN KUBOTA
Most know Ken, a cellist celebrated for his musicianship, as a YouTuber, social media personality, and for pioneering his unique style of playing the cello like a guitar. He’s one-third of the band Empire Wild and founder and producer of JHMJams, a video series of pop covers by classical and jazz musicians. Currently a Kaufman faculty member, Kubota holds degrees from The Juilliard School (BM, MM), and has served on faculty at the Peabody Preparatory under Johns Hopkins University.
NUNÉ MELIK
A Siberian-born violinist of Armenian origin, Nuné is an emerging artist on the international stage who proves that music has no limitations. From her highly acclaimed solo debut at Carnegie Hall’s Stern Auditorium in 2016 to sharing the stage with Jimmy Buffett in 2019, Nuné approaches artistry at a new level. Internationally recognized as a specialist of the music of the Caucasus, Dr. Nuné Melik lectures in four languages.
ANDREA REDMAN
Andrea has more than 30 years’ experience teaching all ages and is currently on the faculty at Kaufman Music Center, Logrea Dance Academy and the Ohman Ballet School. She holds a BA in Dance from Oakland University and trained at the Princeton Ballet School, and has danced professionally with the Eglevsky Ballet, Richmond Ballet, Russian Ballet Theatre of Delaware and Ballet Theatre Pennsylvania. She directed her own school in Michigan for many years.
SCOTT TAYLOR
Arts administrator, music theorist, violinist and conductor Scott Taylor directs the Young People’s Division at Kaufman’s Lucy Moses School and also serves on the violin, theory and ensemble faculty at Greenwich House Music School. He earned a Master of Music in Music Theory from the Mannes College of Music in New York and studied orchestral conducting under Hynek Farkaĉ at Pražská konzervatoř (Prague Conservatory) in the Czech Republic.
JACOB WADE
An actor and teaching artist specializing in working with children, Jacob has been a member of the Kaufman theater community since 2003. He honed his acting skills at the Waterwell Drama Program at the Professional Performing Arts School and received his BA in Theatre & Performance from SUNY Purchase. Jacob currently works as a child wrangler and actor at The Metropolitan Opera and is a teaching artist and director of children’s theater at Kaufman Music Center.
KYLE WALKER
A strong advocate for social equality, critically-acclaimed pianist, activist and educator Kyle P. Walker is a founding member of the activist orchestra The Dream Unfinished. He’s been featured on NPR and NY Public Radio and has performed at many prestigious venues including the Apollo Theater and the Kennedy Center. Kyle received his MM from Mannes College and teaches at Kaufman Music Center, the Fort Lee School of Music and the Artist Program at Suzuki on the Island.
JUDE ZILIAK
A chamber musician, orchestra director and soloist, Jude performs internationally on historical forms of the violin. He’s the first violinist of Sonnambula and a principal player with the American Bach Soloists. Jude has recorded for Centaur, Avie and Naxos, and has enjoyed collaborations with many of America's period orchestras. He is a faculty member at Kaufman Music Center, and in the summers he’s the Program Director for the Clarion Collegium Week workshop.
