Our Faculty
Heather Alvarez
Heather received her Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from the Mannes College of Music in New York City. She completed her Master of Music in Vocal Performance at the University of New Mexico. She studied voice with Fred Casara, Marilyn Tyler and Mila Gibson. She has appeared as a guest with the Amarillo Symphony, the Randall Chamber Orchestra and the Liszt Academy in Budapest, Hungary. Heather has been an adjunct faculty member at the Amarillo College, and a Graduate Teaching Fellow at the University of New Mexico. She continues to work as a vocal instructor at the Pasadena Junior Theater in Pasadena, CA, and she recently sang the role of Inocencia in the production of JD Robb’s opera Little Jo at the National Hispanic Cultural Center in Albuquerque.
Tanya Bayliyeva
Tanya Bayliyeva received her Bachelor’s Degree in piano performance from the Turkmen State Musical College and and her Master’s Degree in Piano Performance form the Turkmen National Conservatory in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan. Her professional career highlights include teaching as a full-time faculty member at the First Central Music School in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, and at the Quality School International (QSI), where she taught Music and English. In 2003, Tanya won an international competition and went to India to participate in the International Training Program: English for Professionals. She is currently a student at the Center for English Language and American Culture (CELAC) at the University of New Mexico. She is currently working full-time at the New Mexico School of Music as a piano teacher and accompanist.
Regina Chavez
Regina Chavez completed her Bachelor Degree in Music Education, with an emphasis in percussion, at the University of New Mexico. As part of the degree program at UNM, she worked as a student teacher for Betsy Van Dyke at Madison Middle School, and Stuart Fessinger at Sandia High School. She also was the drum line instructor at Sandia High School, which under her guidance placed third in Albuquerque’s annual Duke City Drum-off. She currently plays drum set and sings backup vocals for her band Edith Grove, which has just released its second album Highway of Diamonds. She performs regularly with Musical Theater Southwest and Albuquerque Little Theater, and is the founder of the New Mexico Marimba Band.
Yuri Chayama
Yuri Chayama was born in Yonago, Japan and began her musical studies at the age of four. In September 2005, Ms. Chayama won the top prize in the Competition Internationalé. In July 2007, she was honored at the 2007 Ibla Music Competition in Italy, where she was named a Distinguished Musician and received Special Mention for her performance of Toru Takemitsu’s Rain Tree Sketch II. Ms. Chayama received her Bachelor’s Degree in Music from Kurashiki Sakuyo University in Japan, where she studied under Professor Hideo Abe. She then received a Master’s Degree from the College of Music in Aachen, Germany. She has participated in mastercourses in France, Italy, and Germany, and has studied under Professor Michel Beroff, Professor Renate Fischer-Kretschmar, Professor Falko Steinbach, and the renowned composer Dr. Kurt Schwaen. Dr. Schwaen awarded Ms. Chayama the prize for Best Interpretation for her performance of his composition, Nocturne Lugubre. She also received the Valtidone Music Scholarship in Italy. Since January 2005, she has been living in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where she studied under Professor Steinbach at the University of New Mexico. In June 2007, she received her Master’s Degree in Music from UNM.
Corbin Dillon
Corbin Dillon, trumpet, whose teaching experience spans over 11 years and ranges from beginners through the twelfth grade, received his bachelor’s degree in Music Education from The University of Texas at Austin where he studied with Raymond Crisara. After graduating from UT, he became the Assistant Band Director at Seguin High School in Seguin Texas, where taught the concert, marching and jazz bands as well as beginning music classes. Mr. Dillon is now pursuing a Master of Music degree in trumpet performance at the University of New Mexico where he studies with Dr. John Marchiando. In addition to his performances with the UNM ensembles, Corbin has also appeared with the New Mexico Symphony Orchestra, the new music ensemble “Chatter” and the Farmington Brass Band. Corbin is a founding member of The Copper Street Brass Quintet, which recently performed to rave reviews at the Rafael Mendez Brass Institute in Denver and worked with world-renown soloist and former member of the Canadian Brass, Ronald Romm.
Christin Garcia
Christin is currently working on her double major in Saxophone Performance and Music Education at the University of New Mexico, where she studies with Dr. Eric Lau. She has performed in masterclasses with Joseph Lulloff, Professor of Saxophone at Michigan State University; James Forger, Michigan State University; and David Dees, Professor of Saxophone at Texas Tech University. She is a member of the University of New Mexico Wind Symphony, Saxophone Quartet and has performed with the UNM Symphony Orchestra and Jazz Band.
Stacy Golden
Stacy received dual Bachelor’s degrees in Vocal Performance and Music Production/Engineering from the Berklee College of Music in Boston. She pursued additional studies in Music Education at the University of New Mexico. She was the recipient of Berklee’s Vocal Professional Performance Award, where she studied with instructors Mili Bermejo, Bob Stoloff, Sharon Brown and Charlie Sorrento. Stacy is an award winning singer/songwriter and independent recording artist. She has twice been recognized by Billboard Magazine’s Songwriting Contest for her songwriting abilities. She has released 2 CDs on her label, Golden Elephant Music and her CD, Thin Wire Walk, was selected to showcase for the Los Angeles Music Awards in 2004. Stacy specializes in vocal students pursuing contemporary forms of music such as pop, jazz, R&B and musical theatre, as well as beginning piano students of all ages.
Cathy Hawthorne
Cathy Hawthorne received her Bachelor of Music in Flute Performance from Wichita State University, KS. She completed her Master of Music at the University of New Mexico. Cathy received the Mary Koch Award for musical achievement; was a winner of the 1998 Concerto-Aria competition; was a winner of the New Mexico MTNA State Competition in both 1999 and 2000; and won the MTNA District competition in 2001. She studied flute with Frances Shelly, Peter Ader and Valerie Potter. Cathy is currently a member of the Bosque Chamber Music Society, and has had the opportunity to join the New Mexico Symphony Orchestra for several of their concerts. Most recently, she received certification as an instructor for the Harmony Road™ Music Courses designed specifically for young children. She has written on the subject of early childhood music, and has appeared as a guest columnist for the New Mexico Kid’s™ magazine, with an article pertaining to early musical experiences.
Sara Heppler
Sara graduated with her Bachelor’s Degree in Music Theory and Composition from the University of New Mexico, where she is currently working on her Master of Music Degree in Piano Performance. She has studied piano with Tatiana Vetrinskaya and Falko Steinbach. Prior to studying at UNM, she held the position of Assistant Music Director at Eastman Curtis ministries in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She is currently a Graduate Assistant at UNM, where she has been employed to teach a theory-related keyboard laboratory.
Michael Herrera
Michael Herrera received his Bachelor of Music Education from the University of New Mexico in 1978. He completed his Master of Music in Clarinet Performance at the University of New Mexico in 1984. Michael has worked as a Band Director for the Albuquerque Public Schools for the past 25 years, and is currently the Band Director at McKinley Middle School. He has performed in masterclasses at the Oklahoma University Clarinet Symposium and he currently plays principal clarinet for the Albuquerque Concert Band. Michael’s teachers include Floyd Williams, Robert Wingert and Keith Lemmons.
Olga Home
Olga Home completed her Bachelor of Music in Violin Performance, with a minor in Piano Performance from Arzamas Music College, Russia. She received dual Master of Music Degrees in Ethnomusicology and Music Composition from the Nizhgorodsky State Conservatory. Olga taught piano and music theory at the Children’s School of Music in Ashgabat, and was a full-time faculty member at the Music College in Arzamas. Olga is an accomplished composer and music theorist. Her professional teaching experience includes violin, string ensemble, piano, music theory, music history, composition and analysis. While in Arzamas, she performed with the Opera Theatre as a violinist for seven years. Olga has published several articles regarding children and music education, and has been an active lecturer on these topics. She has performed with the Santa Fe Symphony, the San Juan Symphony, the Symphony Orchestra of Albuquerque and various other chamber music groups in Albuquerque.
Linda Pierce Hunter
California native, soprano Linda Pierce Hunter is a graduate of the Mozarteum Academy of Music, in Salzburg, Austria with degrees in Voice and Lied/Oratorio under Paul Schilovsky. Fluent in German, French and Italian, she has appeared as soloist in concert and opera in Austria, Italy, England, France, Germany and the United States.
Ms Pierce Hunter has maintained voice studios in Paris, Boston and New York City where her students have been consistent competition winners. She was on the voice faculty of the Mannes College of Music (1994-2002), on the faculty of the International Vocal Arts Institute in Tel Aviv (1994-1995), and most recently a guest on the voice faculty of the University of Kansas. She now resides in Albuquerque, New Mexico where she teaches privately.
Cedric Knox
Cedric Knox is currently working on a double major in Oboe Performance and Music Education at the University of New Mexico. He is primarily a student of Kevin Vigneau, principal oboe of the New Mexico Symphony Orchestra. He has also studied at length with Alex Klein, former principal oboe with the Chicago Symphony; Eric Olson, principal oboe with the Jacksonville Symphony, and Nathan Hughes, professor of oboe at the Juilliard School and principal oboe of the Metropolitan Opera. He has attended the Eastern Music Festival, Symphony Orchestra Academy of the Pacific, and Festival de Musica de Santa Catarina.
Rachel Peale
Rachel received her Bachelor of Music in Violin Performance from the University of Iowa, where she studied with Katherine Wolfe. She is currently pursuing her Master of Music in Violin Performance at the University of New Mexico, where she studies with Carmelo de los Santos. Rachel is also working toward a long term Suzuki Teacher Certification at UNM with Susan Kempter. She has 18 years of experience with the Suzuki Method, both as a student and as a teacher. Rachel is a former member of UNM’s Abe Franck String Quartet, and has participated in music festivals, symphonies, and taught at music camps in Oklahoma, Indiana, Minnesota, New Mexico, Kansas, Iowa, and Arizona.
Christian Pincock
Christian has taught many instruments including trumpet, trombone, baritone horn, tuba, and beginning piano in Boston, New York and Berlin before moving to Albuquerque. In addition to teaching, he has worked in all genres of music including jazz, classical, popular, and experimental forms, and performs solo works and collaborative improvisation using a computer-based instrument of his own creation. Christian received a Music Omi International Artist Residency Fellowship and has presented workshops and master classes through the Manhattan School of Music. He has also trained ensembles in Soundpainting, an international sign language for live composition and improvisation at the Banff Center for the Arts among others. Christian received his Bachelor of Music degree from New England Conservatory and a Master of Music degree from Manhattan School of Music, both focusing on Jazz performance and composition.
Elizabeth Rincon
Elizabeth Rincon is an active member of the Albuquerque music community. Currently finishing her Bachelors of Music degree at the University of New Mexico, she has studied with Michael Chapdelaine, Jeremy Mayne, Neal Martinez, Luis Campos, and Pedro Cuadra. She has also participated in master classes with Badi Assad and Johan Fostier. She has helped teach in after-school guitar programs at Carlos Rey, Dolores Gonzales, and Douglas MacArthur Elementary schools. As a classical guitarist, she has played for private engagements given by the departments of Architecture, Art, Music, Medicine, Engineering, The National Science Foundation, the American Society of Mammalogists, and various charitable organizations as well as for past and present UNM presidents. She had the honor of being picked to play for Governor Richardson’s reception for the first Presidential Democratic debates held at the University of New Mexico in 2004. Miss Rincon is also the Assistant Sound Engineer at UNM Music Dept. Keller Hall Recording Studio and for UBIK Sound. In addition to her work in guitar and recording, she has sung in the UNM Concert Choir, University Chorus and is a long-time member of Las Cantantes, the UNM Women’s Chorus. Highlights include the premiering of works by Dave Brubeck and Libby Larsen, singing many of the great choral masterworks as well as the operas Carmen and Madame Butterfly. A member of the Cathedral of St. John’s Chamber and Cathedral Choirs, Miss Rincon has sung under the baton of Sir David Willcocks, Bruce Neswick, and Thomas Foster. Most recently, the International Handel Festival which was recorded for and aired on NPR. Some of the most recent projects include Polyphony Albuquerque’s newest professional vocal ensemble under the direction of Maxine Thevenot. Miss Rincon is also the assistant stage manager for Yjastros, the American Flamenco Repertory company, as well as for the largest flamenco festival outside of Spain: Festival Flamenco Internacional de Albuquerque, held at UNM and the National Hispanic Cultural Center. This past August she traveled to England with the Cathedral Choir of St. John, where they were the choir in residence at St. George’s Chapel Windsor Castle and Canterbury Cathedral.
Natalia Ross
Natalia Ross graduated from the Ural Conservatory, Russia in 1998. While studying at the conservatory, she took part in several festivals in Ekaterinburg, Russia. In 1996 she participated in the M.K. Ciurlionis International Piano competition in Vilnius, Lithuania. After completing her studies at the Conservatory, she worked for several years at the Ekaterinburg Musical Theatre and at the Music School as a piano teacher. In 2001 she moved to the United States. Natalia currently lives in Albuquerque, where she has been working as an accompanist at the University of New Mexico.
Timothy D. Saeed
Timothy D. Saeed received his Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance from the University of Pacific Conservatory of Music. He completed a Master’s degree in Music Theory from Boston University, where he was awarded a Graduate Teaching Fellowship. Over the past nine years, Timothy has instructed students in multiple learning environments: from group piano classes to theory courses, as well as private individual tutorials. He has taught at the University level, at elementary schools, and to all ages privately. Timothy studied piano with Sharon Mann from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Frank Wiens from UOP’s Conservatory of Music, Goodwin Samuel from Mills College and Antonio di Bonaventura from Boston University. Most recently, Timothy was accepted into the studio of Falko Steinbach at the University of New Mexico, where he is pursuing a second Master’s degree in Piano Performance and serving a Graduate Teaching Fellowship in the music theory department.
Matt Thomas
Matt holds a Bachelor’s degree from Rutgers University in History, and has a diverse background in social services. He has taught drums to students ranging from ages 3 to adults, and has worked with student abilities ranging from gifted and talented to developmentally disabled. Matt is a former percussion teacher for the Somerville School of Music in NJ. He has studied with a variety of prominent teachers including Joe Morello and Dion Parson, and is knowledgeable in many different established methods for percussion technique and development. Matt has toured and recorded extensively with many independent bands from the New Brunswick area. He has played for cover bands, rock bands, wedding bands, “indie” bands, and blues bands. Matt is the former house drummer for the Somerset Jazz Consortium, leader of the Wallace Whitman Quartet and free lance jazz drummer. He is currently drumming in several local jazz projects; Liquid Blues (3rd Place Battle of the Blues 2007) One Eyed Fords, and is freelancing with local cover bands. Most recently, he has begun collaborating with pianist Randy Heddon on a new recording project.
Russell Turek
Russell Turek graduated with his Bachelor of Music in Guitar Performance from the University of New Mexico. His formal education also includes guitar studies at Columbia College in Chicago and the College of DuPage. His teachers include Norman Ruiz, Fareed Haque, Scot Johnston, and Michael Chapdelaine. While living in Chicago, Russell managed a successful music store, held a full-time private guitar studio and maintained a regular performance schedule at several local venues. He has received special recognition for his electronic compositions and is the founder of Evenkeal, a local rock band. Russell composed the music for Evenkeal’s song “Contradiction”, which won a New Mexico award for “best musical production” in the metal category.
Tatiana Vetrinskaya, Director
Tatiana received her Master of Music in Piano Performance from Turkmenistan. She completed the Doctoral Program in Piano Ensemble Performance at the Gnesin Academy of Music in Moscow. After arriving in the United States, Tatiana acquired a second Master of Music in Piano Performance from the University of New Mexico. She came to the United States in 1995 as a first recipient of the John Donald Robb Musical Trust Fellowship. Tatiana has soloed with the St. Louis Kamergild Chamber Orchestra, the Symphony Orchestra of Albuquerque, the University of New Mexico Symphony Orchestra, and the Chamber Orchestra of Albuquerque. She has performed extensively throughout the United States and has presented concerts and lecture-performances at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, the University of Texas at El Paso, the Steinway Society Concert Series in Princeton, New Jersey, the 2003 Society of American Music Conference in Tempe, Arizona, and the American Symphony Orchestra League’s 58th National Conference in San Francisco, California. Currently, she performs for the University of New Mexico’s Keller Hall Performance Series, and is a part-time piano faculty member at the University of New Mexico. Tatiana is the featured performer of two CD recordings: Pictures of New Mexico and Piano Concerto with the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra. She has released a CD featuring the music of Russian composers, Russia into a Modern World.
Steve Wiseman
Steve Wiseman received his Master of Music Degree in Music Education from Truman State University. He received his Bachelor of Music Degree in Piano Performance from Oberlin College Conservatory of Music, where he studied with Emil Danenberg. He had additional Doctoral studies in Piano Performance at the University of Kansas. While at Oberlin, Steve was awarded the Pi Kappa Lambda Award of Achievement and became a student faculty member at both Oberlin College and Oberlin Conservatory of Music. Steve has served as a faculty member at the University of Wyoming, Truman State University and the University of North Texas. He taught at the Quincy Conservatory of Music, where he also served as the School’s President. Steve has performed extensively in the U.S. with ensembles such as the New Quincy Trio, and the Colorado Arts Trio. Steve currently resides in Corrales, NM, and teaches piano there as well as at the New Mexico School of Music.
Dan Wright
Dan Wright received a Bachelor of Music in Theory and Composition from the University of New Mexico. He did additional graduate studies at UNM, where he performed as a Tenor with the Faculty Early Music Ensemble. He followed this with a year of study at the University of Missouri at Kansas City, one of the few college music schools with accordion in their curriculum. Currently, he works as the Choral Department Manager and Print Advertising Production Manager at Music Mart, Inc. He is the Director of Die Polka Schlingel, an 11–piece German band. He also serves as the leader of the Albuquerque Accordion Club and its relative, the Albuquerque Accordion Ensemble.