Piano Instructors

Piano   Voice    Guitar   Bass   Drums    Violin, Viola, Cello, Sax, and Clarinet

Kat Bowman, B.M. - Piano
Kat Bowman is a graduate of the University of Maryland’s School of Music, where she received her Bachelor’s Degree in Piano Performance. She is also an alum of the Boston University Tanglewood Institute, where she studied under Maria Clodes-Jaguaribe.
 

Kat has been studying classical piano since she was a small child, and has spent her time since college continuing to grow as a musician.  She has an extensive background in collaborative piano work, and has played for a number of shows, choirs, ensembles, and soloists. Kat is a dedicated educator who is passionate about teaching and her students.

Howard Gordon, M.M - Piano, Keyboards
Howie Gordon is a graduate of University of the Arts, with a Masters Degree in Music Performance.

Howie specializes in classical, funk, jazz, R&B, hip-hop, rock, and fusion styles, and as a session player, has performed everything from bluegrass to thrash-metal.  In addition to teaching and performing, Howie has worked in numerous recording studios, including with Grammy-nominated producer David Ivory.  He has received several music awards.

Dan Kauffman, B.M. - Guitar, Piano, and Drums

Dan is a graduate of the Millersville University School of Music, with a Bachelors Degree in Music. Dan started playing guitar and piano at 14.  After attending Millersville University and living in Olympia Washington for a few years, Dan returned to his native east-coast roots to further his career.

 
Fluent in most types of music including Rock, Funk, Jazz, Folk, Americana, and Classical, Dan continues to play in Philadelphia's most prominent live venues such as  World Cafe Live, Grape St., Puck, and many upscale bars and restaurants while teaching a 4-day week at MTC.  Former Philadelphia 76'er, Charles Barkley, after hearing a rendition of James Taylor's "Country Road", remarked that Dan is his "brother from another mother". Dan continues to write, record, and perform in the Philadelphia area.

Jordan Klein, B.M. - Piano

Jordan Klein is a graduate of Temple University with a Bachelors Degree in Music, with specialization in classical piano and music theory.  While at Temple, Jordan studied with Maria Del Pico Taylor.

Jordan has studied piano for 15 years. Prior to attending Temple, Jordan studied under Dr. Willis Stevens. Jordan has performed in many settings, including as an accompanist for school choirs, bands, musicals, and soloists.  Jordan teaches both children and adults – he believes that the most important thing a musician can do, is pass on his love of music to a student.

Palimo Lopez, M.M. - Piano

Palimo Lopez is a graduate of Temple University Music School, with a Masters Degree in Piano Performance. At Temple, he studied Piano Pedagogy under Maria del Pico Taylor. Palimo earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Piano Performance from Northern Arizona State University under Dr. Frank Scott.

At Arizona, Mr. Lopez was a two time winner of NAU’s Concerto Competition, and two time winner of the Maricopa College Performer’s Competition. He has performed with the Flagstaff, Scottsdale, Sun City, and Phoenix Symphonies. After winning the Beethoven Symposium Competition of AZ., Mr. Lopez had invitational studies with Caio Pagano, Fredrick Moyer, and Jeffery Swan. Most recently, Mr. Lopez has twice performed for the Dorothy Taubmann Technique Seminar at Lincoln Center.

Palimo has been teaching for the past twelve years, and enjoys sharing his knowledge of this profession with all aspiring musicians. He is a member of the Tri-M Music Honor Society and has performed in Arizona, California, Indiana, Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Hawaii.

Jeffrey Mayer, M.M. - Piano

Jeff Mayer is a graduate of Temple University’s Esther Boyer College of Music, with a Masters degree in Piano Performance and Piano Pedagogy. He also holds a Bachelors degree in Piano Performance from Temple and an honorary Bachelors of Arts degree from Central High School in Philadelphia.

Jeff's primary piano studies were with Charles Abramovic. Jeff began studying piano at age 12. As a high school senior, he won piano scholarship awards from Settlement Music School and the Matinee Musical Club of Philadelphia, which led to multiple performances he gave at the Academy of Music Ballroom.  During his college career, Jeff performed in Master Classes given by world class artists including Harvey Wedeen and Claude Frank at Rock Hall, Joseph Kalichstein at Jacob’s Music, and Emanuel Ax at The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts’ Innovation Studio. Jeff’s degree recitals at Temple University’s Rock Hall were received with critical acclaim

Leslie Poprik, M.M. - Piano
Leslie is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University, with a Masters Degree in Classical Piano Performance.  She received her Bachelors Degree in Music from Duke University.

While at Carnegie Mellon, Leslie studied with Ralph Zitterbart and received individual instruction from renowned artists such as Earl Wild and Craig Ketter.  She completed a program in piano pedagogy under the direction of Hanna W. Li, and taught young students at CMU's Piano Preparatory School. Leslie is a two-time winner of the Duquesne Young Artists Competition in Pittsburgh, PA, and placed first in the annual competition of the Pittsburgh Concert Society.  She has performed in Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Virginia.

Yelena Rader – Piano

Yelena is a graduate of Kiev State Pedagogic University, with a Masters Degree in Piano and Voice Performance. She completed her Bachelor’s degree in Piano Performance from Kiev State Musical College in 1982, with a concentration in Piano Performance and Music Theory.

A classical pianist and music teacher by training, Yelena was born in Kiev, Ukraine. At the age of 5 she decided to pursue piano as her chosen discipline and entered the Music School for Gifted Children in Kiev. When Yelena was 12 years old she won a silver medal in the Tchaikovsky competition.

Yelena has been teaching for twenty years, and enjoys sharing her knowledge with all aspiring students.

Judy Sanger - Voice, Piano

Judy is a graduate of Wilkes University, with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Music Education. She has been teaching and performing professionally for thirty years.

As a classical soprano, Judy has performed for composers’ weekends (Ben Steinberg, others), for The West Coast Chamber Orchestra and as a Cantorial Soloist in Congregation B’nai Brith. As a popular singer and pianist, she has performed venues on both coasts. Judy has performed in theater productions in New York City, California, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey and has garnered several acting, singing, and directing awards. Judy has had leads in over twenty-five shows, and directed and musically directed a dozen more, including “Underground Goddess” at the New York Public Theatre.

Judy's choral compositions have been performed recently by choirs on the west coast, her original songs have been performed in California, New Jersey, and New York City, and her own original musical, “LifeSongs”, has had a successful staged reading in California.

Stu Shames - Piano
Stu began his career in Philadelphia.  He later performed for 11 years on the West Coast. whre he performed in several Jazz Festivals for the University of California, was a regular at Croce's (owned by Jim Croce's wife), wrote and composed two successful musicals, was named "People to Watch" in San Diego Magazine, did a brief stint with the group, THE RASCALS ("Good Lovin'" and "Groovin"), performed for three years in a comedy Improv group, and wrote and performed for local Television.

After returning to Philadelphia in 1991, Stu has been a popular performer at area clubs, hotels and restaurants, the New Jersey Shore areas, and at Philly's Waterfront nightclubs. Stu is the co-founder and artistic director of the Philadelphia Songwriter's Project and teaches Songwriting courses at the University of the Arts.

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