Guitar & Ukulele
Veronica Eres
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Ms. Veronica Eres is a classical guitarist from Knoxville, Tennessee. She began her musical
studies on the piano at age 4 and on the violin at age 6. She played with the Knoxville Youth Symphony Orchestra for several years, and at age 15, began studying guitar and had already won prizes in several competitions after just 6 months of study. She has performed in countries ranging from the United States to Germany, Italy, and Switzerland. Veronica holds a Bachelors in Music Performance from the Florida State University where she studied with renowned pedagogue Bruce Holzman. She is currently pursuing her Master’s degree in Music Performance in Guitar at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music under the tutelage of Judicäel Perroy. Veronica is passionate about teaching students of all ages and sharing the love of music! She has taught privately and in public institutions in several different states from the age of 17. Her favorite part of teaching is helping her students use music to learn and think in different ways and to express their creative spirit. |
Sungmin Lee
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Sungmin Lee is a classical guitarist from South Korea who is currently based in San Francisco, California. He started piano training when he was four years old and his passion for music grew at a young age of 12, when he grew interest in finger style guitar. Sungmin then discovered his love for classical music, sparking his interest in studying classical guitar.
Sungmin has received several prizes and wide recognitions in competitions during his guitar career—highlights include the Great Lakes Guitar Festival, Eastman Guitar Concerto Competition, Lone Star Guitar Festival and SF Bay Classical Guitar Competition. He has also performed in several reputable master classes with Jorge Caballero, Carlos Barbosa Lima, Manuel Barrueco, and Matthew McAllister. A graduate of the Eastman School of Music, Sungmin received his Bachelor of Music in Guitar Performance in addition to the Performer’s Certificate. By May 2020, he will receive his Master of Music degree at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. At SFCM, his primary teacher is Judicaël Perroy and prior teachers include Nicholas Goluses, Thomas Viloteau, and Leighann Narum. |
Matt Funamura
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Matt Funamura is a trumpeter, guitarist, composer, arranger, multi-instrumentalist raised in the Sierra Nevada Foothills near Sacramento. At the age of six, he picked up his first guitar and trumpet at the age of 8 beginning his musical journey. He majored in music performance and jazz studies at American River College in Sacramento, California for two years during which time he was a freelance musician throughout the west coast. He then went on to earn a Bachelor of Performance from Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA.
Matt has performed with and studied under numerous musicians in a wide range of genres including: Angelique Kidjo, Ingrid Jensen, Tiger Okoshi, Gamble & Huff, Salvador Santana, Joe Gilman, Charles Haynes, Dontae Winslow, Jerry Martini, and Victor Mendoza. He currently plays with local legend Ed Ivey and the North Beach Brass Band, as well as a wide range of musical acts in Northern California. He teaches trumpet, guitar, bass, ukulele, and mandolin. |
Lucia Pontoniere
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Lucia Pontoniere plays violin, guitar, sings, and writes songs. She graduated from Berklee College of Music with a degree in violin performance, where she studied with world-renowned fiddle players and violinists such as Darol Anger, Bruce Molsky, and Matt Glaser. Lucia began playing violin at the age of six and has always seen violin as her first musical love, but also enjoys songwriting and singing as a creative outlet.
Lucia grew up in the Bay Area, and after spending five years on the East Coast is excited to call it home again. She tours the country with her band called The Ladles, an indie-folk singer-songwriter group. In addition, she enjoys freelancing with different bands, teaching music, and doing studio work. Lucia has played on many band’s albums, and for a couple TV shows as well! Music is her greatest passion in life and she is so excited to share that passion with as many people as possible. Lucia has seen first hand how music can change lives, as well as be a fun and creative way to learn and grow. She has experience teaching all ages, both group classes and private lessons. Lucia has taught classical violin as well as fiddle, guitar, and voice.” |
Connor Moen
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Connor has a deep connection with music. To continue learning the art of music and production, he applied and was accepted to the Berklee College of music for their master's program in Music Production, Technology, and Innovation. Connor explored all avenues of music production including recording, music video production, projection mapping, sound synthesis, sound design, and all industry-standard software programs.
Prior to obtaining his Master's degree, Connor taught Introduction to Music Technology and developed a new course entitled Musical Elements at the University of the Pacific. Connor developed a passion for music education and a belief that he needed to give back to the music community that had given him so many opportunities. He teaches individual piano, guitar, drum, voice, bass guitar lessons and has developed a ukulele program for students ages 8-12 as well as group. |
Ryan Manzi
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Guitarist Ryan Manzi is a Bay Area native who has spent the past two decades performing music around the world as an active duty member of the United States Air Force Band program for nearly twenty years. While serving in the USAF, his main responsibility was as the guitarist and musical director for several ensembles, including the fourteen-piece popular musical ensemble, Raptor. In addition to his work in the military, he leads his own
band (The Ryan Manzi Blues Band) and is active in the Bay-Area jazz scene. Ryan has performed on four continents, in over thirty countries, and forty-five states. He has shared the stage with a number of prominent musicians, including trombonist Wycliffe Gordon, drummer Steve Smith, a Tony Award winner Debbie Gravitte, multiple members of Tower of Power and Spyro Gyra, and many more. He has worked with the Omaha and Anchorage Symphonies, the Anchorage Opera and has played on a number of musicals, including The Sound of Music, Xanadu, Dolly Parton’s 9-5, In the Heights to name a few. Ryan has recorded fifteen on albums as a leader and as a side-man. In 2012, he released his first album with the Ryan Manzi Blues Band, Back Home to Stay. Ryan received a master’s degree in Jazz Studies from San José State University. He received his Bachelor’s Degree in Liberal Studies and Music. He studied privately with Garrison Fewell, Robert Harrigan, Rick Vandivier, and Steve Sage. Ryan is married to an amazing Occupational Therapist, has three amazing children and one lazy cat. |