Piano Faculty
Teresa Yu, Director
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Teresa Yu is the Founder & Director of Amabile School of Music in San Francisco & Moraga, California. She enjoys her life-long career as a musician, an educator, an entrepreneur and a mother of two beautiful children. Ms. Yu started playing the piano since she was 5 years old and never stopped. She had gone through rigorous musical training and program in Taiwan, Japan and throughout the US where she has won several competitions including first prize at the New England Piano Teachers Association, the San Francisco Young Pianists Competition, and the Berkeley Piano Club Competition, and the first prize in Mu Phi Epsilon Competition. Ms. Yu has performed the Bach Double Piano Concerto in Jordan Hall at the New England Conservatory of Music and Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 1 at the Colorado College Summer Music Festival. As the winner of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music’s Concerto Competition, she performed Saint-saëns Piano Concerto No. 2 with the Conservatory Orchestra. She was invited to perform the Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 2 with Symphony of the Redwoods and the Liszt Piano concerto No. 1 with Redwood Symphony. She performed in many masterclasses that were conducted by world-famous artists such as Mstislav Rostropovich, Leon Fleisher, Richard Goode, Stephan Hough, Murray Perahia and more. She was invited to perform at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. as a part of the Conservatory Project. She also participated in Music@Menlo International Music Festival as a chamber music institute coach and the judge of Chopin Competition in San Francisco and the Hawai'i State Music Competition. Between 2010 to 2012, Ms. Yu toured Europe and America with her piano trio, The Aleron Trio, and gave numerous outstanding performances to people from all over the world. Previous teaching experiences including Notre Dome de Victoires, West Portal Lutheran, Old Mill School, and the Nueva School. Ms. Yu has earned her Master’s Degree in Piano Performance and the prestigious Artist Certificate in Chamber Music at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music where she studied with Professor Paul Hersh.
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Ethan Lin, Assistant Director
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Dr. Ethan Lin earned his Master of Music degree in Percussion Studies from New York University and Professional Studies Diploma degree from San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where he studied with the prestigious principal percussion of the San Francisco Symphony, Jack Van Geem. In 2015, Dr. Lin earned his doctoral degree in Percussion Performance from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he studied with Ricardo Flores and William Moersch. Specializing in marimba playing, his doctoral thesis is on the unique six-mallet marimba techniques in selected works.
Dr. Lin’s concerto experiences include Alfred Reed’s Concertino for Marimba and Ming-Shong Li’s Chinese Drum Concerto with the school orchestras in Taiwan (2005 and 2007). As a soloist, he has performed numerous recitals and has been active in orchestra and ensemble performances. Recently, he was invited to perform Steve Reich's marimba ensemble work, Six Marimbas, with the San Francisco Symphony members for celebrating the composer's 80th birthday at Davies Symphony Hall. Dr. Lin had participated in various music festivals, such as Nancy Zeltsman Marimba Festival (2010 & 2015), Keiko Abe Marimba Academy (2013), and SoundSCAPE (2014). In 2007, he won the first prize in the percussion category of Taiwan Music Competition. In addition to performing, Dr. Lin enjoys teaching as well. Having plenty of experience coaching percussion ensemble and teaching private lessons, Dr. Lin recently teaches percussion lessons and group class in the bay area. His teaching philosophy is to make music enjoyable to students at all times! His wish for his students is to not only gain musical knowledge but also to feel the joy and peace which music brings to them. |
Olga Korolev
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Olga Korolev is a classically trained singer, pianist and theater artist. Coming from a musical
family, she officially started her musical journey by beginning to learn the piano at 8 years old. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music with a voice concentration and a Theater and Biblical Studies Minor from Biola University. While at Biola, she sung with the Biola Chorale at the 2016 Western Division ACDA Conference and continued her piano studies as well. She has served as a choir accompanist for church and was a Conservatory Fellow at the American Conservatory Theater working with the Young Conservatory and Studio A.C.T. programs. Before moving back to the Bay area, she taught Suzuki piano to students ranging from 3 years to adult in the Sacramento region. She is certified with the Suzuki Association of Americas in the ECC (Every Child Can) course and Book 1 where she received her training under Caroline Fraser and Annette Lee. She is also a member of the Suzuki Association of Americas. She is passionate about building up students as well-rounded musicians and also as individuals where ever they go in life. |
Hilary Thompson
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“My parents always had classical music blasting on the record player and we all went to lots of concerts,” Hilary says. “I loved singing in school and church choirs when I was young.” In grade school, Hilary’s grandmother gave her a tiny little electric organ with a book, and Piano lessons followed, continuing through high school. Hilary went on to UC Santa Cruz, receiving a Bachelor of Arts in Music, with an emphasis on piano and performance. She’s taught piano both privately and at the San Francisco Community Music Center for over 24 years. She was even a church music director for a number of years in Point Richmond.
Hilary offers an individualized approach, tailored to fit each student's learning style while building essential pianistic and musicianship skills. She loves fostering students' enjoyment of music-making by encouraging students to help select repertoire pieces. All genres of music are appreciated and added along with a steady mix of standard classical piano literature. |
Erin Ichimura
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Erin Ichimura is a Cal Poly San Luis Obispo graduate, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Music. A gifted soprano, she has performed in numerous concerts with Cal Poly’s Chamber Choir, including San Luis Obispo’s Bach Week. She has performed in multiple recitals at Cal Poly and participated in Cal Poly’s Opera Program. During her time as a student, she tutored new music majors for entrance-level ear training and music theory classes. Throughout her career, she has toured to locations in California to sing with Cal Poly Choirs and to New York’s Carnegie Hall to collaborate with other choirs for a performance of Haydn’s Te Deum and Mozart’s Missa Brevis. In 2019 she traveled to Nairobi, Kenya, where she participated in a lab choir for novice conductors, led group warm-ups for Kenyan music students, and performed solo art music. Erin recently completed her senior project, which included a fifty-minute solo recital. She is passionate about teaching piano and voice lessons at Amabile. Erin is also a laureate of the San Francisco Girls Chorus.
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Alanna Rantala
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Alanna (Battat) Rantala holds degrees from the University of CA, Davis (B.A. Music), and New England Conservatory (M.M. Piano Performance) where she studied with renowned pianist Leonard Shure. Born in NYC to musical parents, she grew up in northern CA where she was a soloist with 5 symphonies as a teenager. She has performed in several cities throughout the US, as well as London and Australia. Alanna has been on the faculties of Boston’s Community Music Center, Brookline’s Yamaha Music School, Fitchburg State University, Worcester’s Joy of Music Program, and did vocal accompanying for Holy Cross College. She recorded “Winter Music” by John Cage for MODE records (1991). Her students have won awards for performance and composition.
Her freelance performing includes collaborative piano and the US premiere of “Serpents Mecanique” by George Antheil. She served on the Board and co-chaired the Composers Group for the Contra Costa Performing Arts Society. In 2016 Alanna released her first solo album of original piano music, titled "Recognize,” followed by “Search for Serenity,” recorded during the lockdown in 2020. Alanna is passionate about teaching and enjoys working with students of all ages and levels. She believes in developing a strong classical foundation and she also encourages creativity. Lesson assignments are tailored to meet individual needs along with musical interests. Her main goal for students is to find enjoyment in learning to play while developing a lifetime love for music! |
Vivien Kong
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Pianist and oboist Vivien Kong received her Master’s Degree from the San Francisco
Conservatory of Music, and her Bachelor’s Degree from the Glenn Gould School of the Royal Conservatory of Music with the Ihnatowycz Emerging Artist Award. Originally from Toronto, Canada, Vivien has over twenty years of piano performance experience and nine years of orchestral experience playing the oboe. She teaches one-on-one lessons and group classes to children and adults from beginner to advanced level. She also teaches RCM and ABRSM examination materials. She speaks fluent Mandarin and English, and can teach in both languages. Vivien has a strong passion for teaching. She believes music helps children be more intuned with their thoughts and emotions, as well as broadening their minds, giving them a creative outlet to be themselves. Vivien deeply values each individual's unique learning style, and always develops a personalized way of teaching that best suits their strengths and weaknesses. It is her priority to make each student feel special, valued and encouraged. Vivien is driven to inspire her students to explore and appreciate the beauty of music, and to help them create their own. |
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. |
Yea-Ming Chen
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Ms. Yea-Ming is a singer-songwriter, musician, actor and composer based in Oakland, California. A classically trained pianist and a graduate of the music program at the University of California Berkeley, Yea-Ming fell in love with rock music along the way and began writing songs as a young adult and has never stopped. She has released 7 studio-recorded albums and is featured in 20+ more. Most recently, her music and acting is displayed prominently in the feature film I Will Make You Mine (2020) which premiered at SXSW.
As a piano teacher, Yea-Ming recognizes the uniqueness of each student and takes the time to understand their learning style, musical tastes, and personality. She approaches her lessons in a fun and creative way while expanding a student’s appreciation for music as well as instilling a solid foundation in music theory. |
Sylvia Mau
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Sylvia has played the piano for over 14 years, and she has had experience working with children age 4 and above in one-on-one and classroom settings. She has completed the ABRSM piano exams through grade 8.
As a music instructor, she is engaging and fun. She is constantly searching and finding new resources that will make the lesson experience for the student refreshing and inspiring. She aims to provide a positive and effective teaching method in piano and music in general. Sylvia is currently earning her Bachelor's Degree in Psychology at U.C. Berkeley. |
Sarah Jaegers
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Originally from Holland, Michigan, Dr. Sarah Korneisel Jaegers teaches piano, clarinet, and saxophone at Amabile. Dr. Jaegers’s first instrument was the piano, which she began learning at the age of 10. Her primary instructors include Mary Van Voorst and Dr. Wan-Chin Chang. She began performing in solo recitals and accompanying for church services shortly thereafter. She strongly believes that each student has a unique voice to contribute to the world of music. As a teacher, Dr. Jaegers instills in her students a deeper love and understanding of music, guides them toward the achievement of their aspirations, and aids them in the discovery of their own distinctive voice through the development of confident self-directed learning, critical thinking, and healthy performance practices. Her studio is a fun, welcoming environment that engages students and encourages them to grow as musicians. She believes that music enriches lives and communities and aims to inspire joy and creativity and cultivate musicianship in her students.
Dr. Jaegers earned her DMA degree from The Ohio State University, her MM from Michigan State University, and her BM and BA in Spanish from Iowa State University. |
Fiona Cheng
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Originally from Hong Kong, Fiona is a pianist and a singer. She studied piano at the age of twelve and completed her ABRSM grade 8 exam. Fiona holds a Bachelor of Music Degree from San Francisco State University and a Master Degree of Music Education from Holy Names University.
Fiona has been teaching piano and music to students from preschoolers to adolescents. In addition to teaching music, she sings in local community choruses including the San Francisco Choral Society and the San Francisco City Chorus. As a piano teacher, Fiona teaches music theory, piano technique and musical expression. She believes that these are the basic skills that her students should have as pianists. |
Matthew Gaspar
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Matthew started playing the piano at the age of five. After graduating from U.C. San Diego with a degree in General Biology, he soon discovered his passion and joy in piano teaching and has been pursuing this career since.
Through his 14 years of teaching piano to students ages 5 and above, he decided to guide his students to discover the fun of playing the piano by focusing on creating a solid foundation of the fundamentals of note reading, rhythm, and finger and hand positions. By building his students’ confidence by constantly encouraging them, he aims to help his students find their own passion for playing the piano in the genre of music that inspires them. |
Miriam Snyder
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Originally from Hartsville, South Carolina, trombonist and educator Miriam Snyder currently
lives in San Francisco, California, where she is working towards a master’s degree in trombone performance at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, teaching private lessons, and freelancing in several Bay Area orchestras. Prior to attending SFCM, Miriam lived in Rochester, New York, where she earned a bachelor’s degree and performer’s certificate in trombone performance from the Eastman School of Music. Throughout her career, Miriam has achieved many successes, including participating in many festivals, master classes, and honors ensembles. As a passionate solo and chamber musician, Miriam has competed in several competitions, with her most recent accomplishments including being the runner-up in the 2022 SFCM Concerto Competition, placing first in the 2021 American Trombone Workshop’s National Quartet Competition as a member of the Outer Loop Trombone Quartet, and placing third in the national level of the 2017 MTNA Senior Brass Competition. Her primary teachers include Dr. David Hamilton, Larry Zalkind, Paul Welcomer, and Timothy Higgins. Miriam’s professional goals include teaching early childhood music, teaching private lessons, and playing in local orchestras. |
Jennifer Gapasin
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Jennifer is a musician/actress based out of the SF Bay Area, and she's excited to be teaching piano, voice and drum at Amabile. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Vocal Performance from Sacramento State where she studied opera with Michael Sokol, and since then has been involved in the performing arts for over a decade as an educator and performer. She studied acting/movement at Michael Howard Studios in New York, Waterfront Conservatory in Berkeley and Yat/Bentley Centre in Oakland. She began her career in music as choir director and piano accompanist for St. Anthony Church in Winters, and following that taught voice and piano at Natomas School of Music in Sacramento. She has performed onstage in many different modes, from rock, R&B and funk (as singer/drummer/keyboardist) to operas, plays and musicals. Notably, she was the drummer for the Beatles cover band, the Peptones. Favorite theatre credits include: Sue (Fefu and Her Friends), Leila (Iolanthe), Susanna (The Marriage of Figaro), Sophie (Der Rosenkavalier), and Satirino, Destino, and Echo (La Calisto). She is grateful to be joining the team at Amabile.
In her own words: Music is a great outlet to express oneself and develop practical skills such as focus, listening, coordination and timing. There is nothing quite like music that combines fun, complexity and discipline all at once. I am happy to share that experience with others as a performer and teacher. |
Jake Margulis-Kessel
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Jake is excited to be a music instructor at Amabile and has been teaching and playing music for over 20 years. He teaches all levels and styles of guitar, voice, congas and percussion, songwriting, production, composition, and artist identity development/branding. He also teaches drum set, piano, ukulele and electric bass. Additionally, Jake enjoys leading band direction for developing musicians.
Jake has an M.A. in Music Composition and has been a music instructor with Bay Area music schools such as Village Music School, School of Rock San Ramon, COVA, Star Power Music, Art and Soul Music Studios, Hayward Music Center, and ALMA. He was also Music Program Director at Mission Hills Middle School in Union City for three years where he designed and taught all music program classes to grades Pre-K through 8. Prior to that, he was the guitar and percussion instructor at St. Paul's Episcopal School in Oakland. Jake began studying jazz guitar at age 14 and majored in jazz guitar as an undergrad. His primary teachers were Steve Erquiaga, Dave Creamer, and Jack Wilkins. Jake also studied AfroCuban percussion for many years under the instruction of Josh Jones, as well as with Maestro Regino Jimenez, Sandy Perez and in Cuba with Grupo AfroCuba de Matanzas and Daniel Rodriguez of Yoruba Andabo. He also studied traditional AfroCuban singing with Lazaro Galarraga and classical voice with Jane Sharp. Jake has performed or recorded with musicians such as Boots Riley, Kent Nagano, Ambrose Akinmusere, Thomas Pridgen, Dayna Stephens, Josh Jones, Michael Aaberg, and The Hogan Brothers. He has played at jazz festivals including Montreux, North Sea, Vienne and Umbria. Jake has also performed at venues such as Yoshi’s, Zellerbach Hall, Cleopatra's Needle and Small’s. He is also a songwriter, composer, and music producer. In his spare time, Jake enjoys writing comedy, reading, and the great outdoors. |