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 when she was 5 years old and never stopped. She had gone through rigorous musical training and programs 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 the 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 include 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. |
Grace Pottebaum
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Grace Pottebaum started playing the piano at the age of seven. She earned a Bachelor in Music degree from Wheaton College's Conservatory of Music under the instruction of Dr. Aaron Stamfl and Dr. Karen Edwards. While attending Wheaton College, Grace studied piano pedagogy and was the assistant accompanist for Wheaton's Community of Arts Youth Orchestra where she taught group music theory and improvisational technique. She has experience performing in large ensembles and played the clarinet and bass clarinet for Wheaton College's Symphonic Band under the guidance of Timothy Yantz. Grace is a multi-instrumentalist who plays the clarinet, guitar, jazz guitar, and ukulele.
Grace loves teaching the fundamentals of music and enjoys fostering an environment for her students to build positive and long-lasting relationships with music. She encourages her students to set personal goals and works creatively with them to achieve them. Grace believes music is a gift and wishes to share the gift of music-making by teaching others how to be masterful musicians and lifelong music lovers. |
Giselle Nguyen
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San Francisco-based pianist and educator Giselle Nguyen commands the stage with a personality
that is at once engaging. “Virtuosity for her is accompanied by the desire for clarity”, observed The Gazette after two sensational concerto performances with the Cornell Symphony Orchestra. Giselle has performed across the world both as a solo and collaborative artist. She was chosen as the pianist to perform with the symphony orchestra in the United States premiere performance of The Flood Requiem was composed by the world-renowned composer Douwe Eisenga. Her summers are filled with participation in musical festivals and competitions, including New York University’s Summer Piano Intensive and British Isles Music Festival in the United Kingdom with full scholarships, Curtis Institute of Music, Columbia University, Harvard University, New York Piano Festival and Competition, International Piano Festival in Poland, and Chopin 2nd Piano International Competition. Besides performing and collaborating, Giselle is open to other musical participation. She has performed as a choral, orchestral, instrumental, vocal, musical theatre accompanist, and with chamber music ensembles. With a Graduate Fellowship and Collaborative Piano Fellow scholarship, Giselle obtained her Master’s in Piano Performance degree at Longy School of Music in Boston under the tutelage of pianist Gila Goldstein. Prior to her Master’s degree, Giselle was one of the few to be awarded a full scholarship to pursue her Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance degree at Cornell College with Fulbright Scholar Dr. James Martin. A compassionate and dedicated teacher, Giselle shares her relevant music talents, insight, and techniques with students. She has a patient, individual needs-based approach, and makes learning piano motivating and enjoyable. |
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. |
Albert Vargas
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Mr. Vargas has been playing the piano since he was seven years old. He began teaching piano at a young age where he quickly discovered his passion in music and music education. He is currently pursuing his bachelor’s in Mathematics Education and a minor in Music. He has been teaching and tutoring for the last 9 years all around San Joaquin, Alameda, and Contra Costa County.
His true passion is in piano and helping others in subjects such as Math, English, and Music. He is very excited to be a part of the educator team at Amabile! |
Jennifer Redondas
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Originally from Cuba, Jennifer Redondas is a diverse and versatile musician who has performed as a soloist in the U.S, Netherlands, Italy, Austria, France and Cuba, at prestigious venues including the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam and the Mozarteum in Salzburg. Her passion for Cuban music and jazz has led her to perform at SF Jazz with renowned artists such as Chris Potter, Anat Cohen and Chucho Valdés. Ms. Redondas was a fellow with the Classical Tahoe Orchestra during the 2023 season.
An active member of the “Adventures in Music” program at the San Francisco Symphony, Ms. Redondas has performed at more than ninety schools around the Bay Area. Her passion and dedication have given her extensive experience teaching violin, viola and piano. Since 2012 she has worked with children and adults from various backgrounds and musical levels, including children with autism and behavioral disorders. She has also served as a coach for the California Youth Symphony and the Greater Miami Youth Symphony. Jennifer Redondas began her violin and piano studies at the age of 8 at the Conservatorio de Música Alejandro García Caturla in Cuba. She earned a Bachelor’s Degree at New World School of the Arts in Miami, USA, and a Master’s Degree in Violin Performance from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where she was the recipient of the Sunlin and Priscilla Chou Graduate Scholarship. When not engaged in musical activities, Ms. Redondas enjoys painting, crafting, reading and photographing dazzling places around the city. She also loves watching a good movie or show while enjoying her favorite Cuban coffee. |
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. |
Irene Cheng
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Irene Cheng is a musician, dancer, conductor, and educator. In 2022, she completed her Master’s of Music degree in Vocal Performance from Cal State East Bay (CSUEB) and in 2023 the Music Education Certificate Program also from CSUEB. She is currently the Assistant Conductor for The Dragon Singers community choir in the East Bay. Irene is also a concert percussionist for the West County Winds and for the Kensington Symphony Orchestra.
In the 2022-23 school year, Irene served as the Associate Conductor for the Cal State East Bay University Choir, as well as the Associate Conductor for the East Bay Youth Orchestra, led by Dr. William Harrington, where she also rehearsed and conducted one or two pieces per concert set. Since 2013 Irene has been teaching either group or private lessons for piano, singing, percussion/drum set, and ukulele. For ten years, Irene has also played keyboard, and drums, and sang for various church worship bands, and for a country band called Suzi and the Sidewinders. The fondest musical childhood memories began with the family watching The Lawrence Welk Show after dinner. They featured all sorts of musical acts, and Irene’s father held her in his arms and danced around the living room to old-fashioned polka music. Formal music training started with private classical piano at age nine, but a few years later, a different teacher taught Irene how to improvise with chords. By the time she got into a high school jazz band, those improvisational skills came in handy on the piano and vibraphone. In middle school and high school Irene started her journey as a percussionist too. Marching band, concert band, and drumline filled her early mornings, afternoons, and weekends. In college, Irene began singing with the Women’s Chorale at UC Berkeley, where she first became aware of how music performed well has the power to move audiences, even though they could not understand the words. As she got married and had children, Irene decided to be a homeschooler. While teaching her own children, she also volunteered to teach group classes with HEARTS Homeschool Coop one day a week for other homeschooled children: group piano, percussion, drum set, choir, partner dance, choreography, dance aerobics, long distance running, work working, machine sewing, art, creative writing, and more. Mrs. Cheng was the “Fun Mom.” People would say that they were surprised how these fun classes were actually not easy, but kids were willing to put in the time because they loved what they were learning. In those 18 years of volunteer teaching, Irene grew deeper in her calling to keep teaching even after her children grew up and left home. To prepare for becoming a professional music teacher, Irene went back to college later in life and studied music for 9 years. Music is one of the very best things in life, and there is nothing that brings more joy to Irene then shared it with others by giving them the tools to make music their own. |
Isabelle Otillio
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Since 2020, Isabelle has been teaching piano to students ranging all ages. As a passionate music educator, Isabelle hopes to inspire the next generation of musicians by fostering a supportive and engaging learning environment. Her aim is to not only impart technical skills but also to ignite a lifelong love for music in her students. Through her guidance, she hopes to empower them to explore their creativity, develop their musical abilities, and discover the joy of self-expression through music.
Isabelle has been playing the piano as long as she could sit at the piano bench. She took classical piano lessons for over 10 years, dedicating her later years studying the colorful compositions of Debussy, George Winston, Yann Teirsen, and Vince Guaraldi to name a few. Isabelle attended Cal Poly Humboldt where she pursued a Minor in Music in addition to her degree focused in Education. She had the opportunity to perform in several ensembles including the renowned Calypso band, Jazz band, University Singers, and the World Percussion ensemble. If you or your child is ready to embark on a musical journey, Isabelle welcomes you to join her in a collaborative and inspiring musical experience. Isabelle focuses on teaching classical music curriculum but is also capable of preparing students who are interested in or already working on ABRSM exams through grade 6. Get in touch to schedule a lesson and embark on an exciting path of musical discovery together. |
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. |
Renata Norcia
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As a native of Berkeley, Renata studied with Rafael Bronstein (a student of Leopold Auer) at Manhattan School of Music receiving a Bachelor's degree, she freelanced while studying and later played on Broadway with jobs/tours in Fl, VA, and CT and did some substitute teaching as well.
Renata then moved to Amsterdam and from there toured the world for 3 years with Heidelberger and Köln chamber orchestras. Later freelanced in orchestras all over Holland. She then moved to Stockholm and played in almost all the Swedish orchestras, while living there also freelanced in Norway then moved to Oslo. In Norway, Renata continued freelancing but mainly began teaching violin, viola and piano again at Vestby and Hobøl Cultural schools for 21 years and has finally moved back to the Bay Area. Renata loves motivating her students of all ages, watching them grow both musically and as individuals, bringing out their creativity and expression. She believes that they can apply the same discipline learned playing combined with their passion to other aspects of their lives as well. |
Irene Giovannetti
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Irene began playing the piano at eight years old, and the trumpet a couple of years later. She pursued the study of both instruments, ultimately earning bachelor's degrees in both from the Conservatory P. Mascagni in Livorno, Italy. After her bachelors, she continued to specialize in trumpet by attending a postgraduate course in Florence, and participating in various seminars and masterclasses across Italy. Irene is now furthering her education by pursuing a master's degree in trumpet performance at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.
With several years of teaching experience, Irene has taught both piano and trumpet to students of all ages, though she particularly enjoys working with young children. She tailors her teaching style to the unique needs of each student, believing that every student possesses innate musicality and skills that can be nurtured with the right approach. Irene is committed to excellence, emphasizing the development of a strong technical foundation to enable students to express themselves musically. while keeping them motivated and enjoying the learning process. |
Leana Mangubat
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Leana is a pianist, percussionist, and school teacher. She began piano lessons at the age of five, and percussion at the age of eleven, when the school’s band needed a mallet percussionist. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Music from San José State University, where she studied under Bryce Leafman, Assistant Principal Timpanist for the San Francisco Symphony, and Galen Lemmon, Principal Percussionist for the San José Symphony, and the Symphony Silicon Valley. She has been private and group teaching for over eight years, with students aged 5-70; and has been performing around the Bay Area throughout her educational path, as a pianist and percussionist. She currently works as a band director in South San Francisco.
Leana’s teaching philosophy highlights the importance of a student’s goals. Her intention is to create a learning environment in which she can combine the needs of a student with their own unique academic interests. She believes that a proper learning environment begins with the preparedness of a teacher and that learners will choose to do well when good work is done for them too. She welcomes students eagerly to music and performance. |
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. |
Elias Lozano
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Elias is a seasoned music educator with years of teaching experience. With a decade of guitar and bass playing under his belt and four years of live performance experience in venues across the Bay Area, Elias brings a wealth of practical knowledge to his students. His diverse background includes roles as a performance program music director, where he has honed his ability to inspire and develop budding musicians. Elias is passionate about fostering a love for music in his students, helping them develop their skills, and guiding them to express themselves creatively through their instruments. His teaching approach is rooted in real-world experience, ensuring that students not only learn the technical aspects of music but also how to perform with confidence and passion.
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Eli Eckert
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Eli Eckert has been teaching guitar, drum and piano lessons in the Bay Area for the past 14
years. He has taught students of all ages in both private lessons and at local music schools. Fostering a sense of joy for playing music that students will carry with them throughout their lifetime is one of Eli’s main goals as a teacher. He strives to create an enjoyable, encouraging and appropriately challenging atmosphere for his students. In addition to teaching new skills and emphasizing dedication, he also works to instill a sense of confidence and excitement to help students get the most out of their musical journey. Eli is also a songwriter, instrumentalist and singer who has co-founded and led several bands, recorded multiple albums and toured throughout the U.S. and Europe. He has been part of the local music scene for the past three decades and continues to perform in clubs and venues around the Bay Area. He lives in Oakland with his wife and two sons. |
Shulamite Chung
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Shulamite Chung is a classical pianist and a dedicated piano teacher. She began playing the piano at the age of five and has been in love with the instrument ever since. Shulamite holds B.M. in Piano Performance from UC Irvine and M.M in Piano Pedagogy from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She has also performed in master classes conducted by renowned pianists, such as Julian Martin, Ian Hobson, and Claude Cymerman. Over the years, she has received training from renowned instructors in Taiwan, China, and the United States, which has broadened her musical perspective and shaped her teaching philosophy to be open-minded and inclusive. Under the guidance of Professor Nina Scolnik, Shulamite received extensive training in the Taubman Approach, a technique that emphasizes injury prevention and fosters artistic expression without technical limitations. She has many successes in helping students achieve technical proficiency and artistic mastery.
Shulamite firmly believes that music enriches the soul and is dedicated to helping her students discover the transformative power of music in their lives. Her teaching approach emphasizes individualized instruction that nurtures the unique talents and aspirations of each student, helping them to achieve their full potential on their musical journey. |