Flute
Christy Kim
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California-born flutist & pianist, Christy Kim, enjoys an active career as an educator, orchestral and chamber musician. Christy has over 15 years of training and background in piano. She has been trained as a pianist through the Music Teacher’s Association of California and completed the Certificate of Merit program. In 2008, she performed Mendelssohn’s Piano Concerto in G Minor with the Thousand Oaks Philharmonic. She currently teaches piano and flute at the West Portal Lutheran School and Henderson Academy of Music. Her principal teacher is Ornela Ervin.
Between 2016-2018, she was a member of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, becoming the Flute Fellow in 2017-2018. She has performed with the Chicago Symphony and the St. Louis Symphony, joining them on their International Tour in 2017. She has performed alongside Yo-Yo Ma, and under conductors Esa-Pekka Salonen, Riccardo Muti, David Robertson, Han-na Chang, Christoph Eschenbach, and Leonard Slatkin. Her chamber music appearances include performing in the Kennedy Center’s Conservatory Project. Christy has spent summers at the Aspen Music Festival, Music Academy of the West, and National Repertory Orchestra. Future engagements for the 2018-2019 season include performing with the Lyric Opera of Chicago. Christy holds a Master’s Degree from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and received her Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Southern California. Christy’s principal flute teachers are Mark Sparks, Tim Day, Jim Walker, and Susan Greenber. Christy believes that freedom of expression is the ultimate goal of any musician. Students learn the mechanics of the instrument and fundamental building blocks of musicianship: scales, tonal exercises, and technical etudes in addition to theory, orchestral excerpts, and solo repertoire. In addition, she draws awareness to the physical demands of playing an instrument to help prevent injuries and ensure longevity in our musical journeys. Her ultimate goal is to instill a sense of curiosity and encourage a lifelong love for music. |
Oboe
Vivien Kong
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Oboist and Pianist 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. |
Trumpet & Tuba
Carolyn Tillstrom
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Carolyn Tillstrom is a Bay area musician and teacher. Originally from the suburbs outside of Philadelphia, Carolyn grew up playing piano, guitar, trumpet and tuba. She moved out west to pursue a Master’s Degree under the tutelage of Jeffrey Anderson at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music where she serves as the brass department graduate assistant. She hold’s a Bachelor’s Degree in performance and has won first place in the Mid Atlantic Brass Band festival solo competition. Carolyn has performed and taught with numerous youth organizations such as: Philadelphia Sinfonia, Philadelphia Sinfonia Player’s, Philadelphia Youth orchestra, Philadelphia Young Artists Orchestra, Rowan Youth orchestra, Bravo Brass and various brass quintets. She has taught group lessons and Master classes to all brass at various schools in the bay area.
Carolyn’s students usually range from age 4 to adult, and she encourages the skills of learning music to be adapted for all of children’s activities and for them to grow with an ability to use music to expand creativity. |
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. |