Lyriq Music School

Staff and Instructors

piano

Amber Farish
piano voice

Amber Farish (she/her) has been teaching voice and piano to students of all ages since 2012. Her love and experience in teaching grew exponentially after she moved to Illinois, and after relocating to Chicago, she discovered and cultivated her love of...

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Angela De Venuto
voice piano voice explorers

Praised for her versatility and range, soprano Angela De Venuto (she/her) is becoming known around the United States as a dramatic force in Classical music. Angela has been teaching voice and piano for 10 years to students of all ages. For the voice, she believes that a classical...

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Brett Grant
piano guitar drums and percussion

Brett Grant (he/him) began his music instruction began at the age of 5 in the church choir. From the age of 10 onward, he studied a wide array of instruments, ranging from drums and various percussion to piano and guitar. Brett has studied Music Performance at Wilbur Wright College and recently...

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Claire Albensoeder
piano

Chicago native, Claire Albensoeder (she/her), began her musical journey with piano lessons at age 3. Claire excelled in piano as a child garnering high marks in the Illinois AIM exams and medaling in the Sonata-Sonatina Festivals over 7 years at Roosevelt...

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Evan Borkstrom
piano

Evan Borkstrom (he/him) began playing the piano at the age of 8, when his uncle bought him a keyboard for his birthday. He started taking lessons at a local music store, where he began with the fundamentals and some classical based instruction, but quickly...

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Isaiah Sanderman
piano

Isaiah Sanderman (he/him) earned his Bachelor’s of Arts in Jazz & Contemporary Music Performance at Roosevelt University’s Chicago College of Performing Arts in 2019. He studied under Jim Gailloreto (Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Lyric Opera). An active performer...

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Jesse Calcat
cello piano strings

Detroit native Jesse Calcat is a versatile multi-instrumentalist with over 20 years of professional teaching and performance experience across diverse musical settings. Jesse's musical studies began with...

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Jordan Christianson
piano

Creating authentic music with other musicians is one of Jordan’s (he/him) greatest joys. As a teacher, he shares that joy and curiosity with his students. He understands that each person has different aptitudes and interests, and he takes that into account when...

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Karolina Prus
piano

Karolina’s (she/her) passion for music was realized when she first watched the 90s cartoon character Arthur learn to play “Fur Elise” on TV. As a result, she started taking classical piano lessons at the age of 5 and has been on a wild winding musical journey ever since. A graduate of...

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Lauren Dessinger
piano voice

Lauren Dessinger, born and raised in the Detroit area, is a performer-composer of electroacoustic vocal music and indie/pop music. She has studied and performed in a wide variety of genres throughout her career— classical, jazz, musical theatre, and commercial...

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Patrick Jasper
piano guitar

Patrick Jasper (he/him) is a guitarist, saxophonist, and pianist in the Chicago music scene. He earned his Bachelor of Music at Columbia College Chicago and currently works as a freelance musician and teacher. Playing in many professional settings...

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Paul Sottnik
piano

Paul (he/him/they/them) is a multi-instrumentalist songwriter and performer from Long Island, NY, and currently living and working in Chicago, IL. He began as a low brass player in high school bands and orchestras before studying piano in college at Fredonia...

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Tyler Luppi
guitar bass upright bass bass guitar piano

Tyler (he/him) is a versatile bassist/composer with an extensive performance and recording background including his current quintet project, Dry Hands. He was a finalist in the 2013 Mechelen Jazz Competition in Belgium as a part of the “Sergej Avenesov Quartet” and...

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voice

Amanda Kohl
voice

Amanda Kohl, lyric soprano, holds a Bachelor of Music (2006) and Artist Diploma (2011) from the Hartt School of Music and a Master’s of Music (2009) from Indiana University. She was recently seen as Susanna in Mozart's, Le Nozze di Figaro and ‘Pamina’...

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Amber Farish
piano voice

Amber Farish (she/her) has been teaching voice and piano to students of all ages since 2012. Her love and experience in teaching grew exponentially after she moved to Illinois, and after relocating to Chicago, she discovered and cultivated her love of...

more...
Angela De Venuto
voice piano voice explorers

Praised for her versatility and range, soprano Angela De Venuto (she/her) is becoming known around the United States as a dramatic force in Classical music. Angela has been teaching voice and piano for 10 years to students of all ages. For the voice, she believes that a classical...

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Bridget Skaggs
voice

Mezzo-soprano Bridget Skaggs (she/her) has swiftly gained the attention of Chicago audiences as “a compelling force” with an “agile, expressive voice” (Chicago Classical Review) equally at home in classical, contemporary, avant-garde, jazz, and musical theater. Critics have noted...

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Chris Hatcher
voice

Christopher Hatcher (he/him), a Baritone Californian native, pursuing his Master’s degree in Vocal Pedagogy at Northeastern Illinois University. He has performed numerous operatic and musical theatre roles. Favorite past operatic roles include Falke Die Fleder...

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Keanon Kyles
voice voice explorers

Keanon Kyles' (he/him) love for Opera started in Chicago, Il where he was raised. He made his opera debut in “La Boheme” as Colline and since then has gone on to perform both new works and classical repertoire in Japan, Italy, London, South America, Germany, Scotland and more! He made his Carnegie Hall solo debut...

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Lauren Dessinger
piano voice

Lauren Dessinger, born and raised in the Detroit area, is a performer-composer of electroacoustic vocal music and indie/pop music. She has studied and performed in a wide variety of genres throughout her career— classical, jazz, musical theatre, and commercial...

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guitar

Andrew Clinkman
guitar ukulele

Raised in Glenview, Andrew Clinkman (he/him or they/them) has been teaching guitar in the Chicagoland area for over 8 years and holds a bachelor’s of music from the New England Conservatory of Music with a major in jazz guitar performance. Andrew has been a lifelong musician, beginning both...

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Brett Grant
piano guitar drums and percussion

Brett Grant (he/him) began his music instruction began at the age of 5 in the church choir. From the age of 10 onward, he studied a wide array of instruments, ranging from drums and various percussion to piano and guitar. Brett has studied Music Performance at Wilbur Wright College and recently...

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Brian Jablo
ukulele guitar

Brian (he/him) has been teaching music in CPS for more than 20 years, most recently as the music teacher at Jahn School of Fine Arts. Brian has also taught at Moses Montefiore School, a special school for students with severe emotional disorders, and Suder Elementary School. Brian has a bachelor's degree from NIU....

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Goran Ivanovic
guitar

Goran (he/him) is an active educator in the Chicago area with over 20 years of experience. Specializing in Classical guitar, Goran brings his versatile, upbeat style and experience to students of all ages and skill levels, focusing on rhythm and groove, interpretation and musicality, harmony and melody....

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Matt Clepper
guitar bass bass guitar

Matt (they/them/he/him) has studied a wide variety of styles from jazz/fusion to classical and nearly everything in between. Fascinated with the theory of sound and always looking for new styles to explore, Matt understands the innate sense of wonder that comes with experiencing the music one loves.

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Noah Appelbaum
guitar ukulele

Noah Appelbaum (he/him) has been playing the guitar for 20 years. He holds a B.A. in Music from Bard College at Simon's Rock, with concentrations in jazz performance and modern music analysis. Noah has performed as a guitarist and bassist with rock bands at venues like House of Blues...

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Patrick Jasper
piano guitar

Patrick Jasper (he/him) is a guitarist, saxophonist, and pianist in the Chicago music scene. He earned his Bachelor of Music at Columbia College Chicago and currently works as a freelance musician and teacher. Playing in many professional settings...

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Tyler Luppi
guitar bass upright bass bass guitar piano

Tyler (he/him) is a versatile bassist/composer with an extensive performance and recording background including his current quintet project, Dry Hands. He was a finalist in the 2013 Mechelen Jazz Competition in Belgium as a part of the “Sergej Avenesov Quartet” and...

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bass

Matt Clepper
guitar bass bass guitar

Matt (they/them/he/him) has studied a wide variety of styles from jazz/fusion to classical and nearly everything in between. Fascinated with the theory of sound and always looking for new styles to explore, Matt understands the innate sense of wonder that comes with experiencing the music one loves.

more...
Tyler Luppi
guitar bass upright bass bass guitar piano

Tyler (he/him) is a versatile bassist/composer with an extensive performance and recording background including his current quintet project, Dry Hands. He was a finalist in the 2013 Mechelen Jazz Competition in Belgium as a part of the “Sergej Avenesov Quartet” and...

more...

drums and percussion

Brett Grant
piano guitar drums and percussion

Brett Grant (he/him) began his music instruction began at the age of 5 in the church choir. From the age of 10 onward, he studied a wide array of instruments, ranging from drums and various percussion to piano and guitar. Brett has studied Music Performance at Wilbur Wright College and recently...

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Pete Tashjian
drums and percussion

Pete (he/him) attended the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University where he studied with 7 time Grammy Award winner Paul Wertico, Ed Harrison (Lyric Opera), and Reuben Alvarez (LP). Since graduating in 2010, Pete has been a guest artist and designed projects for the YOLA (LA Philharmonic)

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strings

Jesse Calcat
cello piano strings

Detroit native Jesse Calcat is a versatile multi-instrumentalist with over 20 years of professional teaching and performance experience across diverse musical settings. Jesse's musical studies began with...

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Victoria Gabrielsen
violin strings viola

Victoria Gabrielsen (she/her) has been playing violin since she was 10 years old. Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Victoria’s love of music and performing started when she was 3 years old when her grandmother took her to see...

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winds & brass

Alex Kerwin
clarinet saxophone winds & brass

Alex Kerwin has been playing music since the age of nine, taking piano lessons for three years before switching to the saxophone. Growing up he was exposed to many different styles of music. He took classical saxophone lessons for six yeas, participated in many jazz classes...

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Anne Gallery
flute winds & brass

Anne Gallery (she/her) received a bachelor's degree in Music Education from Cornell College - where she participated in the orchestra, wind ensemble, string quartet, string trio, and clarinet-flute ensemble - and a masters degree from VanderCook College of Music. Anne is...

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Mislav F. Knežević
trumpet winds & brass

Mislav (he/him) received a Bachelor’s degree in Music Education from Bucknell University, where he participated in the orchestra, symphonic band, jazz ensemble, free improvisation ensemble, and Indonesian Gamelan ensemble. While studying at Bucknell he performed with Ray...

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