Music at RIT

Instructor Name: Jason Tyler Ricks
Email: jtrspa@rit.edu
Biography: Coming soon!

Instructor Name: Joan Kinsella
Email: jmkgla@rit.edu
Biography: Cellist Joan Kinsella has established a reputation as both a teacher and a performer. Dedicated to a performing career focusing on a variety of genres, Ms. Kinsella appears regularly as a chamber musician and orchestral player in upstate New York. Recent performances include Eastman at Washington Square Series, Eastman Presents Series, WXXI’s “Live from Hochstein” broadcast, SUNY Brockport Fine Art Series, Eastman Women in Music Festival, and shows with artists including Seal, Idina Menzel, Josh Groban, and Michael Bublé. She has performed with the national tours of numerous Broadway productions, including Fun Home, Newsies, Pippin, Kinky Boots, Lion King, Phantom of the Opera, and West Side Story. She routinely performs with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, the Rochester Oratorio Society Orchestra, and Geva Theatre Center. Ms. Kinsella has been a member of the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra, the Syracuse Camerata Chamber Orchestra, Gibbs and Main, and ensemble.twenty.21.

As an educator, Ms. Kinsella is passionate about teaching cello and chamber music as well as exploring repertoire from a variety of time periods and styles. She is dedicated to a holistic approach for learning where comfort, body awareness, and mindfulness are integral parts of the physicality of playing a string instrument. Ms. Kinsella focuses on providing tactical systems for improving cello technique and analytical skills for evaluating performance. By developing an ability to conceptualize desired sound, texture, and style, students value these aspects in their playing and recognize the qualities needed for enhancing musical and artistic interpretation.

Instructor: Marcy Bacon
Email: mdbgla@rit.edu
Biography: Clarinetist Marcy D. Bacon jteaches applied clarinet, clarinet techniques, and performs with the Wilmot Wind Quintet at Nazareth College. She is the clarinetist for modern chamber music group fivebyfive, which was recently featured on the cover of City Newspaper and through performances at the Rochester Fringe Festival (2017, 2018 and 2019), WXXI’s Backstage Pass (2018) and WXXI’s Live from Hochstein. She is a member of Fem Vindar [a woodwind quintet], and has played in a number of local and regional orchestras including the Western New York Chamber Orchestra and Rochester Oratorio Society Orchestra. As a member of the flute/clarinet duo VocaSynth, she premiered Cylindrical Sea by Russell Scarbrough at the 2012 National Flute Association Convention in Las Vegas, NV.

Marcy earned a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Performance and Literature from the Eastman School of Music in 2008 and holds a Master of Music degree from Michigan State University, as well as a Bachelor of Music degree from Portland State University in Portland, Oregon. Principal teachers include Kenneth Grant, Elsa Ludewig-Verdehr and Stan Stanford. Dr. Bacon holds Early Childhood and General Music Level I Certifications from the Gordon Institute for Music Learning (GIML) and has served as the historian for GIML National. Additionally, Marcy is a founding member of the New York State Chapter of GIML (NY-GIML).

Dr. Bacon has presented sessions on wind quintet literature with her Wilmot Wind Quintet colleagues at the New York State School Music Association (NYSSMA) Winter Conference and the NAfME All-Eastern Conference. She has also presented sessions on the topic of audiation as it pertains to both early childhood and instrumental applications at the NYSSMA Winter and Summer conferences. Prior to joining the faculty at Nazareth, Marcy taught applied clarinet and clarinet methods at SUNY Fredonia for seven years. She has taught lessons with the Hochstein School and the Community Music School of the Battle Creek Symphony Orchestra, and general music in the Jamestown City School District and for the Diocese of Rochester. Marcy can be heard on the Oregon Catholic Press label playing sacred music and compositions by Jacob Avshalomov. She lives in Chili, NY where she maintains a private studio. 

Instructor: Yuting Liu
Email: ytlspa@rit.edu
Biography: Flautist Yuting Liu is an active musician who performs extensively as a recitalist and chamber musician, giving concerts in many countries, such as China, United States, Canada, Austria, Germany, France, and Australia.

Born in Beijing, China. Yuting began flute studies at the age of 8. Her teachers included Xiaohua Cheng, the co-principal flutist of the China Philharmonic Orchestra and Nikola Todor Atanasov, principal flautist with the Beijing Symphony Orchestra. Her awards in China included winning the First Prizes in Beijing Art Festival solo competitions in 2000, 2001, 2003, and 2004. After moving to the United States, she earned her Bachelor degree at Depauw University, where she studied with Anne Reynolds, winning the Scholarship Music Performance President Award for Excellence and the DePauw University Concerto Competition. Also, Yuting holds two Master degrees. She completed her first Master degree at Indiana University, studying with Thomas Robertello, where she won the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music Artistic Excellence Award. She received the second master degree with French flutist Jean Ferrandis at California State University, Fullerton, where she won the School of Music Scholarship and worked as a teaching assistant in CSUF. Yuting earned Advanced Performance diploma at Eastman School of Music with Merit Scholarship, and work as a teaching assistant.

Yuting was the winner of The 8th Hong Kong International Music Festival Competition and the finalist of the San Diego Flute Guild Young Artist Competition. Her Flute Princess & Animation album won the 16th Top Ten Audiophile Records Award: The Best Instrumental Album of the Year and The Best Art Award held by Guangdong, China Musicians’ Association.

Yuting was the principal flutist in Rio Hondo Symphony Orchestra in Southern California, as well as in the Grand Forks Symphony Orchestra, North Dakota. Recently, she is the cooperative artist of Revival Arts and Media Ltd. Vancouver Canada; and Global Outstanding Chinese Artists Association, San Francisco, United States.

She has presented recitals, performed chamber music, and appeared as soloist with orchestras in such prestigious concert halls as Carnegie Hall, Esterházy Palace, Forbidden City Concert Hall, Chateau of Chantilly, Chartres Cathedral, Mozarteum University Salzburg, China Century Monument Hall, Nanshan Cultural Center Theater Recital Hall, and many others.

Yuting has recorded two of her music albums with Rhymoi Music Record Company: Somewhere in Time released in April 2019; Flute Princess & Animation released in June 2020.

Recently, Yuting has been pursuing Doctorate degree at Eastman School of Music, Rochester. She also holds faculty position teaching at Eastman Community Music School, and secondary teaching at University of Rochester.

Instructor: Robert Varon
Email: rxvspa@rit.edu
Biography: Hi, I’m Rob! I’m a guitarist who specializes in jazz and rock styles who is based here locally out of Rochester. I graduated from the Eastman School of Music with a BM for jazz guitar in December of 2023. I grew up taking lessons, classes, and participated in local ensembles associated with Eastman and the local music scene since the age of 11. This musical education changed the shape of my life and is now helping launch me into my career. I studied with professor Bob Sneider from 2012-2023 - he helped me achieve a lot of my success with milestones such as:
47th Downbeat Magazine Student Jazz Soloist Winner (2023)
47th Downbeat Undergraduate College Rock Group Winner (“Bug Day” - 2023)
42nd Downbeat Student Jazz Guitar Improvisation Winner (2019)
2nd place winner of Wilson Center Guitar Competition in the Jazz Category judged by John Scofield (2019)
Douglas Lowry Scholarship winner presented by the Rochester Music Hall of Fame (2019)
2020 Youngarts Honorable Mention for Jazz Guitar Improvisation

I am excited to progress in my teaching career and help students of all ages and levels. I would be delighted to help you push and achieve your musical goals. Can't wait to meet you here at RIT! 

Instructor: Susan Rebeca Boyd
Email: srbspa@rit.edu
Biography: Dr. Rebeca Boyd earned her Doctorate of Musical Arts from the Eastman School of Music as a student of the legendary pedagogue Professor Zvi Zeitlin.  Music Education and community outreach have been at the forefront of Dr. Boyd’s artistic development.  For over two decades Dr. Boyd has been an instructor of violin and viola at Eastman Community Music School, where she developed innovative string curricula, and provided community outreach through their Pathways Program. Her students have gone on to pursue music in their higher education.  As a faculty of the Rochester City School District, Dr. Boyd is bringing her unique expertise into the public schools, providing quality instruction and passing on artistic leadership skills to the students under her guidance.  

As an experienced performer Dr. Boyd has participated in artistically diverse projects which merge technology, music, and film.  As a member of the Empire Film and Music Ensemble (EFAME), she has been a featured soloist for film scores for the Beal Institute Recording Sessions, and a guest soloist in the Rochester Fringe Festival.   She was also a frequent performer at the Women in Music Festival which highlights women composers.  She was the Concertmaster of the Weber State Symphony Orchestra in Utah, and has recently served as Concertmaster of the Genesee Valley Orchestra and Chorus.  

Dr. Boyd has received outstanding honors in International Competitions and performed at several international music festivals, winning second prize in the Master Player’s International Music Competition (Italy) 2011.  In the same year Dr. Boyd made her debut at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall in New York City as a winner of the Romantic Music Competition of the American Protégé International Competition.

Instructor: Katherine Cheng
Email: kkcspa@rit.edu 
Bio: Katherine (Kit Ying) Cheng is a New York-based violinist who has appeared on stage at the Peter Jay Sharp Theatre at Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall, David Geffen Hall, Woolsey Hall, and Kodak Hall, and has performed as a soloist with the Juilliard Pre-College Orchestra, the 92Y School of Music Orchestra, the Eastman School Symphony Orchestra, and the Bravura Philharmonic Orchestra. She received a full scholarship for the Taipei Music Academy Festival in 2022, and was a fellow for the Tanglewood Music Festival in 2019, Green Mountain Chamber Music Festival in 2023, and Mostly Modern Festival in 2024. This summer, she will be a fellow for the upcoming 2025 Bowdoin International Music Festival. Katherine began her violin studies under her father’s tutelage at age three. Before immigrating to the U.S. in 2010 from Hong Kong, she earned an associate and licentiate diploma from Trinity College London, as well as certificates from the Associated Board of the Royal School of Music and the Shanghai Conservatory of Music. Katherine attended the Juilliard Pre-College Division in 2012, where she studied with Elizabeth Chang. She was also a recipient of the Jerome L. Greene Fellowship, Gluck Community Service Fellowship, and Morse Teaching Artist Fellowship at the Juilliard School, where she received her Bachelor of Music degree studying with Frank Huang. Later, she pursued her Master of Music degree at the Yale School of Music, studying with Tai Murray. With a strong passion and dedication for teaching, she was recognized with the Malcolm L. Mitchell and Donald M. Roberts Class of 1957 Prize from Yale, awarded to “an outstanding graduating teaching artist in the Music in School Initiative.” Katherine is currently working on her Doctor of Musical Arts degree with Robin Scott, with a full scholarship at Eastman School of Music. She is also a current Artist in Residence at Valley Manor, and has recently joined the RIT community as an adjunct professor. For more detailed information, please visit her website, katherinecheng.net.

Instructor: Ted Canning
Email: eacwell@rit.edu
Biography: Percussionist and Teaching Artist Ted Canning has done extensive freelance work in the northeast United States. His work includes performing classical music, theater, big band and jazz. Performances on stage, in workshops and residencies at schools, colleges and community settings happen throughout Western New York and Pennsylvania.

Ted uses music to teach fundamental curriculum skills such as math, language skills, social studies, history and science, illuminating concepts to students and opening doors to other styles of learning. He has performed with national champions “Phase II Pan Groove” in Trinidad and Tobago, as well as in Europe, in Latin America and with numerous steelbands in Brooklyn, New York. Ted now leads the Panloco Steelband , the “Steel Alchemy” Community Steelband and the RIT (Rochester Institute of Technology) Steel Band. He performs with the Trinidad and Tobago Steelband, and has performed with “pan” players from Trinidad and around the world.

Instructor Name: E-Na Song
Email: ensspa@rit.edu
Biography: Korean-born pianist, Dr. E-Na Song is a concert pianist, collaborative pianist, and educator. As an active performer, Dr. Song has performed throughout the United States, Poland, Spain, Austria, and Korea. Recently she has appeared in venues such as Weill Recital Hall (Carnegie Hall), Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre, and Hochstein School. When she is not performing or teaching, Dr. Song works as the Assistant Director of the Rebecca Penneys Piano Festival (RPPF). 

Dr. Song loves presenting a variety of music and styles to audiences. She recently performed for Live from Hochstein Concert Series, “Celebration of Dance,” broadcast on WXXI Classical 91.5 FM, featuring dance-inspired music by Beethoven, Kodály, Liszt, and Albright. As an active collaborative pianist, she performed in a Soprano Concert, “Returning Home,” in the Weill Recital Hall with music by Schubert, Schumann, Wolf, Debussy, Sibelius, Cipullo, and Won-Ju Lee, as well as Korean folk songs. She recently gave a concert, “Teacher, Student, and a Virtuoso,” including music by Leek and Franck, with her violinist colleague at Nazareth College in Rochester, NY. 

Currently, Dr. Song is a piano faculty at Roberts Wesleyan University, the Hochstein School, and Roberts Community Music School. She concurrently holds a collaborative pianist position at SUNY Geneseo and Eastman Community Music School. 

Dr. Song earned her Bachelor’s Degree from Seoul National University, which is the most prestigious university in South Korea, under Professor HyungBae Kim. She completed both her Master’s and Doctorate of Music in Piano Performance and Literature at the Eastman School of Music under the tutelage of Professor Rebecca Penneys.  

Instructor: Natalie Fuller
Email: nfsspa@rit.edu
Biography: Natalie Fuller began playing the piano at the tender age of 4, and trumpet followed 2 years later. Born and raised in Saskatchewan, Natalie’s 12 years of homeschooling allowed her the freedom to travel across Canada and the United States as well as internationally to Great Britain and Japan with award winning ensembles including the Regina Lions Band (Bob Mossing) and the South Saskatchewan Youth Orchestra (Alan Denike). A short six months after being diagnosed with cancer, Natalie went on to achieve the highest mark in Canada for the Associate of the Royal Conservatory of Toronto diploma in trumpet performance, under the tutelage of Sharie Argue.

At the University of Regina in Saskatchewan, Natalie studied under Dr. Ed Lewis (CBC Radio’s “Jazz Doctor”) and Miles Newman (principal of the Regina Symphony Orchestra). After completing the bachelor’s degree in just three years, Natalie was awarded the President’s Medal, the highest distinction upon graduation. Natalie then moved to Rochester, New York where she studied with the renowned James Thompson at the Eastman School of Music for both a masters and doctoral degree. During her time there, Natalie won 1st place in the brass division of the Canadian Music Festival and placed in the top three at the American National Trumpet Competition several times.

Natalie has performed for a wide variety of audiences, including notable trumpet greats like Stephen Burns, Tom Stevens, John Wallace and Mark Gould to dignitaries including the Governor General of Canada and even Prince Charles. Whether in an ensemble or performing solo with her sister Maria Fuller (an accomplished pianist with a Masters degree in piano performance from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music), Natalie loves to play her trumpet. The Fuller Sisters’ repertoire includes a wide range of styles and eras, but Natalie specifically enjoys researching and presenting music that is relatively unknown and off the well beaten trumpet path. Natalie and Maria are currently working on a recording project that would include several of these pieces. in 2015 Natalie won the second trumpet/assistant principal trumpet chair with the Regina Symphony Orchestra and continues to play with them for their Masterworks Series.

Teaching is equally important to Natalie and she maintains an active studio of talented trumpeters. Young or old, beginner or advanced, Natalie is devoted to her students and relishes in their accomplishments. Recently, Natalie has taught at the University of Rochester, Eastman Community Music School and Cornell University. After completing a one year contract as head of brass at Montana State University Natalie returned to Saskatchewan where she taught privately and for the University of Regina. In the spring of 2016 Natalie married the love of her life and transitioned back to Western New York where she is currently teaching brass and theory at the College at Brockport (State University of New York) and Hobart and William Smith Colleges.

Instructor: Gino Pinzone
Email: gppspa@rit.edu
Biography: Gino Pinzone is a classically-trained baritone from Buffalo, New York. Currently, Gino is a Doctoral candidate studying voice at the Eastman School of Music, in the studio of Dr. Jonathan Retzlaff. He has sung leading roles with the Salzburg Festspielhaus, Canadian Opera Company, Cincinnati Opera and San Francisco Opera. He is a graduate of the Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam and received his Masters Degree in Voice from the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. He has had a private studio since 2012 and former students have performed on Broadway, national tours and various professional opera companies.