For over 50 years, the Dorothy Delson Kuhn Music Institute has been sharing the love of music with Staten Islanders. We offer group and private lessons for children and adults. For more information on our programs, contact Ela Seeley at [email protected] or 718.475.5263
Music instruction at the Jewish Community Center of Staten Island began in the late 1950s in affiliation with the Bronx House School of Music. In 1970, the Music Institute of the JCC was founded by its co-directors, Dorothy Delson Kuhn and Bertha R. Mandel, as an autonomous music school. The school received its current name, The Dorothy Delson Kuhn Music Institute, in 1994.
Mission
The mission of the Dorothy Delson Kuhn Music Institute is to provide, in a community music school setting at the Jewish Community Center of Staten Island, exceptionally fine instruction in the performance, understanding and appreciation of music, particularly but not exclusively, to schoolchildren. Students learn in a non-competitive atmosphere with careful supervision. The Music Institute is a non-profit and non-sectarian music school. It is the only member of the National Guild of Community Arts Education on Staten Island. Frequent student-faculty recitals within a concert facility provide an incentive for progress and an opportunity for students to share their accomplishments with their families, friends and other students. At these recitals, students are able to hear their peers and teachers play in a community setting.
Private LessonS
Private lessons may be 30, 45 or 60 minutes. Private lessons are available in:
Suzuki Violin Learn the basics of violin by listening and imitating. Small group setting. Parent involvement required. Ages: 3.5 - 5 10 sessions, 45 min weekly. Sundays, 1:00 PM Faculty Member: Larisa Vollis Fee: $160 member / $200 non- member
Piano Buddies Learn the basics of piano/keyboarding in a small group setting. Ages: 4.5 - 6 10 sessions, 45 min weekly. Thursdays, 4:30 PM Fee: $160 member / $200 non-member
Introduction to Musical Theater Use games, stories and songs to bring fairytale to life. This class introduces children to stage presence and self-expression in a fun and supportive environment. Ages: 4.5 - 6 10 sessions, 1 hour weekly Thursdays, 3:30 PM Fee: $160 member / $200 non-member
Hava Nagila Discover the magic of music through Hebrew and Yiddish songs. Ages: 4.5 - 6 10 sessions, 1 hour weekly Tuesdays, 3:30 PM Fee: $160 member / $200 non-member
Summer Strings @ the J 4 Week Intensive String Program Develop music skills and build confidence. Make new friends while making music! Ages: Grades 7 and up 8 Biweekly Sessions in July culminating in a final performance Free Program
Chamber Ensemble Take the next step and expand your repertoire while playing in an intimate group. Advance your skills to include balance, phrasing and intonation. Chamber music offers players the perfect balance between solo and orchestral performing. Ages: 9 - 18 10 sessions Thursdays, 5:30 pm. 1 hour Free Program
Digital Music Production Learn to compose music using digital technology. Write your own songs using GarageBand on your table or iPhone. Ages: 14 - 18 10 sessions Tuesdays, 5:30 pm. 1 hour Fee: $120 for members / $180 for non-member
Musicianship /Theory Classes These classes provide enrichment through instruction in theory, ear training, musical forms, music history and general music appreciation. This class is included with private lesson tuition. For those not enrolled in Music Institute private lessons, a special arrangement may be made and a fee will apply. Date and time TBA, Bernikow JCC
Intergenerational Jazz Ensemble Learn new skills, practice with a small group of young musicians. Ages: 14 -18 Ongoing Program Mondays, 7:00 PM. 2 hours. Free Program
Vocal Ensemble Learn vocal techniques, melodies, and harmonies, develop new repertoire, and acquire performance skills. Ages: 9-12 10 sessions Sundays, 12:30PM Free Program
Guitar Circle Learn basic skills of guitar and develop repertoire in a fun and non-competitive environment. Ages: 9 -12 10 sessions Mondays, 4:00 PM Fee: $160 for members / $200 for non-member
Recorder Ensemble Musicians of all levels get together and enjoy playing multi-part music on an instrument that is easy to learn. Those who play compatible instruments or sing are also welcomed. 30 sessions Fridays, 9:30 AM. 90 minutes. Fee: Free for members / $65 for non-member
Jazz Piano Improvisation Learn to play pieces in several styles and keys. Emphasis on harmonic structure, chords and form. This class is for adult students who can play easy sonatinas. 10 sessions Tuesdays, 2:00 PM. Fee: $160 for members / $200 for non-member
Adult Chamber Group Take the next step and expand your repertoire while playing in an intimate group. Advance your skills to include balance, phrasing and intonation. Chamber music offers players the perfect balance between solo and orchestral performing. Admission by audition only. Ongoing Program Thursdays, 4:00 PM. 1 hour.
Drum Circle 1 hour monthly Fee: Free Members/$12 non-members Tell your story with drums. An introduction to hand drum techniques and rhythms of African and Carribbean styles, which are the foundation of pop music. Ongoing Program Thursdays, 5:30 pm Fee: Free for members/$12 non-members
Faculty members of the Dorothy Delson Kuhn Music Institute are active in the cultural life of the community. They are highly qualified teachers in Staten Island schools and colleges and they are performers and conductors for ensembles and orchestras locally and throughout the New York City area. Piano: Yelena Khaymovich Celeste Lederer Elona Migirov Stella Rasporskaya Olesia Romanchuk Aleksandra Sarest Larisa Vollis Guitar: James Aurelia Fred Crisson Lou Russo Strings Olesia Romanchuk Larissa Vollis Woodwinds: Nicole Auriti Daniel Kelley Brass: Carolyn Clark Voice: Yelena Khaymovich Gina Squicciarini Early Childhood Music: Kelly Grant Theory, Music Appreciation: Yelena Khaymovich Elona Migirov Chamber Music: Olesia Romanchuk Larisa Vollis Percussion: Thomas Baker
scholarships
Harmony Club The Dorothy Delson Kuhn Music Institute is accepting highly motivated music students in grades 9-12 to participate in a FREE comprehensive course of study. “Harmony Club” students receive private lessons and ensemble classes throughout the 2020-21 school year. In addition, students participate in master classes, and solo and group recitals. Students accepted to the program are required to fully participate in lessons and workshops and to represent the program through public performances.
To apply, please email your 1-2 min performance audition to Ela Seeley, Music Institute Director, at [email protected]. This program is made possible through a grant from UJA-Federation of New York.
Partial Scholarship Auditions Audition for a partial scholarship to the Dorothy Delson Kuhn Music Institute! The program is open to students entering grades 5-12 who have some prior training on their instrument. These funds allow talented young musicians to take private lessons with professional instructors, as well as participate in recitals, ensembles, and music theory classes, at an affordable cost to their families. Scholarships are awarded on the basis of ability and demonstrated financial need, with a limited number of merit-based scholarships also available. To apply, please email a 1-2 minute performance audition video to Ela Seeley, Music Institute Director, at [email protected].
Music Faculty Faculty members of the Dorothy Delson Kuhn Music Institute are active in the cultural life of the community. They teach in Staten Island schools and colleges and they are performers and conductors for ensembles and orchestras locally and throughout the New York City area. Piano: Tatyana Cherepinskaya Stella Rasporskaya Aleksandra Sarest Bo Wun Jeon Guitar: Fred Crisson Lou Russo Strings Tamara Jaton Larissa Vollis Woodwinds: Nicole Auriti Daniel Kelley Jessica Sperato Brass: Alan Aurelia Carolyn Clark Voice: Therese Panicali Early Childhood Music: Kelly Grant Theory, Music Appreciation: Yelena Khaymovich Chamber Music: Larisa Vollis Percussion: Thomas Baker
meet our instructors
Aleksandra Sarest – Piano Aleksandra received her early musical education from the Stoliarsky School for the Gifted in Odessa, Ukraine. As a young student, she won top prizes at several state and international competitions and performed in many recitals, both solo and within orchestra. In 1999, Aleksandra moved to New York, where she continued her studies at the Manhattan School of Music under the tutelage of Nina Svetlanova (Master of Music degree, 2008). She became a prizewinner of the Knezkova-Hussey International Piano Competition, the Artists International Presentations, and received the Cohn Chamber Music Award from the Manhattan School of Music, among other awards and honors. Aleksandra then continued her education at the Graduate Center, CUNY, studying with Ilya Itin (piano) and Philip Ewell (dissertation advisor). In 2014, she defended her dissertation on the music of the Russian composer Nikolai Medtner, receiving a Doctor of Musical Arts degree. In 2019, she obtained a second Master's degree in Education and Special Education. Aleksandra has performed in Carnegie’s Weill Recital Hall, Steinway Hall, and Yamaha Hall, as well as other venues. She has been teaching piano and related subjects since age 17, helping children of all ages (as well as adults) achieve remarkable progress and cultivating in them a love and appreciation for the beauty of music.
Rachel Roginkin- Music Therapist, Music Teacher, Vocalist MA in Music from Montclair State University with a concentration in Music Therapy in Montclair, NJ; BFA in Music with a concentration in Jazz Vocal Performance from the New School College of Performing Arts in NYC. Teaching early childhood development music classes, conducting private and group music therapy sessions for people with special needs, as well as teaching private instruction for voice and piano for Sounds of Harmony Studio LLC.
Olesia Romanchuk – Violin, Piano MA from Mukachevo State University, Faculty of Music. Specialization in musical art. BA from Mukachevo State University, specialization: violin pedagogy. Studied at the Uzhgorod State Music School named after D. E. Zador. Specialization: violin pedagogy, conducting of chamber orchestra. Taught violin and high school ensemble at the Irshava Children's School of Arts. Taught violin at Pryborzavske Children's School of Art.
Joe Piazza-Drums Joe Piazza began playing drums at the age of 10. He studied with Henry Okstel and attended the High School of Performing Arts in NYC. His professional career includes leading a group called "The Quintet". Throughout his career, Joe played in a variety of jazz and rock bands. He continues to be an integral part of New York’s uptown jazz scene. He produced jazz events and served as the Artistic Director at Snug Harbor Cultural Center. He brings a lifetime of musical experience to the Dorothy Delson Kuhn Music Institute. He uses his unique ability to assess an individual’s needs and to convey an understanding of rhythm for all singers, songwriters, instrumentalists, and individuals of all stripes and degrees of experience.
Stella Rasporskaya – Piano Stella earned an M.A. from Moscow State Music Institute by Gnesiny. She has taught piano in music schools and private lessons and worked as a director of a music school in Moscow, Russia. She has also worked in an art and music school, taught private lessons in Brooklyn, and was an accompanist for Church Choir in Queens. After completing her M.S. from Lehman College in NYC, Stella worked as Music Therapist in Goldwater Hospital, the music director of Coler Choir, and accompanist for solo performers in Manhattan, NY. She also served as a Recreation and Music Therapist in Adult Day Health Center in Staten Island and Brooklyn and is currently teaching piano lessons at the JCC of Staten Island.
Elona Migirov-Piano, Musicianship, History MA in Music theory from Queens College, CUNY; BA in Musicwith concentration in piano performance from the College of Staten Island, CUNY; BS in Music Theory and Music History from Kabardino-Balkan College of Music, Russia. Studied at Julliard School evening division with Julie Jordan. Studied organ withJan Piet Knijff. Teaching piano, theory, musicianship and history classes at the College of Staten Island. Accompanied for the CSI Chorus, soloists, and instrumentalists. Currently solo performerat the St. Cecilia Society.
Noa Miranda – Voice Noa Miranda is an actor, singer, and voice teacher born in New York City. Raised by Spanish immigrant parents, her multicultural upbringing sparked an interest for all styles of music from an early age. She began her training in Classical Voice Technique in 2010, later switching her concentration to Musical Theatre. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Music from CUNY College of Staten Island in 2013. Noa has since performed in regional theatre productions of shows such as First Date, Beauty and the Beast and Anything Goes. She has also performed backup vocals for France Joli, Lime, Yvonne Elliman, and Bonnie Pointer on the stages of the Hard Rock Hotel Orlando and New York’s St. George Theatre. She was most recently seen in concert productions of Spring Awakening and Hair at Feinstein’s/54 Below in Manhattan. Noa is a voice student of Tony Award winner Lindsay Mendez and musical theatre composer Tim Rosser. Noa recently completed her Voice Teacher Training & Certification from New York Vocal Coaching, and she is excited to share the knowledge with her students.
Yelena Khaymovich–Piano,Voice,Theory and History of Music B.A. and M.A. in Piano Performance, Music Theory, and Literature from Kazan State Conservatory of Music. Work experience since 1982. Owner of Solo Piano Studio since 1992. Worked in various music schools and schools of the arts over the years. Performed as a soloist and an accompanist for different instrumentalists and vocalists (including world-renowned international singer Evangelos Giamouris) in various concerts and competitions, theaters, and operas. Entertained at fundraising events. Former coach of pop star Bebe Rexha and many award-winning students for NYSSMA, Wagner College Young Musicians Competition, New York Laureate International Music Competition, and specialized schools of Music and Arts. Faculty member of the Dorothy Delson Kuhn Music Institute since 2008. Former CLLD Choir Music Director.
Celeste Lederer-Piano Celeste Lederer has a BA in Music from the College of Staten Island. She was the first student in the history of the college to receive Departmental Honors in Music. Studied at The Juilliard School, The Manhattan School of Music and Westminster Choir College. Her piano teachers include Arminda Canteros, Olegna Fuschi and Greta Sultan. Ms. Lederer is a member of many groups, including New York Women Composers, the International Alliance for Women in Music, ASCAP, and the National Guild of Piano Teachers. She serves as organist at St. Christopher/St. Margaret Mary Church, The Church of St. Patrick and St. Matthew Lutheran Church. Ms. Lederer’s “Concerts with Commentary” have earned numerous grants and awards. Her music has been highlighted at Alice Tully Hall/Lincoln Center, Snug Harbor Cultural Center, and various churches in Staten Island and Manhattan. Her original compositions have been featured in productions by the New York Public Library, the NAACP, Staten Island OutLOUD, and the Staten Island Film Society.
Fred Crisson – Guitar Fred studied at Manhattan School of Music and is formally trained to play clarinet, saxophone, piano, and guitar. He also studied oboe and classical music with various principal oboists of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra and the Metropolitan Opera Company in Milan, Italy. He is the recipient of scholarships from the Friends of Music and from the Board of Education of New York. He has taught guitar and bass for over 30 years and is a previous member of ‘Jazz Awareness,’ a musicians’ group dedicated to educating students about the history and development of jazz music via grants. He is also the previous co-director and musical arranger for a young musicians’ review at the Sea View Playwrights Childrens’ Theatre. Currently, Fred performs jazz at various clubs and restaurants in the metropolitan area and is the host of the award-winning guitar instructional shows “Music and Scenes on Staten Island,” “Fred’s Guitars” and “Guitar Central,” shown on Staten Island Cable TV/Verizon FIOS.
Daniel Kelley – Clarinet, Saxophone Daniel earned a B.A. from Sam Houston Staten University and has studied with Leon Russianoff and Kalmen Opperman. He performed at Carnegie Hall’s Isaac Stern Auditorium and Weill Recital Hall, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Wolf Trap Farm Park, the Smithsonian Institution, the Chautauqua Institution, Oklahoma Mozart Festival, and the Atlanta Arts Festival. He has given concerts in 46 states of the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, and the Virgin Islands. A former member of the woodwind trio Mozart on Fifth, Daniel has appeared on the “Today Show,” “A Prairie Home Companion,” “Voice of America,” and WQXR, WNYC, and WETA radio, and has recorded four BMG compact discs as assisting artist to Richard Stoltzman. He has performed with the U.S. Air Force Band Washington, DC, the American Wind Symphony, El Paso Symphony (as concerto soloist), and Staten Island Symphony, and has taught for many years at the JCC of Staten Island and the Brooklyn College Preparatory Center.
Nicole Auriti – Flute Nicole Auriti is currently studying music performance at CUNY Brooklyn College's Conservatory of Music with a concentration in flute. She graduated in May 2020 from CUNY Brooklyn College with a Bachelor's degree in music education. At Brooklyn College, Nicole has performed with the Conservatory's orchestra and wind ensemble in addition to performing multiple solo and chamber works. In 2015 she was a participant in the New York State School Music Association's All-State Conference. For the past four years, Nicole has been teaching flute lessons to students of all ages privately and through community organizations. She is currently studying under flutist Andrew Rehrig.
Carolyn Clark – French Horn Carolyn received her doctorate in Musical Arts from the Manhattan School of Music. She has toured extensively with symphony orchestras, opera companies, and Broadway shows throughout the United States and Canada. She performed with the Staten Island Symphony, the Roanoke Symphony, BronxSymphony, Regina Opera Company, and the Viva Voce Chamber Ensemble, and has freelanced throughout the New York area. She taught at the College of Staten Island, Brooklyn College, and Truman State University in Kirksville, Missouri. She is also the director and founder of Staten Island Philharmonic.
2025: A Year In Review
The JCC of Staten Island's Music programs are made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.
