Faculty
- Eugene Watanabe, Violin
- Shenae Akagi (Anderson), Violin
- Thomas Baron, Violin
- Dr. Blanka Bednarz, Violin
- Linda Duan, Violin
- Caroline Jorden, Violin
- Rebecca Goeckeritz, Violin
- Emily Holmstead, Violin
- Erika Hubbard, Violin
- Rachel Bower Karr, Violin
- Rebecca Moench, Violin
- Dr. LeeAnn Morgan, Violin
- David Price, Violin
- Rachel Taft, Violin
- Monica Yardley Thiriot, Violin
- Abby Dreher, Viola
- Dr. LeeAnn Morgan, Viola
- John T. Posadas, Viola
- Katherine Baird, Cello
- Anne Francis Bayless, Cello
- Kevin Shumway, Cello
- Andrew Keller, Double Bass
- David Yavornitzky, Double Bass
Our Faculty
Our music teachers nurture a culture of excellence, achievement, and inspiration.
Our world-class instructors produce students who go on to study at every top music conservatory in the United States, including Juilliard, Curtis, Colburn, New England, Peabody, Cleveland, Bard, Indiana, and San Francisco. Academically oriented students have been accepted on scholarship to every local university and top academic programs like Stanford, Harvard, Rice, Columbia, and Yale. In addition, our students place at local and national competitions, are heard on NPR’s From the Top, and are frequently awarded national and regional level honors.
Founders
Eugene Watanabe
Co-Founder, Artistic Director
Dr. Vera Oussetskaia Watanabe
Co-Founder, Piano Area Chair
Executive Director
Dr. LeeAnn Morgan
Executive Director, Director of Chamber Music Studies, Viola
Faculty A-Z
Shenae Akagi (Anderson)
Violin, Conservatory Orchestra Coordinator
Dr. Esther Jeehae Ahn
Conservatory Piano Ensemble
Shelley Astle
Suzuki Collaborative Pianist
Dr. Jeffrey Allardyce
Saxophone
Dr. Koji Attwood
Piano, Music History
Katherine Baird
Cello, Suzuki program Director, Preparatory Chamber Music Coordinator
Thomas Baron
Violin
Yelena Bates
GRIT Choir, Piano
Dr. Michael Chikinda
Music Theory Area Chair, Faculty Council Chair
Christopher Danz
Trumpet
Abby Dreher
Viola, GRIT Director
Linda Duan
Piano, Assistant Artistic Director, Conservatory Director
Dr. Matthew Durrant
Music Theory & Composition
Addison Graham
GRIT Assistant
Rebecca Goeckeritz
Violin
Gabriel Gutierrez
Flute
Emily Holmstead
Violin
Dr. Sarah Houghton
Choir Director, Voice
Erika Hubbard
Violin
Rachel Bower Karr
Violin
Andrew Keller
Double Bass
Kimberly Marsden
Early Childhood Area, Music Theory
Monica Mendoza
Music Theory
Rebecca Moench
Violin
Dr. Conlan Miller
Collaborative Pianist
Joanna Oshida
Supplemental Piano
Dr. Whitney Pizza
Piano, Area Coordinator, Collaborative Pianist
John T. Posadas
Viola
David Price
Violin
Mark Rau
Piano, Group Piano Instructor
Andres Reyes
GRIT Jazz Ensemble, Jazz Guitar, Ukelele
Matthew Robertson
YCA Choir
Rachel H. Taft
GRIT- Mountain View Elementary, Violin
Monica Yardley Thiriot
Violin, Preparatory Orchestra
David Yavornitzky
Double Bass
Dr. Alie Yorgason
Collaborative Pianist
Wachira Waigwa-Stone
Percussion






