AMATI FACULTY
Amy Florence Levinson (violin, music theory), BMus., ARCT (Teacher), ARCT (Performer), RMT, RCM Examiner, Director of Amati String Studio. After having taught for Capilano College, BC Conservatory of Music, VCC, and as a strings coach for the VSB String Program, Amy began teaching violin, viola, fiddle, chamber music and music theory in her own studio 18 years ago. Amy's students have won numerous honors including seven RCM Silver Medals as well as many trophies and scholarships in local music festivals. Amy is the founder and director of both the Sizzlers Fiddle Group and the Amati String Chamber Orchestra. Both groups perform at various community, charity and fund raising events throughout the year. Under her direction, the Sizzlers Fiddle Group has toured across Canada with future plans for Europe in 2009. Past President of the Vancouver branch of the BC Registered Music Teachers Association and an active String Examiner for the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, Ms. Levinson strives to promote Canadian String Music for beginner and intermediate players. Specializing in early childhood music education, Amy starts students on the violin as early as 3 years of age. She also teaches high school students up to University entrance level. When time permits, she especially enjoys coaching chamber music and attending local performances.
Alexander Pechenyuk (piano), BMus., MM (composition), BCRMTA. A graduate of Tashkent State Conservatory, former USSR, Alexander is both a teacher and a composer. He is an active member of the Canada Music Centre. His symphonic and chamber compositions have been successfully performed at concerts and festivals throughout Canada, Russia and Europe. Amongst performers in recent years are Canada's largest orchestras, such as the Vancouver and Winnipeg Symphonies.Additionally, many of his compositions have been commissioned by well known Canadian performers. As a teacher, Alexander is a member of the B.C. Registered Music Teacher's Association. His students consistently demonstrate a high level of knowledge and have excellent success in both their theory and piano RCM exams. Alexander will be teaching Wednesdays & Thursdays.
Alla Shmaenok (violin), BMus, MM. Alla was born, raised and educated in St. Petersburg, Russia where she received her undergraduate and graduate degrees from the State Conservatory. She has performed in several symphony orchestras including the St. Petersburg Chamber Orchestra, Capella Symphony and small chamber ensembles. Having toured Germany, France, Switzerland and Finland, as well as many cities in Russia, Alla began her teaching career in Russia and continued in the United States until moving to Vancouver two years ago. Since 2006, she has been teaching students of all ages and levels in the lower mainland. In B.C., many of her students have prepared for and successfully taken their RCM exams at all levels. Alla brings to Amati a unique blend of pedagogy and performance skills! Alla will be teaching Tuesdays & Fridays.
Derek Sterling (guitar/music theory), DipGSM, MMus, DMA candidate, Registered SAA Instructor, BCRMTA. Derek earned his first guitar performance degree from the Guildhall in London, England, where he was also a member of the guitar panel for the Inner London Education Authority. Returning home to UBC in Vancouver and later, the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, he again majored in guitar performance with a minor in music theory and education. Inducted into the Pi Kappa Lambda Music Honors Society at USC in 1994 and president of the Graduate Association of Music Students, he held the post of Graduate Teaching Assistant to the guitar department for 5 years, earning numerous awards for outstanding achievement in performance, academics and teaching. Students of all ages and abilities have benefited from his more than 25 years of teaching experience.
Diana Welsh (piano), B.A., ARCT(Performer) Diana received her Bachelors Degree from UBC, and has been teaching piano and theory to all ages and levels for the past eight years. She studied piano with Ellen Silverman for three years and received many top honors at local music festivals. She is able to draw upon her vocal training which she uses to encourage her students to have a better appreciation of music. Besides teaching, Diana is an avid accompanist. From opera to musical theatre, she credits her experience as an accompanist for her love of a wide variety of music. At Amati, Diana is also an accompanist for violinists, violists and cellists in concerts, festivals and examinations. An avid performer, Diana can be found backstage with Footlight Theatre in Burnaby, working as a vocal coach, and singing in the Douglas College Choral Society.
Domagoj Ivanovic (violin), DMA, MM., BMus. Originally from Zagreb, Croatia, Domagoj completed his studies at the University of Miami in 2006, graduating with a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Violin Performance with a minor in Musicology. In addition to teaching private lessons to students of all ages and levels, he held the post of a Teaching Assistant at the University of Miami for five years, gathering an extensive amount of experience teaching advanced students and coaching chamber music. During his stay in Miami, he also served as the Assistant Concertmaster of the Miami Symphony Orchestra and toured the Southeastern United States as a member of the Ibis Camerata. Currently, he is a member of the Vancouver Opera Orchestra and an extra musician with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. He takes great pleasure in teaching and seeing students excel as a result of proper guidance. Domagoj will be teaching Mondays & Wednesdays.
Jennifer Gray (violin/viola), BMus. Registered Suzuki Instructor, comes to us from Ipswich, England. She has taught violin and viola as well as performed for many symphony orchestras and chamber ensembles in Canada, USA, and England. Having taught both group classes and private instruction to young students from beginner through University entrance levels, as well as conducting youth orchestras at all levels, Ms. Gray brings much expertise to Amati as a full time Faculty member teaching violin, viola and string orchestra. A Canadian, Ms. Gray returns to Canada after over fifteen years of extensive training and professional development away from home. Amati is extremely fortunate to have Jennifer on Faculty. Teachers and students alike are excited to work with her and learn from the expertise she has to offer Amati String Studio.
Justine Fischer (Music Diploma); Our office assistant, Justine is currently finishing her last year of her Music Degree at Vancouver Community College in Double Bass Performance. She is also actively involved in the Vancouver music scene, playing in several groups in genres including jazz, latin, folk and funk. Her primary projects are Lily Come Down, Rene y sus Amigos and Thymezup. Justine brings to Amati ten years of experience working with children in youth programming and specil events. She is currently doing a teaching practicum at Lord Byng Mini School and York House School in the jazz and vocal jazz ensemble departments. Justine enjoys working in the office at Amati and hopes to be teaching double bass soon!
Maya de Forest (violin), BMus, BFA, holds a Bachelor of Music in Performance from McGill University having studied with Mauricio Fuks and Marcel St-Cyr. She has worked professionally for over 17 years with a variety of orchestral groups across Canada and Japan and as a member of the Kyoto Symphony Orchestra, the National Ballet of Canada Orchestra and currently an extra with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. A long held interest in art brought her to Vancouver to pursue a BFA at the Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design in Photography. She has since shown her work in Vancouver, New York and Germany and is in the process of self publishing her own book work. Maya has been teaching at Amati since 2006 and enjoys the exchange of working with students in a supportive and creative environment.
Rebecca Rittich (violin/viola), BMus, Registered Suzuki Teacher, obtained her Bachelor of Music Degree from the University of Victoria were she studied violin with Sharon Stanis and chamber music with the Lafayette String Quartet. She has attended master classes led by renown artists such as Pinchas Zuckerman, Amanda Forsyth, Bill Preucill, and Charles Castleman. Rebecca is a former member of the the Prince George Symphony Orchestra, and concert master of Prince George Sinfonia. Rebecca has performed as a soloist with the Quasi Bene Orchestra under the direction of Adrian Albulescu. In the summers she has attended and performed in the Holtzhauzer Musiktage Festival in Germany (studying with Denes Zsigmundy), and has been a teacher at the Comox Valley Youth Music Center, in Courtenay BC. Rebecca has studied Suzuki Pedagogy at Queens University in Kingston, Ontario and is excited to be part of the Amati team. Rebecca will be teaching all ages of violin and viola Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.
Zuzana Uskovitsova (violin), BMus., MM., SAA Teacher Training (pending July 2008). Originally from Zilina, Slovakia, Zuzana completed her studies at the University of Music and Dramatic Arts in Bratislava, Slovakia. In 2004, she graduated with her Master's Degree in Violin Performance. Zuzana grew up in a musical family, with both her parents being music teachers. Over the duration of her music career, she has performed with many orchestras, including the Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra, State Chamber Orchestra (Slovakia), Bratislava Symphony, Baden Kur Orchestra (Austria), Henry Mancini Institute (United States). Zuzana has performed on cruise ships and enjoys playing chamber music. This summer, Zuzana will complete Suzuki Association training to Level II. She is excited to be working with Amati students and continue her pedagogy studies with Amy Levinson. Zuzana will be teaching Mondays, Thursdays & Saturdays.