Portland Conservatory of Music
Changing Lives One Note a Time
Celebrating our 25th anniversary of enhancing the quality of life through music education for all ages, abilities and financial levels.
We have exciting news
PCM has moved into its new home at 28 Neal St. in Portland’s West End. All in-person lessons will now take place at the new location.
Learn more about our move in the Portland Press Herald, the West End News and Mainebiz.
COVID-19 Policy
Please review our COVID-19 Policy before attending an event or taking a class at the Conservatory. Thank you.
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PROGRAMS
Explore our wide-ranging music educational programs open to all ages and abilities.
We offer learning experiences from private lessons and choirs to jazz ensembles and early childhood music.
The Value of Music Education
Look carefully – you’ll find musicians at the top of any industry. The practice of making music helps us lead richer and more fulfilling lives.
We proudly offer several awards that recognize musical and teaching excellence.
Join us for PERFORMANCES throughout the year
Our Noonday Concert Series and Dimensions in Jazz are the cornerstones of our concert calendar. Student recitals and special musical events, like the Casco Bay Islands Concert Series, and festivals round out the year.
Seyir Duo – Music of the Middle East | Noonday Concert Series
October 21 @ 12:15 pm - 12:50 pm
Nathan Kolosko and Eric LaPerna have come together to form a duo performing [...]
Frank Carlberg Trio | Dimensions in Jazz
October 23 @ 8:00 pm - 9:30 pm
The Frank Carlberg trio perform "Reflections 1952," a tribute to the music of Thelonious Monk. [...]
Michael Bostock | Noonday Concert Series
November 4 @ 12:15 pm - 12:50 pm
Michael is the recent winner of the Biennial Ocy Downs piano competition. He has [...]
The Joe Fonda Quartet | Dimensions in Jazz
November 13 @ 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm
On stage tonight the Joe Fonda Quartet with Joe Fonda, bassist/composer; Micheal [...]
FACULTY
Get to know our 50+ faculty members, among the best in Maine, who teach over 25 instruments.
Learn to play or sing!
Want to learn piano or violin? What about the cello or the ukkulele or guitar? Looking for a group class?
Here are the faculty who teach piano, violin and voice. Find all instructors and instruments.
Naydene Bowder
A teacher of many award-winning students, Naydene is a graduate of the Julliard School and has done graduate studies at Hartt College, Manhattan School, and Columbia.
She studied piano with Adele Marcus, Jacob Lateiner, and Ocy Downs, theory with Vincent Persichetti, harpsichord with Joseph Payne, chamber music with Ivan Galamian, Leonard Rose, Louis Persinger, and Bernard Greenhouse.
Naydine has appeared as both soloist and chamber musician throughout New England. She is currently on the faculty at Bowdoin College as well as the Portland Conservatory of Music.
She has taught public school music in Maine and Connecticut, as well as Theory, Music History and Appreciation at University of Southern Maine from 1964-1981.
For 20 years, she has been a member of the Portland Symphony Orchestra’s keyboard section, was accompanist for the Hartford Symphony Chorus, and was keyboard director of the Hartt Collegium Musicum, among many other musical activities.
Nell Britton
Nell Britton received her Bachelor’s and Master’s in Piano Performance from the University of Southern Maine (USM). She also studied Music Education at Ithaca College for two years. She has been teaching piano privately since 2008.
Nell is an active musician and pianist collaborator throughout Maine. She has accompanied choral masterworks with the Portland Symphony Orchestra as well as the USM Chorale and Chamber Singers. She has also worked as the Music Director for Lyric Music Theater, Carousel Music Theater, City Theater and Snowlion Repertory. Musicals she has directed include 42nd Street, Seussical, A Christmas Carol and more. She currently serves as the Choir Director at Trinity Episcopal Church in Portland.
Nell’s Honors and Awards include the Bay Chamber Concerts Young Stars of Maine Music Prize, Portland Rossini Club Gould Award, Kotschmar Memorial Trust Scholarship, Bangor Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition Finalist, Ithaca College Premier Talent Scholarship, USM Presidential Scholar and USM Honors Recital Winner.
Nell teaches privately as well as serving on the faculty of the Portland Conservatory of Music.
Tina Davis
Tina Davis holds a B.A. in Music and an M.M. in Piano Performance from the University of Southern Maine (USM) School of Music, where she studied with Laura Kargul. While at USM, she was a winner of the Honors Recital and Chamber Music Awards and recipient of numerous talent and academic scholarships. She has participated in master classes with Marian Hahn, Jane Coop, Lora Tchekoratova and Mark Gibson.
She now teaches on the faculty at USM, working with majors and non-majors in private lessons, class piano, and piano pedagogy.
Tina is also on the faculty of the Portland Conservatory, a community music school in Portland, Maine, where she teaches students of all ages and coaches advanced students in the Karger College Preparatory program.
Carol Eaton Elowe
Carol Eaton Elowe, born in Portland, Maine, holds a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance from the New England Conservatory of Music and a Master of Music from Syracuse University where she was awarded membership in the honor society Pi Kappa Lambda.
Her piano studies began in Portland under Ocy Downs and continued at the Manhattan School of Music with Dora Zazlavsky. Her teachers also include Jean Alderman, Frederick Marvin and Frank Glazer.
She has appeared as guest soloist with the Boston Pops Orchestra, the Syracuse Symphony and as part of numerous recital series throughout the Northeast. She was a piano faculty member and recitalist at Phillips Andover Academy for many years.
Carol is a founder, the first Director of the Portland Conservatory of Music, and past Artistic Director of the Noonday Concert Series. Presently she is a member of the piano faculty and serves on the Advisory Board.
Jesse Feinberg
Jesse Feinberg is an accomplished and internationally recognized concert pianist and piano teacher.
He has performed on stages in Turkù and Helsinki, Finland; Stockholm, Sweden; Oslo, Norway; and most recently in Moscow, Russia.
Jesse graduated summa cum laude with his Bachelor’s of Music degree in Jazz and Contemporary Music from the University of Maine at Augusta in 2013, and his Associate’s Degree in the Arts from Holyoke Community College in 1999.
Jesse appears on the recently released album: Taylor O’Donnell sings T. Monk Ballads: A Love Letter to Thelonious, and has released multiple volumes of a method to teach improvisation, entitled: Classical Improvisation Templates.
Robert Gans
Robert received his baccalaureate degree in music from the State University of New York at Oswego where he was a dean’s list student working 12 hours a day practicing, performing and honing his skills in piano and jazz piano with Anthony Crain, and studying theory, counterpoint, orchestration, arranging, organ, voice, string bass and music history with an outstanding faculty.
After a semester of post baccalaureate study he returned home to the New York City music marketplace where he continued his piano studies with concert pianist John Contiguglia; theory, piano, music history and ear training with composer Roland Trogan; jazz piano at Lynn Oliver Studios, and arranging and production with Jordan Kaplan. He taught piano at the NY School of Music and Ridge Music Outlet, and worked for music industry leaders such as Gil Evans, Warner Bros. Music, and Chappell Music.
After seven years which produced a wide variety of audition, rehearsal and performance projects in NYC, Robert moved to Portland, Maine, where he worked as a full time multi keyboardist/vocalist for six years throughout Northern New England. When travel demands became increasingly difficult to meet, Robert redirected his energies to writing, composing, and playing classical, jazz and rock music in the Portland area.
Robert is a member of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP). His music is available online through iTunes and Amazon, and can be heard worldwide on Jango Internet Radio and Soundcloud.
Rachel Herzer
A piano teacher for more than ten years, Rachel Herzer relocated from Michigan to Maine in the summer of 2011. She teaches students aged five through adult. Her teaching concentrates on classical training and utilizes material from a variety of teaching curricula.
Rachel has B.A. in Music from Western Michigan University’s School of Music, where she studied under the tutelage of Dr. Silvia Roederer. In addition to being on the piano faculty at the Portland Conservatory of Music, she is a pianist for the Tory Hill First Congregational Church in Buxton, ME.
Having devoted her life to education and the arts, she has spent years on the piano faculty at Bay Chamber Music School (Rockport, ME), Breakwater School’s Enrichment Program (Portland, ME) and the Crescendo Academy of Music (Kalamazoo, MI).
“My teaching philosophy is to instill the love of music in my students. Technique, practice, and repertoire are important yet mean nothing without passion and a desire to learn. It is my responsibility and delight as an educator to not only help students develop technical ability, but to also foster a lifelong love of music.”
Amy Hunter
A native of Maine, Amy Hunter holds a B.M. and M.M. in piano performance from Temple University’s Esther Boyer School of Music where she studied with Dr. Charles Abramovic. She performed in master classes with Arnaldo Cohen, Alexander Fiorillo, Lara Kargul, Oleg Koshelev, and Wu Han. Amy has taught private piano lessons for over 20 years in Philadelphia PA, Yerevan Armenia, Washington DC, San Jose CA, and Portland ME, and group piano and theory classes at Montgomery County Community College in PA.
During her time in Philadelphia Amy accompanied numerous college choirs including Temple University, Villanova University, Rosemont College, and Gwynedd-Mercy College. She also served as organist and musical director at various churches and denominations throughout Philadelphia and Washington DC. She has won or been a finalist at various competitions including Bay Chamber Concert Prizes, Pine Tree Competition, Bangor Concerto Competition, and University of Maine Farmington Concerto Competition.
In 2015 Amy founded the music school, The Hunter School of Music, in San Jose, CA where she taught and was the Executive Director for six years. HSM served over 100 students a week and employed six talented faculty members. When Amy and her family decided to move back to Maine in 2021, she passed the music school on to a new director where it continues to grow and thrive.
Amy enjoys teaching students of all ages and abilities through positive reinforcement, patience, and is dedicated to helping students feel motivated and connected to the music they are playing.
Chiharu Naruse
Chiharu Naruse holds a Masters Degree in Music Performance and a Masters Degree in Music Instruction from the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler in Berlin, Germany. In Berlin, she studied piano under Klaus Bäßler and Lied Accompaniment under Wolfram Riegar.
Chiharu has performed throughout the world in recitals and piano competitions, including a piano concert to benefit Amnesty International in Germany, the Hyogo Piano Competition in Japan (silver prize), the Clara Haskil piano competition in Switzerland, the Pescara Academie Piano Competition in Italy, and the International Mozart Wettbewerb in Salzburg Austria.
In the spring of 2002, she moved to the United States to study under Frank Glazer. Since her arrival, Naruse has given several recitals at Bates College and Bowdoin College. She has also collaborated with the Portland String Quartet, the DaPonte String Quartet and Frank Glazer. She has performed Beethoven’s Fifth Piano Concerto, Mozart’s Piano Concerto K466, and the Rachmaninoff Second Piano Concerto with the Augusta Symphony and toured with the Maine Pro Musica Ensemble under conductor Janna Hymes, performing Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 3. In addition, Chiharu appeared as a featured artist at the Ocean Park Music Festival and the Franco-American Heritage Center.
During the 2012-13 seasons she performed all 10 of Beethoven’s Sonatas for violin and piano with violinist Dean Stein at Bates College. In 2014, she was invited to perform at the Parma Music Festival. Her solo performance was selected to be one of the tracks on a CD, released in June 2015, capturing the highlights from the three-day long musical festival. This recording is now available on iTunes and Spotify.
In addition to maintaining a regular performance schedule, Chiharu is also a well-respected music teacher, chamber music coach, music competition adjudicator and accompanist, with many of her students receiving competition prizes. She currently is a member of the applied music faculty at Bates College as well as a faculty member at the Portland Conservatory of Music.
Miriam Schwanauer
Born and raised in Maine, Miriam Schwanauer was a pupil of Ocy L. Downs and, at age 19, was honored to be selected to play for a master class given by Garrick Ohlsson. A graduate of the Eastman School of Music (B.M. in Applied Piano, and M.M. in Piano Performance and Literature), her teachers include Frank Glazer and Rebecca Penneys.
Miriam served on the piano faculty of PCM from 1996 to 2001, taught at the Hill School and at the Waynflete School, and performed as a soloist, collaborative pianist, and choir director. She served on the faculty of Saint Joseph’s College, teaching courses in Music History and Appreciation. In 2002, after relocating to Illinois, Miriam joined the piano faculty of the Conservatory of Central Illinois, where she taught until 2020.
Miriam has held the positions of liturgical pianist/organist and director of music at St. Raphael Church (Kittery, Maine), Brackett Memorial United Methodist Church, and St. Christopher Parish (Peaks Island, Maine), and St. Thomas Church (Philo, Illinois.) She continues to perform as a soloist, a chamber musician, and a collaborative pianist.
Dedicated to teaching students of any age, beginning through advanced levels, Miriam counts among her students many who have won awards and chosen to pursue music professionally. Devoted to teaching for over 30 years, her broad background in piano pedagogy and literature allows her to tailor her teaching approach to the needs of her individual students.
Brianna Fischler
Brianna Fischler is a violist/violinist and teacher based in Portland, Maine.
She holds a B.M. in violin performance from Boston University’s College of Fine Arts, where she studied with Bayla Keyes. She also studied with Krzysztof Kuznik at Manhattan School of Music Pre-College.
Brianna, an alum of Kinhaven Music School, has attended the Boston University Tanglewood Institute, Aspen Music Festival, National Orchestral Institute, Garth Newel Music Center, and Three Bridges International Chamber Festival.
She has performed in venues such as The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall, Avery Fisher Hall, and Woolsey Hall.
Brianna has also participated in master classes with Ani Kavafian and Pinchas Zukerman, and placed first in the University of Connecticut Chamber Music Competition with the Annellie String Trio.
She is a founding member, as well as the Education Coordinator of Palaver Strings, a non-profit musician-led chamber ensemble based in Portland, ME. Brianna is also certified in Early Childhood Music Learning Theory and the Suzuki Method.
Lydia Forbes
Lydia’s career has been guided by a singular intention — to delve as deeply as possible into the magic of great chamber music literature, old and new.
She is a graduate of Yale College, where she studied with Dorothy Delay and won the Weckstrom Prize for Musical Performance, and the New England Conservatory of Music, where she studied with Masuko Ushioda and received a Master’s Degree with Honors.
Lydia has concertized throughout Europe and the U.K. with Ensemble L’Archibudelli, Zephyr Kwartet, Het Schoenberg Ensemble, Sinfonietta Amsterdam, Het Blazers Ensemble, Osiris Piano Trio, I Fiamminghi, and Ensemble Explorations.
During this time, she recorded with some of the world’s most prominent labels; Sony Classical, Harmonia Mundi, CNM, and for Vienna Modern Masters as soloist with the Czech Radio Philharmonic. She has also performed for festivals in Europe, the U.K., Australia, New Zealand, and the U.S. Lydia has also served as concertmaster for Het Orkest van het Oosten in the Netherlands.
Lydia was drawn to the DaPonte String Quartet by their love and respect for the work. She lives in Cumberland, Maine with cellist Myles Jordan and her three children.
Margaret Hopkins
Margaret Bruziak Hopkins was born in Poland where she began violin and piano studies. She received a B.M. in Performance from University of Mass. at Lowell where she also pursued Music Education.
She received extensive Suzuki training at various universities in the USA. Margaret has performed in various countries throughout Europe, Canada and the United States. She has been active in promoting music education through participation with various organizations, and in lead positions at Maine Suzuki Association, Maine American String Teachers Association, and Maine Music Educators Association.
Margaret has just retired from teaching violin in Saco schools and general music at Old Orchard Beach. She has been with PCM well over 10 years. She performs with the Lakes Region Symphony Orchestra where she is the concertmaster, the Maine Pro Musica, Opera Maine, Southern Maine Symphony Orchestra, the New Hampshire Music Festival, Deep Blue C Studio Orchestra and freelances in the New England area.
Eleanor Lehmann
Eleanor Lehmann began her musical studies on violin at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, in California. In 1960, she received a degree in music education and performance from California State University, San Francisco.
In 1965, after a year of public school teaching, she had the opportunity to move to the country of Mexico and work as teacher and professional violin/violist with many of the orchestras of the region.
Returning to California in 1986, she accepted positions as violist with the Modesto and Stockton Symphonies and entered into the teaching profession with the Merced City School District, a position she held for fifteen years.
In 2003, she moved to Maine where she taught both the violin and viola at her private studio and the Portland Conservatory of Music. In 2007, she initiated violin classes at the University of Southern Maine for the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute where people over the age of 55 could fulfill their wish to learn how to play the violin.
Eleanor presently holds the titled position of President for the two music clubs in the area, the Portland Rossini and Marston-Kotzschmar Music Clubs.
Kimberly Lehmann
Kimberly Lehmann, originally from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, received her Bachelor of Music in Violin Performance from the University of Minnesota and her Master of Music in Violin Performance and Literature from the Eastman School of Music. Her principal teachers were Lea Foli, Harold Wippler, Catherine Tait, and Camilla Wicks.
Some years ago, after receiving a beautiful viola that belonged to her husband’s grandmother, Kim fell in love with the viola and gradually grew to prefer the deep, mellow sound and the wonderful chamber music writing for the instrument.
She is a member of the Portland Symphony Orchestra and on the faculty of the Portland Conservatory and the University of Southern Maine. Kim has been a member of the South Dakota Symphony, the Colorado Springs Symphony and the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra. She has performed with the Eastman Philharmonia in residence at the Heidelberg Schlossfestspiele, at the National Orchestral Institute, and with the Boston Academy of Music. She regularly performs with PORT Opera, Choral Art Society, Oratorio Chorale, Portland Ballet, Maine Pro Musica and the Boston Modern Orchestra Project. She has appeared as guest violist with the DaPonte String Quartet and collaborates often with VentiCordi.
Kim teaches Suzuki and traditional violin and viola at the Portland Conservatory. She has coached violin and viola sectionals and chamber music for the Longwood Symphony, Brandeis University, Wellesley College, the Greater Boston Youth Symphonies and the USM Youth Ensembles. She has adjudicated auditions for the New England Conservatory Youth Orchestras and for Maine District Festivals. Ms. Lehmann has also performed solo works with the Portland Chamber Orchestra, the North Shore Philharmonic Orchestra, the Salem Philharmonic, Longy School of Music and Maine Pro Musica.
Kim lives in Scarborough, Maine with her husband Robert and sons Eric and Alexander.
Elizabeth Moore
Elizabeth Moore earned a Bachelor’s of Music in viola performance from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts and a Master’s of Music from the Boston University College of Fine Arts.
Her primary viola instructors were Sheila Browne and Karen Ritscher. In addition to her viola studies, Elizabeth was a Keenan Fellow at Lincoln Center Education in New York City, where she worked with Teaching Artists in public schools and put on a collaborative performance at Lincoln Center Education’s Clark Theatre.
She performs regularly as a violist and singer, primarily with Palaver Strings, a musician-led string ensemble formed in Boston, who now calls Portland, ME home.
A Suzuki-certified violin and viola teacher, Elizabeth combines the Suzuki method with traditional methods to set every student up with solid technique from the very beginning and to help them develop a strong and clear tone.
Deirdre Oehrtmann
Deirdre Oehrtmann has been a member of the Portland Symphony (PSO) for over 45 years. “Dee Dee” graduated magna cum laude from the University of Southern Maine with a B.S. degree in Music Education. Her private teachers included Stephen Kecskemethy (Portland String Quartet), Eric Rosenblith (New England Conservatory), and Arturo Delmoni of NYC. The Portland Conservatory of Music awarded her the Third Annual Carol Eaton Elowe Award for Outstanding Faculty Member.
Besides performing with the PSO, Deirdre is principal second violinist of the Maine Chamber Ensemble (Maine Music Society) and also performs with the orchestras of PORT Opera, Maine State Ballet, Portland Ballet, Oratorio Chorale, and the White Mountain Bach Festival (NH).
She was founder and for ten years conductor of the Portland Young Peoples String Consort, training orchestra for the USM Youth Ensembles. Deirdre served for 27 years on the staff of the Maine ASTA (American String Teachers Association) Summer Conference in many capacities, i.e., chamber music coach, section leader, conductor of both the Junior and Intermediate Orchestras as well as being the director for her last six years on staff.
She also served on the faculty of the New Jersey ASTA Summer Conference for 10 years. Deirdre is past president of the Maine ASTA and has also served as vice president of orchestra for the Maine Music Educators Association.
Deirdre has extensive training in the Suzuki method and strongly believes that children should start their musical training at an early age. Her training is extensive through Book 6 as well as supplemental courses. Her Suzuki trainers have included John Kendall (USA), Ronda Cole (USA), Judith Bossuat (France/USA), Helen Brunner (England), Edward Sprunger (USA), Alice Joy Lewis (USA) and Edward Kreitman (USA).
Ed Pearlman
Ed Pearlman has specialized in performing and teaching fiddle music since the 1980s, focusing especially on Scottish and Cape Breton styles, but also playing a variety of others, including American contradance music, Irish, bluegrass, jazz, Hungarian, Quebecois, and klezmer.
He likes to teach ergonomic playing, quality sound, spirit and musicality. Ed’s early training was with Perry Crafton (Chicago Symphony), Daniel Stepner (Boston Museum Trio), and Roger Shermont (Boston Symphony). One high point was playing in the Yale Symphony’s European premiere of Leonard Bernstein’s Mass.
Ed founded and directed the Boston Scottish Fiddle Club, the Hatch Shell Celtic Festival, directed Ashokan’s Celtic Week, and a large contradance band. He has taught students privately, in workshops, and at music camps throughout the US and in Scotland.
His innovative website offers learning resources as well as live online workshops taught by Ed and world-class guest fiddlers.
Working often with members of his family band, Highland Soles, Ed has toured the U.S., Canada, and Scotland, playing concerts and dances, as well as sponsoring seasonal ceilidhs with his wife, dancer Laura Scott, in Portland. He has 3 solo CDs.
Ed has served as a judge for the U.S. National Scottish Fiddle Championships many times, has written the music column for Scottish Life magazine for over 20 years, and writes a column for Fiddler magazine. Each summer, Ed co-leads music and walking tours of Scotland.
Jane Clukey
Jane Clukey is a mezzo soprano from Georgetown, Maine. She has an equal passion for singing and teaching singing.
Jane earned her Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance from the University of Southern Maine and her Master of Music in Voice Performance and Pedagogy at the University of North Texas.
She recently achieved doctoral candidacy in Voice Pedagogy from Shenandoah Conservatory in Virginia and moved back to Maine full time to finish her doctoral dissertation on jaw function in singing.
Jane is an active performer in the Midcoast area, and in her spare time enjoys yoga, hiking, and traveling with her husband.
Jackie Grigg
Jackie Grigg received her Master of Music in Voice Performance and Advanced Certificate in Vocal Pedagogy from New York University, where she studied with Dianna Heldman. While at NYU, she was awarded the Steinhardt Challenge Grant for student research. Her Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance is from the University of Colorado, where she studied with Dr. Bonnie Draina.
Over the past decade, Jackie has had the opportunity to perform across the country. Notable roles include Clara Johnson in The Light in the Piazza, Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme in Assassins, Judy Haynes in Irving Berlin’s White Christmas, Liesl in The Sound of Music, and Arpad in She Loves Me.
As an instructor, Jackie believes that efficient and sustainable singing can be obtained in any genre. She combines science and artistry to help her students move toward balanced and healthy vocal production in all styles.
Hidenori (Heday) Inoue
Originally from Himeji, Japan, Heday first earned a LLB. of Law from Doshisha University in Kyoto. Unfulfilled by this career path, Heday moved to America and discovered his passion for music.
Heday holds a Master of Music in Vocal Performance from Manhattan School of Music and established his own method of singing, based on the Bel Canto philosophy, under the guidance of legendary MET opera singers, James Morris and Ron Raines.
Using this 18th century method, students will learn sustainable vocal technique to maximize their fullest potential resulting in greater expressive freedom. As described by Clara Kathleen Rogers, “Those who regard the art of singing as anything more than a means to an end, do not comprehend the true purpose of that art, much less can they ever hope to fulfill that purpose. The true purpose of singing is to give utterance to certain hidden depths in our nature which can be adequately expressed in no other way.” (The Philosophy of Singing, 1893)
As an experienced Principal Artist, Heday currently performs as a soloist for opera companies and philharmonics in Europe and across the United States. Most recently, he has taken the stage at Opera Omaha, Virginia Opera and Opera Maine. Heday is known for strong vocal technique and flexibility of repertoire ranging between Handel/Mozart to Verdi/Puccini.
Mary Johnston Letellier
Mary Johnston Letellier is a dramatic coloratura soprano. As a voice teacher, Mary firmly believes in balancing the science and art of singing together to form a cohesive, healthy and beautiful singing voice.
She performs regularly with the Portland Rossini Club. Recent performances include Franca in City Theater’s Light in the Piazza, Chorus/ First Lady Cover in Opera Maine’s Die Zauberflote and Violetta in Verdi’s La Traviata with Flagstaff in Fidenza.
Mary graduated from the Boston Conservatory with her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Opera Performance where she studied with Dr. Rebecca Folsom. She is a member of Pi Kappa Lamba and was honored with the Arthur P. Whitney Medal for Highest Academic Achievement upon earning her Bachelor’s Degree.
She currently serve as Vice President for Maine NATS chapter.
Elizabeth Rollins
Elizabeth (Liz) Rollins pursued singing, education and theater at McGill University School of Music, Montréal and a Master’s in Conducting at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston.
As the Assistant Director of the Portland Community Chorus for the last 10 years, she has worked with large ensembles and directed the Outreach Singers in their many varied engagements.
She conducted and toured with the Windham Chamber Singers for two years, taught choral music and theater in Auburn schools for 11 years, and has directed and designed over 60 high school, middle school and community theater performances.
She is also a devoted member of the New Brackett Church choir on Peaks Island. Her passions extend beyond performance to include competitive snowboarding, sailing, writing & sewing.
Luette Saul
Luette Saul, soprano, holds degrees in vocal performance from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and the University of Southern Maine.
Since moving to Maine in 2009, Luette has been active as a recitalist and soloist with recent appearances including Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis with the Maine Music Society and Bates Chorale, and Kathe Kollwitz, a recently commissioned work by Tom Myron for soprano and string quartet with the Portland String Quartet.
As a director she has put together lieder ensembles and opera scenes concerts for performance throughout Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. She also teaches voice at Bates College.
Shelley Willcox
Shelley Willcox, Youth Choral Director of the Boy Singers of Maine and Girl Singers of Maine, recently moved to Portland from Great Neck, New York, where she taught vocal music in the Great Neck Public Schools.
Her choirs have performed in schools, community events, and benefit concerts. In addition, she prepared her vocal students for their solo New York State School Music Association Festival adjudications and All-County choral performances.
Shelley spent summers directing and accompanying children’s musical theater productions and performing in regional choirs. She holds a B.S. in Music Education from New York University and a M.M.E. from the Aaron Copland School of Music, Queens College, City University of New York.
Students Performng at PCM’s 2021 Spring Recitals
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