Violin & Viola Master degree from Bartok conservatory and Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest. She is winner of many prizes and awards in Europe and in the US. Ms. Schwartz has held principal viola positions in Italy, Norway, Iceland, and Israel, Germany, and in the US. She is giving solo concerts and recitals, teaching at the COC, at APU.

Dr. Aleksei Takenouchi is a concert pianist, teacher of prize winning students, and music writer who has published many articles. He graduated one of the top universities, Northwestern University, in 1987 with Doctor of Music Degree in Performance with distinction. In 1979, Aleksei went to Chicago, De Paul University, to study with Professor Dmitry Paperno, laureate of Chopin International Piano Competition and Enescu Int’l Piano Competition. In 1981, he received his Master’s Degree, and was accepted to Northwestern University for Doctorate program. His teacher was Gui Mombaerts who also trained Ralph Votapek, Gold Winner of First Cliburn Piano Competition. In 1987, Aleksei received his Doctor of Music Degree with distinction. All his professors wrote that he was one of the strongest PhD candidates that they had. He also remained in contact with his previous teachers and took regular advice from Elena Goldenweiser, D. Paperno, and Lazar Berman. In 1986, Hammond International, makers of musical instruments, organized tour of Japan, and he also recorded for Fontec Records, Japan. Aleksei has toured England, Switzerland, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Holland, Finland with great success. He gave recitals at famous concert halls, including Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Brahms Saal in Vienna, Austria, Malii Philharmonia Hall in Leningrad, Suntory Hall, Tokyo. He has received excellent reviews from New York Times, Japan Times, Frankfurt, Milan, Brussels, Amsterdam and Zurich newspapers who described him as an “international virtuoso,’ “masterly performance,” “great playing.” He also wrote articles on international piano competitions for several Japanese music magazines, Musica Nova, Chopin, Ongaku no Tomo (Musician’s Friend). In 1995, the famous Van Cliburn, gold medal winner of the 1st Tchaikowsky Int’l Piano Competition, heard that Aleksei was a friend of Elena Goldenweiser and invited him to his mansion to talk about music, and later Aleksei wrote about these meetings in Japanese magazines.

First Prize winner of Joanna Hodges International Piano Competition Devoted chamber music musician with his own group, the Park Trio. Judged at innumerable competitions (i.e. Lansum Competition, SYMF and MTAC competitions including CM Advanced Panel) Dr. Park studied piano with Nelms McKelvain at the Idyllwild Arts Academy. Then, he completed his entire bachelor, masters, and doctoral degrees at the University of Southern California with a world renowned pianist, John Perry. Dr. Park’s students have won prizes at numerous international, national, and local competitions such as SYMF, Satori, Diamond Bar Music Competition, Southern California Jr. Bach Festival of MTAC, American Protégé, American Fine Arts Festival(AFAF), MTAC State Solo & Concerto Competition, Glendale Piano Competition, Lansum International Competition, and others.