2012 Faculty

Strings by the Sea, LongDate

Glen Campbell, Director — Cello, Chamber Music
is past director of the Suzuki String Program at San Diego State University and past president of the San Diego County Suzuki Music Association. He is a member of the San Diego Symphony and the San Diego Opera Orchestra.

Karla Holland-Moritz, Director — Cello, Chamber Music
Karla has an MM in Music Performance from Yale. She is a member of the San Diego Symphony and teaches Suzuki cello.

Evangeline Benedetti — Cello, Chamber Music
is a New York Philharmonic cellist since 1967 and NASTAT-certified Alexander Technique teacher. She was a faculty member of the Manhattan School of Music for more than 20 years. Ms Benedetti has performed in master classes with Pablo Casals, and studied with Bernard Greenhouse and Zara Nelsova.

Renata Bratt — Jazz, Fiddling, Chamber Music
Renata's arrangements and books are published by Mel Bay, Alfred and Strings Charts. She has served on ASTA AltStyles Committees and teaches cello and beginning string orchestra in Santa Cruz, California. She has taught classical styles, jazz improvisation and fiddling at national string workshops including Alasdair Fraser's camps, Mark O'Connor's String Conference, National Cello Institute, Wintergrass, Mandolin Symposium, ASTA, MENC and Suzuki institutes. Renata performs with New Almaden Trio and has played back-up with luminaries such as Darol Anger, Liz Carroll, Jimmy Page and Robert Plant, Lyle Lovett, and Dionne Warwick. Rolling Stone dubbed her an "ace performer" for her work with alternative rocker Cindy Lee Berryhill's Garage Orchestra. She received her Ph.D. in Music from University California, San Diego and is a former president of the Suzuki Music Association of California.

Matt Brown— Fiddling
is a renowned musician, teacher, and producer from West Chester, Pennsylvania. Thanks to his banjo-playing father, he grew up with square dance music of the Appalachian south. He studied Suzuki violin with Linda Litwin of Newton Square, PA, and continued his violin studies with Rich Amoroso of the Philadelphia Orchestra. Matt was featured on the cover of the Spring edition of Fiddler Magazine, and has shared the stage with Tim O'Brien, Mark Schatz, Uncle Earl, and Paul Brown. Matt has performed at The Kennedy Center, been a guest instructor at Berklee College of Music and The Old Town School of Fold Music, and has released four albums, all available from 5-String Productions.

Rebekah Campbell — Viola, Violin, Chamber Music
is a past faculty member of the San Diego State University Suzuki String Program. She has an MM in Music Education from Ball State University. Rebekah is a member of the San Diego Symphony and the San Diego Opera Orchestra.

Jennifer Epler — Cello, Chamber Music
Ms. Epler holds a Bachelor of Music Degree from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.  In addition to her music degree, Ms. Epler also studied Computer Science, and has 6 years of experience working as a computer programmer and analyst. 
As a cellist Ms. Epler has performed with groups such as the San Diego Symphony, San Diego Opera, and Starlight Opera.  Other credits include performances with the San Francisco Ballet, American Ballet Theater, Moscow Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, California Ballet, and the San Diego Ballet Company.  Ms. Epler enjoys playing chamber music, and has performed with many small ensembles in addition to the Cabrillo Chamber Orchestra, and the San Diego Chamber Orchestra(Orchestra Nova).
Ms. Epler is also active as a private teacher, and section coach.   She enjoys teaching cellists of all ages in her private studio.

Michele Higa George – Violin
received a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Southern California, after which she established a Suzuki string program in the Baltimore City Public Schools. From 1980 to 1982, Michele studied with Dr. Suzuki at the Talent Education Institute in Matsumoto, Japan where she graduated from the teacher training program. She has taught at the Preucil School of Music and Cornell College. In 1986, Michele was appointed to the faculty of the Cleveland Institute as Director of Suzuki Studies. She is the executive producer of the film, Nurtured by Love – the Life and Work of Shinichi Suzuki.

Catherine Godden – Cello, Chamber Music
has a private Suzuki cello studio in San Diego. She received her musical education at Cambridge University, and the Royal College of Music in London. She particularly enjoys teaching young children.

Susanna Han – Violin, Chamber Music
received her teaching certificate from the Talent Education Institute in Matsumoto, Japan. She also holds a Masters Degree in Education from the University of San Diego. She has participated in numerous music festivals and workshops throughout the country, and took a tour group of her students tp perform at the International Suzuki Conference in Turin, Italy in 2006. Susanna is the violin instructor at Suzuki Heritage Center in downtown San Diego.

Paul Kenyon – Chamber Music
received his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in piano performance from Michigan State University. He has taught piano at Wright State University and Western Michigan University. Paul is currently Chair of the music department at Point Loma Nazarene University where he teaches piano and music theory.

Steve Luchs – Violin, Chamber Music
received his Suzuki training as a graduate teaching assistant of John Kendall at Southern Illinois University. He has attended Dr. Suzuki’s Master Classes. Steve is a faculty member of the San Diego State University Suzuki String Program. He teaches in the San Diego City Schools String Program and is Managing Director of the All City Honors Orchestra. Steve is a former member of the San Diego Symphony, and a current member of the San Diego Chamber Orchestra.

Jessica Meyer - Violin, Chamber Music
is on the faculty of the Hartt Suzuki School at the University of Hartford. She is a founding member of the West End String Quartet and performs with the Hartford and Springfield Symphony Orchestras. She earned her MM from the University of Hartford, focusing on Suzuki pedagogy under the direction of Teri Einfeldt.

Shirley Stafford – Violin, Chamber Music
received her Masters in Suzuki Pedagogy with Dr Theodore Brunson at San Diego State University. She is the current Director of the College Avenue Baptist Church Suzuki Strings and of the Christian Heritage College in San Diego, and former Director of the Strings Programs at The Bishop’s School in La Jolla, California.

Philip Tyler – Chamber Music
received his DM in Violin Performance from Florida State University. He is orchestra director and violin professor at Point Loma Nazarene University. He tours with the PLNU faculty chamber ensemble, Trio Point Loma.