Cecilia Calvelo-Hopkins, Suzuki Violin
Director of Suzuki Program at Velocity Music Academy
Cecilia Calvelo-Hopkins is an Argentine violinist, disciple of Symzia Bajour, who came to the US in January 1993 to study Violin with Cathy Robinson and Felicia Moye at the New World School of the Arts (Miami, FL). She holds a BA in Music Education from the University of Houston, and a MA in Renaissance Music from San Francisco State University. She is an Active Member of the Suzuki Association of the Americas since 1996 and has done extensive Suzuki training in the US, Brazil, and Europe. Among her Teacher Trainers are Cathy Lee, Yuko Honda, Barbara Barber, Alice Joy Lewis, Laurie Scott, and Ronda Cole. Cecilia is also Orff trained in Austria, at the Mozarteum Salzburg Institute, and in California with James Harding and Heidi Tzortzis, and a registered Music Together teacher. She has over 15 years of experience teaching students from many different countries, toddlers aged to adults, in public schools, private music academies, and in her personal Suzuki studio.
Besides teaching Suzuki Violin and Orff Music and Movement classes Cecilia loves languages and speaks Spanish, English, Italian, and Portuguese. She worked in the latest translation to Spanish of Shinichi Suzuki’s “Nurtured by Love” that Summy-Birchard printed in 2004. She is also a free lance violinist and since becoming a member of the Concerto Porteño Sexteto in Spain, she continues to perform and study tango,the music of her country or origin. Last but not least, Cecilia is the proud Suzuki parent of her two children, Henry and Clara, who play Suzuki cello and Suzuki violin respectively.
Nicholas Jeffery, viola
Nicholas Jeffery, viola, holds Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, studying with Catharine Carrol and Masao Kawasaki. In 2010, he completed a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with Sally Chisholm. While in Madison, he received regular coachings with members of the acclaimed Pro Arte Quartet. He did Suzuki training with Ed Kreitman. He has participated in many summer festivals, including Interlochen, the Encore School for Strings, the Lucca Opera Theater and Music Festival in Lucca, Italy. He has also spent many summers at the Aspen Music Festival and School, as a fellowship student with the American Academy of Conducting and as the solo violist for the Aspen Contemporary Ensemble. While there he played in coachings and masterclasses for many teachers, including Anthony Elliott, Paul Kantor, and Victoria Chiang.
Nicholas has stayed active as a performer with orchestra and chamber groups throughout his career. He was a member of the Madison Symphony Orchestra for three years, and has been a guest with the HeartStrings Ensemble and the Oakwood Chamber Players. He was a founding member of the Ippolito String Quartet which had a strong focus on outreach, bringing classical music to new audiences with a year-long series of concerts at the Cincinnati public library. As a member of the Hunt String Quartet, Nicholas performed and taught lessons at many elementary school classrooms in the Madison area in addition to more traditional recital venues. He is currently living in Austin, Texas.
Beth Ringel, Suzuki Cello
Beth Ringel holds the degree of Bachelor of Music in Cello Performance from the Hartt School of Music (Hartford, Connecticut). While at Hartt, Beth received her first exposure to the Suzuki method as well as the successes a well-organized program could have, and was motivated to complete the two-year teacher training course for Suzuki Cello with Pamela Devenport. She continued her musical education at the University of Colorado-Boulder, where she received the Master of Music in Cello Performance in 2006. While in Colorado, Beth maintained a private Suzuki studio, as well as teaching cello through Continuing Education at CU and the Parlando School for the Arts and chamber music for Boulder Suzuki Strings.
Beth performs as a duo with her husband, pianist Alex Maynegre, and has performed in orchestras in Texas, Colorado, North Carolina and Connecticut. As a strong believer in life-long learning, she is currently studying the banjo. She also participates in Suzuki Early Childhood Education classes with her two-year old son, Oscar. Beth is a member of the Suzuki Association of the Americas and a registered teacher for Suzuki Cello Books 1-10.
Lisa Lamb, Suzuki Harp
Lisa Lamb holds a B.M. in Flute Performance and Composition from Penn State University and a M.M. in harp Harp Performance from the University of Texas at Austin. She has completed her training for the Suzuki Harp courses Book 1 and 2 and enjoys teaching Harp to all ages and levels.
Lisa has performed in the Penn State Philharmonic Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra, Sinfonietta, Symphonic Band, and Symphonic Wind Ensemble as well as the UT Symphony Orchestra, Wind Ensemble, and Harp Ensemble. She was a featured soloist at the Penn State Mosaic concert in 2008. Her principal teachers are Felice Pomeranz, Ruth Hunter, and Delaine Fedson.
Lisa earned a Master of Music degree in Harp Performance at the University of Texas at Austin. Lisa currently performs in the Austin Civic Orchestra.
