Meet the Faculty

Martha Hisey, WSM Director and Instructor of Piano, received her Bachelor of Arts in Music from Hiram College, and her Master of Music degree in piano performance from Indiana University where she studied with Alfonso Montecino. Before coming to this area she was instructor of piano and accompanist at the Interlochen Arts Academy and National Music Camp in Interlochen, Michigan. She joined the Westport School of Music in 1971 as a member of the piano faculty. She became Associate Director in 1974, and was named Director in 1987. She oversees all facets of the operation of the school and works closely with the Board of Trustees, faculty, students and parents. She has been responsible for introducing Kindermusik instruction at the School, and it was through her interest and concern that the MusicWorks! Therapy program was begun and funds were raised to provide for the new MusicWorks! space in the building.   In the community, Mrs. Hisey was organist at the United Methodist Church for twenty two years and Program Director for the South Shore Music Concert Series for many years.

Todd Simmons, WSM Assistant Director and Instructor of Piano, received his Bachelor of Music degree from the Eastman School of Music, and his Master of Music degree from the University of Southern Mississippi. He has taught piano and theory at Westminster Choir College, Princeton, NJ, and been Choir Director at two high schools in New Jersey, as well at Fairfield (CT) High School. He has been pianist and soloist with the USM Symphony Orchestra and Wind Ensemble, accompanied the Oratorio Chorus, and was a graduate teaching assistant at the University of Southern Mississippi. Mr. Simmons has served as Director of Music at The United Methodist Church in Westport, and is accompanist for the Fairfield County Children’s Choir.

Matthew Cimino, Instructor of Piano, holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the New England Conservatory of Music and a Master of Music from the University of Connecticut where he studied with Constance Rock.  He has taught piano at the Conservatory School of the Arts in Mansfield, CT, has been accompanist for the theater department at the University of Connecticut, and most recently, with the Schubert Club in Stamford, CT.  A tenor, Mr. Cimino has sung with Connecticut Grand Opera in the chorus of Madama Butterfly and Lucia di Lammermoor.  Other credits include Alexis in Gilbert and Sullivan's The Sorcerer with Troupers Light Opera, as well as Nanki-Poo in The Mikado and Ralph Rackstraw in H.M. S. Pinafore with UConn's Summer Opera series.  Mr. Cimino was awarded the prestigious Hilda Riggio award from the Metropolitan National Council auditions, received honorable mention in the Amici Competition in Clinton, CT, and received an award from the Bel Canto vocal competition in Porvidence, R.I.  Matthew also teaches at Southern Connecticut State University and privately in New Canaan, CT.

Dana LaPorta, Instructor of Piano, holds her Bachelor of Music from the Hartt School of Music and her Master of Music in piano from the Manhattan School of Music. She has taught privately in New York and Connecticut. She has studied with Arkady Aronov and Constance Keene at the Manhattan School of Music and Paul Rutman at Hartt. She has played recitals and chamber music in New York and Connecticut and has been accompanist for the Manhattan School’s Preparatory Division, for musicals and for Hartt Community Division master classes. She has been accompanist for the Adesso Choral Society of Ridgefield, and has taught at The Greenwich Country Day School.

Stephanie Gregory, Instructor of Piano and Voice has her undergraduate degree from The University of Southern Mississippi and a Master of Music and Artist’s Diploma from The Yale University School of Music. Ms. Gregory’s experience includes engagements as a choral conductor, children’s choir director and teacher in the undergraduate program at Yale. She was the winner of the Jenny Lind Competition, has participated in the internationally acclaimed Spoleto Music Festival in Charleston, SC. She has sung the role of Violetta in La Traviata in Rome, Italy, with the Rome Chamber Opera Society,  the lead role in LaRondine in Milan, Italy, has been soprano soloist in performances of Verdi's Requiem, and has been featured in productions of Bizet's Carmen as Michaela and in La Boheme as Mimi.

Angela Meyers, Instructor of Piano and Kindermusik, received her Bachelor of Music degree in piano performance from Lawrence University (WI), and her Master of Music degree in Piano Performance and Piano Pedagogy from Westminster Choir College of Rider University, Princeton, NJ. She had further studies at the Guildhall School of Music in London, England, and at the Institute for European Studies in Vienna, Austria. Ms. Meyers also teaches piano at Sacred Heart University and has taught in Princeton, NJ, Appleton, WI and Estes Park, CO. She has recently completed certification as a Kindermusik instructor through Kindermusik International, Inc.

Danielle Tusch, Certified Kindermusik Instructor, began our KM program about 10 years ago, and is returning following a hiatus that included teaching music in the public schools and becoming a mother. Her Bachelor and Master of Music degrees in piano performance and accompanying are from Boston University. She taught piano at the WSM before leaving to become certified for public school music teaching, and holding a position in the Weston, CT, Middle School. She is a Master of Orff Schulwerk and has completed three levels of that program. She has played recitals, concerts and has accompanied music show productions.

Alan Simon, Instructor of Jazz Piano, has recorded and toured with the Lionel Hampton Orchestra. While with that group he played the major Jazz Festivals throughout Europe, South America and the United States. He appeared as featured soloist at Carnegie Hall and has made television and concert appearances with Dizzy Gillespie, Buddy Tate, Slide Hampton, Frank Foster. Mr. Simon’s first L.P., Rainsplash, received rave reviews. Subsequent releases include “Alan Simon Quartet”, “The Present”, “Without a Song”, and “Ascent from the Abyss”. He was invited by the American Embassy to bring his trio to Chile to perform and teach workshops throughout the country. Alan Simon graduated with honors from the City University of New York, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Music. He is currently on the faculty of the Hotchkiss School.

Patricia Coffey, MusicWorks! Music Therapist, received her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Music Therapy from Emmanuel College, Boston and did her course work for Music Education Certification at Western State University in Danbury. Ms. Coffey completed her Masters in Special Education at Southern Connecticut State University. Certified as a Music Therapist by the American Association for Music Therapy, Ms. Coffey was for ten years a Rehabilitation Therapist at the State of California Fairview Developmental Center in Costa Mesa, CA, and did music therapy for the West Orange County Consortium for Special Education in Huntington Beach, CA. She has worked at the State of Massachusetts Westborough State Hospital and at the Baroco Corporation, a day care program site. Currently, Ms. Coffey teaches 1st and 2nd grade students with severe behavioral challenges for the Norwich Public School District. 

Ernest Guadagnini, Instructor of Flute, Clarinet and Saxophone received his Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees from the Juilliard School of Music where he was a pupil of Joseph Allard on saxophone and clarinet, and Julius Baker  on flute. He had further studies in composition with Vincent Pershichetti,  flute studies with John Krell, Samuel Baron and Jean Pierre Rampal,  clarinet study with Robert Marcellus, and jazz studies with Phil Woods and Hall Overton. Mr. Guadagnini has played with the New York Philharmonic, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the New Jersey Symphony, and in chamber music and summer festivals around the world. He has played in Broadway productions, has played jazz with Duke Ellington, Guy Lombardo and Glenn Miller, was in Frank Sinatra's orchestra, and has recorded for RCA, Columbia and Nonesuch. He has taught privately in New York and Connecticut, at Rockland College, and at the Spring Valley Music School.

Heather Simmons, Instructor of Flute, is a graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi with a Bachelor of Music degree in flute performance. She has played with the Meridian (MS) Symphony Orchestra, was principal flute in the USM Symphony, and played in and conducted the USM Flute Choir. In this area, Mrs. Simmons has taught privately, and at the MACH School in Bridgeport.

Christopher Hisey, Instructor of Violin and Viola, attended The Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY, where he studied with James Dunham, violist in the Cleveland Quartet. He received his Bachelor of Music degree in viola performance from Eastman in 1996. In May of 1998 he received a Master of Music degree in Orchestral Conducting from Bowling Green State University in Ohio .He is currently a member of the Faculty at the Greens Farms Academy, Music Director of Troupers Light Opera, Music Director/Conductor of the Civic Orchestra of New Haven and Music Director/Conductor of the American Chamber Orchestra. He has recently been named Music Director and Conductor of the Principal Orchestra with the Greater Bridgeport Youth Orchestras. His international conducting has been with orchestras in Pleven and Ruse, Bulgaria, and in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Todd Low, Instructor of Violin and Viola, earned his Bachelor of Music and his Master of Music degrees at The Manhattan School of Music where he studied with Isaac Malkin. He has played with the Westchester Chamber Orchestra, the Garden State Philharmonic and the New England Ensemble. He free-lances throughout the tri-state area. Recently he traveled to Europe where he performed with the New Bach Players in Luxemburg. Mr. Low plays violin, viola and Chinese violin in various Contemporary Music Ensembles in Mew York. He teaches privately in New York and at the Larchmont Music Academy.

D. Marc Tagle, Instructor of Cello, received his Bachelor of Music degree from San Francisco Conservatory of Music. His has studied with Irene Sharp and Katherine Brainard. He has been principal cellist in the Edison, NJ Symphony, and has played in the Shanghai Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra and the American Ballet Theater Orchestra. He has participated in music festivals and seminars in England, Italy, Aspen, Colorado, Quebec and with the Audubon String Quartet in Virginia. Mr. Tagle is presently on the faculty of the Children’s Orchestra Society on Long Island where he teaches private lessons and coaches chamber music. Also, he teaches at The Bronxville Elementary School in the after school arts program.

Corinne Metter, Instructor of Violin, is a graduate of The Hartt College of Music where she studied with Raphael Druian. She has played in the Stamford Chamber Orchestra, the Bridgeport Symphony, The Ridgefield Symphony, and continues to do extensive freelance work in Fairfield County. She has taught privately, at the Center Music School in Stamford, and in the Bridgeport Public Schools. In Greenwich, she designed and taught Music in Motion, a music class for preschoolers. Mrs. Metter has done post-graduate study with Frances Magnes.

Wei Tan, Instructor of Violin and Viola, received her Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees in violin performance from the Manhattan School of Music. She made her New York solo debut in Weill Recital Hall, has played concertos with the Manhattan Virtuosi and the Shanghai Symphony, has played a solo recital tour in China and has appeared in various chamber music concerts in New York, New Hampshire, and in Shanghai, China. Ms. Tan has taught at Tenafly Arts in New Jersey, at the Amati Conservatory and in the Bronxville Public Schools after school program.

Emily Oppenheimer, Instructor of Harp, is an Eastman graduate and pupil of Grandjany. Mrs. Oppenheimer has taught and performed at Fairfield University and the University of Bridgeport. She was on the faculty of the Pre-College Division of the Juilliard School for 28 years. She has been Principal Harpist of the Norwalk Symphony and the Greater Bridgeport Symphony, and is active in the American Harp Society, having served as Vice-President and New England Regional Director.

Evelyn Pellicane, Instructor of Guitar, received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the State University of New York at Binghamton and her Master of Music Degree from Hunter College. She has played recitals in New York at the Museum of the City of New York, at the Stamford Festival of the Arts, at various other venues in New York and also in Connecticut. Also active in Arts Administration, Ms. Pellicane was a consultant at the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music, Director of the Center Music School of the JCC of Stamford, and Program Coordinator at the Berkeley-Carroll Street School of Music.