Experienced Musicians, Impassioned Teachers
Our faculty are graduates of some of the finest conservatories in the country. With great care, dedication and experience, they support each student in their own musical path.
All WSM instructors are fully vaccinated against Covid.
Meet David Childs!
David Childs
Instructor, Piano
Dave Childs has taught and performed as a classical and jazz pianist for over thirty years. He attended the Berklee College of Music, studying under Steve Allee, James Williams and Donald Brown. Dave also spent several years traveling and working as a pianist in the Far East.
Meet Matt Cimino!
Matthew Cimino
Instructor, Piano & Voice
Matthew Cimino, Tenor, is honored to be on faculty for his 15th year at WSM teaching both piano and voice. He is the Assistant Director of Liturgical Choir at Sacred Heart University, Adjunct Professor of Voice at Southern Connecticut State University and is also a private piano teacher. He holds a Master's of Music degree in vocal performance from the University of Connecticut as well as a Bachelor’s in Voice from the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston.
A versatile performer, Matthew has extensive performing credits in opera, operetta and art song recitals throughout New England. He has received awards from the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions as well as American Prize Competition in Art Song, the Accadia Foundation for the Arts and the Bel Canto Competition.
Matthew is a firm believer in freedom of expression and creativity, and as such he nurtures students of all ages to find their own “voice” and love for music of all styles.
WSM faculty Elina Christova and Dave Childs play the Paul Ayres duet on the Bach Toccata and Fugue in d minor for organ.
Elina Christova
Instructor, Piano
A versatile pianist with an affinity for modern and contemporary music, Elina Christova has been lauded by critics for her "deeply considered interpretations," "facile pianism" and "sure musical instincts." An active performer, she has appeared at Carnegie and Alice Tully Halls in NYC, Ignacio Cervantes Hall in Havana, the Summit Music Festival and Institute at Manhattanville College, the WPTA Conference in Serbia, and the Steinway Gallery and Klein Auditorium in CT among other venues.
Elina has taught at Sacred Heart University, was guest lecturer at Warsaw University and currently maintains a busy teaching schedule for students of all ages and levels.
Claire Dresselhuis
Instructor, Cello
Canadian cellist Claire Dresselhuis holds a Bachelors in Cello Performance from the University of Victoria (UVic) in British Columbia and a Masters in Cello Performance and Performing Arts Health from the University of North Texas (UNT).
Claire is an enthusiastic educator and has recently completed her first book of Suzuki training. She is an adjunct faculty member at Greens Farms Academy and is passionate about creatively tailoring teaching to her student’s needs and interests.
An avid chamber musician, Claire cofounded the Wisteria String Quartet while in Victoria, and performed at Christ Church’s Young Artists Concert Series, the Victoria Summer Chamber Festival, Nanaimo Chamber Festival, and Friends of Chamber Music Competition. Additionally, she was the Cello and String Masterclass Instructor at Landsdowne Middle School, and Group Class Leader for strings at the Music Discoveries Kids Camps.
Claire completed her masters at the University of North Texas under the late Eugene Osadchy, and prior to relocating to Connecticut she regularly performed with the Richardson, Plano, Irving, and San Angelo Symphony Orchestras in the Greater Dallas Area. As UNT’s Graduate Teaching Fellow, Claire directed a studio of undergraduate cellists and coached undergraduate chamber ensembles.
As a soloist, Claire has been awarded titles as the University of Victoria’s Unaccompanied Strings Bach Competition Winner and Concerto Competition Winner, and was the recipient of the Johann Strauss Grant, allowing her to study with renowned cellist Maria Kliegel at the historic Mozarteum in Salzburg. Claire has been a featured soloist at the Vancouver Art Gallery’s “Out for Lunch” Concert Series, Visual Space Art Gallery, Nanaimo Chamber Festival, among others. She also enjoys giving back to her community by performing at care homes and hosting fundraising concerts for local charities.
Emily Lomnitzer
Instructor, Voice
Emily Lomnitzer holds a Bachelors and Masters of Music in Vocal Performance from the Catholic University of America’s Benjamin T. Rome School of Music.
Lauded by critics for having a voice that “does not seem to have an upper limit,” soprano Emily Lomnitzer enjoys a diverse singing career: performing at such venues as the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Washington National Cathedral, the Church of Saint Vincent Ferrer, and the Embassy of France in Washington D.C. A classical trained singer, Emily has performed many iconic operatic roles such as Gretel, Lucia di Lammermoor, Susannah, and Serpina. She is also an enthusiast of new music, singing in the world premiere of the opera “Alice Flagg” at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Emily is also an accomplished choral singer and works as a member of many professional choral ensembles, including one of the choirs for the 2015 Papal Visit to the United States.
In addition to her performing career, Emily has served as music director, conductor, and vocal coach for many musical theater productions locally and in the Washington, D.C. area.
Emily enjoys sharing her love of music with her students, and encourages a well-rounded approach to vocal technique. She wants her students to leave each lessonloving music even more than when they walked in the door!
Meet Dana Laporta!
Dana Laporta
Instructor, Piano
Dana Laporta earned her Bachelor of Music degree from the Hartt School of Music and her Master of Music in piano from the Manhattan School of Music. She has studied with Arkady Aronov and Constance Keene at the Manhattan School of Music and Paul Rutman at Hartt.
Dana has taught privately in New York and Connecticut. Dana 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. Dana teaches privately in Thomaston, CT, and is accompanist for the Thomaston Ladies Choral Club. She has been a member of the WSM faculty since 2000 and enjoys working with students of all ages.
Meet Andrew Muench!
Andrew Muench
Instructor, Double Bass & Electric Bass
Andrew Muench earned his Bachelor of Music degree at the Hartt School of Music at the University of Hartford where he double-majored in Music Education and Classical Instrumental Performance.
He plays regularly as Principal Double Bassist in the Hamden Symphony and as the bass player in JINQS, a jazz combo based in Torrington, CT. Beside working as a freelance artist in various ensembles and as a private teacher throughout the State of Connecticut, he has also presented as a guest artist at the 2017 Fairfield County String Festival.
In addition to honing his skills as a performer and educator, Andrew continues to evolve and to push the boundaries of his musicianship, having invented and mastered several of his own varieties of musical solfege, researched and discovered links between light and sound waves, and even learned to perform human echolocation.
Mike Nunno
Instructor, Acoustic Guitar and Bass Guitar
Mike Nunno is known throughout the state and region for his teaching and performing. Having taught acoustic and bass guitar for over three decades, he enjoys meeting new students and personalizing lesson curriculums to meet each student’s needs and goals.
As a performer, Mike has toured the country playing in local festivals such as the New Haven Blues Festivals to those in Michigan and Mississippi. Mike has worked closely with Fairfield University and Sacred Heart University choirs celebrating their pop concerts. He has performed at the Downtown Cabaret Theatre in Bridgeport along with dozens of schools in Fairfield and New Haven counties enhancing their plays, concerts and recitals.
Mike performed and recorded with several well-known musicians including Sonny Sharrock, Phil and Buddy Guy, Eddie Kirkland, Lucky Peterson, and The Jens Wendleboe Big Band. He currently performs weekly at Terra Blues in New York City.
Meet Alan Simon!
Alan Simon
Instructor, Piano
Alan Simon earned an M.A. in Jazz History and Research from Rutgers University, and graduated with honors from the City University of N.Y. with a B.A. in Music.
Alan 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 U.S. He appeared as featured soloist at Carnegie Hall and has made television and concert appearances with Dizzy Gillespie, Buddy Tate, Clark Terry, and Frank Foster. Alan has performed at the Vienna Opera House, The Blue Note, and has appeared with the New Orleans, Milwaukee, and Omaha Symphony Orchestras. He has taught at the university level, been on the faculty of the Hotchkiss School in Connecticut, and has many years of experience teaching all ages, levels, and genres of piano music.
Alan strives to inspire a deep understanding and appreciation for all music. He finds teaching beginners as well as advanced students very rewarding. One of his goals as an instructor is to help turn students from passive listeners into active listeners so they become stronger musicians.
Meet Bruce Sloat!
Bruce Sloat
Instructor, Violin & Viola
Bruce Sloat graduated from Western Connecticut State University with a Bachelor of Music degree in performance. While there, he was the recipient of the James Furman Memorial Chamber Music Award.
As a member of the Donn Trenner Orchestra, Bruce has performed in concert with Josh Groban, Celtic Woman and Earth, Wind & Fire. As the violist of the Barber String Quartet, he performed concerts throughout Poland on a U.S. Embassy-endorsed tour. An active chamber musician, Mr. Sloat is a member of the Trio Dolce and the Ives Chamber Players. He is the strings professor at Fairfield University, an adjunct faculty member in the Greens Farms Academy’s orchestral program, coaches string sectionals for the Greater Bridgeport Youth Orchestras, and has conducted Monroe's Music Enrichment Program and Enchanted Garden’s Summer Music Immersion ensembles.
Bruce believes that music and the arts are a vital part of education and that every child should have the opportunity to study and learn how to play an instrument.
Meet AhYoung Son!
Ahyoung Son
Instructor, Piano
Ahyoung Son holds a Masters Degree and Bachelors Degree of Arts in piano performance from the Conservatory of Vienna, in Vienna, Austria, where she studied with Leonid Brumberg. Ms. Son also received an Artist Diploma from the University of Tennessee and was inducted into the Phi Kappa Phi honor society. More recently, she received a Graduate Professional Diploma from the Hartt School of Music at the University of Hartford, Connecticut. For many years, Ahyoung performed with her sisters (who play violin and cello) in a piano trio, traveling throughout Europe, Korea and the United States.
In addition to her teaching, Ahyoung also serves as the Music Director of the Korean Presbyterian Church in Hartford and as the organist/pianist for the United Methodist Church of Westport and Weston. Ms. Son enjoys teaching students of all ages and levels and believes that playing an instrument can provide a creative source of expression, healing and joy throughout one's entire life.
Stay tuned for a video of Laura Thompson performing!
Laura Thompson
Instructor, flute
Laura is a versatile musician, equally adept on both modern and historical flutes, and is highly regarded as a soloist, chamber musician, orchestral player, and educator. She is founder and director of Bacchanalia Baroque Ensemble, and has recently appeared as soloist with Bacchanalia, the Schiller Institute Orchestra and the New York Chamber Players. Laura has played with many orchestras, including the American Classical Orchestra, the New York Collegium, the Westchester Symphony, the Garden State Philharmonic, Teatro Lirico D' Europa, MidAtlantic Opera, Green Mountain Opera Festival, Strathmere Festival Orchestra, and Lyric Opera of New York. In addition, she has performed with the Tafelmusic Festival Orchestra, and with the Longy and Amherst early music festival orchestras.
Laura can be heard on R&B artist Eric Brown’s “Shine” and “Are We Really” recordings, (Brown Music, 2019, 2021) and on “Joseph Gehot: 6 trios,” (Bacchanalia Baroque, Eroica, 2012).
Laura holds Bachelor’s and Master's degrees in Flute Performance from Queens College, CUNY where her principal teachers were Samuel Baron and Keith Underwood. After graduating, Laura traveled to Holland, where she studied baroque flute with Jed Wentz.
An enthusiastic educator, Laura is guest lecturer and coach at New York University and is a former faculty member of Brooklyn college.
Kristen Young
Instructor, Violin
Kristen Young graduated from the University of Delaware with a Bachelor of Music in Music Management, and the University of Oklahoma with a Master of Music in Violin Performance and a Graduate Certificate in Arts Management and Entrepreneurship. At OU, she was the Graduate Assistant to the Associate Dean of the College of Fine Arts.
Kristen is currently the Music Associate at MoCA Westport where she heads the Music at MoCA Concert Series alongside conductor Alexander Platt and is the admin of the Heida Hermanns International Music Competition.
Kristen’s creative approach offers her students a lifelong love of music and a creative outlet for expression.
Music Therapy
Stay tuned for a video of Laura Thompson!
Laura Thompson
Instructor, Music Therapy
Laura Thompson holds a Master of Science degree in Music Therapy from SUNY New Paltz. She earned her Bachelor of Music and Master of Music in Flute Performance from Queens College, CUNY, is founder and director of Bacchanalia Baroque Ensemble and is active in chamber and orchestral music in New York City and surrounding areas.
Laura’s clinical music therapy experience ranges from her practicum placement at the Nordoff-Robbins Center at NYU, where she worked with children and adults with developmental delay, autism, and special needs, to her internship at the Institute for Music and Neurologic Function, where she led group and individual sessions for older adults with cognitive decline and related physio-neurological issues.
Laura's person-centered approach combines active music therapy techniques with listening and reflection, and she believes that music can provide the opportunity for growth and development for anyone, regardless of their age and their physical, neurological, emotional, cognitive, or behavioral challenges.