2023 FESTIVAL GUESTS
ANN SCHEIN
Ann Schein’s amazing career has earned her praise in major American and European
cities and in more than 50 countries around the world. Since her debut in Mexico City in 1957 when she performed both the Rachmaninoff 3 rd Concerto and the Tchaikovsky B-flat Concerto, she has performed thousands of concerts on every continent. The Washington Post has written, “Thank heaven for Ann Schein…what a relief it is to hear a pianist who, with no muss or fuss, simply reaches right into the heart of whatever she is playing – and creates music so powerful you cannot tear yourself away”.
Ann Schein has received many distinguished honors for her Chopin performances. In a special survey of outstanding Chopin recorded performances during the bicentennial of Chopin’s birth in 2010, entitled “A Century of Romantic Music”, Gregor Benko and Ward Marston cited her performances of Chopin stating, “Ann Schein was trained in her native United States, where she studied with both Mieczyslaw Munz and Arthur Rubinstein. Her first recordings, made when she was 18 and 19, established her as one of the premiere Chopin pianists of our time.”
Recently, she was honored with a Lifetime Achievement in the Performing Arts by the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, D.C. In 2019 she performed and gave master classes in the Tobias Matthay Festival at the University of Alabama, the IKIF Festival in New York at Hunter College, and the Rebecca Penneys Piano Festival at the University of South Florida in Tampa. Presently, Ann Schein is on the faculties of the Peabody Conservatory and the Mannes School of Music.
[Franz Liszt - Tarantella - live performance at the 2012 Aspen Music Festival]
TIFFANY POON
Hong-Kong born pianist Tiffany Poon has appeared with orchestras and in recital
throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia, and China since she was first accepted to the Juilliard pre-college program at the age of eight. In addition to live performances, she is also dedicated to building an online community on her YouTube and social media channels (over 300,000 subscribers), where she shares insights of her life as a musician with the goal of demystifying classical music.
In 2020, Tiffany founded the charity Together with Classical - a nonprofit dedicated to supporting musicians and music education, while bringing people and communities together from around the world in their shared love for classical music. Her recital at the Taubman Festival this year will serve as a fundraiser for www.TogetherWithClassical.org.
Tiffany’s highly acclaimed recording of Antonín Dvořák’s music with renowned cellist Jan Vogler and violinist Chad Hoopes was released by SONY Classical last summer. She also debuted in the Washington Performing Arts' Hayes Piano Series at the Kennedy Center, and in Salzburg with the Philharmonie Salzburg and conductor Elisabeth Fuchs.
Recent seasons have seen Tiffany perform celebrated solo recitals as part of the Klavierfestival Ruhr, the Rheingau Musikfestival’s KlassikMarathon, the Tonhalle- Orchester Zurich’s series, and the NeueNamen series in Münster and Bielefeld. She was a fellow of the Bohème 2020 program at the Dresden Music Festival, and in the autumn of 2019, Tiffany made her debut on the Gilmore Keyboard Festival’s Rising Star Series. Tiffany has performed in online concerts on both her own social media channels as well as on the cutting-edge Dreamstage platform.
Tiffany received a full scholarship from the Columbia University/Juilliard School exchange program, and she has studied piano with Emanuel Ax, Veda Kaplinsky, and the late Joseph Kalichstein. She was named a John Jay Scholar by Columbia University for her outstanding academic and artistic achievements and in May 2018, she graduated from Columbia University with a degree in philosophy.
[Liebesleid – Kreisler/Rachmaninoff]
Father Paul Maillet
"Examples of The Walking Hand and Arm, and Shaping, in the Chopin Preludes"
Father Paul Maillet has performed in recital and as a soloist with orchestras in Europe, Asia and the Americas, including with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. His recitals include appearances at the Kennedy Center and at Weill Recital Hall. After studying with Cecile Genhart at the Eastman School of Music and with Leon Fleisher at the Peabody Conservatory, he went on to study with Dorothy Taubman. He also taught at the Peabody Preparatory and as Visiting Professor at Eastman.
In 1995, he discerned a call to ordained ministry in the Roman Catholic Church, and he was ordained to the priesthood in 2001. He currently teaches Scripture and languages at St. Mary’s Seminary in Baltimore. and continues to give lectures and masterclasses and perform as his schedule permits.
Nancy Modell
“Nancy Modell, Suzuki Teacher Trainer with Taubman Approach”
Nancy Modell, an Ithaca College School of Music graduate in both piano performance and music education, is passionate about music teaching. In the 1980s, as a Teacher Trainer, she pioneered the Suzuki Piano Approach in Israel where she taught students and trained local piano teachers in Jerusalem. Since 1992, she has been teaching in Springfield, NJ, inspiring students to reach their potential through innovative learning opportunities, including original composition, music events, and field trips. Nancy employs the Taubman Approach with all her students, beginners to adults, and strives to make music-making an integral part of their lives. She is a board member of the Suzuki Association of the Americas and holds leadership positions in several NJ statewide music teacher’s organizations.
Ben Steinhardt
“Is it really possible to rotate for every note at the piano? – A whole-body look at
the amazing power of rotation”
Pianist Benjamin Steinhardt enjoys an international reputation for his innovative teaching and can be regularly heard performing in the New York metro area. Placing an emphasis on creativity and exploration, his teaching incorporates concepts from the Taubman Approach, Edwin Gordon’s Music Learning Theory, Dalcroze, and somatic education (Iyengar Yoga, Feldenkrais, Alexander Technique) to give students the tools to reach their highest potential. His writings and videos have been featured in “Clavier Companion: The Piano Magazine,” “American Music Teacher,” Thecuriouspianoteachers.org, and ipianoteacher.com.
Mr. Steinhardt completed his formal studies as a classical pianist at the Manhattan School of Music, The Boston Conservatory, and Mannes College. Influential teachers have included Janice Weber, Sara Crawford Drogheo, and Donn-Alexander Feder. He has studied with Dr. Teresa Dybvig, a leading figure in the field of Musician’s Wellness and the Taubman Approach since 2007.
Christina Paolucci
“ ‘LimberTone’ is designed to augment one’s study and awareness
of body mechanics”
Christina Paolucci was a Principal Dancer with New York Theatre Ballet. As an administrator, she was Executive Director/Associate Artistic Director of NYTB and Artistic Associate of The Tallahassee Ballet. Christina coordinates dance-related projects encompassing dance education, outreach, fundraising, and operations management. At Montclair State, she is an Adjunct Instructor of Ballet, Admissions Coordinator for Dance, and an Academic Excellence Coach in the Office for Faculty Excellence. She holds her BFA degree in dance from The Juilliard School.
Dan Crisci
“How to take a Lead Sheet and turn it into a beautiful piece”
Dan Crisci, pianist and composer, has performed in the New York/New Jersey area since 1984. He has played at numerous clubs, concerts, New Year’s Eve First Night performances, private events, and church services. He has played with musicians such as vocalists Brynn Stanley and Bill Robinson, guitarist John Carlini, bassist Sue Williams, violinist Zach Brock, and with his wife Ginny Johnston (vocals, drums, clarinet).
Dan has released five albums, three of which feature his original music, and he has been the accompanist for the Triad Arts Ensemble Choir for over 20 years. He has also played many events for the Discovery Orchestra, appearing in two episodes of their television show Fall in Love With Music, which debuted on Public Television in 2016.
Dragica Banić-Ćurčić
“How the Taubman Approach is ideally suited to children”
Dragica Banić-Ćurčić was born in Zadar, Croatia. She graduated from the Stanković School in Belgrade with an Associated Degree in Music. In 1985, Ms. Ćurčić came to the United States to study both classical accordion and composition on scholarship with the world-renowned Dr. William Schimmel.
She continues to perform annually as a participant in Dr. William Schimmel’s Master Class and Concert Series sponsored by the American Accordionists’ Association in New York City. She has composed and published a number of accordion works – most notably, “Chromatic Etude.” Ms. Ćurčić is currently a member of the Music Educators Association of New Jersey. She has studied piano with Sondra Tammam. Ms. Ćurčić successfully teaches the Taubman Approach in her piano studio to youngsters of all ages. She is also the Director and Founder of the Ancora Music Festival, founded in 2012.
Jacqueline Herbein
“Preparing the body for a full day of piano playing and teaching”
Pianist Jacqueline Herbein, NCTM, RYT, honored with Pennsylvania Music
Teachers Association Teacher of the Year award in 2005, is an active soloist,
ensemble performer, and teacher in the Pittsburgh area. She considers the
development of physical perception to be a cornerstone of her teaching, and she recently added the ProformaVision technology (sEMG biofeedback) to her studio as a teaching enhancement.
Jacqueline Herbein regularly works with teachers and students of all ages
and performance levels, both in private lessons and master classes. She has
become known for her creative approach in unraveling musicians’ pain and injury
issues by working with biofeedback, imagery and alternative therapies. Her
articles have been published in The American Music Teacher, The Canadian Music Teacher and Clavier Companion, and she regularly presents sessions on technique, perception, and wellness to organizations and University pedagogy
classes around the country.