Eastside MTA
Monthly Programs & Workshops
Monthly programs will be held in person at Newport Covenant Church for the 2026-2027
school year. Unless otherwise noted, workshops will be held from 10:30AM – 12:30PM,
program speakers will be held from 10:30 – 11:30AM.
All Eastside MTA Workshops for are free of charge to EMTA members though the Dorothy Woodcock grant. Public is welcome to attend. Registration is required. The fee for the Workshops to nonmembers is $20 per workshop with the option to purchase a workshop pass for any three for $50.
EASTSIDE MTA
Eastside MTA Monthly Programs are presented each month by knowledgeable speakers at the general meetings.
Our first meeting of the new academic year. This is a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with your fellow colleagues. This will also be the time for you to learn about the coming events for the year and pick up your yearbook. Lunch will be provided.
Angela Cheng and Alvin Chow: Workshop
Topic: Title: “The Pursuit of Perfection, The Achievement of Excellence”.
Description: This presentation will focus on how we learn and study music and include a variety of practice methods that we have learned from our mentors and developed from our individual practicing over many decades.
Sasha Starcevich: Workshop
Topic: “Spatial Hearing and Lyricism” and “Chopin’s Phrasing”
Description: Sasha will continue covering the Workshop on Chopin as well as talk about phrasing
Josh Wright: ONLINE Workshop
Topic: “Strategies for More Effective Online Lessons”
Description: Dr. Josh Wright will answer questions submitted by our members about strategies for effective online teaching, including equipment, setup, best practices, and how to use social media to grow your studio.
Kay Zavislak: ONLINE Speaker
Topic: “From the Land of the Rising Sun: Introduction to Japanese Composers”
Description: Born and raised in Japan Dr. Zavislak has collected musical works of Japanese composers. There is a wealth of compositions for all instruments, for beginning students to advanced performers in diverse styles—some are rooted in the western European tradition, others inspired by traditional Japanese music and folk tunes, in addition to compositions of more experimental nature. It is my hope that the personally compile list of Japanese
composers and their works will spark the curiosity of music teachers and performers to learn and explore. The list will be highlighted with live demonstrations.
Yoon-Wha Rho: Program Speaker
Topic: “Musical Origami: Exploring Piano Etudes of Korean Female Composers”
Description: Dr. Rho will introduce pieces for intermediate to early advanced level. She will explore intricate and sophisticated sound pallets, exploring new sonorities with compound multi-layers of voicing. These piano etudes of Chin, Seo, and Kim utilize extremely simple motifs and/or limited musical materials to develop an enchanting sound pallet in their unique ways, taking unexpected twists and turns to do their own storytelling. Nothing is wasted, and every note becomes a piece of a puzzle that turns into a grand picture.
Eastside MTA workshops
Eastside MTA
Eastside MTA Workshops are presented to provide teachers an opportunity for continuing education. Workshops will be both in person and online.
Angela Cheng
Consistently praised for her brilliant technique, tonal beauty, and superb musicianship, Canadian pianist Angela Cheng is one of her country’s national treasures. In addition to regular guest appearances with virtually every orchestra in Canada, she has performed with
the symphonies of Saint Louis, Houston, Indianapolis, Colorado, Utah, San Diego, and Jacksonville, as well as the philharmonic orchestras of Buffalo, Louisiana, Rhode Island, London, Israel, and Minas Gerais in Brazil.
Recent performances include a debut with the Fort Worth Symphony, performing Rachmaninoff’s “Variations on a Theme of Paganini,” under the baton of Robert Spano, and a return to the Vancouver Symphony, performing Ravel’s Concerto in G with Otto Tausk. Next season will include the Boulder Philharmonic, Newfoundland Symphony, Okanagan Symphony, Saskatoon Symphony, Saguenay Symphony, and the Symphony of Northwest
Arkansas.
As a recitalist, soloist and chamber musician, Cheng has performed at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., New York’s 92nd Street Y, and Wigmore Hall in London. A member of the Zukerman Trio and Chamber Players, she has also appeared at Vienna’s Musikverein, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Buenos Aires’ Teatro Colon, Mariinsky Concert Hall in St. Petersburg, and the Sydney Opera House. Festival
appearances include Verbier, Edinburgh, Miyazaki, Stars of the White Nights in St. Petersburg, and the George Enescu Festival in Romania.
Cheng also appears regularly on concert series throughout the United States and Canada and has collaborated with the Takács, Colorado, and Vogler quartets. North American festival performances include Banff, Chautauqua, Colorado, Great Lakes Chamber Music,
Vancouver, Toronto, and the Festival International de Lanaudière in Quebec. She is regularly invited to give master classes at schools throughout North America and in Asia and has appeared at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, Hong Kong Academy for the Performing Arts, Taichung University in Taiwan, Indiana University, University of Michigan and the University of Texas. She has also served on the jury of many competitions, including the Cleveland International Piano Competition, Esther Honens International Piano Competition, Montreal International Piano Competition, and the Gina Bachauer International Piano Competition, among others.
Cheng was awarded the Gold Medal at the Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Masters Competition and was the first Canadian to win the prestigious Montreal International Piano Competition. She has also been honored with the Canada Council’s coveted Career Development Grant and the Medal of Excellence for outstanding interpretations of Mozart from the Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria.
A native of Hong Kong, Cheng studied extensively with Menahem Pressler at Indiana University and with Sascha Gorodnitzki at The Juilliard School. She is currently on the artist faculty of the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, where she was honored with the 2011- 12 Excellence in Teaching Award.
Sasha Starcevich
Pianist Sasha Starcevich is currently enjoying a rewarding career as an international performer and teacher with his engaging performances and passionate teaching, both at home and around the globe.
As a recitalist, he has appeared in many renowned venues such as New York’s Carnegie Recital Hall, Moscow’s Tchaikovsky Hall, and in London’s Wigmore Hall. His debut recital there was met with critical acclaim, and a review in the Musical Opinion stated: “The repertoire was brilliantly conceived; a thoroughly enjoyable recital at every level”. He has continued to thrill audiences with Concerto appearances, chamber, and solo recitals throughout North America, Europe and Asia. The past two decades have seen Starcevich tour Russia with the Samara Philharmonic Orchestra, appear at the Holders Season, Barbados and the Henley Festival in England, and release several solo and Concerto recordings in the United States and England.
His principal teachers have included Ilana Vered, Peter Frankl, Claude Frank, Boris Berman, Jane Allen and Donna Fishwick. His Doctoral and post-graduate degrees are from Yale University, and his undergraduate degree is from the Saint Louis Conservatory. In addition, Starcevich has worked with Dimitri Bashkirov at the Gnessin School in Moscow, and also with many other world renowned artists. He has been an affiliate professor of piano at the State University of New York-Purchase, and Department Chair of Music and professor of piano at the South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts. He has maintained highly successful private studios in New York City, New Canaan, Connecticut, and Vancouver, Canada. Currently, Starcevich has an extremely active and internationally recognized private studio in Bellevue, Washington, and gives masterclasses around the world.
In August of 2011, he joined the faculty of Musicfest Perugia in Italy. In conjunction with co-artistic director Ilana Vered, the festival has grown to be the largest event of its kind for young musicians in Italy. Additional appointments include serving on juries for international competitions in North America, and faculty appointments to some of the more noted festivals in the United States and Canada. Recently, he has given several highly successful lectures, master classes and public teaching sessions in Asia, at the 2018 Taipei International Piano Masters Festival, the 2018 Southeastern Music Festival, the John Perry Academy, the Minnesota e piano music festival, and most recently a visit for Master classes and private lessons in conjunction with the Shanghai Conservatory in China.
His students have established themselves as grand prize winners in national and international piano competitions such as the Gina Bachauer International, Cooper International, Young Concert Artists International, Piano E Competition, Yamaha and Bosendorfer International, in addition to many others. These students have gone on to pursue serious study at the world’s most renowned musical institutions, such as the Juilliard School, the Curtis Institute, the Peabody Conservatory, the Yale School of Music, and the Royal Academy of Music in England, to name a few.
Yoon-Wha Roh
Yoon-Wha Roh is acclaimed as “a pianist who lets her piano work do the talking, transporting her audience not only to a clearly defined place but also into a colorful adventure” (Hyde Park Herald). Acknowledged for her versatile and sophisticated performances, Roh has appeared as a celebrated soloist with the Russian Philharmonic Orchestra, Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, Saint Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra, New Jersey Garden State Orchestra, Korean Symphony Orchestra, Korean Philharmonic Orchestra, Seoul National Symphony Orchestra, Sungnam Philharmonic Orchestra, and New York Classical Symphony Orchestra. She has also been featured in Korean monthly music magazines, and , for her orchestra performances and
interviews.
Roh has won awards and prizes from numerous competitions including, London International Music Competition, Clara Schumann International Competition, Manhattan International Music Competition, National Artists Competition, American Prize, International Moscow Music Competition, Carles and Sofia Piano Competition, Piano Texas Concerto Competition, and Hakata Fukuoka International Piano Competition among others. Other notable performances have been presented at the Carnegie Weill Recital Hall, Lincoln Center Bruno Walter Auditorium, Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert Series, Seoul Arts Center, Aspen Harris Concert Hall, New York Steinway Hall, Jordan Hall, and Barnes Hall in Cornell University. She has appeared in major music festivals including
Prague Music Performance, Aspen Music Festival, GMMFS, Piano Texas International Academy & Festival, Schlern International Music Festival, Banff Center, New Paltz International Summer Festival, Bowdoin International Music Festival, and International Keyboard Institute & Festival. Her international appearances include performances in Prague, Italy, Spain, Brazil, and South Korea.
Active as a chamber musician, Roh has served as a pianist in several ensembles such as Anonim Trio, Palouse Trio, Selway Trio, Cipriani Trio, and Baltimore Trio. She is also active as a clinician and competition judge. She has served as a competition judge for Manhattan International Music Concours, East Coast International Competition, and New York International Music Concours among others. Roh has received Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition
Award, New York State Assembly Certificate of Merit, New Jersey Senator Award, and Certificate of Achievement from the Mayor of New Jersey, Bergen County.
Roh holds Doctor of Music in Piano Performance and Literature, with minors in music theory and art administration from Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. She has earned Master of Music degree from New England Conservatory and Performance Diploma from Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University. Roh currently teaches at Washington State University as Assistant Professor of Piano. Previously, she has taught at the University of Idaho, Towson University, Phillips Academy of Andover, and New England Conservatory of Music Preparatory School and Continuing Education. She is an active member of College Music Society and Music Teachers National Association.
Dr. Josh Wright
Billboard #1 artist Dr. Josh Wright has delighted audiences across the United States and in Europe. He performed his debut recitals at Carnegie Hall (Zankel Hall) and the Kennedy Center (Terrace Theater) in 2014. His self-titled album “Josh Wright” topped the Billboard Classical Traditional chart just three weeks after its release in April 2011. He also performed at Dolby Theater in Los Angeles as part of America’s Got Talent Season 9. He was the recipient of the 2023 Stecher and Horowitz Power of Innovation Award, a national award given to an individual who displays innovation and entrepreneurship in the field of music. His work in the field of online music teaching and performance has reached over 200,000 subscribers and over 20 million views. Josh served on the piano faculty at the University of Utah from 2016-2021.
Josh earned a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Michigan. He earned a Master of Music degree and a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Utah. His principal teachers are Dr. Logan Skelton and Dr. Susan Duehlmeier. He has also studied privately with concert pianist, Sergei Babayan. Josh is married to Dr. Lindsey Wright, who earned her Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Utah.
Josh was a prizewinner at the 2015 National Chopin Competition, and also won the Mazurka prize. He won third prize and the audience prize at the 2014 Washington International Piano Competition, first prize at the 2013 Heida Hermanns International Piano Competition, first prize at the 2013 Rosamond P. Haeberle Piano Award competition, the gold medal at the 2010 Seattle International Piano Competition, and first prize at the 2010 American Protége International Competition of Romantic Music. He was the second prize winner of the 2011 Music Teachers National Association National Competition. He was also a top prizewinner in the New York Piano Competition, the Louisiana International Piano Competition, and the Julia Crane International Piano Competition.
Josh has appeared numerous times with symphony orchestras and has released seven albums. In addition to performing, Josh is passionate about teaching. He has created numerous online video courses to help students of all ages and abilities improve their technique and musicality. Together with his wife, Dr. Lindsey Wright, and the AMAR Foundation, he authored an online beginner piano course for refugees in a camp located in northern Iraq,
displaced from their homes due to war and terrorism. With the help of generous donors, over 200 digital pianos were delivered to these camps and two semesters of piano classes were taught to children wanting to learn music. Lindsey and Josh also founded the 2021 Susan H. Duehlmeier Piano Award, a project that awarded a talented young musician with a new Essex grand piano to further their piano studies and career.
Josh has appeared as a guest lecturer, adjudicator, and masterclass presenter at several festivals and colleges. He has broadened his studio through online lessons where he teaches lessons to students on four different continents via Zoom and Skype. Josh is a listed Steinway Artist. He was inducted into the Steinway & Sons Teacher Hall of Fame in October 2019. He was also the piano double on the popular WB TV Series Everwood.
Kay Zavislak
American pianist Kay Zavislak enjoys a multi-faceted career as a performer, teacher, adjudicator, and clinician. Spending her formative years in Japan, Ms. Zavislak attended the Toho Gakuen High School of Music, one of the most prestigious conservatories in Japan. She then moved to the U.S. and earned the degrees Bachelor of Music, Master of Music, and Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Michigan.
As a performer, she has given solo recitals and chamber concerts regionally and nationally, in addition to public performances in Australia, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, and Poland., She has also recorded for Centaur Records in collaboration with flutist Leonard Garrison and saxophonist Bill Perconti.
In 2001, Ms. Zavislak was named a winner of the concerto competition at the University of Michigan. Her other awards include first prize in the Frances Walton Competition, second prize in the Richardson Young Artist Award Competition, second prize in the All-Tohoku Piano Competition in Japan, and third prize in the William Byrd International Concerto Competition.
Many of Ms. Zavislak’s university and pre-college students have received top prizes and honors in a number of regional piano festivals and competitions, such as the Music Fest Northwest in Spokane, Sonata-Sonatina Festival in Ellensburg, Northern Idaho Piano Festival, Spokane Piano Competition, Music Teachers National Association Idaho State and Washington State Competitions, and MTNA Northwest Regional Competition.
Before joining her family in Bellingham in 2013, Ms. Zavislak was an Assistant Professor of Piano and the Keyboard Area Coordinator at the University of Idaho Lionel Hampton School of Music. In addition, she has held teaching positions at Schoolcraft College, Albion College, and the University of Michigan. She studied piano under the guidance of Arthur Greene, Logan Skelton, Yoshie Kora, and Miyoko Hamamoto, harpsichord with Edward Parmentier, and organ with Marilyn Mason.
Eastside MTA workshops
REGISTRATION
All Eastside MTA Workshops for are free of charge to EMTA members though the Dorothy Woodcock grant. Public is welcome to attend. Registration is required. The fee for the Workshops to nonmembers is $20 per workshop with the option to purchase a workshop pass for all three for $50.
general info & inquiry
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Eastside Music Teachers Association serves music teachers who live or work on the Eastside. Looking to connect with fellow teachers? Looking for continuing teacher education? Looking for events at all levels for your students?
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