Madeline Jamison began playing piano at the age of three after being inspired by her grandmother's piano playing. Throughout Madeline’s childhood and teenage years, she studied piano with a variety of teachers, including Stefanie Jacob at the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music. She also played flute, violin, and bass drum in ensembles such as symphonic band, orchestra, marching band, chamber groups, and the Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra. In 2023, she graduated with a Bachelor of Music in Piano Pedagogy degree from the Wheaton College Conservatory of Music, where she studied with Dr. Sung Hoon Mo. Madeline’s wide range of musical experiences have given her a passion for well-rounded musicianship and a multifaceted approach to teaching. Most of all, she loves sharing the joy of music with her students and nurturing their growth.
K. Lydia Üsou is a classical pianist, accompanist, collaborator, and pedagogue with a profound passion for music that began at a young age. Born in North-East India, she moved to the U.S. in 2017 to advance her musical studies. Beginning piano lessons at the age of five, Ms. Üsou’s musical journey has been defined by her dedication on the piano, although she is also proficient in playing the violin and a traditional Naga folk instrument, Tati.
Ms. Üsou holds a Master of Music in Piano Performance and Pedagogy, and a Bachelor of Arts in Music (Applied Piano) from Campbellsville University. She has been recognized for her excellence in music, including receiving a prestigious music award in India for achieving the highest score in the NBSE board. Lydia has also been a presenter at the KMTA conference and is a winner of the KMTA Piano Ensemble competition. Additionally, she has completed board examinations from Trinity College of London in Music Theory, Violin, and Piano.
Lydia’s teaching philosophy is grounded in the belief that a solid foundation in technique and music theory is the key to musical longevity. Her role as a former member and accompanist for the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) further reflects her commitment to nurturing and fostering musical talent.
Elizabeth Good Levie is a pianist, vocalist, and elementary music teacher originally from Phoenix, AZ. She just moved to Ohio this summer and is excited to enter the music scene here. Elizabeth holds a Bachelor's Degree in Secondary Choral Education from Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff where she studied under Dr. Edith Copley. During her time there, she sang in a vocal jazz ensemble, multiple concert choirs, and an a cappella group. Elizabeth has served as an accompanist for voice students as well as high school and collegiate choirs. She has been playing piano since age six, as well as cello since age nine and voice since age twelve. Elizabeth's main goal in teaching piano is to instill a love of music in young students. She wants them to enjoy the journey of learning how to play an instrument while also feeling safe to make mistakes as they learn new skills. In her free time, Elizabeth enjoys reading, baking sweet treats, and exercising.
Sean Kelley is a Cincinnati-raised songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and audio engineer. He earned his BA in Audio Design and Production from Columbia College Chicago, and has been active in Cincinnati's music scene ever since, having also taught 30-40 students over the years - with expertise in guitar, ukulele, percussion, and piano.
No matter the instrument of focus, Sean is devoted to inspiring students to find the joyous discipline of learning (and/or deepening) the skill of playing music. In addition to his love for music, Sean is also a big proponent of the value of Mindfulness and "Presence practices" - which he shares through podcasts and Guided Meditations."
Described as a violinist whose playing is “emotional and virtuosic” by Stadt Sulzbach-Rosenberg und Umland Newspaper, Jingting Liu has performed at venues such as Weil Recital Hall in Carnegie Hall, National Centre for the Performing Arts in China, Forbidden City Concert Hall in Beijing, Zhongshan Concert Hall in Beijing, Steinway Music Hall in Shenzhen, China, etc.
As an experienced teacher, Jingting has taught in University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music as a Graduate Teaching Assistant of Violin. She also served as a violin teacher in Ichi San Academy, Montessori Academy, American String Teachers Association (ASU 360 Project), String Project in Arizona State University, and Joy Music Company in Arizona.
Jingting Liu won the First Prize in Hong Kong International String Competition, and she was also the first place in Vivaldi Concerto Competition in Arizona. It leads to a performance of Vivaldi’s “Spring” Concerto with the Four Seasons Orchestra, which was broadcast by AZ-KBAQ radio station.
Jingting is pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in UC-CCM under the tutelage of Prof. Won-Bin Yim, with full scholarship and served as his graduate assistant. She completed her bachelor and master degrees in Arizona State University where she was a student of Prof. Danwen Jiang.
John-Austin King is a classical pianist, teacher, and composer from Clover, SC. He holds
Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in music performance from the UC-College Conservatory of
Music in Cincinnati. John Austin has performed internationally in Germany, Czech Republic, and
various regions of the United States. He has served as the accompanist for Greater Liberty Baptist Church in
Cincinnati since 2018. As an experienced teacher, John-Austin has taught students of all ages
and ranging in abilities from beginner to advanced. His teaching style is friendly and approachable.
A passionate and inspiring performer, Ava Shedd has developed into an accomplished violinist and musician who loves engaging with audiences and educating the next generation of young musicians. She has had years of orchestral, chamber and solo experiences which have shaped her into a well-rounded individual based in the world of classical music. Hailing from Virginia Beach VA, Ava has blossomed into the violinist she is today because of ensembles such as the Bayyouth Orchestras of Virginia, Hampton Roads Chamber Players and the Virginia Symphony Orchestra where she is currently a substitute section violin. Ava is currently pursuing her Bachelor’s Degree in Violin Performance at the Cincinnati College-Conservatory. While her primary focus lies in the study of the violin, she also has years of experience in teaching and playing the piano. In her free time she enjoys listening to as much music as she can, visiting local coffee shops, thrifting, reading, and going on long walks.
Austin Atkinson is a multi-instrumentalist, music educator, and producer based in Cincinnati, Ohio. He holds a degree in Music Education from University of Cincinnati, College-Conservatory of Music (CCM). His music teaching focuses on piano, guitar, and saxophone. Since starting his private teaching studio in 2015 he has worked with several school music programs and music stores in southern Ohio and northern Kentucky, with experience in individual, small group and large group instruction, marching band camps, instrument fittings, and concert sound engineering.
Austin’s performance experience includes community events and wedding performances in both classical and jazz settings, producing and recording rock, jazz, and folk music at his studio, plus pre-pandemic public concerts and in-studio recording with his band. He is comfortable teaching students of any age and skill level the fundamentals of reading music, playing and creating songs with proper technique, and playing songs using melodies and chord progressions. His music lessons revolve around the students’ individual goals and musical interests, with a focus on or mix of standard folk songs, popular and jazz tunes, classical performance, improvisation and creation, scales and music theory, and technique and fundamentals. The ultimate goal is to have fun playing music! In addition to this, Austin approaches his students’ education with understanding and flexibility, so that if a student is unable to complete an assignment in the expected time or is struggling with other factors in life, lessons will involve interaction with music in a way that manages stress and enhances problem solving skills for success in all areas of life.
Pianist Aidan Hedrick is a Cincinnati-based soloist and chamber musician. He holds a BM from Lee University and an MM from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. He has studied with Cahill Smith, Joong-Han Jung, and Émile Naoumoff. Aidan is currently pursuing a DMA at the University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music where he studies with Sara Daneshpour.
Aidan has received recognition in numerous solo and concerto competitions. These include awards in the Tri-State Piano Concerto Competition, Lee University International Piano Competition, and Music Teachers National Association Young Artist Competition. Aidan also received second prize in the George R. Johnson Concerto Competition and was selected as winner of the Lee University Concerto Competition performing Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 1.
Aidan has studied and performed at summer festivals like the Lee University International Festival and Competition and the Atlantic Music Festival. He has performed in masterclasses in both solo and collaborative settings. In solo masterclasses, Aidan has performed for Natalya Antonova, Ning An, Sun Min Kim, Scott Cuellar, and Renana Gutman. Collaborative Masterclass appearances include performances for Aram Arakelyan, Allen Perriello, and Youngmi Kim.
Erin is so excited to make her City Strings & Piano debut! Erin is a multifaceted performer, music director, singer/songwriter, & educator who believes strongly in the healing, transformative power of the arts. She has been teaching private voice, piano, Italian, and ASL lessons since 2008. Erin loves watching a student light up when they get a new concept. Erin is the co-creator & performer of She’s Crazy: Mental Health & Other Myths, which has toured for seven years. She also has three albums of original music out, one released this year called The Other Side of This. Erin earned her Bachelor’s of Music degree from Baldwin Wallace University.