This fall, Hochstein welcomed nine new faculty members to our ranks! We are pleased to add them to the richly talented and remarkably diverse community that is uniquely Hochstein.
• Kelton Burnside – cello
• Aleena Griffiths – violin, Suzuki violin
• Deborah Norin-Kuehn – voice
• Timothy Peters – violin, Suzuki violin, viola
• John Ryan – Irish traditional music group class
• Herb Smith – trumpet
• Rachel Smith – Suzuki violin and viola
• Ashley Stewart – music therapy
• Koki Tanaka – violin
Hochstein faculty members are specialists in their area and draw upon their extensive performance and teaching backgrounds to share their knowledge, expertise, and love of music and dance to students of all ages and levels.
See below to read more about our newest faculty members – click on the link in their name to read their full bios.
Kelton Burnside – cello
Kelton Burnside has a bachelor’s degree in music education from Ithaca College, a master’s from Southern Methodist University, and is currently pursuing a PhD in music education from the Eastman School of Music. He previously directed orchestras in Plano, Texas. In addition to his orchestra and string background, he has experience as a pianist and organist.
Aleena Griffiths – violin, Suzuki violin
A native of Auckland, New Zealand, Aleena Griffiths has been playing violin and piano since she was three years old. She studied at Indiana University Jacobs School of Music and taught at Jacobs’ String Academy. Both of her parents studied violin with Dr. Suzuki in Japan, so she is following in their footsteps.
Deborah Norin-Kuehn – voice
A dedicated performer, college voice professor, and private teacher, Deborah Norin-Kuehn began her teaching career here at Hochstein while she was completing her Master’s/Doctorate at Eastman and recently moved back to the area. When not practicing, performing, or teaching, she can be found gardening, cooking, reading, or watching foreign films.
Timothy Peters – violin, Suzuki violin, viola
Timothy Peters is Associate Concertmaster of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra and a dedicated educator who has given university masterclasses and coached many young students in youth symphonies. He lived and worked in Malaysia for 10 years and his favorite place to travel is anywhere in Southeast Asia.
John Ryan – Irish traditional music class
A leader of jam sessions, performer on many instruments, presenter, and musical collaborator, John Ryan is a regular musical partner with the legendary folk musician John Dady. In addition to his career in music, his studies in SUNY Brockport’s History Department have earned him multiple recognitions.
Herb Smith – trumpet
A longtime member of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, trumpeter Herb Smith is known as both an accomplished classical musician and as a jazz performer. In addition to his jazz ensemble, he also leads music groups at Eastman Community Music School and Rochester Institute of Technology, and Herb’s City Trumpets through ROCmusic.
Rachel Smith – violin, viola, Suzuki violin, Suzuki viola
A passionate violist and violinist who approaches music with a sense of wonder and curiosity, Rachel studied viola performance in Stuttgart, Germany before coming to Rochester to finish her undergraduate studies at the Eastman School of Music. You might be surprised to learn that she’s also an amateur fencer and horseback rider.
Ashley Stewart – Expressive Arts music therapy
Ashley Stewart received her bachelor’s degree in Music Therapy from Temple University and has experience working with adolescents, older adults with aphasia, postpartum mothers, children, adults, and older adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities.
Koki Tanaka – violin
Dr. Koki Tanaka made his debut at age 18 at Benaroya Hall with the Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestra and went on to get his Doctor of Musical Arts at Eastman School of Music. In addition to performing, his other passion has been teaching, and he has taught local elementary and middle school music classes and college courses in chamber music and music theory.