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Helen Chang (Piano) earned her Masters of Music at the University of Illinois at Urbana in piano performance and also holds a Bachelor of Arts in piano performance from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Her principle teachers were William Heiles, Theodore Edel, and Reid Alexander (Piano Pedagogy). In addition, she had chamber coaching with the Pacifica Quartet, master class with John O’Connor, and served as teaching intern at the University of Illinois Piano Laboratory Program. Helen was the recipient of the Chicago Bar Association Award scholarship for piano, as well as the Steinway of Chicago Music Educator Grant. For the past 15 years, Helen has been on the faculties of Harper College Community Music Center, McHenry County Music Center, and Adler Music and Arts Center where she teaches individual piano lessons, group lessons and theory classes for all ages. In 2018, Helen joined Music Blocks, a non-profit organization in the Barrington area to provide after school semi-private piano instruction to students of low-income families in District 220 and is the current Program Manager. In addition to teaching, she enjoys performing on various solo and collaborative recitals. Helen has been an active member of Music Teachers National Association and served as a Co-chair for the NWSMTA Achievement in Music Program. Her students have been graduates of the ISMTA Level 12 Achievement in Music Theory/Performance Exams, scholarship recipients, and prizewinners at the Grandquist Memorial Contest, IMA State Olympic Contest, NWSMTA Sonata-Sonatina Festival, as well as participants of the Chicago Symphony Young Artists Auditions. Helen has a passion for developing and working with students to establish a solid foundation of music reading, music appreciation and to spark a life-long love for music. She recognizes peer learning as a source of motivation and affirmation, and tries to bring a positive and encouraging attitude to her classes so that every student can succeed.
Cheryl Cheon-Ae Lim (Piano) is a member of the piano faculty at the Community School of the Arts. Ms. Lim teaches Suzuki and traditional piano methods both private and group. Her students have performed at the National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy and were selected to take part in numerous master classes at Suzuki National Conferences. They have also won several concerto competitions. Ms. Lim attended Seoul National University where she performed as an honor student. After winning the first place in the Korean Cultural Center Competition, Ms. Lim came to the United States to further her piano studies. She studied English and piano at Roosevelt University, winning first place in the Chicago Musical College Scholarship Competition. During her time at Northwestern University, Cheryl was selected as one of six demonstration student-teachers at the National Conference on Piano Pedagogy. Cheryl has been an adjudicator in the Illinois State AIM exams, Sonata-Sonatina Festival by Illinois State Music Teachers Association, the Society of American Musicians, Illinois High School Association State Music Contest, Grandquist Music Competition, and Music Festival in Honor of Confucius. Ms. Lim’s name was also listed on Who’s Who in America. Ms. Lim began playing piano at the age of five in her native land of Korea. Her passion for playing carried over to education and is now a devoted educator of piano. Along with her position at CSA, Ms. Lim is also head of the piano department at Betty Haag Academy and is a faculty at the Conservatory of Music at Wheaton College.
Levonne Mrozinski (Piano) earned a Bachelor of Music degree in piano performance from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, and a Master of Music degree in piano performance and pedagogy from the University of Oklahoma. She has also done post-graduate work at the University of Illinois-Champaign-Urbana. Mrs. Mrozinski has served as president of the Northwest Suburban Music Teachers Association and maintains an independent piano studio in Arlington Heights along with her teaching duties for the Community Music Center.
Janice Larson Razaq (Piano) has a doctorate from Texas Tech University and other degrees from Eastman School of Music and University of Illinois. A Fulbright scholar to England, she performed at Wigmore Hall in London. Dr. Razaq is heard on WFMT and Minnesota Public Radio and plays concertos with area orchestras. Solo performances range across the country. She is a state officer for Illinois State Music Teachers Association and is Piano Coordinator for Harper College credit students.
Kathlyn Sbarboro (Piano) is the Piano Facilitator for the Community Music Center teaches both group and private lessons to students of all levels, and oversees all piano performance festivals, recitals, and student placement. Ms. Sbarboro has earned a Bachelor of Music degree in music education, and a Master of Arts degree in piano pedagogy. She is recognized as a Nationally Certified Teacher of Music by the Music Teacher’s National Association.
Ken Spurr (Piano) is a jazz pianist, teacher and bandleader who has been active as a professional musician in the Chicago area for over 10 years. Ken has performed weekly at the Plaza Club on the top floor of the Prudential Building from 1997 to 2001. He also performed with the Curt Warren Quartet at the Texas Jazz Festival from 1997 to 1999. Ken has performed with many major jazz artists including Louie Bellson, Ira Sullivan, Rufus Reid, Richie Cole, Greg Abate, Marvin Stamm and Joe Gallardo. In addition, Ken has also played and/or recorded with many local jazz artists including Rusty Jones, Nick Tountas, Joel Spencer, Kelly Sill, Larry Grey, Greg Fishman, Jackie Allen and Bob Rummage. Ken is an active member of the Chicago Federation of Musicians and A.P.O.L. (Association of Professional Orchestra Leaders). In May of 2001 he released his first CD recording, Sometime Ago, which is available on Amazon.com and kenspurr.com. Ken received a BA in Music from Valparaiso University and currently teaches jazz piano at Elmhurst College and Harper College. Ken has studied piano with William Foster, Larry Novak, Allan Swain, David Kikoski, Terry Dybvig and Mary Sauer.
SiYi Su (Piano)
Victoria Tsangari teaches private and group piano lessons in the CE department at Harper College. She holds a Doctor of Musical Arts (D.M.A.) degree in Piano Performance & Pedagogy with a minor in Music Theory Pedagogy from the University of Iowa. She served as Visiting Assistant Professor of Piano and Theory at Kentucky State University, and was on the faculty at Transylvania University, Georgetown College and Centre College. She has presented workshops and lecture-recitals at regional and national conferences, and has adjudicated festivals and competitions. She has performed as a soloist and collaborative pianist in Cyprus, Romania and the United States.
Harper College CE 