At the Baton Rouge Conservatory, our teachers are an ideal combination of patient and rigorous. They are kind yet inspiring, hand-picked for great teaching personality and musical skill.
Adults are always welcome to sit in on the lessons of the students they bring. All our teachers are background checked for student safety.
Browse the bios below, and if you have any questions contact us!
Grace Nikol Andersen has been a professional musician for over 25 years. She was the first musician to be identified as musically talented in East Feliciana Parish. Her background includes flute, clarinet, and vocals, with concentrations in instruction and performance. She considers music to be a transformative medium which saved her life. It transcends social constructs to provide an immersive experience.
Her objective is to consistently elevate the musician-listener connection. She also aims to find new and exciting ways to ignite passion within her students. When she gets the opportunity to touch lives through the sound of music, she is fulfilling her life’s purpose.
Nikol says: “The Arts must never be allowed to diminish — the world needs them.”
Nikol teaches flute and clarinet.
Dr. Hayoung Cho is a highly talented violinist and musician, joining the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra in 2023 as Assistant Principal Second Violin.
With an unwavering passion for classical music and a relentless pursuit of excellence, she has firmly established herself as a remarkable performer. Not limited to her orchestral role, she has actively participated in the vibrant chamber music scene. Her profound musicianship and collaborative spirit have allowed her to engage in enriching musical experiences, captivating audiences with her artistry.
Her accolades include winning the Sidney Blitzer Violinist Prize and achieving success in renowned competitions like the NOLA Chamber Festival and the LSU Concerto Competition. She was also selected as a Fellowship member at the Aspen Music Festival and School. Additionally, she had the honor of serving as concertmaster of the National Orchestra Institute + Festival.
One of the highlights of her career was her performance with the esteemed Constantinides New Music Ensemble (CNME) at the iconic Carnegie Hall in 2022. This performance showcased her versatility and ability to bring new music to life on a grand stage. With a diverse repertoire spanning various genres and a deep desire to create captivating musical experiences, Dr. Cho continues to leave audiences in awe with her profound artistry.
Dr. Cho teaches violin online in English and Korean.
Bronwyn Clagett is a passionate music educator with over ten years of professional experience working with students of all ages. Throughout her career, Ms. Clagett has taken every opportunity to develop her skills and gain knowledge. She is an active performer in community and semi-professional choral groups and has extensive experience in world music ensembles and techniques.
Ms. Clagett has an undergraduate degree in music education from West Virginia University with qualifications to teach instrumental, choral, and general music, Pre-K through adult. She has the most experience with Orff-Schulwerk, having used it extensively in her classroom and presenting at several local workshops. However, she is also well-versed in Kodály, Dalcroze, folk dancing, and world music pedagogy.
Her masters in choral conducting is from University of Tennessee-Knoxville. While at WVU and UTK, she tutored undergraduate students in written theory and ear training. At Louisiana State University, she has been mentoring undergraduate conducting students in one-on-one meetings.
As a choral conductor Ms. Clagett has conceived and executed musical programs and holiday performances. She built her choral ensemble to over 60 members and serves or has served in various executive positions on several chorus boards. In addition to group teaching, she also has experience in varied one-on-one settings. She teaches voice, ukulele, and trombone privately. Her students praise her ability to get to the root of issues and communicate or elicit solutions kindly, clearly, and directly.
In addition to his solo career, Mr. Cunningham has a variety of experience in collaborative music and education. He studied collaborative piano at the prestigious Collaborative Piano Institute in Fairbault Minnesota with Dr. Ana Maria Otamendi and Elena Lacheva. He served as staff pianist for Millsaps College where he rehearsed major works such as the chorus from Beethoven’s 9th symphony and John Corigliano’s Fern Hill.
Christopher Cunningham, a native of Mississippi, began studying piano at age 7 with Carol Mahler. An avid performer, Mr. Cunningham has performed throughout the southern United States as well as in Ireland and Switzerland. He has won awards from competitions hosted by the Gulf Coast Music Teachers Association, Jackson Forum of Music and Mississippi Music Teachers Associations. His compositions have been performed by the Jackson Symphony Orchestra’s Woodwind Quintet and String Quartet.
Mr. Cunningham holds a BA in Music with Concentrations in Piano Performance and Music Theory from Millsaps College where he studied piano with Dr. Rachel Heard and voice with Dr. Cheryl Coker. He also studied piano with Olivier Lattion at the Conservatoire de Fribourg in Fribourg, Switzerland. He currently attends Louisiana State University where he is pursuing an MM in Choral Conducting under Dr. Alissa Rowe. He studies voice at LSU with Dr. Brandon Hendrickson.
Mr. Cunningham teaches piano and voice in English, French, and Spanish.
A passionate and experienced music educator, Rodney King is a native of Franklinton, Louisiana. Mr. King began his musical career as a young boy, playing for his local church.
As he matriculated through high school and became more musically inclined, he decided to pursue his Bachelor of Musical Education degree at Southern University and A&M College in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. There, Mr. King was immensely active; participating as a member of the prominent and world-famed Human Jukebox Marching Band, Symphonic Band, Southern University Concert Choir, and Wind Ensemble.
Mr. King is a leader with vast experience at the University. Not only was he an active member of these organizations, but he also served as conductor, accompanist, and choir president.
Mr. King is a member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity. Though his major instrument is the piano, Mr. King also teaches percussion, trumpet, French horn, and singing.
Sam Kohler is a composer and multi-instrumentalist based in Louisiana. A lifelong musician from a family of dedicated musicians, he has pursued a wide range of music-making
avenues.
Recent collaborations include the Wolf Pit Saxophone Quartet, Aspen Contemporary Ensemble, Marigny Opera Ballet, Talea Ensemble, Rhythm Method String Quartet, Avenue Azure, Polymnia Quartet, Cascade Quartet, and the New Orleans Chamber Orchestra. In Summer 2022 he attended the Aspen Summer Festival as a composition fellow.
Currently he serves the congregation of Trinity Episcopal Church in Baton Rouge as Director of Music. He has been on the faculty at Baltimore School of Music and Make Music NOLA.
Previously, he served as organist and choirmaster at St. Paul Lutheran in the Marigny, and was the bassist for Skeptic Moon, Jank Setup, and Surreal Estate.
He studied composition with Felipe Lara at the Peabody Institute and Barbara Jazwinski at Tulane University.
Sam teaches bass, cello, guitar, piano, theory, viola, and violin.
Eric Liffmann, a Baton Rouge native, has over 20 years experience teaching guitar and ukulele. He’s a graduate of the University of Louisiana-Lafayette’s Master of Music program with an emphasis on classical guitar performance. He has studied in Texas and Brazil, and participated in Master Classes with Christopher Parkening and other greats.
Some of his past performances include a solo recital for The ICC concert series at LSU, The Festivale Internationale de Louisiane, soloist with the Opera Louisiane and accompanist/ensemble member to the St. Joseph Cathedral Choir, various LSU ensembles, and an onstage playing role in Swine Palace’s Always…Patsy Cline.
Eric says: I strive to make sure my students enjoy their musical adventure and encourage them to make their experience as playful and enjoyable as possible. Honing a musical craft can be arduous and frustrating. It’s my philosophy that we should take our time and find as much enjoyment in the process as we can.
Eric teaches guitar and ukulele in English and Spanish.
Maria Ortega-Ruiz is a Venezuelan cellist with strong experience in orchestral work. As an artist engaged with social impact, she has taught music to students from age 3 to adults.
She holds a master’s degree in cello performance at LSU, having studied with Dennis Parker. She had her beginning in music back in her home country in the well known “El Sistema” where she not only developed technical and musical knowledge but also learned several approaches and teaching techniques under professors William Molina Cestari and Jean Carlos Coronado. In 2015, Ortega obtained a Bachelor degree in Modern Languages (English and French). The following year she moved to Northern Chile to play in orchestras and teach young artists of this region.
Maria Ortega has also performed as soloist in Music Festivals in Chile such as Dispotraining (Iquique 2016), Chamber Music Festivals in Iquique (2017-2018), Teach to Teach Masterclasses (Villarrica 2018-2019) and Antofagasta International Music Festival (2020). These venues gave her the opportunity of learning from great international professors such as Ingrid Zur (Argentina-Germany), Jörg Heyer (Germany), Heidi Litschauer (Austria), Rodrigo Pozo (Chile), Emmanuele Baldini (Italy) and Dennis Parker (United States of America).
Maria teaches cello and chamber music in English and Spanish.
Johan Pepper‘s musical journey began in Guayaquil, Ecuador, under the tutelage of Chilean violinist Jorge Zurita. In 2010, he earned a scholarship to the Rimsky Korsakov Conservatory in Guayaquil, Ecuador, where he studied violin performance with Maestra Olga Khudoblyak. He later obtained a bachelor’s degree in music, specializing in Violin Pedagogy with a minor in Composition, from the Musikakademie der Stadt Kassel “Louis Spohr” in Germany, under the guidance of Maestra Tianwa Yang and Maestro Christoph Callies.
In 2021, Johan completed his Master’s in Violin Performance at Louisiana State University, studying under Maestro Espen Lilleslatten. He continued his studies at LSU, completing a Doctor of Musical Arts (D.M.A) in Violin Performance with a minor in Composition in 2024.
Johan brings a rich international orchestral background to his musical career, with performances spanning Ecuador, Colombia, Peru, Argentina, Germany, Spain, and the United States. He currently contributes as a member of the violin section in both the Acadiana Symphony Orchestra and the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra. During his time in the USA, he has also collaborated with the Rapides Symphony Orchestra and the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra.
Since 2019, Johan has been an integral part of the LSU Symphony Orchestra. Prior to his time in the United States, he performed with distinction in Ecuador’s Guayaquil Symphony Orchestra from 2016 to 2019. His orchestral journey began as Concertmaster of the Youth Symphony Orchestra of Guayaquil, a role he held from 2005 to 2012, showcasing his early leadership and musical prowess.
His talent has been recognized with numerous awards, including top honors at the German-Ecuadorian Cultural Center music competition and accolades from the Youth Symphony Orchestra of Ecuador and the Young Talent Competition in Cuenca. He has participated in masterclasses with renowned violinists such as Ilya Kaler, Simon Fischer, and Richard Lin. In 2024, his composition “Scenes for Violin” was accepted for the national conference of the American String Teachers Association (ASTA).
Coming from a family of music educators, Johan is passionate about teaching and sharing his musical knowledge. He teaches violin and chamber music in English and Spanish.
Darius Dontrell Scott is an alumnus of Nicholls State University where he received a Bachelor’s of Art in Music Education – Voice. He is currently pursuing a Masters of Music in Vocal Performance at Louisiana State University.
While at Nicholls, Darius, a tenor, represented the department of music and university at regional and national levels. He has repeatedly placed in the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) Student Auditions. After placing first in the 2021 Southern Region Student Auditions, he represented his alma mater and the Southern Region in the 2022 National Student Auditions held in Chicago, IL. He has been blessed to be awarded the department of music Outstanding Voice Major Award three consecutive years until 2022. He was also awarded the Outstanding Service Award in 2020.
Darius’ performance track ranges from musicals to recitals to operas. In 2019, he performed at the National Association of Negro Musicians Centennial Conference. He has also performed in the Robert Honeysucker Negro Spirituals Concert series at Boston Conservatory at Berklee in Boston, MA. He has performed with the Nicholls State University Concert, Chamber, and Gospel Choirs. He has had the opportunity to participate the university’s Opera Workshop as a featured performer and chorus member. As a member of the university concert choir, He has performed with the Acadiana Symphony Orchestra and premiered a work by a composer with the university choir. One of his most revered opportunities was to perform for the outgoing Louisiana Poet Laureate, Mr. John Warner Smith. His most recent major performance was reprising his role as “The Lion” in a production of The Wiz with Rhodes and Rhodes Productions.
Darius is a member Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity. He is also a member of the following professional organizations: Louisiana Music Educators Association (LMEA), National Association for Music Education (NAFME), and the National Association of Negro Musicians.
Darius desires to offer his students voice lessons in a welcoming environment for exponential growth. He hopes to educate the musician and nurture an environment where students will become educated on life skills through the teaching of music.
Anna Stanley is pursuing a master’s in music performance at Louisiana State University and holds a Bachelor’s in Violin Performance with minors in Piano and Philosophy from the same university.
She is also a faculty member at the Kids Orchestra program and has previously taught at Music Tree Preparatory School and Dance Center and School of Performing Arts.
Anna performs with various local orchestras, including Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra, Acadiana Symphony Orchestra, and Rapides Symphony Orchestra.
Anna teaches violin, viola, piano, and chamber music in English and Russian.
Frank Tirado-Fontaines is a violinist from Venezuela with extensive experience playing in orchestras and teaching violin.
His musical career started at his home country in the massive musical education program El Sistema. There, he played in youth orchestras and studied with several violin professors such as Leonardo Hurtado and Heemath Jahoor. In Venezuela, he also took chamber music classes with the professors Florian Ebersberg and Adrian Ascanio.
From 2008 to 2014, Tirado taught young violinists of El Sistema and played in his hometown’s professional orchestra (OSEG). In 2014 he moved to Chile to play in orchestras and to teach young artists of this region.
He had participated in several festivals, chamber music courses, and masterclasses throughout his career such as New England Conservatory and FESNOJIV Seminar (2010), String Quartets Latin American Academy Seminar (2010), Dispotraining for musicians and teach to teach (2014, 2015, 2016), Internacional Music Festival FIMA (2020). In these events he had the opportunity of learning from international masters such as Levon Chillingirian, Nicholas Kitchen, Ingrid Zur, Jörg Heyer, Emmanuele Baldini and Erzhan Kulibaev.
Frank Tirado-Fontaines holds a master’s degree in violin performance at Louisiana State University with Professor Espen Lilleslatten. He teaches violin, viola, and chamber music in English and Spanish.
Ruth Roland is the director of Baton Rouge Conservatory and Baker Music Academy. She also teaches fiddle, piano for young children, viola, and violin.
Ruth holds a Master of Music degree in Violin Performance. In over thirty years of teaching, she has run a successful private violin studio, taught at Cornell University, and directed the string department at St. Joseph School of Music (St. Paul, MN’s largest community music school). She has served as adjudicator for Solo and Ensemble, All-State Orchestra, and the LMTA Strings Rally. The Louisiana Youth Orchestras and the Baton Rouge and Ithaca (NY) public schools have hosted her workshops. Ruth holds lifetime memberships in ASTA and ASCAP, and is a grant-winning composer.
Among her performance credits are shows with such artists as Smokey Robinson, Dionne Warwick, the Moody Blues, and Nashville legend Bryan White, as well as with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, the Baton Rouge Symphony, and Opéra Louisiane. She has played violin/fiddle both on and off-stage with companies such as Theater Baton Rouge and Swine Palace. One of her favorite shows to work on has been Always, Patsy Cline. A recording artist as well, she has worked on several CDs, both as a backup musician and as a member of the eclectic string band Water Bear, whose music can be heard on radio and television. She has played regularly at Grand Country Junction.
Ruth teaches a variety of styles, including classical, fiddle, and jazz. Her students sound good and have fun, some going on to conservatories and professional careers.
Ruth says: A few months before my 38th birthday, I had a stroke.
I couldn’t speak. My right side was paralyzed.
It was an entire month before I could even shrug my shoulder.
Little by little, I learned to play violin and piano again using these fun, student-friendly strategies that I will share with you or your child:
- Practice the physical motions away from the instrument.
Holding a violin bow or pressing a piano key uses the same muscles as holding a crayon or spoon, but in totally different ways.
To gain comfort, it’s helpful to practice those new skills using plush toys and chunky markers, games and songs.
- Use the entire instrument from Day 1.
Many methods restrict student access to the fingerboard or keyboard, only increasing bit by bit as students reach milestones.
This can cause anxiety when you are finally asked to venture outside the initial limits.
- Focus on musicality and expression from the earliest stages.
You don’t have to be an advanced player to make music.
Some folks need more encouragement, but everyone has something to say.
- Play by ear as soon as possible.
Once you can play a tune by ear, you will be free to play all your favorite songs.
Gain independence by learning to tune yourself.
I’ve played onstage with Nashville legend Brian White and in two productions of Always, Patsy Cline.
I’m still working to get my technique back to where it was.
Sometimes I feel like an ace detective investigating the cause of my crooked bowpath.
Other times I’m a master diagnostician prescribing an exercise or a sculptor chipping away at stone.
You and your child can share the tools I acquired getting my Master of Music in Violin Performance.It’s so freeing to solve your own problems!
I’ll be right there with you as we make our way toward excellence.
