SAINT ANDREW AVELLINO MUSIC PROGRAM: FACULTY BIOGRAPHIES

SAINT ANDREW AVELLINO MUSIC PROGRAM
FACULTY BIOGRAPHIES
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Eric B. Chernov
- Percussion Ensemble

Dr. Chernov received his Ph.D. in music theory from the University at Buffalo, an M.A. in music theory from Queens College (where he was the recipient of the Graduating Masters Award), and a B.M. in percussion from Mannes College of Music. He has taught at Mannes College of Music, The Boys Choir of Harlem, the University of Alabama, and Dowling College, among others. Dr. Chernov has given lecture-series courses on Mahler, Program and Incidental Music of the 19th century, Beethoven's Symphonies, British Rock Music of the 1960s, Pete Townshend, and American Masters of Song (concentrating on Charles Ives and Aaron Copland). He has coordinated or presented at several international, national and regional conferences. In addition to being a percussionist, music theorist, and composer, Dr. Chernov has led choirs and played organ at several churches. He is currently on the faculties of Queens College (CUNY), The Juilliard School's MAP program, and Mannes' Preparatory Division (where he is the former chair of the Theory department). He is a 2010 recipient of Queens College's "President's Award for Excellence in Teaching."

Ms. Larkin-Battista holds an M.A. in Vocal Performance: Music Theatre from NYU and a B.A. in Music Education from the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College, where she studied both voice and piano. She created the current music program at St. Andrew Avellino in September 1999 and has coordinated the program since then. Every summer, since 2001, she has directed the CPSM Musical Theatre Summer Workshop at Queens College, a program she also created. She is also on the faculty of the Musical Theatre Departmentat Long Island High School for the Arts. Ms. Larkin's private voice students have won numerous competitions, performed lead roles in many local and off-Broadway productions and have been accepted to the NYC Performing Arts High Schools (LaGuardia HS, Frank Sinatra HS, and PPAS) in both voice and drama, as well as top college programs in musical theater including Boston Conservatory, Ithaca College, Point Park, Emerson, UArts and NYU. She is currently studying voice with renowned Broadway actress/singer Judith Blazer and is a board member of Ms. Blazer's theater company, The Artist's Crossing. Recently Ms. Larkin has branched into the film/television industry, doing background/extra work on the television shows SMASH, Lipstick Jungle, 30 Rock, Gossip Girl, the feature film Doubt and in two commercials for Nike and Guinness. She most recently filmed a music video for the up and coming rockband Steel Phantoms as the featured part of the "Mom" and also performed in several cabaret shows at Don't Tell Mama in NYC, three of which she also directed. Other recent NYC theatrecredits include: Miss Bunny in the new musical "Molly Bloom-Lately" (at the New York Children's Theatre Festival), Claire Simmonds in "Bare: A Pop Opera" at The York Theatre and Eurydice in "Antigone" with The Storm Theatre Company. In May 2014 she had the incredible opportunity to create the lead role in the new musical "Evangeline, a Curious Journey" in a one-night performance at Adelphi University PAC. She is currently performing in the role of Sarah Lincoln in the off-Broadway musical Honestly Abe at the Actor's Temple Theatre in NYC (this past April marked her two-year anniversary with the production).

Ms. Liu began her musical studies in the Preparatory School of the Music Institute of China with cello at 8, piano at 12, and music composition at 14. She received her Bachelor of Music and Master of Arts degree from the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College where she received numerous awards including the Presser Foundation Scholarship and the Claire Bartels Freshman Award. There she studied cello with Barbara Mallow and Alexander Kouguell. Her chamber music teachers included cellist Steven Kates, violinist Daniel Phillip, pianists Morey Ritt and Gerald Robbins, among others. She attended Kneisel Hall Chamber Music Festival and Northwestern University Music Festival with full scholarships and performed chamber music with members from the New York Philharmonic. She has given numerous concerts at LeFrak Concert Hall at Queens College and soloed there with the Queens College Orchestra. She has also performed in such prestigious venues as Alice Tully Hall, Carnegie Hall, Merlin Hall, City Hall and a concert tour in Korea. Ms. Liu was an adjunct Professor at Aaron Copland School of Music and CPSM at Queens College from 1999-2003 where she taught Cello and Music Theory. She is currently a faculty member teaching String Orchestra at the Brooklyn Queens Conservatory of Music.

Eric B. Chernov - Percussion Ensemble	Dr. Chernov received his Ph.D. in music theory from the University at Buffalo, an M.A. in music theory from Queens College (where he was the recipient of the Graduating Masters Award), and a B.M. in percussion from Mannes College of Music. He has taught at Mannes College of Music, The Boys Choir of Harlem, the University of Alabama, and Dowling College, among others. Dr. Chernov has given lecture-series courses on Mahler, Program and Incidental Music of the 19th century, Beethoven's Symphonies, British Rock Music of the 1960s, Pete Townshend, and American Masters of Song (concentrating on Charles Ives and Aaron Copland). He has coordinated or presented at several international, national and regional conferences. In addition to being a percussionist, music theorist, and composer, Dr. Chernov has led choirs and played organ at several churches. He is currently on the faculties of Queens College (CUNY), The Juilliard School's MAP program, and Mannes' Preparatory Division (where he is the former chair of the Theory department). He is a 2010 recipient of Queens College's "President's Award for Excellence in Teaching."
TBA - Band	-----
Kimberly Larkin - Chorus - Program Director	Ms. Larkin-Battista holds an M.A. in Vocal Performance: Music Theatre from NYU and a B.A. in Music Education from the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College, where she studied both voice and piano. She created the current music program at St. Andrew Avellino in September 1999 and has coordinated the program since then. Every summer, since 2001, she has directed the CPSM Musical Theatre Summer Workshop at Queens College, a program she also created. She is also on the faculty of the Musical Theatre Departmentat Long Island High School for the Arts. Ms. Larkin's private voice students have won numerous competitions, performed lead roles in many local and off-Broadway productions and have been accepted to the NYC Performing Arts High Schools (LaGuardia HS, Frank Sinatra HS, and PPAS) in both voice and drama, as well as top college programs in musical theater including Boston Conservatory, Ithaca College, Point Park, Emerson, UArts and NYU. She is currently studying voice with renowned Broadway actress/singer Judith Blazer and is a board member of Ms. Blazer's theater company, The Artist's Crossing. Recently Ms. Larkin has branched into the film/television industry, doing background/extra work on the television shows SMASH, Lipstick Jungle, 30 Rock, Gossip Girl, the feature film Doubt and in two commercials for Nike and Guinness. She most recently filmed a music video for the up and coming rockband Steel Phantoms as the featured part of the "Mom" and also performed in several cabaret shows at Don't Tell Mama in NYC, three of which she also directed. Other recent NYC theatrecredits include: Miss Bunny in the new musical "Molly Bloom-Lately" (at the New York Children's Theatre Festival), Claire Simmonds in "Bare: A Pop Opera" at The York Theatre and Eurydice in "Antigone" with The Storm Theatre Company. In May 2014 she had the incredible opportunity to create the lead role in the new musical "Evangeline, a Curious Journey" in a one-night performance at Adelphi University PAC. She is currently performing in the role of Sarah Lincoln in the off-Broadway musical Honestly Abe at the Actor's Temple Theatre in NYC (this past April marked her two-year anniversary with the production).
Clare Liu - String Ensemble - Piano	Ms. Liu began her musical studies in the Preparatory School of the Music Institute of China with cello at 8, piano at 12, and music composition at 14. She received her Bachelor of Music and Master of Arts degree from the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College where she received numerous awards including the Presser Foundation Scholarship and the Claire Bartels Freshman Award. There she studied cello with Barbara Mallow and Alexander Kouguell. Her chamber music teachers included cellist Steven Kates, violinist Daniel Phillip, pianists Morey Ritt and Gerald Robbins, among others. She attended Kneisel Hall Chamber Music Festival and Northwestern University Music Festival with full scholarships and performed chamber music with members from the New York Philharmonic. She has given numerous concerts at LeFrak Concert Hall at Queens College and soloed there with the Queens College Orchestra. She has also performed in such prestigious venues as Alice Tully Hall, Carnegie Hall, Merlin Hall, City Hall and a concert tour in Korea. Ms. Liu was an adjunct Professor at Aaron Copland School of Music and CPSM at Queens College from 1999-2003 where she taught Cello and Music Theory. She is currently a faculty member teaching String Orchestra at the Brooklyn Queens Conservatory of Music.
Charles Wang - String Ensemble Asst. Director - Piano - Guitar Ensemble	Charles Wang was appointed Principal Conductor of the All City High School Orchestra in September 2006. Prior to to this prestigious appointment, Mr. Wang served as an associate and an assistant since 2003. Mr. Wang received his Bachelor and Masters Degree in Music from the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College. As a young cello student of 16, he made rapid progress, which secured him a full scholarship to college. As a cello major, he studied with such prestigious cellists as Barbara Mallow, Vagram Saradjian and Alexandar Kouguell. Additionally, he studied chamber music under the tutelage of cellist Steven Kates, violinists, Daniel Philips, Myron Kartman and Glen Dicterow, and pianists Morey Ritt and Gerald Robbins. While at Queens College, Mr. Wang had memorable performances that included: premiering works by the legendary Jazz pianist Sir Roland Hanna, and Joel Mandelbaum, recorded works by composer Edward Smaldone, solo appearances with both symphonic and chamber orchestras (where he was the principal cellist for several years) and other notable performances with the schools's faculty. Other performances have taken him to such prestigious venues as Alice Tully Hall, Carnegie Hall, Merkin Hall, Lefrak Concert Hall and Flushing Town Hall. Mr. Wang is currently the director and conductor of the Bayside High School Orchestra where his ensemble was awarded "gold with distinction" by the New York State School of Music Association. He has also been invited to the lead the orchestra of World Journal, the largest Chinese Newspaper in North America, for a concert tour in Boston, performing at the Walnut Hill School of Music and Faneuil Hall at Quincy Market. He was named "Teacher of the Year" by "Who's Who among America's Teachers" in 2004 and 2005, and he was also a Disney Nominee for "Disney Teacher of the Year" in 2006. Other awards include Discimus Servimus Music Award, the Claire Bartels Award in Music, the Adele Lerner Prize in Chamber Music and the Allen Cohen Memorial Award.

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