Faculty

The McHenry County Music Center (MCMC) offers private instruction in orchestral instruments, piano, guitar, voice and musicianship at our facility in Crystal Lake. Seven private studios and one larger rehearsal room/classroom are available for lessons. Lessons may be offered for any instrument where we have potential students totaling at least three hours of instruction. Lessons may be scheduled during the day (for pre-school and home-school students and adults with flexible schedules), after school, and evenings.

VIOLIN

Joanna Bryk-Roberts began playing violin at the age of seven. She studied in Academy of Music in Krakow, Poland, and received Bachelor of Music in Violin Performance from DePaul University, where she studied with violin professors Joseph Genualdi and Ilya Kaler.

She performed with chamber orchestras in Poland, Switzerland, Germany and even Spanish Court. She played in the Chicago area with the Lira Ensemble, Rockford Symphony Orchestra, Advent Chamber Orchestra, New Millennium Orchestra of Chicago and other various chamber groups.

She teaches in the traditional method using elements of Suzuki training and her goal as teacher is to work on improving right and left hand techniques, finding the deep, rich sounds of instruments and discovering great pieces of music, so the students can express their talents.

VIOLIN AND VIOLA

David Katz is an active performer and teacher in the Chicagoland area. He currently performs with the Lake Forest Symphony, Joffrey Ballet, Symphony II, Ravinia Festival Orchestra, Chicago Opera Theater and Chicago Sinfonietta. As a teacher in the traditional method, Mr. Katz comes to us as a seasoned instructor of both beginning and advanced students. Mr. Katz received his musical training from The New School of Music, Philadelphia, PA; Temple University, Philadelphia, PA; and Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA. He currently teaches at Willow Brook High School, Waldorf School and Loyola Academy.

Janet Kvam-Holub holds the bachelors degree from Stephens College in Columbia, MO, the masters degree from the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor) and the doctorate from the University of Missouri (Kansas City). She has taught. She was principal 2nd violin in St. Joseph Symphony, St. Joseph, Mo, before moving to this area.

She has taught in colleges and public schools in South Dakota and Missouri. Following her recent move to Illinois she has begun teaching privately both for (MC)2 and at Dundee-Crown High School. She serves as assistant conductor of the Strolling Strings at Lake Zurich High School . She currently substitutes in the Rockford Symphony and is the conductor of MCYO Prelude Orchestra

Desislava Tantcheva holds both the bachelor and master degrees from the State Academy of Music is Sofia, Bulgaria. Prior to moving to the U.S. in 1996 she was the principal violist for the Sophia Chamber Orchestra, playing more than 200 concerts on 5 European tours. She also played section viola in the National Radio Symphony Orchestra in Sofia, Bulgaria and the Academy Symphony Orchestra sponsored by the Ministry of Culture. “Desi” was a member of the highly regarded European Youth Symphony Orchestra which performed in 1995 in Louxembourg, Cultural Capital of Europe for that year. Currently, Desi performs with the Illinois Symphony Orchestra, the Northbrook Symphony Orchestra, the Northwest Symphony Orchestra and is the principal violist for the newly founded Lake County Symphony Orchestra. Teaching both traditional and Suzuki methods, Desi is also on the faculty of the People’s School of Music in Chicago and Lake County Music Center in Lindenhurst, IL, where she teaches both violin and viola. She is also a member of the Chicago based string quartet, Foglia.

VIOLONCELLO

Kenneth Kang earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Cello Performance form Han Yang University School of Music in Seoul, Korea, and his DMA in Cello Performance from the American Conservatory of Music in Chicago, IL. He was principal cello with the National Symphony Orchestra in Seoul, Korea before becoming principal cello with the Taiwan Symphony Orchestra. He has taught private lessons since 1973 in Korea, Taiwan and the US.

His teachers have included, Janos Starker, Helga Winold and Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi. In addition He is currently an adjunct music faculty member at McHenry County College.

Anita Hwang has a bachelor degree in Piano from Tainan College of Art and Technology, Taiwan, a bachelors degree in Cello Performance, a Masters degree in Cello Performance and a Master degree in Orchestra Study in Cello from Chicago College of Performing Arts of Roosevelt University, Chicago, Ill. Ms Hwang has played in orchestras in Taiwan and the United States since 1984, including the Taiwan Symphony Orchestra. She was principal cellist for Kaohsiung City Symphony Orchestra. She is a soloist and actively performing in recitals and chamber music. She was cellist of Omaha Conservatory of Music Piano Trio and performs at Omaha Chamber Music Society and The Organ Vesper Series. Ms. Hwang has her private cello studio and is the cello instructor at Northwest Indiana Suzuki School, Valparaiso High School, and adjunct faculty at McHenry County College. She also coaches chamber music, serves as cello sectional coach of public schools and youth orchestras. Her principal teachers include John Sharp, Stephen Balderston, Richard Hirschl, Natalia Khoma, and Kim Scholes.

Ms. Hwang has been actively teaching cello and piano since 1985, and is also an experienced, registered Suzuki teacher and accomplished piano teacher and accompanist.

FLUTE

Jean Bishop has a Bachelor of Music degree in Performance from the Chicago Musical College of Roosevelt University. Ms. Bishop has taught flute privately for over 25 years from beginner children and adults to college-level flute minors. She has studied with Ralph Johnson of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Jean Berkenstock from the Lyric Opera of Chicago and Mardele Combs Marcellus of the Montreal Symphony. She is principal flute with the Elgin Symphony Orchestra and principal piccolo with the Rockford Symphony Orchestra among others.

OBOE & ENGLISH HORN

Shawna Lake received her B.M. in oboe performance from Illinois Wesleyan University and her M.M. also in oboe performance from Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. She has performed with the Mannheim Steamroller, Ray Charles, Chicago Sinfonietta, the pop group, “Chicago”, Yanni, Elgin Symphony Orchestra, City Lights Orchestra, Rockford Symphony Orchestra and Civic Orchestra of Chicago. She also founded the Audubon Chamber Players and was a member of the Kammermusik Faculty Quintet at Trinity University. Previously, Ms. Lake has taught oboe at the Music Institute of Chicago, Trinity University, Harper College, McHenry County College, and Great Lakes Music Camp at Butler University.

CLARINET & SAXOPHONE

Bill Olsen has been active in the Chicago area as a private teacher and professional musician for over 15 years. Mr. Olsen received his B.A. from the University of Missouri-St. Louis and his M.M. in performance from the St. Louis Conservatory of Music. He is a member of the South Bend Symphony and Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra. Mr. Olsen has performed with the St. Louis Symphony under Leonard Slatkin and Erich Leinsdorf, toured Switzerland with the Chicago Sinfonietta, and been featured as a soloist in concerts sponsored by the Chicago Park District. He has also performed with such artists as Jerry Lewis and Manhattan Transfer. Mr. Olsen studied clarinet with George Silfies and Tina Ward, bass clarinet with James Meyer and William Helmers, and saxophone with Fred Baranyai. He currently teaches clarinet, bass clarinet, contra clarinet, and saxophone at Willowbrook H.S., Niles North H.S., and Maine East H.S.

TRUMPET

Andy Malovance – As a graduate of the DePaul University School of Music, Andy has studied trumpet with Matt Lee, John Hagstrom, and David Inmon. He is an active freelance trumpeter in the Chicago area and is currently principal cornet with the international award winning Chicago Brass Band. In 2008 and 2010, Andy won first prize in the North American Brass Band Association high brass technical solo competition. In addition to teaching trumpet at MCMC, Andy is an instrumental music instructor at London Middle School in Wheeling.

His teaching experience includes working with sectionals at Wood Oaks Junior High in Northbrook and Lake Zurich High School in Lake Zurich.

His students have ranged in age from 8-18 years.

PIANO

Anita Hwang has a Bachelors degree in Piano from Tainan College of Art and Technology in Taiwan and a Bachelors degree in Cello Performance, a Masters degree in Cello Performance and a Masters degree in Orchestra Study in Cello from Chicago College of Performing Arts of Roosevelt University in Chicago, IL. Ms. Hwang has played in orchestras in Taiwan and the US since 1984, including the Taiwan Symphony Orchestra. She was principal cellist for Kaohsiung City Symphony Orchestra. She is a soloist and actively performs in recitals and plays chamber music, she is the cellist of Omaha Conservatory of Music Piano Trio, and performs at Omaha Chamber Music Society and the Organ Vesper Series. Ms. Hwang has her own private cello studio, is the cello instructor at Northwest Indiana Suzuki School, Valparaiso High School and is an adjunct faculty at McHenry County College. She also coaches chamber music and serves as cello sectional coach of public schools and youth orchestras. Her principal teachers include John Sharp, Stephen Balderton, Natalie Home and more. Ms. Hwang has actively taught cello and piano since 1985 and is an experienced, registered Suzuki teacher and an accomplished piano teacher and accompanist.

VOICE

Marie Ann Vos received a B.A. degree from Carleton College and hold a Master of Arts in Education and a Ph.D. degree in historical musicology from Washington University in St. Louis. She was apart of the faculty at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas teaching studio voice, music history, and conducted the Women’s Chorus. She was a music faculty member at McHenry County College from 1968-1970, teaching music appreciation, studio voice, and conducted the College Choir. Marie Ann has maintained a private voice studio in Crystal Lake since 1968. She is a Suzuki parent and co-founded MCYO in 1980. In 1986 she was appointed Executive Director of MCMC at its founding and retired in 2005.