Category: Sugihara

Michael is a musician, writer and educator with a lifelong passion for creative endeavor and unique musical collaborations. He is a former Director of the International Studio of Music, home to the legendary American Institute of  Guitar, former President of the New York City Classical Guitar Society, and former staff instructor and Assistant Director at… Continue reading Michael Barry

Known for her versatility and flair for improvisation, cellist Mary Wooten’s musical endeavors have taken her to concert halls, avant-garde clubs, and jazz festivals around the world.  A founding member of the Soldier and Sirius string quartets, Ms. Wooten is one of the pioneers who helped propel the classical string world toward new ventures with… Continue reading Mary Wooten

Daniel Dorrance, woodwinds received his musical education at The Mannes College of Music in New York City and New Jersey City University. Daniel has toured extensively throughout South America and South East Asia and Europe with several musical and Broadway shows including George Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess, Phantom Of The Opera and Kiss Of The… Continue reading Daniel Dorrance

Yanko Valdes (bass) holds a Bachelor in Music degree from Hunter college and studied privately with Carlos Franzetti, Santi Debriano, Kiyoto Fujiwara and Hugo Moraga. Yanko is a bass instructor at the International Studio of Music and a member of the Department of Education of the City of New York. He has been involved in… Continue reading Yanko Valdes

Debra Kreisberg has performed in a wide range of genres, from jazz, Latin, klezmer and funk to classical and musical theater. A graduate of Eastman School of Music with an MM in Jazz Studies from Manhattan School of Music, she currently performs, composes, arranges, and records with the Internationally renowned klezmer bands Metropolitan Klezmer and… Continue reading Debra Kreisberg

Sonoko was born and educated in Japan, where she was a registered nurse and a licensed teacher of Ikebana, Japanese flower arranging. After relocating to New York City, Sonoko studied English and literature at Columbia University’s American Language Program and history and literature at Marymount Manhattan College. She continues to study English literature, especially poetry,… Continue reading Sonoko Niswander

Thomas Osborne was born in Akron, Ohio. After receiving his BA degree from Augustana College, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, 1974, he completed his post graduate studies earning a Masters of Divinity studying at Methesco Seminary, Delaware, Ohio, 1978.  During this course of study he also studied at St. John’s College, Durham University in Durham, England,… Continue reading Thomas Osborne

Arie Kutz is a world-renowned Israeli architect. He completed his BA at the Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa and his MA at the Tokyo Institute of Technology. Mr. Kutz is a co-founder of Nir-Kutz Architects in Israel.  From 1990 to 1996 Mr. Kutz was member of the Central City Planning Team at the Tel… Continue reading Arie Kutz

Simonas Dovidavicius was born in 1960 in Lithuania. He graduated from the Kaunus Polytechnic Institute in engineering studies in 1984.  He received the interviewer certification from the Steven Spielberg Visual History Foundation in 1996 and the guide certificate from the State Tourism department in 2002. From 1983 to 1990, Mr. Dovidavicius was a deputy director… Continue reading Simonas Dovidavicius

Yony Golan was born in Hedera, Israel 1980. When he was 8, he joined the “The Federation of Working and Studying Youth” an Israeli youth movement, a sister movement of the Labor party. The movement was founded in 1924 by the Youth in order to defend their rights. At the age 15, Yoni had his… Continue reading Shoko and Yoni Golan