Voice Faculty

Voice and Piano Faculty

Chungers Kim

Chungers Kim has established himself as a vibrant presence in the Chicago classical music scene since he moved to the city in early 2012. As a Music Director and vocal coach, he is very active in directing and/or playing for numerous rehearsals, shows, and recitals. He has directed and conducted many beloved Broadway shows such as: Beauty and the Beast, Guys and Dolls, Shrek the Musical, and The Sound of Music.

​

Mr. Kim is also an active concert soloist and opera singer. He has appeared as Masetto in Don Giovanni at The Bohemian National Cemetery, as Don Pasquale from Don Pasquale, as The Watchman from Maskarade, and as Schaunard from La Boheme. In the classical concert setting, Mr. Kim sang in Haydn’s Te Deum with VOX3 Collectives and Lakeview Orchestra, Handel’s Messiah with St. Croix Valley Orchestra, as well as J.S.Bach’s Cantata BWV131 with the UW-River Falls Concert Choir.

Voice and Piano Faculty

Tzu-Jung Jennifer Wang

​Taiwanese Soprano, Tzu-Jung Jennifer Wang is passionate about collaboration and continues to explore the vast music styles in different cultures. In 2024, Ms. Wang performed three concerts at the Mostly Modern Festival, in Saratoga Springs, NY. Ms. Wang appeared as Barbarina in the Chicago Summer Opera production of Le nozze di Figaro, and sang in Taiwan’s National Hall for the Peabody New Star Recital this past Summer. Ms. Wang holds a M.M. in Voice Performance & Pedagogy at the Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University. Ms. Wang's teaching emphasizes building trust through clear communication and gaining confidence through exploration and solidification of students' techniques

Voice Faculty

Ryan Frenk

Ryan Frenk is a singer-actor praised by the Houston Chronicle for “his voice clear, sweet, and cutting all at once.” He is in the regular rosters of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Grant Park Music Festival Chorus, and has sung leading roles with Thompson Street Opera and New Moon Opera in Chicago.

Everyone can sing. We unlock the singer’s self-confidence, while also working on the practical skills behind singing: matching pitch, sight-reading music, breath support, style, history, and professionalism. Students of his have been serious performers who’ve gone on to get music degrees, to adults that just need a creative outlet.

Master of Music in Vocal Performance and Pedagogy from University of Colorado Boulder (2023); Bachelor of Music from the University of Houston (2013); and graduate of the Houston Grand Opera High School Voice Studio (2009).

Voice and Piano Faculty

Catarine Hancock

Catarine Hancock is a mezzo-soprano originally from Lexington, Kentucky. She holds a Master of Music from Indiana University, studying with Jane Dutton. She earned her B.M. in Vocal Performance from the University of Kentucky. While at Indiana University, she performed Third Lady in the 2021 production of The Magic Flute, and originated the role of Margot Frank in the world premiere of Anne Frank in 2023. She has performed the role of Hansel in Hansel und Gretel at the Trentino Music Festival in Italy, as well as Rebecca Nurse in The Crucible and Zita in Gianni Schicchi, both with University of Kentucky Opera Theatre. She is the 2nd Place Undergraduate Winner of the 2017 Alltech Vocal Scholarship Competition, and a semi-finalist in the 2020, 2021, and 2022 Orpheus Vocal Competition. She has had 12 years of classical voice training, as well as several years of experience singing musical theatre, and nearly a decade of piano experience. She is also a skilled choral musician, having sung with prestigious ensembles such as UK Chorale, Indiana University’s NOTUS, and Chicago Chamber Choir. Her teaching philosophy is centered around building a strong foundation that can then be adapted to any genre.

Piano, Voice, and Acoustic Guitar Faculty

Elijah McTiernan

Elijah McTiernan is a singer/multi-instrumentalist based in Chicago. As a pianist, they specialize in lead sheet performance and music theory. As a guitarist and vocalist, they have honed their technique as one half of the harmony-heavy acoustic duo "Lake and Luke", having most recently played on Navy Pier for Harry Caray's Summer Music Series. They are also a theatre artist, having performed in union and non-union productions in Boston and Chicago. Elijah graduated from The University of Maine with a B.M in Music Education, developing an educational focus on teaching to the individual with an emphasis on intrinsic motivation.

Guitar, Ukulele, Bass, Mandolin,

Piano, and Voice Faculty

Mike Vinopal

Mike Vinopal is a guitarist and songwriter, best known as the founder of Chicago’s lyrical funk/soul band, Local Motive. Having worked with renowned producer/engineer Noam Wallenberg (Alan Parsons, Mac Miller) at Rax Trax Recording (Buddy Guy, George Clinton) on a large discography of original material, Mike's compositions can be found on all streaming platforms. Born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago, he was immersed in a musical family. His dad and uncles would often gather around the family piano with guitars to harmonize to their favorite Beatles' songs. Beginning piano lessons in kindergarten, Mike discovered his passion for guitar and other stringed instruments early in his teens, amassing an impressive collection of instruments throughout his life.

Voice and Piano Faculty

Sol Adam Lehman

Sol Adam Lehman is a countertenor and pianist in the Chicago area. Their recent performances include the role of Ottone in Handel’s Agrippina with Chicago Summer Opera and as Raphael in Jonathan Dove's Tobias and the Angel. Additionally, they starred in the live premiere of  David Shenton's On Call: COVID-19.

Lehman is passionate about Voice Science and is committed to providing a scientifically informed, individualized, and artistically sensitive approach to vocal education.

Lehman holds a B.A. in Music from Austin College and an M.M. in Voice Performance from Roosevelt University/Chicago College of Performing Arts. Lehman is a current student of Dr. Kari Ragan.

Voice and Piano Faculty

Nora Harstford  

Nora is a vocalist and music teacher with roots in jazz, folk, and contemporary music genres. Originally from Madison, Wisconsin, Nora spent her formative years attending rock music camps, participating in musicals, and performing vocal jazz competitively. After moving to Chicago, Nora attended the Chicago College of Performing Arts to earn a Bachelor's of Music. Recently she has performed around Chicago including venues like the Jazz Showcase, Fulton Street Collective, Jazz Union League Club, and much more. Her teaching mission is to create a welcoming and expressive environment for her students to grow and learn. 

Voice and Piano Faculty

Tiffany Melvin 

Born in Kalamazoo, MI, Tiffany Melvin holds a Bachelor's of Music focused in vocal performance and music education from Roosevelt University in Chicago, IL. As a performer, she is trained in the classical, music theater and jazz vocal technique. Tiffany's theatrical resume contains more than 30 roles ranging from Belle in Beauty and the Beast, to Lucy from The Beggars Opera. She has participated in masterclasses with notable composers and coaches, as well as placed in multiple competitions. As an educator, Tiffany’s motto is "To build musicians that are literate, expressive performers and conscious consumers of ALL kinds of music."

Voice and Piano Faculty

Joy Yelenosky                      

Joy Yelenosky has been involved in various prestigious international music programs from an early age. Joy received a full scholarship during her certification in Piano Performance from the “Conservatorio Julian Aguirre” in Argentina, where she took part of summer intensive training and annual examinations. She has been an active participant at the Florence Opera Seminar (Italy), the Torgau International Artist Workshop (Germany), and the Stonybrook International Piano festival of New York (NY). She was selected as a Young Steinway Talent to perform a full piano solo recital at the age of 16. 
 

Music has connected Joy to people all over the world and she’s looking forward to inspiring her students to reach for their dreams and musical goals. Joy obtained her Classical Voice Performance degree at the Chicago College of Performing Arts and obtained her Master's degree in Vocal Performance at Notre Dame University.

Voice and Piano Faculty

Cristina Rosheger

Cristina Rosheger is a soprano from the Chicagoland area. She recently completed her Bachelor’s Degree in Voice Performance at DePaul University, where she performed with the DePaul Opera Theatre and DePaul University Choirs. Summer study has taken her to Urbino, Italy and Graz, Austria where she studied language and culture along with operatic repertoire and technique. With two supportive teachers as parents, Ms. Rosheger has always felt nurtured to follow her passions, and works to inspire the same in the next generation of musicians.