BIOGRAPHY
Michele is an internationally recognized guitar teacher who began teaching the Suzuki method in the year 2000. She has worked with hundreds of children and families throughout her career, now entering its 21st year. Michele completed her Suzuki guitar training with the creators of the Suzuki guitar pedagogy: Frank Longay and Bill Kossler; as well as David Madsen (University of Hartford) and Andrea Cannon (TX). Prior to her Suzuki training, she studied for four years with Kevin Gallagher (1993 GFA winner) and for two years with Frederic Hand (award winning composer and long time guitarist of the Metropolitan Opera).
Michele is the Head of the Suzuki Guitar Department at the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music (2008 - present) where her students have won auditions to perform in Master Classes for Scott Tennant (LAGQ) William Kanengiser (LAGQ), Nicholas Goluses (Eastman School of Music), João Luiz (Brazilian Guitar Duo, SUNY Purchase), Colin Davin (Cleveland Institute of Music), Berta Rojas (Berklee College of Music) Ana Vidovíc and Sharon Isbin (Juilliard). Her advanced ensemble was featured at the Suzuki Association of the Americas Conference in 2016 and her students have performed at SAA Conferences in 2014, 2016 and 2018. She has successfully guided many students through all nine volumes of Suzuki repertoire. She currently has students enrolled in LaGuardia High School for the Performing Arts (NYC). In 2019, one of her students became the youngest participant in the prestigious Aspen Music Festival, the premier classical music festival in the United States.
Michele was the String Director of the State College Suzuki Program (PA) from 2003-2007. Her students were the youngest featured group at the Ithaca College Winter Guitar Festival (2004). They were also the only American guitar group to win an audition to perform a featured concert at the Suzuki World Convention in Torino, Italy (2006). Several of Michele’s students have continued their studies with concert artist Jason Vieaux (Cleveland Institute of Music) and Frank Koonce (Arizona State University).
In 2007, Michele moved back to her hometown of Cos Cob, CT and joined the faculty of the Greenwich Suzuki Academy for 12 years. In 2008 Michele was on the faculty of the first International Suzuki Guitar Festival in Santa Clara, CA. In 2009, she was on the guitar faculty of the 14th Suzuki World Convention in Melbourne, Australia. Additionally, in 2017 she was one of three judges for the prestigious Beatty Scholarship Competition (Washington, D.C.)
Michele is the author of Life Lens: Seeing Your Children in Color. She is a sought out consultant to Suzuki schools, parents and educators around the world as well as an in demand clinician at Suzuki workshops and Institutes across the U.S.
Michele is the Head of the Suzuki Guitar Department at the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music (2008 - present) where her students have won auditions to perform in Master Classes for Scott Tennant (LAGQ) William Kanengiser (LAGQ), Nicholas Goluses (Eastman School of Music), João Luiz (Brazilian Guitar Duo, SUNY Purchase), Colin Davin (Cleveland Institute of Music), Berta Rojas (Berklee College of Music) Ana Vidovíc and Sharon Isbin (Juilliard). Her advanced ensemble was featured at the Suzuki Association of the Americas Conference in 2016 and her students have performed at SAA Conferences in 2014, 2016 and 2018. She has successfully guided many students through all nine volumes of Suzuki repertoire. She currently has students enrolled in LaGuardia High School for the Performing Arts (NYC). In 2019, one of her students became the youngest participant in the prestigious Aspen Music Festival, the premier classical music festival in the United States.
Michele was the String Director of the State College Suzuki Program (PA) from 2003-2007. Her students were the youngest featured group at the Ithaca College Winter Guitar Festival (2004). They were also the only American guitar group to win an audition to perform a featured concert at the Suzuki World Convention in Torino, Italy (2006). Several of Michele’s students have continued their studies with concert artist Jason Vieaux (Cleveland Institute of Music) and Frank Koonce (Arizona State University).
In 2007, Michele moved back to her hometown of Cos Cob, CT and joined the faculty of the Greenwich Suzuki Academy for 12 years. In 2008 Michele was on the faculty of the first International Suzuki Guitar Festival in Santa Clara, CA. In 2009, she was on the guitar faculty of the 14th Suzuki World Convention in Melbourne, Australia. Additionally, in 2017 she was one of three judges for the prestigious Beatty Scholarship Competition (Washington, D.C.)
Michele is the author of Life Lens: Seeing Your Children in Color. She is a sought out consultant to Suzuki schools, parents and educators around the world as well as an in demand clinician at Suzuki workshops and Institutes across the U.S.
