Music Faculty
Fusun Alpakin Naska
Co-Founder / Director of Music Department / Violin / Ensemble
Mrs. Fusun Naska is a native of Turkey, she started playing violin at the age of eight as a student of well-known composer and violinist Ekrem Zeki Un and Prof. Yusuf Guler Aksoz. After she graduated Istanbul State Conservatory, in 1988, she worked for 10 years in Istanbul State Opera and Ballet Orchestra as assistant-concertmaster.
Hulya Alpakin Luthi
Piano Instructor
Hulya Alpakin is a native of Turkey and holds a Bachelor's degree in piano from Istanbul State Conservatory, a Master's degree in piano performance, and an Artist Diploma, both from the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University. She has been performing internationally as soloist, as part of ensembles, and as accompanist. Her performances were featured on the radio and as well as on records, among them compositions especially dedicated to her.
Bryan Albert
Guitar
Bryan Albert-Guitar, M.M., Northwestern University; B.M., Northeastern Illinois University. Bryan is an active performer in Chicago and the surrounding suburbs, and a faculty member of Southport Performing Arts Conservatory, McGaw YMCA, and Sherwood, the Community Music School at Columbia College.
Lindsay Williams
Percussion Instructor
Lindsay began playing in fourth grade in Olathe, Kansas. He performed extensively with every ensemble that would let him: Concert Band, Pep Band, Jazz band and was a member of the Kansas City Youth Symphony. This led him to go to The University of Michigan where he studied with Dr. Michael Udow, Julie Spencer, Salvatore Rabbio, and Michael Gould. He graduated with a bachelor degree in Instrumental Music Education.
Sarah Ritch
Piano / Theory Solfege / Sing & Play
Sarah J. Ritch was introduced to music early in life through various instrumental studies encouraged by a very musical family. Though encouraged in the classics, Sarah found herself playing guitar and bass in several Punk and Metal bands between 1996 and 2003, eventually leading to an interest in composition. In 1999, Sarah began her formal musical training in cello performance studying with Moonlight Tran, Assistant Principal of the Las Vegas Philharmonic Orchestra and Dr. Andrew Smith.