Piano/Voice

Jessica has studied flute and piano privately since she was in middle school. She holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in Flute Performance from Northwestern University and the University of Louisville. She also recently completed her Master of Music Education degree at Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music. Jessica performs on flute and piccolo with the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra and the Columbus Indiana Philharmonic. Jessica has been teaching piano and flute for the Stafford Music Academy since 2008.

Mary Allen-Lynch has an extensive musical background with over 40 years in music education and music performance. Having taught piano, flute, voice lessons, and Music History for over twenty years at Culver Academies, a college preparatory boarding school in Northern Indiana,  she brings a wealth of teaching and performing experience to her current students at Stafford Music Academy. Her teaching philosophy has always been that of an artist-teacher, as well as being student centered. She believes wholeheartedly in meeting students where they are in terms of individual learning styles and their personal goals for studying music. Mary believes in using a variety of methods, techniques, and technology to help students learn and grow as musicians. She includes elements of music theory as a natural part of the early learning process.

Mary Allen-Lynch holds a Bachelor of General Studies from Indiana University with a focus on Music, Folklore and German. She also holds a Masters in Music and Arts Technology from Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. She is a seasoned professional and has played the piano for over 50 years since the age of 6. She studied privately with Purden Lausten and Thomas Lawston in her early years of piano. In addition to piano, Mary Allen-Lynch began studying flute at the age of 10. She continues performing on both flute and piccolo in the Bloomington Community Band and the Bloomington Community Band Flute Choir. She was also very active in teaching, coaching and performing with the Music Theater program at Culver Academies. In 2012 she traveled with and coached a student theater group’s musical production during performances at The Fringe Festival in Edinburgh Scotland. She has accompanied extensively and enjoys working with and supporting soloists.

In addition to teaching at Culver Academies, she has also maintained a private teaching studio working with both children and adults of all ages throughout her professional life. She has worked extensively as a musician within various worship traditions and spaces, playing piano, organ, flute and as a song leader.  Locally, she currently sings in the soprano section of the choir at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Bloomington, as well as accompanying the choir at Beth Shalom on occasion.

Another part of Mary’s musical life is volunteering locally with music and memory sessions, utilizing the power of music within the brain to positively impact the lives of those with dementia and Alzheimer’s, their families, and caregivers. She currently volunteers at Better Day Club and Gentry Park’s memory care residence. Mary Allen-Lynch has traveled and lived abroad for long periods of time, including Malaysia and Japan. She counts her years of living in many diverse cultures as a hugely formative factor in her education. She teaches music so that others may find their voice and enjoy the many benefits that music lessons and education bring to the quality of life.

Cindy has been teaching piano lessons for over thirty years and is an expert in the field of young children’s music programs. She received Kindermusik training under the program’s writer and founder Lorna Heyge. She is also trained and certified in the Yamaha Music Education System. Cindy is the music director at McDoel Baptist Church and sings soprano in the Bloomington Chamber Singers. Cindy has been teaching with Stafford Music Academy since March of 2006.

Mezzo-soprano Patricia Stiles is a professor of music in voice who has taught at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music since 1998.

Stiles’ students have appeared with many of the major young artist programs and in opera houses across the United States, including Merola, Des Moines Metro Opera, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Glimmerglass, Ravinia/Steans Institute, Central City Opera, Arizona Opera, Santa Fe Opera, Chautauqua Opera and many more.

Stiles’ students have been winners of numerous competitions, including, most recently, the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, Hilde Zadek Vocal Competition, Indianapolis Matinee musicale, Sullivan Foundation Career Grant Competition, and National Association of Teachers of Singing.

Stiles has enjoyed a successful 20-year international singing career, during which she has performed over 70 operatic roles, including Carmen, Dalila, Eboli, Octavian, Orpheus, Ortrud, Erda, Rosina, Hansel, Komponist, Dorabella, and Cherubino, in such houses as the National Theater (Munich), Semperoper (Dresden), Leipzig Opera, Dusseldorf Opera, Washington National Opera (Kennedy Center), and Indianapolis Opera, among many others. She has made concert and recital appearances throughout Germany and the United States, as well as in Austria, Italy, Russia, Mexico, the Czech Republic, and Canada.

Jacob Burk is an award-winning violist, educator, and creative entrepreneur dedicated to reshaping the role of music in both personal and public life. He is currently pursuing his Doctor of Music degree at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music under the mentorship of Atar Arad. A certified Suzuki instructor, Jacob maintains an active private studio across the Northeast and Midwest and has held faculty roles at institutions including the Music School of Delaware. His solo and chamber performances—recognized for their emotional depth and “otherworldly sound”—have been featured by The Violin Channel and Music for Food, and he has performed with ensembles such as the Delaware Symphony Orchestra and Opera Delaware. He is also the founder of Arcpoint Creative, a platform supporting musicians through media, storytelling, and educational tools. His work in music and mental health has been presented nationally, and published in journals like the Suzuki Journal. Jacob performs on a rare Nicolas Audinot viola generously loaned by the Virtu Foundation. For more about Jacob, visit www.jacobburk.com

Affiliations: Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, Certified Suzuki Instructor, Arcpoint Creative LLC, Music School of Delaware (former faculty)

Soprano, Lillie Judge is a native of Charlotte, North Carolina and holds a Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance and Sacred Music from Westminster Choir College and a Master of Music in Voice Performance with a Certificate in Vocology from Indiana University. She is currently pursuing a Doctor of Music degree in Voice Performance and Literature at IU under the tutelage of Dr. Brian Gill.

Lillie has over 8 years of teaching experience, including piano and voice lessons, as well as choral direction. Her teaching philosophy centers on the student and achieving their musical aesthetic goals while building sustainable techniques, so music-making can become an enjoyable and empowering experience regardless of age and ability.

Lillie’s most recent performance credits include Rosalinde in the Fall 2024 production of Die Fledermaus with IU Opera, Despina in John Davies’ The Three Little Pigs, Red Song Bird in the premiere of Zach Redler’s The Red Song Bird at the inaugural Children’s Opera Festival in Columbia, SC, and Mrs. Edith Frank in the World Premiere of Anne Frank at IU. During her time at Westminster, Judge sang and toured with Westminster Choir and performed Bach’s B minor Mass under the baton of Yannick Nézet-Séguin with Westminster Symphonic Choir and the Philadelphia Orchestra.

 

Nicholas Hilliard has been immersed in a variety of music from a very young age. The son of two piano and voice teachers, pedagogy has been in his life as early as he can remember. Singing in over a dozen choirs and competing successfully in both traditional choir and vocal jazz, Nick has a variety of experience in musical theater, pop music, a cappella groups, religious choral groups, jazz, and more. Nick is also an avid jazz and classical pianist, playing in multiple jazz combos and jazz band, as well as accompanying classical and musical theater vocalists, choirs, and instrumentalists. Nick is currently earning his masters degree in cello performance, and is a member of the Kuttner quartet, the student quartet in residence at Indiana University.

Abigail Wilson, a recent alumna of the Eastman School of Music, holds a Bachelor of Music in Instrumental Music Education. At Eastman, she studied piano with Elinor Freer as well as secondary violin for two years with Angela Kim. In addition to performing regularly as a soloist on piano, notably for outreach concerts affiliated with her studio and most recently for the 2025 Piano Institute at the Brevard Music Center Summer Festival, she also has performed as a collaborative pianist and as a violinist with the University of Rochester Symphony Orchestra. During her undergraduate career, Abby held several teaching positions for local programs in Rochester like the ROCmusic Collaborative, where she taught violin to underserved students in the Rochester Central School District, and the Eastman Community Music School, where she taught musicianship for the Theory in Motion program. In the fall of 2024, she completed her student teaching in Webster, New York, and was later hired by the district as a substitute teacher where she regularly substituted in the first half of 2025, most especially in special education classrooms. Outside of these engagements, she has been active on the Eastman Ushering Crew and with the National Association for Music Educators, for which she held both the Vice President and Secretary positions within the Eastman Chapter. 

Abby currently attends the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University, where she is pursuing her Master of Music Education. She is excited to continue her music education studies by stepping into the research and piano pedagogy spaces, and she especially looks forward to continuing her piano studies.

Joseph Stiefel is a dedicated piano teacher and accomplished musician based in Bloomington. He holds master’s degrees in piano performance and musicology from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, where he also taught piano and music theory as an associate instructor. His academic research focused on the piano music of American composer Margaret Bonds.

Joseph grew up in Victor, Iowa, and earned his bachelor’s degrees in piano performance and mathematics from the University of Iowa. While there, he won the MTNA state piano competition, recognizing his skill and artistry at the keyboard.

With years of teaching experience, Joseph works with piano students of all ages and skill levels. He believes that studying music is a lifelong gift—one that nurtures creativity, confidence, and critical thinking. Grateful for the remarkable teachers who have shaped his own journey, he strives to make the same impact by creating a supportive and engaging learning environment for each of his students.

When he’s not at the piano, Joseph volunteers at the Community Kitchen, sings in the choir at First United Church, enjoys cooking delicious food, and exploring local parks with his husband and their golden retriever.

Gennavieve is a Doctoral student in Oboe Performance at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, where she also earned her Master’s degree in 2024. At IU, she has performed with the University Philharmonic, Symphony, and Concert Orchestras, as well as the University Wind Ensemble and Concert Band. She is a recipient of the prestigious Jacobs Fellowship and has maintained a 4.0 GPA throughout her graduate studies.
She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Woodwind Performance from Florida State University, where she also completed certificate minors in Music Entrepreneurship and Classics. At FSU, she performed with the Studio Orchestra, University Philharmonia, Wind Ensemble, and Concert Band. She was an active member of Sigma Alpha Iota, serving as Chapter Treasurer and Fundraising Co-Chair, and worked as a woodwind consultant for the Javacya Youth Orchestra.
Passionate about both performance and education, Gennavieve is committed to sharing music in a variety of settings—from university ensembles to community performances and volunteer opportunities. She has been recognized on the Dean’s and President’s Lists and received the Lucilla Gumm and Wiley Housewright Memorial Scholarships, among other honors.
Coming from a musical family, she aims to make music meaningful and accessible to others. Her goals include performing in a professional orchestra and teaching at the collegiate level.

A native of Pensacola, Florida, soprano Laura Looper received her Bachelor’s degree in voice with a minor in Italian at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, and she is currently continuing her studies there as a masters student. Laura has a passion for teaching and taught at Kabarak University, an organization that provides virtual private voice lessons to students in Kenya during her undergraduate years. Laura has performed with the IU Opera Theater in the roles of Adele in Die Fledermaus and Johanna in Sweeney Todd. Additionally, she has sung in the choruses for Highway One USA, Candide, Romeo et Juliette, and most recently, the chorus in the world premiere of Mason Bates’ The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay in collaboration with the Metropolitan Opera. Recently, Laura was a young artist at the Brevard Music Center, where she performed as Tina in Flight and sang in the choruses for La Bohème and The Threepenny Opera. Past roles include Atalanta in Serse with Chicago Summer Opera, Barbarina in Le nozze di Figaro at the Utah Vocal Arts Academy. She has also covered the role of Despina in Così fan tutte at the Tel Aviv Summer Opera. She was the first-place winner in the 2023 Indiana Matinee Musicale Collegiate Competition and a recipient of the 2021 Pock and Blumberg Merit Award from the National Society of Arts and Letters. Aside from singing and teaching, Laura enjoys playing the piano and has a passion for the Italian language.

Violinist Arianna Pope is a recent graduate of Oberlin Conservatory. A native of California, she enjoys a varied and dynamic career that centers around chamber music and community involvement. She was named the 2023 and 2024 Michael Davis Fellow of the Lancaster Festival Orchestra, and has appeared as a soloist with the Eastern Sierra Chamber Orchestra. She has performed at venues such as the Walt Disney Concert Hall and Carnegie Hall, has held the concertmaster position of the Oberlin Baroque Orchestra, and has performed with artists such as Elinor Frey, Brian Schuldt, Corey Cerovsek, and Steven Vanhauwaert. Arianna began her studies with Rebecca Hang of the Felici Trio, and continued her education with Stephanie Sant’Ambrogio and Francesca de Pasquale. Additional mentors include Marilyn McDonald, Kirsten Docter, and members of the Verona and Fry Street Quartets. Arianna is passionate about exploring the works of underrepresented composers, and recently performed Gabriella Smith’s Carrot Revolution and Paul Wiancko’s Lift with her quartet. In her free time, she enjoys hiking and skiing.

Abigayle is a clarinetist with ten years of experience and is currently pursuing a degree in Clarinet Performance at the Jacob’s School of Music. In addition to clarinet, she has been studying piano for the past three years, which has greatly expanded her understanding of music. She is passionate about music education and hopes to inspire the next generation of students to discover their love for it. Abigayle aspires to help students to become the best they can be, by encouraging them to connect emotionally to what they are playing and not by solely focusing on technique

Outside of performing and teaching, she is an avid music lover and enjoy a wide array of genres, from classical to jazz, and film scores to rock n’ roll. She loves listening to new music and discovering what each genre has to offer. When Gayle finds herself with some downtime, she loves spending time outdoors, walking her dog, or riding bikes with her siblings. She can also be found watching movies and reading books quite often.

Korean-American violinist Hayne Kim leads a distinctive musical career as a performer and educator that has brought her around the world. She made her solo Carnegie Hall debut at the age of 16, and has performed as a soloist with the Lansing Symphony Orchestra (Michigan, USA) and Tuscia Operafestival orchestra (Viterbo, Italy). An active chamber musician, Hayne has collaborated with reputed artists, such as Alexander Markov and Clive Greensmith, and performed for diverse occasions ranging from ensemble performances at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center to intimate gatherings at the home of Thailand’s Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn.

Taking a special interest in contemporary music, Hayne is the violinist and co-founder of Círculo Trio, an ensemble dedicated to exploring and presenting new and/or underperformed works alongside standard repertoire. Projects that the trio has commissioned include The Triumph of Time, an adaptation of Shakespeare’s play The Winter’s Tale for actor and trio with original music, and a collaboration with Bangkok City Ballet for Thea Musgrave’s theatrical chamber work, Pierrot.

Hayne holds degrees from the Manhattan School of Music and Michigan State University. Her past mentors include Lyman Bodman, Grigory Kalinovsky, and Dmitri Berlinsky. Dedicated to sharing her experiences with up-and-coming generations of musicians, she served as a faculty member of Princess Galyani Vadhana Institute of Music in Bangkok, Thailand from 2017-2022. She is currently pursuing her Doctor of Music degree at Indiana Jacobs School of Music under the guidance of Kyung Sun Lee.

 

Originally from the Hudson Valley in New York State, Sara Callanan lived in the Washington, DC area for many years before moving to Bloomington in 2014. Ms. Callanan attended the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY and the University of Maryland, just outside Washington, DC. From 1982-1984, she was a professional chorister and soloist at the National Shrine in Washington, DC, and has been a soloist at many other prominent DC churches. She regularly performed the national anthem at the Northern Virginia Special Olympics and was a featured soloist with area choirs.

Ms. Callanan maintained a private music studio for many years, teaching both piano and voice. Many of her students have become performers, teachers or composers. Ms. Callanan has been very active in community music theatre as both actress and music director/pianist. In 2001, the ensemble she directed for “Little Shop of Horrors” won a prestigious Cappie Award for Best Orchestra. In 1992 Ms. Callanan founded RAVE (Reston Artists Vocal Ensemble) for which she wrote many a cappella arrangements. Her business “Solos By Sara” provided music for weddings and other events in the Washington, DC area. Ms. Callanan is uniquely qualified to teach voice students interested in classical repertoire, music theatre and jazz. Her piano students may learn jazz techniques as well as classical repertoire.

Corbin Stanchfield is a bassist, pianist, and music educator, who is passionate about helping students reach their full potential. He focuses on teaching students how to practice efficiently and effectively, and in a way that feels fun and rewarding. Currently, he is pursuing his bachelor’s degree in jazz bass at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, where he is studying with Jeremy Allen. At IU, he is in Tom Walsh’s large jazz ensemble as well as Luke Gillesipe’s jazz combo.

Corbin brings a wide range of experience to his teaching. Previously, he has performed with jazz bands, wind ensembles, choirs, and orchestras. Additionally, he was a member in several community ensembles, such as the Lafayette Citizens Band, Clinton County Orchestra, Wabash Valley Youth Symphony, and was the only high school student in a Purdue University jazz ensemble. Drawing from his wide range of experience, Corbin is able to tailor each lesson to his student’s interests, whether that is exploring jazz improvisation, classical technique, or simply building a life long love for music.