Meet the Team
Alena
Growing up in Kharkiv, Ukraine, Alena began studying piano at the age of six. As a child, her talent led her to participating in many regional competitions and music festivals. She took her talent to the next level by attending a specialized musical school during her teenage years. From 2008-2013, Alena earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music performance from the Kharkiv National University of Arts. Then, after receiving a full scholarship, she spent the next three years earning her dual master’s degree from the International Anton Rubinstein Academy in Dusseldorf, Germany and in La Spezia, Italy. Alena has also accumulated a lot of experience teaching piano to students of all ages and skill levels since 2008. She has studied and performed with numerous famous musicians in Ukraine, Germany, and Italy. After graduating from Anton Rubinstein, the academy offered her a job to stay as a piano teacher in their pre-college program. Alena’s main teaching philosophy focuses on studying classical music, but she also enjoys experimenting with piano interpretations of modern pop music.
Victoria
Victoria Paulino is a Brazilian pianist born in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, in 2001.
A dedicated performer since the age of seven, she has been actively involved in competitions and concerts across Brazil, Europe, and the United States. In 2009, she performed in the opening concert at the Legislative Assembly Theater of Minas Gerais. That same year, she won the “Young Musician” BDMG Cultural Competition and received an award in the IV National Young Highlight Competition. In 2012, she won the prestigious Lang Lang & Telefônica Competition, becoming the only Brazilian selected to perform with the renowned pianist at the O2 Arena in Berlin, Germany.
Since then, Victoria has participated in numerous music festivals, including Oregon Piano, Ian Hobson Festival, Saramenha Artes e Oficios, and Pianofest in the Hamptons. In 2017, she was awarded first prize at the Yamaha National Piano Competition. In 2021, she won first place in the Young Artist Category (“Hans Lewitus”) at the Parnassus Music International Competition – Latin American edition, which featured pianists up to 25 years old from across Latin America.
She was also awarded the prize for Best Interpretation of a Work by J.S. Bach, granted by esteemed pianist Roger Woodward.
Her recent accolades include the 2022 Seidler Award for research, and two top prizes at the 2024 Alabama Music Teachers Association (AMTA) competitions: winner of the Concerto Competition and the Solo Graduate Division.
Victoria holds a Bachelor of Arts in Piano Performance from Florida Gulf Coast University and a Master’s degree in Piano Performance from the University of Alabama, where she studied with Dr. Kevin Chance. She is currently pursuing her Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the University
of Colorado Boulder with Dr. Jennifer Hayghe
Mark
Mark is a native Coloradan, born in Denver, CO and has been playing the guitar for the past 19 years. He was driven to pursue a Music Business degree from Fort Lewis College in Durango, CO graduating in 2016.
Mark has been teaching private lessons to people of all ages and skill levels for the better part of a decade. He aims to improve his students understanding of the fundamentals of the guitar while providing an engaging learning environment. Mark's passion for the guitar and music is evident in all his lessons and he will help you to exceed your goals and expectations. Whether you are plucking your first string or ready to play your first concert, Mark has the ability to further your education on your musical journey. When Mark is not teaching, you can find him performing all over the front range and beyond. "Music is a universal language, musicians just know how to speak it."
Will
Will is a dedicated piano instructor, church accompanist, and music producer. He began teaching himself piano, music production and music theory in 2016 while taking college courses at CO State University in Fort Collins. He even received a scholarship as a production intern for Grammy Award Winner PJ Olssen. Will graduated from the CO State University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 2019, and dedicated himself to teaching piano, writing music and teaching keyboard in local bands around Denver. Inspired by his own teachers, Will continues to share his passion to students of all ages. His main focus is to guide students on their personal musical journey and to help them find the piece that music expression can bring.
Aaron
Aaron Lockhart is a recent graduate of the University of Colorado, Boulder, having received his Master's in Viola Performance, while currently pursuing his Artist's diploma certificate, all under the tutelage of Erika Eckert. He also holds a bachelor's degree in Music Performance from the San Francisco conservatory of music. His main professor was Madeline Prager, and he also studied with Elizabeth Blomenstock, Dimitri Murrath, in addition to Jay Liu and Matt Young of the San Francisco Symphony. This summer, Aaron sat Principal viola at the esteemed National Repertory Orchestra, where he also performed Martinù's Rhapsody concerto for viola with the orchestra. Aaron is a full time member of the Boise Philharmonic orchestra, and plays with many local orchestras in the Colorado area including: Boulder Philharmonic, Boulder Symphony, Greeley Philharmonic, Fort Collins Symphony and more.