Our Music Summer Program

Mark Bligh is the director of the Denton Ave Elementary Band (Herricks UFSD) where he teaches winds, brass and percussion for grades 3-5. The Denton Ave Band regularly attends NYSSMA Majors and consistently earns Gold with Distinction honors. Mark Bligh is an active NMEA member who has chaired several All-County festivals and presented at the Balanced Mind Conference. The past few years he conducted the Winds, Brass and Percussion sectional for the NYSSMA All-State Symphonic Orchestra and will conduct the 2018 SCMEA Division 1 Central All-County Band. Mark performs regularly as Principal Alto Saxophone for the Northwinds Symphonic Band, has performed with the Atlantic Wind Symphony as well as various chamber recitals. Mark is a past member of SCMEA and current member of NMEA, NYSSMA, NYSBDA and NafME.

Jacinta Clusellas is a guitarist, composer, and arranger originally from Buenos Aires, Argentina. She is currently composing and arranging the music for “Azul Otra Vez” - a Spanish language folkloric musical based on Ruben Darío’s works. A graduate of the Berklee School of Music, Jacinta is a Teaching Artist at the New York Philharmonic and a participating member at the Carnegie Hall Music Educators Workshop. Her debut album “El Pájaro Azul" was recently released at the Consulate of Argentina in NYC.

Do you have any career news or events coming up? 
I have been awarded with a residency at Brush Creek Foundation for the Arts for this summer.    

Born in Ohrid, in the Republic of Macedonia, Vasko Dukovski began playing with sound at age five and started his musical education at the age of eight. His dedication to music and the clarinet earned him a Fine Arts Award from the Interlochen Arts Academy, which he attended before receiving a Bachelors and a Masters Degree from The Juilliard Schools of Music.  Today, he is a New York-based multidisciplinary performing artist ,composer and advocate of  contemporary classical and experimental music.  Vasko has collaborated with some of New York’s most respected ensembles including Argento New Music Ensemble, S.E.M Ensemble, Bang on A Can All Stars, and others. In addition to being a front man of his world music quartet, Tavche Gravche, Vasko, is a member of Either/OR Ensemble, Mise-En Ensemble, Lost Dog Ensemble and Ensemble. He regularly appears in Europe, The Middle East, North Africa, China, and extensively in the U.S. in venues such as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Symphony Space, BAM, Roulette, LPR, and Miller Theater at Columbia University, The Met Museum and MOMA.  

Musician and scholar John Patrick Murphy holds a Masters of Music in Collaborative Piano from Manhattan School of Music and a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance and Music Education from SUNY Fredonia. His studies also include the Académie Musique Orford in Canada, the Golandsky Institute at Princeton University, and Orff-Schulwerk at Hofstra University. In addition to piano training, he holds the Colleague Certification (CAGO) from the American Guild of Organists.  In addition, John’s article titled “The Neglected Consolations of Franz Liszt” was recently accepted for publication in the Clavier Companion Journal.

Andrew R. Steinberg is a Boston-based saxophonist performing throughout North America, Asia, and Europe. Praised for his “beautiful tone” and “lyric playing,” Andrew has sought to perform neglected works as well as present premiere performances. An advocate of music that is equally gratifying and challenging, his repertoire focuses on works that highlight the “sound-of-sax” in ways never heard before, particularly in terms of tone color, range, and aesthetic approach. In addition to performing, Andrew lectures at venues including Boston University, New England Conservatory, Brookline Adult & Community Education, as well as the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Andrew  is currently completing his doctorate at New England Conservatory and is the Founder and Music Director of the Megalopolis Saxophone Orchestra.

What will be your focus for the upcoming camp season? 
This summer, Saxophone class will focus on team activities, including saxophone quartets and ensembles, as well as discussions of the saxophone repertoire and its rich history.    
 

Cyndi Feinman has been teaching music in the Roslyn Public Schools for over 12 years. In addition to leading chorus in the district’s Middle School, she directs the Spotlight musical. Currently, Cyndi is the chairperson for Division V All-County Mixed Chorus, and a co-chair for the NY/ACDA (American Choral Directors Association) Middle School Division. She also adjudicates NYSSMA Levels One through Six during NYSSMA season. Her greatest goal is to bring the joy of music— particularly vocal skills and choral music— to a new generation. She has received Orff levels from Trevor Day School and Hofstra University and Kodaly levels through the Hartt School of Music in Connecticut. Her studies also include “Music and the Brain training” and World Drumming Level I.
 

Why did you choose to work at Usdan? 
I believe in the mission and I believe that students should have a place they feel safe to experiment with things they love. 

Matthew Weissman’s extensive performance career began at age 14, when he made his Carnegie Hall debut as a winner of the AMSA World Piano Competition — nearly five years after taking his first piano lesson. Since earning that title, Matthew has concertized in five countries, performed lecture-recitals in two states and holds eight first place titles in competitions. He has performed at the United Nations and at the Juilliard Evening Division and was lauded Salt Lake City Expositions 2012 Emerging Artist of the Year. He was also selected to represent the United States in the Cervantes Festival in Cuba and the Vladimir Horowitz competition in Ukraine. He is a honorary member of the American Liszt Society and is the recipient of the people's choice travel grant of Indiana University as well as receiving a scholarship from the National Foundation for the Advancement of the Arts (NFAA). His artistry has been featured in many humanitarian projects raising money and awareness for today’s common causes, including the Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation. A native Long Islander, Matthew has taught at four colleges including Nassau Community College and has adjudicated for NYSSMA/all-state grand piano showcase consideration.
 
What other departments are you most excited to collaborate with? 
Quidditch, Archery, Lego Design, Video Game Art & Design — the ones least associated with music.