OUR FACULTY

ELM teachers inspire and mentor our students. They are skilled musician/educators who set the bar high and share their profound love of music with joy and enthusiasm. We are committed to giving our students an intensive, individualized and high quality music and ensemble education.

Carol Adee

Teaching Artist - Flute

  • Carol Adee was surrounded by people singing and playing music as she was growing up. She began playing flute, violin and cello in grade school and continued in high school while also studying dance and singing in choirs. Holding a M.M. from Yale School of Music, she has played with San Francisco Symphony, Ballet and Opera Orchestras along with other Bay Area orchestras, including touring and recording as principal flute with Women’s Philharmonic for 15 years.

    As a founding member of ECHO Chamber Orchestra, Carol is working to create collaborative orchestral experiences for musicians and audiences. She has taught flute and chamber music at Stanford and Dominican Universities. Her many years as Music Director at Marin Waldorf School have contributed to her collaborative spirit and interest in integrating music, art and movement into other subjects.

Annamarie Arai

Teaching Artist - Lower Level Violin

  • Annamarie received her B.A. in violin performance from UCLA's Herb Alpert School of Music and her Master of Music from the San Francisco Conservatory. A native of Sacramento, Annamarie enjoys creating music with ensembles of diverse backgrounds and sizes. She currently performs with One Found Sound, a conductor-less chamber orchestra in San Francisco, often serving in principal roles.

    Annamarie has developed a passion for teaching and sharing musical ideas with players of various skill levels. She is currently on faculty with Inspire Music Center and Amabile School of Music in San Francisco as well as ELM. She believes that musical instruction should continually birth artistic inspiration.

Lindsey Ha

Teaching Artist - Clarinet

  • Lindsey is a clarinetist and music educator born and raised in the Bay Area. She enjoys teaching students of all ages and believes that musicians of any skill level can find joy in music. She holds a Bachelor of Music from UCLA and a Master of Music from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. 

    As a freelance musician, Lindsey performs with orchestras, bands, operas, and ballet companies across the bay. She also enjoys performing in chamber ensembles, musicals and in studio sessions. Her music has taken her all over the world, performing in countries such as Austria, Hungary, Slovakia, Czechia and Mexico. During the summer, you can find Lindsey performing as a member of the Golden Gate Park Band. In addition to ELM, she is also an educator currently working for Vacaville Unified School District.

Byron Hogan

Teaching Artist - Lower Level Cello

  • Byron Hogan is an acclaimed and multifaceted artist hailing from Lakeland, Florida. He has appeared at Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center, as well as on stages in Germany, Amsterdam, and Montreal. Hogan holds degrees from Florida Southern College, the University of South Florida, the Boston Conservatory, and as a founding member of the Julius Quartet he has held residencies at Montclair State University and Southern Methodist University. With the Julius Quartet, he also won first-place awards at both the Yellow Springs and Massachusetts American String Teachers Association Chamber Music competitions and participated in The Saint Lawrence Chamber Music Seminar, Apple Hill Chamber Music Festival, Banff Chamber Music Seminar, and Music from Salem. Byron is currently writing and performing, now based in Hayward, California.

Gary Jones

Teaching Artist - Trombone

  • Gary Jones is a bass trombonist and teacher. He is currently the acting Bass Trombonist with the Stockton Symphony and has performed with the San Francisco Ballet, Sacramento Ballet, Santa Rosa Symphony, Modesto Symphony and Fresno Philharmonic. For 6 years, he was a member of the USAF Band of the Golden West. 

    Gary received his Bachelor’s of Music in trombone performance at the Eastman School of Music and is currently pursuing a Masters in Music at The San Francisco Conservatory of Music.

Christina Lesicko

Teaching Artist – Violin/Viola

  • Christina holds degrees in Viola Performance and Education from Youngstown State University and the University of Guadalajara. She studied with various teachers including former National Symphony member John Wilcox and also John Largess of the Miró Quartet. She has played with numerous small ensembles and orchestras across the country and has taught violin and viola students of all ages.

    Her passion and love for music and excellence in music education has given her the opportunity to perform and teach in San Francisco and the Bay Area. Christina is passionate about the El Sistema model that recognizes that music is not only enrichment, but can positively impact students’ lives forever.

Zoë Merrill

Teaching Artist - Upper Level Violin

  • As a California native and third-generation musician, Zoë believes in nurturing citizen-artists who not only excel in music but also make a positive impact on society. She hopes to foster growth in each of her students, especially within the supportive environment that is the ELM community.

    Zoë's extensive performance background includes roles as a violin fellow with MTT’s New World Symphony and as a member of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, and performances alongside acclaimed musicians such as Neil Young and Yo-Yo Ma.

    She holds a MM from the Eastman School of Music and a BA from UCLA with a minor in French. Outside of music, she delights in hiking, trying new foods, and exploring the vibrant Bay Area with friends and family.

Owen Miyoshi

Teaching Artist - Trumpet

  • Owen, a Berkeley native, graduated from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music where he studied with David Burkhart. He has been performing and teaching trumpet in the Bay Area for over 25 years. A member with the Monterey Symphony since 2000, and San Francisco Chamber Orchestra as well as a regular sub with Symphony San Jose for the last 22 years. He also freelances with many orchestras throughout the Bay Area.

    In addition to performing and teaching at ELM, Owen teaches private lessons and is the trumpet coach at Berkeley and El Cerrito high schools. Outside of music, Owen is an avid cyclist where he does masters racing and endurance ride events.

Juan Palacios

Music Conductor and Wind & Brass Director

  • Juan brings passion to his work as a conductor, his creativity as a composer and his commitment as an educator. He is always seeking to share his love for music with others. During his nearly 40 years as a conductor, Juan has led orchestras in Venezuela, Brazil, and the U.S.

    As an educator, he collaborates with the San Diego Youth Symphony and Conservatory, NIA National Youth Orchestra program in Philipsburg and Sint Maarten, and the Guayaquil Youth Symphony.

Sydney Moss Pérez

Teaching Artist - Upper Level Cello

  • Sydney is a professional cellist and devoted educator committed to creating and uplifting musicians of all types. She began her cello studies at the age of 13 under the guidance of Kyle Champion of Redlands and Long Beach Symphony, and received both her BM and MM in Music Performance at the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music, CSU Long Beach. Sydney has performed with numerous ensembles, including San Francisco Philharmonic, Orange County Orchestra Collective, on the big stage for music festivals such as Bottlerock.

    As a classically trained and active freelance orchestral musician, Sydney uses her personal experience and perspectives to aid in her ensemble directing and programming to ensure that the students and ensembles she directs are not just successful performers, but well-rounded and versatile individuals.

ELM provides youth with an immersive music education that empowers them to pursue their dreams and access resources they need to succeed in life.