Musical Expressions Welcomes Mary McGinty, Stephanie Salerno & Scott Ostrander

Mary’s primary teacher was Robert Swenson of the notable Walden Quartet, and professor of cello at the University of Illinois, Urbana campus, where she received a Bachelor of Music degree in cello performance.  For one year she trained under Eleanor Slatkin of the famed Hollywood Quartet and mother of renowned conductor Leonard Slatkin. For approximately 12 years she played with the New Mexico Symphony which regularly hosted international solo names such as James Galway, Andre Watts, Leontyne Price, Lynn Harell, Pepe Romero, Vladimir Ashkenazy, and a multitude of others. Yoshimi Takeda, a protégé of George Szell, was the very fine conductor there for most of her tenure. Additional conductors in her experience include Robert Shaw, Raymond Leppard, Jaime Laredo, Hugh Wolf, and Margaret Hillis as well as others. She has performed with a variety of commercial venues, including Ray Charles, Dolly Parton, the Dallas Ballet, and the like. For 3 years she performed with the Santa Fe Opera for the Richard Strauss enlarged orchestra. She also managed a string quartet which performed for various functions.

Stephanie Salerno has been devoted to classical piano study since the age of six.  Over 20 years later, her studies have culminated in a B.A. in Music History with a minor in Piano Performance from the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University.  She studied with Barbara Kolar for 12 years prior to college, and later Carol Honigberg for three years at CCPA.  In addition, she studied Accompanying with Dr. Dana Brown and Dr. Sharon Rogers, and accompanied CCPA's Opera Theatre Workshop in Spring '02.  She has been the pianist for the Congregational Church of Brookfield since 2001, accompanying their choir in 2001-2002.  Other accompanying projects included Triton College's choral recitals in 2002, Solo and Ensemble contests (instrumental, vocal and choral) over the years, and Central High School's productions of Anything Goes and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat in 2008 and 2009, respectively.  Stephanie has also provided music for weddings, memorials and fundraisers throughout the Chicagoland area.  As a piano teacher since 1999, Stephanie has worked with both children of all ages and adults, striving to tailor lessons according to the student’s strengths while focusing on improving their weaknesses creatively and effectively.  Her philosophy of musical study supports the belief that learning does not end when a piece is completed; the musical experience continues to evolve and develop as the player grows and hones their skills.  Musical education is a lifelong journey, and the foundational skills students gain in the beginning are crucial to future development and enjoyment in all genres of music.

Scott Ostrander is a classical trumpeter, private lesson instructor, and composer of concert and art music. He performs independently with various musicians and organizations throughout the greater Chicago area. When teaching, it is his primary goal to educate a student on the concepts of music and then translate their learning experiences into a love and enjoyment of music.
Recent performances of his compositions include a commissioned set of songs for a production of Twelfth Night by Shakespeare and incidental piano music performed alongside the chilling play Solitaire by Robert Anderson.  His latest work for concert band, Child of God, was premiered by the Concordia Lutheran H.S. Symphonic Band of Fort Wayne, IN.  His varied catalog includes works for wind ensemble, the theater, and various solo and chamber ensembles. A former member of the National Collegiate Wind Ensemble, he performed in New York at Carnegie Hall alongside some of the best college musicians in 2008. In May of 2009, he traveled internationally to China with the Concordia University Chicago Wind Symphony.  While a student at Concordia, he studied trumpet performance with John Burson and Composition with Dr. Jonathan Stahlke.  He completed his Bachelor of Arts in Music in 2009.

Spring Rock Ensemble Program Enroll NOW

Call TODAY!!

Musical Expressions String Ensemble Program

Rock Band Ensembles...

Here's one of our Rock Bands performing at Fitzgeralds.

We get mail....

Recent letters to the studio from parents.

Rockin' Mom's Chicago Tribune Article

Rockin' Mom's ABC Channel 7 Article