Private Lessons Faculty
Lisa Anderson - Dance
Lisa Anderson is currently the Dance Director at North Broward Preparatory School, overseeing all things dance from Prek3-12th grade. She has been dancing since the age of three and holds a BA in Dance from Keene State College, as well as an MFA in Dance from the University of California Irvine. Her specialties include contemporary, modern, jazz, and choreography / composition.
Aside from teaching and choreographing, Lisa also has a great passion for dance photography.
Bela Apuzzio - Piano
Bela Apuzzio serves as a private piano instructor and accompanist at NBPS Arts Academy for over 7 years based out of Boca Raton, FL. Bela has over 35 years of experience training all levels, from beginners to advanced, and college prep. Bela obtained her bachelor of music degree in piano performance and pedagogy from the premier music conservatory in former Czechoslovakia. Right from the start, her talent was recognized and Bela studied with college Prof. Vera Vlkova and completed her degree with internationally distinguished pianist Ivan Klansky.
Bela participated in several competitions expanding her recognition while performing with the North Czech Philharmonic. She then went on to teach master classes shortly afterward at Prague School of Arts, The Military Conservatory of Vita Nejedleho, and The Kadan School of the Arts. In 1989 she had the opportunity to come to the United States where she studied intensive English at FIU and shortly became hired as a main accompanist for the entire music department.
After attending a seminar on “The Dorothy Taubman Approach”, Bela expanded her love and passion for teaching and while gaining a curiosity for western teaching ideology. She relocated to New York City and was awarded the opportunity to study with Dorothy Taubman’s colleague Edna Golandsky. The Dorothy Taubman Approach is a groundbreaking analysis of the mostly invisible motion that function underneath a virtuoso technique. It prevents and heals injuries of professional musicians. Bela was able to gain further techniques to apply to her students and increase their learnings.
One of her favorite music advisers was a famous American pianist, Seymour Bernstein, and Mariel Bossert where Bela expanded her knowledge and passes this along to her students.
In addition to having the privilege of teaching at NBPS Arts Academy, Bela Apuzzio has an expansive private studio where she has been teaching for the past 31 years cultivating talent that can be seen playing on stages and attending prestigious universities all throughout the United States and the Czech Republic.
Kelly Dow - Guitar
After high school, Kelly studied guitar at the Southwest Guitar Conservatory and went on to earn his Bachelor of Music degree at the University of North Texas. He began his performing career on the high seas playing the cruise ship circuit, both as a bandleader and showband performer.
In 1995 he met vocalist Julie Davis and founded the jazz group, Davis and Dow. Julie and Kelly created and produced three touring shows, all of which were awarded touring grants from the Florida Division of Cultural Affairs. Together they toured colleges, performing art centers, and festivals, taking them all across the U.S. plus London and Tokyo. Davis and Dow have produced multiple recordings that have garnered rave reviews and national radio airplay. Kelly’s career highlights with Davis and Dow include performing original music for the television show Food Nation With Bobby Flay, performing for Disney, opening for Cindi Lauper at Sun Fest, opening for Chick Corea at The Wellington Jazz Festival, and sharing the stage with jazz luminaries such as Dr. Lonnie Smith, Bucky Pizzarelli, Monty Alexander, and others. Davis and Dow continue to actively perform in the south Florida community and beyond.
Kelly is also an expert at playing the extended range 7 string guitar popularized by John and Bucky Pizzarelli. In addition to traditional lessons, Kelly is a certified Suzuki Guitar Teacher. He is excited to be starting a new Suzuki Guitar program at North Broward.
Brian Edgecomb - Acting
Brian Edgecomb (Pastor Jay) is pleased to make his Boca Stage debut in Luna Gale. He is an actor, director, and acting teacher based in South Florida. He received his MFA in Acting from Purdue University and his BFA in Acting from Florida Atlantic University. His acting credits include: Much Ado About Nothing (Take Heed), Macbeth (Utah Shakespeare Festival), Thaddeus and Tila (Cincinnati Playhouse). When not performing, Brian is teaching future young artists the wonders of theatre at the Fine Arts Academy at North Broward Preparatory School.
Daniel Gerdes - Voice
Daniel Gerdes, tenor, a native of Islip, New York, received his degrees in Vocal Performance from Florida State University and from New England Conservatory.
He made his international debut as Paride in Gluck’s Paride ed Elena with Opera Piccola Bremen in Germany. He was a Gerdine Young Artist with Opera Theatre Saint Louis where he covered the role of Pedrillo in The Abduction from the Seraglio and returned to the Opera Theatre Saint Louis to sing the role of Spirit of the Masque in Britten’s’ Gloriana, Borsa in Rigoletto. Mr. Gerdes was a young artist with The Merola Opera Program at San Francisco Opera, where he covered the role of Ernesto in Don Pasquale. He covered the role of Count Libenskof in Il Viaggio a Reims with New York City Opera. He sang the tenor soloist for Carmina Burana with the Tupelo Symphony, and the Evangelist in Bach’s Johannes Passion with the Florida State University Symphony. He sang A Man with a Paint Box in Postcard from Morocco, Dr.S in Michael Nyman’s The Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Hat, Tamino in The Magic Flute, and Il Conte d’Almaviva in Il Barbiere di Siviglia with the Boston University Opera Institute. He returned to Santa Fe Opera as an apprentice and sang the role of Benedict in Béatrice et Bénédict in the Santa Fe Opera Apprentice scene program. He was the Tenor Soloist in Handel’s Messiah, Shostakovich’s From Jewish Folk Poetry both with Florida Atlantic University, the Tenor Soloist in Mozart’s Requiem the Evangelist in Bach’s Johannes Passion both with University of Wisconsin La Crosse and Alfred in Die Fledermaus at Mississippi College. He was Ferrando in Così fan tutte with Winter Opera Saint Louis and Frederic in Pirates of Penzance with Opera Louisiane. He was the tenor soloist for both the Messiah and L’enfance du Christ with the Anna Maria Island Concert Chorus & Orchestra and debuted with Florida Grand Opera as Third Jew in Salome.
He lives in South Florida with his wife and three children, where he continues to sing and teach voice, as well as martial arts as a second degree black belt in Tang Soo Do.
Robyn Hollander - Flute, Clarinet, Trumpet
Robyn Hollander is entering her 24th year of teaching at North Broward Preparatory School. She earned a Bachelor of Music Education and minor in Music in Special Education from Florida State University and Master of Education in Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment from Walden University.
Mrs. Hollander began her career teaching general music, pk-5th grade, and lower and middle school band and choir at the University School of NSU in Coral Springs. When she joined the faculty at NBPS she returned to her love of teaching instrumental music and has been doing so ever since. She specializes in teaching beginning woodwind and brass students and flutists, beginning to advanced.
Santiago Luna - Cello, Viola, Violin
Santiago Luna is a Colombian-American cellist, composer, and teacher. Santiago studied Music Education at Florida International University, where he cemented his love for education and performance. He frequently performs varying music genres and ensembles including classical, pop, rock, Latin, jazz, and film/tv.
In 2014, Santiago auditioned and earned the cello seat of the Miami Music Project String Quintet, which traveled to Paris, France, where they debuted as the youngest ensemble to perform in the history of the Saint-Denise Metis Festival. Santiago has performed in notable events such as the 2020 Super Bowl and with world-renowned artists such as Shakira, Andrea Bocelli, and Lana Del Rey. He recently concluded a tour with the London Symphony Rock Orchestra, where he opened the show and performed classic rock and heavy metal hits with the ensemble across the United Kingdom and Western Europe.
As a teacher, Santiago strives to instill the values that will help students become autonomous and authentic musicians. His teachings strive to provide the necessary tools to help music students appreciate and participate in music in a nuanced and meaningful manner. Santiago has been teaching for 5 years and it is his first year at NBPS.
Per Lofgren - Guitar
Perry Lofgren received his BFA in guitar, graduating with honors, Phi Kappa Phi. He plays and performs in many situations from solo guitar settings to symphony orchestras.
Perry has taught all styles of guitar for students of all ages, in private and group classes. He owned and operated his own music school while completing his music degree at FAU. He continues to teach as a clinician for Broward County Schools, Florida and has been teaching at North Broward Prep school since 2016.
Sol Ochoa - Violin
Classically trained violinist and passionate educator, Sol Ochoa is a current graduate student at the Lynn Conservatory of Music and an active member of large and small music ensembles in South Florida.
Sol Ochoa started music lessons at a young age and began her formal studies at the National Conservatory of Music of Peru with Laszlo Benedeck in 2012, in her hometown Lima. She has attended international music festivals that include the Interlochen Arts Camp, where she received a Fine Arts Award; the Internationale Junge Orchesterakademie’s Easter Festival in Bayern, Germany; the Winter Festival of Campos do Jordão, in São Paulo, Brazil; the Orchestra of the Americas and the Endless Mountain Music Festival, in Pennsylvania.
She received a Bachelor’s degree in Music Performance, summa cum laude, from the Lynn Conservatory of Music, where she studied with violinist and conductor Guillermo Figueroa and was a recipient of the Shirlee’s Violin and the Boca West Scholarships.
Sol Ochoa has certifications in Suzuki philosophy, early childhood music education, and violin pedagogy. She worked at the Lynn Conservatory Preparatory School of Music from 2018 to 2020, served as a mentor for the Samuel Vargas International Music Foundation, the Volta Music Foundation, and the Nat King Cole Generation Hope Music Foundation, and currently works as Adjunct Violin Instructor at the North Broward Preparatory School.
Colleen Pagano - Voice
Colleen Pagano is excited to continue working with the North Broward musical community.
She has been a vocal and dance instructor for over 30 years in South Florida.
In addition to her love of teaching, Colleen performs in Regional Theatre Productions
with companies such as The Wick, ACM at LPAC, Broadway Palm, MNM and PPTOPA.
She looks forward to another wonderful year with our students at NBPS.
Valeria Polunina - Piano
Russian pianist Valeria Polunina, born into an artistic family in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, began concertizing internationally before she was a teenager. Since making her orchestral debut at the age of 15 with Russia’s renowned BACH Chamber Orchestra, Ms. Polunina has gracefully transitioned into a mature artist of technical prowess and elegant artistry. Active as a vocal accompanist, Ms. Polunina collaborated with some of the world’s leading organizations, including the Mariinsky Foundation of America, The Metropolitan Opera, and The Bolshoi Theatre. Raised in Moscow, Ms. Polunina won numerous competitions, both national and international. Her performances have taken her to the most prestigious festivals and halls in the USA and Europe. She has on numerous occasions made appearances in Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall, and The Great Hall of Moscow Conservatory. She has recently appeared in recital at Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, the XV International Tchaikovsky Competition First Prize Winners’ Recital at Carnegie Hall hosted by Valeriy Gergiev, and on well-known TV show Good Morning America accompanying the Metropolitan Opera star Pretty Yende. Ms. Polunina currently performs as an accompanist with various artists throughout the United States and Europe.
In 2018, Ms. Polunina accepted position as a Head of Music staff at the Luzerner Theatre, Switzerland. Her contract with the opera ensemble starts in August 2018-2019 season. In 2017-2018, as an operatic pianist and répétiteur, Ms. Polunina was invited to the Metropolitan Opera as a rehearsal pianist in the production of Puccini’s La Bohème conducted by Alexander Soddy and as an assistant conductor for The Metropolitan Opera + The Juilliard School's an "Evening of Verdi" conducted by Evan Rogister. Ms. Polunina is a guest vocal coach at the Bolshoi Theatre where she works closely with Dmitri Vdovin as well as current and recent graduates of the Bolshoi Theatre Young Artist Opera Program. Her recital engagements this season include concerts with tenor Kang Wang at The Great Hall of Moscow Conservatory; at Teatro del Lago's Gala Concert “Voices of the World” in Frutillar, Chile; in New York at the Park Avenue Armory and Bruno Walter Auditorium of The New York Public Library Recital Series; and Musical Tributes by Mariinsky Artists in Miami, Florida, USA. In recent years Ms. Polunina has served as class pianist in the orchestral conducting classes of Alan Gilbert and Jim Ross, and as a vocal coach and rehearsal pianist in Colorado’s Crested Butte Music Festival, Marcello Giordani Young Artist Program, and for several Juilliard Opera productions, including Die Zauberflöte conducted by David Stern.
Ms. Polunina has collaborated with many of the world’s leading solo and collaborative artists including Gerald Finley, Pretty Yende, Angel Blue, and Sofia Fomina. Invited in 2015 as a member of the distinguished Solti Peretti répétiteur residency in Venice Italy, Ms. Polunina had the privilege of playing under the baton of Richard Bonynge.
Ms. Polunina received her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees at Gnessin’s Academy of Music in Moscow under Marina Drozdova (who is one of few students of Professor Mariya Yudina) and her Master of Music in collaborative piano at The Juilliard School studying with Margo Garrett, Diane Richardson, and Jonathan Feldman.
Ms. Polunina is a graduate Metropolitan Opera's Young Artists Development Program.
Monica Richardson-Delgado - Dance
Monica Richardson-Delgado started her training at the age of three. A graduate of the New World School of the Arts in Miami, she trained heavily in modern, ballet, and jazz. She also had the opportunity to work abroad as lead dancer for Tokyo Disney Sea and has performed as a background dancer with recording artists Pitbull, Nelly, and country music star John Rich to name a few. Monica choreographed the opening number for The Marlin Mermaids 2020 season and continues her dream of performing, choreographing, and teaching master classes, and taking part in community projects throughout the United States.
This is her third year being part of the Dance Faculty at North Broward Preparatory School where she teaches Hip Hop, Ballet, and Modern.
Mx. Roderick-Lorenz has been praised as a “magical and transcendent musician breaking all boundaries” (Lori Singer) and for having a “gorgeous, sumptuous sound” (Michael Gandolfi). Aleksandre hails from Caracas, Venezuela where their musical foundation began under the auspices of the famed “El Sistema” organization. A versatile musician, they enjoy a dynamic international career as conductor, soloist, chamber musician and teacher. They perform a wide range of musical genres such as classical, Latin, mariachi, popular and contemporary music.
In New England, they are a member of the Lowell Chamber Orchestra, Portsmouth Symphony, and act as principal violist of the Lyrica Boston Citizen’s Artist Orchestra and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Summer Philharmonic.
In Florida, Aleksandre often performs with the South Florida Symphony and the Miami Symphony Orchestra. A sought-after pedagogue, Mx. Roderick-Lorenz serves in the faculties of the Dana Hall School of Music, Wayland School of Music, and the Community Music Center of Boston. They teach chamber music and perform at various festivals such as ArtsAhimsa, Hornby Island Festival and the Chamber Music Intensive at the Longy School of Music of Bard College. In the past, Aleksandre served as teaching assistant of viola at Syracuse University where they received the Certificate of Teaching Excellence. They also served as music director of the university’s cultural center, La Casita.
Caroline Tarantolo - Acting
Caroline Tarantolo is an educator, actress, director, and makeup artist located in South Florida. While she is native to Louisiana, she moved to Florida to pursue her MFA in Theatre Performance at Florida Atlantic University. In addition to FAU Caroline has studied at Centenary College, The Stella Adler Conservatory in New York, and The Gately/ Poole Conservatory in Chicago. She has also taught for The Broward Center, Miami Dade College, Standing Ovation Performing Arts, and Fusion Enrichment.
Note from Caroline: My goal in my private lessons is to give the actor the tools they need to be confident and creative so that they can have an impact on any audience. My specialty is working on monologues and helping actors find the perfect piece for them so that their strengths are highlighted in the audition room. Techniques I utilize include the techniques of Stanislavski, Meisner, Patsy Rodenburg, Loyd Williamson and Stella Adler.
“Growth as an actor and as a human being are synonymous”- Stella Adler
Paul Tine - Voice, Piano
Paul Tine is a Carbonell and Silver Palm Award-winning music director from Connecticut. He studied piano, voice, and politics at Ithaca College and sang with Ithacappella. A passionate teaching artist, Paul has music directed at Stagedoor Manor and has been on faculty for the Bushnell's Ensign-Darling Vocal Fellowship, the Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts, and Florida Atlantic University. His private voice students have gone on to top collegiate musical theatre programs. As a baritone with the professional choir CONCORA, he was a featured soloist in symphonic concerts under the baton of Dr. Chris Shepard. As a keyboardist, he has performed with veteran Broadway musicians at Westchester Broadway Theatre and has accompanied numerous professional auditions, including in NYC for national and international touring productions. In 2019-2020 Paul music directed the world premiere of The Cook, The Thief, His Wife & Her Lover at Faena Hotel Miami Beach, and he spent this past summer in Colorado performing with Thin Air Theatre Company.
I’m grateful to have another opportunity to work with the amazing students at North Broward! It is immediately evident how many families here prioritize arts education, and it is truly a joy to share my passion for music with a community that loves it too. Learning to appreciate, understand, and perform music is one of the best ways I know to connect with oneself and others, expand the mind, develop discipline, and transcend the ordinary.
The human voice is a uniquely powerful expressive instrument. Vocal health is at the core of my own training and my technical approach with students, as strong fundamentals give us the freedom to explore infinite styles and sounds without risk of injury. As for the piano, it is an unparalleled tool for understanding harmony and for pursuing a variety of musical endeavors. Keyboard instruments allow a single person to create a symphony of sound in real-time.
Though I come primarily from the classical world, over time I've come to specialize in musical theatre and the varied styles it encompasses. No matter what genres students care to pursue, I am excited to help them along their journey as artists. If you'd like to browse some recordings of my students' and my past work, you can find a playlist here.
Erika Venable - Violin
For more than 20 years, Erika Venable has been performing with most of the orchestral ensembles in the Tri-County area. She is currently Co-assistant Concertmaster of the Miami City Ballet Orchestra as well as a Principal Second Violin of the Symphonia of Boca Raton. She was also a core member of the Palm Beach Opera orchestra. She has appeared on stage and in recordings/ videos with a wide variety of artists including Luciano Pavarotti, Itzhak Perlman, Michael Jackson, Bernadette Peters, Jon Secada, and in an MTV Unplugged video featuring Mana.
Mrs. Venable started Suzuki violin at age 6 in a small town in California. Upon moving to Montana at age 11, she flourished in the local music scene, winning first prize in the Alberta Bair concerto competition and performing as a member of the Bozeman Symphony, the MSU Chamber Orchestra, and the Intermountain Opera company, all before graduating from high school. She moved to Oberlin, Ohio, to pursue a double degree in Violin Performance and Math. Upon graduation, her teacher, Greg Fulkerson, encouraged her to apply to the Juilliard School. She was accepted into the Master’s program where she studied with Joseph Fuchs. While in New York, she performed in Carnegie Hall three times - once with her string quartet in Weill Hall, once with the String Seminar Orchestra, (with Alexander Schneider conducting), and once as a member of the New Haven Symphony.
Mrs. Venable participated in the Rocky Ridge, Meadowmount, National Orchestra Institute, Rutgers, and Spoleto, Italy summer music festivals. She moved to Florida to play with the New World Symphony. She has worked with many renowned conductors including Michael Tilson Thomas, Gerard Schwarz, Christoph Eschenbach, Philip Entremont, Zdeněk Mácal, and Robert Spano.
Mrs. Venable has been teaching privately since before moving to Florida. This is her 12th year at NBPS where her youngest daughter is currently in 12th grade.
Julia Wadsworth - Violin
Hi, my name is Julia Wadsworth, and this will be my seventh year as a strings teacher at North Broward Preparatory School! After graduating from the Hartt School of Music with a Bachelor’s degree in Music Education, I spent 4 years teaching elementary strings and general music in Phoenix, AZ.
As a violinist, I have had the pleasure of traveling and performing as concertmistress for the Delaware Valley Opera, the New York Summer Music Festival in Oneonta, NY, and the Festival Eleazar de Carvalho in Fortaleza, Brazil. While living in Phoenix I played with the Pro Arte Ensemble, West Valley Symphony, Musica Nova Orchestra, and La Forza Symphony Orchestra.
I have a strong belief in comprehensive musicianship: teaching students of all ages not just how to play music, but also how to understand and create it. This allows music to play many roles. It can challenge the mind, ignite the imagination, and touch one’s soul all at once.