Naseer Ashraf

Piano, viola

Naseer completed a degree in Music Theory & Composition with a minor in Viola Performance at the University of Rhode Island. He received his Master of Music degree in Classical Composition at SUNY Purchase. Naseer was then offered a competitive scholarship to complete an Artist Diploma in Piano Performance at SUNY, studying under Stephanie Brown. He teaches and performs in Westchester County and New York City.

Gina Bergamini

Voice, musical theater

Gina received her Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance at SUNY New Paltz. After a career of performing in small regional local musical theater companies, the New York Renaissance Faire, and NYC’s Dalia Carella Dance Collective, she moved on to obtain her Masters in Teaching from Manhattanville College. She has taught the performing arts for young people at Northern Westchester Center for the Arts and most recently for Education Through Music in the Bronx. 

Lucas Brode

Guitar, electric bass

Lucas received his BA with Honors in Music from Skidmore College. During his time at Skidmore, Lucas worked as a Sound Tech and Recording Engineer. Lucas’s scoring credits include having produced Going Pro: American Soccer, 2013 (a full length documentary) and short projects with animator Ken Siu. He has performed with various rock, jazz, and experimental bands over the past decade and has played at such venues as The Chance, The Bitter End, and The Knitting Factory. In addition to joining The Rye Arts Center, Lucas teaches at Blue Bus Music and regularly tours throughout the country.

Mike Roninson

Guitar, piano, upright/electric bass, ukulele

Mike received a bachelor's degree in Jazz Studies at the Purchase College Conservatory of Music, with a focus on upright bass. He has been performing as a multi-instrumentalist for about two decades. Mike performs regularly with a variety of rock bands, jazz bands, wedding bands and other genres across New York City, as well as Connecticut and New Jersey. He has played at venues such as The Blue Note, Smalls Jazz Club, The Knitting Factory, Rockwood Music Hall, Cafe Wha, Maureen's Jazz Cellar, and many more. He has been teaching multiple instruments to a variety of skill levels and ages for nearly a decade in the New York, Westchester, and Connecticut areas. Mike is excellent teaching students of all ages

Maros Kocerha

Piano

IIn 1999 Maros  was awarded a Talent Scholarship from Adelphi University in NY, where he enrolled in and pursued music.  Before his enrolment into the University Maros was taking private piano lessons with Prof. Rosa Antonelli, an accomplished classical pianist.

Alongside studying at the University, he also participated in numerous piano recitals. Maros’s most notable performances were taking place at The Steinway Concert Hall and Carnegie’s Weill Recital Hall. Maros studied piano composition under Prof. Paul Moravec, an accomplished composer specializing in Modern music, and Music History and Counterpoint under Dr. Roy Nitzberg whom he was very influenced and inspired by. In January 1998, Maros launched the opening of Astoria Soundworks Ltd., the music studio based in

Astoria,Queens. Since the opening of the facility, he has  been acting as General Manager and overseeing the entire process and operation. In 2005 he was hired to teach in The Little Notes school of music in NJ and still teaches there on a part time basis.

Brian Henry

Voice/Piano

Originally from Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, Brian Michael Henry is an actor, musician and songwriter based in New York City (since 2009).

He attended Penn State University, receiving his Bachelor’s of Music in Vocal Performance, and then went on to Manhattan School of Music where he received his Masters Degree; also in Vocal Performance and Opera. While in school, Brian had the great pleasure of performing some of the great lyric baritone roles from the operatic repertoire, including Sid in Britten’s Albert Herring, Dr. Falke in Johann Strauss’s Die Fledermaus, Figaro in Mozart’s Le Nozze Di Figaro, Ben in Menotti’s The Telephone, and many more. 

Although his formal training is in opera and classical music, Brian has always been drawn to the musical theater. While at school he had the opportunity to appear in new works by professional composers, lyricists, and playwrights with the Penn State New Musicals Festival. This experience solidified his desire to pursue a career on the musical theater stage.

Select theater credits include Nick Massi in Jersey Boys (Capital Repertory Theatre) Sir Lionel in Camelot (Sierra Repertory Theatre) Sparky in Forever Plaid (The Majestic Theater), Father in Ragtime (The Eagle Theatre), Stewpot in South Pacific (Westchester Broadway Theatre, The Ivoryton Playhouse) Show Boat  (The Shubert Theatre). 

His signature role (so far) has been that of rock and roll legend, Jerry Lee Lewis in the musical Million Dollar Quartet. Brian has been seen all over the world in this role, playing The Killer himself, as well as the piano in the production's live onstage band. Productions include The Hippodrome Theatre (Gainesville, FL) Beef and Boards (Indianapolis, IN), Majestic Theater (Springfield, MA), Norwegian Cruise Line (international), Bucks County Playhouse (PA), and more.

Also a pianist and songwriter, Brian released Remote Work, in 2021. Remote Work is a full-length album of New Wave and alt-pop tracks inspired by documentaries. The styles on the record are inspired by the likes of Lou Reed, Jim Steinman, The Cure, Phil Spector and Elton John. 

Shortly thereafter, in the winter of 2022, Brian released his EP, The Horror! The Horror!, and most recently, his second full-length album of original material, If I Have To Stop This Car in May of 2023. His music is available on iTunes, Apple Music, Spotify, Soundcloud, Bandcamp and anywhere else you can stream music! 

He is a member of Actors' Equity Association and ASCAP.

Gerry Fitzgerald

Drums

Gerry has been teaching in Westchester for 15 years and performing the New York Area for 30 years. In that time, he has played with Joey Calderazzo, Michael Brecker, Bill Crow, Sir Roland Hanna, John Abercrombie, Jimmy Hall, Joe Beck, and Carmine Leggio. He is presently appearing with Michelle LeBlanc and Doug Proper in Westchester and Putnam Counties. Gerry can also be heard on several CD’s by various recording artists.

Anne Bach Fumasoli

Flute, piano

Anne is Music Program and Public Outreach Director at The Rye Arts Center. She received her Bachelor of Science summa cum laude in Music Education from the University of Bridgeport. At the university, Anne studied piano with Juilliard graduate, Allen Weiss. In addition she studied flute privately with Manhattan School of Music faculty member Harold Bennett and Harvey Estrin, one of the most respected NYC studio musicians during that time. Anne has taught in the Stamford and Darien public schools, Greenwich Academy, School of the Holy Child and in various community based programs. Her performance credits include work with Connecticut Grand Opera, Connecticut Public Television, Silvermine Art Guild and The Whitney Museum. Anne continues to perform throughout the tristate area as a soloist and chamber musician. She is an active member of the New York State School Music Association and is a certified woodwind adjudicator for both New York State (NYSSMA) and Connecticut State evaluation festivals.

Jason Jacob 

Guitar, Suzuki guitar, banjo, mandolin, ukulele

Jason holds a BM in Guitar Performance from University of Missouri and a MM in guitar Performance from the Rudi E. Scheidt School of Music, The University of Memphis. He holds an Artists Diploma from SUNY Purchase as well as a Certificate of Suzuki Teacher Training from The Longay Conservatory of Guitar, San Jose, CA. In addition to his teaching at The Rye Arts Center, Jason also teaches at The Guitar Conservatory of Northern Westchester and has taught at The Community Music School at The University of Memphis.

Lauren Jenkins

Violin, Suzuki violin

Lauren holds a Bachelor of Music in Violin Performance, Summa Cum Laude from The Conservatory at Purchase College and a Masters of Music from Carnegie Mellon University.  In addition she holds a Suzuki certification from the Atlanta Suzuki Institute. Lauren has over 15 years teaching experience with performances in numerous festivals and orchestras both in The US and abroad. She enjoys teaching various genres of music (including fiddling!).

Grace Kim

Piano, piano pals

Grace is a New York based classical pianist, accompanist, and educator. She received her Master’s degree in Piano Performance from SUNY Purchase and Bachelor of Music from Queens College. Her recent performances include her solo recital at SUNY Purchase, NYC’s Rising Stars at Queens Borough Performing Arts Center, and duo recitals at Atria senior residence.

Regan Nikol

Piano pals, piano, clarinet

Regan has experience in solo, orchestral and chamber ensembles with numerous music groups and festivals including Westchester Band, Bronxville Midland Chamber Music, Lehman Band, Collegium Westchester Orchestra, Hudson Valley Wind Ensemble, Sarah Lawrence Orchestra, Purchase Symphonic Winds, Bowdoin International Music Festival, Texas Music Festival and College Light Opera Company. She has performed in Europe and the United States in venues such as Avery Fisher Hall, Carnegie Hall, and Alice Tully Hall. Regan has been teaching students of various ages and levels for over 15 years in schools such as the Brooklyn-Queens Conservatory of Music, Great Neck Arts Center, Bayside Music Studio, Cambria Center School for the gifted child, Lakeville Elementary School, and her own private music studio. She received both her Bachelor's and Master's degrees in education and performance from the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College.

Heather Rinello

Piano

Heather is a graduate of Manhattanville College with a degree in music and concentration in management. She studied piano privately at the Music Conservatory of Westchester with the renowned Russian piano teacher Natalia Krassii-Watson. For three years she held a position as Rental Manager at Steinway Hall on 57th street in Manhattan, where her responsibilities included performing for clients. In 2002 Heather played piano in scenes from the movie Unfaithful, directed by Adrian Lyne, starring Richard Gere and Diane Lane. For the past several years Heather has taught at two Westchester music schools for students’ ages 5 and up, teaching all genres of music and theory and all of her students have performed in recitals.

In the Fall of 2020, The Rye Arts Center named Heather Coordinator of Half Day for Half Pints, a preschool arts program for children three and a half to five and a half years of age, exposing them to creative and thoughtful projects in visual arts, music and dance.  In the Fall of 2023, she was appointed The Rye Arts Performing Arts Director, responsible for coordinating and programming classes and performances for the music and theatre division.