Kathryn Imani, Founder and Director

Kathryn Imani began studying piano at the age of 4.  She started a small piano 

studio at the age of 15.  While completing her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of California, Santa Barbara, she studied piano performance and pedagogy privately with Lana Bodnar-Horton, and coached many of her students.  After pursuing graduate work in San Diego, Mrs. Imani began teaching piano in a private school.Through contacts there, she was introduced to world-renowned teacher, Doris Koppelman, and the Suzuki Piano Method.  She studied Suzuki pedagogy with Mrs. Koppelman for ten years, both as a teacher and a Suzuki-mom.  Since 1989,Mrs. Imani has taught Suzuki piano to hundreds of children in San Diego, Orange County, and in Solvang, California where she resides with her husband and two sons.

In addition to private teaching, Mrs. Imani has taught  K-5 classroom music in both public and private schools, is founder and director of PINK and HOT PINK, a chorus for 4th-9th grade girls, collaborates with local musicians as accompanist and ensemble player, and has been music director for community summer theater productions of the Music Man, Willie Wonka, Grease, Bye Bye Birdie and Guys & Dolls.   She has studied voice privately with Michel Marc Gervais, head of the choral department at UC Santa Barbara and the Conservatory of Music in Geneva.

Vahid Imani, Guitar Instructor

Suzuki Guitar instruction is under the direction of Vahid Imani.  Vahid is a member of the Suzuki Association of the Americas and is a certified Suzuki guitar instructor.  Vahid has studied Guitar, Music Composition, and the Suzuki approach with masters such as Sohrab Afrasiabi, Dr. Daniel Robbins, Michele George,  Frank Longay, Mychal Gendron and David Madison among others.  He started his classical guitar study in Teheran Conservatory in 1975, and continued his studies in music composition and guitar in Eastern Washington University, Cal. Sate Long Beach, Pasadena Conservatory and the Longay Conservatory of Guitar.  Vahid is a registered member of Suzuki Association of the Americas(SAA) and has completed multiple training credits with SAA.

Lynni Gilfry, Associate Piano Teacher

Ms. Gilfry has taught in the Santa Ynez Valley for the past 15 years. She combines a passion for music with a love of sharing this gift with others, making her teaching both effective and highly personal. She has a Masters degree in French from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and has worked as a French diction coach at the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara. In addition to her piano teaching, she maintains a steady schedule of jazz standard singing engagements. As an associate teacher, she teaches at the beginning and early intermediate levels, while pursuing ongoing training as a Suzuki Method instructor.

Annie Torres, Kindermusik Teacher

Annie Torres is a licensed Kindermusik Educator who is passionate about children and music. She is a credentialed elementary school teacher and taught Kindergarten for five years in Santa Barbara before having her own three children. Annie studied Suzuki Violin for five years, Piano for four years, and French Horn for six years. She has taught Kindermusik classes in the valley for the last two years, and has been studying Suzuki piano alongside of her own children for two years as well. Through all her teaching and learning experiences, Annie believes strongly in the musical education of young children.

Ellen S. Beckerman, Flute and Celtic Harp instructor

Mrs. Beckerman has studied flute with Ilene Richards , Frederick (Fritz) Baker and Susan Stockhammer for eleven years and has studied Celtic Harp with Deborah Friou, Ellie Choate and Laurie Rasmussen for about 16 years. In addition to a California Multiple Subject Teaching Credential, Ms. Bckerman has two Master degrees, one in Fine Art from Claremont Graduate School and the other is Clinical Social Work from USC. She was a much loved and highly respected teacher at Ballard Elementary school for 9 years. She is a member of a Celtic Trio and The Misty Isles Consort music groups. In addition to flute and Celtic harp, Ms. Beckerman also plays the alto flute, a variety of world flutes, piano and the Swiss hang drum.

Serving the Communities of Solvang, Santa Ynez, Los Olivos, Buellton, Lompoc, Vandenberg, VAFB, Los Alamos, Goleta, Santa Barbara, Santa Maria, Orcutt, Arroyo Grande, Los Osos and Pismo Beach.