Our Faculty

Yulia Rife has worked as a pianist, teacher and accompanist for more than 30 years.  She received her Master's degrees in Piano Performance and Piano Pedagogy from Azerbaijan State Academy of Music, and a Bachelor in Art and Science from Azerbaijan National Conservatory Music College.  She is a certified teacher of the Kindermusic Institute and certified instructor of the nationally recognized music course "Harmony Road".  Yulia was recognized by Steinway & Sons, Steinway Piano Gallery-St. Louis as The Top Piano Teacher of 2016.  Additionally, she is a member of the National Guild of Piano Teachers, a division of the American College of Musicians, and The Music Teachers National Association for twenty years. Yulia Rife is a coordinator of the Royal Conservatory for the St. Louis area.  Her students are participants of the District and State auditions and the International Piano Competitions including yearly evaluations by the Royal Conservatory.  

Alla Livak is a violin and piano teacher with 30+ years of experience.
She received a Master's Degree in Violin Performance and Pedagogy and a Bachelor's degree in Piano Performance and Pedagogy from Kharkiv Conservatory, Ukraine.
Alla was teaching 12 years in music schools in Ukraine before she moved to United States 30 years ago.

Alla loves teaching. Her students received high recognitions in school/college orchestras.

Dariusz ( Darek ) Kosinski  is a piano teacher and accomplished pianist.

He studied under renowned professor Daniel Schene in Webster University.

Darek has European background in piano performance and pedagogy.

He completed his music study in Kyiv, Ukraine.

Darek is a winner and laureate of over 15 domestic and international piano competitions held in Ukraine.

Darek is passionate about teaching music to all ages, and believes in potential musicality of all students

Liana Muzik holds Master Degree in Piano Performance and Pedagogy.

She studied music at the Wheaton College Conservatory and graduated from The University of Oklahoma.

Liana has 7 years of teaching experience. She taught private and group lessons.

Liana was awarded with The Provost ‘s Certificate with Distinction in Teaching from the University of Oklahoma.

Liana was semi finalist in 

Oklahoma Piano Concerto competition and winning alternate in OMTA piano competition.

Liana teaches piano for all levels and all ages and actively performs in solo recitals as well as collaborations. Liana strives to create enriching musical experiences that encourage students to be life-long lovers of music.

Siqi Luo has eight years of teaching experience.

She started to learn music at six years old, and has received excellent music accomplishments. She has a Bachelor of Arts from The University of Missouri St. Louis and a Master of Arts in Music from the Chinese University in Hongkong.

She is patient and responsible to her students, and incorporates different teaching methods for different students as she continues to improve the quality of her skills. 

Julia Hornberger holds a Bachelor's degree in cello and piano from University of Missouri and a Master's degree in cello performance from the University of DePaul.  Julia performed as a principal cellist in various symphonies in the United States and Europe, including the Illinois Symphony, Fort Wayne Philharmonic, and at the AIMS festival in Austria.

Katie Pearsall is a graduate of Michigan State University with a Degree in Music Education with focusing on Strings . She was certified teacher in three states, and had 20 years of experience. Her teaching method is more traditional and is versed in classical, jazz and fiddle styles. Katie's primary instruments are violin, viola, cello, double bass, and piano, while her secondaries are winds and percussion, guitar, ukulele, and voice. She has performed live in Carnegie Hall, New York City at age 15 and continued to perform nationally and internationally with several orchestras. Katie loves teaching all ages and abilities.

Be excited to try a new instrument or add to your growing musical journey!

David received his Master of Music in Violin Performance and String Teacher Training from Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville.  He studied with Dr. John Kendall and Ms. Carol Smith and completed all levels of Suzuki Teacher Training.  

Mr. Liu has taught students in Taipei, Houston, St. Louis, and Chicago during his 37 years of experience.  His students have been accepted into various orchestras with excellent seats, including Concert Master.  

Mr. Liu enjoys helping students and parents become successful in their life through music education. 

Misha Crus is an accomplished musician with a masters degree in  Double Bass Performance and Pedagogy from Rimsky-Korsakov Saint Petersburg State Conservatory.

Misha’s experience includes 30 years playing Double Bass with the Kansas City Symphony and several years teaching and performing in China.

Misha is also a business owner of St. Louis Strings store.

Joseph Sparks has a Bachelor degree in guitar performance and pedagogy. He graduated with Honors from Berklee College of Music in Boston.

Joe has led and performed in numerous bands in St. Louis. Joe has taught guitar and music theory to students of all ages. He tutored in college and has taught private guitar lessons for many years. He has also held teaching positions in the St. Louis area with various studios, including A+ Music and Dave’s  Guitar Center.

Que Huong Nguyen is a passionate voice instructor and piano teacherShe attained her undergraduate degree  from Webster University, followed by a Master's degree in Performance from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. 

Que’s talents have been recognized through a series of accolades, including her victory at the Singer Contest in St. Louis (2023), a double triumph at the St. Louis Chapter of the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) in 2019 and 2022, and the prestigious Golden Award at the Asian Arts Festival in Singapore (2017). 

With a rich repertoire, Que Nguyen has shone as a soloist in various operatic performances, taking on lead roles. Her artistic presence is widespread, with classical to pop music. 

Van Nguyen is an experienced pianist and educator whose dedication to music has been a constant in his career since 2014, the year that he started earning Music Pedagogy’s degree at Ho Chi Minh Conservatory of Music. In 2017, Van channeled his expertise into founding the Cecilia Music Center in Vietnam, creating a flourishing space for young musical talents and education. Currently Van lives in United States and advances his own education as a graduate student at Webster University. 

Alex Rife holds a Bachelor's degree in journalism and engineering and a Bachelor's degree in economics.  He is an accomplished photographer/ videographer with over 30 years of experience in the industry.  He has worked in broadcasting and television as a cameraman and editor all over the world including Azerbaijan, Russia, Germany, throughout Europe and the United States.