Sarah Icardi, studio director, violin and piano teacher

Sarah is a musician from Medina, Ohio. She started studying violin at 5 years old with Renee Matthews. She holds a Bachelor's degree in violin performance from Baldwin Wallace University in Berea, Ohio. She made her debut solo performance with orchestra at the age of 16 with the Baldwin Wallace Youth Orchestra, playing Mozart Violin Concerto no. 3 after winning the Baldwin Wallace Youth Orchestra concerto competition. She has traveled extensively on Orchestra tours through the United States and abroad. She toured China with the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra in 2015 and played concerts in Beijing, Tianjin and Ningbo. She also played concerts in Baltimore, Pittsburgh and Washington D.C. with the Baldwin Wallace Symphony Orchestra in 2016. Before and during college she studied violin and chamber music with members of the Cleveland Orchestra. In 2017, Sarah was chosen to perform with Barnaby Bright an award-winning folk-pop duo. In college she had the opportunity to be in leadership positions by being principle second and concert master. She played two undergraduate recitals in her time at BW featuring the works of Bruch Violin Concerto no. 1, Vaughn William's Lark Ascending, Bach Partita no. 2, Wienawski Violin Concerto, and Mozart Sonata in E minor. In the past few years, she has performed with The Cleveland Women's Orchestra, West Shore Chorale and The Ashland Symphony. She was the 2019-2020 concertmaster at Lakeland Civic Orchestra. Sarah has also judged violin and piano concerto competitions in the Northeast Ohio area.

Sarah started piano at the age of 8 and studied with Karen Campo throughout high school. She competed in piano competitions where she received superior ratings. She studied piano during her undergraduate career at Baldwin Wallace University studying with Anthony and Christine Fuoco and Nicole Keller.

Sarah’s most recent endeavor is building her studio in Medina, Ohio. She has grown the studio to 150 violin, viola and piano students. Some of her students’ achievements include winning competitions, being selected for solos, moving up to more advanced orchestras and being selected for leadership positions in their orchestra. Whatever the student’s goal is, Sarah will help them achieve it! In Sarah’s free time, she enjoys spending time outdoors, traveling and spending time with her fiancé (Matt) and cats (Weston and Cleo).

Lindsay Hastings, piano teacher

Lindsay Hastings is a musician and music teacher who currently resides in Medina. She holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education from Ohio Northern University (2017) and is in her seventh year of teaching general music at St. Francis Xavier School.

While attending Ohio Northern University, Lindsay studied clarinet with Georg Klaas and piano with Pamela Ashmore. She participated in a variety of ensembles, including wind orchestra, symphony orchestra, marching band, choirs, and pit orchestras at ONU and at high schools nearby.

At St. Francis Xavier School, Lindsay is responsible for the music education of all students in kindergarten through eighth grade. Her priority is to teach her students how to read music well while also introducing them to the many different kinds of music that exist throughout the world. She prepares an annual concert for kindergarten through 5th grade and teaches her students how to play a variety of percussion instruments, recorders, and ukuleles. She also teaches private piano lessons, where she is passionate about teaching her students how to play the piano, but to also have fun and laugh while learning.

Lindsay is an active musician in the community. She continues to study piano with Julie Melik-Stepanov and plays clarinet with the Medina Community Band. She also serves as the clarinet sectional instructor for Wadsworth High School’s marching band camp.

Lindsay grew up in Burton, Ohio and graduated from Berkshire High School. She lives in Medina with her husband, Matthew (a band director in the Wadsworth City Schools), and their dog, O’Malley. Outside of music, she enjoys going for runs around Medina, reading, and cheering on the Cleveland Guardians, Cavs, and Browns.

Grace Brown, violin teacher

Grace Brown, a violinist from the Akron area, is a recent graduate of the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music where she attended on full scholarship and earned her B.M., magna cum laude. There, she led both the CCM Concert Orchestra and CCM Philharmonia as Assistant Concertmaster, and as Concertmaster.  Grace’s prior orchestral experience includes serving as Concertmaster of the Akron Youth Philharmonic, and performing as a member of the prestigious Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra. Summer programs Grace has attended include the Meadowmount School of Music, Green Mountain Chamber Music Festival, and the Innsbrook Institute. During her studies she has worked with many notable pedagogues  including Dr. Won-Bin Yim, Kurt Sassmannsaus, Giora Scmidt, Ann Setzer, and Amy Barlowe.  As a budding teacher herself, she has been on faculty at the Western Reserve Chamber Music Festival, where she supervised and coached chamber groups of all ages and skill levels.  Grace also has an interest in instrument repair and has worked with Rodney Mohr, learning how to rehair and repair bows. 

In her spare time Grace enjoys baking bread, oil painting, weightlifting, and playing with her little black cat, Mr. Man. 

Lesley Rudin, violin, piano and viola teacher

Lesley Rudin is a musician from Buffalo, NY. She began studying violin at age six through the Suzuki method, she then added viola and piano to her studies. Her most recent accomplishment is receiving her masters in music performance from Bowling Green State University. While at BGSU, she studied with Jordan Bak and Matthew McBride-Daline. She has recently performed with the Toledo Symphony Orchestra, Toledo Repertoire Theater, Lima Symphony, Perrysburg Symphony, the BGSU Philharmonia, BGSU Graduate String Quartet and the College Light Opera Company's 2022 season in Cape Cod. 

Lesley also holds two bachelors degrees from Baldwin Wallace University in music performance and music history. At Baldwin Wallace, she studied with Lembi Veskimets who is a member of the Cleveland Orchestra. During her time at BW she performed in the Baldwin Wallace Symphony Orchestra, the BW opera pit orchestra, BW Beatles, and in the New Music Concert series, as well as in chamber ensembles and for student recitals. While completing her degree, Lesley completed a thesis on the portrayal of Japanese music and culture in opera.

Melissa Kleinert, piano teacher

Melissa Kleinert is a musician from Pittsburgh, PA. She started studying piano at the age of 4. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in music education from Baldwin Wallace University, as well as a Master’s degree in music education and Kodaly certification from Capital University. During her time at Baldwin Wallace, she studied piano with Dr. Robert Mayerovitch. She also got to study with Dr. Sungeun Kim and Mary Dobrea-Grindahl. She performed with the jazz band, and gave two undergraduate recitals featuring works by Beethoven, Debussy, Shoshtakovich, Rachmaninoff, Brahms, Schumann, and Bolcom. She had lots of performance opportunities at Baldwin Wallace, including master classes with Spencer Myer and Jenny Lin, and was selected to perform her favorite piece, The Serpent’s Kiss by William Bolcom at convocation. Melissa is also an accomplished accompanist, and started by accompanying her choirs in middle school.

Melissa currently teaches K-5 general music at Case Elementary, part of the Akron Public Schools. This is her 11th year teaching general music, and she has taught grades PK-12 throughout her career. She also has years of experience teaching private piano lessons. Melissa is a passionate music educator who loves instilling the joy of music in her lessons, and experiencing that joy with her students.In her spare time, Melissa loves to cook, read, travel, and cheer on her Pittsburgh Penguins. She is a yoga enthusiast, and is currently training to become a certified yoga instructor. She also loves animals, and resides in Akron with her 9 cats.

Christopher DeShields, violin, piano and viola teacher

Christopher DeShields is an outstanding violist and violinist as well as an accomplished pianist in the Cleveland/Akron area. He grew up in Olmsted Falls Ohio, and began studying music privately at age 8. He holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Cedarville University (2018), and Master of Music degree from Kent State University’s Hugh A. Glauser School of Music (2021).

 Christopher’s training in violin and viola began with high school teachers Leah Frank and the late Jeanette Meyer, who was a student of Josef Gingold, former concertmaster of the Cleveland Orchestra. Throughout his college career Christopher has studied with prominent players of both the Cleveland Orchestra and Chicago Symphony, including Joanna Zakany, Welsey Collins, Stan Konopka, Arthur Klima, and Peter Slowik. He has also studied with Sheridan Currie and Jane Jaquith. Christopher made his solo debut performance with the Cedarville University’s Symphony Orchestra in April 2017, playing the 1st Movement of Ernest Bloch’s “Suite Hebraique.” He performed his capstone B.M. recital in April 2018, performing Bela Bartok’s viola concerto, Vieuxtempt’s Sonata in B flat major, and Charles Lloeffler’s Trio for viola, oboe, and piano. In 2016, He sat principal viola on tour with the Cedarville University Symphony Orchestra for a concert series in Florida. In 2018, he again sat principal viola with the Cedarville Chamber Orchestra on tour for a concert series in Italy. In 2019, he was selected to perform chamber music at the annual Kent-Blossom Music Festival, which included a debut side-by-side orchestra performance with the Cleveland Orchestra. Christopher performed his first M.M. capstone recital in March 2020 with Brahm’s 1st Viola Sonata in F minor, J.S. Bach’s 3rd Cello suite arranged for viola, and Rebecca Clarke’s “Morpheus.” His second M.M. capstone recital in December 2020 included all unaccompanied viola music, including Paul Hindemith’s Op. 25 No. 1 Sonata, Max Reger’s Suite No. 1, Henri Vieuxtempt’s “Hommage” capriccio, and J.S. Bach’s 4th Cello suite arranged for viola. 

Christopher’s piano education has included study with many teachers, including Nathan Eckel, Annette Palmer, Peggy Dunkel, and Lori Scheutzow. Throughout his piano education he has received numerous superior ratings at solo and ensemble contests. He performed Ludwig Van Beethoven’s entire “Moonlight” Sonata No.14 at his final high school recital, as well as some of Sergei Rachmoninoff’s most virtuosic piano works throughout his college years. In addition to his extensive classical training he has over 10 years experience with piano improvisation, having the chance to perform both in jazz, gospel, rock, pop, and new music settings. 

Christopher has been teaching since his undergraduate college years both privately as well as in our local music schools. His teaching style is personable and student centered. His own words describe his overall teaching philosophy, “what I love the most is to inspire and equip students and watch them succeed.”