wayne art center

Music Faculty

Our music instructors, all performers coming from prestigious musical backgrounds, look forward to forming exciting and rewarding musical relationships with Wayne Art Center students.

Wayne Art Center Music Faculty

Narine Abelian

Piano
Narine grew up in Yerevan, Armenia in a family of musicians. Her parents recognized her talent, and she was often seen playing difficult pieces at a young age. Her first piano concert was at the age of five, and she continued to play in public throughout childhood. Narine attended the Aram Khatchaturian Music College, and later attended conservatory for five years, graduating with a Masters in music. She has over 20 years of teaching experience.

Elizabeth Cochran

Double Bass
Elizabeth received her AB from Bryn Mawr College and a Diploma in Music from the New School of Music in Philadelphia, where she was the student of Michael Shahan. She performs with numerous symphonic and chamber ensembles in the Philadelphia region, including the Delaware Symphony, Pennsylvania Ballet, and the Philly Pops. In addition to her work as a bassist, Elizabeth is the organist at Central Baptist Church in Wayne, PA.

Paul Di Francesco

Guitar · Piano
Paul teaches at the Wayne Art Center and at Friends Select in Philadelphia. His students enjoy playing a wide variety of musical styles ranging from the Renaissance era to the present. He is a composer and former member of the American Composers Forum. Performances include numerous pieces for string quartet, brass ensemble, and small chorus, including performers from the Curtis Institute, the Opera Orchestra of Philadelphia, and Orchestra 2001. He has been a performer/arranger for various jazz ensembles in the San Francisco Bay Area, and received his BA in composition from the University of California, Santa Cruz.

Sharon Doerner

Piano
Sharon has taught at the Wayne Art Center for ten years, and privately for 15 years. She obtained her BA from Michigan State University and has also studied with Gisa Adler at the New School of Music.

Sarah Dubois

Violin · Viola · Piano · Composition
Sarah coordinates the Wayne Art Center music program. She is violinist with the Opera Company of Philadelphia, the Philly Pops, Orchestra 2001, and a former professor of violin and viola at Immaculata University. A nationally recognized composer of classical chamber music, she has been represented by Theodore Presser and Shar Music. Sarah is a recipient of the Tanglewood Fellowship, and has studied with Geoffrey Michaels, David Nadian, Leonard Mogil, and Joseph DePasquale. She has a BS in Music Education from West Chester University, and received a full scholarship for the Masters Program at Temple University.

Chiun-Mei Huang

Oboe · English Horn
Ms. Chiun-Mei Huang is a performer, a reed maker, and a teacher. She received her Bachelor of Music degree in Oboe Performance from University of Washington in Seattle, where she studied under Professor Laila Storch. Ms. Huang has studied extensively under Mr. Jonathan Blumenfeld of Philadelphia Orchestra, and Mr. Bernard Shapiro of Seattle Symphony Orchestra. Currently, she is the principal oboist of Orchestra Concordia. She has also performed with Yakima Symphony Orchestra, Delaware County Symphony Orchestra, and Merion Concert Band. Ms Huang is a native of Taiwan, where she started her journey with oboe.

Frances Tate

Flute
Frances is an active teacher and performer in the Philadelphia and Baltimore areas. She is currently second flutist with the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, piccolo with the Lancaster Symphony, and co-principal flute with the EMM Festival. In addition, she has performed with the Baltimore Symphony, Philly Pops, Pennsylvania Ballet Orchestra, as well as the Charlotte, Delaware, Annapolis, Knoxville and Richmond Symphonies. In 2002 she was the second place winner in the National Flute Association’s Piccolo Artist Competition. Frances has a Master’s Degree from the Peabody Conservatory and Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Michigan. Her primary teachers include Robert Willoughby, Leone Buyse, and Laurie Sokoloff.

Christine Watts

Cello
Christine is a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music. She currently teaches cello for the Wayne Art Center, and is the author of many books for the young cellist, including: Cello Method, Book & CD, The Sliding Book, Changing Positions from One to Four, and Improvisation & Theory for the Young Cellist. In addition to writing and teaching, Christine performs with local chamber music groups, and has performed solo twice with the Philadelphia Orchestra.

Jung Ju Gim

Piano
B.M. Piano Performance & Theory, Temple University
M.M. Piano Performance, Temple University
JJ has studied with Prof. Harvey Wedeen at Temple University and received a full Scholarship of Boyer College of Music for Bachelor & Master degree programs with President Award at Temple University. She was instructor at Westminster Conservatory of Music, Rider University, at Temple University for Secondary Piano major students, and Trenton Music School. She performed piano recital at Ethical Society, Philadelphia. She was accompanist for Concert Choir of Pennsylvania Youth Chorale and Main-Line Presbyterian Church, and Music Director at Central Presbyterian Church many years.

Yun Park

Violin & Viola
Showing her musical talents from her early age in various music genres and instruments Yun has been a fervent advocate, performer and teacher for Violin and Viola. Yun started a Violin Performance Major at Biola University with a full music scholarship, and later picked up Viola Performance Major. She has played the roles as a Viola soloist, Principal Viola and Principal Violin in multiple orchestras in South Korea as well as in the U.S. Her excellence in Viola performance was broadly recognized as Yun won First Prize twice in the American String Teacher Association Competition. Yun has over 25 years of teaching experience in Violin and Viola at music institutions, including Wayne Art Center.

In This Section