Malvern School of Music

Teacher Profiles

Our staff strives, through our individual lessons, ensembles, and classroom instruction, to provide our students with a holistic approach to music. We believe that, in order to make great music, students must not only master the technical aspects of their instrument, but also learn to listen and interpret. We encourage students to play together, and listen to one another as they shape their sound as a group. We help students to understand the historical and cultural backdrop that influenced the genre of music in which they are interested. Finally, we help them master the technical aspects of their instrument, and gain an understanding of music theory, critical listening, musicianship and notation.

Bonnie Sumerfield (Classical Pianist)

Bonnie holds a Bachelors degree in Piano Performance from the Boston Conservatory and a Master of Music in Accompanying from West Chester University. Ms. Sumerfield has been on the staff at Millersville University, the University of Delaware, West Chester University and Settlement Music School as both teacher and collaborative artist

Grace Kamfonas (Classical Pianist)

Grace began studying classical piano at the age of four. Grace attended Manhattan School of Music majoring in piano performance with Phillip Kawin and then transferred to Ithaca College to complete her Bachelor of Arts degree in Music, graduating magna cum laude and studying with Charis Dimaras. Grace also included extensive pedagogy studies in College. Grace was accepted at the Aspen Music Festival and School for three summers. Other festivals included Castelnuovo di Garfagnana Music Festival in Italy, and Vladimir Feltsman's Piano Summer Institute in New Paltz, NY.

Nicole Atkinson (Piano and Flute)

Nicole received a bachelors of music in music education from the Frost School of Music, University of Miami. Her primary instrument is flute and her ensemble experience includes the renowned Band of the Hour Marching Band, Symphonic Winds, Flute Choir, Woodwind Chamber Group and Flute Quartets. She is currently teaching general music at East Goshen Elementary School in West Chester, PA

Dr. Leonardo Dugan (Pianist, Jazz Saxophonist, Music Theory and Composition Tutor)

Leo holds a Doctorate and Masters of Philosophy / Composition, and Bachelor of Music from the Univsity of Pennsylvania. He is an Adjunct Professor of Theory/Composition at West Chester University, where he has taught Theory I, II, and IV, Fundamentals of Music, Aural Skills I, II, III, IV, and Advanced Chromatic Harmony. He is also an Adjunct Professor of Applied Music (Saxophone/Jazz Ensemble) at Immaculata University

Lynne Frederick, MM, MT-BC (Music Therapist / Adaptive Piano)

Lynne is a graduate of Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado, where she received a Master’s in Music with a concentration in Music Therapy and Elizabethtown College in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania, where she received a Bachelors in Music Therapy with a minor in Psychology. She has worked with children with various abilities through work at the Kardon Institute / Settlement Music School (Philadelphia, PA), where she was responsible for creating and overseeing the Music Therapy Internship program, the Academy of Community Music (Fort Washington, PA), where she oversaw 15 music therapists and the data collection for music in the Head Start program, and the Center on Central (Paoli, PA), where she conducts music groups and individual sessions for children of all ages and abilities.

Valerie Vuolo (Violin and Viola)

Valerie Vuolo, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, first began studying the violin at the age of 4 under her mother, Diana Vuolo (former student of Dorothy DeLay of the Julliard School of Music). Continuing her musical studies through high school she went on to study under Emlyn Ngai (Concertmaster, Philadelphia based Baroque ensemble, Tempesta di Mare) at the Hartt School of Music in Hartford, CT, completing a Bachelor of Music degree in violin performance and graduating with honors in 2007.

Valerie is very active in the Philadelphia music scene, performing regularly with the Avalare String Quartet, a rock string quartet based out of Philadelphia and the Alfred James Band, a cello driven acoustic rock band that tours nationally and internationally.

John Dickinson (Percussion / Drum Set)

John is also a Berklee School of Music graduate. He plays in two great local bands. The funk Band, Universal Funk Order, and the Reggae Band, Spookey Speaky. You can even find him playing Gospel tunes from time to time at Covenant Presbyterian Church. It goes without saying, John is a versatile drummer and a great instructor. Here is a link of his Reggae band performing a Bob Marley Tribute at the World Cafe Live.

Patty Stoltzfus (Vocalist)

Patty achieved a Bachelors of Music from Combs College of Music in Philadelphia as a vocal performance major. She has a Masters in Divinity from Eastern Seminary in Philadelphia and is an ordained Minister in the Presbyterian Church. She studied voice under Dolores Ferraro, Vann Trapp, and Dorothy Symonds.
Patty has served as the Director of the music program as Covenant Presbyterian Church for 25 years. For the past five years, she has also served as an Associate Pastor. She has extensive experience in choral conducting as well as individual vocal instruction.

Eric Cochran Zimmer (Vocalist and Piano) http://ericacochran.com/biography/

Erica has a masters in music, with a double major in choral education and vocal performance for Florida State University. She maintains an active schedule performing opera, musical theater and concert work with various companies throughout the country. She completed various prestigious traininig programs including the Des Moines Metro Opera, Kentucky Opera, and Aspen Opera Theater. Erica comfortably crosses over from Opera to Musical Theatre, and greatly enjoys working with young singers to develop their voices.

Dave Stoltzfus (Rock and Jazz Guitar, Bass, Saxophone)

Dave has been playing guitar for 40 years. He is fluent in Blues, Rock, Folk and Bluegrass. He frequently serves as an accompanist to vocalists as various venues including church and weddings. He also plays in the Pit Orchestra for community theatre. Over the years he has played in various bands, mostly focused on blues and classic rock. Dave is well versed in music notation and theory, and infuses this knowledge into his teaching approach.

Anthony (Tony) DAddono (Classical, Jazz and Rock Guitar, Bass,Sax); http://www.tonydaddono.com/

Tony has been performing professionally for 50 years. He is an outstanding classical and jazz guitarist, and can certainly rock out if the need arises :-) He has been a member of the Vincent James Band for the past 25 years. His studies include the Granoff School of Music where he studied with Bill Viola and Peter Segal from the Philadelphia Classical Guitar Society. Hes taken master classes with Christopher Parkening, Oscar Ghiglia and John Duarte (all students of Segovia). Tony has had his classical arrangements of Tchaikovsky's "The Nutcraker" and Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue" published by Hal Leonard. To read more about Mr D'Addono, and listen to him perform, visit his website at Tony D'Addono Website

Dr. Stephani Esposito (Clarinet, Oboe, Flute, Sax)

Dr Esposito holds a Doctorate of Musical Arts from the Shenandoah Conservatory, and a Master of Music from Oakland University (2007) and a Bachelor of Arts from Lenoir-Rhyne College (2005), all in Music Performance. Currently studying with Garrick Zoeter and Charles Salinger, Stephanie has been studying clarinet for twenty years and has been teaching privately and within the college setting for ten. Along with clarinet, she has developed skills in bass clarinet, saxophone, and flute to further her career in American musical theater. Between 2009 and 2012, Stephanie had the opportunity to perform with the Shenandoah Summer Music Theater, and now she plays with The Players Club of Swarthmore, substitutes for the Media Theater, and plays bass clarinet with the Chesco Pops. She also had the opportunity to present a research lecture entitled - Ferruccio Busonis Concertino for Clarinet and Small Orchestra: A Study in Young Classicism - for a Music Theory Conference at George Mason University in February, 2012. This project introduced the topic of her current dissertation research. Stephanie is very familiar with the district, regional, state, and all-eastern band and orchestra competitions: in Pittsburg of 2001 she was principal seat, all-eastern band under the direction of Mr. Anthony Maiello.

Jon Stoltzfus (Drummer / Arranger, Summer Rock Camp Director)

Jon is a drummer and graduate of Berklee College of Music. Jon is the Drummer for the band Atlas Gray (www.atlasgray.com) who have opened for Grammy Award Winning artists Albert Lee and Peter Asher, and for Denny Laine (co-founded the band "Wings" with Paul McCartney); Jon has also toured with Albert Lee as his drummer.