Piano

Dr. Karali Hunter- Founder and Director of Hammer & Strings Conservatory

Dr. Karali Hunter - H&S Founder and Director

Award-winning pianist and pedagogue Dr. Karali Hunter has been teaching promising young musicians for over 20 years. Dr. Hunter made her Carnegie Hall debut performance in 2011 after winning first prize in the American Protégé Piano and Strings Competition. Hunter is a founding artist in the group Salonnières, a group that specializes in intimate salon style concerts based in the Phoenix metro. She is an active solo performer and collaborator, regularly performing across the western United States... Read More

Autum Hunt - Piano Department Head, Group Piano

Ms. Autum is a born educator. An award winning pianist, she has been teaching piano in the East Valley music community for over 33 years, including teaching at Chandler Gilbert Community College for 15 years! She is collaborates and adjudicates regularly in the East Valley and beyond, and has taught students from ages 4 to 90. Her students relate to her vivacious personality and her excitement for all things music and fitness... Read More

Yuriy Vereshchagin - Piano

Mr. Yuriy’s kind nature and his incredible attention to developing a student’s ear by exploring the rich piano repertoire make him a favorite at H&S. A native of Odessa, Ukraine, Yuriy Vereshchagin has been a prolific performer in the Kansas City area, winning first prizes in the 2005 Independence Orchestra Concerto Competition, 2005 Baldwin Piano Award – Solo and Chamber divisions, as well as the 2006 Robert M. Spire Omaha Piano Competition, concerto category. He won the Second Century Award in the 2013 Sigma Alpha Iota Scholarship Auditions, the Julia and Ferris Boutross Scholarship and ASU Special Talent Award Music Scholarship… Read More

Vladislav Kosminov, Piano Faculty

Vladislav Kosminov - Piano

As a pianist, Mr. Vlad is a force! His passion for piano and for teaching the next generation with incredible detail make him a very sought after teacher. Vladislav Kosminov, a native of Uzbekistan, is a prize-winner of several International and National Competitions. Including the “Shabyt Inspiration International Piano Competition” (Gran-Prix, Kazakhstan-Astana 2009), and the International Rubinstein Piano Concerto Competition (2nd Prize, France-Paris 2004). In 2015 he was one of the prize winners of G. Gershwin International Competition in Brooklyn… Read More

Dr. Olga Kim, Piano Faculty

Dr. Olga Kim - Piano

Dr. Olga Kim, a native of Tashkent (Uzbekistan), made her New York City debut with the Tashkent Piano Trio in 2013. She has extensive experience teaching young, talented students, and has been on the faculty of several universities. At home with baroque, classical and romantic repertoire she is newly interested in contemporary and modern music. Sought after as a collaborative pianist, Dr. Kim was hired as a staff collaborative pianist at both the State Conservatory and Uspensky School in the year of her graduation. Additionally, Dr. Kim served on the piano faculty of one of the State music school for two years… Read More

Johnny Rice - Piano

A native of Arizona, Johnny Rice is an accomplished performer and teacher on both cello and piano. Mr. Rice, performing in a duo with his brother, Chris, has performed throughout the United States, including in New York City (Carnegie Hall), Chicago, Los Angeles, and numerous cities and towns across the United States. Internationally, he has performed in Warsaw, as a featured artist at the 2014 World Music Day celebration, as well as in Vienna, Salzburg, Budapest, and Munich. Mr. Rice has appeared as soloist with the Scottsdale Symphony, the Mesa Symphony, and the Symphony of the Southwest…Read More

Dr. Rosa LoGiudice - Piano, Group Piano

Dr. Rosa LoGiudice De La Cruz is a dynamic performer and piano instructor. She collaborates frequently with professional instrumentalists and singers on recording and performance projects in the greater Phoenix area, and with her husband, Dr. Nathaniel De La Cruz, a professional double bass soloist in their award-winning duo. Dr. LoGiudice has over 20 years of teaching experience, including Suzuki and Taubmann training…Read More

Apprentice Piano Faculty

Samuel Nelson - Piano

Samuel Nelson began his musical journey at a young age, performing with his brother at events in Portland, OR. Nelson’s formal piano training began at Portland State University, where he studied with Dr. Julia Hwakyu Lee before coming to Arizona in 2021. Nelson’s musical background and performance experience is extensive and eclectic. He has played with ensembles and bands throughout Portland and Phoenix , in styles ranging from classical to blues to bluegrass. A scholarship recipient at Arizona State University, Nelson performs regularly with groups from all genres…Read More

Interested in joining our piano faculty? Please Contact us!

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