Our Music Teachers

Eskay’s music teachers will travel to meet you for your own personalized private, in-home lesson, or our talented music teachers can come to you via Zoom so you can enjoy virtual music lessons in the comfort of your home. All of our music teachers have degrees in music from top colleges and conservatories. Student’s are matched with teachers after learning more about the students interests, goals and personality. Eskay’s music teachers cover all of Long Island but mainly see clients located on the north shore. Our virtual lessons are offered to students all across the country but mainly feature students from other parts of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. Contact Eskay’s Music Lessons to start your musical journey with one of our music teachers!

Rudolph Albert is a multi-talented Piano and Voice teacher. At the age of 4, Rudy had a love for piano and classical music. Soon after, he began taking piano lessons. At 10, he joined his first choir and gained a fondness for the Pipe Organ. In 2000, he attended LaGuardia High School of the Performing Arts to further his studies. He also began his first position at St Fidelis as a Solo Singer at that time. He went on to study music at both New England Conservatory and Queensborough Community College. In 2011, he was appointed Director of Music at St. Mel Church and at St. Mel Catholic Academy. At the Academy he established a unique piano lab where all the students could have lessons. He caters to each student’s unique talents to help foster musical growth. Rudy is an enthusiastic teacher and strives to make lessons a joyful experience. Through the years, Rudy had the opportunity to share the stage with performers such as Josh Groban, Judy Collins and Hugh Masekela.

Glenndon Gifford is a musician, composer, producer, and educator from Long Island, New York. He performs in various styles of music across the Northeast, from Salsa and event bands to brass quartets and Jazz trios. Though his primary instrument is trumpet, he also performs on Trombone, piano and vocals.

Glenndon holds a Bachelors of Music in Jazz Studies from Temple University’s Boyer College of Music and Dance. He has been fortunate enough to have been mentored by some of the great trumpet players and musicians of our time, including Terell Stafford, John Swana, Rodney Marsalis, Nick Marchione, Tanya Darby, Mike Natale, and Leon Petruzzi.

He currently performs regularly with The Morning After (event band based in South NJ), The Latin Express (salsa band based in Philadelphia), Neil Forever (touring Neil Diamond tribute band), and his solo project under his own name.

Glenndon loves music and helping others develop and explore their passions and skills in music. Whether you are a new musician setting forth on your journey or a seasoned player looking for some guidance.

Gabriella Foster is a violinist who currently studies with Paul Bissat The New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. Starting at age 12, she studied with Dr. Ann Setzer and Dr. Laura Mount at Mannes Pre-College, graduating from their Honors Program. Gabriella has participated in festivals such as the Meadowmount School of Music, Bowdoin International Music Festival, and Chautauqua Music School Festival.

She had acclaimed awards such as First Prize of NY Chamber Players Competition in the Chamber Music Division, Long Island String Festival Association’s Studio Award, and Long Island Arts Alliance’s Scholar Artist Award of Merit, as well as being selected as a Semi-Finalist in the 24th Annual Sphinx Competition.

Born in Seoul, South Korea, Sung Kim is a pianist based in the Tri-State area of New York. She is a passionate pianist with many years of experience teaching piano to children/adults and performing in many pop/gospel bands and jazz chamber ensembles.

She began studying the piano at age six. Most of her childhood performance experiences were at the local churches, which led her to pursue her life as a musician. In 2016, She graduated with an honors GPA from the Berklee Track course at Seoul Jazz Academy, a Berklee Global Partner Institution in Seoul, South Korea. In 2019, she moved to Wayne, New Jersey, to attend William Paterson University and started to study with Grammy award-winning pianists Geoffrey Keezer and Bill Charlap. She has performed at various jazz/new music concerts and venues/events, including as the opening band for Steve Nelson, one of the most highly regarded vibraphonists of the current generation, and as a K-pop band at the BKCM House Party.

She is also a trusted piano teacher who customizes lessons to fit the needs and interests of her students. Sung understands that each student learns differently, and that learning music can enrich their lives. She is passionate about working with students so they can find their joy of playing the piano.

After she graduated from WPU, she moved to Queens, New York. She is currently making her own musical career in the New York music scene and has recently been recording and playing her own compositions and arrangements with several brilliant musicians.

Bill Kinslow has been teaching woodwind performance, music theory and music production for the past 20 years at East Meadow High School in Long Island, New York. As an active performer on saxophone, clarinet and flute, he has performed in Broadway show pits and as a freelance player in jazz, classical and pop music ensembles of all kinds in the New York area. Some credits: Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, Broadway shows: Nunnsense, Annie Warbucks, Engeman Theatre, Argyle Theatre, Gateway Theatre, Movie “Big” (Tom Hanks), Jazz Loft, Rich Iacona Band, Maria Carey, Several Album projects: Park Swing Orchestra, David Heckendorn Bill Kinslow is an Apple certified Trainer in Logic Pro and has helped East Meadow HS earn status as an Apple Certified Training facility. He is also an audio engineer with many album credits. Bill graduated from Temple University with a B.S in Music Education (clarinet concentration) and Texas Christian University with an M.A in Saxophone performance.

He is passionate about playing saxophone, clarinet, and flute. He focuses on fundamental skills and teaches by demonstration and example. Bill encourages his students to explore music by relating it to their tastes and experiences because each generation of students brings fresh ideas to the art.

Esther Nixon is a piano/voice teacher, accompanist, music director, and conductor. At CCNY Esther studied music, music directed and conducted Bat Boy (2022) Two Gentlemen of Verona (2023) and Heart and Music, a Cabaret (2024.) Before moving to New York to attend CCNY, Esther accompanied and/or music directed dozens of productions with over 30 theater companies and high schools in the Ohio and Michigan area. Esther is a 2018 PFMC state finalist for classical piano performance. She intends to finish her undergraduate degree in music education at University of Cincinnati. Esther’s teaching style is student forward, focusing on music that inspires and drives the student while implementing good technical practices. Her main goal is always to continually spark and foster the joy of music in students.

Melissa Nyman is a Light Lyric Soprano and received her Bachelor of Music degree from Long Island University, with a focus in Vocal Performance/Opera. She spent her undergraduate career learning extensively about opera, performing various arias and scenes. She has performed in several opera programs, including Songes d’ete en musique, an annual festival held in Quebec, CA, as well as Respiro Opera and Manhattan Opera Studio, both of which are held at Opera America in New York. Melissa was the co-founder of a small musical group called Operanomoly, which was dedicated to presenting Opera scenes in an accessible way for the public and performed throughout Long Island. Equally comfortable on the pop and rock platform, Melissa was actively performing in a band in various venues in the NY area from 2016-2019, and has recently started venturing into the world of extreme vocals. She is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Classical Composition at SUNY Purchase, and actively co-composes mantra and meditative music for a wellness center in Massapequa, NY. As an enthusiastic music educator, Melissa teaches voice and piano, with a strong focus on teaching music theory to her students. She believes that every student’s journey is unique, and deserves personalized attention in order for them to flourish. She incorporates all aspects of music into her lessons to provide her students with the most well-rounded experience she can offer.

Andrew Pereira is a saxophonist, clarinetist, flutist, composer, and woodwind educator currently residing in Brooklyn, NY.  Originally hailing from the Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania, Andrew was first acquainted with the saxophone under the tutelage of his father at the age of 9.  His growing passion with jazz prompted him to study music at Rutgers University, before transferring to Temple University in Philadelphia.

In the years following his studies, Andrew became steeped in the vibrant Philly music scene, learning from the established musicians in town, while developing his creative concept of the saxophone with the young talent present on the scene.  His skills as a woodwind doubler on both flute and clarinet led to big band engagements that featured artists such as Peter Erskine, while his versatile sound made him a valuable side-man on a wide range of recording projects.  During this time, Andrew was also awarded 2nd place in the North American Saxophone Alliance 2016 jazz competition.

Since his move to NYC in 2018, Andrew has doubled down on honing his skills as both a composer and an educator, and received a Master’s Degree in Jazz Studies from The City College of New York.  He continues to expend more of his time and energy into bandleading, taking on the ambitious task of performing all-original sets of music, and continues to expand his catalog of compositions ripe for recording.  Andrew’s debut album, Lost In Plain Sight, was released in December of 2023 under the Fresh Sound New Talent label.

Andrew believes that lessons should be catered towards the unique musical goals of the individual.  He finds immense fulfillment in finding new ways to teach proper fundamentals and habits in new students that will ensure long-term success on their instrument, while having fun along the way!

Zach Mandernach is a skilled pianist who has worked as an accompanist, coach, and music director for years all over Long Island. He is a versatile teacher who knows that every student has unlimited potential for creativity, and that every students path towards creating is unique. He believes that practicing, while needing to be consistent, also should be a time of exploration. He wants students to really engage with the music, in ways that make them excited to sit down at the piano. One of his goals is to pass his own eagerness to explore on to his students. One of Zach’s deepest held beliefs is that teaching is a two way process; that to be a good teacher one must be willing to really listen, and learn from their students.

As an accompanist Zach has worked with people in styles ranging from opera to jazz standards, he has prepared people for competitions such as NYSSMA, and worked as a music director for many productions.

His recent theatre credits include Music Director/Pianist/Conductor for Parade at the The Cultural Arts Playhouse, Music Director/Pianist/Conductor for Into the Woods at The Merrick Theatre and Center for the Arts, and Music Director for The Addams Family at John W Engeman Theater. Zach has a BM in piano performance from Aaron Copland School of Music, and performs frequently as a soloist, accompanist, and singer.

Jeremy Wei-Rosenstock is a composer/performer based in Los Angeles and New York. He received his MFA in Music Composition from CalArts and his BM in Piano Performance (with a concentration in composition) from Vanderbilt University’s Blair School of Music. He is currently attending Stony Brook University for the PhD Program in Music Composition, where he teaches Musicianship. His music has been read, recorded, and/or performed by the Composers Conference Ensemble, KOE Duo, Isaura Quartet, Nathalie Joachim, Duo Cortona, Lucia Mense, and So Percussion.

In his teaching practice, Jeremy focuses on meeting students where they are, accessing their strengths and weaknesses in relation to their long-term musical goals. He places particular focus on developing rhythmic precision and knowledge of music theory, all while nurturing a lifelong love of music in young, budding musicians.

The daughter of concert violinists Ruben Varga and Norma Jones Varga, Rachel began her musical studies at the age of three with her parents. She first performed in public at the age of four. At the age of eight she made her recital debut at Central Synagogue in New York in a joint recital with her father. At the age of ten, Miss Varga made her concerto debut with the North Jersey Symphony Orchestra playing the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto. She quickly followed this with performances of Sarasate’s “Zigeunerweisen”, Saint-Saens’ “Havanaise” and “Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso” and the Paganini First Violin Concerto.

Miss Varga was a winner of the 1987 Artists International Competition, and made her recital debut the following season at Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall. Since then, she has become one of the top competition prize winners from her country, receiving awards from many competitions including the Palm Beach International Invitational Competition, the Vianna da Motta International Competition, The Szigeti International Competition in Hungary, and the Washington International Competition.

Miss Varga has played concerts and recitals in the United States, Europe, Japan, the Caribbean, and Latin America; with such orchestras as the Zagreb Symphony, La Orquesta Filarmónica de Jalisco, The Budapest Radio Symphony, La Orquesta Sinfónica de Chile, La Orquesta Sinfonica Del Estado De Mexico , La Orquesta Filarmonica de Bogota, and La Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de Costa Rica. Her repertoire currently includes about thirty concertos and several complete recital programs. Her expressive performances and beautiful tone have inspired comparisons to such artists as Jascha Heifetz and Mischa Elman.

Rachel Varga holds the degree of Master of Music from the Manhattan School of Music. Always interested in teaching and developing young talent, Miss Varga has taught several international master classes. She is a recipient of two superior teaching awards from Queens College in New York.