Samvel gained his professional experience as a Violinist /Conductor in Austria and in the United States. He has toured and performed extensively throughout Europe, Japan, the United States and Central America with The Melos Ensemble, Vienna Sinfonietta, Orchestra Internazionale d’Italia, Tashen Oper, Ensemble Nine and the Arioso String Quartet. Mr. Chilingarian has performed in such prestigious venues as the Musikverein in Vienna, Teatro di San Carlo in Napoli, Teatro Farnese in Parma, Casals Hall in Tokyo, Birmingham Performing Arts Center in England, Merkin Concert Hall in New York and Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles.

Mr. Chilingarian holds a Masters degree from the University of Missouri Kansas City, after which he continued his studies in Europe at the Wiener Hochschule and the Wiener Neustadt Konservatorium. While in Vienna, Mr. Chilingarian joined the Niederosterrichisches Tonkunstler Orchester, the Pons Artis Chamber Orchestra and the Kamer Oper Orchestra. In 1994, Mr. Chilingarian received an invitation from the Linz Music School to conduct the Summer Festival Youth Orchestra.

Mr. Chilingarian has instituted and conducted numerous Youth Orchestras and Orchestral Summer Seminars both in Europe and in the U.S. Such as the Linz Yugendorchester in Austria, the Kadima Conservatory Philharmonic, the Hanareum Youth Orchestra, the Glendale Youth Orchestra String Ensemble, Bethesda University Orchestral Ensemble and the Verdugo Youth Orchestra.

Mr. Chilingarian has served on the faculties of the University of Missouri Kansas City Continuing Education Department, the Linz Music School Summer Seminar in Austria and most recently the Bethesda C. University in Los Angeles.

Mr. Chilingarian was the winner of “Most Distinguished Musician Award” at the 2005 IBLA International Competition in Italy, with the Elixir Piano Trio.

Associate Director and
Violin Coach
Leslie Woodbury

Leslie ( BM-University of Redlands, Certificate - Universitat Mozarteum, Salzburg Austria) is a Los Angeles based freelance classical and commercial violinist and teacher. Her varied career has included performances with the American Ballet Theater, The Music Center Opera, San Diego Symphony, The Los Angeles Mozart Orchestra and the Glendale, Long Beach and Pacific Symphonies.She has backed artists in live performances, recordings, television and tours as varied as Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, Tony Bennet and Natalie Cole to Diana Krall, Faith Hill, Page and Plant, the Moody Blues and more recently,Celine Dion, Clay Aiken, Michael Buble, Josh Groban and TI.

She has been a featured performer on the The Grammys,The Academy Awards, The American Music Awards,The BET Awards, Tonight Show,The Arsenio Hall Show, and the Academy of Country Music Awards.

She has spent a good part of her professional life in the pits of the major theaters of Los Angeles playing shows from Gilbert and Sullivan to the Phantom of the Opera.You have heard her play in major motion pictures such as Sleepless in Seattle and television shows such as Star Trek Voyager and if you push the pause button fast enough you can see her playing string quartets in the Christmas party scene of "Die Hard". She has played live scores to silent movies with small chamber groups, has toured Japan with the Henry Mancini Orchestra, has played string quartets on classical music white water river raft trips down the Green River in Utah and performs forties swing music with her 8 piece dance band.

She has a busy private teaching studio and has been coach for the ISOMATA (Idlywild) Summer Music Program, the Northridge Youth Orchestra, The Glendale Honor Orchestra as well as her work with the Verdugo Young Musicians' Association. Leslie is also a professional graphic artist, photographer and web designer through her company McInwood Technologies. She is the web designer and webmaster of VYMA.org.

Carrie Holzman-Little has been a busy free-lance violist here in Southern California for the past 20 years. She received a Bachelor of Arts from University of California at Santa Barbara.. She has been fortunate enough to study with many illustrious music teachers such as William Primrose, Hechiiro Ohyama, Ron Copes, Louis Kievman and others. Carrie was chosen to attend Tanglewood Music Festival under the baton of Leonard Bernstein, the Blossom Music Festival under the umbrella of the Cleveland Orchestra and The Music Academy of the West under the direction of conductor Maurice Abravanel. She also attended The Banff School of the Arts.

Cello Coach
Ginger Murphy

As a session musician, she has recorded music for film and tv, and has sharedthe stage with such diverse artists as Bill Conti, Rosemary Clooney, Gwen Stefani, Sheryl Crow, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Mos Def, Common, Los Tri-O, Joan Sebastian, Josh Groban, Olivia Newton-John, Michael Bluble, and Alanis Morisette.  In her Glendale teaching studio, her students have been competition winners, soloing with various orchestras, including the Glendale Youth Symphony.

Flute Coach
Salpy Kerkonian

A native of Chicago Illinois of Armenian descent, Salpy Kerkonian was raised in Los Angeles where she won first place in fourteen solo competitions: Young Musicians Foundation, L.A. Philharmonic Association, Healy-Hartshorn-Hutton Foundation, Glendale Symphony Association, Parent and Teachers Association, Etude Music Club, and the Lucille McKinstrey Foundation which featured Ms. Kerkonian as soloist on the PBS T.V. special "Musicians for Tomorrow" hosted by Lynn Redgrave and Charles Champlin. Ms. Kerkonian holds a Bachelor Degree and a Master's Degree in Music. She graduated with honors from the University of Southern California.

During her years at USC, she received the "Outstanding Performer of Chamber Music Award" and won first place in the "USC Concerto Competition" for her interpretation of Mozart's G Major Flute Concerto, under Daniel Lewis's baton. Ms. Kerkonian was also the winner of two International Chamber Music competitions: the coveted Coleman and Carmel.
As a symphonic flutist, Ms. Kerkonian was Principal Flute of both the American Youth Symphony, conducted by Mehli Mehta, and the YMF Debut Orchestra, conducted by Lalo Schifrin, where she was featured as soloist in J. Ibert's Concerto for Flute at UCLA's Royce Hall.

Lalo Schefrin invited Ms. Kerkonian to solo with the members of the L.A. Philharmonic for a CD recording of Saint-Saens "Carnival of the Animals" featuring narration by Charlton Heston, James Earl Jones and Audrey Hepburn. Ms. Kerkonian has performed on thirty TV and movie soundtracks for composers such as Lalo Schifrin and Lee Holdridge. Most recently she performed with singer Andrea Bocelli on "The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" for CBS.

Presently, Ms. Kerkonian is a tenure member of the Glendale Symphony. In that capacity she has performed three times with Luciano Pavarotti and The Three Tenors, and as soloist with opera singer Sumi Jo. Ms. Kerkonian is a founding member of the harp and flute duo Arpa y Aulos. Currently Ms. Kerkonian performs as solo/principal flutist with the Santa Cecilia Orchestra.

Percussion Coach
Artashes Sinanyan

Jazz Instructor
Richard Simon

Known for his consistent, solid musicianship, rich sound, and creative solos, Richard Simon has performed at festivals, concerts, nightclubs, and recording sessions and is a well-known artist in the mainstream and traditional jazz worlds. In 1995, he founded the UFO-BASS www.ufo-bass.com recording label, designed to document the sounds of often-overlooked musicians on the West Coast. As a host for numerous jazz events in Hawaii, Las Vegas, and California, Richard is a highly entertaining emcee and writer who has authored liner notes, and written articles for L.A. Jazz Scene, Windplayer and Bird magazine. His commitment to jazz education is ever-present as Vice President of JazzAmerica. He conducts Master classes for high school musicians every summer, and introductory jazz workshops for middle school students. His commitment to jazz music instruction continues in his role as music director for VYMA’s summer jazz program.

Piano Coach
Lucy Nargizyan

Described as “a pianist with fluent grace, mature technique and presence,” Lucy Nargizyan has been featured as a soloist, chamber musician and accompanist throughout the United States, England, Wales, Austria, Italy, Poland, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Canada and Russia. Her performances were broadcast on Russian Radio and Television as well as on Classical KUSC Radio.

Dr. Nargizyan is the first prizewinner of the Moscow Young Artist Competition, MTAC Piano Duo Competition, Fullerton College Duo Competition and the Armenian Allied Arts Association, prizewinner of the Los Angeles Liszt Competition and the USC

Concerto Competition, finalist of the Peninsula Young Artists International Festival and Mu Phi Epsilon National Competition. Among her other honors are the Los Concenieros and El Camino College awards, USC Friends of Armenian Music and Jane Kenneth Memorial Scholarships. Most recently Dr. Nargizyan was the winner of “Most Distinguished Musician Award” at the 2005 IBLA International Competition in Italy, where she performed with the Elixir Piano Trio.

Lucy Nargizyan was born in Moscow, Russia. She began playing the piano at the age of six with professor Valentina Kochkina. She holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Piano Performance from Moscow State Music College, a Masters of Music Degree and a Doctorate Degree in Piano Performance from the University of Southern California. Her principal teacher has been Dr. Daniel Pollack. She has also studied with Kevin Fitz-Gerald, Dennis Thurmond and Konstantin Sirounian.

Dr. Nargizyan is a dedicated teacher whose students have been prizewinners in many competitions. In addition to her piano teaching, she has taught composition and improvisation. Her students have been featured with their own compositions on numerous occasions.