Margaret Secour is a classically trained opera singer. She studied in the Opera Program at California State University, Long Beach. As a singer, she has performed with San Francisco Opera Chorus, San Francisco Symphony Chorus, San Francisco Lyric Opera, Lamplighters, and Oakland Civic Theatre; toured nationally with Pasadena-based Opera a la Carte, a Gilbert and Sullivan company; and appeared internationally with Master Chorale of Orange County. Ms.
I'm a composer primarily working in acoustic chamber music as well as a classical saxophonist.
As a saxophonist, I seek to represent the saxophone as the incredibly expressive and versatile instrument that it is. In my choices in repertoire, I prefer to lean toward 20th and 21st century music, but I am familiar with the standard repertoire for the saxophone and I spent several years playing jazz in combos and big bands.
In my teaching, I first always focus on fundamentals and continually return to those even when working on more advanced musical topics.
I have been teaching beginning and intermediate level students, children and adults, for 35+ years. I incorporate theory and ear-training, and ensemble work in the lessons. Students are encouraged to share their accomplishments through workshops and performances. Playing music as a soloist and as a chamber musician has greatly enriched my life, and I try to give these opportunities to each student.
Got diva?
Highlights from my broad range of appearances in opera, recital and concert include most of Mozart’s heroines, Handel's evil sorceresses, and Verdi's Lady Macbeth with Donald Pippin's Pocket Opera; Four Last Songs of Strauss with LiederAlive; and Britten’s War Requiem in San Francisco’s Davies Hall.
Little Opera is a comprehensive nine-month after-school program that challenges the assumption that opera is not for everyone. We bring together elementary aged students in grades 1-6 and professional Bay Area artists to create, rehearse, and perform an original opera.
Choristers are a small group of boys age 8 to 13 selected by audition. Choristers receive intensive, personalized vocal instruction with an emphasis on individual responsibility, leadership, camaraderie, and the joy of making music.
For boys interested in singing with our group who may not be ready for the Choristers program, we offer a preparatory class focused on ensemble singing and fundamentals of musicianship, vocal technique, and theory.
Michael Goldberg has extensive experience teaching both classical and jazz guitar. He currently teaches at U.C. Berkeley and U.C. Davis, and maintains a private teaching practice in Berkeley. Mr. Goldberg has recorded on the Arabesque and Kameleon labels. He has toured throughout the United States as part of the Alma Duo, an ensemble of violin/viola and guitar, and is also a member of the Left Coast Chamber Ensemble, a group devoted to contemporary music performance. Mr.
Katrin Arefy is the artistic director and head teacher at the Golden Key Piano School in Berkeley, California. She received her Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Piano Performance and Pedagogy from the Gnessin School of Music in Moscow. Katrin also holds a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts in Painting from Azad University in Tehran.
Mr. Preston was recently appointed Associate Concertmaster of the Oakland East Bay Symphony. Before moving to San Francisco last August, he was a violinist with the North Carolina Symphony for seven seasons. While in Raleigh, he was a member of the North Carolina Symphony String Quartet, Mallarme Chamber Players, and the Eastern Festival Chamber Players. Jeremy is a faculty member of the SF Community Music Center and the Eastern Music Festival.