Meet the Instructors

Anna Kopansky received her Bachelor of Arts in piano instruction from Stefan Nyaga College of Music, followed by a Master of Arts in piano instruction from Gavriil Musicescu Conservatory in Kishinev, Moldova, USSR. Both degrees were conferred with highest honors. She also attended Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatory of Music in St. Petersburg as a Resident-in-training. In addition to becoming a laureate of the National Music Competition in Kishinev and playing as a soloist on international tours, she has taught a number of prize-winning students on both national and international levels in the U.S., the former Soviet Union, and Europe. Ms. Kopansky has contributed her insight and expertise to Haverford's young pianists for nearly three decades.  

Celebrated composer and pianist, Leonardo Le San has had notable premieres and performances throughout the world. In 2022, Leonardo’s Microbiome Vol.2 for string quartet was premiered at the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow by the Rusquartet. The Condor and Woodpecker, sonata for violin and piano, were premiered in 2022 in New York City at the BMS Theater. Juilliard alumni, Leerone Hakami and Shay Slusky championed Leonardo’s sonata and etudes for violin and piano. In the same year, Concert pianist Edward Cohen recorded Le San’s Scherzo No.1 “Migrant Species” in Glasgow, Scotland. In 2023, renowned Naxos artists, Duo Villa-Lobos, will perform Leonardo’s work for cello and guitar. Le San’s recording of Nocturne to Luz Ofelia was chosen by multiple playlists curators on Spotify. For the past two years, Le San has been composing orchestral, ballet and new chamber, vocal works as well as co-directing current- international projects. Leonardo has performed as composer and pianist at Carnegie Hall, The Merkin Hall, The White House, The Harvard Musical Association, Palais Ehrbar Hall in Vienna, The Philadelphia Museum of Art, and The Queens Museum to name a few. Le San’s work Blessed Are the Poor won first place at the Golden Key of Vienna competition. Leonardo Le San has been featured in classical music tv- broadcasts to millions of viewers through the Euro-Channel and RCN international tv. Le San’s recordings have also received airtime in public radio in the US, the national classical radio of Serbia, Argentina, Uruguay, Colombia, Italian radio, as well as publications in Spain and in other parts of the world.

Dr. Jean-François Proulx is a pianist and music teacher active in the Greater Philadelphia Area.
Born and raised near Ottawa, Canada, he earned degrees in piano from the Quebec Music Conservatory and University of Montreal before moving to Philadelphia.  There, he continued under Harvey Wedeen at Temple University, earning two master’s degrees (chamber music and performance) as well as a doctorate.

Winner of several competitions, most notably a First Prize at the National Final of the Canadian Music Competition, Dr. Proulx has performed in venues throughout Canada and the U.S., and coached for FAVA Opera in Angers, France.

Jean-François spent a decade teaching collaborative piano (simply put, the art of accompanying and vocal coaching) at Temple University.  He has also worked with the UPenn Choirs, the Curtis Institute of Music, the University of the Arts, and the National Association of Teachers of Singing.

He now enjoys teaching piano students of all ages and levels, also offering expert guidance in musical theory, history, and composition.  

Margarita Shatilova is a pianist and dedicated music educator with over a decade of international teaching and performance experience. She holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Piano Performance from the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory, graduating with highest honors. She also earned a Master of Music in Collaborative Piano from Temple University’s Boyer College of Music and Dance, where she studied with Lambert Orkis and Charles Abramovic.

Before relocating to the United States, Ms. Shatilova worked for over five years at the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory as a staff pianist and opera coach, collaborating closely with voice studios and the Conservatory’s Opera Theater. She currently serves as a staff pianist in Temple University’s Vocal Arts Department.

A prizewinner of national and international music competitions, Ms. Shatilova has performed as a soloist, orchestral pianist, and collaborative
pianist throughout Russia and the United States, including appearances at the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia and in major concert halls across both countries.

Her teaching approach is informed by the traditions of the Russian piano school, with a focus on technical refinement, musical expression, and a personalized approach tailored to each student’s strengths and goals.

Originally from Long Island, Cory holds a Bachelor’s degree in Violin Performance from Hofstra University. Cory has performed on violin and viola with various ensembles in New York, Massachusetts, and Connecticut, including the Island Symphony Orchestra, Long Island Pops, Waltham Philharmonic, and Hofstra University’s Jazz 20 Ensemble. He has also been a guest artist on numerous recordings and is now a performer and teacher in the Greater Philadelphia area.  His current activities range between creating Jewish music with Beth Am Israel’s Prayer Lab, performing as a paid member of the Lower Merion Symphony and improvising in bluegrass jams.  

As a music instructor, Cory draws on a wide variety of styles including western classical, jazz, and Jewish music alongside bluegrass and Celtic fiddling. He incorporates ear training, music theory, sight reading, and improvisation into his lessons, believing these to be key skills for great musicianship. Cory is a positive and encouraging teacher who pushes students to overcome challenges. He believes that the most important thing is for students to love music, enjoy playing their instrument, and to feel good about their progress. He encourages students to pursue music that they truly like, regardless of style or genre. When he is not teaching, Cory enjoys video games, football, hiking, and hanging out with his wife and two cats. 

Justin Yoder is a Philadelphia-based multi-genre cellist who performs throughout the region as an orchestral, chamber, and solo musician. A classically-trained performer, he studied under renowned soloist Jeffrey Solow at Temple University’s Boyer College of Music, where he received a Master of Music in cello performance. Justin has performed with a wide variety of ensembles, including The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, Black Pearl Chamber Orchestra, Opera Delaware, Reading Symphony Orchestra, Opera Baltimore, Lancaster Symphony Orchestra, 8-Bit Big Band, and the Gryphon Quartet, of which he is a founding member. Equally active in the recording studio, his playing is heard on records by Sienna Spiro, Bruno Mars, Alex G, Lil Uzi Vert, and other contemporary artists, and he has recorded cello for numerous film and television soundtracks, including Idiots, The Toxic Avenger, I Saw the TV Glow, Rebel Ridge, and Night Stalker. Justin is a regular pit musician at Arden Theatre Company, Philadelphia Theatre Company, Delaware Theatre Company, and other regional theatres, and he currently serves as President of the Philadelphia Chapter of the Theatre Musicians Association. He also works in theatre as a Barrymore Award-winning music director and performer. As a conductor, Justin leads the Parkinsingers, a community choir for people living with Parkinson’s Disease, and conducts the ongoing run of Luminiscence at the Cathedral Basilica in Philadelphia.

Michael Brodine received his Bachelor of Arts from Villanova University and studied guitar with Chuck Anderson. Brodine plays a wide range of musical styles including, country, bluegrass, jazz, classical, and rock 'n' roll. In addition to serving as the staff classical guitarist for the Romig, Carney, and Lewis orchestras, he has performed with the bluegrass band, The Keystone Ramblers, and with a rock 'n' roll band that went on to be #49 on the Billboard charts. Brodine writes and performs original music. Some of his compositions have been recorded and played on national radio.

Jake Miller is a Philadelphia-based guitarist, bandleader and educator whose playing pays homage to his rock and blues roots through a modern jazz lens.  A graduate of Temple University's Boyer College of Music and Dance, Jake has become an active presence in the city's jazz scene, leading his own groups and co-leading projects like the jazz-funk organ group The Organization.  He has performed at many of the region's top venues and shared the stage with artists including Nicholas Payton, Donald Harrison, John Swana, Mike Boone, Caleb Wheeler Curtis and Terell Stafford.  With his own groups, Jake explores a mix of original music, jazz standards and reimagined rock and folk tunes, blending his influences into an open, improvisational sound that highlights each member's unique voice.

Alongside his active performing career, Jake values connecting with young musicians through teaching and mentorship.  At Haverford, he offers a personalized approach to each student, helping the boys construct a solid musical and technical foundation through their own interests and personal tastes.  For more advanced students, he offers insight into the dynamic world of being a modern guitarist and a working musician.  

Noah Uy is a Philadelphia-based multi-instrumentalist, sound engineer, and educator with over a decade of professional experience. Noah grew up in a musical household and started exploring the drums and electric bass at age 9. He soon turned his focus to the guitar, his passion for the instrument influenced by his father's playing and wide musical tastes. He later earned a Bachelor's from the University of the Arts and soon became an active member of Philadelphia's vibrant music community. His playing is marked by an extensive expressive range, with his remarkable technical abilities always employed in the service of the music. In addition to leading his own ensemble and co-leading the band Aviation, he has performed and recorded with artists including John Swana, Sam Greenfield, and Isaiah Weatherspoon, and has appeared at the Rochester International Jazz Festival, NuBlu in NYC, and numerous Philadelphia venues. Noah is also trained as a professional sound engineer, and can often be found mixing front-of-house live sound around the Philadelphia area.

Alongside his performing and recording career, Noah is a dedicated music educator who is passionate about helping students discover their own musical voice. He strives to create lessons that are informative, enjoyable, and tailored to each student's interests. Whether they're picking up the guitar for the first time or developing advanced skills, Noah strives to make learning the guitar fun first and foremost. He has worked with the School of Rock and The Music Depot as well as his own private studio.

Paul Butler has performed in concert with Grammy Award-winning cellist David Darling, most notably at the International Cello Festival in Montreal, Canada. He has collaborated with David on the recordings Balance, In Tune, and Open Window, and on the soundtrack for the Knosis film, “The Song of the Stars.”

In 1999, Paul and the Hot House Trio (with Eric Henry, tuba, Jim Smith, tenor guitar and vocals) were selected Jazz Ambassadors to the Middle East by the U.S. State Department and the Department of Cultural Exchange. As Jazz Ambassadors, they performed and taught in Syria, Jordan, Qatar, Bahrain, Morocco, and Tunisia.

Paul earned a Bachelor of Music in Music Education degree from Mansfield University and is a certified Music For People teacher, leading workshops in music improvisation for self-expression and is committed to sharing his passion for music with children of all ages.

In addition to being a trumpet player and teacher, Charles Cacioppo is also a composer and scholar. He has written chamber, vocal, orchestral, jazz, and electronic music, and has earned degrees in music from Cornell University, UMD College Park, and SUNY Purchase. His scholarly work covers a wide range of topics from Renaissance music to hip-hop, and his dissertation dealt with jazz trumpet solos. A native of Haverford, Charles grew up studying at the Philadelphia Clef Club of Jazz, and performing with the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra. He has performed at some of the city’s most beloved venues including the Mann Center, the Kimmel Center, the Curtis Institute, and Ortlieb’s, as well as at several museums, schools, churches, hotels, and restaurants.

Michael Mester is an accomplished recording drummer and educator, whose passion for music has driven an impressive career spanning over a decade. 

A Lancaster area native, he honed his skills at Kutztown University, earning a bachelor’s degree in Commercial Music and winning three DownBeat awards for Best Rock Ensemble while studying under John Riley. He later pursued a master’s degree in Jazz Studies at Temple University with world-class performer and educator Justin Faulkner. 

Since embarking on his professional drumming journey in 2009, he has freelanced with an array of bands, including Katie Henry, Center City Drive, Big Boy Brass, Bachelor Boys, Jordan Kahn Music Company, and The Michael Kaplan Superband. He has also toured extensively, opening for acts like Government Mule, and playing festivals including Briggs Farm Blues Fest, The Flood City Music Festival, and Omaha Blues Festival. 

Alongside recording and performing, Michael is passionate about teaching and openly shares his knowledge with students of all ages and backgrounds.  Michael has worked with Settlement Music School, KIPP (Knowledge Is Power Program), A&G Music, and Menchey Music, and has experience teaching masterclasses at various schools.

Sean Lynch is a Philadelphia-based drummer and educator, with a passion for sharing music onstage as well as in the teaching studio.  

Sean knew he wanted to be a drummer from an early age, but laid his musical foundation with four years of piano study before joining his middle school band.  His professional life started at age 14 playing drums for church services in his native North Texas.  After high school, he earned a full performance scholarship to North Central Texas College, later graduating from the renowned jazz program at the University of North Texas.  Notable achievements include 2nd place in the TCCBDA Jazz Competition in 2013 and 1st place with ensemble U-TUBES at the national 2018 American Trombone Workshop.

Sean has performed and collaborated with renowned musicians Justo Almario, Henry Franklin, Will Matthews, Theo Saunders, Lynn Seaton, Keith Fiddmont, David L. Jones and Gregory “The Organ Monk” Lewis.  He is at home performing and teaching in a wide range of styles, including rock, blues, jazz, gospel, R&B, hip-hop and classical percussion.  For Sean, music study is directly connected to language study – both require immersion, vulnerability, and expert guidance.  Both can unlock a sublime new perspective on life.  Sean especially appreciates how studying the drums can help deepen a student's confidence, coordination, joyfulness, and overall personal development. 

Drummer and percussionist Kyle Struve brings a lifelong love of music and a genuine passion for teaching to every lesson and every student.

Born and raised in the rural midwest, Kyle fell in love with the drums at age four, after hearing an older cousin play and getting his own opportunity to try.  An unforgettable experience!  He began piano lessons as a fourth grader and joined the school band as a percussionist the following year.  Apart from every opportunity his public school band program offered, he was self-taught until age 17.  After high school, he attended Lawrence University, where he majored in classical percussion with a jazz emphasis. He then moved to NYC to study with John Riley at the Manhattan School of Music and Purchase College. In the following years, he lived in Brooklyn and performed with a broad range of musicians including Nir Felder, Linda May Han Oh, Adam Niewood, Mika Pohjola, and the Asphalt Orchestra.  Over time he also received invaluable mentorship from drummers Felix Lecaros, Dan Rieser and Kenneth Salters.  After his wife's work brought them to the Philadelphia area, Kyle found himself rediscovering his love for teaching.  He considers it a privilege and a pleasure to guide each student along their own unique path of self-discovery through music.

Carole Latimer is originally from Nova Scotia, Canada. She is active as a soprano soloist and voice teacher in the Philadelphia area. She has taught voice, French Diction for Singers, and Opera History at Eastern University for the past 13 years. A long time member of the Opera Philadelphia Chorus, Carole was recently seen in Mendelssohn’s Elijah with the Choristers of Upper Dublin, Die Meistersinger at The Metropolitan Opera, Dialogues of the Carmelites with Curtis Opera Kimmel Center Perlman Theater, and Nabucco at the Academy of Music. She holds post-graduate degrees in opera performance and a master’s in vocal performance from the College-Conservatory of Music in Cincinnati.