Teachers Recital

2025 Conference Teachers Recital

FSMTA Conference 2025 District Teachers Recital
Lighthouse Ballroom, Springhill Suites, Amelia Island, FL
Friday, October 24, 2025
1:30 pm

Intermezzo in A Major, Op. 118, No. 2…….……………………………Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)
Gail Berenson, piano
District 8

Sonata for Four Hands…………………………….……………………....Francis Poulenc (1899-1963)
I.   Prelude
II. Rustique
III. Final
Mary McKee and Anita Renfroe, piano
District 4

from Rigoletto…………………………………..………………………...…Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901)
            Caro Nome
Valerie Norris, soprano
Sharla Mercado, piano
District 5

Sonetto 104 del Petrarca……………………………….……………………….Franz Liszt (1811-1886)
Pitágoras Goncalves, piano
District 1

Three Pieces, Op. 128………………….……………………………………... Amy Beach (1867-1944)
i.   Scherzino (A Peterborough Chipmunk)
ii. Young Birches
iii. A Hummingbird
Evan Mitchell, piano
District 3

Legend, Op. 16, No. 1…………………………………………..…..Ignacy Jan Paderewski (1860-1941)
Agnieszka Zick, piano
District 9

Sonata for Violin and Piano…………………………………………...……...César Franck (1822-1890)
IV. Allegretto poco mosso
Vanessa Fourla, flute
Yianni Iliadis, piano
District 6

Liebeslied…………………………………………………...………………Fritz Kreisler (1875-1962)/
      arr. Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943)
Kyung-Ju Lee, piano
District 2

District 1: Pitagoras Goncalves

Pitagoras Goncalves, nurtured his passion for sound and music from a young age, beginning his studies at the age of four. He dedicated himself to classical piano, pursuing it from conservatoire to doctoral levels, under the guidance of esteemed teachers. As a versatile musician, he has performed extensively as a pianist, organist, and arranger in both Brazil and the United States. Beyond his musical talents, Dr. Goncalves has shared his expertise about biomechanics and technique in conferences worldwide. In a remarkable innovation, Dr. Goncalves has patented and is developing an app that will provide valuable expression feedback to students based on artistic performances.

District 2: Kyung-Ju Lee

Dr. Kyungju Park Lee is a concert pianist and dedicated teacher who began piano at age 3. She earned degrees from Yonsei University (BM), Florida State University (MM, DM), and a Performance Diploma from Indiana University, studying with Edward Auer, James Streem, and Karyl Louwenaar. She has performed in master classes with esteemed pianists including Andre Watts and Gyorgy Sebok and has received numerous awards such as the Dong-A National Competition, Willa Chapman Piano Competition, and Rotary International Scholarship.

Dr. Lee has appeared as soloist with the Gunpo Prime Philharmonic and Florida State University orchestras and was among 220 pianists featured in the international Scarlatti Marathon. She has taught at FSU's Honors Piano Camp, served as a competition judge for the Indianapolis Symphony, and is an active member of the Tallahassee Music Teachers Association.

District 3: Evan Mitchell

Pianist Evan Mitchell's recent highlights include solo recitals on the prestigious Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concerts series and at Merkin Concert Hall, and concerti with the symphony orchestras of Dallas and Fort Worth. He has made repeat appearances on several Cliburn series, and both performs and serves on the Board of Mount Vernon Music. His principal teachers have included John Owings, Arnaldo Cohen, and the late José Feghali. He currently serves as Assistant Professor of Piano at the University of Florida School of Music. Evan Mitchell is a Steinway Artist.

District 4: Anita Renfroe and Mary McKee (duet)

Dr. Anita Boyle Renfroe earned degrees in piano performance with honors from Florida State University, Memphis State University and The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary School of Music. Teachers include Edward Kilenyi, Maurice Hinson, Nelita True and Marvin Blickenstaff.

Anita has performed solo piano, harpsichord, and organ concerts and with orchestras in the United States and Europe. Venues in Washington DC include the Kennedy Center, British Embassy, Folger Library, Fairfax and the Arlington Symphony Orchestras. Performances in Europe include concerts in England, France and Germany.

In 2016 Dr. Renfroe retired as Director of Keyboard Studies from Millersville University of Pennsylvania, where she served for 22 years, and moved to Fernandina Beach. She is currently the accompanist for the Amelia Island Singers and maintains a private studio in her home. Anita is past President of the Jacksonville Music Teachers Association. Her schedule for 2025-2026 includes concerts, workshops and adjudications in Fernandina Beach, Jacksonville, FL and Williamsburg, VA.

Mary Watanabe McKee earned her Bachelor, Master and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees from the Juilliard School where she studied with Adele Marcus. As a Fulbright Scholar at the Royal Academy of Music in London she earned the Licentiate Diploma in Teaching and Diploma in Advanced Studies. Mary has performed solo and chamber music concerts in the U.S., Europe, and Asia and has performed as soloist with the Utah Symphony and the Juilliard Symphony.

She has won prizes in the MTNA performance competition, National Arts Club and Five Towns Music and Arts competitions. As a music instructor she has taught in settings ranging from the Amelia Island Montessori School to Drew University. She held a Teaching Fellowship at The Juilliard School where she taught class piano to non-piano music majors. She maintains a piano teaching studio in Fernandina Beach for in-person and online lessons with a wide range of students from kindergarten to senior citizens. Mary was the founder and chair of the Savannah chapter of the National Federation of Music Clubs.

Currently she serves as the Vice President of Jacksonville Music Teachers Association and chairs the Guild Auditions in Fernandina Beach. Mary is the organist/pianist at the First Presbyterian Church in Fernandina Beach.

District 5: Valerie Norris, soprano and Sharla Mercado, piano

Valerie Eve Norris is a wife, mother, teacher, and composer running a private music studio in New Smyrna Beach, FL. She received a Bachelor of Music Degree with Magna Cum Laude honors in Music Theory and Composition from Ouachita Baptist University, AR where she studied voice with Dr. Jon Secrest and was given membership into Phi Kappa Lambda music honorary society.

She has enjoyed several roles over the years ranging from Mozart's "Queen of the Night", Glitter and Be Gay's "Cunegonde" to Offenbach's "Doll". She competed and won several State and Regional NATS competitions and received an Honorable Mention in the MET Young Artist Regional Competition in 2007.

She currently serves as the Music Theory Chair with FSMTA and Student Day Chair for CFMTA through MTNA and she uses all of her knowledge, talent, and drive to help her students develop a lifelong passion for music.

District 6: Vanessa Fourla, flute and Yianni Iliadis, piano

Vanessa Fourla is a versatile musical artist, performer, educator, digital media specialist, and arts administrator. Vanessa has performed and presented at numerous national and international conferences, including the National Flute Association convention, National Association of College Wind and Percussion Instructors Conference, Puerto Rico Flute Symposium, Mid-Atlantic Flute Convention, Mid-South Flute Society Festival, Florida Flute Association convention, and has been on the faculties of the Killington Music Festival and the Frost Preparatory School at the University of Miami. In her latest transcriptions, she illuminates familiar works of Chopin for flute and piano. These transcriptions have gained attention for their creative flair and she has been invited to perform them at conventions and festivals across the United States.

Her enthusiasm for organizing and promoting classical concerts, her passion for teaching, and her background in music business has led to her positions of Assistant Program Chair and Public Relations Coordinator for the National Flute Association, Publicity Vice President and Director of Marketing of the Miami Music Teachers Association, as well as Media Specialist for YOUmedia Miami. In 2022 she joined the vibrant Entertainment team of Royal Caribbean International, where she is currently Live Music Manager, overseeing music programs on 29 cruise ships around the world.

Vanessa holds a DMA degree from the University of Miami's Frost School of Music.

Yianni Iliadis is President of the Miami Music Teachers Association and a part-time Lecturer at the Frost School of Music, University of Miami, where he earned his DMA. As a soloist, chamber musician, and concerto performer, he has appeared at festivals and conferences including the Killington Music Festival in Vermont, the Florida Flute Association Convention, and the Northern Lights Music Festival in Minnesota. At the University of Miami, Yianni also serves as co-investigator and study coordinator for a research project on music therapy, brain aging, and neurological disease. In addition, he is a consultant for Royal Caribbean’s entertainment enrichment and live music programs. Originally from Greece, he holds additional degrees from California State University, Long Beach, and the University of Macedonia.

District 8: Gail Berenson

Gail Berenson, Ohio University Professor Emerita of Piano, is a dedicated teacher, performer, author and noted expert on musicians’ health issues. She is the recipient of the 2002 School of Music’s Distinguished Teaching Award and the School of Music’s 2016 Distinguished Service Award. She continues to be an active and passionate collaborative pianist. A tireless and long-time advocate on musicians’ health, she is privileged to have co-authored “Health, Wellness and Wholeness in the Music Studio”, MTNA’s first book, with her colleagues, Charles Turon and Linda Cockey. She has performed and lectured in over thirty states and eleven countries. Past President of Music Teachers National Association, she is an MTNA Foundation Fellow and was the recipient of the 2015 MTNA Distinguished Service Award. In 2019 she was awarded the Frances Clark Center's Outstanding Service Recognition Award, and in 2021 she was awarded the Frances Clark Lifetime Achievement Award. More information can be found at www.gailberenson.com.

District 9: Agnieszka Zick

Dr. Agnieszka Zick, pianist and pedagogue, launched Bayshore Piano Chamber Music Series that offers high-quality, relevant programming as part of Amadeo Music—an organization founded for making piano music accessible to all by creating opportunities for engagement, education, and performance.

Zick’s scholarship and pedagogy have been shared through presentations at prominent conferences including: La Frontera International Piano Conference, CMS International Conference in the Baltics, CMS National Conference, MTNA National Conference, NCKP Piano Conference in Chicago and online, European Piano Teacher Association EPTA Portugal, Puerto Rico Collaborative Piano Music Festival, and State MTA conferences.

Dr. Zick received Bachelor’s degree from the Chopin Academy of Music in Warsaw, Poland, double Master’s degree from the University of South Florida, and Doctorate in Piano Performance and Pedagogy from the University of Michigan. Currently she serves as an Adjunct Professor at the State College of Florida Manatee - Sarasota in Bradenton, and Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida.