Staff & Faculty

Michele Adams is the Executive Director at PAC MetroWest. Previously, she was the Director of Operations and Head of the Music Department of Veritas Christian Academy in Wayland, MA. Prior to that position, Mrs. Adams was Director of Choirs of the award-winning Boston Children’s Chorus where she spent a decade conducting choirs and managing the supporting artistic staff. She has also taught choral conducting at Messiah University in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, and served as children’s choir director at the Kodály Music Institute in Somerville, Massachusetts. Mrs. Adams studied choral conducting, music education, and voice at the University of South Carolina, Florida State University, and the New England Conservatory of Music. Her greatest musical passion is choral conducting, especially children’s choruses. As Executive Director, Mrs. Adams oversees the day-to-day operations of the music, theater, and dance offerings at PAC. She coordinates and facilitates the work of PAC’s faculty and staff, and she works to develop new instructional offerings at PAC.

Leonardo Ciampa – Piano

Born in Boston in 1971, composer/organist/pianist Leondaro Ciampa is a musician of international repute.

Ciampa is Artistic Director of the “Music for a Great Hall” concert series at Mechanics Hall. (This follows his tenure as Mechanics Hall Composer-in-Residence 2021-2023.) He is Founding Director of the Worcester Organ Festival (since 2023), Director of Music at Emanuel Lutheran Church in Worcester, MA (since 2019) and Maestro di Cappella Onorario of the Basilica in Gubbio, Italy (since 2015). He was artistic director of organ concerts at MIT (2009-2016) and founding director of Arts MetroWest (2012-2019).

As an organ recitalist, Ciampa has made more than a dozen European tours encompassing Italy, Austria, Germany, and Switzerland. He is particularly admired in Italy, where he has played in numerous international festivals (Festival Perosiano, Festival Biellese, Organi Storici della Valsesia, Le Voci della Città, Festival Organistico Lauretano, Organi Vespera, Reate Festival, etc.). He has given organ recitals at cathedrals in Vienna, New York City, Boston, Lucca, Altenberg, Brandenburg, Tortona and Biella; at basilicas in Rome, Turin, Loreto, Tortona, Gubbio, Absam, and Rieti; and at abbeys in Dürnstein and Camaiore. His compositions include Suite Siciliana, Op. 145 (for two violins, piano and orchestra), commissioned by the Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra of Boston to open their 25th anniversary season at Harvard’s Sanders Theatre; The Annunciation, Op. 203 (cantata for chorus, soloists, and strings); several organ symphonies (including the Kresge Organ Symphony, premiered at MIT, and the Worcester Organ Symphony, premiered at Mechanics Hall); a piano quintet (premiered by the Lavazza Chamber Ensemble); Missa Pamphyliana, premiered at the Basilica di Sant’Ubaldo in Gubbio by the Cantores Beati Ubaldi; and Suite Divina (Three Dances for Organ), premiered at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City (2019).

As a pianist, Ciampa is particularly admired for his interpretations of Chopin, whose 200th birthday he commemorated in 2010 with six recitals at First Church in Boston.

http://leonardociampa.com/videos.html

Tommy Chiu – Trombone, Trumpet, and Brass

A native of Hong Kong based in Boston, Tommy Chiu has made appearances in major cities across Asia and North America both as a performer and an educator. He has appeared as a soloist with the University of British Columbia Chamber Orchestra, Boston University Wind Ensemble, and the Boston Trombone Octet and was named finalist in various concerto competitions, including that of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestral Institute and the PRISMA Festival & Academy. Recently, he also served as an artist fellow in the Atlantic Music Festival and attended the International Graduate Music Conference hosted by the University of Calgary as a lecture presenter. Outside of performing, Tommy teaches brass extensively both online and in person with 10 years of international teaching experience. He serves as the brass faculty of the Performing Arts Center of MetroWest and teaches brass at Note-worthy Experiences Music Studio and Brimmer and May School. Currently, Tommy is a doctoral candidate in brass performance at Boston University where he received the Brass Department Award. His primary teachers include Jarod Vermette of the Hong Kong Philharmonic, Colin Williams of the New York Philharmonic, and Toby Oft, Principal Trombonist of the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

Julia Da Costa – Irish Dance

With over 20 years of Irish dance experience, both competitive and non-competitive, Miss Julia has worked with dancers of all ages and experience levels. She provides a fun and engaging curriculum incorporating both traditional solo and group ceili dances (Irish social dances). While these are non-competitive classes, they’re a great place to get started in the world of Irish dance.

Martha Ebel – Voice, Registrar and Finance Manager

Martha Ebel holds a Masters in Music and a Graduate Diploma in Opera from Longy School of Music and a Bachelors of Music from California State University, Long Beach. She has taught vocal students of all ages privately and at local music organizations. Martha has sung roles in eight operas. The Boston Globe reviewed one of her performances as “sensitive and full of finesse.” Her teachers include Robert Honeysucker and Donna Roll.

Doreen Edgar – Piano

Doreen Edgar holds a BFA in Piano Performance from SUNY College, Purchase, New York and an MS from Fairleigh Dickinson University. Doreen has taught piano to students of all levels and ages for more than 30 years. She believes in customizing lessons for each individual’s emotional expression of art with a better understanding of proper technical development and musical interpretation of composers, theory, and composition. In addition, she integrates methods of teaching harmony, dictation, solfege, sight-singing, ear training, and counterpoint within her piano lessons. She also taught piano performance at the prestigious Calderone School of Music for 15 years in East Hanover, NJ.

Anat Engel – Piano

Anat received her BA from the Rubin Academy of Music in Tel Aviv, Israel. Anat has been teaching piano for more than 25 years and has been teaching at PAC longer than any of our current instructors. She lives and works in the Framingham community and teaches students in her home and at PAC.

Diane Hartung – Violin and Viola

Diane Hartung holds a M.M. in violin performance from Western Washington University and a Post Graduate Studies certificate from Der Musik Hochschule, Cologne, Germany. She plays 1st violin, 3rd chair, at the Wellesley Symphony Orchestra and is hired to play violin for the Lincoln Sudbury Civic Orchestra and the Boston Civic Symphony. Diane has taught violin to students of all ages for over 30 years.

David Houston – Flute

David B. Houston earned a MM from Indiana University, Bloomington and a BFA from SUNY Purchase. He was Director of Marketing, Director of Customer Service, Director of Quality, Finisher and Headjoint Tester for Powell Flutes for 11 years. He was a Finisher and Headjoint Tester for Brannen Brothers Flute Makers, Inc. for 9 years. Mr. Houston works with Lev Levit to produce the exclusively handcrafted Levit Flutes.

Mr. Houston is on faculty at Powers Music School and Floot Fire! Boston. He is Executive Director of the Marcel Moyse Society and is on the National Flute Association’s (NFA) Board of Directors. He also serves on the NFA’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee.

Mr. Houston freelances in the greater Boston area and performs regularly with “Trio Tableau”, comprised of himself, pianist Joy Cline Phinney and Boston Symphony Orchestra violinist Catherine French.

Robert “Bob” Johnson – Drums and Percussion

Bob has been performing and teaching in the Boston area for more than 40 years. Early on, he played in the orchestra for many local community theater productions, youth theater groups, and church and civic organization shows. Every summer, he plays drums for summer youth musical productions. He also plays for New England Band Productions, a marching band that performs throughout the area. In recent years, Bob has focused more on teaching, extending his instruction program to local music studios. He has coached several students to place first, second, and third place in their categories in the New England Music Competition.

Jimmy Lanzillotta – Guitar and Ukulele

Jimmy studied at the Hartt College of Music and has studied privately with Jose Rey de la Torre and Peter Lorenco. While Jimmy specializes in classical guitar, he teaches all guitar styles, including pop. Jimmy teaches all his students to read music, and as they progress introduces them to music theory and guitar history. Jimmy has given classical guitar concerts and lectures at Harvard University, Regis College, Wentworth Institute, Curry College and other venues in New England, New York, and Italy. He has been a member of the Boston Classical Guitar Society since 1977. Jimmy joined the PAC faculty in 2004, bringing a wide range of teaching experience both in schools and with private students and has built a thriving guitar studio.

David McLellan – Guitar

David McLellan studied classical guitar at the Hartt School of Music, New England Conservatory, and the Aspen Music Festival. He has taught at the Hartt School and the University of Connecticut while giving solo recital performances throughout New England. Later, Dave lived a double life as programmer and concert guitarist with duo partner Neil Anderson. The duo gave numerous concerts in the US, Great Britain, and South America. Dave has performed with chamber ensembles and singers across New England in various genres including Latin and rock. In addition to his ventures as a guitarist, he plays timpani and performs with orchestras in the MetroWest area. He is involved as a musician and publicist for the Lincoln-Sudbury Civic Orchestra and is an artist-in-residence at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School. Dave is a philanthropist, supporting many causes annually. Dave established an endowment in his parents’ memory at the Hartt School, serves on its Board for audience development, and works closely with the guitar faculty and students, insisting that musicians must be good citizens, sharing their gifts with the world around them.

Eliomar Nascimento – Piano, Voice, and Musical Theater

Eliomar Nascimento started as a pianist earning a Bachelor’s degree in Piano Performance from the Brazilian Conservatory of Music, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He then dedicated his career to the Operatic stage pursuing another Bachelor’s degree in Voice from Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. He moved to Boston for a Master’s degree in Vocal Performance and Certificate Diploma from the Opera Institute at Boston University. Mr. Nascimento brings his musical experience as a faculty member for the Young Artists Vocal Program for Boston University Tanglewood Institute in Lenox, MA. He teaches voice and piano at PAC and is Music Director for PAC summer musical theater workshops. While at B.U., Eliomar tackled roles like Figaro in Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro and Don Alfonso in Mozart’s Così fan tutte. Praised by the Boston Herald as the owner of a “deep, lush voice” for his portrayal of Don Basilio in Rossini’s Barber of Seville, he has also appeared in La Traviata, Lo Schiavo, I Pagliacci, Elektra, Salome, La Clemenza di Tito, Magic Flute, Bluebeard’s Castle and many others with companies such as Opera Aperta, Real Time Opera, Connecticut Lyric Opera, and Boston Lyric Opera. Mr. Nascimento is fluent in English, Portuguese, Spanish, and Italian.

Abby Mae Rogers – Office Manager

Soprano Abby Mae Rogers is an active performer and teacher in the Boston area. Praised for her “spectacularly charismatic” stage presence (Boston Musical Intelligencer), Abby Mae is a dynamic singer and actress on stage. Recent roles include Flora/Annina/Ensemble in MassOpera’s La Traviata and Susanna (cover) in Boston Opera Collaborative’s Marriage of Figaro. Abby Mae made her Boston performance debut in 2019, covering Polly Peachum and singing in the ensemble as part of Emmanuel Music’s Beggar’s Opera. As a teacher, Abby Mae provides a positive and enthusiastic approach to teaching voice. Students are taught to be masters of their own voice and are supplied with a wealth of knowledge in “how” exactly the singing voice works. With the belief that passion and confidence are the true keys to success, her goal is to create an environment that nourishes these traits. Abby Mae hopes her students leave every lesson feeling independent, intelligent, and with heightened love and appreciation for their voice.

Zachary Surapine – Violin and Viola

Zachary received his Bachelor of Music Degree in violin performance from the University of Massachusetts/Amherst, where is also working to complete a Bachelor of Music Education. As an undergraduate at UMass, Zachary alternated roles between Principal Second Violin and playing in the first violin section. He has played with the Claflin Hill Symphony Orchestra, UMass Amherst Symphony Orchestra, the Shanghai Quartet, Apple Hill String, Chiara String, and Borromeo String Quartets. He served as an orchestral leader mentor/teacher at Amherst Regional High School, and he is an Eagle Scout.

Katie Vennard – Theater

Katie is excited to be joining PAC as a theater instructor. She received her BA in Theatre Arts and Creative Writing from Providence College. While in school, Katie received training in acting, playwriting, directing, and stage management. Katie is excited to help young actors at PAC develop stage presence and confidence through scene work and games that spark imagination.

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