FACULTY
ERICA MAAS SHIPPEE
Founder + Studio Coordinator
Teaching Artist, Voice & Piano
Erica Shippee is a classically-trained soprano, professional choral singer, voice & piano teacher and founder of Market Square Music Academy. While teaching for several years at Bay Path University and The Loomis Chaffee School, she started building a successful home studio of private students. After pivoting to virtual lessons due to the pandemic and continuing to grow the business, she fulfilled a longtime dream by opening Market Square Music Academy in July, 2021 with the mission to make high quality music lessons and performance opportunities more accessible for the community. She deeply believes in the transformative power of music and the enormous benefits music education can provide for both children and adults.
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Erica currently sings regularly with several professional choral ensembles including CONCORA, Voices of Concinnity, and The Schola Cantorum of The Cathedral of Saint Joseph in Hartford. She has previously performed with the Boston Camerata, Hartford Symphony, Cape Cod Symphony, The New Haven Symphony, The Hartford Chorale, The Longy Early Opera Project, Hartt Opera Theater, Hartt Concentus and The Oriana Consort in Cambridge, Mass. She has been a featured soloist with Manchester Symphony in Vivaldi's Gloria, Handel's Messiah with CONCORA, and Durufle's Requiem with Music at the Red Door and has performed abroad on choral tours to Lincoln Cathedral, Coventry Cathedral, Vienna, Austria, Budapest, Hungary and The National Cathedral Washington D.C. Alongside voice and opera, she also pursued years of piano, organ, harpsichord and advanced courses in music theory, choral conducting and pedagogy. Erica holds a Bachelors Degree in Vocal Performance from The Hartt School of Music, a Masters Degree in Early Music and a Teaching Artist Certificate from The Longy School of Music of Bard College. She has studied voice with Laurie Monahan, Mauren O'Flynn, Cherie Caluda, Eric Trudel, Susan Madinly, and Donna Schaffer and piano & organ with Judy Chung, Dana Maiben, and Ezequiel Menendez.
AUSTIN TEWKSBURY
Guitar, Piano and Ukulele
Austin Tewksbury is a guitarist, singer-songwriter, and music teacher based in Hartford, CT. He completed his Bachelors Degrees in Music from Trinity College, where he also earned a dual degree in Biology, performed in the Jazz and Samba ensembles, and sang with both the Chapel Singers and the Accidentals. Austin has always cast the net wide in his pursuit of music, with experience ranging from euphonium to vocal studies to work on and off stage in musical theater, and studying Caribbean music in Trinidad. Austin currently serves as guitarist for the Trinity College Samba Ensemble, is the tenor section leader and soloist at Old St. Andrew’s Church in Avon, and plays in pit orchestras for many musical theater productions. He also hosts open mics at ELEVATE Healing Arts in Cromwell, and is an organizer for the West End Porchfest, an annual free music festival in Hartford’s West End. He additionally writes and records his own music. Austin collaborates with many local musicians and currently works with R&B/pop artist Brandon Serafino. As a teacher, Austin aims to make connections between our prior experience and the knowledge we gain. Any experiences that we have outside of lessons, including the music we already know and love, can make their way back to lessons for us to better understand and appreciate. This process of discovering and rediscovering our love for music is an ideal way to grow as a musician.
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Austin's teaching schedule includes openings on Mondays and Tuesdays. He specializes in guitar + ukulele studies for students of all ages including adults, as well as piano lessons for students K-5.
ESTHER ZENG
Voice & Piano
Esther Zeng earned her Masters Degree from UConn in opera and vocal performance and her undergraduate degree from one of China's most prestigious conservatories, gaining a solid foundation in both music theory and practical performance. Her undergraduate experience also provided her with opportunities to teach, deepening her understanding of educational methodologies while refining her communication skills and patience. She further honed her skills during the master of music program at the University of Connecticut, where she earned a scholarship and performed in numerous operas and songfest. Additionally, Esther was accepted and invited by Music institutions such as the Miami Music Festival and the Berlin Opera Academy. She travels almost every week to New York for vocal lessons with a Vocal professor from the Curtis Institute of Music and coaching sessions with coaches from the Metropolitan Opera. This ongoing professional development ensures that she remains at the cutting edge of vocal performance and pedagogy. In her teaching practice, Esther recognizes that each student possesses unique learning styles and needs and is committed to engaging and inspiring my students by adapting my teaching methods to meet their individual requirements. This personalized approach is vital for nurturing their love for music and enhancing their musical abilities.
BARBARA ROBBINS
Piano
Barbara Robbins has been making music with musicians of many genres and ages all her life. Ms. Robbins has been a staff pianist for The Hartt School Vocal Department at the University of Hartford since 2003 and has worked as an adjunct teacher and pianist at Manchester Community College since 2017. She is the accompanist for two choirs in the Hartford area, The West Hartford's Women's Chorale and Cetto Chamber Singers, and is often requested to play auditions, recordings, and performances for a wide range of organizations, from professional to community groups. Ms. Robbins has recently played piano and organ at Central Baptist Church in downtown Hartford, earning a Jolidan Organ Scholarship. She will be playing piano and organ at the Church of St. Patrick in Farmington, starting in the Fall of 2023. She is certified to teach Music PreK-12 in Connecticut public schools, and earned an Educator License from Kindermusik® International. For six years, she has engaged parents and their children in Music & Movement classes, and looks forward to sharing the joy of music with participants at Market Square Music Academy.
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Ms. Robbins earned a Bachelor of Music degree in piano performance from Oberlin Conservatory of Music, and a Master of Music degree on a full scholarship from the University of Connecticut.
Barbara is currently accepting piano students K-12 as well as adult learners on Wednesday afternoons and evenings.
NATHAN SCALISE
Piano & Composition
Nathan Scalise is an accomplished composer and multi-instrumentalist based in Central CT. He holds a Doctorate in Musical Arts from The Hartt School, an MM in Composition from Binghamton University, as well as Bachelor of Arts degrees in Music and Economics from Swarthmore College, where he studied composition with Gerald Levinson, piano with Hans Lüdemann, and trombone with Paul Arbogast. While a DMA student in Composition at the Hartt School, Nathan was teaching fellow, working with undergraduates in music theory studies. He has also previously served as an adjunct professor at Binghamton University. Always interested in breaking down barriers between genres, he regularly performs as a pianist, trombonist, and drummer in a range of styles including jazz, rock, classical, and musical theater.
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As a composer, his music has been awarded by NYC SongSLAM (2019 First Prize), Fifteen Minutes of Fame, Eventide Arts New England Songwriting Competition (2018) and Dolce Suono Ensemble (2017 Steven Stucky Young Composers Competition), and performed nationally and internationally by professional artists including Contemporaneous, the Momenta Quartet, Hub New Music, Delamo Duo, Cisum Percussion, 3G Percussion, Jordan Bowman (soprano), Baron Fenwick (piano), Andrew
Fuchs (tenor), Paul Neebe (trumpet), Opera Elect, and Orchestra 2001. He has had two 15-minute-musicals performed as part of New Musicals Inc.’s Core Curriculum and his chamber opera, A Great Resignation, will be performed at the Hartford Fringe Festival in October 2022.
As a teacher, Nathan emphasizes building strong fundamental skills that enable students to move successfully between musical contexts and play the music that makes them love music, whatever that may be. He is passionate about helping students to discover their own musical voice. Nathan is currently accepting piano and composition students of all ages and has teaching availability on Thursday evenings.
SEAN RUBIN
Guitar, Bass, Songwriting and Music Production
"Sean Rubin is a multi-instrumentalist and graduate of the Hartt School of Music who is fresh off of a National Tour with the critically acclaimed Broadway Musical COME FROM AWAY, playing bass for over 2.5 million people on their North American Tour. He is also a touring member of the indie rock band BRONZE RADIO RETURN, selling out venues such as Bowery Ballroom (NYC), Lincoln Hall (CHI) as well as playing and singing with the band on the popular YouTube channel Audiotree. In addition, Sean's compositions have been featured on international syndications, with an ever-growing repertoire of music being sold-for-use in television, video games & film.As an educator, Sean specializes in teaching bass, guitar, songwriting and music production. Sean's empathetic and passionate vibe provides a welcoming environment for students to find their own voice on their respective instruments, while having a great time doing so! Many of Sean’s students have pursued music careers of their own, placing in college conservatories, performing with all-regional orchestras and gigging with their own musical projects. Whether your wanderlust has you dreaming of racing to the next gig with your band, you have a hunger to write your own music, or you’re just trying to figure out where to start, Sean’s got you covered. Get excited to take your playing to the next level!"
RITA PARLANTE
Voice and Piano
Rita Parlante, soprano, holds a Bachelor of Music degree and a Bachelor of Science degree from Fairfield University. She has performed professionally as a funeral/wedding soloist, a church
cantor and a choral singer with The Hartford Chorale, The Middletown Chorale and Alchemy. Rita has been a longtime student of revered voice teacher, Joanne Scattergood and has participated in the National Association of Teachers of Singing competitions. She is also a cantor at St. Thomas/St. Timothy Parish in West Hartford, CT. Rita enjoys working with students of all ages and abilities in a variety of musical genres. She also teaches beginning piano and hybrid voice/piano lessons for young musicians. Rita has availability on Wednesday and Thursdays and is a kind, patient teacher who loves to make lessons fun, educational and confidence-building!
NADIA AGUILLAR
Voice
Nadia Aguilar is a soprano born in Torreon, Mexico. Ms. Aguilar started her voice studies at
the School of Music and Dance in Monterrey, Mexico. She has a Bachelor’s degree from The
Hartt School, a master’s degree from The University of Connecticut, and she’s working on
completing her Doctorate in Musical Arts degree also at the University of Connecticut where
she has studied under the tutelage of Connie Rock. Ms. Aguilar has a wide operatic repertoire. Her roles include Leonora in Beautiful Bridegroom by Dan Shore, Elle in La Voix Humaine by Poulenc, Euridice in Orfeo ed Euridice by Gluck, Mrs. Fiorentino in Street Scene by Kurt Weill, The Queen of the Night in The Magic Flute by Mozart, Rosina in Il Barbiere di Siviglia by Rossini, Gretel in Hansel and Gretel by Humperdinck, and Musetta in La Boheme by Puccini. Nadia has been the
featured soloist in Handel’s Messiah, Faure’s Requiem, and Vivaldi’s Gloria and Magnificat.
Ms. Aguilar has over ten years of experience teaching and is currently an adjunct professor
at Manchester Community College, where she is teaching singing lessons. Most recently, she
taught English, Italian, and French IPA & diction classes at The Hartt School. She has
overseen the Opera Studio and Stage Skills group classes at the University of Connecticut for
the past five years, where singers learn and develop the skills to be performers on stage.
In addition to teaching, Nadia enjoys advocating for the arts. She serves as the Associate
Artistic Director of the opera company “Opera Connecticut”. When she’s not singing, she enjoys spending time with her two children and husband. Nadia's teaching goal is to recognize each one of her students’ strengths, learning style, goals, and tailor her instruction accordingly.
She aspires to create a supportive and encouraging environment in her studio, one that can help
students overcome their fears and develop confidence to express themselves through singing.