Faculty Bios

Brian Beach - Violin

Brian Beach is on faculty of the Merit School of Music in Chicago, and the Chicago High School for the Arts. Brian routinely performs with a variety of orchestras and ensembles in Chicago and throughout Illinois, and has performed in orchestras and chamber groups throughout the United States and Europe. In Chicago, he has performed with a diverse set of ensembles which include multiple productions with Chicago Folks Operetta as principal violin, Chicago Civic Orchestra, the Millennium Chamber Players, the Anaphoria Quartet, New Philharmonic, Northwest Indiana Symphony Orchestra, Illinois Symphony Orchestra, and duo recital with pianist Toshiko Suzuki for the Peace Concert series. In addition, Brian has performed with a variety of musical theatre groups in Chicago and greater Chicagoland. He has worked with distinguished conductors Cliff Colnot, David Effron, Sir Mark Elder, Alan Gilbert, Bernard Haitink, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Michael Stern, and Leonard Slatkin. His major teachers include Susanna Perry-Gilmore, Susan Waterbury, and Mimi Zweig. Brian holds a B.M. in violin performance from the University of Memphis and is completing his thesis requirements for a Masters of Music Education from the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University.


Rose Guccione - Voice

Rose Guccione is a professional opera singer who is principally known for performances in works by Giuseppe Verdi, including the title role in Aïda, Elisabetta in Don Carlo, Leonora in La forza del destino, and Leonora in Il trovatore. Her Aïda was a Chicago Tribune Critic's Choice which declared her “the genuine article of Verdi singers” and further exclaimed “Guccione's voice was simply magnificent from top to bottom, beautifully nuanced in all dynamic ranges.”

Rose is also passionate about comedy. At the Second City Training Center, Rose completed “Comedic Songwriting” with Mike Descoteaux, Improv Intensives with Bina Martin and Writing Intensives with Ed Ferrara. While at SCTC, she performed in Running Wild! – the musical improv show directed by Joe Latessa at Donny’s Skybox Theatre. Rose is a graduate of Josephine Forsberg’s Players Workshop Original Improv Program and Acting Academy for Improvisors. As an ensemble member, Rose composed music, wrote and performed sketch comedy and directed with Salsation Theatre Company.

Rose is on the voice faculty at Sherwood at Columbia College Chicago, and is a teaching artist for the Lyric Opera of Chicago OperaKids program. Rose is currently in the Honors Program at Northeastern Illinois University where she has received several scholarships and awards, including the Ruth Hanna Scholarship, Music Talent Scholarship, Honors Scholarship and High Academic Achievement Award. As owner of OperaGram.com®, Rose was generously featured in the Chicago Tribune, and on NBC5 News Today and the John Landecker Show on WLS 890 AM.

Michael McLaughlin

Michael McLaughlin holds a Bachelors Degree in Music from Vassar College, and a Master’s in Music from the Eastman school of Music where he studied with Barbara Butler and Bill Dobbins. Further studies include Lee Konitz and Sam Rivers. He has performed with the Hudson Valley Philharmonic, Capella Festiva Orchestra, Albany Symphony, and with Aretha Franklin, Joe Williams, Barrett Deems, Floyd McDaniels, Tom Jones. He has also played in various shows, and commercials. Michael has over twenty years of teaching experience in private trumpet lessons, various jazz bands, theory and improvisation classes. His students have been distinguished for winning at the “ Down Beat” student competition in 2006 and 2007, have performed at Chicago Jazz Festival for several years, and played at the Savannah Jazz Festival 2007 and 2008. Former students have attended Juilliard, Eastman, NYU, Manhattan School of Music, Indiana University, and other top schools.


Devvora Papatheodorou - Piano

Devvora Papatheodorou has a 19-year performing and teaching experience. Her teaching experience covers the following areas: private piano lessons, group piano and musicianship classes, chamber music ensembles, including one-piano four-hands and two-piano music. Over the years, she has taught students ranging from beginners to university-bound, ages 4 to adult. She has been one of the few certified teachers in YAMAHA’s Clavinovas digital pianos in the Chicagoland area, with focus on the pedagogical value and benefits of the piano ensemble class and the keyboard on the pianist.

She is currently on the faculty of Dominican University, Music Institute of Chicago, Chicago High School for the Arts and has taught at the Merit School of Music and Old Town School of Folk Music.

Moreover, Ms. Papatheodorou has a five-year administrative experience running music programs for a major community school of music, with duties including coordinating lessons for 600 students, running 40 recitals annually, overseeing 100 faculty as well as program and financial management. She has offered teacher seminars in repertoire, class management skills and methodology.

Devvora earned her Master’s in Music degree (piano performance) from DePaul University. She also has a Bachelor of Music (piano performance) from the Nikos Skalkotas Concervatory and a second Bachelor of Music (harmony) from Model Conservatory. She has studied with Mary Sauer of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Deborah Sobol of the Chicago Chamber Musicians, John Nauman and Dimitri Toufexis. Devvora has been part of various chamber ensembles over the years, a piano duo for six years and has performed solo in various venues. She is an active performer. 

Vicky Walters - Piano

Victoria graduated from Saint Xavier University in 2005 with a bachelor’s degree in music education. Since then she has been teaching 1st-4th grade general music and 5th grade beginning band at Palos East Elementary in Palos Park. She has completed both level one and two of the Orff certification program at Vandercook College of Music. Last year Victoria took a leave of absence from teaching to obtain a masters degree in music education from Northwestern University. She finished the program and graduated with honors in June 2010.

Victoria is a free-lance musician based mostly on the South side of Chicago. She has performed with Night Blue Theatre for several productions in the past 6 years and has occasional worked with other community theatres as well. Victoria also teaches private flute and piano lessons.