Nell Jorgensen Buchman, piano
Melanie Richeson, piano and harp
Michael Rivers, piano
Linda Sparks , piano
Larisa Topolkaraeva, piano
Mary Van De Loo, piano
Catherine Walby, piano
Nell Jorgensen Buchman, piano, is a well-known Fox Valley accompanist, performer, teacher, and adjudicator. Since receiving her Masters of Music in Piano Performance and Pedagogy from the University of Oklahoma in 1994, Ms. Buchman has pursued an active teaching, performing, and adjudicating career at Lawrence University, Lawrence Academy of Music, and throughout Wisconsin. She has a private studio, teaches class piano, and coordinated Lawrence Academy of Music’s Piano Festival for several years. A native of North Carolina, she has played with the Raleigh Symphony, the Cimmaron Opera Company and with the Brevard Music Center Orchestra and was a guest on North Carolina Public Radio’s lunchtime concert series. She served as piano department coordinator at the Academy of Music and taught theory and summer chamber music during her tenure at Lawrence, and served as music director for St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Waupaca. As a member of the Wisconsin Music Teachers’ Association, Ms. Buchman has adjudicated throughout the state for WMTA and other piano organizations.
Melanie Richeson , piano and harp
Linda Sparks , piano, is a well-known Fox Valley performer, teacher, and adjudicator. A native of Alabama, she earned her Master’s in piano performance at the University of Alabama, where she graduated with special honors, and taught at Jacksonville State University, Alabama, before moving to Wisconsin. She has taught at UW-Green Bay, UW-Fox Valley, Lawrence Academy of Music, and maintains a private teaching studio. She is a nationally certified teacher in MTNA and a member of Pi Kappa Lambda, honorary music fraternity, as well as Delta Omicron. An active accompanist with singers and instrumentalists, she has appeared on Wisconsin Public Radio from the Chazen Museum in Madison, Neenah Public Library, UW-Stevens Point, Winchester Academy, UW-Green Bay, Lawrence Conservatory, and Alabama Educational Television. She has also served as music director and pianist at Attic Theatre and organist/choir director at local churches.
Larisa Topolkaraeva, piano, has been a member of the faculty at Lawrence Academy of Music since 1994. A native of Tbilisi, Georgia, Ms. Topolkaraeva began her piano studies at the age of five with her mother - a pianist. After receiving her B.A. in piano performance from the Tbilisi State Conservatory she moved to Moscow, where she earned her Masters' degree (with highest honor) and Ph.D in piano performance and pedagogy from the Russian State Academy of Music (formerly Gnesin's Institute) in Moscow. Prior to her move to Appleton, she taught piano at the numerous music academies in Tbilisi and Moscow.
Mary Van De Loo, piano
Catherine Walby, piano, has been teaching at Lawrence Academy of Music since 2000. In addition, she teaches class piano and secondary piano lessons at Lawrence University Conservatory of Music. She has run the week-long Academy Piano Odyssey camp each summer since 2003 and has served as theory teacher and keyboard department coordinator in the past.
Ms. Walby received a B.M. in piano performance with a pedagogy emphasis and a B.A. in biology from Lawrence University. Her primary teacher was Kathleen Murray for both piano and pedagogy. She received a M.M. in piano performance and pedagogy in 2000 from the University of Oklahoma, studying under Jane Magrath, Andrew Cooperstock and Howard Lubin.
As a member of MTNA (Music Teachers National Association), Ms. Walby has served as Appleton district auditions chair since 2001 and state Badger keyboard auditions chair since 2005. She will begin a three year term as state president of WMTA beginning in October of 2009. She also served as state secretary for several years and has been actively involved in the local Fox Valley MTA.
Ms. Walby continues to play actively, collaborating with colleagues, college students and Academy students on recitals and juries. In her spare time, she enjoys cooking and baking with friends, reading, traveling and gardening.
