Faculty

Ms. Anna Hanh Pham was born in Ha noi, Viet nam. Her studies include eight years at Saigon conservatory of music, followed by six years in Moscow, Russia where she studied at the world renown Gnhesin Russian Academy of Music obtaining the Bachelor of Art Degree in 1995.

Anna Pham later enrolled to McGill University, Montreal, Canada where she received her Master of Music Degree in 2001. She has taught at Saigon Conservatory of Music in Vietnam during 1995-1999.

After moving to United States in 2002, Ms. Anna worked as music director and piano instructor of Agape Music Centre in Rosemead city, CA from 2002-2006. She released her first CD ‘Give Thanks’ in 2005.

Petar Chekardzhikov began playing the guitar at the age of nine with Professor Ljuben Haralambiev, a name well-known in his home country of Bulgaria. In 2007 Mr. Chekardzhikov received his Master’s Degree in Classical Guitar Performance from California State University, Fullerton, where he studied with the world-renowned guitarist and guitar professor David Grimes. Recipient of several National and International Awards in Bulgaria and the United States today Petar is actively teaching in Southern California, and giving concerts throughout the US.

As a member of Four of a Kind (a guitar quartet consisting of Petar and his sister Petya, and brothers Vasil and Nikola), and later as a member of Triada Guitar Trio (consisting of Petar and his brothers Vasil and Nikola), Mr. Chekardzhikov has given well over 500 concerts in Europe and the United States, including three CD album releases. The latest one is regularly being broadcasted in over 100 radio station throughout the US as well as South Africa.

William Sherwin, also known as Billy, is a native of Southern California. William has been playing the piano since the age of nine and is currently in the last stages of getting a music degree from Cal State Fullerton. William also serves as a pianist/worship leader at his church Grace Church of Orange where he also teaches Bible studies in the children’s ministry. William’s range in musical interests spreads far and wide.

He loves playing classic composers such as Schubert, Brahms, Pachelbel, Barber, and Mendelssohn and also jazz and ragtime composers such as Scott Joplin and Jelly Roll Morton. His musical tastes also extend to contemporary Christian music as well as classic hymns and is also a gifted improvisor.

Vu Quang Trung has been working diligently as a music producer, pianist, composer, and orchestrator for over 20 years. He also has been focusing on teaching and influencing music to the younger generations.

Trung was born and raised in Hanoi, Vietnam, to a musical background family. His late father, Vu Thanh, was a composer. His late mother, Tran Tuyet Nhung, was an opera singer. Trung started studying classical music when he was seven years old. At the age of 22, he served as a member of the Vietnamese Composer Associations.

In 1994, Trung received his Bachelor’s degree in Music Composition at Hanoi Conservatory of Music and began teaching Composition & Contemporary Piano at Hanoi College of Music & Performing Arts. In 1995, he was appointed Vice Dean of the School of Music Composition.

Cynthia Law was born in Hong Kong, China, where she began studying classical piano at the age of six. Her very first experience teaching piano privately to children and adults was when she was 14 years old. Later her passion in piano performance lead to further study at Rio Hondo College, where she spent 3 and a half years actively participating in the college’s Arts and Cultural Programs performing as a soloist and in the Diverse Instruments Ensemble. Outside of the academic world, she also collaborated with keyboardist Jannine Livingston and choreographer Lauren Kearns in 2001 for a dance performance at Highways Performance Space in Santa Monica.

Cynthia’s passion in teaching also lead to further study in piano performance at California State University Long Beach, where she received her Bachelor of Music degree in 2007 and Master of Music degree in 2010.

Curtis Baxter began playing drums when he was thirteen years old. At the age of eighteen he started studying music at a local community college. At College of the Canyons Curtis learned various percussion instruments including marimba, xylophone, snare drum and timpani. He soon became the percussion section leader of the College of the Canyons Symphonic Band. This was a position he kept until transferring to the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music at California State University, Long Beach.

While at the Cole Conservatory Curtis studied orchestral percussion, hand percussion, drum set, marimba, and vibraphone with some of the most respected teachers in the United States. He was also a member of the University Symphony Orchestra, Percussion Ensemble, New Music Ensemble, World Percussion Group, and Steel Drum Orchestra. In addition to performing with a wide variety of ensembles Curtis took numerous classes in music theory, music history, and ethnomusicology to make himself a knowledgeable and well-rounded musician.