Violin
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Shakeh Ghoukasian is the newly appointed Dean of the Nevada School of the Arts. A long time violin faculty member of the school, she was also the Director of Suzuki Talent Education Program at the Nevada School of the Arts. Ms. Ghoukasian received her early music training in Armenia. After moving to the United States, she received her Bachelor and Master of Music degrees in Performance from University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She has studied with Lori Ulanova, Haik Balian and John Kendall. Ms. Ghoukasian has been invited to give master classes and teach workshops in Arizona, Utah, California, Idaho, South Dakota, Alaska, Oregon, New York and Las Vegas Summer Music Festival. Shakeh was a presenter at the American String Teachers National Conference in February 2005 and at the Suzuki National Conference in Minneapolis in 2006. She received the American String Teachers Association’s (ASTA) Studio Teacher of the Year Award in Nevada in 2005.
Ms. Ghoukasian is an active chamber music and orchestral musician. She is the Principal 2nd Violinist of the Las Vegas Philharmonic and a long time member of Nevada Chamber Symphony and Nevada Opera Orchestra. She has performed with many artists including Luciano Pavarotti, Andrea Bocelli, Placido Domingo, Frank Sinatra and others. Ms. Ghoukasian is co-founder of the Green Valley Chamber Music Festival that provides chamber music training for young musicians in the Las Vegas Valley. Her students are winners of many local and national competitions and have been chosen to participate at Interlochen Summer Music Camp, National Orchestra Summer Institute, Indiana University Summer String Program and Tanglewood Institute Orchestra Program. She enjoys working with young adolescents and guiding their musical and artistic development. Many of Ms. Ghoukasian’s students have gone on to major in violin at Universities and Conser vatories around the country and have become professional musicians and, most importantly, beautiful human beings. She is looking forward to the new challenges presented to her as the Dean and is excited to be part of NSA’s future.
Mary Straub holds a Bachelor's Degree in Music Education from Indiana University and Performance Diploma from the Interlochen Arts Academy. She has studied violin with Harry Farbman, Tadeusz Wronski, William Starr, John Kendall, Mimi Zweig, and Kalman Banyak. She is the founder of the Nevada School of the Arts Suzuki Talent Education Program (1981) and has been teaching the Suzuki method ever since then. Mary Straub's approach begins to supplement the Suzuki repertoire early in the books to ultimately include the major concerto repertoire, and includes examinations, chamber music, and orchestra. Along with Shakeh Ghoukasian, Ms. Straub has presented and had students chosen to perform at three national music educator's conferences (Chicago Midwest, ASTS & SAA) within the past three years. She is active as a performer and is frequently a Suzuki workshop clinician throughout the US. She was on the faculty at the Las Vegas Academy from 1994 - 99 and was a co-founder of the la Vegas Music Festival in 1993. Mary is a member of the violin faculty at the Nevada School of the Arts where many of her students have been local, state, and national competition winners and have gone on to study music at major colleges and conservatories. Ms. Straub was the recipient of the 2004 Nevada American String Teachers (ASTA) "Studio Teacher of the year Award" and the 2005 Nevada Music Teachers (MTMA) "Outstanding Service Award".
Jennifer Jackson graduated from the University of Utah with a BS in Elementary Education. She received Suzuki violin training from Dr. Shinichi Suzuki, William Starr, John Kendall, Alice Joy Lewis, Ellis Albers, Linda Fiore and Barbara Barber. Ms. Jackson has performed with the Nenada Symphony Orchestra and the Sunrise String Quartet. She is co-founder of Deseret Strings and the Las Vegas Mormon Youth Symphony and Chorus. Her greatest achievement is being the mother of four fabulous daughters (violin and cello) and seven stepchildren.
Razmik Chakhoian studied violin at the Komitas State Conservatory in Armenia and the Moscow State Conservatory. He has extensive teaching experience and has performed as Concertmaster with the Armenian State Philharmonic. Mr. Chakhoian currently performs with the Las Vegas Philharmonic and teaches violin at NSA.
Eric McAllister started playing the violin in the third grade and has studied with Ted Ashton, Mark Emile, Jack Ashton, Marjorie Bagley and Chris Takeda. He has also studied viola with Brandt Bayless, Andrew Duckles and Beverly Bias. He has performed with the Las Vegas Philharmonic since 2001, with the Utah Festival Opera company since 1996 and many other musical organizations such as the San Juan Symphony in Durango, Colorado, Showcase Chamber Ensemble in Farmington New Mexico, the Willow Valley Staring Quartet, the Candlelight String Quartet and the Seasons Quartet. Mr. McAllister has taught orchestra in the public schools since 1999 and is currently teaching at the Las Vegas Academy.
Rebekka Barnum has earned two separate Bachelor's degrees, Music Performance and Music Education from Northern Arizona University. She has also earned a long Term Teacher Certification in the Suzuki Method of teaching. A former student at NSA, Ms. Barnum has played the violin for the past 24 years and taught at the school since 2002. She is the proud mom of Quinn, who is in control of her every happy moment.
Antigone Dudder previously taught high school and middle school orchestras for the Clark County School District. Her ensembles have participated in both local and out of state orchestra festivals, earning superior and excellent ratings. Ms. Dudder has been a coach of the Las Vegas Youth Orchestras as well as a preparatory conductor of the Clark County School District Honor Orchestra. Prior to moving to Las Vegas, Ms. Dudder lived in Oregon where she was the Associate Concertmaster of the Oregon East Symphony in addition to performing with Walla Walla Symphony and the Grande Ronde Symphony. She is currently the Concertmaster for the Desert Springs Chamber Orchestra. Ms. Dudder is the instructor of the Suzuki Talent Education Program at the Steve Schorr Elementary School. She completed her Suzuki training with Allen Lieb and Louise Scott.
Denitza Larsen was born in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, Ms. Larsen began studies in piano, violin and viola by the age of five. She graduated from the “Dobrin Petkov” Academy of Music in 1995 in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. Ms. Larsen moved to the US in 1995 where she completed a Bachelor’s degree in Music from Weber State University in Utah, and later a Master of Music Degree from University of Nevada, Las Vegas. The groups that Ms. Larsen has played in include: National Bulgarian Youth Philharmonic, New American Symphony, Utah Ballet Company, Utah Musical Theatre, Las Vegas Philharmonic, and “Phantom”, Las Vegas.
Jennifer Peterson graduated with her Bachelor’s Degree in Viola Performance from Northern Arizona University where she studied with Dr. Jacquelyn Schwandt. She received her Long Term Suzuki Teacher Training from Dr. Louise Scott, Karin Hallberg, and Dr. Susan Baer. She attended the Brevard Music Festival and had the opportunity to perform with Joshua Bell. She is a former member of the Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra and currently plays with the Henderson Symphony Orchestra. Jennifer loves to spend time with her family and go boating.
Erika J. Syroid graduated with honors from the University of Montana. She studied and performed in Salzburg, Austria and has performed in various chamber groups, orchestras and as a soloist. Ms. Syroid has developed a strong belief in the Suzuki Talent Education philosophy and has extensive training. Ms. Syroid has toured with many artists, including Bocelli, Pavarotti and is a sub for the “Phantom of the Opera” and “The Producers” . She currently performs as a freelance violinist in Las Vegas and teaches at the College of Southern Nevada along with Nevada School of the Arts.