Our faculty members are the following experienced professional musicians.
Taka Matsunaga, violin/ viola
Taka Matsunaga, Violin/Viola, MA
Director of the Midwest Conservatory of Music
Music Director of the Midwest Philharmonic Orchestra
Mr. Matsunaga studied the violin with principal players of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra such as David Taylor, Joseph Golan and Robert Chen while attending the Chicago College of Performing Arts of Roosevelt University and Northeastern Illinois University, where he received a Master of Arts in Music under the direction of David Taylor. From 1999-2001, he was a regular member of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago: a training orchestra of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. In March of 2000, he made his debut at Carnegie Hall with the Civic Orchestra under the baton of Maestro Daniel Barenboim during the orchestra’s New York tour. In the summer of 2001, he won an audition of the National Orchestral Institute of the University of Maryland as a full-scholar musician.
Mr. Matsunaga has played the violin professionally with the Illinois Symphony Orchestra, South Bend Symphony Orchestra, Whiting Park Festival Orchestra and Southwest Michigan Symphony Orchestra, where he served as an Assistant Concertmaster.
Through these experiences as a talented performer, Mr. Matsunaga has acquired the invaluable knowledge needed to be such a versatile violinist and sensitive, influential teacher. His innate sense as a musician has given him the ability to connect with each and every one of his students. Here at the Midwest Conservatory of Music, he has brought to life a world in which violin playing is available to all.
He is a good-standing member of the American String Teachers Association (ASTA) and is one of the founding members of the Midwest Conservatory of Music and Midwest Philharmonic Orchestra.
James Donahue, Flute, BM
American flutist James Donahue enjoys a multi-faceted career as soloist, chamber player, orchestral musician, and teacher. An enthusiastic advocate of new music, Mr. Donahue is known for his diverse programming of avant-garde flute works, and has collaborated with such composers as Warner Jepson, Timothy McCormack, Shirish Korde, Tamar Muskal, Lewis Nielsen, and Helmut Lachenmann. In 2008 he gave the world premier performances of McCormack’s Tumma Pilvi for solo bass flute and chamber ensemble, and Hamara Pilvi for solo bass flute, both of which were dedicated to him.
Mr. Donahue maintains a keen interest in the ethnic flute traditions of the world, and is particularly fascinated by the influence of such music on the modern repertoire of the Boehm flute. This interest is clearly reflected in his recital programming which frequently includes works by contemporary Asian composers. He has studied the Buddhist honkyoku music of the Japanese shakuhachi with internationally acclaimed shakuhachi master Michael "Chikuzen" Gould, and has given numerous lecture-recitals on the shakuhachi’s influence in the compositions of Toru Takemitsu, Kazuo Fukushima, Shirish Korde, and numerous others.
Mr. Donahue has performed with the Waco and San Antonio Symphony Orchestras, the Lyric Opera of Waco, and from 2006-2008 was solo flutist with the acclaimed Oberlin Contemporary Music Ensemble. He has had the pleasure of performing under many distinguished conductors, including Benjamin Zander, Christopher Wilkins, David Zinman, Tim Weiss, Stephen Heyde, and Richard Aslanian.
Mr. Donahue received his Bachelor of Music in performance from the Baylor University School of Music in 2006, graduating from the flute studio of Helen Ann Shanley. In 2008 he was awarded the Oberlin Conservatory’s prestigious Artist Diploma, following two years of intensive graduate study with the famous French flutist Michel Debost. He has also studied with Tal Perkes and Dr. Rita Linard.
Mr. Donahue currently resides in the Chicago area, where he is an active free-lance performer. He serves on the board of directors for the Chicago Flute Club.
Kumiko Nowlan, Clarinet, MM
Mrs. Nowlan completed her B.A. degree at Senzoku Music College in Japan and received awards for her clarinet performance. She studied with Kazuhiko Ikematsu and Yoshiaki Suzuki. She performed as a freelance musician in Tokyo and was an instructor for five years. During her musician life in Japan, she met a number of phenomenal musicians including Seiji Ozawa, Mstislav Rostropovich, and Yutaka Sado who inspired her to study orchestra in the United States. She met world great clarinet players including Chicago Symphony’s Larry Combs and Gregory Smith while attending the Affinis Festival in Nagano, Japan.
Mrs. Nowlan entered Roosevelt University in Chicago in 1997. She studied clarinet with Greg Smith, chamber music with Dale Clevenger, Ludmila Lazar, and graduated with a Masters in Clarinet Performance in 2000. She was accepted as first associate clarinet at the Civic Orchestra of Chicago and performed from 2000 to 2002 seasons. She also performed at International Clarinet Festival in Oklahoma, Chicago Clarinet Ensemble, and local music groups. Kumiko has been teaching clarinet out of her home for 12 years. Her students have excelled in performance and have many notable achievements as a result.
Young Hee Park, Piano, MM
Young Hee Park holds a Master’s Degree and Performer’s Certificate in Piano Performance from Northern Illinois University. Mrs. Park’s teachers include Dr. William Goldenberg, Dr. JeongSoo Kim and Alexander Djordjevic.
Mrs. Park was selected as one of the pianists at the NIU memorial service for the shooting tragedy, and played with Kishwaukee Orchestra in 2008. She has held solo recitals at Northern Illinois University, College of Dupage, Winsor Park Manor, Oak Crest Retirement Center, Delnor Glen Assisted Living, Victory Center in Bartlett and Heritage Woods of Dekalb. Young Hee was also one of the members of Oakton Six Piano Ensemble. She is currently a permanent pianist at Heritage Presbyterian Church in Carol Stream, IL.
Brian Hoffman, Cello, MM
Brian Hoffman, cello, is a two-time 1st prize winner of the North Carolina Music Academy Cello Competition, as well as top prizewinner of the Grimsley Concerto Competition, in which he was soloist in performances of the Elgar and Saint-Saens Concerti in Greensboro. Mr. Hoffman was also soloist in performances of the Dvorak, Haydn, and Shostakovich Concerti at Northwestern University and the Meadowmount School of Music. His awards include the GSYO Armfield-Eichhorn Prize for Outstanding Musicianship, Northwestern University’s Esther Yochim Fellowship, and the Civic Orchestra of Chicago’s Critser Endowed Cello Fellowship.
A 2006 graduate of the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, Mr. Hoffman studied with Peter Rejto and Hans Jensen. His former teachers include Steven Doane, Julia Lichten, Margo Tatgenhorst-Drakos, Peter Howard, Mark Votapek, and Anne Sellitti. He has performed in masterclasses with Joel Krosnick, Alban Gerhardt, the Guarneri String Quartet, Sir Simon Rattle, and Riccardo Muti. In Spring 2008, Mr. Hoffman completed a Master’s degree in Cello Performance at Northwestern University, during which time he served as Teaching Assistant to Professor Hans Jensen.
Mr. Hoffman has served as principal cellist of the Philharmonia of Greensboro, the Oberlin Orchestra, the Oberlin Chamber Orchestra, the Northwestern University Symphony Orchestra, and the Cervantes Orchestra of Chicago. In 2002, Mr. Hoffman served as assistant principal cellist of the National Festival Orchestra, one of 70 musicians selected from around the United States to perform in Carnegie Hall under the direction of Lukas Foss. From 2008-2010, Mr. Hoffman performed with the Civic Orchestra of Chicago under the baton of such conductors as Bernard Haitink, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Sir Mark Elder, Peter Oundjian, and David Robertson.
As a member of Trio Devoto, Mr. Hoffman was a national finalist in the 2004 MTNA Chamber Music Competition. He has performed in numerous chamber music recitals, including performances in the concert series of the Kendall Center (Ohio), the Meadowmount School of Music (New York), the Litomysl Castle (Czech Republic), the Bowdoin International Music Festival (Maine), the Banff Centre for the Arts (Canada), the Gail Borden Library (Elgin, IL), the Chicago Latino Music Festival, the Merit School of Music, and the Pianoforte Salon’s Schubertiade (Chicago, IL). In Fall 2008, Mr. Hoffman performed live on WFMT Chicago Public Radio’s FolkStage with soprano Sally Martin. He has performed in some of Chicago’s most noted venues, including Symphony Center, Millenium Park Pritzker Pavilion, John Hancock Tower Signature Room, South Shore Cultural Center, Navy Pier Grand Ballroom, the Standard Club, St. James Cathedral, and many more.
Mr. Hoffman currently enjoys an active concert career; he also teaches privately and serves as an instrument consultant for the shop of Carl Becker and Son, Ltd. In 2011, Mr. Hoffman will present his debut recording and complete performance cycle of J.S. Bach’s Six Suites for Solo Cello.
Naomi Matsunaga, Oboe/Piano, MA
Mrs. Matsunaga holds a Master of Arts in Music from Northeastern Illinois University. She studied oboe with Takahisa Shinmatsu, Ray Still, and J. Ricardo Castaneda. She has appeared in the Northwest Indiana Symphony, Illinois Symphony and Illinois Philharmonic Orchestras. She was an oboe teacher at Benet Academy High School, Lisle, IL in 2004-2006. She presents oboe performance studio class for young oboists at Midwest Conservatory of Music.
She also holds a Piano Pedagogy Certificate from Elmhurst College, where she studied the piano under the direction of Linda Camp. She has been a staff pianist of the Midwest Conservatory of Music and accompanying for student recitals.
HaeRim Yoo, Piano, MM
Mrs. Yoo studied piano with Dmitry Rachmanov and Pawel Checinski and received her Bachelor’s degree in Music from Roosevelt University, Chicago. Her Masters degree was received from Northern Illinois University, where the primary teacher was William Goldenberg. She received Rudolph Ganz Scholarship while attending Roosevelt University and Graduate Assistantship in Accompanying from Northern Illinois University.
She has appeared in numerous concerts and recitals as a soloist, an accompanist and a chamber musician. She has also been teaching piano at Northern Illinois University Community School of the Arts, DeKalb, IL. In the Fall of 2008, Mrs. Yoo won at the 2008 Concerto Competition held at Northern Illinois University.
She holds her Performer’s Certificate in Piano Performance from Northern Illinois University and is a member of the Music Teachers National Association, Illinois State Music Teachers Association and Naperville Chapter of the Illinois State Music Teachers Association.
Mrs. Yoo has just won the second prize at The American Protégé International Piano and Strings Competition 2012 and will be invited to perform at Carnegie Hall in New York in November 2012!
Yuriko Tanaka, Piano, MM
Ms. Tanaka studied piano in Japan under Naoyuki Inoue, Hiroko Kurai and Etsuko Tazaki, and she joined the piano adjunct faculty member of the School of Music at Mukogawa Women’s University of Hyogo, Japan.
After moving to the U.S., Ms. Tanaka further pursued graduate studies in piano performance at the Chicago College of Performing Arts of Roosevelt University, where her principal teachers were Ludmila Lazar and Annie Sherter. During her studies at Roosevelt, she won the first prize at the Irene Tintner International Piano Competition. She also performed for master classes by Edith Picht-Axenfeld and Richard Goode. Since she graduated from Roosevelt with honors, she has been teaching piano throughout the Chicago area.
Whun Kim, Violin/Viola, MM
Born in Seoul, Korea, Ms. Kim began her violin studies at the age of 7 at which time she immigrated with her family to the U.S. She attended Northwestern University where she studied with Dr. Myron Kartman and received a Bachelor of Music degree. She further attended The Juilliard School where she studied with Joseph Fuchs and received her Master of Music degree. She has studied with Marc Zinger and Albert Igolnikov in Chicago.
Ms. Kim has had coaching with Eugene Becker, Hamao Fujiwara, Fredelle Lack, Igor Ozim and William Lincer. She won first prize in the Solo and Ensemble Competition of Hawaii. She also received second prize in the Society of American Musicians Competition of Illinois, was a finalist in the Chicago Symphony Youth Auditions and received the Farwell Award from the Women's Musician Club of Chicago.
Ms. Kim presently teaches and performs as concertmaster with the Southwest Michigan Symphony Orchestra where she recently was soloist for Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. She also plays in the first violin section of the Northwest Indiana Symphony Orchestra and free-lances in Chicago. She resides in the Chicagoland area with her husband Bernardo Arias, who is also a violinist, and their two daughters, Claire and Esme.
Myeong Su Park, Violin/Viola, MM
Mr. Park studied violin with Nam Yoon Kim and received his Bachelor’s degree in Music from Kyung Hee University in Korea. He was a concertmaster of the university orchestra and the leader of its chamber ensemble. After his graduation from the college, he played in the In-Cheon City Symphony Orchestra for seven seasons.
After he moved to the U.S., he studied violin with Cyrus Frough, Yuko Mori and Arron Shultz while attending the Chicago College of Performing Arts of Roosevelt University and the American Conservatory of Music, where he received his Master’s degree in Music in Violin Performance.
He has been a member of the Northbrook Symphony Orchestra and has played with the Rockford Symphony Orchestra. He has also played at numerous concerts in the Chicagoland area. He has been teaching many students both in Korea and in the U.S. and many of his students have won competitions and led their school orchestras. Currently, he is a music director and conductor at a church in Mt. Prospect, IL.
Barmey Ung, Guitar/Composition, BM
Barmey Vishnu Ung is an accomplished guitarist, composer, producer, and teacher graduating from the University of Miami. In the span of his young career, Mr. Ung has performed around the world, and has also had his own compositions performed by many. In keeping with the tradition of sharing his music and talents, Mr. Ung is also thoroughly involved in teaching music, as well as being a community organizer in the field of the arts.
During his college career, Mr. Ung took the position of president of the University of Miami Society of Composers in which he organized many concerts, international collaborations, and opportunities for emerging young composers. Other accomplishments include his participation in the Ress Family Hospital Project in which he helped provide live music performances for individual patients in various Miami hospitals, and also his former directing of the project Youth Music Campaign which sought to provide inner city Miami youth with free music lessons.
As a guitarist, Mr. Ung has performed in New York, Miami, Chicago, Spain, France, and the Czech Republic in guitar festivals, master classes, concert halls, art galleries, museums, private parties, weddings, and even hospitals.
As a composer, Mr. Ung’s compositions have been performed by the Cleveland Orchestra, University of Wisconsin’s Javanese Gamelon, NYU Chamber Ensembles, and various University of Miami ensembles including their Percussion Ensemble and Chamber Orchestra.
Mr. Ung currently continues to push the limits of his abilities in his work as a producer and songwriter in which he has worked in scoring all types of video and has helped produce many unsigned Miami artists, most notably the electro-pop group "Beijinhos". Currently, he is working on his highly anticipated solo project entitled, "Kmang Kmang".
Madeline Capistran, Violin/Viola, MM
Originally from Fargo, North Dakota, violinist Madeline Capistran began studying violin at age 9 with her mother, Jane Linde Capistran. As a teenager, she continued her studies with Sally O’Reilly (University of Minnesota). She holds a Bachelor of Music in Violin Performance from Michigan State University and a Master of Music in Violin Performance from DePaul University, where she studied with Ilya Kaler.
Ms. Capistran has extensive chamber music and orchestral experience. She was a member of the Fargo-Moorhead Symphony for four years, and has attended such summer programs as Musicorda, Meadowmount, the Colorado College Summer Music Festival, the Hot Springs Music Festival, Dakota Chamber Music, and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Chamber Music Institute. She has performed in master classes for the St. Lawrence String Quartet and Janet Sung, and recently appeared as part of the "Noontime Concert Series" at the University of Chicago.
As a soloist, Ms. Capistran has performed with the Fargo-Moorhead Symphony, the Fargo-Moorhead Area Youth Symphony, on National Public Radio’s show "From the Top" with pianist Christopher O’Riley, and most recently with Chicago’s Logan Chamber Players.
She is currently living in Chicago where she teaches, free-lances, and plays in the Civic Orchestra of Chicago.
