Meet Your Instructors

Audrey Barrett

Piano Instructor

Tarrytown Central Austin

Audrey Barrett is a talented collaborative pianist, music director, and piano teacher with a deep passion for both music and theatre. She began playing the piano at the age of five and holds a degree in Theatre from Southwestern University. As the co-artistic director of Cold Frame Collective, a small theatre company based in Austin, Audrey seamlessly blends her musical and theatrical expertise to create innovative productions. Her dedication to inspiring musical passion in others is evident in her teaching approach, where she fosters a supportive environment for students of all levels. Outside of teaching, Audrey enjoys practicing yoga, reading, and cooking.

Liubov Belozerova

Piano Instructor

Westlake
Tarrytown
Rollingwood

Liubov is a classically trained pianist from Saint Petersburg, Russia, where she completed a nine-year diploma program at the Okhta Center of Music Education with a focus on piano performance, music theory, and ensemble studies. She also holds a PhD in Linguistics from Saint Petersburg State University. Liubov has been teaching piano since 1998 and has worked with students from age four through adults.

As both an educator and a mother of two, Liubov brings patience, empathy, and creativity to her teaching. She has a natural ability to spark students’ interest and enthusiasm for learning, encouraging them to develop at their own pace while enjoying the process of making music. Her teaching style balances structure with encouragement, helping students grow in confidence while developing strong musical foundations.

In her lessons, she incorporates piano technique, music theory, ensemble playing, and music history, offering her students a well-rounded musical education.

Sofia Ciobanu

Piano Instructor

Northwest Austin
Round Rock

Sofia was born in the Eastern European country of Moldova to a family of musicians. After graduation from C. Prumbescu Music High School, she moved to Romania for university studies. She went on to receive her Bachelor’s in Musicology and Pedagogy from G. Dima Academy of Music in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, and completed her Master’s degree in Musicological Synthesis in 2001. Throughout her studies, Sofia has been an avid performer in choirs and vocal ensembles across Europe. Her most recent collaboration was with the Calgary Philharmonic Choice of Canada in 2019.

Relocating to the U.S. in 2004, Sofia has over 20 years of international teaching experience, and is fluently tri-lingual in English, Russian, and Romanian. Sofia specializes in teaching voice, piano, theory, harmony, and music history to students of all ages and skill levels. Many of her students have gone on to receive Royal Conservatory of Music certifications. She joined the Harmony family in the Summer of 2018, and continues to follow her passion of guiding students on their musical paths.

Andrew Dana

Piano Instructor

Central Austin

Andrew Dana is a pianist, composer, and improviser with a stylistically diverse body of work spanning many music scenes and approaches. As an composer, he has had work performed by the Cleveland Chamber Symphony, members of the Seattle Symphony, and numerous ad-hoc ensembles. As a jazz pianist, he has participated in numerous ensembles playing music ranging from classical-inflected west-coast bebop to raucous free jazz. He currently plays in Austin-area fusion group Swades.

With a Master’s degree in Composition from the University of Texas at Austin and a Bachelor’s degree in Composition from Oberlin Conservatory, Andrew trained with a diverse and prestigious assortment of teachers in both composition and keyboard instruments, having studied composition with Elizabeth Ogonek, Stephen Hartke, and Januibe Tejera. Andrew studied piano with Eric Reed, John Hansen, and Dan Wall. It is a passion of his to foster the same knowledge and curiosity he received from his education with the next generation of young musicians.

In his free time, he enjoys cooking, reading science fiction, and playing board games.

Andrew Held

Piano Instructor

Central Austin

Andrew studied at Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA, where he was a dual major in Piano Performance and Contemporary Writing & Composition. His teachers include Daniel Smith, Daniel McIntyre, Vadim Neselovskyi, Jacques Schwartz-Bart, Suzanna Sifter, and Jeff Perry. He has vast experience as a bandleader, and has created hundreds of complete chord charts and comprehensive arrangements for many genres of music.

To quote Andrew: “I find myself engaging with as many different musical genres as I can. There are few things more rewarding and satisfying to me than playing music with people that I love, and the never-ending road of growth as a musician is one that I find to be equally as exciting as it is demanding. I always look forward to opportunities to spread the joy and passion that learning and understanding music ignites in me.”

Peter Le

Piano Instructor

North Austin

Peter is an experienced pianist who began in his hometown of Waco, Texas. He learned with various teachers, most notably Jeanenne Bezerra and Jane Abbott-Kirk, who was a professor at Baylor University. He graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education, learning from Laurie Scott, Bob Duke, and Margarita Denenburg. At the University of Texas, he studied piano under Andrew Brownell, Patti Wolf, and James Maverick.

Peter began his journey on the piano at age six and continued ever since then, all the way into college. During his time at the University of Texas, Peter taught in a variety of places, from teaching privately at local Austin schools to teaching general music at elementary schools to teaching right at UT Austin in their highly esteemed piano program, Piano Project. It was during these experiences where he realized the importance of developing a sense of expression and musicianship in students so that they are able to express their own voices through the piano.

Youngjae Lee

Piano Instructor

North Austin
Leander
Cedar Park

Youngjae graduated from Berklee College of Music with a degree in Film Scoring and as a Piano principal. She has been working as a film composer and piano instructor for over 10 years. She was twice nominated for the Best Score category at the La Jolla International Fashion Film Festival, and also won the award for Best Music Score at the Wide Screen Film Festival in Miami. She enjoys working with children, and sharing her passion for music with her students.

Aaron Matijasic

Piano and Voice Instructor

Circle C
Tarrytown
South Austin

Aaron has been teaching piano, voice, performing, and composing music for over 20 years. He earned his B.F.A. from the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts and has taught at several Los Angeles music schools, where he developed individualized piano curricula and prepared students for regular recitals. Aaron’s lessons are relaxed, encouraging, and fun—helping students feel at ease while building confidence and a genuine love of music

Aaron has performed at Carnegie Hall, The Roxy, the New York Musical Theatre Festival, the Hollywood Fringe Festival, and Rockwell Table & Stage. His original musical Invasion! earned him LA Weekly Theater Awards for Best Original Music and Best Musical Direction, while A Harmony Boys Christmas has become a long-running Los Angeles holiday favorite, earning multiple awards and nominations. He also tours nationally with Capitol Comedy and is a longtime member of the musical sketch group Stupid Songs.

In addition to piano, Aaron offers voice lessons with a strong Musical Theater focus, helping students discover their vocal range, improve diction and phrasing, and prepare audition material with confidence. He enjoys tailoring each lesson to the student’s unique strengths, interests, and goals, ensuring that learning is both productive and enjoyable.

Now based in Austin, Aaron is excited to become part of the city’s vibrant artistic community—and to sample as much queso as possible along the way.

Charlie Peterson

Piano Instructor

Tarrytown
South Austin

Charlie has been deeply immersed in music for most of his life. He began playing piano at 7 years old and has continued developing his craft and expanding into producing, recording, songwriting, performing, and teaching.

For Charlie, music has always been more than just a skill — it’s been a lifelong creative outlet and source of inspiration. That perspective heavily shapes his teaching style. Alongside building strong fundamentals, his goal is to help students develop a connection to music and enjoy the process of learning it.

In addition to piano, Charlie has played guitar for the past 6 years to further broaden his musical background and understanding. He has also spent years working with kids through both musical and non-musical activities, helping him build an encouraging, patient, and adaptable approach with students of all personalities and experience levels.

Originally from Chicago, Charlie taught over 35 students weekly and gained experience teaching a wide range of ages and skill levels. Now based in Austin, he’s excited to continue sharing his passion for music with new students.

Kaela Swinson

Piano and Voice Instructor

West Austin
Central Austin

Originally from Indiana, Kaela is a passionate musician who has taught music since she was 15 years old. She first started teaching piano out of her mother’s music studio where she also acted as a production assistant in teaching stage presence and performance preparedness for students privately and in group voice lessons.

After graduating high school, she left her Indiana roots and moved to Virginia for college in August 2015. Kaela studied music pedagogy and vocal performance at a private liberal arts university for two years. While studying in college, she performed in multiple community and college choirs. Kaela finished her degree in Education with a concentration in music pedagogy in December 2018 at Liberty University.

Kaela is a strong mezzo-soprano with her vocal talent specifically groomed for musical theatre and received classical vocal training while attending university. In her young music career, Kaela has conducted and directed multiple vocal groups and choirs. She is currently working on her degree in Psychology at Arizona State University Online and plans to become a part-time music therapist in the future.

Ryan Werth

Piano & Voice Instructor

Leander
Round Rock
Cedar Park

Ryan is a versatile music instructor with over a decade of experience in piano and singing, holding an Associate’s Degree in Music Business Performance & Technology from Austin Community College. His teaching approach is student-centered, adapting to individual needs and learning styles. He offers a flexible curriculum that caters to both beginners seeking a relaxed, easy-going pace and seasoned performers looking for a more structured, achievement-driven experience. Ryan provides personalized lesson plans and encourages students to select their own music, fostering a more engaging and fulfilling learning environment. With his patience and expertise, he ensures that each student receives the support they need to reach their musical goals.

Sheryl Witschorke

Piano Instructor

North Austin

With more than twenty years of experience as an educator, Sheryl brings patience, encouragement, and a deep understanding of how children learn. She has taught students in public school classrooms and through private piano lessons, helping young musicians build confidence and develop a lifelong love of music.

In addition to teaching piano, Sheryl has many years of experience as an organist and accompanist, serving churches and supporting choirs through piano, organ, and keyboard performance. Her background in both music and education allows her to tailor lessons to each student’s individual needs while creating a positive and encouraging learning environment.

Outside of teaching, Sheryl enjoys writing contemporary fiction and poetry, exploring new places, and discovering local art and music. She hopes to visit all fifty states someday.

Kristen Smith

Founder

Kristen Smith is the studio founder and director of Harmony. Kristen has a B.A. in Music with an emphasis in piano pedagogy and has studied with Dr. Beth Quillian (Dallas Baptist University), Sheila Page (Taubman instructor), and David Renner (University of Texas at Austin). Kristen has been teaching children ages 3 and up for over 14 years, and loves introducing students of all ages to the joy of music.

Kristen created Harmony to serve families in need of high quality in-home lessons. In addition to teaching private lessons, Kristen designs and leads the summer music camps, group classes, theory classes, and recitals that the studio offers. The success of the studio is a result of her organizational skills, creative abilities, and commitment to hiring skilled teachers who embrace the studio’s philosophy.