Meet our Teachers!

Here at D Z Strad we believe in developing creativity through music education.  Each teacher has been carefully selected for their energetic, passionate, and careful approach to teaching.  Our teachers are highly skilled at their respective instruments and have received top training from the most prestigious institutions across the world. Not only are our teachers skilled and trained educators but they also maintain busy performing schedules, performing in some of the most respected venues in New York.  The teachers at D Z Strad have experience in teaching all ages from children to adults, and host the skills to adapt to your goals and needs as a music lover!

 

 

Camille Dietrich - Cello

Lisa Pappas - Violin/Viola
Annette Misener - Violin/Viola/Cello
Memphis native Annette Misener is happy to be a part of the faculty and staff at DZ Strad since Fall '19. Annette has her Violin Performance Bachelor’s from the University of Memphis and Master’s from SUNY Purchase College. Annette also returns to Interlochen Center for the Arts in Michigan as faculty for Camp seasons during the Summer. During the year, Annette enjoys teaching private lessons in violin, viola, cello, and piano, and coaching chamber ensembles in the New York City area. In addition, Annette performs frequently Musical Theater, Opera, Orchestra, and solo repertoire, fluent in the classical canon as well as championing new music. She also has numerous studio credits and has appeared on a number of tracks, both on violin and voice, some can be heard on her SoundCloud. When Annette isn’t playing violin, she works closely with the non-profit Arts Youth Empowerment, an arts-centered Leadership, Entrepreneurial, and STEAM-integrated program, as the New York area administrator with the freshest class being Kindergarten Violin in the Bronx.

Yusuke Akasaka - Piano

Yusuke Akasaka, a native of Japan, has studied classical piano performance at Aaron Copland School of Music (CUNY Queens College) for his Bachelor of Music degree and graduated Cum Laude. Yusuke excelled in music theory and had straight A’s in the relevant courses. During college, Yusuke worked as an accompanist in the New York Mixed Chorus. In his career as a piano instructor, Yusuke has taught various students from all the age groups (3 to 65) and different cultural backgrounds at Juliet Music, Piano Verse, and Japanese Children’s Society, Inc. In March 2019, Yusuke launched a piano lesson channel on YouTube which is appreciated especially by adults and late starters and has more than 11K subscribers as of January 2021.