Meet Our Music Instructors

Originally from Michigan, Matthew Pavilanis is a young, enigmatic classical pianist whose main goal is to share his passion and love for music through performance and instruction. Matthew received a bachelor’s degree in music from the Western Michigan University (2008) and a master’s degree in music from the University of Oregon (2011), both with an emphasis in Piano Performance. His teachers have included Dean Kramer, Silvia Roederer, Claire Wachter, David Riley and Cary Lewis. Matthew is currently active as an instructor and solo and collaborative performer in Oregon. Although Matthew has had performance experience in all periods of classical music, he has a special interest in the interpretation and performance of contemporary classical music. Matthew has also performed with Beta Collide, the Oregon-based cutting edge new music ensemble. Beta Collide, directed by Molly Barth (formerly of eighth blackbird) and Brian McWhorter (formerly of Meridian Arts Ensemble), focuses on the collision of musical art forms – from new complexity to ambient; from low-brow to high-brow; from radically extended technique to site-specific improvisation; from popular to the academy. Matthew is also an accomplished piano and guitar instructor, having taught and maintained a studio of young pianists for the past twenty years.

Lempke is a composer, electronic musician, and digital artist whose works unashamedly embody the absurd, out-of-place, and purely bizarre.

In the realm of composition, Philippe Spiesser, Juanjo Llopico, Kanae Mizobuchi, Unassisted Fold, and Oh My Ears have brought his strange soundscapes to life. His works have been performed throughout Europe, Asia, and the United States at events like the SEAMUS National Conference, RADIA, Forum Wallis, the International Computer Music Conference, Electroacoustic Barn Dance, and others. He is a winner of the American Guild of Organists Student Commissioning Project, as well as a nominee for the Destellos Foundation Electroacoustic and Video-Music Competition.

In 2020 JP became the executive director of the Eugene Difficult Music Ensemble, which performs and commissions underrepresented experimental works in order to open ears and minds. Under his watch, they created the Eugene Garbage Project, a year-long quest to collect trash from the local community and transform it into a concert-length work for voice, electronics, and animations. After the premiere in May 2021, the group brought an interactive installation version to the community as part of ArtCity’s Beam the following October. They continue to regularly perform and record works by underrepresented musicians and groups.

As a digital artist, JP specializes in time-based pieces, such as multi-screen video murals and projection mapping, using mixed animation styles. These include frame-by-frame, keyframe, and stop-motion animation, as well as film. In addition to creating the visuals for the Eugene Garbage Project, his work has been featured as part of a week-long showcase for a 21-screen installation Eugene’s Gordon Hotel. He is currently creating the assets for a riichi mahjong video game slated for release in 2022 and has recently dived into the world of NFT creation.

JP’s teaching credentials include a small private piano studio he operated in his home state of Nebraska, collegiate music tutoring, and classroom instruction in aural skills, theory, and piano. He joined the Pavilanis School of Music during the summer of 2021 and continues to work there to the present day.

JP earned his BM in Composition and Piano Performance with Pedagogy at the University of Nebraska – Kearney and his MM in Composition at Arizona State University, where he operated as the co-director of the laptop orchestra. He has additional years of study in data-driven instruments and music theory from the University of Oregon. His instructors are Darleen Mitchell, Anthony Donofrio, Jody Rockmaker, Garth Paine, and Kotoka Suzuki. He lives in Eugene, Oregon.

A native of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Yuet-Yang Siew is currently a DMA student studying piano performance under Dr. Alexandre Dossin in UO. Received both his undergraduate and master degrees from Missouri State University, Yuet-Yang is active in both solo and chamber performance. He was first prize recipient of multiple competitions such as the MMTA competition and J.D. Kelly Piano competition. In 2019, he was invited to give a series of recitals in Buffalo, New York for the celebration of Poland independence.

Born in a musical family with his mom as a piano instructor, Yuet-Yang started to observe his mom’s teaching at a very young age. He started to sub-teach for his mom in high school and start teaching students from multiple age groups and levels professionally when he worked as a graduate assistant back in Missouri. Yuet-Yang received qualifications certificates from multiple music syllabus programs like Yamaha, ABRSM(Royal School of Music), and Trinity College London.

Korean-born pianist Dasol Um began learning the piano at the age of seven. Her remarkable achievements include being awarded the first prize at the Music Association of Daegu Competition and the GVSU Concerto Competition, as well as securing second and third places in the Grand Rapids Youth Symphony Orchestra Competition and MTNA – Stecher and Horowitz Two Piano Competition, respectively.

Ms. Um has graced the stage with orchestras such as the Daegu Strings Symphony Orchestra in South Korea and the GVSU Symphony Orchestra in Michigan. She has performed in public masterclasses for notable pianists such as Antonio Pompa-Baldi, Boris Slutsky, Sergei Babayan, and Martín García García. She earned her B.M. in Piano Performance at the Grand Valley State University with a full scholarship under Dr. Helen Marlais, followed by a M.M. in Piano Performance with a graduate assistantship at the Ithaca College under Dr. Dmitri Novgorodsky.

In addition to her performance recognitions, Ms. Um has showcased her dedication to piano pedagogy by pursuing a concurrent Master’s in Piano Pedagogy. Her passion for teaching was highlighted as a guest artist at the MTNA conference under Dr. Helen Marlais and through a pedagogy research presentation at the OMTA. Ms. Um continues to enrich the world of music through her multifaceted talents and unwavering dedication to both performance and education.

Currently a D.M.A. candidate in piano performance under the guidance of Dr. Brian Hsu (formerly Dr. Claire Wachter). Ms. Um holds a full graduate employee position, serving as a piano instructor and collaborative pianist at the University of Oregon.

Mikhail Bozylev is a goal-orientated pianist and composer from Russia with strong UK music education and great performing experience. In 2018 Mikhail graduated from Goldsmiths, University of London, completing my Bachelor of Music degree (piano and composition) with
first-class honors. He studied piano under the supervision of Andrew Zolinsky, who is considered to be one of the best contemporary pianists in the world and worked with many well known musicians and collectives, such as BBC Symphony Orchestra, Michael Finnissy, Diego
Masson and others.

In 2019 Mikhail completed Master of Keyboard degree at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, where he also was gifted with a scholarship for my studies. His piano studies were under the tuition by Petras Geniusas, who worked with many well-known musicians, such as Alfred
Schnittke, Leonid Desyatnikov and Osvaldas Balakauskas.

In 2020 Mikhail became an artist of the Siberian State Symphony Orchestra, which has been recognized as the Cultural Heritage of Krasnoyarsk Region. As a member of the orchestra, he took part in many international festivals and concerts, such as Dmitry Hvorostovsky Festival along with Diana Damrau and Nicolas Teste. In addition, he participated in a state project, created by the ministry of culture called Enisey Watercolour, where the orchestra recorded a disk with music by Tuvenian composer Vladimir Toka, in which Mikhail performed a solo piano part.

Besides his great career in the orchestra, Mikhail gave solo concerts in many countries and cities, such as London, Glasgow, Moscow, Saint-Petersburg, Novosibirsk, Sapporo and others. In 2018, Mikhail performed the 3rd movement of his solo piano concerto at the ‘New Music of Siberia’ Festival (Novosibirsk Philharmonic, Russia). The same year Mikhail took part in the Pro Muzyka International Festival, where he performed the first movement of his piano concerto with Youth Siberian Orchestra and he became a member of the International Youth Composers Union (MolOt), founded by Yaroslav Sudzilovsky. In 2019, there was Mikhail’s solo concert at Novosibirsk Philharmonic, which fully consisted of his own composed music. The program
included solo piano pieces and the premiere of piano concerto with orchestra No.1, where Mikhail performed as a soloist. In 2021 Mikhail won an international online competition Golden Time Talent in composer-performer nomination. Also, in April 2022 he performed a solo part of George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue together with the Siberian State Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Mikhail Mosenkov, who became a semi-finalist in the Rachmaninoff International Competition. Moreover, there were several performances of my works in the Krasnoyarsk Region Philharmonic, including Mikhail’s piece called ‘Once a year’, composed for the orchestra. During his career, Mikhail worked with many well-known and recognized pianists and
conductors, such as, Aaron Shorr, Andrew Zolinsky, Danny Driver, Nikita Lukinov, Vladimir Lande, Mikhail Mosenkov, etc.

At this stage, Mikhail gains his doctorate degree in music composition and theory at the University of Oregon.

Dr. Tung Nguyen has taught piano for over ten years to students of all ages and levels. He holds a DMA degree in Piano Performance and a concurrent master’s degree in Collaborative Piano, specializing in Historical Performance Practice and Piano Pedagogy at the University of Oregon. Before coming to the US, Tung received his undergraduate and master’s degrees in piano performance from the Liszt Academy in Budapest, Hungary. Tung has performed in numerous concerts in Europe and Oregon as a soloist and collaborative pianist. He is the laureate of national and international piano competitions, notably the Barletta International Music Competition in Italy and the MTNA Young Artist Competition in Oregon and the Northwest region.

Tung’s musical journey is not limited to solo performances. He has also collaborated with major orchestras and ensembles in Eugene and Oregon, including the Oregon Bach Festival, Oregon Mozart Players, Eugene Symphony, Oregon Bach Collegium, and all the major ensembles at the University of Oregon. His repertoire spans from the Baroque era to Contemporary music, showcasing his versatility and adaptability as a musician.

Tung is currently the Instructor of Keyboard and Music Theory at the University of Oregon. During his time at the UO as a graduate student, Tung taught private piano lessons, group piano lessons, harpsichord lessons, and chamber music lessons as a Graduate Instructor. He also taught at the UO Community Music Institute as a music instructor and guest coach for chamber music classes.

Titus Young is currently in his first year of pursuing his Master of music in cello performance with Professor Steven Pologe at the University of Oregon. He is also studying Musicology with Professor Marc Vanscheeuwijck at the University of Oregon, in order to attain a Master of Music in musicology. He received his Bachelor of Music in cello performance degree summa cum laude from the University of Oregon.

Titus is a passionate musician with a special fondness for chamber music. Born and raised in Eugene, Titus has participated in lots of community outreach, playing for churches, retirement centers, nursing homes, and the Eugene Mission to name a few. Titus believes music is a powerful voice in our world that transcends all barriers and we need to
cultivate and share it with those around us. He currently teaches cello as a music instructor for Pavilanis School of Music.

Ehrmantraut has enjoyed a rich and varied musical career. He began teaching violin in 2011 and has maintained a private studio since. Equally at home in a group setting, Ehrmantraut collaborates with school orchestra programs and youth symphonies as a sectional coach,
clinician, and guest artist. He has also appeared as faculty at the North Star Chamber Music Festival in Minnesota.

An experienced orchestral player, Ehrmantraut has held positions with the Fargo-Moorhead Symphony in North Dakota, Cheyenne Symphony Orchestra in Wyoming, and the Greeley Philharmonic in Colorado. He also served as principal 2 nd violin with the Boulder Symphony, and
led the Longmont Symphony Orchestra as concertmaster. He currently holds positions with the Eugene Concert Orchestra, Rogue Valley Symphony, and Eugene Symphony Orchestra in Oregon.

Chamber music also holds a special place in Ehrmantraut’s heart. Summers have seen him performing at Dakota Chamber Music, the Green Mountain Chamber Music Festival, and at the Round Top Festival Institute where his ensemble was awarded “Best of Chamber Music.” Ehrmantraut is especially proud of his tenure with the Campanile string quartet and the Altius Collective.

Ehrmantraut holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Concordia College, a Master of Music degree in Performance and Pedagogy from the University of Colorado at Boulder, and is currently studying to attain his Doctor of Musical Arts in Violin Performance from the University of Oregon. His teachers have included Laura Prokopyk, Dr. Sonja Bosca-Harasim, Harumi Rhodes, Károly Schranz, David Updegraff, and Mr. Hal Grossman.

When not performing or teaching, Ehrmantraut enjoys the company of friends and loved ones, a good board game, and the occasional scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Zoe is a master’s student at the University of Oregon, studying Violin Performance. She has played with the Rogue Valley Symphony and Orchestra Next, and has performed at numerous summer festivals, including Zodiac Chamber Music (France), International Chamber Music Alaska, Varna International Opera Festival (in Italy, as assistant concertmaster under Met Opera conductor Gregory Buchalter), PRISMA Orchestra in Canada, and Miami Music Festival (full
scholarship).

She also was accepted into the National Orchestra Institute (NOI+F) with an orchestral fellowship, and, as part of her high school band, performed in Carnegie Hall. In Hawaii where she grew up, Zoe was principal cellist in All-State Orchestra and high school, while she helped
teach violin and cello in the Hawaii Youth Symphony.

Zoe graduated in 2024 with a double-major in Music Education and Violin Performance from California State University-Long Beach’s Bob Cole Conservatory of Music. In California, she was an instructor at Belmont Music Studio and Jammin’ Music, and was a strings coach at
Lakewood High School for violin, viola and cello. As a teacher, Zoe wants to inspire students by making music fun and enjoyable — so that they’re learning without even realizing it!

Myles Davis has been an active performer in the Pacific Northwest with ensembles such as the Eugene Symphony, Rogue Valley Symphony, and Orchestra Next. He has served as guest principal of the Rogue Valley Symphony and Newport Symphony. 

He has studied chamber music as a member of the Young Artist Program at the University of Nevada Reno under Stephanie Sant’Ambrogio, former concertmaster of the San Antonio symphony, as well as studies with Lawrence Dutton, violist of the Emerson String Quartet.

Myles received his Bachelor of music degree from the University of Oregon and a Master’s degree from the Eastman School of Music under the tutelage of Masumi Rostad, former violist of the Pacifica Quartet and teaching assistant to Karen Tuttle. He is a firm believer in the value and enrichment music education brings to one’s life. He taught at the ROC music program in Rochester, New York, as well as studied pedagogy at the Eastman School of Music. 

Paula Alva Garcia (soprano) started her music education in Trujillo, Peru with the renowned soprano Martha Perez. She participated in numerous recitals and concerts and received several master classes. In 2017 she came to the United States to study with Dr. Jeanie Darnell at FGCU. She played the role of Berta in “The Barber of Seville” in Trujillo in 2018 and has also been a soloist with the Symphonic Orchestra of Trujillo many times. She has participated in several performances in and out of school and she was also an active member of Opera Naples (Florida). Currently she is studying for a master’s in music performance at the University of Oregon under the guidance of Dr. Camille Ortiz, where she performs with the Opera ensemble and has GE duties. She now teaches voice lessons as a music instructor at Pavilanis School of Music.

Denise Norwood is thrilled to be a member of the Pavilanis School Of Music team. She retired from several decades of full-time performing as lead vocalist in a myriad of different bands (including Top 40, New Wave, Disco, Country, and Jazz), and, in conjunction, has been a voice music instructor for many years. Denise’s early training was in classical voice, and she seamlessly weaves in technique and solid fundamentals, while supporting the musical genres preferred by each individual student. Denise has also served as vocal arranger, choreographer, costumer, director and performer in Musical Theater, and for over 20 years worked alongside her husband producing year-round theater in a beautiful turn-of-the-century Opera House.

Denise welcomes students of all ages and skill levels and specializes in those who are extra challenged by shyness or anxiety. She takes great joy in using her skill and committed heart to provide a nurturing environment that inspires risk-taking and ever higher levels of growth and creativity. Denise will work with you to set individualized goals…and honor the unique and beautiful partnership between student and teacher.

Lyayuka is a soprano from Nairobi currently based in Eugene, Oregon. She began voice classes with Eddie Baraka Mony while in Kenya, where she explored various repertoires from arias to musical theater. She is currently pursuing a Masters in Vocal Performance at University of Oregon under the tutelage of Dr. Karen Esquivel.

She has participated in various opera productions by Baraka Opera Trust, they include; Okoko in the opera Nyanga, Carmen from Habanera and mother in Amahl and the night visitors. She recently performed the role of Belinda in Dido and Aeneas with the UO Opera Ensemble. She recently won the UO Opera Ensemble Annual Scholarship Competition.

Tea Mercer has had a passion for music and helping people find their own voice since they began their voice training in musical theatre at the age of nine. Their natural talent was honed through their teenage years by several talented coaches and teachers; including Dorian Holley (former vocal coach of Michael Jackson, and American Idol).

Tea began their professional music career in 2010 performing at small independent venues. During this time they began their own music coaching with a dual bachelor’s degree (Drama & Education) at the University of California at Irvine.

In 2017 Tea’s professional performing career took center stage as they moved to Los Angeles and pursued a professional pop music career including 2 EPs and several single releases, and performing at iconic venues throughout Southern California. During this time, they continued teaching and coaching performers in singing and piano of all ages and abilities.

In 2024 Tea was accepted to the University of Oregon’s College of Education seeking Master’s Degree in Speech Language Pathology. Tea’s experience, passion, and patience gives them a uniquely broad and effective perspective.

Rebecca holds a Bachelor of Arts from Luther College, with international performances in Vienna and Spain. She earned her Master of Music from the University of Northern Colorado, where she played with the Contemporary and Early Music Ensembles and the Longmont Symphony. Rebecca completed her Doctorate at the University of Oregon in 2023, with her research focusing on two of Alyssa Morris’s solo oboe works. She was the oboe studio graduate employee and performed with the university orchestra and wind ensemble during her doctoral studies. Her primary teachers include Lisa Brende-Martin, Dr. Heather Armstrong, Dr. Euridice Alvarez, Timothy Gocklin, and Melissa Peña.

Clarinetist Dr. Anthony Aguayo has “the musical and personal ideas to really be one of the next great voices on the clarinet scene,” according to Stephanie Zelnick, associate professor of clarinet at the University of Kansas. Anthony holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Clarinet Performance from the University of Oregon where he served as Graduate Instructor of Clarinet from 2018-2022. He also holds Master of Music and Bachelor of Music degrees from Colorado State University and Eastern New Mexico University, respectively. Dr. Aguayo’s primary teachers include Drs. Wonkak Kim, Wesley Ferreira, and Jennifer Laubenthal. 

 Dr. Aguayo is an active performer, pedagogue, and scholar. Anthony has been invited to perform at numerous ClarinetFest®️ Conferences hosted by the International Clarinet Association and will be performing a set of unaccompanied Latin American works at the 2023 conference in Denver, CO. He has given over 20 premieres of new works throughout his career including “Time and Space” for two clarinets by GyungEun Lee which he performed with Wonkak Kim. Anthony strives to program works by living composers from underrepresented communities; his area of specialty is focused on chamber works by Latin American composers. 

 Alongside saxophonist, Jessica Dodge-Overstreet, Dr. Aguayo co-founded Chyornii & Dorado. As an active duo, they recently completed a tour of Northern Nevada and California; this tour culminated in a performance at ClarinetFest®️2022. The duo has performed recitals at the University of Oregon and has been highly sought after for local performances in the Eugene area. The duo has also  been invited as Guest Artists at Portland State University and Oregon State University. The Chyornni & Dorado Educational Outreach Program has visited middle and high schools as well as retirement communities throughout the Eugene community with the goal of enriching our community through music. Anthony and Jessica have a vision to expand the repertoire for this ensemble and together they have commissioned many new works that can be heard on their debut album, Black and Gold. The album was released in November of 2019. Dr. Aguayo is a founding member of the Emerald City Trio and Ultraviolet Winds, two Eugene based chamber ensembles that strive to perform for and serve our community.

At the University of Oregon, Anthony served as the Graduate Instructor of Clarinet. He taught applied lessons to a large portion of the clarinet studio with students majoring in clarinet performance, music education, general music, and non-music majors. He also taught the clarinet techniques course for music education students and coaches various undergraduate chamber music ensembles. Teaching the next generation of musicians is one of his greatest passions and he strives to inspire, support, and encourage all who study under him. Many of his former students have achieved high placements in the New Mexico and Colorado All State Orchestras and Bands as well as regional honor bands. Additionally, many of his students have been accepted to prestigious music schools for undergraduate study, such as the Eastman School of Music and the Manhattan School of Music.

For more information, please visit anthonyaguayo.com

Sarah Llinás (Sarah Banker) earned her Bachelor’s degree in Music Education and Master’s degree in Flute Performance from Louisiana State University. She has studied flute under Dr. Katherine Kemler, Suzanne Buerkle, Ji Weon Ryu, and Rachel Ciraldo. Sarah holds a productive schedule between teaching and performing. Currently, she operates a private studio in Eugene, Oregon, catering to both local and virtual students. In addition to her teaching commitments, Sarah enjoys substituting in ensembles both domestically and internationally.

Notable groups she has collaborated with include the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra, Polizeiorchester Bayern, Rogue Valley Symphony, and the Britt Festival Orchestra. Furthermore, Sarah contributes her skills as an administrative assistant and flute section coach for the World Youth Wind Orchestra Project (WYWOP), a prestigious summer music festival situated in Schladming, Austria.

Raised in Medford, Oregon, Asher was introduced to music at the young age of seven when he began to take piano lessons. A few years later, when it was time to start sixth-grade band, Asher was intrigued by the clarinet and began to perform in his middle-school band as an aspiring clarinetist. During this time period, he discovered his love for both composition, and the bassoon. Beginning to play the bassoon his freshman summer in high-school, Asher was self-taught for a year, before beginning to take private lessons from local Medford bassoonist Tiffany Schmidt. 

Asher continued to pursue music into his college career, studying Music Composition and Music Education for a time before settling on a Music Performance major with a special interest in Music Business. He currently studies Bassoon under the instruction of Dr. Steve Vacchi, finishing his Bachelor of Music. Asher plans to pursue a Master of Music in the 2026 academic year, pursuing degrees at prestigious colleges around the world like Vienna Conservatory, and Julliard.

Currently, Asher has performed as principal bassoonist for the University of Oregon Symphony Orchestra for two years, as well as principal bassoonist for the Youth Symphony of Southern Oregon for two years. He has a special intrigue for the intricacies of Romantic and Contemporary music for the bassoon, from the likes of Camille Saint-Saens and Igor Stravinsky. 

Asher believes that anybody can learn the bassoon and more should, as it is a rare gem found within young musicians. He knows that through hard-work and a healthy relationship between player, instrument, and teacher, anybody can be successful in the wonderful yet difficult world of the bassoon.

Originally from Ohio, Ean Schultz is a hard-working musician who shares his zeal for studying music with his students and through a range of musical performance and studio projects. Ean is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in jazz studies from the University of Oregon (2026) with an emphasis in Saxophone Performance. His teachers have included Idit Shner, Joe Manis, and Keith Brown. Ean began and maintains his relationship with music through curiosity and sincere exploration. His earliest endeavors included producing electronic music and DJing, soon teaching himself guitar and drums. Ean spent 7 years playing in several rock, punk, funk, and indie bands as a guitarist and drummer, as well as producer and engineer. Ean attended the Music Production program at Ohio University for 2 years before transferring to the University of Oregon Jazz Studies program and spontaneously switched his primary instrument to one which he hadn’t played since 7th grade band class: tenor saxophone. Because of this, Ean has a keen understanding to learning to play the instrument from the very beginning stages to advanced technique in little time. Ean is a member of Eugene bands Bunk Doggers and Hearing Loss (whose debut album will be available on streaming services September 30).