"Fostering a Love of Music" - Since 2004
Click HERE or Call us today for a Free Preview Lesson! (310) 618-1185
Click HERE or Call us today for a Free Preview Lesson! (310) 618-1185
Our Teachers Here at Opus Music
Guitar Teachers • Piano Teachers •
Voice Teachers •
String Teachers • Woodwind & Brass Teachers • Drum Teacher
Jon Minei - Director
Jon Minei began his performing career at age 19, premiering at the
Mirabelle Palace in Salzberg, Austria and also at Mozart's Residence in
Vienna. In addition to classical guitar, he has performed with a variety
of musical theater companies; performing as a pit musician for Man of
La Mancha at the renowned 2001 Tony Award Winning Utah Shakespearean
Festival in Cedar City, Utah. David Nichols of the Los Angeles Times
calls his playing "Superb!" The late Poly Warfield of Backstage West
describes his playing as "...plangent strains of enchantment ..."
As a soloist and ensemble player, Jon has performed extensively locally and abroad. His principle instrument is a 7-string classical guitar with extended lower and upper registers, made by Michael Thames of Taos New Mexico.
As an educator, Jon Minei owns and directs Opus Music of South Bay and conducts and arranges music for the Opus Music Rocktet (a rock 'n' roll orchestra). He is also an adjunct faculty member at El Camino College in Torrance. Jon is currently a doctoral candidate at the University of Southern California pursuing a DMA in classical guitar.
As a soloist and ensemble player, Jon has performed extensively locally and abroad. His principle instrument is a 7-string classical guitar with extended lower and upper registers, made by Michael Thames of Taos New Mexico.
As an educator, Jon Minei owns and directs Opus Music of South Bay and conducts and arranges music for the Opus Music Rocktet (a rock 'n' roll orchestra). He is also an adjunct faculty member at El Camino College in Torrance. Jon is currently a doctoral candidate at the University of Southern California pursuing a DMA in classical guitar.
Keegan Anglim will be receiving his doctorate in Studio/Jazz guitar at the University of Southern California this year. He has studied with the preeminent jazz and classical teachers during his studies including Bruce Foreman, Frank Potenza and Pat Kelly.
Ori Hubberman - Guitar
Ori Huberman, is a phenomenal guitar teacher with insights into the rock genre. An active performer, Ori performs frequently with various cover bands in the LA area spanning music of The Beatles, Heart, Eric Clapton, Fleetwood Mac, and much more. He is also an avid fingerstyle guitarist and is well versed in many American traditional guitar styling of Chet Atkins and Laurence Juber.
Ori is also our electric bass guitar teacher and banjo teacher.
Ori is also our electric bass guitar teacher and banjo teacher.
Taka Mori - Guitar
Taka Mori began his musical career in Tokyo, Japan. His primary guitar teacher was renowned jazz guitarist Yasumasa Suzuki. He is featured on recordings with top performing artists in Japan such as Ripslyme (hip-hop), Ann Sally (jazz vocalist) and Noon (jazz vocalist).
He has performed with jazz titans, Azar Lawrence (Miles Davis/McCoy Tyner), Jeff Littleton (bassist-Herbie Hancock), Byron Miller (Santana), Gerry Brown (Stevie Wonder, George Benson), Danny Yamamoto (Hiroshima) and Onje Murray. He was invited to the Desert City Jazz Band in Palm Springs as a featured soloist. On the first Sundays of the month, Taka can be heard playing in the house band at Hal's in Venice, CA.
As a gifted guitar teacher, Mr.Mori enjoys teaching rock, blues, jazz and R&B. He also plays Gospel music every Sunday at Second Mount Carmel Church in Los Angeles. He is comfortable teaching both young children and adults of all levels.
He has performed with jazz titans, Azar Lawrence (Miles Davis/McCoy Tyner), Jeff Littleton (bassist-Herbie Hancock), Byron Miller (Santana), Gerry Brown (Stevie Wonder, George Benson), Danny Yamamoto (Hiroshima) and Onje Murray. He was invited to the Desert City Jazz Band in Palm Springs as a featured soloist. On the first Sundays of the month, Taka can be heard playing in the house band at Hal's in Venice, CA.
As a gifted guitar teacher, Mr.Mori enjoys teaching rock, blues, jazz and R&B. He also plays Gospel music every Sunday at Second Mount Carmel Church in Los Angeles. He is comfortable teaching both young children and adults of all levels.
Kim Cuda - Guitar
Kim Cuda is a Los Angeles-based guitarist who has been composing and producing for teleision, film and national commercials (radio and TV). A studio guitar player for many years, Kim uses his versatility by composing in many different styles of music. From the beautiful acoustic slide guitar heard on Ken Burn's Emmy award-winning documentary "Unforgivable Blackness," to the hard-edge driving rock guitar on the Golf Channel's Monday Night Lights.
Kim is a very committed and highly knowledgeable guitar teacher. He works well with kids and adults. As a guitar teacher in high demand, his main focus is on the rock/blues repertoire but is also committed to teaching music fundamentals to beginners including reading and developing a thorough knowledge of chord vocabularies.
Yoshi Kojima - Guitar
Yoshi Kojima received his masters in Studio/Jazz guitar at the University of Southern California. Mr. Kojima is also a gifted classical guitar teacher. He studied jazz guitar with bebop jazz legend Joe Diorio and classical guitar with Los Angeles Guitar Quartet member Scott Tennant. Mr.Kojima has attended numerous master classes, including those held by Jim Hall, Pat Martino, Tuck Andress, Eliot Fisk, Manuel Barrueco and Pepe Romero. While attending the Master’s Program at USC, Mr. Kojima taught private lessons and group guitar classes to both music and non-music majors. Mr. Kojima has performed in and toured over thirty states with a variety of musical groups.
Mr. Kojima’s musical interest includes a wide variety of music, and he especially loves blues, rock, jazz and classical music.
Mr. Kojima’s musical interest includes a wide variety of music, and he especially loves blues, rock, jazz and classical music.
Francisco "Pancho" Burgos, originally from Madrid Spain, graduated in Classical Piano Performance from Madrid Royal Conservatory, and in Classical Composition and Film Scoring from Berklee College of Music in Boston. He was assistant conductor for the Longwood Symphony Orchestra in Boston under the supervision of musical director Francisco Noya. During his years in Boston, Pancho worked as a teacher at schools in Boston and Providence as well as a private instructor.
He has also toured and recorded extensively through Spain and in the US. Among the numerous artists that Pancho has recorded and toured with are: jazz singer Gabrielle Goodman, pop-rock band Blue Water, singer-songwriter Matt Chase, pop recording artist Chris Emmerson - featured in the WB series Dawson's Creek - and R& B recording artist Chrissy Poland. A Film Composer, Pancho recently landed in LA to pursue his career as both a composer and performer. He is also the Musical Director for the Contemporary Opera of Los Angeles.
He has also toured and recorded extensively through Spain and in the US. Among the numerous artists that Pancho has recorded and toured with are: jazz singer Gabrielle Goodman, pop-rock band Blue Water, singer-songwriter Matt Chase, pop recording artist Chris Emmerson - featured in the WB series Dawson's Creek - and R& B recording artist Chrissy Poland. A Film Composer, Pancho recently landed in LA to pursue his career as both a composer and performer. He is also the Musical Director for the Contemporary Opera of Los Angeles.
Christopher Guerriero – Piano
American pianist Christopher Guerriero was born in Los Angeles in 1979. Frequent family relocation led to a varied musical education from a number of notable teachers. His principle teachers include Jane Bastien, Ellen Masaki, Andreas Werz, Hans Boepple, and Sharon Mann. Public success at an early age led to a college career in music, with continued study and numerous solo and concerto performances in Hawaii, California, Utah, and Ohio. Most notably, he has appeared professionally with the Honolulu Symphony, the Santa Cruz Symphony, and the Fresno Philharmonic. Solo performance highlights include appearences at the Aspen Music Festival, Hertz Hall at UC Berkeley, and in the Senate Chambers in Washington D.C. His experience also includes an extensive professional career in collaborative piano at Ohio University. Mr. Guerriero's most recent focus has been in music education.
Bridging the educational gap between private lessons and professional performance has been his primary pursuit since moving to the Los Angeles area in 2010. Mr. Guerriero is currently a Doctorate of Musical Arts candidate at the University of Southern California, where he studies under the instruction of pianist Norman Krieger.
Bridging the educational gap between private lessons and professional performance has been his primary pursuit since moving to the Los Angeles area in 2010. Mr. Guerriero is currently a Doctorate of Musical Arts candidate at the University of Southern California, where he studies under the instruction of pianist Norman Krieger.
Masaaki Yamazaki - Piano
Mr. Yamazaki began taking piano lessons at four years of age and went on to attend music studies at Toho School in Tokyo, where he studied music theory, chorus and piano. He also studied pipe organ extensively during his time in New York.
Mr. Yamazaki was the winner of the Bennington County Choral Society Competition in 1992 and 1993. He entered Julliard School majoring in pipe organ from 1993 to 1994 while continuing to study the harpsichord and duo piano at the Oberlin College Conservatory of Music from 1994 through 1996.
Yazmine Fleming-Peterson - Piano
Yazmine C. Fleming, a native of Southern California, received her Bachelors of Fine Arts in keyboard studies at the California Institute of the Arts where she was a student of Dr. Vicki Ray. During her time at CalArts she participated in performances at the Japan-American Theater, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the New Getty Center. She was awarded substantial scholarship from the Dumont Foundation two years in a row. She completed her Masters of Music in piano at Kent State University in Ohio, where she was granted an assistantship in teaching and choral accompaniment. She taught college classes ranging from private piano instruction to class piano for music majors and non-music majors. She also accompanied for all three of the Kent State choirs. During her time at Kent State she studied with Dr. Thomas Otten.
While competing in the mid-west, she won first place in the OFMC (Ohio Federation of Music Clubs) young artist awards. She was also awarded second place in the national competition, The Richardson Awards-Piano Division, held in Michigan in 2002. Her academic training includes master class performances for Nelita True and Antonio Pompabaldi. She has also studied independently with Deon Price and Henrietta Pelta. She has been a member of the honorary music society Pi Cappa Lambda since 2002, for academic excellence in music and is a current member of the Los Angeles chapter of Mu Phi Epsilon. She is also a member of the Dominant club, a prestigious honorary society (based in Los Angeles for over one hundred years) that is devoted to professional women in music.
Miss Fleming returned to Los Angeles in 2004 to continue a career in teaching and performance, demonstrating versatility in her musical skills. She is on faculty for the vocal production studio at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in West Hollywood, working as an accompanist. She also accompanies for the vocal studio of Naomi Farr. She has performed with such artists as Jeanine Wagner, Arlene Thomas, Allison England, Gene Brundage and Kimball Wheeler. She has performed ensemble works with artists Janice Foy, Delcina Stevenson and Guido Lamell. She has premiered solo works by Jan Sandborn. She has given solo recitals throughout the Los Angeles area, including the Braille Institute.
She has recently performed at the San Gabrielle Civic Light Theatre and is seen regularly as the accompanist for the Master classes of performance coach Michele De La Giroday. Her current projects include collaborations with singer Allison England, in Ms. England’s “One man show.” She is also working with singer Elizabeth Ackerman performing the music of Kurt Weil in multimedia presentation, featuring original imagery by Anneliese Varaldiev. The Kurt Weil project is produced and directed by Rona Par.
While competing in the mid-west, she won first place in the OFMC (Ohio Federation of Music Clubs) young artist awards. She was also awarded second place in the national competition, The Richardson Awards-Piano Division, held in Michigan in 2002. Her academic training includes master class performances for Nelita True and Antonio Pompabaldi. She has also studied independently with Deon Price and Henrietta Pelta. She has been a member of the honorary music society Pi Cappa Lambda since 2002, for academic excellence in music and is a current member of the Los Angeles chapter of Mu Phi Epsilon. She is also a member of the Dominant club, a prestigious honorary society (based in Los Angeles for over one hundred years) that is devoted to professional women in music.
Miss Fleming returned to Los Angeles in 2004 to continue a career in teaching and performance, demonstrating versatility in her musical skills. She is on faculty for the vocal production studio at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in West Hollywood, working as an accompanist. She also accompanies for the vocal studio of Naomi Farr. She has performed with such artists as Jeanine Wagner, Arlene Thomas, Allison England, Gene Brundage and Kimball Wheeler. She has performed ensemble works with artists Janice Foy, Delcina Stevenson and Guido Lamell. She has premiered solo works by Jan Sandborn. She has given solo recitals throughout the Los Angeles area, including the Braille Institute.
She has recently performed at the San Gabrielle Civic Light Theatre and is seen regularly as the accompanist for the Master classes of performance coach Michele De La Giroday. Her current projects include collaborations with singer Allison England, in Ms. England’s “One man show.” She is also working with singer Elizabeth Ackerman performing the music of Kurt Weil in multimedia presentation, featuring original imagery by Anneliese Varaldiev. The Kurt Weil project is produced and directed by Rona Par.
Kayo Yokota - Piano
Mika Yamamoto is from Shizuoka, Japan. She started her piano lessons when she was four years old, joined a children choir at eight years old. For the next decade she performed extensively, as a member of a variety of choirs. She regularly assisted choir rehearsal as a leader of the group and as a sectional leader, in addition to her service as an accompanist.
She holds a Bachelor Degree of Arts in Music from California State University, Northridge, she studied piano with Dr. Jacqueline Salas, Ms. Francoise Regnat, and studied voice with Ms. Diane Ketchie.
Spending two years in the Music Therapy program to experience the field, she worked with children and adults who would seek specialized musical treatment for various conditions.
Ms. Mika enjoys working with young children who wish to bring musical knowledge and joy into their lives. Ms. Mika teaches Voice and also Beginning Piano.
Kirika Suzuki - Violin
Originally from Tokyo, Japan, Kirika Suzuki completed her Bachelor's degree in Violin Performance at the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music at Cal State University of Long Beach under the tutelage of renowned violin pedagogue, Linda Rose, author of Progressive Scale Studies published by Kjos.
Ms. Suzuki is tremendously gifted with teaching young children as one of her students (8 years old) recently won top prize at the 2011 Young Artists Competition at CSU, Dominguez Hills and was the featured soloist with the West Covina Symphony concerto competition.
Shura Sasaki - Violin
Originally from Tokyo, Japan, Mr. Sasaki has been playing violin since he was three years old. He holds a degree in Violin Performance from the renowned Bob Cole Conservatory of Music at Cal State University of Long Beach. In addition to his demanding teaching and performing schedule, Mr. Sasaki is also an active composer, arranger and copyist.
Mr. Sasaki is tremendously gifted with teaching young children as well as adults. He stresses sound foundational technique and expression.
Jessica Greenly – Cello
Jessica Greenly started playing the cello 18 years ago and performed in competitions and honor orchestras all through-out her middle and high school years. After high school, she received a music scholarship to attend the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music at California State University Long Beach. She sat principal cellist for the University Symphony Orchestra, was a multiple-year member of the University String Quartet, performed in music videos for Il Divo and Mario Winans, and coached the cello section for the Grammy award-winning Long Beach Polytechnic High School Symphony Orchestra. In 2004, she was fortunate enough to spend a year at the Staatliche Musikhochschule in Trossingen, Germany and studied under Sadao Harada, founder of the Tokyo String Quartet.
Upon returning to the United States, she graduated from Cal State with a Bachelor of Music degree in Cello Performance. Since then, she’s been an active gigging musician with various ensembles through-out the Los Angeles area and was also a member of the La Jolla Symphony in San Diego. Jessica has years of experience coaching and teaching privately, especially students who are at a beginning to intermediate level.
Heriberto Ramos - Cello
Heriberto Ramos has studied cello at UC, Irvine and at Cal State Long Beach in the renowned Bob Cole Conservatory of Music. Mr. Ramos is an active cello teacher in the South Bay as well as throughout Orange County. He is also an assistant conductor with the North Torrance Youth Music Ensemble (NTYME).
Mr. Ramos is excellent with young kids as well as adults. His students are standouts in various youth orchestras throughout the South Bay and in Orange County. He is currently taking students by audition only.
Yu Fujii currently performs with the Pacific Flute Ensemble, Japan America Chamber Ensemble and the Viridian Wind Quintet. Ms. Fujii has performed in numerous ensembles at the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music such as Wind Symphony, the Symphony Orchestra and University Flute Choir. Yu Fujii played principal flute in the Symphonic Band for two consecutive years and has traveled with the group to perform in Fresno, CA and Reno, NV.
She has performed in masterclasses with artists such as Robert Langevin, Shigenori Kudo, Robert Dick and Dorli McWayne. She is a member of the Suzuki Music Association and has experience teaching children as young as 4 years old. Ms. Fujii is a Dean's List graduate from the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music at Cal State Long Beach where she received her Bachelor of Music degree in Flute Performance.
Emily Noble - Flute
Emily Noble holds a Masters degree in Flute Performance from UC, Santa Barbara. She has played in a variety of ensembles including Dansaire, a Scottish folk ensemble based in Santa Barbara, CA.
Ms. Noble also assists and performs regularly with Opus Music's rock 'n' roll orchestral ensemble, the Rocktet. She has a beautiful rich tone and technical brilliance. Ms. Noble enjoys teaching young children as well as adults.
Ms. Noble also assists and performs regularly with Opus Music's rock 'n' roll orchestral ensemble, the Rocktet. She has a beautiful rich tone and technical brilliance. Ms. Noble enjoys teaching young children as well as adults.
Grace Mehm - Oboe
Grace Mehm holds a Master's Degree in Oboe Performance from the Bob Cole Conservatory of music at California State University, Long Beach. At the Cole Conservatory she had the privilege of studying oboe and English horn with Carolyn Hove.
Her Bachelor's Degree, also in Oboe Performance, is from the Hartt School of Music of the University of Hartford in West Hartford, Connecticut. While there she studied with oboist Humbert Lucarelli and was a longtime member of the Cheshire Symphony Orchestra. She has extensive experience teaching private and group lessons, including lessons in reed making.
Glen Kamida - Clarinet
Hiro Hidaka - Saxophone/Clarinet
Hiro Hidaka received his BA in Saxophone Performance at The Bob Cole Conservatory of Music at Cal State University of Long Beach. As a teacher, he is able to teach baritone, tenor and alto saxophones as well as clarinet.
Hiro actively performs throughout Los Angeles and Orange County and is currently taking students on Wednesdays and Thursdays. He teaches young children as well as adults.
Alfonso Pitmentel - Saxophone/Clarinet
Alfonso Manuel Pimentel Garcia (Al Pimentel) was born in Mexico City. Shortly thereafter his family moved to the United States where he would be brought up. Music never lacked being a part of his everyday life since he came from a family of musicians. Growing up he would be exposed to many kinds of music such as Classical, Jazz, Pop, and Folk music. By age 12, music would become his passion and soon after he was looking toward a career in that particular industry, whether it be arranging, composing, or producing.
It wasn’t until he was in high school that he decided to focus on performing since being on stage gave him a thrill like nothing else he had done. Soon his listening habits changed to more accommodate his taste in music since by now he had been focusing on Jazz Saxophone. At the time that he started his formal musical studies at El Camino College he had picked up other instruments along the way that were not in the woodwind family such as Euphonium, Trombone, and Tuba. His primary instructor is renowned jazz saxophonist, Ann Patterson. He studies both Jazz and Classical saxophone and thanks to Patterson he is now recognized as one of the better known gigging Saxophonists in the college.
A versatile musician, Mr. Pimentel has had the pleasure to work in a variety of musicals where he has been able to show his range by being featured on saxophone, flute and clarinet.
Mr. Pimentel enjoys teaching children and adults of all ages and levels. He has had experience teaching both classical and jazz.
Caster Teoh - Trumpet/Trombone
Hails from Penang, Malaysia. Caster performed professionally with the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra, Orquestra Sinfônica Brasileira, National Symphony Orchestra of Malaysia and numerous other symphonic groups throughout the world, including Brazil, Canada, Italy, Australia, Japan, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, etc. Currently, he is pursuing his doctoral degree at the USC Thornton School of Music. His teachers include Andrew Balio (Baltimore Symphony), Boyde Hood (Los Angeles Philharmonic), David Greenhoe (Quad City Symphony), John Bourque and William Theis (Malaysian Philharmonic). Besides playing modern trumpets, Caster also plays baroque trumpet and perform regularly with USC Baroque Sinfornia.
Since 2010, he has been appointed as music director/conductor of the Youth Symphony West Orchestra. His students have been received musical awards and performing music festivals throughout the country.
Since 2010, he has been appointed as music director/conductor of the Youth Symphony West Orchestra. His students have been received musical awards and performing music festivals throughout the country.
*Japanese speaking teachers available upon request
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