Dr. Melissa Dant, Violin and Viola

Denise Pugliese is an active piano teacher in Oak Ridge. She received her Bachelor degree in music from Mars Hill College, graduating with honors. She received a Master of Music in Piano Pedagogy with an emphasis on performance from Converse College where she graduated with honors as well. In graduate school she studied with Dr. George Luktenberg and became a member of Pi Kappa Phi. In addition to teaching private piano lessons Denise also teaches music in preschool. She is trained in Orff music and has taught preschool music in Illinois, Kansas and North Carolina.

Denise has been an active member of MTNA and the state affiliates of North Carolina, South Carolina, Kansas and Illinois. In Illinois Denise worked with the state syllabus exams and was President of the Naperville Chapter. She has served as President and Treasurer of the Greensboro Music Teacher Association. She has served in many positions in the North Carolina Music Teacher Association and is currently Immediate Past President. Denise is an active adjudicator throughout the state.

Nicholas Lazzara is a woodwind performer based in Greensboro, North Carolina. Originally from Melbourne Florida, he earned his bachelor's degree in music performance from Florida Atlantic University, his Masters in Multiple Woodwind Performance from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and his Artists Diploma in Oboe Performance from the Glenn Gould School at the Royal Conservatory of Music. 

Upon graduation from the Glenn Gould School he returned to North Carolina to pursue a multifaceted career of orchestral playing, musical theatre pit playing, and private lesson instruction. He is frequently seen performing with Orchestras all over North Carolina, such as the Carolina Philharmonic, the Greensboro Symphony, the Salisbury Symphony, and the Fayetteville symphony. Equally at home in the musical theatre pit, he is often called up to perform on multiple woodwinds for theatre companies across the state. 

Peter Zlotnick is the Principal Timpanist for the Greensboro Symphony and the Winston-Salem Symphony. He is also Principal Timpanist for the Salisbury Symphony and substitutes on timpani and percussion with the North Carolina Symphony and the Charlotte Symphony. 

Throughout the year, Peter is Education Director and Youth Orchestra Music Director with the Greensboro Symphony, and teaches percussion in Greensboro and Whitsett, NC. In the summer, he serves as Lead Instrumental Music Teacher at North Carolina Governor’s School West. 

Peter received his M.M. in Percussion and Music Education from Northwestern University and B.M. from the Eastman School of Music, and he has been a guest teacher at UNC-Greensboro, UNC School of the Arts, Wake Forest University, and Catawba College. 

Outside of music education, you can sometimes catch him hiking easy trails in central North Carolina, talking at length about coffee, watching baseball, and listening to local college radio.

Ken Brown is an accomplished and versatile guitar performer, composer, and educator, experienced in teaching all styles of guitar. Ken began studying classical guitar at age ten and has participated extensively in master classes and private study with some of the most renowned guitarists of our time,  including David Russel, Aaron Shearer, and William Kannengieser.

As a performer, Ken is immersed in a wide range of genres, from classical to electronic. Solo appearances include national performances, live streamed evemts like TEDx, celebrity charity events, as well as festivals and venues across multiple genres. His compositions have been featured in film scores, advertising, and modern dance performances, including a New York City premiere.

Ken holds degrees in both Music and Psychology, specializing in guitar education for learners of all types. He is the author of Integrative Guitar: A Guide to Learning Differences, a book that explores neurodiversity through the lens of pedagogy, from ADHD to Autism. A frequent lecturer on this topic, Ken has served as a speaker at the Guitar Foundation of America’s International Convention and other guitar festivals.

As an educator, Ken strives to create an environment that draws out the potential in each student using a broad spectrum of methodologies. He has developed three guitar method books, including one designed specifically to strengthen fine motor control and kinesthetic skills in young students and in those with physical or developmental challenges, such as Down’s Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, and Multiple Sclerosis.

Ken also specializes in leading student rock/pop bands and in Indian and Middle Eastern instruments, including the sitar, and baglama saz.

Mary Boudreault is an accomplished music educator and performer with experience teaching students at every level—from elementary classrooms to high school bands and university instrumental studies. A National Board Certified educator, Mary is a two-time recipient of North Carolina Regional Teacher of the Year. Mary has held teaching positions at High Point University, Winston-Salem State University, and North Carolina public schools. She is a sought-after clinician specializing in arts integration, guiding teachers to create engaging, holistic learning experiences for all students.

Mary performs as a horn player with symphony orchestras and chamber ensembles. She has toured nationally and internationally with acclaimed groups, including Mannheim Steamroller, the New England Symphonic Ensemble, da Capo Brass, and Relevents Wind Quintet. Mary is a Delos recording artist, where the album, From the Beginning, premiered in the top ten of the Billboard Classical Albums Chart. She is a former finalist of the International Chamber Music Ensemble Competition and has presented recitals and concerts across multiple countries, sharing her artistry with diverse audiences.

In addition to her performance career, Mary is a fourth-generation church musician, proudly serving as Music Director at Oak Ridge Presbyterian Church. Mary grew up singing tight family harmonies and playing a variety of instruments in a small rural church. Drawing from her formative experiences learning to strum a guitar, play a melody on piano, or joyfully sing with others, Mary is passionate about music and its ability to heal, inspire, and connect. 

Mary combines her passion for performance and mentorship to inspire students of all ages to grow in confidence, creativity, and a lifelong love of the arts at the Oak Ridge Arts Collective.