FACULTY HIGHLIGHTS
We are privileged to have some of New York Cities finest educators working with our New York Pops Students. Our five "highlighted" faculty members are 10 year veterans of our Salute to Music Program and have proven to be extraordinary teachers and performers.

Alla Karasic • Elaine Sutin • Deborah Weisz • Jason Rigby • Marsha Heydt

Alla Karasic
Alla Karasic was born in a famous musical family. Her father, Efim Karasik, was principal clarinet in the Odessa Symphony and performed as a soloist with this orchestra 2-3 times a season. Her mother, Faina Vertheim, was a music theory teacher at Odessa Music College. From childhood Alla’s future was clear; she took it for granted that she would be a professional musician.

Never-the-less her way was not easy. She constantly felt the effects of anti-Semitism describing it as a feeling that was “always there, like an ugly shadow. It was in your subconscious, in the background, but there.” She was very lucky that she had both her family and friends and that the life of a musician was somewhat different. Despite the political situation her family was honored because of the quality of their performing.

Alla has been playing music practically her entire life. She received her Master’s degree in violin performance and education in Odessa State Conservatory of Music in the Ukraine following her Bachelor’s degree from Odessa Music College. She began studying with Professor B. Mordkovitz at the age of five and five years later she was already a concertmaster of Odessa’s Children Symphony. At the age of 14 she had her first private student. During her studies in college and the conservatory she attended master classes with D. Oistrach, V. Klimov, R. Fain, and S. Snitkovsky and was an assistant to Prof. B. Mordkovitz. As an Assistant Concertmaster of the Odessa State Philharmonic Symphony she toured throughout Russia, the Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, Latria, Bulgaria, and Spain. She also was Principal of the Chamber Orchestra “Odessa’s Virtuosi.”

After her emigration to the USA in 1991 she began performing often at Alice Tully, Merkin, and Carnegie Hall as a member of many chamber orchestras and small ensembles. Currently she is a member of the Staten Island Symphony, Blue Hill Troupe, and several chamber orchestras.

Her family and friends make Alla truly happy. Her husband, Yakor Arbit, daughter Lyudmil, and grandson Philip help her to overcome any and all obstacles. She believes her friends from both near and far to be her greatest rewards from a lifetime of music.

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Elaine Sutin
Elaine Sutin, violinist, is a native of Cleveland, Ohio, where she attended the public schools. Music in the schools and in the city was very important and she had orchestra experience from the fourth grade. Eventually, she was concertmaster of all her school orchestras and had the opportunity to play chamber music and solos as well, performing the Mendelssohn Concerto with the Cleveland Heights High School Orchestra in her senior year.

Elaine studied at Case Western Reserve University as a scholarship student majoring in violin, studying with Felix Eyle, then assistant concertmaster of the Cleveland Orchestra and later for many years concertmaster of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. She had also studied with two well-known Cleveland teachers, Charles Rychlik and Arpad Bognar, the latter a longtime member of the Cleveland Orchestra. After graduation from Reserve, she entered The Juilliard School as a fellowship student of Edouard Dethier. She also studied chamber music with Felix Salmond, Lillian Fuchs, and Hans Letz.

During the sixties and seventies, Elaine was involved in the formation and early activities of The Sutton Ensemble (named for Sutton Place in New York, but also a play on her name which was pronounced "Sutton" in Cleveland, even though, phonetically, it is "Sootin"--her father is a first cousin of the fauve painter, Chaim Soutine). The ensemble started as a piano trio--violin, cello, piano--but later evolved into a mixed ensemble, -- strings, piano, woodwinds. Also, she raised three children, two sons and a daughter, and was married for many years to Louis Teicher of the piano duo, Ferrante and Teicher. Her daughter, Susan Teicher, is professor of piano at Eastern Illinois State University and in recent years, with colleague Martha Thomas, has appeared with orchestras in F&T's scores to great acclaim.

After joining the New York Pops in the late eighties and then starting to teach in the Salute to Music program in Staten Island, one of her colleagues there asked her to join the Staten Island Symphony where she has continued to play as a principal player. Elaine played in the orchestra at the Metropolitan Opera during the International Dance Festival for many summers, for the Martha Graham Company NY appearances, at the Caramoor Festival, and for the NY Choral Society, to name a few The Sutton Ensemble of which she is director and first violinist, was in residence for twenty years at Palisades Interstate Park's Fort Lee Historic Park Auditorium where they performed throughout the year, the ensemble was also a regular feature of the music series at the Bergen Museum and Bergen Community College, and currently has performed at Ramapo College of New Jersey in the Berrie Center for the Visual and Performing Arts, most recently with guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli in "Fun With Jazz and the Classics". This program will be performed at Morris Museum in the Morristown, NJ area Monday evening, April l2, 2004

Elaine has participated in the Pops tours--to Japan several times in the nineties, to Florida and to midwest college campuses. The Salute to Music program is a reminder of how wonderful it is to deal with students. Young people are always interesting and Elaine has thoroughly enjoyed this teaching experience, helping students to make progress and learn to make music a part of their lives.

The Sutton Ensemble has won many awards and honors, from the NJ State Council on the Arts the "Award of Excellence", grants from the NJ State Council, Bergen Division of Cultural and Historic Affairs, and various foundations and corporations, and a grant from the New Jersey Committee for the Humanities to celebrate the anniversary of Johann Sebastians Bach's 300th anniversary. The ensemble has also appeared regularly at the Harms Center for the Arts, and in the public libraries and schools, as well as in a long-running series of At-Home Concerts.

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Deborah Weisz
Trombonist • Composer • Teacher

From traveling all over Europe, Japan, Australia, and the USA with Frank Sinatra (1987 - 1994) to playing in the Sahara Desert, just North of Timbuktu (Mali, West Africa), with Roswell Rudd’s Trombone Shout Band (2004), to creating music in a grain silo (yes, a grain silo!) at an artist’s colony in upstate New York; trombonist Deborah Weisz’s career has been filled with diversity.

Originally from Chicago, IL, Deborah’s family moved to Phoenix, AZ where she began playing the trombone at the age of 10. When asked why she chose the trombone... “when the band director was naming instruments I thought I would play flute or clarinet, but when he said ‘trombone’ my hand went up. I don’t know why, it just did. It was the beginning of my life-long love of the trombone!” As a young musician coming up in the public school music programs there was plenty of opportunity to play all styles of music, but Deborah was always attracted to jazz and improvisation. “I had many wonderful teachers, in particular, Mr. Pat Lebs. He was my band director my first two years of high school. He was working with me on Ave Maria, as a solo piece; he had me sing the melody and spoke about how I should always focus on ‘singing’ through my trombone. He would also play examples of jazz big band music for us to listen to, so we would hear how to phrase in a jazz style.” After high school Deborah chose to attend Mesa Community College (MCC) in Mesa, AZ. “I had heard from other musicians that if you wanted to be creative, play jazz, that this was the place to go and for me, they were right. MCC was all about communicating through music, and what I learned there from the incredible teachers I was so fortunate to study with (Grant Wolf, Don Bothwell, Roger Harris & Jim Hendricks) has stayed with me today and will influence me always.”

After finishing her A.A. in Music Performance at MCC (1982) Deborah moved to Las Vegas, NV to finish up her B.A. in Music Performance at University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). “While attending UNLV I began studying trombone with another wonderful teacher, Bobby Scann, who showed what was really there in Las Vegas; an amazing community of great trombone players. The 11 years I spent in Las Vegas where what I call my years in ‘trombone school.’’ I had the opportunity to play with all the trombone players, study with some of them, and learn from all their own experiences.” It was a great opportunity for Deborah as Las Vegas, at the time, was filled with many musicians who had worked with all the great jazz big bands, extensively, and had moved to Las Vegas to settle down and work there in the 1950s & 1960s. “I was the age of their own kids, and they told me their stories of being on the “road” with groups such as Stan Kenton, Woody Herman, Buddy Rich, Count Basie, and Duke Ellington. The musical history lessons were just as important as the trombone lessons. It was an amazing place to be as a young trombonist.” A special mention has to be made of one particular trombonist that Deborah was fortunate to work and study with; Carl Fontana. “I would hear these musicians speak about knowing Bird (Charlie Parker) and other great jazz artists, hearing their idols play, in person, many times. Well, for me that was Carl Fontana, truly one of the greatest jazz trombonists. I can tell my own students that I knew him, and heard him play hundreds and hundreds of times. Truly this is one of the greatest gifts I received from my time in the “trombone school” of Las Vegas.”

While in Las Vegas Deborah was busy working as a free lance musician; performed on Production shows at various hotels, different star acts: Joe Williams, jazz acts, Don Menza, etc... Eventually forming her own groups, composing music/contracting work for them. It was during this time that she began performing for Frank Sinatra. “It was an honor to work for him, and a real privilege to do so for eight years. I saw so much of the world, while in the presence of this great artist.” Having spent a lot of time in New York City, while on the road with Sinatra and other groups, Deborah met musicians there and realized it was where she wanted to be.

In 1993 she relocated to New York City and began performing with various groups, and continues to play a wide variety of music. This includes Broadway shows, chamber and orchestral groups, studio recording work for TV/Film, the big bands of Jimmy Heath, DIVA, Jamie Begian, Joe Phillips’ Numinous, and The NY/BMI Jazz Composers’ Workshop Orchestra. She also performs in small jazz ensembles with artists such as Freddie Hubbard, Don Braden, Fred Hersch, Roswell Rudd, Sonny Fortune, and has been a featured guest jazz artist at the 1998 Many Colors of A Woman Festival, the 1999 International Trombone Festival, the 1999 & 2003 International Women in Jazz Festival ( JVC Jazz Festival special events), the 2000 Eastern Trombone Workshop, the 2000 & 2004 New York Brass Conference, the 2000 Mary Lou Williams Women in Jazz Festival at the Kennedy Center, the 2000 International Women’s Brass Conference, the 2001 Primavera Jazz Festival, the 2001 Jazz Arts Group - Fargo, the 2004 Festival-au-Desert, Essakane in Mali, West Africa, the 2004 International Jazz Meeting - Monterrey, Mexico, received a fellowship to the 2004 Music Omi international music collective in Ghent, NY, and is a guest artist/clinician at various schools across the U.S. (educational specialist for Conn-Selmer Inc.).

Throughout Deborah’s career as a performer she has been involved with both teaching and composing music. Another wonderful teacher that Deborah has been fortunate to study with in this regard is Jazz Pianist/Composer Jim McNeely. “I met Jim before I moved to NYC, while I was on the road on the East Coast. Jim inspired me in so many ways, but especially as a composer. As a result of my studies with Jim, I feel that composition is another way that I can express myself as a performer, separate from performing on trombone.” Deborah’s studies with Jim McNeely, through many years, helped her to become much more versatile as a musician, composer, and teacher; bringing about a lot more diversity of work in her music career as well.

As a teacher: Sept. 2002 - May 2004 at Rutgers University, subjects - Jazz Composition & Arranging/Jazz Trombone/Jazz Combo, private music studio - teaching improvisation, trombone, composition, faculty member of the NY Pops Salute to Music Program since 1994, a member of the NY Pops 2004 Create a Symphony faculty, and in
Jan. 2003, taught (subject - Jazz Improvisation/Composition/History) teacher in-service day for the Plainfield School District, New Jersey.

As a composer: has been commissioned by various groups including the Afrikan Amerikan Jazz Orchestra, NYU’s Ralph Lalama Ensemble & NYU Concert Jazz Orchestra, was an award winner in the 2000 Julius Hemphill Jazz Composition contest, Prize/Finalist in the 2002 BMI Foundation/Charlie Parker Composition Award, and received a 2004 NEFA Meet the Composer Commission.

Recent news finds Deborah busy in the recording studio with two new CDs that will be released in the Spring 2005. “The process of recording, mixing, and mastering music takes time, but is so worth it!” She is also enjoying working with the low brass students in her NY Pops Salute to Music class. As Deborah says, “Low Brass Rocks!” Look for her web site www.deborahweisz.com in January 2005.

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Jason Rigby
Jason Rigby began playing the saxophone when he was 10 years old and began playing professionally at 16. Originally from the Cleveland, OH area, Jason has performed with pianist / organist Dan Wall, the Cleveland Jazz Orchestra and the Cleveland Orchestra. Prior to moving to New York, Mr. Rigby earned a Bachelor of Music from the Youngstown State University Dana School of Music in Youngstown, OH, where he studied under the tutelage of former Woody Herman Orchestra member Tony Leonardi. Mr. Rigby then relocated to Chicago where he enrolled at the DePaul University School of Music graduate program. While studying and working in Chicago, Jason performed regularly with a number of groups including the Green Mill Big Band. After a year at DePaul, Mr. Rigby moved to New York, where he earned a Master of Music degree from the Manhattan School of Music. While studying at MSM, Jason studied improvisation concepts and composition with Dick Oatts, Rich Perry and Mike Abene. During his academic stint, Jason Rigby won DOWNBEAT Magazine’s award for Best College Jazz Instrumentalist in 1999. Mr. Rigby has toured extensively in Europe and the U.S. with both the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra and the Glenn Miller Orchestra. Other touring gigs have taken him to many countries including Switzerland, Germany, Greece, India, Egypt, Israel, Thailand, Australia, New Zealand, Bulgaria and Italy. Since moving to NY, Mr. Rigby has performed with the Village Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, Aretha Franklin and the Anita Brown Jazz Orchestra. He has also appeared on television with Allan Harris on B.E.T. On Jazz with Ramsay Lewis. As a woodwind doubler, Jason subs for both Broadway and Off-Broadway shows. Jason Rigby recently toured the U.S. with the co-led group TRIO COLOSSUS and is busy as a sideman performing with the Kris Davis Group, the Scott Dubois Quintet, the Anita Brown Jazz Orchestra and has recorded as a sideman on Fresh Sound Records, Soul Note Records, NuJazz City Records and Koch Jazz. Alongside his performing schedule, Mr. Rigby is an active educator and teaches at the Larchmont Music Academy and maintains a private studio. For the last five summers Jason has taught private saxophone, advanced jazz improvisation and jazz history at the New York Summer Music Festival in Oneonta, NY.

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Marsha Heydt
Marsha Heydt is an accomplished woodwind player. She received her Masters in Music Education from The Aaron Copland School of Music and Bachelor of Music from the University of the Arts. She has studied privately with Ron Kerber, John Blake, Larry McKenna, Jim Pugh, John Stubblefield and Roland Hanna. In June of 2002, the Brooklyn Conservatory’s Professional Development Fund awarded her a grant to advance her studies in jazz arranging and improvisation with Jimmie Amadie.

She has been a visiting artist, teaching jazz clinics at various high schools in NYC for Queens College’s Colden Center. She is a visiting artist, teaching music for The New York Pops, The Brooklyn Conservatory of Music, The Manhattan School of Music and Midori and Friends.

During her career, Marsha has performed with many artists: Grover Washington, Bill Watrous, Bob Mintzer, Randy Brecker and Paul Schaefer with the CBS Orchestra in a guest appearance on the David Letterman Show.

In NYC, Marsha has played with George Gee and his “Make Believe Ballroom Orchestra” as well as with her own ensemble performing in various public venues in and around New York City. Her stylistic expertise encompasses latin, funk, jazz and rock.

She performs for recovering patients every month at NYU Hospital’s Rusk Institute as well as at other health care facilities in the New York area.

Marsha transcribes, composes and arranges music for herself as well as by commission. She is a staff writer and consultant for Blue Toucan Records and is currently working on her upcoming debut album with Blue Toucan.

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