meet the team

David Dunford | Chair of Music

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David Dunford works as a music coach and collaborative pianist in the Southern California area. Born and raised in Hawaii, David received his Bachelor of Music from the University of Arizona with Nicholas Zumbro and his Master of Music from the Eastman School of Music with Barry Snyder.

In 1998, Mr. Dunford appeared with the Richmond Symphony performing Gershwin's Piano Concerto in F Major and Rhapsody in Blue. He did a repeat performance of Rhapsody in Richmond as the opening act for Aretha Franklin.

After working as a collaborative pianist in Chicago for four years, David moved west to California in 1999. In California, Mr. Dunford performed Gershwin's piano concerto with the Oakland East Bay Symphony. He appeared twice with the Sacramento Symphony performing Berstein's Age of Anxiety in 2000 and Rhapsody in Blue in 2002.

As a collaborative pianist, Mr. Dunford has performed numerous recital programs all over the country including Symphony Center in Chicago, the Brookings Institute in Washington D.C. and Carnegie Hall in New York City.

Nels Jenstad

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Nels Jenstad, teaching Piano, and Guitar, in Orange County since 1989. Ph.D. in Psychology of Music in 1999 through a theosophical university in Hawaii. He studied the Art of Songwriting under Paul Chiton, San Francisco, Modern Chorus (new music) under Dr. Herrmann LeRoux, SF Conservatory of Music. He studied Music Theory, Piano, Voice, and Jazz Improvisation under NEA Jazz Master, David Baker, at Contra Costa College, Richmond, CA., Electronic Music, Piano, Recording, and TV Production Saddleback College in Mission Viejo, CA. Listed on the IMDb for music for two films, he also has numerous other media and film music placements internationally. He has published over 20 digital albums. He also signed and released an EP on vinyl with European record on the Fri Form Records label in 2019. OCMD, 2018, Nels recorded the guitar parts for Alex Boyes’ “Sign of the Times” song by Harry Styles and took part in the video in conjunction with Orange County Music and Dance. Jenstad’s works can be found on Apple, Spotify, and most popular sites.

Kevin Garnica

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Pianist and composer, Kevin Garnica, is an active musician in the LA area. He received his Bachelors in piano performance and Masters in music composition from California State university, Fullerton, where he studied with Eduardo Delgado and the Late Dr. Lloyd Rogers, respectively. As an undergraduate, he was awarded top prize in his class, and his chamber cantata based on the story of Joan of Arc, Jehanne the Maiden, was awarded Outstanding Graduate Composition. He received his Doctorate of music in collaborative piano from the University of Texas, Austin, with a full scholarship, under the tutelage of Anne Epperson. In 1995, Garnica became one of the youngest winners of the ASCAP Composition Competition when his piano piece, Sonata for Scriabin, was chosen from over five-hundred entries. He was also awarded the John Williams Grant for composition. This past spring, he was accepted into the National Association of Teachers for Singer’s new Mentoring Program for Composers, where his song, The World of Flying Saucers, was premiered.He has performed as a soloist throughout the United States, Central- and South-America, and Europe. As a chamber musician, He has performed with members of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, including Concertmaster Martin Chalifour, the Pacific Symphony, The Metropolitan Opera, Los Angeles Master Chorale, and Pacific Chorale.

Nathan Lewis

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Nathan Lewis was born in Auckland, New Zealand, in 1993. Nathan's musical aptitude was apparent from an early age. He was introduced to the violin at the age of 2. By seven years old, Nathan had made his American debut, performed Paganini's 24th Caprice, and learned the rudiments of piano playing. Pursuing both instruments, his primary formal studies were conducted at the Colburn School of Music and UC Irvine. Utilizing his unique background in musicology, collaboration, and solo performance, Nathan combines a detail-oriented approach with vibrant storytelling in performance.

Menghan Cao

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Menghan Cao, originally from China, then moved to the United States in 2010. Menghan received her bachelor degree from Eastman School of Music in Piano Performance with Natalya Antonova. She graduated with a Master of Music and Graduate Certificate both at University of Southern California with Bernadene Blaha. Menghan Started her teaching career in 2014, and is capable of teaching in both English and Mandarin. She was invited to be a teaching assistant in both Cadenza and Beijing Wtown International Chamber Music Summer Camp (2017) and Steinway International Piano Preparatory Academy, Orange County, CA (2019).

Caleb Salguero

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In 2023, pianist Caleb Salguero received his Master of Fine Arts in Piano Performance from UC Irvine, studying with Dr. Lorna Griffitt. As a graduate teaching assistant, his duties involved accompanying UCI’s choral groups and teaching piano.

He is regularly invited as an instructor for UCI’s Summer Academies in the Arts Chamber Music Intensive. It is a program created for experienced high school students for the purpose of college and career preparation.

In June 2023, he received a fellowship to the Montecito International Music Festival where he studied with John Perry and Peter Takacs and his staff included accompanying string masterclasses and coaching junior chamber music participants. He was invited in 2021 to attend the Orfeo International Music Festival in Vipiteno, Italy with scholarship. In 2019, he attended the prestigious Philadelphia Young Pianists' Academy festival where he worked under world-renowned pianists such as Gary Graffman, Dang Thai Son, Ching-Yun hu and others

Man Ling Bai

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Starting at a very young age, Man Ling was already getting a national presence in her homeland Taiwan on several well-known TV shows as the “Young Composer Prodigy.” At age seven, her first composed piece “Dance of a Clown” was chosen to be performed for the 28th Yamaha Children Music Festival; And several of her other works were also chosen for the next 5 consecutive years of the festival. Throughout her youth and teenage life, Man Ling has won many competitions all throughout Asia, which includes Yamaha National Piano Contests, Electric Organ for Young Children, Yamaha National Electrical Organ Contests, Taipei Music Contest (Solo, Trio, Quintet), 30th Kawai National Piano Contest, Kevin Kern Piano Contest, Piano Contest in Taipei City, and Taiwan National Music Contest (Trio and Quintet). Not only amazing in competitions, but she also had many performing experiences in solo concerts and working with orchestras.

Launa Kressin

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Launa Kressin has a rich background in music, particularly with a focus on violin and viola. Graduating from Chapman University in 2015 with studies in viola performance (under the direction of Robert Becker), communications, and leadership, she has since built an impressive career.

Launa's approach to teaching violin and viola is noteworthy, as she recognizes the uniqueness of each student and tailors her methods accordingly. By incorporating different teaching styles, including the Suzuki Method and various music genres, she aims to create well-rounded musicians who truly enjoy the music they play. Moreover, her emphasis on intertwining life lessons into music education highlights a holistic approach to learning.

Her extensive list of teaching positions in the Orange County area, including roles as a string coach and professional, speaks to her influence and involvement in music education. The array of orchestras and programs her students participate in further underscores the impact she has on their musical development. A few of these noted programs include: Pacific Symphony’s Santa Ana Strings, Pacific Symphony’s Heartstrings Program, Casa Romantica Summer Music Academy, Santiago School Strings Conservatory, Newport Coast Elementary School, Eastbluff Elementary School, Thurston Middle School, Laguna Beach High School, Santiago Middle School, Orange County School of Performing Arts, Pacific Symphony’s Youth Orchestra, Orange County Youth Symphony, Prelude Sinfonia, Prelude Chamber Strings, Prelude Strings Orchestra, Orange Unified School District Honors Orchestras, Irvine Unified School District Honors Orchestras, and more.

Launa's post-graduation achievements, such as performing at Carnegie Hall and collaborating, running master classes, and performing with orchestras worldwide, showcase her continued dedication to musical performance. Beyond her musical pursuits, her interests in hiking, traveling, snowboarding, weight lifting, Spartan Races, and spending time with her family and animals add a personal touch to her multifaceted life.

Launa Kressin is not only a skilled musician and teacher but also someone who passionately enriches the lives of her students through music and embraces a well-rounded lifestyle.

Meri Sheegog

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Meri Sheegog has been teaching violin since August 2012. She received her BA in Music with an emphasis in String Pedagogy from the University of New Mexico in May 2016. In addition to completing the Pedagogy requirements, she also completed her Suzuki Certification for Violin Books 1-10 under the tutelage of Susan Kempter. While at school, she enjoyed being part of several string quartets, studying privately with Dr. Carmelo de Los Santos, and building her violin from scratch. Since graduating, Ms. Sheegog has been working as a private violin instructor in the Orange County area, teaching string orchestra at a middle school, and is a current member of the Suzuki Association of the Americas.

Wendy Hua Castille

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Wendy is an experienced violin teacher and ensemble instructor. She has a bachelor's degree in music with an emphasis in violin performance. Over the years, students of her violin studio have excelled and won the top prize competitions, such as AADGT, the American Protege International Violin Competition, the Hong Kong Music Festival, Singapore Music Festival, and MTAC's VOCE state final, among numerous others.

Other than competition, Wendy has also sent students to participate in the National Honor Series in New York's Carnegie Hall and Vienna Musikverein to enrich their orchestra experience. In 2018 and 2022, her OCMD students received great acclaim for their performances alongside the Pacific Symphony Orchestra at Segerstrom Concert Hall for the Lunar New Year Fest. Moreover, for the last 2 years, she has also organized benefit concerts where the proceeds have gone to charities. These concerts have also given her students opportunities to perform and raise money for good causes.

Eddie Yue

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Chang Yue received his Master Degree from Cal State Fullerton. He was the graduate assistance of professor Bongshin Ko, and served as the university’s principle cellist to the American premier of Tarik O’ Regan’s The Ecstasies Above at Carnegie Hall. As a native of Las Vegas, he made his solo debut with the UNLV chamber orchestra playing the Haydn D major concerto under the baton of Alexander Treger. While living there, he was also a substitute cellist for the Steven Wynn’s ShowStopper show and performed with Mariah Carey for the Billboards Music Award. His most influential teachers are Bongshin Ko, Andrew Smith and Daniel Gaisford. Chang enjoys a diverse musical career. In 2019, he was invited to perform for the 40 years US-China Relations at Nixon library. In the summer of 2021, Chang was invited to the Casper Mountain Music Festival, which brought orchestral and chamber music to many unexpected venues in Casper, Wyoming. The same year, a live collaboration of Schubert Quintet with BalletX at Segerstrom center for the art. Currently, Chang is on the cello faculty at the Orange County Music & Dance, and serves as the assistant director of music ministry at Faith Lutheran Church, Anaheim.

Gloria Traulle

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Gloria Liu Traulle received her Master of Fine Arts degree in Cello Performance from the California Institute of the Arts. She had served as the State & Greater Los Angeles Solo Competition Chairperson of the American Strings Teachers Association (ASTA) for the last 21 years, from 1996 to 2017. She currently is the Chairperson for the Chamber Music Ensemble, the Certificate of Merit (CM), and VOCE under the Music Teachers Associations of California (MTAC). She also coaches at the All-Southern California Honor Orchestra (SCSBOA).

Laszlo Mezo

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Mr. Mezo has forged a career as a soloist, recitalist, master teacher, and chamber musician. He has performed extensively in Europe, Asia, and North and South America. Always eager to pass on his knowledge, Laszlo has conducted master classes in Japan, Brazil, Italy, Switzerland, Hungary, and the United States. Mr. Mezo is currently a professor in cello at Chapman University and Saddleback College in California, and he was Assistant Teacher at the University of Southern California between 2007 and 2008. Mr. Mezo holds two master’s degrees from the Liszt Ferenc University of Music in Budapest and the Hochschule für Musik und Theater München. He graduated from the class of Ralph Kirshbaum at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles.

Justin Lansing

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Justin Lansing studied with Russ Dicey of the Pacific Symphony and participated in both the Wind Ensemble and French Horn Ensemble at Cal State Fullerton. He also was a member of the Pacific Symphony Youth Orchestra. As a member of several Salvation Army bands and the LA metro brass, Justin had the opportunity to perform with Philip Cobb and Dudley Bright, both principal brass players of the London Symphony Orchestra. His Junior brass ensemble and students have been awarded top prizes at The Salvation Army's Encore Competition, involving young brass students from all over the western United States.

Christine Han

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Flute and piccolo player Christine Han completed her master's degree at the University of North Texas College under Dr. Mary Karen Clardy. She completed her bachelor's degree at California State University Fullerton under Cynthia Ellis. Christine believes that music appreciation is attainable at any age and level. She is currently on staff as a flute coach for several public schools in Orange County. Her private students have auditioned successfully for several honor ensembles and regularly place in the annual Southwestern Youth Music Festival. Currently, she is the music teacher for the Visual and Performing Arts program at Goals Academy.

Stephanie Jones

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Stephanie Jones is a soprano based in Los Angeles. A recent graduate of USC Thornton School of Music, she holds a Graduate Certificate and Masters and studied with Cynthia Munzer, Angela Blasi, and Elizabeth Hynes. Stephanie was featured as a soloist with the USC Chamber Singers in Poland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. Stephanie performed with LAKMA at the Walt Disney Concert Hall as the second soprano soloist of Mozart's C Minor Mass, as a soloist for La Sierra University's performance of Beethoven's 9th, and USC Chambers Singers' Collaboration with Craig Hella Johnson in the USC performance of his work Considering Matthew Shepard. She is also the Assistant Director of Music Ministry at her church, Orange Coast Church, where she works with the OCC Children's Chorus, OCC Choir, and OCC Praise.

Robin Follman

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American soprano, Robin Follman is known as one of the greatest singing-actresses of her generation. She has performed over 50 leading roles and sung with some of the greatest operatic companies and symphony orchestras including Washington National Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Los Angeles Opera, New York City Opera, Seattle Opera, Singapore Lyric Opera, Baltimore Opera, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the English Chamber Orchestra, the Bochum Symphony, the Istana Budaya in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia, the Cleveland Orchestra, the St. Louis Symphony, and the Pacific Symphony. She has repeatedly been featured at the Beijing Music Festival, the Macau International Music Festival, the St. Bart’s Music Festival and at the National Concert Hall in Taipei, Taiwan. For more than 30 years, Ms. Follman performed as one of the top leading ladies in the operatic industry throughout the world and is one of the primary leading ladies to come out of Orange County.

Born and raised in Orange County, Follman is a dedicated arts educator focusing on the underserved communities, veterans, neurodivergent youth, and those with cognitive disorders including Alzheimer’s, Dementia and Parkinson’s Diseases. Deeply committed to education in the arts, she led the Orange County School of the Arts as Artistic Director; and the Voice & Choral Conservatory as Director from 2000-2009, where she actively worked to mentor aspiring young artists; create strategic partnerships with leading arts and educational institutions; and to develop long-term educational programs and funding to support the visual and performing arts. Currently, Ms. Follman holds the positions of Campaign Director and Director of Voice for non-profit, Orange County Music & Dance in Irvine, California.

She has been the recipient for the National Security Organization with the 2017 Women in Defense “Service to the Flag Award”, the 2016 Orange County Business Journal (OCBJ) “Women in Business” Award, and also received from the OCBJ, the 2016 “Longevity Award – Family Owned Business”. In 2018, she was named as AACSB’s “Influential Leader”. She was honored by the Girl Scouts of America with the 2017 Celebrate Leadership Award. Additionally, she was honored as the “Artist of the Year” from Arts Orange County; and “Outstanding Contributions in Education Through the Arts” from the Orange County Department of Education.

Robin Follman is also a highly recognized and accomplished businesswoman in the Energy and Aerospace manufacturing business sectors. She led the team at Markall Inc. as CEO, along with its manufacturing arm, RA Industries, LLC, as a privately held, woman- and minority-owned full-service engineering and fabrication completion center that operated in Santa Ana, CA and Houston, TX, for three generations, spanning more than 60 years.

Ms. Follman received her AA degree locally at Saddleback Jr. College in Mission Viejo, California and her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Indiana University, Bloomington. Taking advantage of Orange County’s educational resources, Follman earned an Executive MBA degree from Chapman University in 2015, and now serves on the Executive Board as the Secretary on Chapman University’s Board of Governors as well as the Board of Counselors for the Argyros School of Business and Economics at Chapman University. She continues to focus her energy philanthropically by supporting and raising awareness for several non-profit and charitable organizations including the Irvine Barclay Theatre, Pretend City Children’s Museum, the Segerstrom Center for the Arts, the Jocelyn Diabetes Center at University of California, Santa Ana College, and the Girl Scouts of America. Ms. Follman has repeatedly been designated by the Orange County Business Journal’s (OCBJ) OC500 as one of the most influential people in the Orange County business community.

Amanda Anderson

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Amanda Anderson earned her Bachelor's in Vocal Arts at USC on a full tuition scholarship and her Master's in Vocal Performance at CSUF. She has studied under experienced professionals such as Rod Gilfry, Elizabeth Hynes, Robin Follman, Linda Leyrer, Adriana Manfredi and Mark Salters. Amanda has been a solo artist at premiere local venues including Greek Theatre, Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Warner Bros. Studio, and Dolby Theater. She also appeared in a radio commercial for Fantastic Sams. Some of her operatic performances include LAOpera's Community Opera Project, Moses, as well as performing Donna Elvira in CSUF's production of Don Giovanni. She was also a Grand Prize Finalist for the LA Music Center's Spotlight Awards. Some of her other solo performances include venues such as Dodger's Stadium, Rose Bowl, and Irwindale Speedway.

As an individual on the autism spectrum, she appeared on a televised segment of PBS SoCal LAaRT and Classical Singer Magazine, where she discussed how music has helped her overcome many of the obstacles she has faced and how her different way of thinking has given her some advantages when it comes to analyzing and memorizing music. She has sung for several Autism Speaks Galas, Metropolitan Fashion Week, Autism Speaks Walks, and Light Up the Blues. She also performed at an event at the UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior titled "Mind, Brain and Creativity."

As a teacher, Amanda seeks to promote healthy technique while maintaining a full, warm sound for her students. Her diagnosis gives her a unique perspective, allowing her to better understand the thought process of other neurodivergent individuals and shift approaches when teaching more abstract concepts. She specializes in classical technique, but also teaches in other genres, including pop, musical theater, and jazz. She enjoys helping students find their confidence when performing and giving them the tools they need to understand the process behind singing and analyzing songs. Through music, she seeks to inspire others to overcome obstacles in their path and discover their potential.

David Weis

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From Randy to Eric Johnson to Yngwie to Shawn Lane, David is determined to achieve these high levels of technique to implement them in his style and teach his students. David has taken private lessons with many outstanding guitarists, most notably Pebber Brown, who has taken him as a personal student for many years until this day. David has also attended many guitar clinics performed by his influences to further his knowledge of technique and understand what is important to study/practice to achieve specific goals. Besides privately learning to form some of the best guitarists globally, David has taken Music courses in college to further his knowledge in reading music. David did not major in music but instead Majored in Theoretical Mathematics.

Nels Jenstad

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Nels Jenstad, teaching Piano, and Guitar, in Orange County since 1989. Ph.D. in Psychology of Music in 1999 through a theosophical university in Hawaii. He studied the Art of Songwriting under Paul Chiton, San Francisco, Modern Chorus (new music) under Dr. Herrmann LeRoux, SF Conservatory of Music. He studied Music Theory, Piano, Voice, and Jazz Improvisation under NEA Jazz Master, David Baker, at Contra Costa College, Richmond, CA., Electronic Music, Piano, Recording, and TV Production Saddleback College in Mission Viejo, CA. Listed on the IMDb for music for two films, he also has numerous other media and film music placements internationally. He has published over 20 digital albums. He also signed and released an EP on vinyl with European record on the Fri Form Records label in 2019. OCMD, 2018, Nels recorded the guitar parts for Alex Boyes’ “Sign of the Times” song by Harry Styles and took part in the video in conjunction with Orange County Music and Dance. Jenstad’s works can be found on Apple, Spotify, and most popular sites.

Robert Slack

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Robert Slack received a Bachelor of Music Degree from the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, the Nation's premier music conservatory. He has also been featured in the Pacific Symphony Orchestra's American Composers' Festival with internationally renowned cellist Yo Yo Ma. As a solo Marimbist, Mr. Slack is known among musicians for his musical interpretations of the Music of J.S. Bach, having performed solo recitals of Bach's music at Chapman University, Biola University, and at the Orange County High School for the Performing Arts. Highly sought after as a teacher, Mr. Slack has had many of his students placed in significant music conservatories and universities such as The Juilliard School, Indiana University, U.C.L.A., U.S.C. School of Music, and others. Also active as a jazz musician, Mr. Slack heads a Jazz trio "Rob Slack and Friends," a featured group at local venues.

Milton Salazar

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Milton Salazar is a First-Generation, Mexican-American freelance percussionist and educator working in Southern California. He has performed with many major groups such as Pacific Symphony, Long Beach Symphony, Orchestra Santa Monica, South Coast Symphony, Lyric Opera of Orange County, and many more. Milton has helped premier new works by Derrick Skye and Danny Elfman. Milton also has experience in musical theater and experimental music, and has performed as an improviser with groups such as the California State University, Fullerton, New Music Ensemble, and the Decisive Instant.

Currently, Milton is a percussion instructor at OC Music and Dance where he teaches private lessons in orchestral and concert percussion, mallet percussion, and drumset. His private teaching studio includes adults and students as young as 5 years old, with many of them preparing for honor band, youth orchestra, and college auditions.

Milton also coaches percussion at YOLA at HOLA in Downtown Los Angeles where he works primarily with Hispanic and Latinx students in grades 4-12.

Milton holds a Bachelor of Music from the University of California, Irvine, and a Master of Music from California State University, Fullerton. He is also studying advanced harmony and jazz theory with a private instructor.

Milton is also a fluent Spanish speaker.

Bei Bei Monter

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Bei Bei is one of the world's premiere guzheng (Chinese Zither) musicians. She started to play the guzheng at the young age of seven. She majored in guzheng at the Central University of Nationalities in Beijing and the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts under several guzheng masters. Bei Bei roots her art in classical music and expands into other styles as a performing artist and composer. She combines new with old into creative new expressions, especially in her collaborations with musicians from different genres such as funk, jazz, hip-hop, and dance. She has released four albums since 2006, and her music can be heard on numerous national and international radio and TV programs as well as video games and films.

Mindy Ball

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Mindy Ball is dedicated and known for providing the highest standards in harp performance. With over 40 years of performing, Mindy serves as principal harpist with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra and the Pacific Symphony. She has also held principal positions with Opera Pacific and Pittsburgh Opera. Mindy Ball began playing the harp at age 12, studying with Marjorie Call-Salzedo and receiving her degree in harp performance from Chapman University with honors. She also trained with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Institute Orchestra under distinguished American conductor Leonard Bernstein. For 12 years, she performed for the Pageant of the Masters in Laguna Beach and the Los Angeles Civic Light Opera.