Music Teachers' Association
of New South Wales

Katia Pronin

Katia Pronin (Piano and singing teacher)

BMus(Hons) MMus(Performance)

• 20 years of teaching experience of all levels of musicians, including tertiary students.
• Accelerated method in teaching children from 5 years old.
• Preparation for successful AMEB, ABRSM, Trinity College London examinations, and scholarships (2021-2023 AMEB board member)
• Wide experience in tutoring for concerts and auditions.
• Up-to-date working with children check
• Accompanying String, Wind, Brass, Vocal, Choral, opera repetiteur (current Member of Guild of Accompanists of NSW)

• Concert pianist, Piano teacher, and mentor
• Singing (classical), singing, Opera Coaching
• Vocal technique, vocal coaching, voice
• Adult piano
• Aural training, theory, rhythm, sight-reading.
• Performance skills and coaching

BIOGRAPHY

Katia Pronin was born in St. Petersburg, where she obtained her DipMus with High Distinction and BMus from St. Petersburg Rimskiy-Korsak of Conservatory of Music, where she studied piano and voice.

After her arrival in Australia in 2006, she won a Fellowship in the Australian Ballet Company, where she worked as a pianist for one year. Since then, she has been employed as an accompanist in the dance department at Victorian College of the Arts (Melbourne).

As a well-established artist, Katia has also performed many concerts throughout Australia.

She has been featured as a principal soprano in some of the most iconic roles of operatic repertoire. Her impressive list of credits includes Violetta (La Traviata), Tosca (Tosca), Carmen (Carmen), and Mimi (la Boheme).

Since 2007, Katia has organised her Private Studio, where she prepares her students for auditions, exams, and concerts. Her students have received the highest marks in the exams and Eisteddfod competitions.

Katia is the founder and director of the Pronin Performing Arts Company and Pronin Performing Arts Studio and has been an AMEB board member as a private teacher representative since 2022.

Pronin Performing Arts Studio has been selected as one of the most popular kids' activities in Pennant Hills, Cherrybrook, Paramatta, North Rocks, Bella Vista, and Dural.

Katia is also a piano and voice tutor at Redfield College and Hills Adventist College.

Katia enjoys teaching students of all ages for concerts, exams or leisure.

Mobile: 0423 708 937

Email: e_dpronin@yahoo.com.au

Instruments: Accompaniment, Accompanist, Keyboards, Musicianship, Piano, Theory of Music, Singing (classical), Singing Opera coaching, Also some categories like Opera, vocal technique, vocal coaching, voice, adult piano, aural training, theory, performance skills/coaching, rhythm, sight-reading.

Stephen Kiely

Piano | Guitar | Bass Guitar | Singer-songwriter | Performer | Music Producer | Creative Director

Introduced to the piano at the age of five, Stephen completed all grades by age thirteen, gaining credits in every exam.

He then decided to take up guitar and bass guitar and at age eighteen he rediscovered piano via jazz, and specifically due to hearing the piano virtuosity of Keith Jarrett and Oscar Peterson, began developing his skills at the keyboard via jazz and pop music.

Stephen's teaching career began at age 17, during his first year at the University Of New England. In a bid to earn extra-curricular funds, while on a Federal Govt. scholarship he took employment with a local music shop in Armidale, NSW as guitar teacher to some 30 students.

Stephen's creative nature led him to write songs from an early age. However, he soon learnt an important lesson when dealing with the music industry: Industry attention is always focussed on songwriters who have a platform for their material. He formed the touring band, RadioActive, which, on the strength of his songs, was signed to record company EMI. The band toured Australia constantly, gaining rave reviews as a live act, as well as chart success both in Europe and here in Australia, where they appeared on television shows such as Countdown and Hey, Hey It’s Saturday, among others, while maintaining a gruelling national touring schedule. Stephen was the sole songwriter in the band, providing a repertoire of songs, which allowed the band to perform for two hours or completely original songs.

Taking a break from the constant touring schedule, Stephen began working solo around the nightclubs of Sydney, while he turned his hand to film music, co-writing the soundtrack to the critically acclaimed 'Stallion Of The Sea' as well as having songs placed within films such as the cult noir film, 'Early Frost', at the same time performing in an advertising jingle band.

For many years, Stephen has been entertaining audiences in Sydney, with brief working trips to New York and Berlin. If there is a bar, club or room in Sydney with a grand piano in residence, chances are Stephen has been booked to play on it.

www.ScoopFX.com The ScoopFX Music School situated in Sydney's North West, comprises Stephen and his wife Roxanne Kiely. Both are accomplished singers, musicians, performers and song-writers; who bring a wealth of knowledge to their lessons in vocal development, piano, guitar, bass guitar, music theory, song-writing, studio production, camera technique and staging.

Helen Kennedy

Helen Kennedy AMusA. ADMT (Merit) Syd Con. MMTA (NSW)

In 1985 Helen graduated from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music with high distinction. She studied piano with Igor Hmelnitsky. Her performing experience encompasses work in Australia as well as overseas in New York, Philadelphia, Los Angeles and London. For many years, Helen worked as a director of music with the Australian National Youth Performing Arts Group and has extensive experience both as an accompanist and conductor for numerous public concerts, national and international corporate events, events for the Sydney Olympic Games, Royal occasions and Sydney celebrations. In 1996 she was the Piano Accompanist for the Australian Youth Choir’s International Concert Tour. Helen runs a practice in Surry Hills and, over the years, many of her students have gained places at the Sydney Conservatorium and at universities, including Sydney and NSW, in performance majors. One of her teaching specialities is in the adult learning sphere where she has developed the successful PianoExpress® system. This system offers a unique and exciting fast-track learning approach to suit today’s busy adult lifestyles with classical, jazz and popular styles. PianoExpress® is also a rewarding product for teachers to use in their own studios (www.pianoexpress.com.au).

From 2012 Helen was commissioned to record the piano collection of Sydney composer, Mark John McEncroe. The first two collections of these beautiful classical works, Reflections & Recollections, are available online on ITunes, Amazon Music, Spotify, Jango music, CD Baby, Fish Fine Music Town Hall, Sydney and also direct from the composer www.markjohnmcencroecomposer.com

Helen was also commissioned to record Mark’s first work for piano and orchestra ‘Natalie’s Suite’ with the Janacek Philharmonic Orchestra in the Czech Republic. The album ‘Dark Clouds in Life: Natalie’s Suite & Other Works’ was released in the USA in March 2017 by Parma Music and Navona Records. This album has made the Top 10 Classical CD’s for 2017 on Canada’s Textura site. The album is also available through the above online music download sites.

Elizabeth Hsu

Elizabeth is a teacher of Piano, Musicianship, Theory & Aural and an accompanist.

Elizabeth is a professional music teacher. She has over twenty years experience as a music teacher and accompanist.

Elizabeth has wide experience teaching beginners to advanced levels; the young to adult learners. She teaches the Piano, Musicianship, Theory and Aural Training; and prepares students for AMEB, ABRSM and Trinity Guildhall Examinations as well as the lighter repertoire for pleasure music.

Accompaniment is another source of joy to Elizabeth, besides teaching. She does piano accompaniment for instrumental and voice examinations, auditions, recitals, musical shows and choirs.

Elizabeth is willing to travel to teach and do accompaniment within reasonable distance from Sydney CBD.

'Music teaching and accompaniment are works of heart.'

Christine Lonergan

Susan Deas

Susan Deas is a professional musician, lecturer and teacher. She has been teaching piano for 25 years, with an emphasis on giving her students a broad understanding of music. Her students learn both classical and contemporary styles, including training in classical performance, technique, theory, sight reading, aural skills, playing by ear and improvisation. She also assists other piano teachers in teaching improvisation and playing by ear. Susan has been performing as a professional pianist for two decades at various venues in Sydney and Newcastle, including hotels, clubs, restaurants, reception centres, churches and retirement villages. She has performed in orchestras, brass bands, concert bands, choirs, jazz bands, rock bands, and a Renaissance ensemble. Susan has also directed and conducted several performance groups, and arranged music for many groups and special occasions. Susan is a regular lecturer at Sydney University's Centre for Continuing Education and at WEA, where she teaches courses such as 'A Beginner's Guide to Classical Music' and 'How Music Works.' She also occasionally gives guest lectures at other venues, including the Art Gallery of New South Wales, the Sydney Observatory, and the Jane Austen Society. Susan's training includes a Bachelor of Arts (Communications) at the University of Technology, a Bachelor of Music at the University of New South Wales, and a Master of Music Studies (Studio Pedagogy) at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. She has also achieved an A.Mus.A in Musicianship. Susan serves on the Board of the Music Teachers' Association of New South Wales as Managing Director.

Zeljko Bedic OAM

Examiner 50

ASA TDip, MOAA, MMTA, MASME, MISME, MUMT, MAATA, MASA

Zeljko Bedic OAM commenced piano and violin studies in Croatia, Europe and subsequently continued with his professional music studies in Sydney, Australia on piano, pedagogy and music theory under the baton of Dr Margaret Brandman, and on accordion, with Maestro Dante Simonelli and Mr Ross Lombardo.

Mr Bedic was included on the Australia Day 2019 Honours List and presented with the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for distinguished services to humanity in Australian and global communities and the performing arts, particularly through music.

He is a university academic (successfully prepared students for their Bachelor of Music Degrees and AMEB Performance Diplomas), and a Sydney Conservatorium of Music and Music Teachers’ Association (NSW) accredited professional music teacher in piano, accordion and theory.

Mr Bedic is the founder, and has been the Owner / Director, of Bedic Music Studio, now Paddington Music Studio for over 35 years. He has over 40 years of professional teaching experience and has been an AMEB Examiner for over 30 years. He was awarded his Teacher’s Diploma in 1983 and received his AMEB Examiner 25 Year Service Award Shield in 2016.

He has successfully prepared and trained numerous music teachers to become AMEB examiners and has written, reviewed and edited AMEB syllabi for many years. Most recently, he led and collaborated with other examiners, on a comprehensive and extensive syllabus review / rewrite which was successfully submitted to the AMEB for publishing.

Mr Bedic has delivered solo and duet performances at the Concert Hall of the Sydney Opera House, at the Sydney Entertainment Centre and at the Sydney Town Hall. He is a former first prize recipient of the ASA NSW state championships and the City of Sydney Eisteddfod. He was also a former recipient of the second and third prizes in the ASA Australasian Championships. Mr Bedic has adjudicated at international, national and state championships, and the City of Sydney and St. George Eisteddfods on many occasions.

His students have won International, Australasian, Australian National and NSW State Solo Championships. One of his students was selected by the NSW Board of Studies to perform at the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall, HSC ENCORE Concert. Another one of his students has won the prestigious Music Teachers’ Association (MTA) – Margaret Chalmers Memorial Scholarship and received an invitation to perform as a soloist at the MTA’s Centenary Celebration at Parliament House in Sydney in 2012.

He was the Musical Director and Orchestra Leader of the Koleda and Dubrovnik Croatian folkloric ensembles and the Musical Director of the Klapa Koleda a capella ensemble and choir. Mr Bedic recorded an album at the Sydney Opera House in the capacity of Musical Director / Orchestra Leader with the Koleda ensemble and a studio album with the Dante Simonelli Orchestra and Choir at EMI Studios.

Mr Bedic was the Australian National Coordinator, promoter, manager and publicist for two highly successful charity recordings / CDs, ‘Side by Side – Song for Port Arthur’ and ‘Stop the War in Croatia’. Both were highly successfully on the Coca Cola ARIA Charts (10 weeks in the Top 10), with extensive national television, radio and print media coverage, and raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for charity, but more importantly, provided moral support for the victims’ families. At the time, he received letters of commendation and support from the Prime Minister of Australia, The Hon. Mr. John Howard MP and Premier of NSW, The Hon. Mr. Bob Carr MP and numerous prominent senators.