Faculty

Catherine Battersby (Arts & Ideas Instructor) Catherine Battersby received her BA magna cum laude in Classical Languages from Carleton College, an MA and graduate work in Classics at Princeton University and the American School of Classical Studies at Athens. She participated in a college National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Seminar (on the teaching and performance of Classical Greek and Roman Comedy); Liberty Fund programs; and as a speaker in lecture series given by the Claremont Council for the Humanities; as well as helping to design and chair a program on women in myth under the auspices of the California Council for the Humanities. She has taught Latin and Classical Greek, History, Humanities, and Freshman Writing at Denison University, The Claremont Colleges (Scripps, Pomona, Pitzer, and the Graduate School), Princeton University, and New England College's Sussex England campus. She also taught English, History, and ESL at TASIS-England, and was advisor for the school newspaper. After living in Ohio, California, and England, she and her husband, Richard Battersby, (a history teacher at the Academies and former R.A.F. officer) have settled in Culver with their two daughters, dog, cat, and too many books. She has taught English, Latin, and Humanities at Culver; advised the literary magazine staff; has helped with JV Lacrosse and JV Softball; and currently is advisor for the Culver student newspaper, The Vedette. She has won both the Manuel Award for teaching (voted by students) and is a Williamson Fellow at Culver. In 2006, she was invited to teach the Arts and Ideas class for Spoleto Study Abroad.

Nick Bozanic (Creative Writing Instructor) Dr. Bozanic received his BA from Columbia University and both his MA and Ph.D from University College London. The recipient of teaching awards from both Scholastic Magazines and A.R.T.S., he has directed the Creative Writing Programs at the Interlochen Center for the Arts (MI) and at the New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts (LA) and has taught in the summer writing programs for high school students at the University of Virginia (Charlottesville) and at Columbia University (New York City). His writing has appeared widely in such journals as Cimarron Review, Manoa, Modern Painters, Southern Poetry Review, West Coast Poetry Review, The Yale Review (forthcoming), and Yellow Silk. He is also the author of two full-length collections of poetry, The Long Drive Home and This Once: Poems 1976-1996 as well as two chapbooks, Wood Birds Water Stones and One Place. He currently teaches philosophy and is Dean of Faculty at Ashley Hall in Charleston, South Carolina.

Lee-Chin Siow (Violin Instructor) Praised by The Cleveland Plain Dealer, “Here was a lark that ascended with utmost grace and sang in the loveliest of voices”, and critically-reviewed in The London Times, “Lee-Chin…teased out the glitter of Sarasate’s Carmen Fantasy with aplomb” , Ms. Siow has performed in over 20 countries on five continents, from Carnegie Hall to Japan’s Osaka Symphony Hall. Gold medal winner of the 1994 Henryk Szeryng International Violin Competition and the Louise D. McMahon International Music Competition for Strings, Ms. Siow has enjoyed successful artistic collaborations with world-class orchestras including the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Dallas Symphony, Houston Symphony, Malaysian Philharmonic and Singapore Symphony Orchestra. Solo appearances at international music festivals include the Banff Music Festival, Lucerne International Music Festival, Ludwigsburger International Music Festival (Germany), Cervantino Festival (Mexico), Virtuosi International Music Festival (Brazil), and the Singapore Arts Festival. A passionate and dedicated teacher, Ms. Siow believes in sharing life and leaderships lessons through music, and finds great joy in working with young people. She has served on the faculty of the Oberlin Conservatory, given masterclasses and outreach programs all over the world including the National University of Singapore, Lisbon Academy of Music, Chicago Institute of Music, University of Maryland, and Ohio University, among many others. Ms. Siow is the Director of Strings and Professor of Violin at the College of Charleston, South Carolina and co-founder and artistic co-director of the Charleston Music Fest. Her students have won the Music Teachers National Association Competition and soloed with the Charleston Symphony. www.leechin.com

Joyce Fillip (Visual Arts Instructor) Ms. Fillip holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Illinois, Champaign Urbana and a Masters of Fine Arts from the University of California, Davis. Prior to her tenure at Ravenscroft School, she taught at numerous colleges and universities, including at Dartmouth College, Swarthmore College and Tyler School of Art. She has taught drawing, painting, sculpture and photography for the past 30 years. Her students have been Gold and Silver Key recipients at the Scholastic Arts Competition in North Carolina and have received awards in the Congressional Arts Competition, exhibiting their artwork in Washington, DC and Raleigh, NC. In her own artwork she has received numerous awards including a Yaddo Fellowship, a National Endowment for the Arts Award in drawing, a Pennsylvania Council for the Arts Award in sculpture and drawing and a Regional Arts Awards in Raleigh, NC. Her website is: joycefillip.com.

Gabriele Francioli (Clarinet and Saxophone Instructor) Gabriele Francioli received his diploma in clarinet from the Lorenzo Perosi Conservatory in Campobasso, Italy, and his diploma in saxophone from the Bruno Maderna Conservatory of Cesena, Italy. Winner of many international competitions, Mr. Francioli was principal clarinetist with the Orchestra Giovanile Italiana from 1994-1996 and currently performs with the Roma Sinfonietta.

Jan Guffin (Arts & Ideas, Creative Writing Instructor) A native of Indiana, Mr. Guffin earned the B.S. and M.A.T. degrees from Indiana University, the Ph.D. from Duke University. He has served as a teacher of English, History, and Philosophy in public and private high schools for 45 years. He is the author of 20 professional articles and has served as consultant for Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate Programs both in the United States and abroad. He is a member of Phi Beta Kappa and is the recipient of the E. Kemper McComb Award for Excellence in the Teaching of English. He currently administers the Global Scholars Program at Park Tudor School in Indianapolis, IN and represents that school on the Spoleto Study Abroad Board of Directors.

David Holman (Creative Foundations Instructor) Born in Cincinnati, Ohio to an Argentine family, David Holman holds a degree in anthropology and a certificate of creative writing from the University of Cincinnati. Mr. Holman spent ten years in New York City pursuing his musical interests in songwriting, singing, piano, and guitar. During this time, he developed a strong interest in physical fitness and became an accomplished yoga instructor and personal trainer. He currently teaches English, Creative Writing, Yoga, and Creative Foundations in the Dominican Republic at The Design School of Altos de Chavon, an affiliate of New York's Parsons School of Design.

Ann Marie Hunter (Dance and Performance Instructor) Anne Marie Hunter is the Chair of the Fine Arts Department at Stevenson School in Pebble Beach California. Her program integrates the visual and the performing arts in live presentations, as well as integrating the arts into core subject matter in the History and Science Departments. Ms. Hunterís professional background in the field was as a choreographer for RCA and Columbia records, as well as Warner Brothers records. Her work with top acts such as The Bangles, Lita Ford, and Sam Kineson, resulted in receiving Plaintum Album Awards for her work. In addition, she was a judge on the original talent show, Star Search with Ed McMahan. Since moving to Monterey California, Ms. Hunter has choreographed and directed for regional and local theatres every season. She has collaborated with The Monterey Symphony, directing and choreographing her dance company, providing the visual component to the storytelling process of the symphonyís presentation of work including Fantasia, Fire Bird, Peter and the Wolf and Carnival of the Animals.

Jennifer Kalika (Chamber Music and Viola Instructor) Originally from Simsbury, Connecticut, Ms. Kalika now resides in Minneapolis, Minnesota and is the Orchestra Director at the Convent of the Visitation School in Mendota Heights, Minnesota. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Viola Performance from Ithaca College in Ithaca, NY, and her Master’s Degree in Viola Performance and Music Education at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY. While pursuing doctoral study at Eastman, she was a member of the Herriot String Quartet, a graduate quartet dedicated to performing contemporary works. The quartet received honors including invitations to perform in New York City and Heidelberg, Germany, as well as throughout the United States. Ms. Kalika has had the privilege of studying with master viola teachers, including Karen Ritscher, Philip Clark, James Dunham, John Graham, and Emanuel Vardi. Chamber Music coaches have included members of the Cleveland, Kronos and Audubon string quartets, Sylvia Rosenberg, and George Taylor. She currently enjoys playing viola as a free-lance musician in the Twin Cities area and plays chamber music and concerts with small orchestras throughout the region, most recently performing with nationally known pianist, Don Irwin.

Laura Magnani (Chamber Music and Piano Instructor) Ms. Magnani received her diploma in piano from the F. Morlacchi Conservatory in Perugia, Italy. She continued her graduate studies at the Accademia Nazionale di S. Cecilia in Rome. A winner of numerous national piano competitions, Ms. Magnani has distinguished herself in the musical panorama both as a soloist and chamber music artist in some of the major European cities to great public and critical acclaim.

Raul Miyar (Visual Arts Instructor) Professor and Department head,Fine Arts Department, Altos de Chavon School of Design (Affiliated with Parsons New School of design), Dominican Republic. Mr. Miyar is a practicing Graphic Artist and an extremely dedicated visual arts Instructor. Yancey Richardson Gallery, New York City, art consultant to corporate and residential customers, Novo Arts, Inc., New York City. Instructor: visual arts and art history, The Lovett School, Atlanta, Georgia. The Lovett School, 1999. MFA, Painting, University of Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; BFA, Painting, Xavier University, Cincinnati. Awards and honors: Faculty of the Year Award, Lovett School

Jill Muti holds degrees from Interlochen Arts Academy, DePauw University and Duke University. A flutist, she has performed at the Spoleto Festival in Spoleto, Italy and with numerous organizations both regionally and in Norway, Austria, and Italy. In 1990, she was made chair of the Fine Arts Department at Ravenscroft School in Raleigh, North Carolina, was named Director of Fine Arts in 1993 and in 2001, became Assistant Head of School. Throughout her tenure there, she received two national grants sponsored by the Council of Basic Education (NEH) and the Ravenscroft School Helton Award for Teaching Excellence. On July 1, 2004, Mrs. Muti was appointed the position of Head of School at Ashley Hall in Charleston, South Carolina.

Lorenzo Muti A native of Spoleto, Italy, Maestro Muti received his musical education at the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia, the Juilliard School in New York City, and the Accademia Musicale Chigiana in Siena, Italy. He has conducted for both the Italian and American Spoleto Festivals, in major European cities, including Rome, Florence, Milan, London (London Symphony, BBC Symphony), Amsterdam (Netherlands Chamber Orchestra, Netherlands Opera Company), and for several American opera companies (Washington, Michigan, Connecticut, Providence). He was affiliated for over fifteen years with Duke University, where he taught music history and opera as well as conducted the orchestra. Maestro Muti is the Artistic Director and Conductor of the Chamber Orchestra of the Triangle in Raleigh/Durham, NC. He is on the faculty of the College of Charleston and is the conductor of the orchestra.

Irina Pevzner A native of Ukraine, Irina received her bachelor's degrees from Jazep Medin Music College in Riga, Latvia, and Mansfield University of Pennsylvania. Her specialties include piano performance, music history and theory, as well as music education. She continued her studies at Carnegie Mellon University with internationally acclaimed pianist Enrique Graf. There she obtained a master's degree in piano performance and the Certificate in Piano Pedagogy. In 2005 she received the Artist Certificate from College of Charleston. Irina Pevzner is currently engaged in her doctoral studies in piano performance at the University of South Carolina, where she is studying with Dr. Marina Lomazov. Irina has performed throughout Latvia, Ukraine, Spain and throughout the east coast of the United States. She has performed during Piccolo Spoleto, Monday Night Concert Series, Chamber Music Charleston, and the International Piano Series in Charleston, SC. She is a member of the music faculty at the College of Charleston in Charleston, SC.

Candida Pilla (Italian Instructor) After a year of study in Florence, Italy, Candida Pilla received her master's degree in music from Dominican University in River Forest, Illinois. For six years, she was a member of the administrative staff for the Festival of the Two Worlds in Spoleto, Italy. Ms. Pilla lived in Rome for two years where she was Bureau Chief for Attenzione magazine. She has studied Italian extensively with native speakers and is passionate about Italy, in general, and Spoleto Study Abroad, in particular.

Terry Rhodes (soprano, opera director, Professor, Vocal Music Instructor) Soprano and UNC Opera Director Terry Ellen Rhodes chairs the Department of Music at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. As a performer, she has appeared as a soloist in 18 nations (Europe, South and Central America, and Africa) and in 21 states in the last two decades, with an average of 15-20 performances per year. Her repertoire includes all styles and periods, although she has established herself especially as a singer of contemporary vocal music, often being called upon to premiere new works. Dr. Rhodes also has two recordings under the Albany label. The soprano just completed her seventh summer as a teacher with SSA.

Tiffany Rice (Chamber Music and Violin Instructor) Tiffany Rice graduated from the Indiana University School of Music with a Master of Music in violin performance and a cognate field in string pedagogy. She also completed a Bachelor of Music Education with high distinction and a Performer Diploma from Indiana University. While her performance experience is quite extensive, her main passion is teaching. Ms. Rice has held a position on the faculty of the IU String Academy and has taught beginning and advanced orchestra in the Bloomington and Indianapolis public schools. She has also served as a guest clinician for the North Central High School Orchestra in her hometown of Indianapolis, IN. During the 2004-2005 academic year, she was awarded an associate instructor position with the IU Music Education Department, teaching string techniques.

Angelo Rosati (Organ and Theory Instructor) Angelo Rosati holds an undergraduate degree in Organ Performance from the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia and a degree in Composition from the F. Morlacchi Conservatory in Perugia, Italy. He currently holds the position of head organist at the Duomo in Spoleto and is an active teacher and performer throughout Italy.

Ivo Scarponi (Chamber Music and Cello Instructor) Mr. Scarponi received his diploma from Morlacchi Conservatory in Perugia, Italy, under the tutelage of V. Vallini. He has performed throughout Italy and in Mexico, Spain, and Austria. He is a founding member of the Scarponi Quintet, which has made several recordings for Italian radio and Ricordi.

Lee-Chin Siow (Violin Instructor) A native of Singapore, Ms. Siow is a seasoned performer and teacher. She is currently a professor of violin and the director of strings programs at the College of Charleston. She has studied with Aaron Rosand, Felix Galimir, Jascha Brodsky, and Almita and Roland Vamos, and holds degrees from Oberlin Conservatory, the Mannes School of Music and the Curtis Institute of Music. She has appeared with the London Royal Philharmonic, as well as the Dallas, Houston, Mexico City, Lisbon and Singapore Symphony orchestras, among others, and performed in over twenty countries. Ms. Siow has also won top awards in many important competitions, such as the 1994 Henryk Szeryng International Violin Competition and the Louise D. McMahon International Music Competition.

Heather Teets (Photography Instructor) Mrs. Teets holds a bachelor of fine arts degree in photography and a bachelor of art education from Herron School of Art/Indiana University. In 2008, she assumed Administrative duties as the Visual Arts Coordinator along with teaching photography, graphic design and Advanced Placement Art History. Mrs. Teets has been working with a team of colleagues from other private schools in the Spoleto Summer Study Abroad Program in Italy for students in the arts, where she has taught photography for the past four years. Because of her work with the Spoleto Program, she also is semi-fluent in Italian. Prior to joining Park Tudor, she taught art in the Zionsville Community Schools for two years. She also has taught photography classes at the Indianapolis Art Center and Herron School of Art Saturday School, and has exhibited her work at galleries in Indianapolis and Dayton with selected works in private collections. She is included in the 2004-2005 edition of "Who's Who Among America's Teachers."

Elissa Zellinger (Creative Writing Instructor) Elissa Zellinger received her BA in English with a concentration in American literature from Barnard College in May, 2002. After working in both trade and academic publishing, she is currently pursuing a Ph.D in English from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, having completed her MA in the spring of 2006. Ms. Zellinger works on 19th Century American literature and poetry and poetics. She is also a Teaching Fellow in the universityís Composition Department.

Jack Zerbe (Drama Instructor) Mr. Zerbe is the Department Chair and a Professor of Theatre Studies at Guilford College in Greensboro, North Carolina. He specializes in actor training, but also teaches a wide variety of other courses, including play analysis, directing, theatre history, and East Asian Theatre. As a professional actor and director, he has worked on more than thirty productions in Indiana, Illinois, California, and North Carolina. He was the first director for Chicagoís Free Shakespeare Company in the early 80s. Soon thereafter, he began a long association with the award-winning Shakespeare Santa Cruz festival. In addition to running the festival's internship program, he acted and directed there for 14 years. Favorite experiences include playing Caliban in The Tempest and directing the festival's box-office sensation, Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe. He holds degrees from Oberlin College, Indiana University, and the University of California at Berkeley.

Will Thomason (Visual Arts Instructor) Mr. Thomason received his BA from the College of Charleston where he graduated as Outstanding Artist. He also attended Rhode Island School of Design and The Johnson Atelier where he worked with many internationally renowned sculptors such as Louis Nevelson and Magdalena Abakanowicz to cast and install their sculptures. Prior to entering public education with the SPACE program for the City of Charleston in 1993, Will served as an assistant to both Antoney Gormley and Bruno Citivicio, an artist for American Advertising Agency in Charleston SC, a freelance illustrator in Atlanta, and as a color analyst for Delmar Studio Photography in Charlotte, NC. He is an editorial cartoonist for the Charleston Mercury and practicing artist with work in numerous private and corporate collections. Currently residing on a farm in York, SC with his wife, three children, goats and chickens, Mr. Thomason brings his varied experience and unflagging passion for teaching to the position of Upper School Visual Arts Instructor at Charlotte Latin School in Charlotte, NC, where he has been recognized by the National Scholastic Arts and Writing Awards as an Outstanding Educator five times. His students annually win regional or national awards in competitions such as the Congressional and Scholastic Art Awards. Each year, their artwork is shown in major galleries and museums in Charlotte. Mr. Thomason’s students have graduated from almost every major art and design school; they have gone on (among other things) to build puppets on Broadway, exhibit in New York City, and teach painting at the graduate level.