Our Team

Our team is made up of skilled faculty, hardworking staff, and committed board members. Together, they form the backbone of The Music School of Delaware and ensure our mission thrives. Let’s introduce you to the faculty, staff, and board who make our school community so special.

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Faculty
Staff
Board of Directors

Faculty

Our faculty members are expert educators and accomplished artists. They inspire students with a balance of encouragement, discipline, and creativity.

David Schelat

  • Instructor
  • Organ

David Schelat

  • Instructor
  • Organ

Biography

Teaches in Wilmington | B.M., cum laude, applied music (organ performance), Ohio State University; M.M., performance and literature, Eastman School of Music. Director of Music, First & Central Presbyterian Church. President and artistic director, Market Street Music. Conducts: Center City Chorale, Mastersingers of Wilmington. Has written numerous compositions on commission. Member: American Guild of Organists, Hymn Society in the US and Canada. Principal teachers: Will O. Headlee, Wilbur Held, David Craighead. Conducting teachers: Dennis Keene, John Alexander, Peter Bagley, Vance George, Maurice Casey, Joseph Flummerfelt.

Private Lessons

  • Organ
Inquire About Lessons

Diane Neutzling

  • Instructor
  • Viola
  • Violin

Diane Neutzling

  • Instructor
  • Viola
  • Violin

Biography

Teaches in Milford | B.A., musical arts, voice, viola, West Virginia University; M.Ed., education, K-6, Wilmington University. Delaware Teaching Certifications: K-6 Education; Music K-12; Special Education. Performing experience: Dover Symphony, principal viola; Delaware Choral Society; numerous freelance and instrumental performances. Teaching experience: Campus Community Charter School – general music, chorus, band, strings, musical theatre; Capital School District – Strings Specialist; violin and viola instructor – Delaware Music School, B&B Music, Music and Arts.

Private Lessons

  • Viola
  • Violin
Inquire About Lessons

Don Zabitka

  • Instructor
  • Sound Engineering

Don Zabitka

  • Instructor
  • Sound Engineering

Biography

Teaches in Wilmington | M.M. equivalent, Vincenzo Bellini Conservatory, Catania, piano performance, highest honors; M.M., D.M.A., piano performance, The Catholic University of America. Additional studies: I International Russian Piano Festival; Hochschule Sommerakademie Mozarteum in Salzburg; Washington International Piano Festival. Principal teachers: Carmelo Pappalardo, Nikita Fitenko, Ketty Teriaca. Master Classes: Igor Lebedev, Tamas Ungar, Vincenzo Balzani, Aquiles Delle Vigne, Daniel Pollack, Andrzej Jasinski. Visiting scholar: research for the Latin American Music Center in collaboration with the label Naxos en Espanol. Goodwill Ambassador: Arkansas Secretary of State. O-1 visa: granted for individuals who possess extraordinary abilities in their field. Prize-winner national and international piano competitions: The Catholic University of America Concerto Competition, The Catholic University of America International Piano Competition, E. Satie International Piano Competition, Gianluca Campochiaro International Competition, National Music Competition Città di Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto, J. S. Bach National Competition, Ibla Grand Prize.

Private Lessons

  • Sound Engineering
Inquire About Lessons

Donna Beech

  • Instructor
  • Piano
  • Piano

Donna Beech

  • Instructor
  • Piano
  • Piano

Biography

Teaches in Wilmington | MASTER FACULTY WITH SPECIAL DISTINCTION. B.S., music education, M.M., performance, West Chester University; D.M.A., Catholic University. Studied with: Thomas Mastroianni, William Masselos, Robert Bedford. Music director, Lower Brandywine Presbyterian Church. Performance experience: soloist with the Kennett, Wilmington Community & West Chester University Symphony Orchestras; Lorin Hollander and Béla Nagy master classes; frequent chamber musician with string and woodwind chamber groups; soloist throughout the Mid-Atlantic States. Lectures: Development of Pianism; Learning & Memory.

Private Lessons

  • Piano
Inquire About Lessons

Eliezer Gutman

  • Instructor
  • Viola
  • Violin

Eliezer Gutman

  • Instructor
  • Viola
  • Violin

Biography

Teaches in Milford/Dover | MASTER FACULTY. B.S., industry and management, Technion Institute of Technology, Israel; M.M., violin performance, The University of the Arts. Orchestral experience: Allentown Symphony Orchestra (concertmaster), OperaDelaware (concertmaster), Reading Symphony (assistant concertmaster), Delaware Symphony Orchestra. Chamber music experience: Copeland String Quartet. Conducting experience: First State Strings Youth Orchestra. Teaching experience: New England Music Camp.

Private Lessons

  • Viola
  • Violin
Inquire About Lessons

Ethel Olsen

  • Instructor
  • Musicianship
  • Piano

Ethel Olsen

  • Instructor
  • Musicianship
  • Piano

Biography

Teaches in Wilmington | FACULTY WITH DISTINCTION. B.A., Edison State College. Graduate studies: Westminster Choir College, Rowan College. Additional studies: Tanglewood Summer Institute, Boston University. Studied with: Béla Nagy, Steven Romanio, Yoheved Kaplinsky, Jacques Voois. Teaching experience: St. Andrew’s School, Westminster College Piano Preparatory Department. Memberships: MTNA, NGPT, MSMTA, MTAGB. Accompanist: Zhi-yin Chorus, FCCS-Newark.

Private Lessons

  • Musicianship
  • Piano
Inquire About Lessons

Evan Roberts

  • Instructor
  • Trumpet

Evan Roberts

  • Instructor
  • Trumpet

Biography

Teaches in Wilmington | B.M., University of Delaware; M.M., The Hartt School at the University of Hartford. Freelancer: Jazz and Classical. Teachers: Robert Skoniczin, David Bilger, Jeff Curnow, Phil Snedecor, Jay Lichtmann, Kevin Cobb, Roy Poper, Will Gregory. Teaching experience: college-level and private.

Private Lessons

  • Trumpet
Inquire About Lessons

Genia Maslov

  • Instructor
  • Violin

Genia Maslov

  • Instructor
  • Violin

Biography

Teaches in Wilmington | B.M., violin performance, Juilliard School; M.M., violin performance, Cleveland Institute of Music. Principal teachers: Stephen Clapp, Joel Smirnoff. Chamber music coaches: Sidney Curtiss, Kathleen Carroll, Rohan De Silva, Samuel Rhodes, Roger Chase, Sir Roger Tapping. Solo performances: The Philadelphia Orchestra; and the Philadelphia Classical, Kennett, Lansdowne and Ambler symphonies. Winner: Albert M. Greenfield Competition, 2001. Awards and scholarships: The Eugene Ormandy scholarship; grants from The Loeb Performing Arts Foundation, Alfonso Cavaliere Memorial Scholarship and the Kardon Foundation. Summer festivals: Kinhaven, ENCORE School for Strings, Casalmaggiore International Music Festival, Banff Strings. Violin: 1901 Emilio Evasio Guerra violin, kindly loaned to her by Mr. William A. Loeb.

Private Lessons

  • Violin
Inquire About Lessons

Staff

Our staff ensures daily operations run smoothly – supporting families, programs, and events so students can focus on their music.

President & CEO

David J. Pacific

Administrative Staff

Business Office

Mary Jane Vanvestraut

Director of Community Engagements

Jenna Morris

Business/HR Manager

Program

Cheri Astolfi

Dean

Stephen Tipping

Program Associate

Registration

Maria Rusu

Senior Student Services Manager

Anna Hall

Billing and Student Services Associate

Felicia Tyrrell

Student Services Associate

Communications & Development

Jeana Beno

Director of Development

Madeline Perri

Grants & Stewardship Administrator

Seth Schilling

Development Associate

Jennifer Marang

Senior Manager, Digital Evolution and Special Projects

Front Desk & Office Staff

Laura Beasley

Lead Front Desk Associate
Milford

Creet Vogt

Lead Front Desk Associate
Wilmington

Caroline Schaffer Robin

Front Desk Associate
Wilmington

Yvette Rudolph

Front Desk Associate
Wilmington

Johannah Esi Siefe

Front Desk Associate
Wilmington

Mike Wadsworth

Front Desk Associate
Milford

Facilities

Patrick Durnan

Facilities Manager

Herbert Poe

Senior Security Officer

Jermaine Richardson

Security Officer

Board of Directors

Our board provides vision, leadership, and support to guide The Music School of Delaware’s mission and growth.

Christopher Stout, Board Chair
Jennifer Cresswell, Vice Chair
Lawrence A. Hamermesh, Esq., Treasurer
Elyse Poinsett, Secretary
Nina Anderson, DNP
Susan Booker
John G. Day
David L. DeVoll
Jennette Fennimore
Monica Joshi, MD
Kathy Nachbar
Robert Rinaldi
Jonathan H. Salvin, MD
Elizabeth Stout
Bruce I. Dittmar, PhD, Director
Emeritus (non-voting)
Marie Mauk Stewart, Director
Emerita (non-voting)

Centennial Council Members

Karen Ahramjian
Mary Jo Anderson
Michael W. Arrington
The Honorables Bernard and Helen* Balick
Glen D. Barbaras*
Vivian Barton
Thomas F. Bayard IV
Susan N. Booker
Kenneth O. Boulton
Larry and Linda* Breedlove
David Bromberg and Nancy Josephson
David Auldon Brown
K. Elizabeth Brown
Chris and Maria Buccini
David Burris
Michael Burris
Scott Burris
David G. and Ann* Burton
Thaddeus K. Bythewood, Jr.*
Sam and Mariah Calagione
Rudolph A. Carboni, M.D.*
The Honorable Thomas R. and Mrs. Martha S. Carper
Lotus Cheng
James and Kanako Clarke
Lynne M. Cooksey, DMA
Tatiana B. Copeland
Richard Corroon
Thomas L. Cover
John D’Agostino
Donna DeLaurentis and Richard A. Fisher, M.D.
Susan Detwiler
Bruce I. Dittmar, Ph.D.
Richard Diver*
Eleuthere du Pont
Irénée du Pont, Jr.*
Betty S. Duncan
Charles J. Durante
Dr. Lanny and Michelle Edelsohn
Veronica Eid
Dr. Clarence Faulcon* and Jacqueline Beach Faulcon
Clairmarie H. Field
Dorothy and Louis Finger*
Karen Flint
Peter Flint, Jr.
Nancy Frederick
Michelle Freeman
Sally M. Gakenheimer*
Anne S. Gallagher
Michele Rossi Gildea
Herman L.* and Charlotte K.* Glotzer
Barbara S. Govatos
Gary Graffman
Mary Graham
Rachel Grier-Reynolds
Lawrence A. Hamermesh
Michael Hanson
David and Teri Harwell
Thomas Herholdt
A. Clinton Hewes, M.D.
Eldon du Pont Homsey*
David M. Hudson
Catherine C. Hughes*
Mark Huntley
Kathryn M. Jakabcin
Naomi J. Jefferson*
Eric T. Johnson, M.D. and Amy W. Johnson
Terrence Johnson
John M. and Susan Kerns
David Kim
Maria T. Klocko
Martha Rhoads Kob
John T. and Inge D. Konther
David Krauss
David Kubacki
Kenneth J.* and Mary Louise Kubacki
Neal Kurz
Helen Kwalwasser*
Michael Larkin
The Honorable J. Travis and Rebecca G. Laster
Holly Lissner
Ivar A. “Bud” Lundgaard* and Susan R. Duer
Harvey W. and Austina T. Maclary
Michael Marinelli
Vincent Marinelli
Robert and Alice Martinelli
David F. Marvin
Robin Mayforth
Virginia S. Mayforth
Stephen Mazur, PhD
David C. McBride, Esq
Dr. Diana Metzger
Mable R. Morrison
C. David Murtagh
Parry M. and Nancy N. Norling*
Mary Ellen Northrop*
Rudy Nyhoff
Linda O’Connor
Richard Pack
Mark A. Parsells
Diane Pascal
Elayne Penn
Michelle A. Peters
Nancy Ransom*
Pauline Raughley
Robert Layton Reed*
Tracy Richardson
Gabrielle K. Rinaldi
Robert Rinaldi
Philip D. and Sandra Robers
C. Lawler Rogers, Sr.*
Michele Rossi
David W. Ryerson*
Bryan Shupe
Dennis Silicato
Nicole Silicato-Miller
Henry Smithies
Malcolm A. Smook*
Elizabeth Snyder
Wilson G. Somers
Joan R. Spiegelman
William J. Stegeman, Ph.D.*
Marka G. Stepper
Marie Mauk Stewart
Johanne C. Strahan*
Karleen C. Strayer
Evelyn Swensson
Maggie Thompson
Cynthia duPont Tobias
Steve Van Order and Anne Barney
John Weikart*
Philip B.* and Peggy Weymouth
Robert Wynn
Michael Yaffe
Wilmington Campus

4101 N Washington Street

Wilmington, DE 19802

302-762-1132

Milford Campus

23 N Walnut St,
Milford, DE 19963
302-422-2043

© 2026 The Music School of Delaware. All rights reserved.

This organization is supported, in part, by a grant from the Delaware Division of the Arts, a state agency, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts. The Division promotes Delaware arts events on www.DelawareScene.com.