Learn from Nashville's Finest Musicians
Our faculty includes symphony players, award-winning songwriters, university professors and performers with Carnegie Hall and international credits.
Our instructors are active performers, composers, recording artists and university faculty. Faculty have played Carnegie Hall, recorded with Grammy-winning artists, directed national touring ensembles or hold advanced degrees from world-renowned institutions like Juilliard, the Royal Academy of Music (London), Berklee College of Music, Indiana University and more.
Faculty by Instrument
Piano
Dr. Anthony Belfiglio
Associate Professor of Music; jazz pianist heard at the Kennedy Center; collaborator with Grammy-winning and internationally known artists.
Mary Countess
Belmont-trained pianist and rehearsal pianist for Nashville Ballet and Nashville Children’s Choir.
Amy Frederick
Active Nashville session and live keyboardist (rock, R&B, country) and Hammond organ specialist; Belmont M.M. in Piano Performance.
Delores Hershey
Classically trained multi-instrumentalist and longtime Nashville performer with 14+ years of teaching experience.
Margarita Ivanova
Ph.D. in Music History; 30+ years training conservatory-level musicians in Ukraine and Europe; published researcher.
Dr. Kristian Klefstad
Associate Professor of Piano; active recitalist and guest artist; director of Belmont Piano Camp; former soloist with multiple symphonies.
Jeanie McQuinn
Grammy Certificate award-winning songwriter and music publisher with 700+ songs in catalog; teaches piano and songwriting.
Sonya Norman
Belmont-trained music educator and church music leader with 20+ years teaching piano and K-12 vocal/general music.
Strings
Sarah Coté
Belmont faculty violin/viola; former 17-year member of the San Antonio Symphony; performs nationally as a soloist and chamber musician.
Caroline Fleming
Professional violinist, orchestral concertmaster and youth ensemble coach with experience across regional symphonies.
Anna Lisa Hoepfinger
First violinist with the Nashville Symphony; extensive Suzuki training; co-founder of community Suzuki outreach in Nashville.
Carrie Kimbrough
Director of Belmont Academy and Pre-College Programs; violinist; leader of Belmont’s String Crossings and Preparatory Piano Camps.
Voice
Stephanie Adlington
Commercial voice instructor; Royal Academy of Music alum; former lead vocalist for members of the band Renaissance; BBC Radio performer.
Laura Alexander
30-year commercial and classical vocalist; Berklee-trained in vocal performance and production; frequent anthem singer for Nashville Predators.
Mary George
Classical voice instructor with decades of university-level teaching; Metropolitan Opera Auditions finalist; frequent Nashville Symphony soloist.
Robert May
Performer and composer who has sung at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center and created work for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s MetLiveArts series.
Guitar
John Cardoni
Touring/commercial guitarist and Belmont faculty artist; has performed with artists including Amy Grant and opened for Earth, Wind & Fire.
Jeff Rogers
Award-winning commercial and classical guitarist; Belmont faculty since 2001; multi-instrument instructor (guitar, banjo, mandolin).
Robert Thompson
Classical guitar recitalist with 300+ formal concerts and a Carnegie Hall debut; directs the Belmont Guitar Ensemble.
Michael Valeras
In-demand jazz and fusion guitarist; Berklee-trained; collaborator with legends like Steve Vai, John Scofield and Larry Coryell.
Our Staff
Carrie Kimbrough
Director of Belmont Academy
Amanda Rebstock
Graduate Assistant
Email:
belmontacademy@belmont.edu
Phone:
615.460.6346
How We Find the Right Teacher Fit
Not every instructor is right for every student — and that's a good thing. Our director learns about your goals, learning style and schedule first. Then we recommend the best instructor for you.