Instructors

The Gasse School of Music grew out of the merger of the two studios of its founders, Dr. Daniel Gasse and Mrs. Sarah Gasse .

Sarah Gasse teaches viola, violin and chamber music. Mrs. Gasse plays principal viola in the Kankakee Valley Symphony Orchestra, violin in the Opus 3 Piano Trio and viola in the Convergence String Quartet Mrs. Gasse is a native of Sunderland, England. She attended the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow, Scotland and Glasgow University where she earned the BA (Musical Studies)HONS degree. After performing with renowned ensembles such as Britten-Pears Orchestra, Scottish Early Music Consort and the Cruic Quartet, in 1995 she emigrated to the United States for a career in performance and teaching. She has coached the string sections of The McHenry County Youth Orchestra and The Kankakee Valley Youth Symphony Orchestra. She has been on the faculty of Olivet Nazarene University, The Suzuki Orff School for Young Musicians in Chicago and the McHenry County Music Center. She also was the Director of Chamber Music at the McHenry County Music Center. Mrs. Gasse training and experience include both traditional and Suzuki method for strings and early childhood music education.

Dr. Daniel Gasse teaches cello and coaches chamber music. He also is a music director of the Suzuki-Orff School for Young Musicians in Chicago. Dr. Gasse serves as principal cellist of the Kankakee Valley Symphony Orchestra and plays in Opus 3 Piano Trio. He is a member of the Convergence String Quartet and the Chicago Twentieth Century Music Ensemble. Previous experiences include numerous performances as a recitalist, and soloist with orchestras in Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay and U S A, as well as holding the position of principal or assistant principal cellist in orchestras in Argentina, Brazil, and USA. Dr. Gasse has a Professor de Violonchelo degree from the Concervatorio Provincial de Musica de la Provincia de Cordoba, a Master and a Doctor in Musical Arts with a minor in Music Education from the University of Illinois. Dr. Gasse has more than 20 years of experience teaching cello and coaching chamber music and orchestra. His training and experience includes traditional methods as well as the Suzuki method. He also has experience teaching college students as a former faculty member of the Columbia College and Olivet Nazarene University. Many of his students have taken cello for their music major college degrees and two of them have earned the first prize in the Concerto Competition of the Kankakee Valley Symphony Orchestra in the last three years. Dr. Gasse also is trained in and has large experience in early childhood education. He has extensively taught Orff and Musikgarten classes. Dr. Gasse is also the author of the books The Music Written for the Cello By Argentinean Composers, and The History of Spain Through the Arts.

Susan Stutzman , a native of Chicago, began formal musical training at the age of seven studying both violin and piano privately. At the age of nine she began studies in Orff and later composition while continuing her studies in violin at the Suzuki Orff School for Young Musicians in Chicago. At the SOSYM she first met Dr. Daniel Gasse as her "Reading Orchestra" instructor. Involved in performance group classes at SOSYM Susan was able to perform with them at many venues including Mayor Richard Daily's inauguration at the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago and for before Chicago Bulls Game entertainment twice at the United Center. Susan's instructors at the Suzuki Orff School included Elizabeth Brown, Sheba Ogada, Rebecca McFaul, Russell Falstead, Julia Miller and Dr. Daniel Gasse.

At age fifteen Susan joined the Kankakee Valley Symphony Orchestra and was a member for 3 seasons (Fall of 1998-Spring of 2001). During her tenure with the orchestra she won the Youth Concerto Competition in Spring 2001. This resulted in two performances with the KVSO of the Mozart Violin Concerto #4 in D Major (1st Mov. and Cadenza).

In 1999 Susan began studying with the distinguished instructor or violin, Drew Lecher of Naperville. To this day she considers it a privilege to continue to sit under his coaching regularly. His excellent instruction has shaped her ideas on teaching as well as performance.

Susan has taught for numerous years privately the Suzuki Method (Certification through violin 1A) as well as traditional and considers is a privilege to have coached chamber music in the States as well as abroad on occasion. Her held bachelor degree is in Biblical Studies with an emphasis/minor in music from Moody Bible Institute in Chicago.

Hülya Alpakn teaches piano at The Gasse School of Music in Forest Park, IL. Ms. Alpakin is a native of Turkey. She began piano studies at age eleven in Mimar Sinan University Istanbul Conservatory after primary school. After she received her bachelor's degree in piano performance from the conservatory, she worked as a secondary piano teacher and accompanist in the music Conservatory of Mimar Sinan University. In addition to the conservatory, she taught piano at the Istasyon Art Center and worked as an accompanist for Royal Ballet Academy. She participated in numerous concerts as soloist, chamber musician and accompanist during her studies, and after she finished the conservatory. Ms. Alpak¦n moved to Chicago to continue her piano education in August 2000. After studying English, she began her Master Degree program under the tutorage of Dr. Ludmila Lazar at Roosevelt University Chicago Colleges of Performing Arts and received her Master of Music Degree in Piano Performance in December 2003. In May 2006, she received her Performance Diploma under the tutelage of Graham Scott. During her education in Chicago, she performed as a solo pianist in many recitals and chamber music concerts at Roosevelt University, De Paul University, The People's Music School, Harold Washington Library, Argyle Self Help Center and Sherwood Conservatory. Ms. Alpakin is an instructor of piano at The People's Music School, S.P.A.C.E. Music School, and pianist for Christ The King Lutheran Church, and St. Gregory The Great Church. She is also employed as an accompanist for Hubbard Street Dance Company.

Brian Riggs teaches guitar at the Gasse School of Music in Forest Park, IL. His mission is to foster enthusiasm and knowledge of the guitar and its music. Mr. Riggs currently attends the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University, working toward his Bachelor of Music degree in guitar performance. He also attended the Moody Bible Institute from 2002 - 2005, majoring in Music Performance - Classical Guitar and performed at the Cordoba Guitar Festival in Cordoba, Spain, as a Master Class Student, in 2003 and 2005. Mr. Riggs' teaching experience includes group and private lessons at the Moody Community Music School, Westminster Fine Arts Academy in the Chicagoland area and is specialized in classical but teaches all styles of guitar playing. Mr. Riggs has performed at parties, banquets, and wedding ceremonies in the Chicagoland area since 2002.