Faculty
Lucinda E. Ali-Landing, violin
![]() Lucinda E. Ali-Landing, (formerly Lucinda Holland) violinist and founder of the Hyde Park Suzuki Institute, began her studies at age six, with her father, James Holland, a violinist/violist. She began with Suzuki studies, which was relatively still new in North America in the early 1970's. After studying for one year with her father, she then studied with Sarah Deneen and later Donna Ross. See more...
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Nia Barberousse Binns, Esq.
Suzuki Program Director and Lead Cello Teacher ![]() Nia-Imara Barberousse, an HPSI Alumni, is a classical cellist and Chicago native. As a child, she was a student of Martine Benman and a member of the Hyde Park Suzuki Scholars Quartet, where they toured through the Chicagoland area. Nia graduated from the Interlochen Arts Academy where she studied with Crispin Campbell. She completed her undergraduate degree in Cello Performance at the University of Toronto under the instruction of Shauna Rolston-Shaw. Now that Nia has returned to Chicago, she greatly enjoys teaching at her childhood music school (HPSI) and performing throughout her hometown of Chicago.
Matea Hernandez, violin![]() Matea Hernandez is a dedicated violinist and music educator who started her musical journey at
the age of six through a Chicago Public Schools music program. Her upbringing in an all-artist community, where she was surrounded by poets, painters, and musicians, inspired her to pursue her passion in the arts. Matea has worked with a number of devoted and well-known violin instructors. She has also received coaching in playing chamber music from Jesse Montgomery, Rachel Barton-Pine, and members of the Catalyst Quartet. Matea Hernandez has performed on many stages with the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra and Sphinx Performance Academy. She has also performed at Legend’s with Buddy Guy, proudly displaying his signature on her French violin from the 1910s. After an unfortunate bicycle accident where she broke five bones in her left arm, Matea felt as though her violin career was over. She stored her violin (safely) away and continued on through a five-year hiatus. However, her passion for music could not keep her away from the violin. Matea reached out to a former instructor who agreed to prepare her for a college audition. She applied to VanderCook College of Music, receiving twelve scholarships and grants covering nearly all of her tuition. Matea is currently pursuing her B.A. in Violin Performance and Pedagogy and intends to pursue a Master of Arts. Through performing and educating, she aims to increase minority representation in the world of classical music. She strongly believes that every child can play the violin and works to inspire passion in all of her students. Natalie Frakes, violin
![]() Natalie Frakes is a Detroit-based violinist, teaching artist, and music educator who believes deeply in using music as a vehicle for social change. When she’s not teaching, she keeps busy performing with some of Detroit’s best musicians and has been part of live productions for current artists such as Wordless Music Orchestra, Kygo, Michael Buble, Josh Groban, and more. Natalie is a passionate educator and has a diverse background as a teaching artist and educator in the public schools and with El Sistema-inspired programs. She was Director of Orchestras for Oxford Community Schools and has been a teaching artist with the Detroit Symphony's Civic Youth Ensembles, MSU Community Music School-Detroit, and El Sistema-inspired programs including Accent Pontiac, Baltimore Symphony's OrchKids, the Archipelago Project, and recently completed an intensive Global Leaders Bootcamp in Chile. Natalie currently works with the Sphinx Organization, the Detroit Metropolitan Youth Symphony, University Musical Society, and Detroit Symphony Orchestra.
Nzingaa Barberousse, Project Manager![]() Nzinga-Ain Barberousse, an HPSI Alumni, started with HPSI at age 3 on the piano. She has studied at Sherwood, MIC, UIC, and Northwestern for classical piano since then. Also a member of the Hyde Park Suzuki Scholars Quartet, she toured the Chicagoland area performing with other musicians through high-school and college. Her teaching career began 7 years ago with a single student and has grown to include students of all ages. She has been a certified Suzuki Method instructor for several years and uses a mixture of methods to teach music theory and sight reading. She received her Bachelor of Science in neuroscience still studying piano and receiving a scholarship for it throughout college; and plans to continue teaching throughout graduate school.
Ifetayo Ali, cello
![]() Ifetayo Ali began her musical studies on violin when she was able to stand. An HPSI Alumni, at age 3, she decided that she preferred the mellow sounds of the cello and begged her mother to switch. She was allowed to switch at age 4. Her teachers and coaches have been Lucinda Ali Landing, Megan Lauterbach and Martine Benmann at the Hyde Park Suzuki Institute, Tahirah Whittington, and Hans Jørgen Jensen. She has also studied with teachers at summer music camps at Suzuki-Deerfield, Illinois Wesleyan, Sphinx Performance Academy, Meadowmount, and the Young Artists Program.
Ifetayo is the Sphinx Competition Junior Division First-Place Laureate for 2017 and performed as soloist with the Sphinx Symphony Orchestra at Orchestra Hall in Detroit. At the 2016 Sphinx Competition, she was awarded Second-Place Laureate in the Junior Division. Ifetayo was also one of the winners of the 2016 DePaul Concerto Festival for Young Performers and performed as soloist with the Festival’s Oistrakh Symphony Orchestra. She has performed with the Wilmington (NC) Symphony at the Wilson Center, New World Symphony at New World Center in Miami Beach, Florida, Detroit Symphony in Orchestra Hall, Pittsburgh Symphony in Heinz Hall, South Bend Symphony at Morris Performing Arts Center, Buffalo Philharmonic in Kleinhans Music Hall, Elgin Symphony at Hemmens Cultural Center, Chicago Sinfonietta at Chicago Symphony Center, and Southwest Michigan Symphony at Howard Performing Arts Center. Recordings, radio, and television appearances include “Holes in the Sky” a Lara Downes Project, “White Christmas” for Jessie J with the Matt Jones Orchestra, NPR’s From the Top Show 349 with host Christopher O’Riley in New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall, WTTW’s Chicago Tonight, and WFMT Radio “Introductions.” In 2013, at the age of ten, Ifetayo was honored at the Friends of the Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra Rising Stars Showcase, where she recorded the 1st movement of the Saint-Saëns Cello Concerto (No. 1). To date, the video has over 105,000 YouTube views and over 15 million Facebook views. She also recorded “Celtic Hymn” by James MacMillan, who discovered the video and complimented Ifetayo via Twitter. Her most recent YouTube recordings are the first movement of the Shostakovich Cello Concerto (No. 1) and Pampeana No. 2 by Alberto Ginastera. Anokyewaa Oppong Wadie is an experienced violinist of almost 12 years. She
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Ms. Lucinda has some magic tricks that can keep young kids interested in violin playing, keep them focused during the lesson, and encourage them to practice at home.
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HPSI is very engaging, fun, and achievement-oriented.
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My son's love for music was deepened through the Hyde Park Suzuki Institute program! He was nurtured with loving and patient teachers who encouraged and motivated him. This is a highly recommended Institute and the director's vision for her students is simply Amazing! Also the parents are very supportive to one another as well as to each other's children...such an AWESOME village for thriving children!
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