Faculty

SCORE FACULTY AND BIOS

Matthew Chicurel (co-director) is a violist, violinist, active gigging musician, conductor, and private instructor based in Chapel Hill, NC. He has performed and worked with organizations all around the area, including the North Carolina Symphony, Playmakers Repertory Company, the Durham Performing Arts Center, and more. Mr. Chicurel works with students at SCORE during their large ensemble rehearsals as the conductor, and during their small chamber group rehearsals as a chamber coach. Mr. Chicurel is an alumnus of the U.N.C. School of the Arts, and Mannes College the New School for Music, graduating under the respective tutelage of Ulrich Eichenauer and Daniel Panner.

Emi Mizobuchi (co-director) is a violist and teacher located in Chapel Hill, NC. During her undergraduate and graduate studies at the Cleveland Institute of Music, Emi earned a minor in Spanish language and a concentration in eurhythmics pedagogy, both of which she hopes to employ in her teaching career. In addition to coaching chamber groups and leading sectionals at SCORE, Miss Emi is our eurhythmics instructor, teaching students at SCORE to internalize and understand the basic concepts of rhythm.

Liz Lee (violin faculty) is a performing, recording, and teaching violin virtuoso based in New York City. Ms. Lee has won prestigious grants, and is a faculty member at several notable chamber festivals around the world. At SCORE, Ms. Lee works with the violin sections during their orchestra rehearsals, coaches one of our high-school aged mentor chamber groups, and helps the younger students with their ensemble playing as well. Ms. Lee has been an integral part of several exciting projects including work with living composers, collaboration with choreographers and dancers, and a performance with Yo-Yo Ma as the concertmaster of the Kennedy Center Honors concert in Washington D.C. (at which President Barack Obama was in attendance). Ms Lee received her training from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, New England Conservatory, the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University, the University of Michigan, and the Paris Conservatoire.

Jake Wenger (cello faculty) is a cellist, teacher, and conductor who regularly performs solo, chamber, pit orchestra, symphony orchestra, and contemporary music. Mr. Wenger is a native of Raleigh, NC, and has played the cello in many exciting venues such as the Durham Performing Arts Center, and Carnegie Hall. At SCORE, Mr. Wenger works with our high-school-aged mentors in their orchestra rehearsal from within the cello section, and also coaches a small chamber group of young students. Mr. Wenger is the co-owner of the North Raleigh School of Music, and is a graduate of both the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, and the Manhattan School of Music.

Erich Lieth (Jazz faculty) is a pianist and teacher of all music styles, specializing in jazz and improvisational techniques. Mr. Lieth works with the students at SCORE to build confidence in their musical individuality and their intrinsic ability to create. Mr. Lieth also instructs and accompanies our camp-wide chorus class which uses music of all genres to encourage students in their exploration of their individual voices and musicality. In addition to performing and instructing year-round, Mr. Lieth has a PhD. in Neuroscience, and has done extensive work with elderly people, using music to help combat the devastating effects of memory loss.

Braima Moiwai (Rhythm faculty) is a West African drumming teacher who works with students on celebrating their individuality and expressing themselves through percussive ensemble playing. Mr. Moiwai takes a multi-disciplinary approach to sharing his culture, as he entertains and informs his captive audiences using music, storytelling, and hand-made traditional textiles. At SCORE, Mr. Moiwai gives each student the opportunity to learn about his cultural background and to explore their newfound knowledge as a group. Mr. Moiwai is known for his dynamic and heartfelt way of connecting with others, and has won several awards throughout his lifetime including the “2008 Star Studded Citizen Award” and “Tar Heel of the Week”. Mr. Moiwai was also featured in the Mel Gibson movie, “The Patriot”, and continues to impress and inspire us daily.

Joanna Sisk-Purvis (Chorus faculty) is a writer, educator, conductor, composer and musician. At SCORE, Mrs. Sisk-Purvis works with our camp-wide chorus on their singing technique and ensemble practice. Mrs. Sisk-Purvis is an alumna of UNC's music school, and graduated from Northwestern University with her masters in flute performance. Mrs. Sisk-Purvis also received her D.M.A. from the University of Southern California, minoring in conducting and ethonomusicology.

James Rice (Piano faculty) is a performer and educator, whose specialties lie in piano and vocal music. Mr. Rice’s own education is diverse and thorough; he has studied at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, the University of Tennessee, and the Tomlin School of Music at the Napier University of Edinburgh. At SCORE, Mr. Rice teaches a secondary piano class (‘piano as a second language’, if you will) to our high-school-aged mentor students, and coaches a small afternoon ensemble as their chamber instructor. Mr. Rice teaches at the Triangle Music School with Ms. Hancock, and is certified in the teaching methods of both Suzuki and Every Child Can.