About Our Instructors
Riki Benjamin - Voice
Jimmy Broche - Guitar and Piano
Kim Fox - Piano
Faith Hofma - Violin
Starlet Knight - Piano
Giang Ngo - Piano
Ilona Rectenwald - Piano and Voice
Matt Rise - Guitar
Yulia Roubtsova - Piano and Music Theory
Tatiana Tatum - Piano
Rivka Isachar-Benjamin (Riki) - Voice
A native of Israel, Riki holds a Masters degree in vocal performance with highest distinction from The New England conservatory of Music in Boston, where she was granted the only full scholarship in the school. A winner of numerous musical competitions and awards, including the coveted Metropolitan Opera auditions, Ms. Isachar-Benjamin also holds a Bachelors Degree Cum Laude from Northern Illinois University and a teaching Degree granted by the Israeli Government.
As a consummate performer, Riki has performed as a soloist in leading roles with many opera companies, orchestras and choral societies in Israel and the US. She has received much critical acclaim for hundreds of programs she has been presenting in Jewish communities.
Having served as a cantor and a teacher for the past 22 years, she received her Cantorial Certification from Hebrew Union College/ Jewish institute of Music in New York in 2004. Riki believes in a relaxed, informal style of teaching with much encouragement and humor.
Jimmy Broache - Guitar and Piano (Return to Top of Page)
Jim has been a professional musician for 28 years, leading 3 successful bands performing in venues across the United States, and winning five American Song Festival awards. He has been a music director for several high-impact contemporary churches and regularly performs on many instruments in the community and surrounding areas.
Jim teaches all styles and levels of guitar, including jazz, contemporary, and classical. In addition to guitar, Jim is also an adept piano instructor, teaching beginning to intermediate levels in classical piano, with advanced instruction in jazz, pop, and music theory. He also has the ability to customize a course of study for those seeking chord theories, improv, and ear training. Jim is an experienced teacher and welcomes students of all ages and all skill levels of playing. Jim’s approach to teaching is informal, relaxed, yet motivating!
Kim Fox - Piano (Return to Top of Page)
Kim received a Bachelor of Music Degree from the Appalachian State University and is an accomplished soloist and accompanist. She has been a performance pianist for many local church services, private events, and theatre productions such as the Barter Theatre, Greenbrier Valley Theatre, and the Firehouse Theatre Project. She currently serves as the Adjunct Professor of Piano and Staff Accompanist at Randolph-Macon College, and has over twelve years of teaching experience at various music studios. Kim teaches many styles and levels of piano including classical, contemporary, and jazz. Her passion for music is something she strives to cultivate in all of her students.
Faith Hofma - Violin (Return to Top of Page)
Faith is a Richmond native, currently earning her Bachelor’s degree as a double major in Music Performance and History from VCU. She’s a member of VCU’s Symphony Orchestra and is an active performer in the Central Virginia area, playing solo and in ensembles for weddings, church services, and special events. Through her studies at VCU, Faith has performed in outreach concerts in the Richmond area, and has participated in local competitions and orchestras.
Faith has been teaching private lessons for seven years, and she welcomes students of all ages. She is fluent in many different musical genres, and particularly excels in classical literature. Her patient and encouraging teaching style quickly puts her students at ease, and her excitement for music is infectious!
Starlet Knight - Piano (Return to Top of Page)
Starlet is also a Richmond native; she has been teaching music for 25 years and has been a church musician for 35 years. She actively performs in the Richmond and Charlottesville areas, including a regular gig at Siips in Charlottesville, VA. She is also currently the Director of Music at Huguenot United Methodist Church, leading the choirs for all ages and the church handbell ensemble.
Starlet has performed with both the Nashville and Cleveland Symphony Choruses as well as their Jazz Ensembles, Pop Choirs, and small ensembles. She has also assumed rehearsal pianist responsibilities with the Akron Ohio’s Gospel Meets Symphony project as seen on PBS.
Starlet is a positive and energetic instructor, excelling at motivating students to practice and become excited about the music. She believes in utilizing different musical styles to adapt to what a student is interested in, and has the flexibility to teach jazz, pop, contemporary and classical styles. She truly enjoys teaching, and passes her love of music on to her students, no matter their age or ability!
Giang Ngo - Piano (Return to Top of Page)
Giang is a graduate of the School of Music in Dalat, Vietnam and comes to Richmond Piano with over fifteen years of teaching experience. She specializes in classical music and is an accomplished pianist, having accompanied the Richmond Ballet and performed at many local wedding events. She teaches beginner to advanced levels of piano with a concentration in classical music and music theory. Giang is a patient and creative teacher, offering individualized instruction to ensure that the student will progress at his or her own pace. She believes that piano lessons should be fun and exciting.
Ilona Rectenwald - Piano and Voice (Return to Top of Page)
Ilona has a Masters Degree in Music from Catholic University in Lublin, Poland. She has experience playing and studying the piano, organ, musical theory and history, liturgical music, singing and conducting. She has served as an organist, conductor, and voice instructor at churches, performing masses, weddings and funerals. She has also taught at music schools and through private lessons. She enjoys teaching, and finds it exciting to bring out the hidden talents within her students, and help them to believe in themselves.
Matthew Rise - Guitar (Return to Top of Page)
Matt graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with a classical guitar performance degree, and has a background in jazz, folk, rock, and bluegrass. Along with classical guitar, Matt has studied banjo for the past two years, and been playing drums for the past six years. In addition to performing and teaching, he founded the VCU guitar forum, a group dedicated to supporting classical guitarists and giving them opportunities to perform. Matt currently performs in the Richmond area as a soloist and as a member of the Richmond Guitar Quartet.
Matt has taught guitar for over five years and specializes in teaching classical guitar. He has experience teaching children and adults of all levels. He believes that a solid foundation is important in building a life in music, and this foundation develops through technique and theory. Music is about having fun and the ability to express yourself, an idea he explores with his students.
Yulia Roubtsova - Piano & Music Theory (Return to Top of Page)
Yulia, a native of Saint-Petersburg, Russia, moved to the Richmond in 2009 where she continues to build her distinctive career in music performance and education. She received a Masters degree in Musicology from Saint-Petersburg State Conservatory and has been teaching and performing professionally for over ten years. In addition to piano, she studied organ and harpsichord, and specializes in early music, music theory, solfege, harmony, and music literature.
Yulia has been a faculty member at Saint-Petersburg Music Lyceum - one of the most prestigious professional music schools in the city. There she taught piano, solfege, music theory and literature. She also has had an experience working with pre-kindergarten, early musical development groups including the Saint-Petersburg Center for Childhood Development where she taught the Carl Orff method.
Currently, Yulia actively performs throughout the Richmond area. She frequently collaborates with other musicians in recitals and concerts. She is also the music director at the St. Luke Lutheran Church. Her love of early music is matched only by her love of jazz, and she enjoys teaching piano at all levels and in all styles.
Tatiana Tatum - Piano (Return to Top of Page)
Tatiana began her musical career in Moscow Russia, obtaining a BA in Music from the Moscow Musical College and a Masters in Musicology from the Russian Academy of Music. Her professional experience includes a wide variety of trades such as music journalism, concert coordination, and accompanist for many local organizations including the Richmond Ballet and the Community School of the Performing Arts for VCU.
Tatiana has over 25 years teaching experience and has been a private instructor for Russian Music Schools, G-Clef Studio, and VCU. Her teaching style is mainly traditional classical instruction, including contemporary music whenever possible. From her years spent teaching in Russia she also has a strong background in ear training. She believes that music is a part of life and works to prepare her students to perform for any occasion. Most of all, she values student individuality and feels that the goal of teaching is to build confidence, develop character, and foster a love of music.
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