ARB Position: Accompanist
Marina Salganik
Mila Fursik
Raul Cordies
Ian Howells
Ian Howells is a pianist/accompanist based in the Tri-State area. He is a graduate of the John J. Cali School of Music at Montclair State University and Mercer County Community College, where he received degrees in Jazz Studies. He developed his love for music from a young age, experimenting with multiple instruments before taking a further interest in piano. Upon entering college, he took a fond interest in playing and studying jazz, while still keeping to his classical roots. Dubbed a “musical chameleon,” he splits his time between many genres, such as choral accompanying, jazz combos, and musical theater styles.
Jonathan Benjamin
Jaeyeon Chung
Jaeyeon Chung was born in South Korea and began playing the piano at an early age, accompanying her church choir by the time she was 12 years old. She attended Westminster Choir College in Princeton, NJ where she majored in Piano Performance and Pedagogy, before returning to Dankook Graduate School in Seoul, South Korea where she majored in Piano Accompaniment. She studied Dance Accompaniment at Sungshin Women’s University (Graduate) School In Sungshin, South Korea, later earning a third graduate degree in Piano Performance and Pedagogy from Westminster Choir College in Princeton, NJ. Jaeyeon has performed extensively in places such as the Australian Opera House in 1992, Ecole Normale, France in 1997 where she also studied. Jaeyeon’s illustrious accompanying resume includes playing for the Gospel Church in Yeouido, Korea in 1992, Seoul Arts High School in 2005, the Korean Ballet Company and Bergen Catholic High School, Oradell, NJ 2015. For a period spanning more than 10 years, Jaeyeon has accompanied and performed in numerous colleges, universities and other venues in South Korea and around the world. Today Ms. Chung is on the staff at Westminster Choir College in NJ where she accompanies several choirs. She also serves as accompanist for the Princeton Ballet School, pre-kinder school music teacher in Basking Ridge, NJ, and organist at Pemberton Grace Church.
Pavel Zarukin
Pavel Zarukin won second prize in the 1984 Viotti International Piano Competition in Vercelli, Italy. He received his D.M.A. in Musical Arts from the St. Petersburg State Conservatory in 1985 and worked as a Piano Department Faculty member there 1986-1991. After coming to the US in 1992 he taught Piano at the Musical Arts Academy of Bucks County, General Music and Choir at Elizabeth, NJ, Trenton, NJ Public Schools and Gateway Special Needs School in Carteret, NJ, 1999-2019. Currently he teaches music at the Christ the King Regional School in Haddonfield, NJ and holds positions of an Organist and Choir Director at Beth David Reform Congregation in Gladwyne, PA and a Staff Accompanist at the American Repertory Ballet/Princeton Ballet School in Princeton, NJ.
Megan Register
Megan Register is a pianist and teacher based in Hillsborough, NJ. As a performing pianist, Megan has performed as a soloist and collaborative artist, both on stage and at special events. She is a frequent accompanist in student recitals, exams, and competitions. She has been a staff accompanist at the American Repertory Ballet’s Princeton Ballet School since 2004.As an educator, Megan works to help each student find their unique voice in music. Her students have received high honors in examinations, and often participate in community service-oriented performances. Since 2003 she has taught private piano lessons at Westminster Conservatory of Music, where she has served as Concerto Competition Coordinator and co-director of Westminster’s summer Piano Camp. She maintains an independent piano studio in Hillsborough. Megan earned Bachelors and Masters degrees from Columbus State University and Westminster Choir College. Her primary piano teachers were Linda Dyson, Betty Anne Díaz, and Phyllis Alpert Lehrer, and her pedagogy teachers were Steve Clark, Ingrid Clarfield, Jean Stackhouse, James Goldsworthy, and Phyllis Alpert Lehrer.