RUFINA GORIN
Director
Rufina Goring got her B.A. from Kiev Music College in Piano Performance and Piano Pedagogy in 1968 and M.A. from Conservatory Pedagogical division, Kiev/Nezin, Ukraine in Piano Performance and Choral Conducting in 1976, qualified to teach at grade school, high school and colleges. She has studied under Dr. Samuel Gindin, Dr. Alexandra Ostrovskay, Dr. Lydia Sure, Kiev, Ukraine who has being students and followers of the leading pedagogy methods of T. Leschetizky, A. Schnabel, and G. Neigauz.

Mrs. Gorin's interest and passion was to open beautiful world of music to her students, to give them skills and ability to create a beautiful sound (colorful tones), flawless technique, and ability to interpret composer's intent; in other words to give them tools and interpretive understanding. In continuing herself education, she has attended many seminars and training sessions from leading specialists in the field of music education, such as Frances Clark, Richard Chronister, David Krohenbule, Laurette Goldberg, Dorothy Taubman, Robert Page, Seymour Bernstein, Angela Hewitt, John O'Conor, and others. She maintains close ties to the music life of Moscow State Conservatory by attending its master classes, concerts and Tchaikovsky competitions from 1978-present.

Mrs. Gorin has being teaching at The Gorin School of Music (GSM), which she has established in November 1991. This school is accredited by Western Association of Schools and Colleges. Her other places of teaching were Community School of Music and Arts, Mountain View, California (1987-1991), Piano teacher at Agora Hill Music Conservatory, Agora Hill, California (1983-1987), Music instructor at Junior Music Academy, Thousand Oaks, California (1981-1984), Piano Teacher at private piano studio, Thousand Oaks, California (1981-1987), Faculty member, Music-Pedagogical College, Kiev, Ukraine 1973-1978; Mrs. Gorin also served as accompanist for Ballet Classes in collaboration with ballet dancers from Kiev Ballet Theatre, Ukraine (1968-1977).

Selected Student Accomplishments: Prize winners for number of years, US Open Music International Competition, Oakland, California; Prize winners, Junior Bach Festivals, Berkeley, California; Prizes winners (more than a dozen, age 5-18), "Sound of Music Festivals", Palo Alto, California, and many other local competitions; Numerous students passed the California Certificate of Merit Program levels Prime to Advanced, and were chosen to perform at the annual Music Teacher's Association Conventions and participate in the Master Class programs at the Conventions; participated in the National Guild Piano Auditions with a high score of achievements throughout years of study.

Mrs. Gorin, NCTM (Nationally Certified Teacher Music), her Professional Affiliations are: Member of Music Teachers' Association California, MTAC (1979-Present), Member, Music Teacher's National Association, MTNA (1987-Present), Serving on the Board and becoming President of Palo Alto Branch of MTAC (1987-1995), Serving on the Board of MTAC and becoming MTAC Vice President (1995-2002), MTAC Program Convention Chair (1999), Young Artist Solo/Ensembles Competition Chair, MTNA (CAPMT); Faculty member of American College of Musicians, Austin, Texas (1987-Present), Evaluator for Certificate of Merit Exams, MTAC (1990-Present), Adjudicator for National Guild of Piano Auditions (1990-Present), Adjudicator for United States Open Music Competition, Oakland, California (1995-1997), Adjudicator for Reno, NV Music Festival (2010).

Mrs. Gorin is now offering piano lessons in Incline Village, NV
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ROBERT GANS
Piano, Jazz Piano, Theory, Composition
Robert's journey in the music world has taught him that to reach people, it's necessary to speak their language, and contribute something meaningful to the conversation. He taught piano, music theory, and composition at the Portland Conservatory of Music from August 2005 until May 2010 when he moved to California. In 2008, he presented a solo piano recital featuring works by Beethoven, Wagner, Ravel and himself. In April 2009 Robert performed 2 of his recent piano works at the Conservatory's first Contemporary Music Festival causing one reviewer to comment, "Soundscape for Piano and Rhapsodic Variations, played by the composer, Robert Gans, showed that the Romantic style is alive and well at the conservatory." More recently he performed movements from the Escenas Romanticas of Enrique Granados.
In 2008 Robert completed a 3 movement work for string orchestra based on John Milton's Paradise Lost and a revision of his first musical drama, The Skyladder. In 2009 he wrote incidental music for a drama entitled The Streets of Portland produced by AIRE Theater at the St. Lawrence Arts Center and released a new CD entitled For the Very First Time. In 2010 Robert finished composing a set of five piano nocturnes entitled Dreamscapes which he performed at the Conservatory's second annual Contemporary Music Festival in April 2010 to critical praise.
Robert is a graduate of the State University of New York at Oswego with a Bachelor's degree in music. After exploring post graduate study he returned home to New York City to work in the music industry for seven years before moving to Portland, Maine, and then to Menlo Park, California.