Faculty (Piano)

Mr. Mallie has won many awards for his piano playing throughout the Midwestern U.S. including the Steward Grant Competition. He has been featured as a soloist with the De Moines Symphony Orchestra. He is well known for his accompanying skills has played with many well-known soloists and ensembles. Before coming to New York, Mr. Mallie received his Bachelor of Music graduating Summa Cum Laude from Wartburg College. He received his Master of Music from the University of Kansas and a Professional Studies Certificate in 2007 studying with well-known pianist Arkady Aronov. He has also played for Phillip Entremont in Masterclasses. Mr. Mallie has been on the faculty of SICOM since 2007.

Yelena holds a MM from R. M. Glier State Musical Conservatory in Kiev, Ukraine. Since then, Yelena has taught at different music schools preparing students for recitals and competitions. She also intensively teaches music theory, ear training and solfeggio. Yelena is also a very experienced accompanist and soloist.

George holds a MM from Manhattan School of Music and currently is the Music Director of Saint Claire Church. Mr. Poppe is also the music teacher for St. Claire school. George composed music for Daniel Rodriguez(the singing police officer) for his latest recording. George has composed three operas: "The Christmas Carol"(1994), "The Hunchback of Notre Dame"(1998), "The Green Knight"(2001). George has composed works for the Metro Chamber Orchestra: "Overture"(2003) and "L'Vita Nuova"(2004). George has taught in the New Jersey and New York school systems. Mr. Poppe started teaching at the Staten Island Conservatory of Music in 1996.

The BBC hails Marcel Rominger's playing as "equally polished, considered and characterful" and New York Concert Review describes it being with “poise and elegance” when he made his Carnegie Hall debut January, 2009. Mr. Rominger won the 2001-2002 Crane Concerto Competition and 2002-2003 North Arkansas Symphony Orchestra Concerto / Aria Competition and is the recipient of the Rose L. Greenblatt Award in Piano. He was also named the 2003 MTNA Arkansas State Winner of the Young Artist Category. In 2005, Mr. Rominger was awarded an Honorable Mention at the William Garrison Competition in Baltimore Maryland. He was selected as the recipient for the Council on the Arts & Humanities for Staten Island 2007 Excellence in the Performing Arts Award and was awarded a grant in 2009 to perform a recital on Staten Island. In addition to being a soloist, Mr. Rominger has appeared with the Potsdam Symphony Orchestra and the North Arkansas Symphony Orchestra. His music has also appeared on the radio station WDAV in Charlotte, NC and He continues to give performances throughout the U.S., Europe and South America. Mr. Rominger obtained a Bachelor of Music Degree in Music Education and Piano Performance from the Crane School of Music at the State University of New York in Potsdam. His teachers included Olga Gross and Paul Wyse. He received his Masters of Music from the University of Arkansas studying under acclaimed concert pianist Jura Margulis where he held an assistantship in accompanying. He has studied with Hugo Goldenzweig at Mannes College of Music in New York and he has also been coached by Seymour Bernstein and Leslie Howard. In addition to performing, Mr. Rominger actively gives masterclasses throughout the world. He is currently on the faculty of the Staten Island Conservatory of Music since 2005 and also teaches at Baruch College. Active as a performer, teacher and scholar, Mr. Rominger is the recent recipient of the CUNY Chancellor's Fellowship Award. He is currently pursuing a Doctorate of Musical Arts in Piano Performance at The City University of New York, Graduate Center.

Valeda Zaage-Bell received her Bachelor of Music Degree from The University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. She attended Manhattan School of Music, Temple University, Brooklyn College and Hunter College for graduate work. She studied piano with Charles Fischer and orchestral and choral conducting with Elizabeth A.H. Green and John Sinclair. On July 29, 2009 she conducted a 120 voice choir and a 30 piece orchestra for a performance at Belmont Abbey College in North Carolina. Recently Valeda recorded a CD of 20th century piano music for Patrice Editions. Valeda has taught music classes at Curtis High School, New Dorp High School, Port Richmond High School and Wagner High School. She was the music director for local productions of “Once Upon a Mattress,” “Marat/Sade,” and “Jesus Christ Superstar.” In 2005 she performed an original art song she composed for the New Music Collective at the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music. She has been the organist, pianist and choir director for the Vanderbilt Moravian Church for the past 23 years.