MIchael Puryear
|Cello

Difficulty Levels: Beginner to Advanced
Music Styles: Any
Locations: C Street Conservatory

Michael Puryear received his Master’s degree in cello performance at Lynn University while studying with David Cole in 2019. He won numerous competitions during his collegiate career, including the concerto competitions at Shenandoah University in 2015, the Virginia Music Teachers Association in 2016, and Lynn University’s in 2017, and the chamber music competition at Lynn University in 2018 and 2019. He has remained active as a freelance orchestral and chamber musician; performing with the Boca Symphonia, Space Coast Symphony, Punta Gorda Symphony, and several others. A proud native of Richmond, Virginia, Michael began his musical career studying with Neal Cary from the Richmond Symphony. Other primary teachers include Clyde Thomas Shaw and Vasily Popov. He has performed in masterclasses for Andres Diaz, Joel Krosnick, Lynn Harrell, and the Emerson String Quartet. He is passionate about learning diverse repertoire. He is new to the NWA area and enjoys classic movies, Indian food, and his dog.

Grace CLark
|Viola/Violin

Difficulty Levels: Beginner to Advanced Viola & Beginner Violin
Music Styles: Any
Locations: C Street Conservatory

Grace is an Northwest Arkansas native and is currently at the University of Arkansas completing her Bachelor’s degree in Viola Performance. Grace has been no stranger to the arts around NWA and has been doing performances with Symphony of Northwest Arkansas and the Arkansas Philharmonic Orchestra since 2016! Grace has also branched outside of the state and is a part of the Tulsa Symphony Orchestra as well! She has been doing private lessons for the past 5 years and we are so glad to have her here to share her knowledge of musical elements and theory. Grace is enthusiastic about being here and can’t wait to work with your students!

Nina Kinzer
|cello

Difficulty Levels: Beginner to Advanced
Music Styles: Any
Locations: J Street Conservatory

Nina is a passionate musician. She is dedicated to honing her craft and exploring musical expressions in unique and new ways. She possesses a strong foundation in classical technique and continually seeks opportunities that deepen her understanding of the cello while exploring new creative boundaries.

Nina is a recent addition to the teaching community. She if finding joy in sharing her knowledge and experience with her students. She draws much inspiration from her more than 13 years of masterful instruction and performances, she feels honored to be able to pass on that passion to her students.

“The cello is a beautiful instrument, but must be played with love.” - Yo-Yo Ma

Katie Staed
|Violin/Viola/Cello

Difficulty Levels: Beginner to Advanced Violin, Beginner to Intermediate Viola, Beginner Cello
Music Styles: Classical, Fiddle
Locations: J Street Conservatory

Katie is a Music Education and Violin Performance Major at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, AR. She has been playing the violin for over 20 years. She is a member of the Arkansas Philharmonic Orchestra.
Katie has worked with several groups around the Northwest Arkansas area, including the Fayetteville after school string program at Vandergriff Elementary in Fayetteville and the Fayetteville Fiddle Choir, headed up by Mary Haley. She studied violin and viola with Dr. Er-Gene Kahng at the UofA. Her previous violin teachers have included Rossitza Jekova-Goza (former violin professor at the UofA) and Christopher Pinkston of Fort Smith, Arkansas. She has studied many different styles of music, including classical, country-western/bluegrass (fiddle), rock and jazz.

In addition to private lessons, Katie was also the Director of Orchestras at the Northwest Arkansas Classical Academy from 2012 - 2020.

Jennifer Underwood
|Viola/Violin/cello/piano

Difficulty Levels: Violin Beginner to Advanced, Viola, Cello, Piano Beginner to Intermediate
Music Styles: Classical and Various
Locations: J Street Conservatory

Jennifer began learning violin at age 10 and studied during her teens with the concertmaster of the Youngstown Symphony Orchestra in Youngstown, OH. This led to her early entrance to the Dana School of Music at Youngstown State University at age 16, where she received a scholarship to study violin performance. She added a viola minor to her undergraduate work.

After a neck injury, due to an auto accident just before her senior solo recital and graduation, she returned to the university to study Music Education with a cello and piano minor. During this time she also began teaching private lessons and has been teaching ever since.

After receiving a BA from the University of Pittsburgh, she worked as an international music teacher in the K-12 schools in South Korea, Dominican Republic and France, where she was director of the full-school musicals and seasonal productions. 

Jennifer enjoys teaming up her students for ensemble playing (duets, trios, quartets, etc). Sometimes giving them opportunities to perform at a variety of venues.  She has also conducted a Community String Orchestra in the past in Pittsburgh, PA.

Most recently, she has relocated to Bentonville AR, from AZ and NM, where she had been teaching privately for the past 20 years.  

She prepares her students with a strong foundation for whatever path they decide to take with their musical interests, talents, and careers while cultivating love for their instrument and their music.

Bella Adams
|violin

Difficulty Levels: Beginner to Advanced
Music Styles: Any
Locations: J Street Conservatory

Information coming soon.