Teachers

Pianist Elena Cholakova was born in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, where she made her debut with the Plovdiv Symphony Orchestra at the age of 18, playing Shostakovich’s 2nd Piano Concerto. Elena studied at the Sofia Conservatory Preparatory Division with the renowned Bulgarian pianist Atanas Kurtev. While still in Bulgaria, she won a number of solo and chamber music competitions and gave performances in numerous concert halls around the country. An active performer and collaborator, Elena has given recitals at the Liszt Academy in Budapest, Hungary, U.S. Embassy in Budapest, Hungary, Bulgaria Hall and Sofia Conservatory in Sofia, Bulgaria, Balabanov House, Museum of Unification and Ethnographic Museum in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, Aosta Concert Hall in Aosta, Italy, Fellbach Musicschulle in Fellbach, Germany, Fazioli Salon in Chicago, IL, as well as Northwestern University, Emory University, University of Georgia, Furman University, Georgia Southern University, and University of Las Vegas . Elena has toured the south-east United States as a member of the American Chamber Music Society. Her performances have been broadcasted live on Chicago’s classical music radio station WFMT, Bulgarian TV and radio stations.

Elena is the 2008 recipient of Rislov Foundation Scholarship of University of Michigan, awarded to musicians nationwide, for their high achievements in the field of music. She has also been awarded the Spivey Foundation Scholarship, Boettcher/Bogue Endowed Scholarship.

Elena holds prizes from the 2nd International Competition for French Music, Bulgarian National Chamber Music Competition, Thaviu-Isaac Competition, Evanston Music Club Competition.

As an active chamber musician, Elena gave the Bulgarian debut of the Malcolm Arlnold’s Sonata for Viola and Piano, in collaboration with violist Rumen Cvetkov. She has also collaborated with members of the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Murcia Symphony Orchestra, Icelandic Symphony Orchestra, Sofia Solists Chamber Orchestra and the Chicago Saxophone Quartet. Elena has made appearances at the Zephyr Music Festival, Las Vegas Music Festival, Sommerkurs Klavier and Sofia Musical Summers.

Elena holds a MMus and DMus from Northwestern University where she studied with James Giles, Ursula Oppens, Sylvia Wang , Roland Vamos and Elizabeth Buccheri. Elena is a member of MTNA, College Music Society and the Pi Kappa Lambda Honors Society.

Aaron Stampfl is currently a doctoral student at Northwestern University studying piano with Alan Chow. Stampfl completed his undergraduate studies at the Wheaton College Conservatory of Music under the tutelage of Daniel Paul Horn. He studied piano and chamber music with Shigeo Neriki, Evelyn Brancart and János Starker at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, receiving a Master’s Degree and Performance Diploma.

As a soloist, Stampfl has performed many recitals throughout the Midwest and has been heard live on Vermont Public Radio. He has also performed in masterclasses given by Stephen Hough and the Emerson String Quartet.

As a teacher, Stampfl has worked with students of varying ages and levels for over fifteen years. He currently teaches Class Piano at DePaul University in Chicago. Stampfl has formerly served as an Associate Lecturer and Staff Accompanist at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside. For the past three summers, he has worked as an assistant for Opera ala Carte, a non-profit program based in Kenosha, Wisconsin designed to give high school students a chance to perform and experience opera.

A performer in a variety of genres, Stampfl has collaborated with the Tony Award winning soul singer Heather Headley and has worked in the recording studio alongside Brian Bell of the Grammy-winning rock band Weezer.

As a dedicated pedagogue, Stampfl hopes to one day teach studio piano at the college level. He also intends to continue to perform and record in a wide range of artistic mediums.