Teaching Artists/Specialists

Bob Ceccarini exhibits a diverse musical background of classical, jazz, and Dixieland styles in his trumpet technique. Serving as principal trumpet since 1968 with the St. Louis Municipal Opera Orchestra, Bob has also performed many times with the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra and the Saint Louis Symphony Pops. He has shared his musical talents with school children since 1964 as member of Young Audiences’ St. Louis Brass Quintet.

Angela Chostner is a professional illustrator who specializes in the children’s market. She has illustrated numerous projects for children, including books, magazines and websites. Her background includes a bachelor of arts from the Art Academy of Cincinnati and over 15 years of experience in graphic design and illustration. Angela enjoys sharing her love of art with children. She has given school talks on her picture book, “Remembering Mama” and career talks as well. She has worked as a visual arts director for Jewish Community Centers Association Camp of the Arts and finds inspiration for her own work in children’s art.

Henry Claude is the founder of the Nuclear Percussion Ensemble. He is a performer, composer, inventor, and session musician; a specialist in trap set, vibraphone and orchestral percussion; percussionist with the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra, and Musical Director of Washington University’s Dance Dept.

Marion Berndt–Cohen has received training as an elementary school teacher. Besides teaching a storytelling program with Springboard to Learning & Young Audiences of St. Louis, Marion tells stories once a week in the Jewish Community Centers Association early childhood program. She is also a trainer of and mentor to all beginning storytellers at Springbord & Young Audiences.

Rebecca Culpepper–Hoffman received her bachelor’s in fine arts from Southwest Missouri State University in 1990. After graduating, she formed the Express Dance Company in Missouri, touring its first professional performance with a modern dance piece titled “On a Day Like Today”. The piece is about her grandmother, a post–pioneer woman who grew up in the Missouri Ozarks, and is now being performed in schools through out Kentucky. She also teaches week–long in school arts residencies with Young Audiences of Indianapolis and New Performing Arts in Kentucky. Recently, she began performing with Art! Art! Barking Dog Dance Company, a Louisville based modern dance company. Her passion is teaching dance as a communicative art form.