Teaching Artists/Specialists

Elise LaBarge is a member of the Union Avenue Opera.

Horn musician, Carole Lemire received her bachelor of music degree from Boston University under the tutelage of David Ohanian and her Performing Artist Certificate from the St. Louis Conservatory of Music, studying under Roland Pandolfi. Carole is the former Principal Horn with the Opera de Colombia and Sinfonica de Antioquia in Colombia, South America. She has performed and recorded with the Mexico City Philharmonic, Nova Filarmonia and Orquesta Sinfonica Portuguesa of Lisbon, Portugal, where she was also a member of the San Carlos Opera Orchestra. She has also performed with the St. Louis Symphony, Savannah Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Fox Theater in Atlanta, Atlanta Ballet and Atlanta Opera Companies, as well as the Bach Society of St. Louis, Masterworks Chorale, and the St. Louis Philharmonic. A founding member of the Equinox Chamber Players, Carole has recorded Half Moon at Checkerboard Mesa by Phillip Kent Bimstein, while serving on the faculty of the St. Louis Symphony Community Music School and Washington University.

Scott Levin is a member of the Union Avenue Opera.

Leah Lombardo is a member of aTrek Dance Collective.

Jen Loui received her acting degree from St. Louis University. She has performed for many theatre companies throughout the U.S. and in St. Louis is known for her roles of Georgia O’Keefe and Vanessa Bell with Historyonics Theatre Company. Jen served as director of the performing arts program at Whitfield School and has been an adjunct faculty member at St. Louis University and St. Louis Community College at Florissant Valley.

Michael Loveman is a songwriter and professional keyboardist who composes, arranges, and produces a wide variety of musical styles. He received a bachelor of arts. in music and psychology from Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado and an master of arts in speech communication from Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville, Illinois. Additionally, Michael lived in Brazil for over a year where he studied Brazilian music and percussion while teaching music improvisation and composition. Currently, he performs authentic Brazilian music with Samba Bom and original world fusion music with the St. Louis based Ginkgo Biloba.

Loving stories began early for Carol Lyons, thanks to her Irish grandmother and a talented storyteller who visited her elementary school. In school Carol competed in speech contests and acted in plays. Before Carol was a storyteller, she was a human resources professional for over twenty years. She was also a realtor and a teaching assistant at a school for deaf children.

Originally from Kansas City, JoEllen Lyons received her bachelor’s degree in cello performance. She continued her studies at the California School of Music, performing at Stanford and Berkeley with members of the San Francisco Symphony. After moving to St. Louis, JoEllen has performed with the Laclede Quartet, the Bach Society, Masterworks Chorale, Webster University Symphony, and the St. Louis Strings Trio and Quartet. JoEllen has been on the faculty at University of Missouri–St. Louis, Lindenwood University, and the St. Louis Conservatory (CASA). She is an active free–lance musician and maintains an extensive private teaching studio in South St. Louis County.