Liza Austria was born and raised in New York City and co-founded UpBeat NYC, with her husband, in 2009. She grew up in a household filled with music as both her parents were musicians. Liza studied piano from age 4-20 and as a young adult, performed regularly in and around New York City as a modern dancer and Jazz/Brazilian vocalist. She holds a bachelor’s degree in “Dance, Community and Social Change” from the Gallatin School at New York University.
As director of UpBeat NYC, Liza has worn many hats- from piano teacher to grant writer, family choir director to parent coordinator - all with the belief in the power of music to build community. During her tenure as Co-Director, UpBeat NYC has grown from serving a dozen students once per week to a program operating 6 days per week providing year round instrumental classes to hundreds of South Bronx children, with multiple string and wind ensembles, a youth orchestra and an Afro Latin Jazz band. Liza lives in the South Bronx with her husband and their 2 daughters.
As a young musician growing up in Fort Worth, Texas, Richard fell in love with the music of Charlie Parker, Sonny Rollins and John Coltrane. He began learning to play the saxophone in his middle school’s band program where he developed lasting friendships and musical skills that opened his heart to an exciting world of art and expression. He went on to study jazz music at the University of New Orleans with Ellis Marsalis and then William Paterson University where he completed his degree in Jazz Saxophone Performance.
Richard moved to NYC after graduation where he worked as a performer, composer and public school music teacher in Brooklyn. This teaching experience galvanized his belief in the crucial role music education can play in all children's lives.
In the Spring of 2009, Richard founded UpBeat NYC with his wife, Liza Austria, where he serves in various capacities including Co-Executive Director, Saxophone Instructor and Ensemble Leader. Through his work at UpBeat, Richard is grateful to have the opportunity to share his love of music with the next generation of young musical explorers. Above all, he appreciates the nurturing and supportive spirit that the UpBeat community exudes and instills in its young musicians.
Carlos began his own musical studies as a child at El Sistema, the Venezuelan National Youth Orchestra that preaches a message of social action through music and provides free musical instruction to students throughout the country. At the age of 11, Carlos began attending the José Luis Paz Conservatory of Music in Maracaibo, Venezuela before becoming the youngest musician ever accepted into the Maracaibo Symphony Orchestra at the age of 15. At age 18, he earned a spot in the Teresa Carreño Youth Orchestra. In 2012, he joined the Simon Bolivar Orchestra, the highest-level orchestra in the country. There, he was conducted by Gustavo Dudamel. Carlos has played at iconic venues around the world including Carnegie Hall, Berliner Philharmonie, Royal Albert Hall, and Musikverein Hall in Vienna.
Carlos joined UpBeat as a bass and cello instructor in 2020. He quickly became a cherished member of the staff and a beloved role model to his students, infusing each lesson with playfulness and joy. Carlos was hired as Program Coordinator while continuing to teach bass and cello. As Program Coordinator, he developed close relationships with his students and their caregivers to support them beyond their musical talents.
Carlos was a child who found his home in a music program, and he works each day to ensure that his students have that same safe and supportive place in which to grow as musicians and as people.
Born and raised in NYC, John grew up in a musical family, learning classical piano from his mother and jazz piano from his bassist father, while singing in the choir of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine with his brother and sister. He attended LaGuardia High School and studied jazz piano with Mike Longo and Barry Harris, while performing in his school’s Senior Jazz Band under the direction of Bob Stewart, where he had many great opportunities to perform with musicians such as Branford Marsalis, Roy Hargrove, Ray Barretto, Wynton Marsalis, and Randy Brecker.
John continued his music studies at the City College of New York, where he played in the City College Latin Big Band, under the direction of Ray Santos.
As a performer, John has recorded and toured with musicians such as Sonny Simmons, Michael Marcus, and Henk van Twillert, and can be heard at jazz and blues clubs and venues in and around NYC. He also performs regularly with Lehman College’s Bronx Music Project, where he has been the musical director since 2014.
John has been teaching at UpBeat NYC since its inception in 2009, and in 2015 co-founded the UpBeat NYC Afro-Latin Jazz Band. He also has been on the teaching faculty of the New York Jazz Workshop since 2012 and the non-profit jazz drama program The Jazz Power Initiative since 2021.
New York-based Venezuelan violist RAMÓN CARRERO-MARTÍNEZ is a Gold Medal and Grand Prize winner of the 2022 Fischoff Competition, a semi-finalist at Sphinx Competition 2023, and a semi-finalist for the 14th Banff International String Quartet Competition as a member of the Terra String Quartet, a young and vibrant ensemble based in NewYork City. He has won other competitions in the US, Italy, and Venezuela has toured the US with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, performed as a guest violist with the American String Quartet, and made his US soloist debut with the New York Classical Players for the World Premiere of James Ra Triple Viola Concerto.
As an educator, he is a faculty artist at the San Antonio Classical Music Institute (CMI) summer education program since 2016. In the fall of 2017, he joined the violin/viola and string faculty at the Bronx-based music program UpBeat NYC, in 2019 he joined Orchestrating Dreams as a viola and string faculty in Inwood-NYC, and in 2022 he joined the faculty of the Youth Orchestra of St. Luke’s (YOSL) in NYC.
Mr. Carrero-Martínez was a member of the celebrated Venezuelan National System of Youth Orchestras “El Sistema” and previously studied economics in Venezuela. He holds a Bachelor of Music and a Master of Music degree from the Manhattan School of Music where he studied with American String Quartet violist Daniel Avshalomov.
Born in Tucson, AZ and raised in Hermosillo, Mexico, Julian Pardo is a Percussionist, Composer and Producer based out of Brooklyn, NY.
Julian attended Berklee College of Music and has performed with a wide array of musicians from Ralph Peterson jr., Jason Palmer, Donald Harrison jr. to Toto la Momposina and Alexander Acha among others. He currently is based out of Brooklyn, NY where he works as a music educator and freelance musician. As an Army Reservist SGT Pardo currently serves as the band leader for the New York detachment of the 78th Army Band.
Isabel Serrano is an award-winning Mexican-American flutist from Southern California and currently based in New York City. As a multi-genre performer, her experiences both nationally and internationally include performing with chamber groups, jazz combos, wind ensembles, orchestras, and premiering innovative new works across venues like Carnegie Hall, David Geffen Hall, and more. Currently she is an active freelance musician and teaches flute for her private studio and UpBeat NYC, where she is also a co-director of wind ensembles. Her chamber music experience includes founding the woodwind quintet “Quinteto Sol” as well as being a regular season performer of Sugar Hill Salon Collective. On an administrative side, she works with the Imani Winds Chamber Music Festival, The Morgan Library, and others. Isabel holds a Masters degree from Manhattan School of Music under the tutelage of Marya Martin. She plans to continue business and performance endeavors in advocacy for first-generation/underrepresented groups in higher education and the music industry.
Laura Hutton is a NYC based teacher and performer. You can catch her on the latest season of “Mozart in the Jungle“ playing in the fictional New York Symphony. Outside of fake tv orchestras, Laura has performed at Disney Hall, Avery Fisher Hall, David Geffen Hall, and all over the NY Metropolitan area in various orchestras and chamber groups.
As a teacher, Laura has over 10 years of studio teaching, film coaching, group, and school-based program experience. Growing up in the mountains of Appalachia, she loves playing and teaching traditional folk and bluegrass music along with the Suzuki method.
Laura holds a master’s degree in violin performance from the Aaron Copland School of Music. She also has done studies in musicology at the University of Oxford, and continuing education at Carnegie Hall.
Ella Bukszpan is an Israeli violist, serves as a substitute viola and violin faculty at the
Manhattan School of Music pre-college division, as a faculty at the Thurnauer School of Music and at UpBeat NYC music school. Ella holds a B.M. from the Manhattan School of Music and is currently pursuing her M.M. degree studying with both Pinchas Zukerman and Patinka Kopec at the Manhattan School of Music. Ella participated in various music programs, festivals, and masterclasses in the US and throughout Europe such as Perlman Music Program, Aspen Music Festival, Young Artists Program, Keshet Eilon mastercourse, Nice Music Academy, Astona and more. In addition, she has collaborated with distinguished artists such as members of the American String Quartet, the Jerusalem Quartet, the Juilliard Quartet, the Metropolitan Opera, the New York Philharmonic, and the Israeli Philharmonic. Ella received numerous scholarships and awards, such as the Havah Stern Excellence Scholarship, the America-Israel Cultural Foundation, the Ronen Foundation, and the Zefunot Culture Foundation. She was awarded second and third prizes at the Ruth Widder Chamber Music Competition in 2021 and 2025, first
prize at the American String Quartet Competition, and the Fuchs Competition. Ella plays on a viola made by Jacob Stainer in 1660, generously loaned to her by Mr. Yehuda Zisapel.
Selin Algoz is a dedicated violin teacher with over 9 years of experience working with students of all ages and levels, from beginners to aspiring professionals. Currently completing her Master’s Degree at the Manhattan School of Music under Professor Lucie Robert, Selin brings a rich performance background to her teaching. She has toured internationally with the National Philharmonia Orchestra, performed in prestigious venues like Berlin’s Konzerthaus and Rome’s Sala Santa Cecilia, and collaborated with world-renowned violinists including Itzhak Rashkovsky and Alexander Markov. Her teaching style is warm, encouraging, and deeply personalized—designed to cultivate not only technical skill but also a lifelong love for music.
Gustavo is a French horn and Trumpet player, conductor, and music director with over 15 years of international experience preparing orchestras and leading performances at major festivals and concert halls across Asia, Europe, and the Americas. He was professionally trained in El Sistema and graduated from the Universidad de las Artes in Venezuela, with a focus on performance and music education. He specializes in teaching children and teenagers, from beginner to advanced levels, and is committed to using all the musical skills and knowledge he has gained throughout his career to offer high-quality artistic and educational work. Gustavo has taught wind instruments for many years and has been part of the Upbeat faculty since 2024, where he teaches French horn, trumpet, and brass ensemble,
Andrés Ayola is a Colombian-American oboist based in New York City. His versatile playing takes him from concert halls to Broadway cabarets. He is the oboist of Quintet of the Americas, a core member of Sugar Hill Salon, and has performed with International Contemporary Ensemble, The Unsung Collective, Celtic Woman, and performed in Meredith Monk's North American premiere of Indra's Net. He has appeared in festivals across the globe including the Lucerne Festival Contemporary Orchestra, Stellenbosch, Domaine Forget, and Decoda Chamber Music Festivals. He has also been a featured soloist with the Jackson Heights Orchestra and Reflections in Music concert series. He attended the International Summer Academy in Austria where he received the Zemlinsky Chamber Music Award. Andrés is a graduate of Manhattan School of Music, under the tutelage of James Austin Smith, and was a two-time recipient of the Fuch’s Chamber Music Award. As a passionate educator, Andrés holds a private studio and serves on the Faculty of UpBeat NYC.
Alice Petre is a clarinetist, bassoonist, and composer in Queens, New York. As an orchestra member, she has played with the La Jolla Symphony, Queer Urban Orchestra, LITHA Symphony, Doctor’s Orchestral Society of New York, Blue Hill Troupe Orchestra, and the Queer Big Apple Corps, where she led the clarinet section. As a chamber musician, she played with the Utopia Winds quartet. When not arranging music for her student orchestras and wind ensembles at UpBeat, she is collaborating with the Jackson Heights Orchestra as their in-house arranger. Alice studied composition at the University of Southern California, and the Juilliard School.
A Venezuelan-based violist and teaching artist formed in El Sistema, the Venezuelan National Youth Orchestra Foundation founded by José Antonio Abreu. She has played with orchestras such as the Simon Bolivar Symphony Orchestra and the Teresa Carreño Orchestra as her permanent orchestra. She also has performed in legendary venues including Royal Albert Hall, Gasteig Philharmonie, Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall, The Felsenreitschule, Shanghai Symphony Hall, Concert Hall of National Grand Theatre in Beijing, and participated at such prestigious festivals as Salzburg Festival. She has worked with many eminent conductors: Simon Rattle, Gustavo Dudamel, Christian Vazquez, Diego Matheus, Leonard Slatkin, Mei-Ann Chen, among others.
As a teaching artist, Maria Paparoni’s teaching journey began in Venezuela, where she worked with young musicians through El Sistema, fostering their growth not only as performance but also as active contributors to their communities. She is currently a member of the string faculty at UpBeat NYC and Orchestrating Dreams.
Mary Beth Perez Castaño is a first-generation Mexican-American cellist who currently works as a music educator and freelance musician. She is based in Brooklyn, NY and graduated from Brooklyn College with a degree in Music Performance. During her studies, she distinguished herself as the cello section leader in the symphonic orchestra, piano and string quartets, and solo recitals, allowing her to perform in venues such as the National Opera Center, Lincoln Center, United Palace and Whitman Hall. She had the honor to perform at BC with her professors Sibylle Johner, Jesse Mills and Rieko Aizawa, both members of the Horszowski Trio. As an orchestra member, she had the privilege to play alongside the New York Philharmonic musicians, La Sinfónica Nacional Infantil de Venezuela, conducted by Gustavo Dudamel, National Take A Stand Festival and participated in Mostly Mozart In Harmony as a teaching artist. She is an Upbeat alum who imparts her love for music to students of all ages, teaching them how to play the cello, read music, and understand basic music theory.
Jovan Johnson is originally from Cleveland, Ohio, he moved to New York in 2011 to study jazz performance at the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music where he studied under jazz greats like Reggie Workman, Bobby Sanabria, and Jimmy Owen's. He is currently a professional performer internationally and has been able to perform or record with artists such as Rihanna, Lauren Hill, Lil Nas X, Macklemore, J.Cole, Hezekiah Walker, TLC, The Fugees, and more. Jovan believes in teaching modern applications of music and the tools necessary to be a working and successful professional musician today.