Paul Mortilla started his music studies with faculty at the Frost School of Music at the age of 13. Paul is an alumnus of the Jacobs School of Music (BM 2017) and the Yale School of Music (MM 2020). In 2017. he was invited to Tanglewood as a Composition Fellow. He is the recipient of a 2016 BMI Student Composer Award and a 2019 Charles Ives Scholarship from the American Acad- emy of Arts and Letters. He has been a composer in residence at the Lake George Music Festival and Mizzou International Composer Festival. This summer (2022) he has been invited to Aspen Music Festival as a com- position fellow. He has years of experience per- forming as a violinist, keyboardist, vocalist, and conductor, as well as performing non-western music such as gamelan and raga. Paul has a deep love for teaching and seeks to implement effective and creative curriculum for each stu- dent depending upon their needs, drawing upon years of personal experience as both a teacher and student.

Jillian received her B.S. from Kansas State University where she served as the Assistant Principal Cellist in the symphony orchestra. Recently, she graduated with a M.M. in Cello Performance at The Hartt School where studied with Mihai Tetel. Jillian has performed with the Tampa Bay Symphony, Ocala Symphony, Saint Petersburg Opera Company, Connecticut Gilbert and Sullivan Society, and at the Yale School of Drama. She has attended the Chamber Music Conference of the East and participated in guest cello and chamber music classes, most notably with the PUBLIQuartet and the Lionsgate Trio. In 2020, she and other Hartt students founded the Maskerade String Quartet. Jillian has over 10 years of teaching experience in both private and classroom settings. She has been teaching at Orange Music Studio since 2019.

Mr. Vessichio graduated with a Bachelor of Music from the University of Bridgeport. He later received a Master of Science in elementary education and a sixth year in Educational Leadership, both from SCSU.

Mr. Vessichio has been playing piano for over 50 years. Known for both his dance band and acoustic performances, he is a consummate musician, with 30 years of experience teaching public school instrumental music and beginner/Intermediate band; instructing flute, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, and percussion. He shares his excitement for and love of music with all his students.

Connor French is a woodwind doubler who plays saxophones, clarinet, flute, and piccolo. He has played professionally in pit orchestras and other group ensembles since graduating from Joseph A. Foran High School in 2014. He has been a part of musicals such as Assassins, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Guys and Dolls, Oklahoma, Illyria, Chicago, Fame, Spamalot, Once Upon a Mattress, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, and Hello, Dolly! In addition to performing, Connor has been teaching private lessons in woodwind instruments for several years. Connor is also a member of CMEA (Connecticut Music Educators Association) and has served as a festival adjudicator since 2015. Connor graduated from the University of New Haven in 2018 with a bachelors degree in Music and Sound Recording, and is currently a podcast editor for Teamsters Local 1150. He will earn his masters degree in music theory from the Hartt School of Music at the University of Hartford in May of 2022. At Hartt, Connor was the Graduate Music Theory Tutoring Assistant from 2020 to 2021 and the Graduate Music Theory Teaching Fellow from 2021 to 2022. The former role included helping undergraduate students with music theory assignments, while the latter role includes teaching undergraduate music theory classes in both the Fall 2021 and Spring 2022 semesters.

Gregory Piacentini has been a lifelong learner on many fronts.  Having started his education in Bethel CT where, he was told he wasn’t college material by the guidance counselor there at the time, he then went on to study for the next 25 years attending WCSU (matriculated,) SCSU (BA ’93, Teacher Certification ‘98) Sacred Heart University (MA ’01,) SCSU again (Special Education Certification ’09,) and is currently enrolled in Educational Leadership Program at the University of Bridgeport (ongoing.)

The love for music and the desire to learn an instrument began at age 14 but only became intense and more serious at later in life.  He studied guitar with a Berklee Graduate named Mark Chmiel and violin with a Suzuki trained instructor named Marianna Kiss.  He has been working here at Orange music on and off for the past 5 years.

Jill Pellett Levine received her BFA from SUNY/Purchase, and her Master of Music and Artist Diploma from the Yale University School of Music. She plays in several orchestras throughout Connecticut including the New Haven Symphony, Bridgeport Symphony and Waterbury Symphony. Jill enjoys teaching students of all ages and levels.