Meet Our Teachers

Soprano Mercy Calhoun-Dion is active as a performer and an educator throughout the DMV region. Mercy regularly performs with the Annapolis Chorale and maintains a private lesson studio alongside classroom teaching for K-12 students. During her time at Peabody, some highlights of her solo performances include Cunegonde in Bernstein’s Candide, Laetitia in Menotti’s The Old Maid and the Thief, the Soprano 2 solo in Mendessohn’s Lobegsange, and Giunone in Cavalli’s La Calisto. In 2016, she performed Susanna from Le nozze di Figaro at the Narni Arts Festival. She is a member of an all-female a cappella octet specializing in contemporary compositions. Mercy has also been a guest artist with the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra and has attended the Interlochen Center for the Arts, the Brevard Music Center, and the Wintergreen Vocal Intensive. She is a recent graduate of the Peabody Conservatory with three degrees: a MM in Voice, a BM in Music Education, and a BM in Voice. 

As a choral conductor, she has conducted ensembles at Bethany Church, the Bethany Music Center, and the Appalachian Children’s Chorus. Throughout her teaching career, Mercy has taught general music for K-8 students in the public and private education settings. No matter the setting, she is passionate about helping every student, regardless of age and labels, find their creative and musical voice.

Violist Bronwyn Kure is an active soloist and chamber musician in Baltimore. Originally from rural Canada, she attended the Victoria Conservatory and received her Diploma in Music Performance. She is now pursuing a Master of Music Performance degree at the Peabody Conservatory.

Bronwyn has played as a soloist with the Red Deer Symphony Orchestra, and the Sydney Classical Orchestra as well as solo performances with the Victoria Conservatory’s Thursday Recital Series, the Cheminais Prodigious Talent Concert Series, and Peabody Pop-Ups.

An avid chamber music lover, Bronwyn has performed and is a member of the Mount Vernon Virtuosi chamber ensemble, and the Vernon String Quartet. She has performed with the Bonis Piano Quartet in their performance for the Amadeus Concert Series in Great Falls, Virginia as well as concerts with the Heifetz Institute in Staunton, Virginia, the Canadian National Art Center Chamber Music Series in Ottawa and the Morningside Music Bridge Chamber Series in Calgary, Alberta. She along with her colleagues, won first place in British Columbia’s Provincial Chamber Music Competition two consecutive years in a row as well as first place in the Victoria Conservatory of Music’s Chamber Music Competition.

Bronwyn has a passion for teaching and has taught for many years with Baltimore Symphony’s OrchKids Program, the Bridges after school program, the Waldorf School of Baltimore and the Bethany Music Center in Ellicott City.

Hindemith Viola Sonata Op. 11, No. 4 in F Major

Brahms Viola Sonata in F minor

Brandon Smith began playing double bass at the age of ten. In high school he was a member of the Boston Youth Symphony where he was enchanted with classical music and has pursued a career in performance ever since.

Brandon studied at the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore for his Bachelors under the tutelage of Paul John-son and his Masters degree under Ira Gold and Jefferey Weisner. Outside of school Brandon has studied with teachers such as Ali Yazdanfar, Matthew McDonald and Fran-co Petracchi.

Festivals that Brandon has attended include the American Institute for Musical Studies in Graz, Eastern Music Festival and Orford Music. Brandon is an active freelance musician in the Baltimore/DC area, performing with groups such as the Occa-sional Symphony, Washington Chamber Orchestra and the York Symphony Orchestra.

The 2019-2020 season marks Brandons first season as a member of the Maryland Symphony Orchestra. Brandon is a founding member of The Mount Vernon Virtuosi. 

Born and raised in South Korea.  Jinhee Lim started playing piano at the early age of five. Graduating from Kyung Hee University of Seoul with a Bachelor of Music, Jinhee continued her piano studies in Europe. She received her Master of Music from Staatliche Hochschule fur Musik, Stuttgart, Germany. She also received her Cycle de Specialization of Piano in Conservatoire de Strasbourg, France. She then moved to the United States to obtain her master’s degree in Christian Counseling from Washington University of Virginia. She is currently pursuing her Doctors Degree at George Mason University under the study of Dr. Linda Monson. 

Jinhee Lim has performed and taught in various countries around the world such as South Korea, Germany, France, Italy, and the United States. In 2013, Jinhee performed in Concert with choir <Frattola> in Anduze, France.

Among her awards are 3rd Prize 20th International Competition per Giobani Musiciti in Barletta, Italy 2011, 1st Prize International Concours de piano de Brest in Brest, France 2012, 2nd Prize International Concours Musical de France in Paris France 2012, and 3rd Prize Baltimore International Festival Competition in Baltimore 2017. With a passion for piano teaching, Jinhee enjoys working with students of all ages of all levels. She is also very fluent in many languages such as Korean, French, German, and English.

Lindsay Espinosa (Soprano) hails from Annapolis Maryland. She grew up performing musical theatre with Children’s Theatre of Annapolis and studied voice with Mary Anne Barcellona. Upon her high school graduation, Ms. Espinosa traveled to Ohio where she received her Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from Baldwin-Wallace College and then received her Master’s Degree in Vocal Performance from Colorado State University.

Ms. Espinosa has performed operatic roles of Adele (Die Fledermaus), Adina (Elixir of Love), and Musetta (La Boheme) during her professional career and has appeared as a soloist for performances of Bach’s St. John Passion, Mozart’s Exsultate Jubilate, and Dvorak’s Te Deum. Ms. Espinosa enjoys performing classical music, but has not forgotten her love for musical theatre. She has performed the title role inAmelie, Luisa (The Fantastiks), and Lily (The Secret Garden) in theaters in and around Annapolis.

Ms. Espinosa has taught for many years since her return to Maryland with her own private studio, at Naptown Sings and Plays, and as a music teacher at Preschool for the Arts at St. Anne’s and at Bay Country Learning Center.

Now living in Catonsville, Ms. Espinosa is thrilled to be a part of the Bethany musical team teaching students to build their vocal technique and love of music. 

Grace Hebeisen, mezzo-soprano, is an active teacher and performer in the DMV area. Grace received both a Bachelor of Music and Master of Music from Peabody Institute of Music while studying with Metropolitan Opera singer Betsy Bishop and the internationally known pedagogue Stanley Cornett. She has attended summer programs in Italy, Germany, and Chicago. Recently, she has presented solo recitals in the DMV area, as well as performing the role of Nireno in Handel’s Julius Caesar with Chicago Summer Opera and Elijah with the Georgetown Chorale.

Grace was classically trained with a particular focus on the bel canto style of singing. She also specialized in languages, including German, Italian, and French. Using this classical background, Grace excels at teaching musical theater and pop music in combination with healthy vocal practices and production.

While Grace enjoys teaching group singing classes, her main passion is private lessons. She loves to focus on each student’s individual needs and to mold the lesson to best fit the student. To get the most out of lessons, Grace advocates for each student to prepare for lessons by sending them home with clear directions for practicing and at-home development.

Music has always been a part of Grace’s life, from singing with her family as a child to performing with Maryland Opera as a professional. She values music for the joy and community it brings. Grace’s goal as a teacher is to share this joy and community with her students, and to instill a love for music that lasts a lifetime.

Violinist William Weijia Wang has studied with Irving Ludwig and Juliette Kang of the Philadelphia Orchestra. As an orchestral musician, William performed with the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra and Philadelphia Sinfonia. He has participated and led as concertmaster/associate in multiple festival orchestras such as Philadelphia All-City Orchestra, PMEA District, Region, and State Festival Orchestras.

In 2013, William won the Philadelphia ACO Festival Concerto Competition and debuted in Verizon Hall of the Kimmel Center. He recently attended the Texas Music Festival in June of 2019 as an orchestral fellow and led the orchestra under the baton of Maestro Rossen Milanov.

When teaching, William prioritizes good communication and believes that flexibility is the key to helping each student reach their potential.  William also customizes his teaching method to fit each individual student's needs and goals.

Currently based in the DMV area, William is continuing his studies with Qing Li, principal second violin of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, after graduating from Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University.

Jill Thomassen began piano lessons at the French School of Music in NJ at age eight and added flute lessons the following year. A graduate of Peabody Conservatory of Johns Hopkins University, Ms. Thomassen studied modern and baroque flute performance with Timothy Day, then Principal flutist of the Baltimore Symphony. Her teaching and performing are also greatly influenced by participation in many master classes of renowned English flutist and leading flute pedagogue Trevor Wye. Other important teachers include Julius Baker, Christopher Krueger, Gerardo Levy, and Virginia Schulze-Johnson.

Ms. Thomassen has been teaching and performing as a professional soloist and chamber musician in the Baltimore/Washington area for many years. She has performed in local concerts and her chamber ensemble is in high demand for weddings and special events. Her flute quartet was selected to perform Harmony in Blue and Goldby Eric Ewazen, commissioned by the quartet, at the 2012 National Flute Association Convention. They also performed it at the Juilliard School of Music. Ms. Thomassen is a winner of the prestigious New York Flute Club Competition. In addition to flute and piano, she also loves playing her Celtic harp.

Ms. Thomassen enjoys teaching all ages and levels, including adults. Her flute students have won positions in advanced ensembles including GT Band and All State. Her enthusiastic, supportive, and encouraging teaching is tailored to each student’s needs and goals. She emphasizes establishing strong fundamentals using effective, efficient practice techniques. Above all, students are encouraged to love and enjoy playing music.

​Mezzo-soprano Erica Ortega has performed with numerous regional opera companies, among them Wolf Trap Opera, Washington Concert Opera, Maryland Opera, and Bel Cantanti Opera. She recently performed the alto solos in Messiah with the Southern Delaware Chorale and Southern Delaware Orchestra.