BELMONT ACADEMY - Key Persons
Amy Frederick is a freelance musician who both plays and teaches piano, Hammond organ and keyboards. Ms. Frederick is a very active performer in the Nashville music scene. She can be found on stage with local and touring rock, r and b, blues and country/pop bands, and in the studio recording for independent artists. She has accompanied many local schools' musicals and concerts, recitals at Belmont Academy (a division of Belmont University), and serves the Mt. Pleasant Missionary Baptist Church as pianist/organist. She has also played concerts with the Paducah Symphony and Orchestra Kentucky of Bowling Green, and currently teaches twenty-five up-and-coming student keyboardists. Ms. Frederick is a 2012 graduate of Belmont University where she earned a Master of Music in Piano Performance.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Music Teachers National
Delores Hershey has experience in both classical ensembles and mainstream/popular musical groups, performing a repertoire that has varied from Bach to the Eagles, becoming along the way one of today's most intriguing performers. She brings world-class vocal and instrumental abilities to bear on a passionate performing style.
She began playing piano at 5 and violin at 7, and she and her family spent several years singing on weekends at area churches. Meanwhile, she was becoming an accomplished instrumentalist, playing the cello and earning superior ratings in statewide competitions on piano, tuba, and violin. She would go on to be part of the Jackson Youth Symphony, Pensacola College Orchestra, and later, the Nashville Philharmonic Orchestra. She began her college education at Pensacola Christian College in Florida, and then transferring and finishing her education at Spring Arbor College in Michigan. Graduating with a double major in piano performance and piano pedagogy, She and her husband moved to Tennessee, where she is currently the Music Director at Faith Church, a piano instructor at Belmont Academy, and is performing every week by playing the piano and singing at local, prestigious venues in Nashville.
Delores has been teaching piano for 14 years. She brings to her teaching an energetic, well - rounded approach. She teaches every student the good basics of music theory, ear training, and the classical style and technique. All the while, introducing some popular mainstream music and styles, if the student prefers. She is passionate to find the true talent that each student brings to piano music and helps them to grow into their full musical potential.
Mrs. Hershey is a member of the Music Teachers National Association and Nashville Area Music Teachers Association, which allows her to have her students perform in special performances and competitions each year.
Delores Hershey just, simply, loves to teach and invest herself to help push her students to greatness!
Job Titles:
- Associate Professor of Music
Dr. Anthony Belfiglio is Associate Professor of Music. He teaches courses in applied commercial piano, commercial keyboard seminar, commercial music analysis, and commercial keyboard pedagogy. He also directs and performs with the Belmont Faculty Jazz Group, an ensemble that he co-founded in 2009.
Dr. Belfiglio's educational credentials include a Doctor of Musical Arts in Music and Human Learning/Jazz Emphasis from the University of Texas at Austin, a Master of Music in Jazz Performance from the University of Miami, a Master of Music in Piano Pedagogy from Temple University, and a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Performance from Temple University. His published books include the dissertation Fundamental Rhythmic Characteristics of Improvised Straight-Ahead Jazz (UMI) and his latest book Kenny Kirkland Solo Transcriptions (The System).
As a young musician, Dr. Belfiglio performed at various venues in the Philadelphia area. He also performed for two consecutive years at the Oberlin College Summer Piano Institute. Later, he was selected as composer/performer participant with Betty Carter's Jazz Ahead, including performances at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Further performances have included concerts with notable jazz artists such as Danny Gottlieb, Duffy Jackson, Brian Bromberg, Gene Perla, Jeff Berlin, Jeff Coffin, Chester Thompson, Tracy Silverman, Dave Douglas, Branford Marsalis, Kenny Garrett, Jason Marsalis, Kevin Mahogany, John Riley, John Fedchock, Steve Turre, John Blake, and Eddie Gomez. He has also performed live on Nashville National Public Radio, on Austin National Public Radio, and WFLN Philadelphia. Presently he leads his own quintet featuring the legendary drummer Danny Gottlieb, leads the Belmont Faculty Jazz Group, and plays with various musicians in the Nashville area. He also presents clinics and performances outside of Nashville, including recent presentations at the Berklee College of Music and the Beijing Academy of Contemporary Music.
Job Titles:
- Associate Professor of Piano at Belmont University
Dr. Kristian Klefstad is Associate Professor of Piano at Belmont University, where he teaches piano, piano pedagogy, piano literature, and directs the piano ensemble. He is the Coordinator of the Piano Pedagogy program at Belmont, and serves as both the President-Elect for the Nashville Area Music Teachers Association, and also the Secretary/Treasurer for the Southern Chapter of the College Music Society. In addition, Dr. Klefstad directs the Belmont Piano Camp, a summer piano program at Belmont.
Dr. Klefstad is an active recitalist, clinician, lecturer and adjudicator in the United States. He has performed solo and collaborative concerts throughout the country, and has appeared as a soloist with the Jefferson City Symphony, the Millikin-Decatur Civic Symphony, and the University of Texas Symphony. Recent events include concerts for the Steinway Society of Nashville and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga's Guest Artist Series.
Dr. Klefstad has previously taught piano at Baylor University, and also served on the faculty of Baylor's Summer Keyboard Institute. He has completed several arrangements of symphonic music for piano duo, and his setting of the finale from Beethoven's Choral Symphony for two pianos was premiered in Temple, Texas by the CAC Chorale in 2005.
Mary earned her Bachelor's degree from Belmont University in 2021 with a Music degree where she studied both classical and commercial piano. During her time at Belmont, she studied with Dr. Klefstad and played with the gospel choir (Voxology), Woodwind Chamber Trios, and New Music Ensemble. She also frequently accompanied voice lessons and juries. Mary is a versatile musician who enjoys exploring different styles of music, though her preference is classical music.
Currently, Mary teaches at the Belmont Academy and teaches privately. When she isn't teaching, she is accompanying school and church choirs, soloists, and instrumentalists. She brings a balance of seriousness and fun to each lesson to meet students where they are and help them become the best musician they can be. She strives to instill confidence and creativity in her students whether they want to pursue a career in music or not. Sharing the joy of music with others by teaching and playing is Mary's passion and goal!
Job Titles:
- Adjunct Instructor of Music
Mary George is an Adjunct Instructor of Music in the Belmont University School of Music. She teaches applied classical voice. She has been a vocal coach since 1978.
Mrs. George received both her Master of Music degree and Bachelor of Music degree (Studio teaching, performance and pedagogy) from George Peabody College for Teachers of Vanderbilt University. Mrs. George has completed post graduate work at University of Minnesota, Scarritt College, Northern Illinois University, Louisiana State University, and Peabody Conservatory of Music. She has participated in vocal master classes with Martin Katz, Eleanor Steber, Bidu Sayao, Thomas Grubb, Theodore Uppman, and Ned Rorem.
Mrs. George has sung in the Nashville music industry and the surrounding areas for 30 years. She has worked extensively in the recording industry as well as performing multiple times with the Nashville Symphony, twice under the direction of Maestro Kenneth Schermerhorn.
Mrs. George has received several awards and honors including Outstanding Women of America (1992), Who's Who in Education (1992), Who's Who in Entertainment (1992), two-time finalist in the Metropolitan Opera Auditions, three-time winner in the NATS Regionals. She belongs to the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS), and the American Association of University Professors.
Robert May is a singer and composer based in the Nashville area. Having lived in Manhattan up until summer of 2023, Robert's performance experience has ranged from lending his voice to the off-Broadway show The Trial of Martin Luther in 2016, to performing his original songs in Alice Tully Hall in Lincoln Center. Most recently, Robert had the pleasure of arranging and singing traditional spirituals alongside members of the New York City Ballet for the Metropolitan Museum of Art's "MetLiveArts" series. He was also recently seen singing a small role in Martinů's The Key of Dreams with the American Symphony Orchestra in Carnegie Hall.
In addition to his solo work, Robert was also active in the professional choral scene in New York and has sung with top choral ensembles including the New York Virtuoso Singers, Pro Arte Singers, Bard Festival Chorale, and MasterVoices.
As a composer and arranger, Robert orchestrated music for a student-run production of Büchner's play, Wozzeck, at The Juilliard School in 2015, and his barbershop quartet arrangement of "The Lusitania Went Down" was performed in the U.S. World War I Centennial Commission Ceremony at the National WWI Museum and Memorial in Kansas City in April of 2017.
When Robert is not singing or composing, you can find him studying ancient Hebrew or exploring Nashville's beautiful parks with his wife and three sons.
Coming from a musical family, Sonya is a native Floridian and was born in Deland, Fl. She started taking piano lessons at age five and was fortunate to receive her classical training through Eileen Stinson, the president of the Volusia County Private Teacher's Music Association. All through her elementary/secondary education, she attended recitals and performed in county and state competitions. While in high school, she was the accompanist for a touring/singing group, The Modernaires. They received superior ratings in state and national music competitions.
After raising her family, as a single mother, she moved to Nashville, TN to pursue her teaching and musical career. In May 2014, she graduated from Belmont University with a bachelor's degree in Music Education, with honors. She was a licensed teacher for seven years with the following Endorsements: Vocal/General Music K-12. She has been a piano instructor at Belmont Academy since 2018, and loves working with children.
She has been teaching piano for over twenty years and loves to help out with Church Music Ministry. She served as pianist for over 10 years at Woodbine Baptist Church, a ministry campus for Brentwood Baptist. Playing keyboard with the Praise and Worship Team and accompanying the Children's Choir was a favorite pastime of hers. Currently, she attends McKendree United Methodist Church and loves to sing in the choir. She also serves as guest pianist and helps with the Music Ministry Team.
Ongoing education and professional development is very important to her. She was a member of the Middle Tennessee Orff Schulwerk Association and has her second Orff certification, which is a fun and entertaining musical approach to learning music. She enjoys going to workshops and gathering various musical resources to use in her teaching routine. Her goal is to create a positive learning environment by finding ways to connect with students on their level of development.
Singer/Songwriter Stephanie Adlington was born and raised in Grafton, West Virginia. Beginning her musical journey at a very young age, Stephanie could hear and sing harmonies practically before she could talk. As a high school student she spent summers at Pittsburgh's Carnegie Mellon University working towards her performance dreams. After high school she was accepted to the world renowned Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY. After only 2 years Stephanie would leave Eastman to attend one of the most respected schools of music in the entire world, the Royal Academy of Music in London, England. At the Academy Stephanie truly began to learn her craft, and eventually she would find the voice that is distinctly her own. She left the Academy with a Bachelor's degree in Music, a post-graduate degree in Musical Theatre, an LRAM certification allowing her to teach voice, and broader view of the world and its wonders. While in London Stephanie recorded radio jingles for both Capitol Radio London and Invictor Radio and performed live studio broadcasts for BBC Radio. In the midst of all of this, the legendary Michael Dunford auditioned Stephanie for a singing part in a musical he had been working on. As a result of the Dunford audition, Stephanie was asked to perform and record lead vocals for the wildly successful band Renaissance. Formed from the ashes of the Yardbirds (the band best known for introducing Jimmy Page to the world), Renaissance had already experienced tremendous success for over 20 years. Their "comeback" would feature Stephanie replacing original vocalist Annie Haslam. Stephanie would go on to record two critically acclaimed albums with the band, The Other Woman and Ocean Gypsy. She would also appear on the band's compilation, A Trip to the Faire. In addition to her ongoing performances, Stephanie is currently an adjunct commercial voice instructor at Belmont University.