Founder
Laura Ouimette, BA, MM
Cascade Piano Studio was founded in 2009 by Laura Ouimette, an experienced performer of both piano and organ.
Laura earned her Masters of Musical Arts in organ performance from the University of Washington under professors Carole Terry and Douglas Cleveland and her B.A in Music from Wesleyan University, where she studied organ with Professor Ronald Ebrecht and jazz piano with Professor Fred Simmons.
Laura began teaching music lessons as an undergraduate at Wesleyan and launched Cascade Piano Studio after moving to Seattle for graduate school. In addition to teaching, she has performed all over the world, including at the International Diapason Festival in Ukraine, on tour in Mexico premiering new works by Raul de Zaldo Fabila, throughout Romania, and in many venues throughout the United States.
Locally, she is the organist for First Congregational Church in Bellevue WA, a member of Puget Sound Strings and works as an accompanist for several string studios in greater Seattle. She also directs the choir at BF Day Elementary School through the support of Ladies Musical Club of Seattle. She is a member of the American Guild of Organists and the National Federation of Music Clubs.
Instructor
Jeremy DesChane, BM, MM
Jeremy has delighted listeners with his solo, concerto, and chamber music performances throughout the Pacific Northwest and beyond. He has collaborated with many organizations including Philharmonia Northwest, the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber Orchestra, the Skagit Symphony, and the Seattle Symphony. He has given solo and concerto performances on the eastern and western coasts of the U.S., also collaborating as a chamber musician in Washington and New York, performing in venues such as Nordstrom Hall at Benaroya, Kilbourn Hall, the Mount Baker Theatre, and McIntyre Hall. He studied piano at the Eastman School of Music and at various universities and festivals in Washington and New York.
Jeremy is experienced in teaching students from beginning to advanced levels. He appreciates the unique voice that each person brings to music, no matter their current level of proficiency. In lessons he strives to create encouraging yet appropriately challenging environment for musical exploration and growth. Students are expected to practice regularly and show an ability to focus during their lessons. Classical piano technique and repertoire are the primary focus of lessons but students may additionally learn some music from popular culture.
Jeremy enjoys hiking in his spare time. He has an ever-expanding book collection and enjoys drawing and painting.
Instructor
Alex Fang, BA, BM, MA, MM
Alex Fang is dedicated to sharing music and creating personal connections with his audience members, collaborators, and students. He is currently pursuing his doctorate under the guidance of Craig Sheppard at the University of Washington, where he is also a Teaching Assistant for the Modern Music Ensemble, directed by Cristina Valdés. He received his masters from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music under Sharon Mann and Yoshikazu Nagai, and his bachelors from Northwestern University under Alan Chow and James Giles, where he additionally completed a combined bachelors/masters in computer science. His studies have included pedagogy training under Marcia Bosits and Iris Hsu Shiotsuki. Notable performances include Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 1 with the San Francisco Conservatory of Music Orchestra as the 2022 winner of the piano concerto competition, chamber performances alongside faculty members at Icicle Creek Chamber Music Festival in Leavenworth, and a 2023 world premiere of a double harpsichord concerto with Harmonia.
Alex’s approach to music and teaching offers a holistic combination of the mind and the heart. Through music, he strives to inspire a lifelong joy in learning and respect for the arts. He enjoys helping students analyze and understand the musical language in order to develop their independence and artistic individuality. Since 2015, he has engaged with a wide range of students through private teaching as well as after-school programs, including Bridge to Arts and Music at Third Baptist Church in San Francisco and Academy of Music and Arts for Special Education at Northwestern University. Locally, Alex is active as a soloist, collaborative pianist for the Seattle Jewish Chorale and upon individual request, orchestral keyboardist, and adjudicator. In his free time, Alex enjoys playing badminton and Tetris, and exploring hikes and food in the Seattle area.
Instructor
Alice Liu, BM, MM
Alice Liu has been a national finalist and prizewinner, performing at Canada’s NAC, Orford, CMC competitions, Vancouver Art Gallery, and in Europe at the Académies Internationales du Nancy. She’s been a Musician in Residence at the Banff Centre and has worked with André Laplante, Angela Hewitt, John Perry, Jane Coop, and Noriko Ogawa. Alice received her MM at McGill University with Kyoko Hashimoto, a BM from the University of Ottawa with Stéphane Lemelin, and an Associate Diploma from the Royal Conservatory. She is a DMA candidate at UW studying with Craig Sheppard, and her dissertation is supported by the Social Sciences and Research Council of Canada. She has also been an instructor in the Secondary Piano Department at UW, with many years of experience teaching students of all ages and skill levels. Alice loves exploring the PNW and has been immersed in other hobbies such as climbing, skiing, hiking, and volleyball.
Instructor
Andrew Koch, BM, MM, DMA
Andrew Koch holds degrees in pipe organ performance and sacred music from Furman University and the University of Notre Dame. He is currently a doctoral candidate in organ performance at the University of Washington with Dr. Carole Terry and concurrently has earned the certificate in music theory. While in completing his undergraduate and masters degrees, Andrew continued his piano studies under the tutelage of Dr. David Gross and Dr. Nicholas Shaneyfelt and has served as a teaching assistant and tutor for numerous music theory and music history courses.
In addition to his studies, Andrew currently works as music director for Emmanuel Anglican Church on Phinney Ridge and as the director of music and organist for St. Alphonsus Parish in Ballard where he has taught a small studio of keyboard students. As an organist, he has performed in churches across the United States and participated in festivals and masterclasses in the United States, Canada, and the Netherlands. An avid outdoorsman, Andrew also enjoys teaching and mentoring youth in volunteer roles as a rock-climbing guide and assistant trail crew leader for local youth and outdoor outreach programs.
Instructor
Madeline Turpin, BA
Madeline Turpin recently graduated from Seattle Pacific University with a music therapy degree. She completed a nine month internship at Music Works Northwest and is in the process of becoming a board certified music therapist. Her diverse previous teaching experience includes leading Baby and Me and Parent and Me classes, teaching on memory care and hospice units, and working with both neurodivergent youth and adults. Additionally while at SPU she worked at the Learning Center and taught the aural skills curriculum to first year students. As a music therapist she plays multiple instruments but her principle instrument is the piano and her absolute favorite! She believes everyone is capable of learning a new instrument and one of her goals in teaching is to help students enjoy learning. She strives to overcome student frustration with creative approaches to teaching and loves to be there as a support for her students as they find joy in their musicianship.
Instructor
Evan Seyfried, BS, MA
Evan Seyfried has been performing classical and jazz repertoire for 25 years. He studied classical piano with Nancy Beale in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania, for eight years, and he studied jazz piano with Nick Wayne in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, for four years. He has gigged since the age of 16 with groups in Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Hawaii, and Texas, playing everything from jazz standards to chamber music to church music to rock and pop. His music has followed him from the U.S. Naval Academy through his time as a submarine officer in the navy and on through his work on congressional elections, allowing him to channel creativity and expression in otherwise stressful times. He brings this breadth of experience to cultivating a love of music in students of all ages.
Having recently moved to the Pacific Northwest to pursue a career as a nature guide, Evan is thrilled to join Cascade Piano Studio and complement outdoor education with teaching music.
In his free time, Evan gardens, hikes, and writes poetry. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Physics from the U.S. Naval Academy and a Master’s Degree in Specialized Economic Analysis from Barcelona School of Economics.
Instructor
Honoka Cater, AA, BM
Honoka Cater is currently pursuing her Masters Degree in Piano Performance at the University of Washington. She was born in Osaka, Japan and began her musical instruction studying the electric organ. During her years in Japan she studied at the Yamaha Music School and performed in the Yamaha Electric Organ Competitions for both solo and small ensembles for over ten years winning several awards. She continued her studies on the piano upon arriving in the United States in 2019. She received her Associates Degree in music from Highline College studying with Ben Thomas and while there helped to organize events and volunteer opportunities for international students. She continued her education at Seattle Pacific University where she studied piano with Dr. Dainius Vaicekonis and percussion instruments with Professor Dan Adams. She received her BM in Piano Performance in Fall of 2023. She is a multi-instrumentalist and plays a large variety of instruments including strings, brass, and the Japanese koto. She has served in leadership roles with both the Service and Mentorship Engagement Program as well as the Global Student Ambassadors. Honoka greatly enjoys seeing her students grow in their musicianship and develop a love for making music.
Instructor
Jamie Namkung, BM, MM, DMA
Jamie holds degrees in piano performance from Oberlin Conservatory (BM), the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University (MM), and Northwestern University (DMA). In addition to maintaining a private studio for the past 10 years, she has served on the faculties of Seattle University, Seattle Pacific University, Harper College, and Northeastern Illinois University. As a performer, she has achieved public recognition through such concert series as the Haller Lake Music Series, the Aria International Summer Academy, and the Banff International Piano Festival. An avid and sought-after chamber musician, Jamie has appeared live on King FM 98.1 and American Public Media's Performance Today, and has collaborated with members of the Seattle and Chicago Symphony Orchestras, Seattle Opera, and the Pacific Northwest Ballet Orchestra.
Instructor
Eli Sheldon, BA
Eli is a recent graduate of Central Washington University with over 10 years of experience as a jazz pianist. Having grown up in Seattle, Eli has performed all over Washington in various groups including pop/rock bands, jazz bands, and concert ensembles. His most recent performances include the CWU Jazz Band 1 at the North Bend Jazz Walk, and the CWU Wind Ensemble at the 2022 CBDNA Conference. While at CWU Eli developed a strong classical music background while also studying music education and helping to develop the jazz curriculum for the summer community music camp. Upon finishing his piano performance degree he has returned to Seattle and is enjoying new opportunities as a musician and teacher. He loves having the opportunity to share his passion and joy for music with his students.
Instructor
Aubrey Marks-Johnson, BM
Aubrey Marks-Johnson has studied music since the age of 7, most recently completing a degree in piano performance at Western Washington University under Jeffrey Gilliam. With a strong background in performance as well as music theory and history, he has worked in a wide range of styles including Broadway, popular music, and new and experimental music alongside the standard classical repertoire. He has performed with a variety of ensembles including the Marrowstone Philharmonic Orchestra and Whatcom Symphony Orchestra. He was a finalist in the WWU Concerto Competition as well as received Honorable Mention in the MTNA Piano Competition.
Aubrey began teaching after finishing his degree and enjoys teaching all skill levels, from beginners to advanced players. He is committed to making music accessible, and particularly enjoys delving into the cultural background of the music being studied. Aside from teaching, Aubrey performs as a soloist and collaborator as well as with the Seattle Collaborative Orchestra. He lives in Seattle with his partner and two cats.