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
Alyssa Hironaka, BM, MM
Born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi, Alyssa Hironaka is a DMA Piano Performance student of Craig Sheppard at the University of Washington. Ms. Hironaka strives to cultivate a love and appreciation of music in each of her students through a supportive and individualized learning environment tailored to each student’s unique needs and goals. She believes that all students, whether they intend to pursue a musical career or not, deserve to benefit from an enriching musical education that develops and nurtures artistry, analytical thinking, technical freedom, and emotional confidence. Ms. Hironaka enjoys sharing her passion for the piano at Cascade Piano Studio in Seattle and the Chopin Academy of Music in Issaquah and previously taught piano at the Masaki School of Music in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi. She has also served on the Board of Directors of the Hawaiʻi Music Teachers Association as media chair, webmaster, and social media and graphics coordinator and is a member of the Washington State Music Teachers Association.
Ms. Hironaka received Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees in Piano Performance under Dr. Jonathan Korth at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and was a graduate assistant to Dr. Elina Hamilton, Dr. Kate McQuiston, and Laurence Paxton. Notable pre-college teachers include Dr. Katy Luo, Dr. Thomas Yee, and Ellen Masaki. A past participant in the Chetham's International Piano Summer School, Edward Auer Online Workshop, and Aloha International Piano Festival, Ms. Hironaka performed in lessons and masterclasses by Murray McLachlan, Joanna MacGregor, Peter Donohoe, Wu Han, Jeremy Denk, Jae-Hyuck Cho, Rachel Cheung, Dr. Momoro Ono, Edward Auer, Junghwa Moon Auer, Émile Naoumoff, Christopher Harding, Michael Chertock, Thomas Sauer, Haewon Song, Greg Anderson and Elizabeth Joy Roe, and Jon Nakamatsu. Awards include a gold medal at the 2019 Beijing-Hawaiʻi International Music Festival Piano Competition, second prize in the 2020 Charleston International Music Competition’s Fall Music Competition, prizes in the Hawaiʻi State Division of the Music Teachers National Association Young Artist Piano Competition in 2020 and 2021, several music scholarships, and membership in the National Society of Collegiate Scholars and Golden Key International Honour Society. Ms. Hironaka’s recent highlights include her UK debut at the Chetham's School of Music's Whiteley Hall and performances for the UW's Allen Library, Bellevue Opera, Punahou School’s PUEO program, the MoʻO School, the Morning Music Club of Honolulu, the Hawaiʻi Music Teachers Association, and the Hawaiʻi Flute Society. A former pianist in the University of Hawaiʻi Symphony Orchestra, Ms. Hironaka performed during All Nippon Airways (ANA) Honolulu Music Week and at the Pacific Club with Laurie Rubin. Ms. Hironaka recorded and premiered works by Tyler Ono, Hung Wen, Yoomee Baek, James Finamore, and Andrew Filson and was a member of the Contemporary Music Ensemble at UH Mānoa. Under the guidance of Dr. Michael-Thomas Foumai and Dr. Donald Reid Womack at UH Mānoa, Ms. Hironaka composed Arachnetella for piano and flute inspired by “Arachne and Minerva” from Ovid’s Metamorphoses, and premiered it in 2019 with flutist and classicist Dr. Daniel Harris-McCoy. Under UH Mānoa’s Outreach College, Ms. Hironaka wrote program notes for the Hawaiʻi tours of Van Cliburn International Piano Competition laureates Kenneth Broberg, Daniel Hsu, Rachel Cheung, and Dmytro Choni.
When she is not tickling the ivories (or showing others how to), Ms. Hironaka enjoys concertgoing, photography, traveling, creating original digital art, planespotting, ballet, running, cooking, and rooting for the Seattle Kraken, Torrent, Mariners, Seahawks, and Washington Huskies.
Instructor
Jingshi Zhao, BM, MM
Jingshi Zhao is currently pursuing her Doctor of Musical Arts degree studying with Craig Sheppard at the University of Washington while also serving as a Teaching Assistant. She is the recipient of the Feltsman Piano Foundation scholarship, has won awards at major competitions including the Asia Piano Competition and the Chopin Memorial Prize, and has performed at many international piano festivals. She began her piano study at the age of three with the Xinghai Conservatory of Music and has completed her Undergraduate and Master’s degrees in piano at the Cleveland Institute of Music.
Jingshi has a deep passion for teaching and is dedicated to sharing her knowledge and understanding of music with the community. She believes that music is a powerful way to connect people and communicate beyond words. In her teaching, Jingshi aims to inspire a love for music in her students, helping them develop both their skills and a deeper appreciation for the art. She creates a supportive environment where students are encouraged to explore and express their own musical voices. Her teaching combines history, theory, and practice to give students a well-rounded musical education.
Instructor
Madeline Turpin, BA, MT-BC
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, MM
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
Seyoung Park, BM, MM, DMA
Korean-born pianist Seyoung Park is an active performer and dedicated educator with engagements across the United States, Europe, and Korea. She holds degrees in piano performance from Dongduk Women’s University in Seoul (BM), the University of South Florida (MM, with graduate assistantship), and the University of Missouri–Kansas City Conservatory (DMA, with teaching assistantship). She began piano studies at the age of seven and was accepted into the Seoul Arts Center’s prodigy program at eleven. At thirteen, she made her orchestral debut performing Saint-Saëns’ Piano Concerto No. 2 with the Jeonju Symphony Orchestra. Seyoung has appeared in distinguished concert series such as the Steinway Series’ Late Beethoven Sonata and Art of Fugue programs, and has performed at notable venues including the Franz Liszt Academy Concert Hall in Budapest, White Recital Hall in Kansas City, and Youngsan Art Hall in Seoul. Her festival appearances include the Amalfi Coast Music Festival, Atlantic Music Festival, and Liszt Academy International Festival.
In addition to her solo and teaching work, she is an active chamber musician and collaborative pianist, frequently involved in contemporary and interdisciplinary projects. Her collaborations with composer Hyekyung Lee explore the fusion of traditional piano performance with electronic music, highlighting her commitment to innovation and artistic exploration.
As an experienced and passionate teacher, Seyoung has worked with students of all ages and skill levels, helping them develop a solid technical foundation and musicality. She has served as an adjunct faculty member at Benedictine College and has completed a teaching assistantship at the UMKC Conservatory.
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
Yuki Yokota, BM, MM
Acclaimed as a pianist who “sensitively brought out the score’s many contrasting characters...” and “negotiated the virtuosic score with ease” (Classical Voice of North Carolina), Yuki Yokota appears in numerous solo, chamber, and orchestral performances. As a young artist, Yuki made her debut performing Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 2 with the Long Beach Festival Orchestra at age ten. The following year, she earned first place in the Piano Concerto Competition at the Music Teachers Association of California State Convention. As the winner of the Instrumental Concerto Competition, Yuki was invited to perform Rachmaninoff’s Second Piano Concerto with the Bob Cole Conservatory Symphony. Yuki has also appeared in numerous music festivals including Art of the Piano, Amalfi Coast Festival, Eastern Music Festival, and Vivace Music Festival. In addition to her performance career, she has served as an intern under Opus 3 Artists.
Yuki began her musical journey at age three. After moving to the United States at age seven, she took private lessons and attended piano courses as a pre-college student at the University of Southern California. She earned her Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance at the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music, her Master of Music at the University of Cincinnati – College-Conservatory of Music, and a Postgraduate Performance Certificate from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. She is currently pursuing her Doctor of Musical Arts in Piano Performance at the University of Washington under the tutelage of Robin McCabe. Her principal mentors include Dennis Thurmond, Sung Hwa Park, Giorgi Latsabidze, Shun-Lin Chou, Awadagin Pratt, and Robin McCabe.
Yuki has worked as a piano instructor previously in Torrance and San Francisco, she enjoys finding creative ways to connect musically with her students.
Instructor
Shae Breton, BS
Shae has had a heart for music, piano, and education since a young age. Originally from sunny San Diego, his musical journey began early with classical piano lessons. Later in life, he moved to Denver and graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor’s of Science in Recording Arts, emphasis in piano. Throughout his time, he has studied many different genres of music and performed with different groups, such as string ensembles, jazz jam bands, orchestras, choirs, rock bands, and even bluegrass and metal bands.
Shae believes that lessons should be fun, structured, and encourage students to do their best. He works to create balanced lesson plans, letting students enjoy some freedom in their curriculum while also being pushed into unfamiliar environments. Lessons are rooted in classical foundations, which are expanded upon into contemporary styles and structures. Curriculum topics include ear training, sight-reading, chord reading, music history, theory, and more. He considers music to be an incredible art form that is not only enjoyable, but also encourages players to grow emotionally, connect with themselves, develop fine motor skills, and keep the brain sharp and growing. Shae hopes that ultimately, students have fun and enjoy the process of learning.