Who will be teaching, coaching, and directing you this year?

Allison Eichvalds

Susie Melody Mathias

Ruth Gramann

Panni Kovacs

Shannon Leonard

Knut Andreas

Erasmus Meinerts

Phil Tietjen

Junior Choir:
Aziza Sadikova (BIS) has been a music teacher at BIS since 2008. She is a primary music teacher, and a choir assistant with Kirtsy Gillies. In 2015 she also began as a Primary Choir director at BIS, enjoying her role with performances in and outside the school, for example at Berliner Philharmonie, Deutsches Theatre Berlin, school events, and Advent concerts at Senironheim in Dahlem.
Aziza Sadikova is a professionally trained pianist and composer, and is very active in the  Berlin music scene, with productions of her works with leading conductors and ensembles.

Allison Eichvalds (BMS) is the primary music teacher at BMS. In the past, she has been involved with several short-term music projects, including the Youth and Community Outreach programs at the Welsh National Opera. She will for the second time co-lead the Junior Choir at BIMP.

Junior Orchestra:
Susie Melody Mathias (ESF) studied Music, Dance and Drama in London. She achieved her Post Graduate Certificate in Primary Education in Oxford, England. She is married with 4 daughters and her family moved to Germany many years ago. Susie grew up singing, dancing, acting and performing in various instrumental ensembles in Gloucester, London, Canada and Bristol as well as developing her teaching career. Since moving to Germany she has taught and shared all she knows in various institutions in Osnabrück and Bielefeld with various age groups. She has until the past summer thought Music and English at International School Villa Amalienhof and Susie is now working at Europaschule Falkensee. 

Ruth Gramann (née Organ) (BBIS) has been teaching at BBIS since 1998 and also works as a freelance composer.  She is presently writing a piece for the guest harpist Pollyanna Mathias and the Junior Orchestra for BIMP 2016 and is arranging a movement from Vivaldi's 'Winter' and ‘C-jam blues’ for the Junior Orchestra too.  She is a member of the contemporary composers' group in Land Brandenburg 'Fachgruppe Neue Musik' which aims to make contemporary music accessible to young people.

Senior Choir:
Anna "Panni" Kovacs (BBIS) has been working with different choirs for over 20 years. She has a Master of Music Education from the Liszt Ferenc Music Academy (Budapest) and a Master of Music in Choral Conducting from Westminster Choir College (Princeton). She is currently on the faculty of the Berlin Brandenburg International School, and on the summer faculty of New York University, Portland State University and Westminster Choir College teaching choral conducting, music theory, pedagogy, and vocal training. She is the past president of the Kodaly Organization of New York, and an active choral clinician in the United States, Europe, and Brazil.

Shannon Leonard  (PSB) has been working as a Music Teacher, Choral Director and Singing Teacher for many years in his native Australia, as well as the as the UK and now Germany. He has been teaching at the Alfred Nobel International School from 2014-2016. Since summer of 2016 Shannon have been working at Platanus Schule in Berlin. Alongside his teaching duties, Shannon conducts a number of Children's and Community choirs in the Berlin area. He is also a classical singer and performs regularly as a concert soloist specializing in Bach and Handel and has his own 6-voice accapella ensemble performing repertoire from Renaissance through to Pop. Shannon takes part in BIMP for the second time and he is looking forward to co-lead the Senior Choir with Ms. Panni!

Senior Orchestra: 
Dr. Knut Andreas has served as artistic director of the Collegium Musicum Potsdam symphony orchestra since 1998. In his work as conductor and musicologist, he combines musical theory and practise in a variety of areas, always striving to inspire a wide audience by and for the music.
Following musical training on the violin, viola, piano and bassoon and studies in music education, German language and literature at Potsdam University, he continued his education at the University of Music and Theatre “Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy“ in Leipzig. His mentors in conducting include Ronald Reuter, Stefan Malzew, Werner Andreas Albert and Dorian Wilson.
Upon completion of his studies, he took a position as personal consultant and assistant to the general music director of the Neubrandenburg Philharmonic. Along with directing the childrens' concerts, he was in charge of the weekly "Sunday 4 PM" concert series in the Neubrandenburg Concert Church.
​In 2004, Knut Andreas co-founded the international youth orchestra meeting NBJot "Baltikum" and served as its manager until 2008.

Erasmus Meinerts (BBIS) has a degree in music education from Ludwigsburg Pedagogical College. Playing the violin and viola is a constant in a life that has led him to the Congo, the USA and Bali (Indonesia). He is concertmaster of the Collegium Musicum symphony orchestra in Potsdam and plays violin and viola in a number of orchestras in Berlin. He enjoys teaching music and working with young people. At BBIS he teaches violin and organizes and directs the school orchestra.

Jazz/Pop Ensemble:
Phil Tietjen (BBS) studied contemporary music performance, music production and sonic arts in Nottingham, England, before completing his PGCE. He has performed in bands all over the U.K. and in Germany before moving to Berlin two years ago. 
He currently teaches music across primary and secondary age groups at Berlin British School.