SSD Faculty
Vanessa Vari, Director
Violin & Early Childhood Education
Vanessa Vari is the proud founder and director of Suzuki Strings of Denver. She enjoys teaching Suzuki Early Childhood Education classes, violin lessons, and leading community concerts with her enthusiastic students.
Born and raised in Buffalo, New York, Ms. Vari studied the violin with Mary Cay Neal and the Buffalo Suzuki Strings for 16 years. She was a proud member & chaperone of their advanced touring ensemble for 6 international tours, and enjoyed her training with Dr. Suzuki in Australia. Additionally, she studied with several other renowned teachers at summer music institutes including Aspen, Brevard, Sewanee, and Chautauqua.
After studying with Movses Pogossian and receiving her music education degree from Bowling Green State University in Ohio, Ms. Vari went on to complete her Master's Degree in Suzuki Pedagogy with Sandy Reuning at Ithaca College in New York. She enjoyed teaching for 3 years with the Suzuki String School of Guelph in Ontario, Canada under the direction of Sally Gross, followed by being a partner of Boulder Suzuki Strings in Colorado, led by Amy Gesmer-Packman. She loved hearing her advanced violin ensemble perform at the 2004 Suzuki Association of the Americas Conference, and was co-coordinator of the Suzuki Youth Orchestras of the Americas at both the 2008 and 2010 Conferences.
Ms. Vari enjoys performing with the Denver Philharmonic Orchestra and her rock band, The Atomic, while also skiing, and playing tennis and golf, during Colorado's many sunny days. She is a proud aunt to 4 young, Suzuki musicians!
Jason Johnston
Collaborative Piano
Jason Johnston is excited to join Suzuki Strings of Denver this season as piano accompanist. Originally from Southern California, Jason studied with Alvin Chow and Andrew Cooperstock at the University of Colorado Boulder where he earned his Bachelor of Music in piano performance with highest honors. During his studies he received several grants to perform solo recitals as part of the Music Teachers' Association of California's Young Artist Guild, and won the MTNA Collegiate Piano Competition for the state of Colorado.
Later pursuing a career in software engineering, Jason has continued his musical passions, performing as a guest soloist with the Rocky Mountain Brassworks and the Saddleback College Emeritus Institute Symphony, and as an accompanist for various artists. Jason lives in Denver with his son Evan, and loves spending time in Colorado’s great outdoors!
Amber Lovatt
Suzuki Early Childhood Education
Amber Lovatt, a Milwaukee native, discovered the violin through the Suzuki Method in Kindergarten. She later pursued her passion for music at the University of Wisconsin Whitewater, where she graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Music Education, complemented by a Minor in Philosophy. During her college years, Amber's talent shone as the concertmaster for various orchestras, notably as the first violinist for the University's prestigious Chancellor's Quartet. Awarded a full scholarship to attend the National Music Festival, a two-week orchestral showcase in Chestertown, Maryland, she contributed to an NPR recording of Prokofiev's "Peter and the Wolf”, narrated by Liane Hansen. With experience spanning across collegiate to professional levels, Amber has played in orchestras such as the Lake Geneva Symphony Orchestra, Pikes Peak Philharmonic, the Arapahoe Philharmonic, and the Longmont Symphony Orchestra.
Amber embarked into the realm of Suzuki Early Childhood Education at Suzuki Strings of Denver with her son, Leadros, in 2022. She was captivated by the profound malleability of even the youngest minds! After attending the Peaks to Plains Suzuki Institute with her son, Amber enthusiastically received her first stage of SECE training with Danette Warren (Schuh) in Texas. She is thrilled to join Ms. Vari on faculty teaching SECE at SSD!
Beyond her musical pursuits, Amber is a certified yoga instructor and enjoys a plethora of Colorado activities alongside her husband, from weightlifting and MMA, to skateboarding and indulging in strategic board games.
Adjunct Faculty
Adam Riggs
cello
Noted for his passionate and expressive performances, Dr. Adam Riggs has played the cello since he was four years old. In addition to his Doctor of Musical Arts Degree from the University of Colorado Boulder, Adam holds a Master of Music from the Hartt School and a Bachelor of Music, as well as a Diploma in Chamber Music from Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Canada. A devoted chamber musician, Adam has performed alongside the Penderecki and Lafyette String Quartets, has worked with members of the Takacs, St. Lawrence, Emerson, Juilliard, Tokyo and Penderecki String Quartets, and has been heard on Colorado Public Radio. He is currently the principal cellist of Stratus Chamber Orchestra, and performs as a sub with the Boulder Philharmonic.
An avid teacher, Adam has had pedagogy training in all of the Suzuki Cello books. Adam has been on the Board of the Suzuki Association of Colorado for the past 4 years serving as Treasurer, Scholarship Committee chair and Webmaster. Adam is also Chair of Board, director and founder of the Colorado Cello Summit, a 501(c)3 organization dedicated to strengthening and connecting Colorado’s cello community. Adam lives in Arvada with his wife Jessica and two dogs. In addition to his musical endeavors, Adam is owner and photographer at AR Pictures.
Anna Salmon
piano & Early Childhood Education
Anna Salmon is a native of Guilford, CT. She holds a Bachelors of Music in Music Education from Ithaca College and a Masters of Music in Piano Performance and Pedagogy from the University of Oklahoma, where she was chosen by the School of Music as Teaching Assistant of the Year. Anna served on the Piano Faculty of the Suzuki Institute of Dallas in Addison, TX for six years. She ran a private Suzuki Piano studio in Denver, CO and served as President and Trophy Festival Chair for the Suzuki Association of Colorado.
Anna has enjoyed being the staff accompanist and Suzuki Early Childhood Education co-teacher at Suzuki Strings of Denver since 2018. She enthusiastically spreads the love of music and the Suzuki Method at SSD! In her spare time, Anna enjoys skiing, yoga, singing, golfing, and spending time with her daughter Abigail, husband Ian, and dog Rhody.
megan prokes
violin & viola
Megan Prokes is originally from Buffalo, New York. She began playing the violin at the age of 4 as a student at the Buffalo Suzuki Strings school, where she studied with Alice Keith Knowles and Mary Cay Neal. She continued her studies at Carnegie Mellon University, where she earned her Bachelor and Master of Fine Arts degrees in violin performance as a student of Cyrus Forough.
Megan has been a member of the Richmond Symphony Orchestra, the Virginia Symphony Orchestra, and the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra. She has been a member of the Colorado Symphony Orchestra’s violin section since 2017. Outside of work, Megan enjoys rock climbing, hiking, and spending time with her husband and two daughters.