Directors and Staff

A performing artist extraordinaire, Dr. Vincent Phelan is a passionate and dynamic educator of all ages, artistic director, clinician, conductor, and speaker based out of Cincinnati, Ohio. As a unique musician with extensive knowledge of many musical styles, he uses his conservatory training, sense of humor, and love of people to bring out his own creativity and help students actualize theirs. As a dedicated leader in music, Vincent embraces a deep value in creating great performances while positively influencing the character of others.

Vincent is currently the Concertmaster of the Southwest Ohio Philharmonic as well as a liturgical musician at the Community of the Good Shepherd Parish. Previously, he was the Concertmaster of the Middletown Symphony for 20 years. He is an active recitalist, and has performed with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Ballet Orchestra, Columbus Symphony, Dayton Philharmonic, and other musical organizations throughout Ohio. In 2015, Vincent was awarded Studio Teacher of the Year by the Ohio String Teachers Association. Vincent enjoys working with children, and has performed extensively for young audiences. He plays bluegrass music in the Cincinnati area and formerly performed with the band RETREAD.

Vincent holds degrees from the Cleveland Institute of Music and the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) where he studied with Won Bin Yim and Dorothy Delay. He received his doctoral degree from CCM in 2006. He has studied Suzuki Pedagogy with Linda Stieg, Nancy Lokken, Pat D’Ercole, and Ronda Cole.

Vincent teaches violin at God’s Bible School and College. Formerly, Vincent was Instructor of Strings and Chamber Music at Ursuline Academy and the Violin Instructor at the Cincinnati Dominican Seminary . Vincent also served as String Instructor and Orchestra Director at St. Clare Elementary School in Cleveland; and was interim Orchestra Director at Nagel Middle School in Anderson Township. He has provided Suzuki instruction at the Encore Music Studio in Columbus and the CCM Preparatory Department. Vincent served as an adjudicator for the 2011 and 2012 Cincinnati Overture Awards.

When he is not performing or teaching, Vincent enjoys spending time with his grown children, Peter and Veronica, and his dog, Mia.

Elizabeth is passionate about both high-level teaching and performing. In 2020, she received the Studio Teacher of the Year award from the Ohio String Teachers Association. Elizabeth and her husband Vincent have directed the Corryville Suzuki Project, an accelerated family-oriented music program that offers violin and viola instruction to children ages 4-18 from the Tri-State area, since 1995. Elizabeth directs the music theory curriculum, and the Phelans also train instructors and student teachers through the program.

Elizabeth is Principal Violist of the Southwest Ohio Philharmonic, and formerly led as Principal Violist of the Middletown Symphony for over two decades. Elizabeth and Vincent toured Ireland in 2018 performing as a duo in Ireland’s historic sites including Galway Cathedral, Knock Shrine Basilica, and Ballintuber Abby. She has performed with the Cincinnati Ballet Orchestra, Columbus Symphony, Dayton Philharmonic, and the Richmond (Ind.) Symphony. Elizabeth, Vincent, and their son Peter perform chamber music as the Phelan Trio. Formerly as a college student, Elizabeth performed with the All-American College Orchestra at Disney’s Epcot Center, playing daily shows with famous entertainers.

Elizabeth holds a Master of Music degree from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) where she was a scholarship student of Peter Kamnitzer, famed violist of the LaSalle Quartet. She previously received her Bachelor of Music degree in Viola Performance from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Elizabeth has studied Suzuki pedagogy extensively with over 15 Suzuki teacher trainers, including William Preucil and Michelle George.

Elizabeth is an active member of Sigma Alpha Iota, the international music fraternity for women, and has received both the Sword of Honor and the Rose of Honor. Elizabeth has held teaching positions in Cincinnati at the Musical Arts Center and the CCM Preparatory Department where she also taught music theory. Elizabeth also taught church music to grades 1-4 for the Guardian Angels Religious Education Program in Mt. Washington for eight years. Other former teaching positions have included Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp in Twin Lake, Michigan.

Elizabeth enjoys traveling to see her son Peter (cellist) and daughter-in-law Jenni (clarinetist) in Manchester, England. Her daughter, Veronica is a violist studying Environmental Studies at the University of Cincinnati. As a volunteer, Mrs. Council-Phelan currently serves as a member of the Patient and Family Advisory Committee at the Daniel Drake Center for Post-Acute Care in Cincinnati. Elizabeth also volunteers as administrator for the Local Home Repair Ministry at her parish.

Dr. Carpinteyro-Lara was born in Puebla, Mexico, and began his musical studies with his father at the Conservatorio de Musica del Estado de Puebla. During his postgraduate studies in London at the London College of Music he had the opportunity to study with Richard Markson and participated in a master-class with Maud M. Tortelier. In the States, he received his Bachelor of Music Performance at The University of Southern Mississippi in 2001, Master of Music in Performance from The Bowling Green State University in 2003 and Doctor of Musical Arts at the University of Cincinnati, College Conservatory of Music, in 2014.

His principal teachers include Lee Fiser, Alan Smith, and Paul York. Also, he has participated in master classes with Cuarteto Latinoamericano, Yehuda Hanani, Joan Dickson, Stefan Popov, and Wolfgang Laufer. He has performed solo and chamber music recitals in Mexico, London, Glasgow, Hattiesburg, Bowling Green, and Cincinnati. He has been principal cellist of several orchestras such as: Middletown Symphony Orchestra, Hamilton-Fairfield Symphony Orchestra, and Lima Symphony Orchestra. Also, he also has performed with several orchestras around the world such as, Orquesta Sinfonica Carlos Chavez, Orquesta de Camara de San Angel, Gulfcoast Symphony Orchestra, Meridian Symphony Orchestra, Clermont Philharmonic Orchestra and Springfield Symphony Orchestra.

He has an extensive cello teaching experience from beginners to college level. He has taught privately and in several places such as at The University of Southern Mississippi Community Arts School, The Summer Music Institute at The Bowling Green State University, The BGSU Creative Arts Program, Ohio Northern University, Immanuel School of Music, and Cincinnati Music Academy.