One of the most exciting things for our Director of Music Rob DeNunzio this school year is the reintroduction of elective offerings in music for our younger students. No longer constrained to cohorts or classrooms, our music students have been able to stretch out and choose the musical paths they want to pursue. With that, a number of amazing new instructors have joined our veteran teachers to make these opportunities possible–a true gift to both our community and students. 

It has been especially exciting to welcome back SD alumna Alexandra Simpson ’11, graduate of our Upper School Virtuoso Program. She returns to the VP now as a chamber music coach and viola instructor, working with upper school students planning their college adventures. Our other new hires, Louise Nalbandian and Krisanthy Desby, are focused on teaching our fourth and fifth grade students. It is our sincere pleasure to welcome and introduce these new faces in our music department this year.

Alexandra Simpson ’11

Alexandra Simpson has traveled the world as a performer and educator: from Bucaramanga, Colombia to Cornwall, England. She is based in the San Francisco Bay Area, freelancing as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral player. She serves as the Assistant Principal Violist of the California Symphony, and has performed as a soloist with Marin Symphony, SFCM New Music Ensemble, and Classical Music Institute Chamber Orchestra. As a chamber musician, Alexandra travels frequently to festivals to perform, learn, and teach.
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Alexandra earned her Bachelor of Music studying with renowned and Grammy-winning violist Kim Kashkashian at New England Conservatory, with the Donald Green and Lotta Crabtree Scholarships. She received both a Master of Music and Master of Musical Arts from Yale School of Music.

Louise Nalbandian

As a new addition to our music department, Louise Nalbandian is excited to share her love of music with us! Our instructor for fourth and fifth grade group choral classes, Louise brings her vocal talents to our student body, sharing a world of music through a variety of genres and song styles with an emphasis on fun and fruitful engagement. With a background in classical piano performance, she maintains an active piano studio for private instruction. Serving the SF Bay Area music community for more than 20 years, she has taught at The Hamlin School, Katherine Delmar Burke School, and Sacred Heart. One of her favorite quotes is from the great Confucius: “Music produces a kind of pleasure which human nature cannot do without.” 

Krisanthy Desby

Cellist and chamber musician Krisanthy Desby has been active in the San Francisco Bay Area for more than 20 years. She is the founder and director of Strobe, an oboe quartet that has been awarded grants by Chamber Music America, InterMusicSF, the Zellerbach Family Foundation, and the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. Previously, she was the founder of the Laurel Ensemble, which participated in the Symphony’s Adventures in Music program, and chosen to premiere new works at Hong Kong’s Musicarama Festival. She was Associate Principal Cello of the Napa Valley Symphony and the Santa Cruz Symphony, and continues to play with several orchestras throughout the Bay Area. She has a Bachelor of Music Degree from the Peabody Institute, and was the Teaching Assistant and Fellowship recipient at the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University, receiving a Master Degree in Violoncello Performance.