String Judges
(To be announced)
Piano Judges
Paul Falk
Equally at home in Jazz, Music Theatre, Pop and Classical Music, Paul has been playing piano since the 1 st Grade. He completed his Bachelor’s Degree in Piano/Vocal and General Music at the University of Northern Colorado and Master’s Degree in Jazz Piano/Voice at Chicago College of the Performing Arts at Roosevelt University . As a pianist and accompanist, he has been active in Recital Performances, All State Choir/All State Jazz Choir Performances, Jazz Ensembles, Reading Sessions, Symphony Performances, Recording projects and Music theatre pits from Colorado to Illinois and New York. Some Musical Theatre highlights include RENT , Motones vs. Jerseys, A Christmas Story & Next to Normal ( CO Premier Casts ), Take to the Highway, Cabaret Performances, Making it on Broadway Workshops ( NY/CO ) and Broadway Intensive Workshops ( CO ).
Over the past 14 years Paul has been a vocal music director at Rocky Mountain High School (Grammy Signature School ), Windsor High School , and finally at Ponderosa High School the past 3 years, where he also has Class Piano offerings for the HS students. Paul has served as Tenor Section Leader in the Larimer Chorale, freelance accompanist/adjudicator and Music Director/Pianist at Midtown Arts Center . Paul has had the opportunity to work with artists such as: Patricia Barber, Laurence Hobgood, Anton Armstrong, Judy Kaye, Game of Thrones Concert-Experience Choir, Terrence Mann, Stephanie J. Block, Kate McGarry, Judy Niemack, The New York Voices and Ben Folds. He can be heard most recently on EP recordings by vocalist Mandy Harvey.
As a graduate of Northglenn High School in the Adams 5 Star School District, Paul is glad to be back home to serve as a judge for the TASHCO Young Artists’ Festival again this year.
Ryan Marvel
Ryan Marvel is a pianist, composer and arranger from Fort Collins, CO. He attended Northern Arizona University for Piano Performance. He currently is the collaborative pianist with the Colorado Women of Song and Zion Lutheran Church in Loveland. He maintains a full private piano studio and works as an independent arranger and composer. He served as Director of Music and Choirs at Foothills Unitarian Church 2006-2017. Prior to moving to the Front Range, he worked as pianist in Chandler, AZ at Valley Unitarian Universalist Church from 1999-2005. Ryan has recorded and released 6 solo piano albums. He recently published and recorded a set of cello and piano miniatures works for Off the Hook Arts’ Winterfest in Fort Collins. He frequently concertizes in homes and churches locally and nationally, and is in demand as a guest pianist and conductor. He has scored for three documentary projects and holds the goal to one day compose for feature films.
Christelle Menth
Christelle Menth is a retired pianist and professor of piano, piano pedagogy, and music history. She taught at Colorado Christian University in Lakewood, CO, from 1998-2019, and at Concordia University, Seward, NE, from 1977-1998. She received her undergraduate degree from Concordia University, Seward, Nebraska, the Master of Music degree in Piano Performance from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Piano Performance from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. Her piano studies were with Thelma Noennig, Alfred Born, Carroll Chilton, Jack Radunsky, Malcolm Bilson, William Heiles, and Kenneth Drake. Between 1988 and 1995 Ms. Menth performed as a touring artist for the Nebraska Arts Council, which supports recitals and other arts events across Nebraska. She has judged auditions sponsored by the National Guild of Piano Teachers, the Nebraska and Colorado Music Teachers Associations, as well as local music teachers associations. In retirement, she delights in reading, gardening, raising orchids, and continues to pursue music through piano, organ, violin, and most recently, the theremin.