Fall 2021 Fine Art Teaching Artists

Carla Campopiano is an Argentine flutist and Composer specializing in tango and Latin American Music. She has developed a career in the US for a decade leading and accompanying varied ensembles of world music.

Carla performed in several stages in Argentina, US and Europe. She attended the “Escuela de Música Popular de Avellaneda”.

Since 2018 she has directed Carla Campopiano trio a project in collaboration with Gustavo Cortiñas, the project aims to build bridges of communication between cultures.

She is currently working in several projects, her most recent works were her last albums Chicago Buenos Aires Connections and Carla Campopiano Trio, both composed by jazz, tango and Latin American Repertoire.

Check out some of her latest work on her YouTube Channel: @Carla Campopiano. Carla is married and is a mother of 3.

John Marcelo Pinos Velez

Faculty of Architecture and Town Planning

Faculty of Ars School of Music ~ Musical Composition (graduate)  

Musician and Composer: Performer in: Latin American Music, Classics, Andeans, Nationals, Strings, Winds and Minor Percussion

Plays and Teaches instruments: piano, guitar, bass, drums, accordion, flute, saxophone, clarinet, quenas, quenachos, panpipes, rondador, payas, dulzainas, ocarina, charango, Venezuelan cuatro, ronroco, Peruvian cajon, legúero bass drum.

He is a former teacher in Music at Salesiana sor Teresa Valse Educational Unit (2019-present) LUISA DE JESÚS CORDERO EDUCATIONAL UNIT. ENDORSED BY THE DOMINICAN MOTHERS (2012-2018), Salesian Technical College 2008-2010, 

Teacher of Music Workshops.

Active member of the Allyu Llakta Music Group of the University of Cuenca (instrumentalist).

FOUNDING AND ACTIVE MEMBER OF THE GROUP "ALMA DEL SUR" POPULAR MUSIC GROUP. FOUNDED IN 2000 "Alma del Sur", which was born with the intention of forming a folklore group of the Salesian Higher Technical Institute, Its main objective is the rescue of traditional Ecuadorian and Latin American music addressing different aesthetics, styles and musical forms. He has participated in several National and International Folklore Festivals.

Alma del Sur has been part of the musical cast of several dance groups with whom he visited as ambassadors of our culture in: Lima,(Peru), Santiago, Concepción, Valdivia, Arica (Chile), Córdoba, Buenos Aires, Monte buey (Argentina), Rio de Janeiro, Passo Fundo, Porto Alegre, Santos Guarujá, Nova Petropolis (Brazil), Santa Marta, barranquilla, Cincelejo, Cienega, Valledupar, Pasto ( Colombia), A Coruña, Galicia, Albacete, Ferrol, Madrid, Valencia, Tudela, Cuenca (Spain), Zacatecas, Guadalajara, Tequila, DF mexico (Mexico), Verona, Milan, Bolzano, Ferrara, Venice. John is happily married with two children.

Mary E. Grenchus is a singer, musician, composer, dancer, writer, photographer, performing arts director, and artist (oil, acrylics, pen and ink, charcoal, pastels). She loves supporting the arts, and making deeper connections with artists and within the arts community as she continuously uncovering what brings her soul happiness and joy. Mary creates the programs offered by the Grenchus Foundation and offers support in arts, faith, culture, health and well-being. She has a deep spirituality which can be seen in her work, her creations, and in her aspirations, goals dreams as well as the vision for the Foundation. Mary also advocates for culture as she has come into contact with many different cultures, and as her grandfather was Lithuanian-American and grandmother was Irish-American. She shares ethnic cultural traditions, enthusiasm and respect for different cultures and promotes others to do the same. She was also highly influenced by her first employer - a female entrepreneur - who owned her own small business in Fashion. As a female Entrepreneur herself, Mary promotes a deep sense of love, well-being, and flourishing, in others ~ all of which we find present here at the Foundation. Mary also engages in consultations with world leaders, religious leaders, and govt officials… as well as does transformational coaching and runs our Health, Fitness, and Well-Being program. She is the founder of The Grenchus Foundation and continues to advocate for the arts and artists in the midst of the pandemic. Mary has helped with planning, and attending, as well as attended and overseen certain aspects of World Youth Day and World Meeting of Families for years. Mary has a Bachelor of Arts in Human Development with a focus on Black Adolescent Development, a Master of Arts in Theology and Ministry from Boston College, and a partial Master of Arts in Spirituality from Fordham University. To learn more about Mary please go to our Board Members Page. Mary is a mother of 2.

Julián López born Luján, Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1991. At an early age he began his musical studies approaching them from the guitar. In his artistic career, he has composed numerous songs and has integrated various musical groups of different genres. The music took him to different parts of the world. Currently he is dedicated to teaching and music. He has his own Tango Band.

Maria James’s love of dance began as a young teenager and like most aspiring artists, her first audiences were family and friends at parties. Her love for the art of dance quickly grew as she began to dance in classes and school shows; the lessons in self-esteem and discipline have stayed with her throughout here professional career. Maria has studied with Bernice Johnson, Gloria Jackson, the Jamaica Arts Center, and the Alvin Ailey School. Maria has faithfully served the Queens and New York City areas for over 10 years as a professional dance instructor and mentor. In that service she has studied the aspects of dance that are necessary for personal and professional growth and success. She says, “I feel I am ready, as an instructor, to fill the void so left by the lack of resources in our communities. My mission is to now pass that information on to the next generation of dancers so that they may enrich themselves and the community in which they live.

Dayanis Mondeja was born in Santa Clara, Cuba, where she studied modern and folkloric dance at the Vocational Art School and then later at the National Art School in Havana, Cuba. After graduation she danced with the National Contemporary Dance Company which toured Mexico performing "Carmina Burana" and other works. Dayanis eventually emigrated to Miami and danced for the Mosaic Dance Project. During her time in Miami, she also performed at the Latin Grammy Awards and has appeared in music videos with the likes of Mark Anthony, Jason Derulo, Laura Pausini, and Zion & Lennox. Dayanis now resides in New York where she continues to teach at various art schools and performs at venues throughout the city today. She is trained in ballet, modern, contemporary dance, as well as Cuban dance.

Dayanis and our Founder will be working closely together to begin to present a New Modern Modest image for female dancers on our platform. While some of Dayanis’ dance pieces are controversial and revealing of the body, our platform will be solely focusing on Dayanis’ Modern Modest Pieces. Dayanis, having experience with the different ways women are treated in the dance world and body exposure, body image, as well as with our Founder’s experience of Dance, The Arts, Women’s Issues, and Women’s Ministry … will be working on what we are terming “MOD-EST” … REDEFINING WHAT MODERN IS IN RELATION TO WOMEN AND THE MODERN MODEST MINDSET IN DANCE AND IN THE ARTS. While Dayanis continues to work with different dance artists throughout the city…. on our platform, we will be focusing on Dayanis’ Modest creations of Art in Dance. “MOD-EST” : “MODERN IS” & “MODEST IS”: Modern Modest in Dance, in the Arts, and across Cultures. Dayanis and Mary will be presenting “MOD-EST” as a new path forward for Women in Dance and in the Arts. We are excited about this collaboration project to show that Modesty can still be present in all forms of Dance, including Modern Dance as well as in the Arts World, and in all forms of the Arts.