Our Directors

Lisa Ostrow, Co-founder and Co-owner

Voice and Piano Instructor, Theory, Vocal Coach, Producer, Co-founder and Co-owner

An award-winning recording artist and singer/songwriter, Lisa has expertise in all genres of music – including jazz, musical theater, classical and pop. She trained at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Canada for over 10 years, and graduated cum laude with a BA from Harvard University. In her capacity as vocal instructor, Lisa has guided students to five National Gold Medals of Excellence, five Regional Gold Medals of Excellence, and 21 State Certificates of Excellence from The Royal Conservatory of Music, and has had seven students invited to perform at Carnegie Hall.

She, herself, has performed across the U.S., Canada, and Bermuda as a featured soloist in such venues as Boston’s Symphony Hall and The Royal Theater in Victoria, British Columbia. Her first album, “Unconditional”, released in 2007, is available on iTunes, Amazon, and from other online retailers. Lisa is a Voting Member of the Recording Academy, the organization responsible for the Grammy Awards.

 

Patrick Dreier, Co-founder and Co-owner

Piano and Guitar Instructor, Theory, Audio Engineer and Producer, Co-founder and Co-owner

Pat studied music theory at Amherst College and arranging and composition at Berklee College of Music. He brings nearly 40 years of performing, recording and teaching experience to Encore as a guitar, piano, theory, and audio recording instructor.

As a performer, he has shared stages with James Brown, Tower of Power, Billy Idol, Eric Burdon & the Animals, Billy Squier, Gregg Allman Band, The Tubes, Blue Oyster Cult, Billy Cobham, Bob Weir (Grateful Dead), Peter Wolf (J. Geils), Matt “Guitar” Murphy (Blues Brothers), Kenny Gradney of Little Feat, the Ramones, Gary U.S. Bonds,  Southside Johnny, Jim Carroll and Lenny Kaye (Patti Smyth), Marshall Crenshaw, Buster Poindexter/David Johansen (NY Dolls), Dez Dickerson (Prince), Beaver Brown, Grand Funk, Badfinger, and many others. He has toured extensively throughout the northeastern U.S., as well as in Bermuda and Europe. He is currently performing with Jamie Walker & Friends, and the Groove Doctors.

As a recording engineer and producer, he is highly sought after and his experience spans a wide variety of styles – from rap and club to rock, pop, EDM, K-Pop, jazz, classical, and musical theater. He has worked with nationally-known producers, engineers and artists in a recording career spanning several decades.

Rebecca Abalutzk, Program Director

Voice, Piano, Musical Theatre, Theory, and RCM Smart Start®

Becki, who has guided one Encore student to a National Gold Medal of Excellence, four students to Regional Gold Medals of Excellence, and two State Certificates of Excellence from The Royal Conservatory of Music, as well as five others to perform on the stage at Carnegie Hall, received her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst with Marjorie Melnick.  While there, she performed in several productions, including Benjamin Britten’s The Little Sweep, Ceremony of Carols and opera scenes from Le Nozze di Figaro, Dido and Aeneas and Die Zauberflóte. While attending graduate school at Westminster Choir College, Becki received her Master of Music in Vocal Performance and Pedagogy as a student of Sharon Sweet, former soprano at the Metropolitan Opera.  She was a member of the Westminster Symphonic Choir, and performed Mozart’s Coronation Mass with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Loren Maazel, as well as performing in opera scenes from Rusalka, Die Fledermaus, and La Traviata. Becki has been the vocal director and accompanist for Westwood High School’s productions of Anything Goes and The Pajama Game, and Trottier Middle School’s production of Schoolhouse Rock Live! Jr.