Downing Middle School Orchestra
PRIVATE LESSONS
​​Private lessons are a wonderful way to increase the playing ability of your student. They are not required, but they are certainly encouraged. If you are already involved in private lessons outside of school, you do not need to switch to an LISD private teacher. In private lessons, a teacher helps students focus on instrument-specific techniques, solos, exercises, and more, at an accelerated and individualized pace. Students who practice and take private lessons are usually leaders in Orchestra. These lessons are incredibly convenient for parents and students, and very affordable.
2025-2026 Lesson Rates
Degreed teacher, 22 minute lesson -- $21 every week
Non-degreed teacher, 22 minute lesson – $17.50 every week
We have approved LISD private lesson teachers who have undergone fingerprinting and background checks. Times for lessons will be coordinated with private teachers. Communication is done directly between parents and private teachers. If you have questions or concerns about private lessons, you may contact Mr. Sipzner at sipznerj@lisd.net.
Private Lesson Instructors 2025-2026
Szemőke Jobbagy
Violin/Viola
Ethan Meilinger
Violin/Viola
Nini Rubiano
Cello
Tara Paine
Violin/Viola
Camryn LaFargue
Bass
Julia Oh
Violin/Viola
Nathalie Hernandez
Cello
A native of Hungary, SzemÅ‘ke Jobbágy began playing the violin at the age of six. At 14, she entered the Béla Bartók Conservatory of Music in Budapest where she studied for four years.
She received her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest with the highest honors. Ms. Jobbágy earned her Doctorate in Violin Performance under the tutelage of Professor Julia Bushkova at the University of North Texas, where she held a Doctoral Fellowship and a Teaching Fellowship in Violin and Chamber Music. She has also worked with Professor Emanuel Borok in his Concertmaster Study program and with Professor Cynthia Roberts on Baroque violin. Ms. Jobbágy has performed in master classes for artists including György Pauk, Sylvie Gazeau, and Pinchas Zukerman, among others.
The first-prize winner of the 1998 János Koncz National Violin Competition (Hungary) and a semifinalist of the 2001 Carl Flesch International Violin Competition (Hungary), SzemÅ‘ke Jobbágy has performed as a soloist, orchestral member, and chamber musician throughout Europe, Asia, North and South America with repertoire ranging from early baroque to modern music. As a concerto soloist, she has appeared with the University of North Texas Symphony Orchestra, University of Southern Illinois Symphony Orchestra and Plano Symphony Orchestra (USA), and the Béla Bartók Conservatory Symphony Orchestra, Miskolc Symphony Orchestra, and MAV Symphony Orchestra (Hungary). Ms. Jobbágy has been the Concertmaster of the MAV Symphony Orchestra, and a core member of the Budapest Strings Chamber Orchestra, and the Budapest Festival Orchestra. She has served as Acting Concertmaster of the Plano Symphony Orchestra and Guest Concertmaster of the San Angelo Symphony Orchestra, Irving Symphony Orchestra, and Dallas Chamber Symphony. She has played as an extra violinist in the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra. Her performing career has brought her to prestigious venues as Musikverein in Vienna, Royal Albert Hall in London, Tonhalle in Zurich, Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, and Sala Sao Paulo.
Ms. Jobbagy is currently the Associate Concertmaster of the Plano Symphony Orchestra. She lives in North Texas with her husband, violinist Chuong Vu, and their three children Elizabeth, Benjamin and Isabella.
My name is Ethan, and I am soon-to-be graduate from The University of Texas at Austin and am a classically trained violinist with over 12 years of playing experience. I grew up in the area and was fortunate to be a part of the Briarhill Middle School and Marcus High School orchestra programs from grades 6 through 12. During that time, I was lucky enough to be a big part of the program and served as the MHS Orchestra president during my senior year. By taking a leadership role I quickly realized the passion I had for music and teaching in general and inspired me to pursue a career in education.
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As a dedicated educator with over 4 years of teaching experience, I am passionate about sharing my love for music with students of all ages and levels. I firmly believe that music has the power to inspire, uplift, and connect people from all walks of life. My commitment to creating a positive and inclusive learning environment that fosters creativity, curiosity, and growth is unwavering. I am a firm believer that every student has a unique musical voice and that it is my job as a teacher to help them discover and develop that voice.
My teaching philosophy is centered around the student. I understand that each student has their own learning style, pace, and goals, and it is my responsibility to tailor my instruction to meet those individual needs. I strongly believe in setting realistic and achievable goals and helping my students develop the skills and discipline needed to achieve them.
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As a teacher, I am patient, encouraging, and always looking for ways to challenge and inspire my students. I prioritize the acceptance of all people and strive to create a safe and supportive space for each student to explore their musical interests and abilities. Outside of teaching and music, I enjoy hiking, photography, biology, and spending time with my cat named Willow. I believe that my varied interests and life experiences give me a well-rounded perspective on life and help me connect with students on a deeper level.
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Ultimately, I am confident in my ability to inspire and empower students to realize their full potential as musicians and individuals. Thank you for considering me as your music teacher, and I am excited to work with you to achieve your musical aspirations.
Julia Oh has been passionate about the violin since she first picked up the instrument at the age of 10. This early start paved the way for her to develop a deep love for music, leading her to pursue a career in music. Currently, Julia is a student at the University of North Texas, where she is an active member of the UNT Concert Orchestra. Her commitment to excellence in music is reflected in her ongoing studies and her dedication to teaching the next generation of musicians.
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Julia brings her extensive experience and enthusiasm to inspire her students every day. She believes in the power of music to transform lives and is dedicated to nurturing young talent. Her extensive experience includes participating in prestigious competitions such as New Song's Hymn Competition, Solo and Ensemble, and both Region and State contests. With a background rooted in performance and a future focused on education, Julia Oh is committed to creating a vibrant, inclusive, and dynamic music program at Downing Middle School.
Mrs. Tara Paine has been teaching music for over 25 years. She started teaching string lessons when she was a junior in college. She received her Bachelors of Music Education with a concentration in Viola from the University of North Texas in May of 2000. After graduating, she started teaching full time as an orchestra director/teacher in August of 2000 at Huffines Middle School in Lewisville, TX and taught there from August 2000 until May of 2003. When she and her husband were ready to start growing their family, she stepped away from orchestra directing for a more flexible schedule and taught Early Childhood music from the Fall of 2003 until 2013 (full time and then part time) while her children were still young.
In the Spring of 2012, when her oldest daughter, Avrie, was in first grade, she started teaching after school string lessons at the school her daughter was attending. After teaching lessons for a couple of years, she was asked to come on part time at the school as an orchestra director. Then, in 2016, she was asked to start teaching/directing full time again at the same school. She taught at CCA/FCAC until 2022. The main reason she left the position is because she felt the need to be home more for her family and more available to sing with her sisters.
Music has always been an important part of Tara’s life and teaching and directing is definitely a passion of hers. Her dad served as a minister of music in churches all of her childhood, so she was around music all the time. She sings and plays her instruments with her sisters professionally. They have been singing together since Tara was still in diapers and professionally since Tara was 14 years old; they are known as the Haynes Sisters. You can look them up on YouTube or on their website at haynessisters.com.
Tara resides in Corinth with her husband and their two daughters.
Nini Rubiano is an active orchestral musician, chamber musician and educator, currently based in the DFW metroplex. She is a regular performer with Plano Symphony Orchestra, Dallas Chamber Orchestra, Abilene Philharmonic, Fort Smith Symphony Orchestra.
As an orchestral musician, her professional career has taken her across the United States as well as internationally. In 2012 and 2013, she held the position of Principal Cello with the Asian Youth Orchestra, where she was awarded a scholarship by the Bright Future Charitable Foundation. In 2014 and 2015, she held the position of Principal Cello with the Duquesne Symphony Orchestra. In 2017, Mrs. Rubiano appeared as the Cello Fellowship recipient at The James Collier Orchestral Fellowship program in Jacksonville, Oregon with the Britt Symphony Orchestra. She has shared the stage with some of the world’s most prestigious musicians; To name a few: British cellist Steven Isserlis, David Kim (concertmaster Philadelphia Orchestra), Noah Bendix-Balgley (concertmaster Berlin Philharmonic), 2CELLOS, Michael Bublè and Josh Groban. Mrs. Rubiano has performed concerts in well-known venues such as Carnegie Hall, The Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, Bass Hall, and Tokyo Opera City. Globally, She has participated in international tours to many places including: Hong Kong, Taiwan, Vietnam, China, Singapore, Japan, and the U.S.
Mrs. Rubiano has also performed as a soloist. In 2014, she won the Duquesne concerto competition and performed Variations on a Rococo Theme by Tchaikovsky with the Duquesne Symphony Orchestra. Most recently, she performed “Swan” by Camille Saint-Saens with the San Angelo Symphony Orchestra and “Memory” for solo cello and orchestra by Joe Hisaishi with the Tarrant County Community College Chamber Orchestra.
On top of her performing career, Mrs. Rubiano has a great passion for teaching. She currently served as an adjunct faculty at Texas Wesleyan University and Tarrant County Community College, Northwest campus, in Fort Worth. She is a dedicated cello instructor in her private studio. Her students were recognized and honored both in their programs and throughout the region/state level, and they have won All-region Auditions as well as FWYO auditions every year. Her desire is to help her students excel in whatever they choose in life.
Mrs. Rubiano began studying cello with her father and continued with her baccalaureate studies at Ren Min University in Beijing. She furthered her musical education receiving a Master’s Degree from Carnegie Mellon University as a full scholarship recipient, and was also awarded the Mary and George Wilkins Scholarship for Graduate Cellists. On top of these studies she also holds an Artist Diploma in Cello Performance from Texas Christian University. Mrs. Rubiano’s primary teachers include David Premo, Jesus Castro-Balbi, Martha Gerschefski and Adam Liu.
Nathalie Joy Hernandez Ayala is a Mexican cellist and music educator born in Tijuana, Baja California, at the border between Mexico and the United States. She has studied with distinguished mentors including Juliette Herlin, Jesús Castro-Balbi, Ghyas Zeidieh, Moises Molina, José Luis Gálvez, Yevgeniya Kobylyanska, and Victoria Getman, who have greatly influenced her musical development and artistry.
From a very young age, Nathalie advanced in her career by earning scholarships such as the Talentos Artísticos de Baja California, which supported her early growth as a performer. She began her orchestral journey with the Sinfonica Juvenil de Tijuana, where she also performed as a soloist, and was part of the Centro de Artes Musicales, performing alongside professional musicians with the Orquesta de Baja California, also as a soloist and section cello. Later, she toured nationally from 2011-2013 with Mexico’s Orquesta Sinfónica Infantil y Juvenil (OSIM).
As a soloist, Nathalie won the Western Illinois University School of Music Concerto Competition, which led to a solo performance with their orchestra of the Dvorak Cello Concerto. Passionate about chamber music, she has won multiple prizes at prestigious competitions, including the MTNA Chamber Music Competition in the United States, earning recognition for her expressive playing and collaborative artistry.
She has participated in masterclasses with distinguished musicians such as Amit Peled, Marc Coppey, Clive Greensmith, Daniel McDonough, Thomas Loewenheim, Jorge Risi, Nicholas Kitchen, William Kinderman, Norman Fischer, Paola Prestini, and Charles Pikler; these experiences have profoundly shaped her musical voice and pedagogy.
Nathalie’s international career includes performances in Italy as part of a summer festival tour, as well as numerous appearances across Mexico and the United States. She came to the U.S. through the President’s International String Quartet Scholarship at Western Illinois University and later completed her Master’s degree at Texas Christian University, where she also served as a Graduate Teaching Assistant.
Currently, Nathalie performs with the East Texas Symphony Orchestra, Abilene Philharmonic, McKinney Philharmonic, and other ensembles across Texas, while sharing her love of music through innovative and supportive teaching. Outside of her professional life, she enjoys writing poetry, exploring films, creating more music, and spending time with her husband, their pets Pache, Sesame, and Kotik.
Camryn began orchestra in 5th grade (2013) with the violin, which she studied through 8th grade (2017). In 7th grade she added double bass and quickly realized that that was where her passion was and as she continued to high school and had to choose, bass was her choice.
Through middle school and high school, Camryn participated successfully in many competitions, auditions, and camps, such as UNT Bass Camp and Summer Strings, UTA Summer Strings, and ISB (International Society of Bassists) Young Musicians Program. She also participated in the Bass and Cello Conservatory and was selected to be a member of the Flower Mound Symphony community orchestra. She was principal of the varsity orchestra at Flower Mound High School all four years. Throughout high school, Camryn had the opportunity to be involved in the world class UNT double bass program, studying with graduate student Cody Williams and highly esteemed professors Gudrun Raschen and Jeff Bradetich, as well as many renowned double bass professors from other universities, such as Jack Unzicker (UTA), Brian Perry (Dallas Symphony / SMU), and Tyler Shepherd (UTA).
In her high school sophomore year (2018-19), she volunteered teaching private lessons to economically challenged students at a local middle school. The following summer she began officially teaching private lesson students, one of which was first chair at middle school all-region. She also had the opportunity to teach in a group setting with the Bass and Cello Conservatory. Since the Fall of 2021, Camryn has been studying Music Education with a double bass concentration and minor in Music Theory at the University of North Texas. She will graduate in 2026 and plans on getting a Masters in Double Bass Performance. She is excited to continue inspiring young musicians the way others have inspired her.
Outside of teaching, Camryn enjoys spending time with family, playing video games like Final Fantasy and Baulder’s Gate 3, and petting any animals that will let her! She also loves writing/arranging music since she is minoring in Music Theory!