Meet the Members of Aletheia String Quartet
Scott Glasser began his violin studies at the age of nine in his public school orchestra program and is currently the Director of Orchestras & Mariachi at Marcos de Niza High School (Tempe, AZ). Having joined the faculty of Marcos de Niza in July 2012, he directs four orchestras and the newly-created Mariachi ensemble. Previous to his employment at Marcos de Niza, Scott was Director of Orchestras, grades 4-12, in the Liberty Central School District (NY). His orchestras have had the honor of performing at the Plaza of Lincoln Center, SUNY Fredonia, the State Capitol Building in Austin, TX, St. Malachy's Chapel in Times Square, and the United Nations.
Scott is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Music Education at Arizona State University. He holds a Bachelor of Music Degree in Music Education/Violin from the State University of New York at Fredonia. In August 2010, he completed his Master of Music Degree in Music Education at the same institution. His principal violin teachers have included Sarah Abend-Fritz, James Kontrabecki, Anna Ostrofsky, and Cheryl Havens. He has also studied chamber music under the guidance of Brian Walnicki and Maureen Yuen.
Scott is excited to be a founding member of the Aletheia String Quartet and to spread his enjoyment of music and the arts through chamber ensemble literature. Prior to performing with Aletheia, he was 1st Violinist for the Tessera String Quartet of Middletown, NY and appeared regularly with the Greater Newburgh Symphony Orchestra, Nesin Cultural Arts Faculty Quartet, and SUNY Orange Community Orchestra.
Scott is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Music Education at Arizona State University. He holds a Bachelor of Music Degree in Music Education/Violin from the State University of New York at Fredonia. In August 2010, he completed his Master of Music Degree in Music Education at the same institution. His principal violin teachers have included Sarah Abend-Fritz, James Kontrabecki, Anna Ostrofsky, and Cheryl Havens. He has also studied chamber music under the guidance of Brian Walnicki and Maureen Yuen.
Scott is excited to be a founding member of the Aletheia String Quartet and to spread his enjoyment of music and the arts through chamber ensemble literature. Prior to performing with Aletheia, he was 1st Violinist for the Tessera String Quartet of Middletown, NY and appeared regularly with the Greater Newburgh Symphony Orchestra, Nesin Cultural Arts Faculty Quartet, and SUNY Orange Community Orchestra.
Matthew Wright served as Director of Orchestras at Westwood High School in the Mesa Public Schools. He is currently pursuing a career in software application design and development. In addition to teaching orchestra, he maintains a private violin and piano studio teaching students in the valley. Matt began studying the violin at the age of 11 in his school's strings program. He went on to study violin at Arizona State University with Danwen Jiang. At ASU, Matt played in the orchestra ensembles as well as Mariachi Diablos Del Sol. Matt holds a Bachelor's Degree in Music Education from Arizona State University and a Master's Degree in Education from the University of Phoenix. Prior to playing with the Aletheia Quartet, Matt played with the Orchestra at Temple Square.
Caitlin Corbett graduated from Northern Arizona University in 2015 with a Bachelor of Music in Music Education with an emphasis in instrumental music. She is currently an orchestra teacher in the Kyrene School District, viola/chamber music faculty at Rosie's House in Phoenix, and maintains a private studio of violin and viola students. Previously, Ms. Corbett was the conductor of the North Valley Youth Orchestra Symphoniettes and an elementary orchestra/string teacher in the Gilbert Public Schools. Caitlin is a violist in the Aletheia String Quartet, North Valley Symphony Orchestra, and has performed in the Northern Arizona University Symphony and Chamber Orchestras, the Flagstaff Symphony, and the NAU Chamber Music Program. She is a registered Suzuki teacher and enjoys teaching group and individual lessons.
Ajay Patel has been a music educator in Arizona since 2001. He has been a teacher in the Tempe and Chandler school districts, currently teaching at Desert Ridge High School in the Gilbert District. Ajay earned his Bachelor of Music Education from Arizona State University (ASU), and a Master of Music in Cello Performance from Arizona State University (ASU).
Ajay is an active member of organizations that support Arizona music education. He has served positions for the Arizona Band and Orchestra Directors Association (ABODA) as Southwest Region Orchestra Chair, and Southwest Region Governor. He is also a current member of the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) and the American String Teachers Association (ASTA). Mr. Patel had the honor of conducting the 2017 North Central Region Orchestra.
An accomplished cellist, Ajay has performed with many of the local community and professional orchestras in Arizona. He has served as a substitute section cellist for the Arizona Opera, Guest Principal cellist for the Chandler Symphony Orchestra, and the Assistant Principal Cellist of the Arizona Pro Arte Orchestra. He has also performed with the Symphony of the Southwest, Musica Nova Orchestra. In the winter of 2011, Ajay was the principal cellist of the American Festival Orchestra under the direction of Lawrence Golan. The American Festival Orchestra toured 14 cities in China over a span of two weeks as part of an international cultural exchange. He also serves as a conductor for the Scottsdale Philharmonic, as well as sharing the seat of Principal Cello. Ajay has studied cello with Takayori Atsumi, and Thomas Landschoot at Arizona State University. His conducting studies have been guided by Dr. Timothy Russell and Dr. Gary Hill at Arizona State University.
Ajay is an active member of organizations that support Arizona music education. He has served positions for the Arizona Band and Orchestra Directors Association (ABODA) as Southwest Region Orchestra Chair, and Southwest Region Governor. He is also a current member of the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) and the American String Teachers Association (ASTA). Mr. Patel had the honor of conducting the 2017 North Central Region Orchestra.
An accomplished cellist, Ajay has performed with many of the local community and professional orchestras in Arizona. He has served as a substitute section cellist for the Arizona Opera, Guest Principal cellist for the Chandler Symphony Orchestra, and the Assistant Principal Cellist of the Arizona Pro Arte Orchestra. He has also performed with the Symphony of the Southwest, Musica Nova Orchestra. In the winter of 2011, Ajay was the principal cellist of the American Festival Orchestra under the direction of Lawrence Golan. The American Festival Orchestra toured 14 cities in China over a span of two weeks as part of an international cultural exchange. He also serves as a conductor for the Scottsdale Philharmonic, as well as sharing the seat of Principal Cello. Ajay has studied cello with Takayori Atsumi, and Thomas Landschoot at Arizona State University. His conducting studies have been guided by Dr. Timothy Russell and Dr. Gary Hill at Arizona State University.