meet the young performers 2025
ISABELLA BARLIS (AGE 15)
ISABELLA BARLIS (AGE 15)
ISABELLA BARLIS (AGE 15)
Isabella Barlis is 15 years old and recently finished the advanced level of the Piano Certificate of Merit with State Honors. She has been a part of the Piano Play family for about 12 years and studied privately with Nicole Nale. In addition to piano, she is an advanced violinist and dancer. Our team of experienced piano teachers have a
Isabella Barlis is 15 years old and recently finished the advanced level of the Piano Certificate of Merit with State Honors. She has been a part of the Piano Play family for about 12 years and studied privately with Nicole Nale. In addition to piano, she is an advanced violinist and dancer. Our team of experienced piano teachers have a passion for teaching music and have over 10 years of experience in the industry. We offer personalized lessons to help you achieve your musical goals.
GRAYSEN CARLSEN (AGE 18)
ISABELLA BARLIS (AGE 15)
ISABELLA BARLIS (AGE 15)
Graysen is a senior at Oaks Christian School in the "Performing and Visual Arts" program. Her
music journey began at age 2 with Ms. Sharon and grew to gain recognition at Juilliard’s
music program. Graysen debuted at Carnegie Hall in 2024 and completed the Certificate of Merit with state honors in 2023.
TRISTAN GAERTNER (AGE 15)
ISABELLA BARLIS (AGE 15)
MAXX R. KRICKLER (AGE 16)
Tristan Gaertner began group lessons at Piano Play at age 4 and soon moved to private lessons
with Mr. Greg. While he loves classical music, he's recently started exploring other genres. Despite
his interest in various activities, the piano remains his top priority.
MAXX R. KRICKLER (AGE 16)
ISABELLA BARLIS (AGE 15)
MAXX R. KRICKLER (AGE 16)
Maxx R. Krickler has been with Piano Play for 12 years, earning the Certificate of Merit and competing in various piano competitions under the guidance of Ms. Nicole. He has been a regional finalist in the Southern California Junior Bach
Festival for the last six years. Maxx also had the privilege of performing with his Middle School choir at Carnegie Hall.
ETHAN LEE (AGE 17)
ETHAN LEE (AGE 17)
ETHAN LEE (AGE 17)
Ethan Lee is a senior at Loyola High School. Since the tender age of two, he has been a student of Piano Play. With the help of his teacher, Ms. Sharon, Ethan advanced to
Level 10 and earned State Honors for the Certificate of Merit.
BENJAMIN OWEN (AGE 15)
ETHAN LEE (AGE 17)
ETHAN LEE (AGE 17)
Benjamin has been a student of Piano Play since he was four years old. He is not only a passionate
pianist but also an accomplished soccer player. Under the guidance of Ms. Sharon, he has earned
honors in the Certificate of Merit and Certified SFEV Juries program
HOPE ROTH (AGE 16)
ETHAN LEE (AGE 17)
HOPE ROTH (AGE 16)
Hope Roth is a sophomore at Agoura High School, where she plays piano in the top jazz band
and bassoon in the honors wind ensemble. Hope will be traveling to New York City as a finalist in the
Essentially Ellington's Jazz at Lincoln Center and is the principal bassoonist at Colburn's Sinfonietta
Youth Orchestra.
MUSIC FACULTY REPRESENTED TODAY
NICOLE NALE
Nicole Nale is a classically trained pianist and former student of Piano Play, studying
under CEO Sharon Shaheed. She earned her BFA in Instrumental Studies/Piano
Performance and a minor in Biology at Loyola Marymount University under Dr. Tania
Fleischer. Nicole completed the Certificate of Merit program in high school and
began her teaching career while pursuing her degree. She now teaches group and
private lessons at Piano Play and serves as President of the Music Teachers’
Association of California, San Fernando East Valley Branch. Nicole specializes
in sight reading, theory, performance, and ensemble coaching, inspiring students to
develop a lifelong love of music.
GREG RAYMOND
Greg Raymond, a graduate of Boston College, is a renowned jazz pianist who
has collaborated with Citizen Cope, Charlie Hunter, Chali 2na, Stanton Moore,
Ani DiFranco, and others. After moving from Denver to Los Angeles, he has dedicated
his career to teaching, working with students as young as two years old through group
classes and solfege methods. Greg teaches over 40 private students weekly
and is highly experienced in all levels of the Certificate of Merit program. He joined
the Music Teachers’ Association of California in 2011 and has maintained a high success
rate with CM students. Greg inspires students of all ages with his professional
performance background and passion for music education.
SHARON SHAHEED, MM
Sharon Shaheed is the CEO and founder of Piano Play Music Systems and the winner
of VSEDC’s 2025 HerStory: A Women’s History Month Pitch Competition. She holds a
Bachelor’s degree in Music Education with a minor in voice from Xavier University and
a Master’s in Piano Performance and Pedagogy from Southeastern University. Sharon
developed Piano Play’s original theory-based curriculum, authoring 22 classroom books
and song CDs used in weekly lessons. She is an active member of the Music Teachers’
Association of California and serves as the Certificate of Merit Chair for the San
Fernando East Valley Branch. Her work has been featured on Oprah & Friends radio,
OWN’s Raising Whitley, and she is a past winner of the Stevie® Award for
Best Entrepreneurs.
CATCH THE ENCORE OF THE YOUNG PERFORMERS CONCERT!
Sign the Guestbook
CATCH THE ENCORE OF THE YOUNG PERFORMERS CONCERT! NOW STREAMING ON DEMAND-
" MUSIC OF THE AGES" + Q & A !
Advance Program Booklet Purchase
Pre-order your copy today
To pre-purchase your printed program booklet, kindly submit your payment via Zelle to the following address:
Recipient: info@pianoplaymusicfoundation.com
Note Section: Please include YPCS 2025 to ensure proper processing.
You may also scan the QR code below to complete your transaction.
Pre-purchased program booklets will be available for pickup at the Information Table on the day of the concert.
We sincerely thank you for your continued support of the Young Performers Concert Series.
