Faculty
Allegra SMA instructors have been educated in the finest colleges
from our local Westminster Choir College in Princeton to the
University of Music and Performing Arts in Graz, Austria.
Ms. Nijole Bara
Violin/Viola, Piano
Ms. Nijole Bara began playing the violin at the age of
6 at Kaunas Music School in Lithuania. She then continued her studies
at The Lithuanian Music Academy, earning her B.A. degree equivalent,
where she performed in a student orchestra with the Lithuanian Music
Grand S. Sondeckis. After graduation Ms.Bara played with the
Kaunas Chamber Symphony and Music Theater Orchestras.
She has been fortunate to play with great musicians such as, Lanzer,
Rampal, and Pavel Berman, who is also the conductor of the Kaunas Chamber and
Symphony Orchestras. Ms. Bara taught at her alma mater Kaunas Music School
before coming to live in America. Ms. Nijole loves teaching and believes
that anyone can learn an instrument and appreciate the world of music.
Mr. Thomas Bardar
Woodwind/Brass
Mr. Bardar is a recent recipient of the "Teacher of the Year"award.
He was selected from among 1,000 professionals in the Woodbridge School District.
This honor is the highest honor school district can confer upon a professional staff member.
Mr. Bardar has been a teacher for over 30 years.
His introduction to music was the saxophone in seventh grade.
Mr. Bardar played for the Woodbridge high school band during his junior and senior years.
While stationed in Germany for two years, Mr. Bardar continued to play music as a
soldier for the Eighth Division Band.
He attended the Naval School of Music in Washington, D.C. and performed with the
Fort Monmouth Post Band.
Mr. Bardar majored in Music at Trenton State College, where he earned his Masters degree.
In 2000 Mr. Bardar lead four Allegra SMA students to successful auditions in the
Somerset Regional Band.
Mr. Shellie Mitchell
Woodwind/Brass
Mr. Shellie Mitchell is a performing artist who brings over three decades of musical background
to the students at Allegra SMA. Mr. Mitchell's career began in 1964 at the renown Brooklyn
Academy of Music where he studied and mastered the trumpet. Later his instrumental repertoire
would include fluency in the tenor, alto, baritone and soprano sax as well as flute and
flue gal horn. Mr. Mitchell specializes in Jazz, Latin, Salsa,
Pop and the performance of standards from the 30’s, 40’s, and 50’s from masters ranging from
Scott Joplin to Miles Davis.Mr. Mitchell is passionate about music. He has participated in
Jam sessions with renowned artists such as Jeanne Bryson (daughter of Dizzie Gillespie) and
other notables. He performs locally with combo and quintets that include, Just Friends,
The Spirit of Life Band, and the Johnny Stingray Blues Band among many, many others.
Mr. Mitchell has taught woodwind/brass at the noted Jazz Institute of New Brunswick and
is very enthusiastic about teaching jazz, blues and improvisation, an original American
musical art with Allegra SMA students. He also teaches standard band methods.
Mr. Douglas S. Thompson
Senior Guitar, Bass
Douglas S. Thompson is a guitarist, composer, theorist, and conductor with an extensive
musical background covering more than fifteen years of playing and teaching experience.
He was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, where at the age of six he received
his first music lesson on the guitar. His early studies were under the tutelage of Lloyd
English and Robert Jordan at the Academy of the Arts and the Vancouver Academy of Music.
Later, he received more advanced training from Michael Strutt, Brian Townsend, and, Ricardo
Cobo. He has performed recitals in Canada and the United States. Concerning composition and
theory, he studied in Philadelphia at Temple University with Maurice Wright, Richard Brodhead,
and Matthew Greenbaum. His compositions have been performed in the United States, Canada, and
Europe. He is also actively engaged in scholarly research. His most recent publication is
titled "Musical Structure and the Evocation of Time in Hugo Wolf's 'Ein Stündlein wohl vor
Tag'". It will appear in a forthcoming issue of The National Association of Teachers of Singing
Journal.
Thompson's musical interests are diverse. He teaches classical, jazz, rock, and blues.
He holds a DMA in composition, M.Mus. in theory from the Boyer College of Music and Dance,
Temple University, and B.Mus. in guitar performance from the University of Victoria, graduating
with Honors and Distinction. In addition to teaching at Allegra SMA, Thompson is on faculty at
Burlington County College, NJ, where he teaches music appreciation, theory, history, and conducts
the college choir.
Mr. James Weber
Voice, Piano, Cl. Guitar
Mr. James Weber is an active singer, accompanist, and composer in the tri-state area.
Having completed his bachelors degree in Theory & Composition at the world famous
Westminster Choir College, Mr. Weber is now working on a graduate level degree in
Choral Conducting at Westminster. While at Westminster, Mr. Weber was a member of the
world famous Westminster Symphonic Choir, performing with the NY Philharmonic, the
Philadelphia Orchestra, the NJ Symphony, the Berlin Philharmonic, the Orchestra of
St. Lukes and the Princeton Chamber Symphony, among others.
He has performed under such eminent conductors as Claudio Abado, Joseph Flummerfelt,
Kurt Masur, Zdenek Macal, Wolfgang Sawallisch. For the past several years Jim has been a
member of the elite Westminster Singers and Westminster Concert Handbell Choir.
Mr. Weber has toured the country, playing in over 30 states in 4 years.
Mr. Weber is currently the director of Music at the Catholic Community Church of
St. John in Califon, NJ. He is a resident of Bucks County , Pennsylvania.
Mr. Weber is a young, energetic and enthusiastic teacher who truly enjoys teaching.
