TESTIMONIALS
“So many of the reviews coming in from guests point to the beauty and grace of your performance. That you enabled this large diverse group of people to pray and sing together was one of the miracles of the evening. I hope you and the other musicians enjoyed yourselves as much as our guests did. Thank you and thank you again.”
Holli Levitsky, PhD
Founder and Director
Jewish Studies Program
Loyola Marymount University
"Gradually harmony emerged and everyone sang together, locked in harmony, in a meditative state for several minutes, ending in a gradual fade out. This was an extraordinary experience.”
Ping Ho, MPH
Founder and Director
UCLArts and Healing
“Vanya is an extremely bright and talented music therapist as well as voice performer. I have worked with Vanya and invited her to become part of our UCLA pediatric pain team as well as our Whole Child LA pain team, reserving these invitations only for the best clinicians in each field.”
Lonnie Zeltzer, MD
Emerita Distinguished Professor
UCLA School of Medicine
Co-Director
Whole Child LA Pain Clinic
President/Founder
Creative healing for Youth in Pain (CHYP)
"Vanya made Sephardic music come to life with her skillful musicianship, her resonant voice and her knowledge of the many elements that have influenced this complex and beautiful musical tradition. Her performance included a variety of instrument and musical styles. She began each song by providing an historical frame and the concert took her listener into distinct eras and geographical regions of the Sephardic Diaspora. She sang with conviction and gave this ancient musical a contemporary voice. I thoroughly enjoyed her concert.”
Sally Sefami
Spanish Instructor
review for concert at UC Irvine
"Your engaging and creative interactive style had our children and families connecting in different ways and really set the tone for a successful PJ Library offering."
Michael Fritzen
Public Programs Manager
Kidspace Children's Museum
Former Program Manager
PJ Library, Los Angeles
“The students loved your presentation, and the teachers even more! I think your presentation was better than any of the professors who had been on campus earlier. You hit just the right note (pun intended) in terms of interesting information and level of addressing the students.”
Robert L. Davis, PhD
Professor of Spanish
Director of Language Instruction University of Oregon
Former Director
Middlebury Language Program
“Thank you for bringing your wise, creative and compassionate self to our group. There are so many things that we appreciated. I have to say that I was especially delighted and surprised by what you were able to do with our group memories at the end – a little country, a little rock.... There was something about you singing our experiences back to us that made me feel like you were really seeing us, hearing us.... It was quite powerful.”
Melissa Johnson, PhD
Founder and CEO
Institute for Girls' Development
“Thank you for a wonderful session. I think our moms got a lot out of it and came away relaxed and rejuvenated.”
Randi Grossman, MPH
Director
Chai Lifeline West Coast
“The presentation was wonderfully put together and informative as well as educational and your singing was (is) heavenly!”
Emily Mahon
Non Profit Executive
Former Program Manager
Skirball Cultural Center
“Aside from her angelic voice, Vanya has a combination of clinical knowledge and patient empathy that makes her so successful with our patients.”
Raffi Tachdjian, MD
UCLA School of Medicine
Founding Director
The Children’s Music Fund