Celebrating Our 2026 Teacher Appreciation Week Winners

Teacher Appreciation Week is one of our favorite times of year at Opus1, because it gives us the chance to celebrate the extraordinary people who make music and dance education so meaningful. This year, we asked our community to nominate the teachers who go above and beyond for their students. The stories we received reminded us of exactly why we do what we do.

After reviewing all of our nominations, we are proud to shout out our Teacher Appreciation Week winners. These educators represent the very best of what music and dance instruction can look like: patient, passionate, dedicated, and deeply committed to the growth of every student in their care. From violin studios to hip-hop production rooms, from beginner recitals to regional competitions, each of these teachers is creating something special.

Lauren has been shaping young violinists at Grow Your Gift Conservatory of Music for six years, and the impact she has made is nothing short of remarkable. Many of her students picked up a violin for the very first time in her studio, and under her instruction, they have grown from playing single notes to performing beautiful, lengthy pieces, some even with full accompaniment.

What makes Lauren especially exceptional is her commitment to the craft of teaching itself. Rather than relying solely on existing methods, she wrote her own beginning violin curriculum, an approach that sets her students on a path of lasting growth from day one. Her dedication does not stop at the studio door either. Lauren is always the first to rally her students for performances and to jump in and support community events at the school. Her heart for her students and her colleagues alike makes everyone around her better every single day.

Olga Saenz Valdes is the kind of educator who sees learning as something that extends far beyond the four walls of a lesson room. At South Shore Conservatory, she has built a reputation for creating exceptional opportunities for her students to grow, perform, and discover what they are capable of.

This past year, Olga launched a wildly successful studio recital program, giving her students a meaningful and supportive space to take the stage. She also encouraged students from across her department to participate in this year’s regional NATS competition, opening doors to a level of performance experience that many of them might not have otherwise had. Olga brings exceptional wisdom and talent to everything she does, and she shares both generously with everyone in her school community. Her students are learning how to reach further and dream bigger.

Chill Smith is a lot of things: an original artist, a rapper, an audio engineer, a 2025 Asbury Music Ambassadors Award recipient, and one of the most naturally gifted teachers we have had the pleasure of celebrating. At Lakehouse Music Academy, he brings the same energy and authenticity to his teaching as he does to his own craft, and his students feel the difference every single lesson.

Chill has a rare intuition for what each student needs, and he channels it into building their confidence and helping them believe in their own potential. His work with students like Monty, a young person who has faced significant challenges growing up, moved the head of Monty’s program so deeply that she personally reached out to share how much Chill’s mentorship had meant. At Lakehouse’s most recent recital, Chill took the stage alongside his long-time student Lochlan to perform an original track the two co-wrote together, a moment that became an instant crowd favorite and a perfect example of how Chill elevates every student he works with. He meets them where they are and helps them level up, across genres and methods. Lakehouse is lucky to have him.

Taylor Galford is the kind of person every music school community needs. At Music Compound, he wears many hats: dedicated teacher, summer camp all-star, band manager, and mentor, and he brings the same reliability, warmth, and leadership to every single one of them.

Taylor’s strengths go beyond the lesson room. He coordinates ensembles and performances, keeps programs running smoothly, and creates a supportive, engaging environment where students feel encouraged to grow. His patience and positivity are felt by students and staff alike, and his organizational skills ensure that the people and programs around him have everything they need to thrive. As his school put it, Music Compound is simply stronger because of him. That is a legacy worth celebrating.

David Reyes understands something that the best music educators always do: teaching music is about far more than mastering an instrument. At Music Compound, David builds confidence, discipline, and a lifelong love of creativity in every student he works with, and he does it with a level of care and intuition that is genuinely rare.

David has a gift for meeting students exactly where they are. He brings the patience needed to guide a beginner through the early frustrations of learning, and the technical depth to challenge advanced students in meaningful ways. Beyond the lesson room, he goes out of his way to make sure students feel prepared and excited for performances, and he fosters a sense of community where every student’s progress feels like a shared victory. He has a natural ability to read the room as well: on hard days, he brings humor and warmth to spark a breakthrough. On frustrating days, he is the calm in the storm. David empowers his students to find their own musical identity, and the impact he leaves on them lasts long after their time in his studio.

Teacher Appreciation Week may only come once a year, but the work these five educators do for their students and communities is felt every single day. We are so grateful to the schools who took the time to share their stories with us, and are proud to play even a small role in recognizing the teachers who make music and dance education so transformative.

To Lauren, Olga, Chill, Taylor, and David: thank you for showing up for your students with such dedication, creativity, and heart. You remind us why this work matters, and we are honored to celebrate each and every one of you!