San Fernando Valley Symphony Orchestra

Pianist Mark S. Mendez has performed and taught in Southern California for over thirty years.  He earned a Bachelors Degnree in Piano Performance form Chapman University where he studied under Pianist Joseph Matthews, other principle teachers were Blanca Alameda, and Jack Eugene Miller and Master Classes with James McCormick.  As an active member of the Music Teachers’ Association of California Mr. Mendez was a co-founder of the Hacienda Heights Branch in 1991 and served as president from 1995-1999.  Other organizations include the California Association of Professional Music Teachers where he served as District III Coordinator from 2004-2007, National Federation of Music Clubs and National Guild of Piano Teachers.  As an adjudicator in demand Mr. Mendez has judged numerous piano competitions throughout Southern California and parts of Northern California.  Mr. Mendez has served on faculty at the East Los Angeles Music and Art School and the Pacific School of Music and Art.  In his spare time, he enjoys coaching duo-duet piano as well as performing with colleagues.  Mr. Mendez and his wife Barbara have made their home and studio in Montebello for the last thirty-three years.Add text

Ardes Abad is an experienced adjudicator for the National Piano Playing Auditions (NPPA), a program of the National Guild of Piano Teachers (NGPT) of the American College of Musicians (ACM) of which he is also a Guild Chairperson; the Certificate of Merit (CM), a program by the Music Teachers Association of California (MTAC); and sought out the judge in Music Festivals & Piano Competitions.

Ardes earned his Graduate Music credits at the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (SWBTS) in Fort Worth, Texas, and at the University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles, California. He completed his Bachelor of Music degree in Piano Performance and Music Education at the University of the Philippines (UP), Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines.

Ardes is an experienced teacher, pianist, choral conductor, and accompanist both in church and school settings. Ardes offers several Piano Master Classes to the beginning, intermediate and advanced students in California.

Presently, a member of the Lakewood-Cerritos MTAC Branch and a member of the California Association of Professional Music Teachers (CAPMT-District 8) a Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) affiliate.

Mr. Abad directs and presides over the Arts Development School of Music in the city of Bellflower, California.