Geoffrey Penar is a seasoned musical theater/classical and opera/rock singer and pianist with a Bachelor of Music from Eastman School of Music and a Masters from McGill University. He has traveled North America and Europe a great deal doing such roles as Lescaut in Manon, Leporello in Don Giovanni, Papageno in The Magic Flute, Tarquinius in The Rape of Lucretia, Count Almaviva in The Marriage of Figaro, Lancelot in Camelot and Puck and Bottom in Midsummer Night's Dream. He has worked for Saratoga Opera, Des Moines Metro Opera, Green Mountain Opera, Hubbard Hall, Ohio Light Opera and Pacific Music Works. He has also played piano, saxophone, clarinet and sang in various jazz combos and rock groups over the last 20 years.

With a background in theory and real/fake book chart improvisation, Geoff is a firm believer that being able to accompany oneself and understand harmony and music theory will help a student hear music just by looking at the page and subsequently learn those notes much more readily and surely.

He is a strong proponent of establishing a solid technical basis by teaching through repertoire, working towards our best as a goal and focusing on songs that make a student excited and happy to come to work.