Faculty • Theatre

Kelli Harrington, a Jeff Award-winning vocalist with both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Vocal Performance from Northwestern University, is a seasoned performer in plays, musicals, and operas, and has been teaching voice at the Chicago Academy for the Arts since 2000.

Private Lessons Instructor

Callandra (Cal) Youngleson is a South African jazz vocalist, composer, and educator who, after earning her Master’s in Jazz Studies from the University of North Texas.

Drum Set Instructor

Jonah Lazarus is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, and educator from Oak Park, IL who, inspired by his Jewish family’s artistic roots and studies in African and Brazilian music, now focuses on teaching, composing, performing, and recording with his family band, Family Junket in Chicago.

Classical Vocal Workshop Director, Classical Voice Instructor

Alyssa Bennett has enjoyed a varied performing career in Chicago and also internationally as featured soprano soloist and United States cultural emissary.

Faculty • Media Arts

Jake Hinkson is the author of several books, including the novels Hell On Church Street, The Posthumous Man, and No Tomorrow, the short story collection The Deepening Shade, and the essay collection The Blind Alley: Exploring Film Noir’s Forgotten Corners. He was a a guest lecturer at The Academy in early 2016 and later joined the faculty. 

Faculty • Media Arts

Jeremy Marder is a filmmaker and a manager/programmer at the historic Music Box Theatre. He is a graduate of the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana with a degree in Global Studies and Media and Cinema Studies.

Faculty • Science

James Burke is a passionate science instructor with experience teaching a variety of lecture and laboratory courses in general chemistry, organic chemistry, geology and astronomy at the University and College levels.

Faculty • Media Arts & Visual Arts

Pablo Monterrubio-Benet is a Mexican-American artist and filmmaker currently based in Chicago. He earned his MFA from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2016, focusing on filmmaking and interactive media art.