Guest Artists Bring World-Class Lessons to King
King Performing Arts recently welcomed two distinguished guest artists in September for special classes leading into this year’s fall season. Middle school students met with musician and educator Hubert Chen during music class, while upper school students enjoyed a special lesson with “Hamilton” actor and dancer David Guzman.
During his class visits, Chen, a faculty member at the prestigious Kinhaven Music School in Vermont and an accomplished performer with appearances ranging from Carnegie Hall to international tours, worked with students on left-hand technique, focusing on shifting and vibrato.
“Mr. Chen was very nice, and he gave a lot of good tips on how to play better,” said Sylvie Grabowski ’29.
The visit also provided helpful insight for performing arts teacher Colin Benn, who previously worked with Chen at Kinhaven.
“Hosting guest artists in class gives me the opportunity to sit and play in one of the sections and observe my ensemble from within,” shared Benn. “It gives me a different perspective and teaching strategies for the music that I am teaching.”
Guzman led the first in a new series of masterclasses for upper school students in the King Theater Society (formerly the King Drama Club). During the class, Guzman shared his journey to becoming a Broadway performer and gave insight into his daily life.
“I loved learning from and being able to talk to someone on Broadway,” said Alex Burgoyne ’27. “It was so cool listening to his story, how he got his first Broadway show during high school, and how he manages his schedule.”
Currently performing as John Laurens and Philip Hamilton in “Hamilton” on Broadway, Guzman also led the students through a dance combination to the song “My Shot”. The routine emphasized the style, precision, and storytelling that define one of theater’s most celebrated productions.
“Theater is such a broad field that no single person can be an expert in every facet,” noted Performing Arts teacher Andrew Wildman-Foster, who is coordinating the masterclass series. “By curating a lineup of masterclasses for the King Theater Society, students have the chance to learn from professionals whose expertise reaches beyond my own. They meet artists who’ve carved out unique paths in the performing arts, and in doing so, they expand their vision of what’s possible, what passions they might pursue, and how their own story can take its place in the larger fabric of art and commerce in America.”