Amra Tomsic

Owner

Amra Tomsic left a small town for larger aspirations when he received a scholarship to the Lamont School of Music at the University of Denver, after auditioning as a tenor for the voice department. Amra enjoyed his education over the next 4 years with DU so much that he decided to pursue his graduate degree there as well.

After achieving his Master’s, he found work as a voice and piano instructor with a local music Academy in Highlands Ranch called Avanti. The school was small at the time, having about 80 students and under then ownership, was struggling. Amra’s studio grew at a quicker pace than the school was growing at the time.

The owner recognized Amra’s leadership skills and training and started to allow him to take on more responsibilities around the business. Shortly after he was operating the business and came to buy it from her entirely. Because of his education, Amra began implementing fresh ideas and transforming the way the school provided education, including innovative performance and concert opportunities, partnerships with other local, national, and international musical organizations, and seeking and investing in the most qualified teaching musicians possible with a focus on his fellow DU alumni. He was able to turn the school around within 6 months. Over the next three years, the school grew to over 330 students receiving private and ensemble music instruction from nearly 30 teachers, most of whom were making their living exclusively from music!

Not only does the school put on multiple large scale ensemble and solo opportunities throughout the year, it also has a FANTASTIC jazz combo group, The Major 9’s, has a growing youth orchestra, and takes a group of students every year to the Gershwin Theatre in New York City to perform live on its stage to raise money and awareness for Autism. The school has also produced a full-scale professional opera in partnership with the Arapahoe Philharmonic, its own full production of Sondheim’s Into the Woods with much more in the works!

Amra aspires to continue to make Avanti a welcoming and inspiring musical institution not just for its many talented students, but for its invaluable and incredible fellow teaching musicians. He strives to bring meaningful and rewarding teaching and performance opportunities to the musical community as a whole and is always looking to forge new relationships and strengthen the accessibility and influence of music in any way he can.