Marti's professional career encompasses over twenty years of experience as a production manager and coordinator for theater, opera, concerts, film, dance and multi-media projects.

These projects have included dramatic, corporate and educational pieces. Many have been used as fundraising vehicles for non-profit organizations. Clients have included The U.S. Navy, Smithsonian Institution, New York Philharmonic, the Dallas, Denver, and National Symphonies, Grollier Publishing, AT&T and Pitney Bowes.

Locally she has served on the Friends Board for St. Lukes Lifeworks, Roxbury School Executive Board, the Connecticut Association of Production Professionals Executive Board, Connecticut Film and Video Commission Advisory Board, the steering committee for the Collaborative Alliance, as board member of the Stamford Public Education Foundation and was on the advisory board for the Fairfield County Community Foundation’s Center for Nonprofit Excellence. She currently serves on the Stamford’s Arts and Culture Commission. 

Lilia Khanina is a native of Russia and earned Master’s Degree in Conducting and Ph.D degree in Musicology from the Moscow Tchaikovsky State Conservatory. During her study at the Conservatory she had advanced training as a choirmaster with the famous Bolshoi Theater Choir. In 1996 she accepted a position of the Conductor and Teacher of theoretical disciplines at the Music School Vesna. Its choir with which she has performed is notable for receiving numerous prestigious awards in international competitions. 

       After relocating to the US in 2003 she joined the artistic staff of Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School as a pianist and a choral conductor. In 2007 she moved to Connecticut and started working at the Ballet School of Stamford where she later became Music Director. She provided piano music for ballet classes at The New Haven Ballet, Connecticut Dance School, Ballet Etudes, Rye Ballet Conservatory, New England Academy of Dance, The Conservatory of Dance in the School of the Arts at Purchase College (SUNY). 

       In addition to her work as a ballet pianist Ms. Khanina performs as a soloist and accompanist. She is the founder and Director of Piano Lessons in New Canaan. She offers a unique approach to creative piano lessons for all ages.

      Her articles and essays were published in peer reviewed journals and books. She is the author of the book, Gian Carlo Menotti and His Operas. 

Renee has held the position of administrator at The Ballet School of Stamford for the past twenty five years. She has held varied positions in the past in both the corporate and retail industries.

After graduating from Stamford High School, grants and scholarships enabled Renee to attend Berkley Business College in White Plains, NY where she majored in Business Administrations. She currently resides in the Stamford area with her family.