Our People
Laurel Summerhays
President & CEO
Laurel@summerhaysmusic.com
Laurel joined Summerhays Music Center leaving the banking industry where she worked in the Professional Management and Bankcard ares. She earned a Masters of Business Administration degree from the University of Utah. She loves to visit her daughter who lives in Maui and enjoys golfing and snorkeling.
Cris Behrens
Sales Manager
cbehrens@summerhaysmusic.com
Cris has worked for Summerhays Music Center since 1992. He earned a degree ihn band instrument repair from Red Wing Tech College, and spent the first 5 years with Summerhays repairing instruments. He now is our Sales Manager. Cris has attended UVSC for business and accounting classes, and enjoys watcyhing and playing basketball, snorkeling, boogie boarding, and surfing in his spare time.
Katelyn Summerhays
Layton Store Manager
Katelyn started working at Summerhays Music at the age of 12, and has been a musician since age 5. She has been working full-time for the company since 2009, and after graduating with a Bachelors from Westminster College she started managing Summerhays's Layton location.
Patrick Buie
Director of Educational Services
Patrick splits his time between heading up our accessories department and performing locally and nationally playing trombone in bands spanning many genres.
Estefan Cortez
Pro Strings Department Manager
Estefan Cortez grew up in Patchogue, New York. He started his classical training on cello at the age of 10 years old under Ira Kosivair. He quickly fell in love with the instrument and excelled in his musical studies throughout school. In 2009 he received a full scholarship to pursue a Bachelors of Science in Music Education with a concentration in cello from The College of Saint Rose in Albany NY. While there he studied under cellist Dr. David Bebe.
Shortly after completion of his degree Estefan was hired to start and run a music program under the direction of master luthier Charles Rufino. Estefan took a non-excitant music program and made it into a wonderful place for students to learn and become excited about music. In the 4 years of his employment at the Long Island Violin Shop he took a program of 0 students to 125 students a week. Estefan quickly made a name for himself as a teacher and a violin dealer while doing workshops, showings, and dealing high-end instruments throughout New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania. Estefan met his wife Samantha, at the Long Island Violin Shop while she was doing her apprenticeship and both of them now work together at Summerhays Music Center and they are very excited to bring new ideas and their expertise of fine instruments to the Summerhays team.
Christian Rapp
String Technician & Renovator
Christian was born in Germany and began playing the violin at the age of 5, continuing lessons until he was 15, then switching to classical guitar. Years of High School Orchestra, Jazz Group, Blues Band and several performances gave him inspiration for what the musical world has to offer.
After a specialization in English and Music in High School, he attended Wood Carpentry School which showed him that his real interest was to be found in the making of wooden string instruments. He studied an apprenticeship in the making and restoring of Classical Guitars and musical instruments in general, in Xalapa, Ver., Mexico. After getting married, he earned a BA degree in Restoration at the National School for Conservation, Restoration and Museum Studies, living, teaching and working in Mexico City for many years, with his own Luthier shop. He was then invited to work for Summerhays Music Center which opening a new chapter for him and his family, becoming finally residents in 2007 and finding a new home in Utah.
Christian lives in Murray with his wife and son. He enjoys bike riding, music, good food and playing classical guitar.