Summer Session Faculty
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Lisa Albrecht joined the San Antonio Symphony as Assistant Principal Trombonist in 1986. She has performed with orchestras across the US, Europe, and Asia, including the Honolulu Symphony, Rochester Philharmonic, St. Louis Orchestra and the London Sinfonietta. Ms. Albrecht has served as Assistant Principal Trombonist with New York Philharmonic and regularly performs with the Metropolitan Opera, New York Chamber Symphony, New York City Ballet and American Symphony Orchestras. Ms. Albrecht has recorded for CBS Masterworks, RCA Red Seal and Teldec.
Christopher Azzara is associate professor of music education. He received a bachelor of music degree from George Mason University, and a master of music and PhD in music education from Eastman. He has made important contributions to advancing the understanding of improvisation in the music learning process. His research and publications are concerned with meaningful relationships among listening, creating, improvising, reading, composing, and analyzing music in general, vocal, and instrumental settings. Prior to joining the Eastman faculty, Azzara was associate professor of music education at The Hartt School of Music, Dance, and Theatre of the University of Hartford, CT.
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Jean Barr - Read Jean's full bio here.
Julie Beauregard - Read Julie's full bio here.
John Beck - Read John Beck's full bio here.
Gene Bertoncini, jazz guitarist, has performed with Buddy Rich, Clark Terry, Paul Winter, Nancy Wilson, Wayne Shorter, Charles McPherson, and Michael Moore. From 1965, he made frequent appearances on the Tonight Show. In addition to performing, Bertoncini has led workshops and taught in the summer.
Priscilla Todd Brown is currently the director of the instrumental program at East High School, and as a performer has appeared with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra and the Boston Symphony Orchestra at Tanglewood. She is a graduate of the Eastman Preparatory Department with a double major in oboe and piano. She has a bachelor's degree from Oberlin Conservatory and a master of science in education degree from Nazareth College.
Truman Bullard is professor emeritus of music at Dickinson College, Carlisle Pennsylvania. His academic degrees include a BA in philosophy (Haverford College), MA in musicology (Harvard University), and PhD in musicology (Eastman School of Music). He is a scholar of Russian music with a specialty in the early works of Igor Stravinsky. Bullard is the recipient of the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship, and is the winner of the Lindback Award for Distinguished Teaching and the Ganoe Award for Inspirational Teaching. He has been an adjunct professor of musicology at the Eastman School of Music Summer Session for fourteen years.
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Ruth Cahn graduated from Eastman with a bachelor of music degree in applied and music education with academic distinction, and a performer's certificate in percussion. She is director of Eastman's Summer Session, Jack Frank Instructor of Percussion in the Eastman Community Music School, and director of ECMS's Music Horizons program. A professional percussionist with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra for 34 years, Cahn is a community leader in arts education, presenting numerous artist-in-residence programs for area schoolchildren. She is on the board of directors of the Percussive Arts Society.
William Cahn graduated from Eastman (BM 1968) with academic distinction and a performer's certificate in percussion. He has been a member of the Nexus percussion group since its formation in 1971, performing on concerts, films, recordings, and broadcasts all over the world. He was also principal percussionist of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra from 1968 to 1995, and performs as soloist with symphony orchestras and at music festivals throughout the world.
Jeffrey Campbell is associate professor of jazz studies and contemporary media at Eastman, where he teaches jazz bass, jazz improvisation, and jazz history courses. Campbell is widely recognized for his versatile skills as performer and teacher of double bass. He performs regularly with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of Jeff Tyzik. Campbell has recorded with a number of legendary jazz artists, including Marian McPartland and Bill Dobbins. He also serves as the summer program director for the Birch Creek (WI) Music Performance Center.
Alice Carli is the conservator for the Sibley Music Library, where she is in charge of conservation and binding of the Library's resources. She holds a bachelor's degree from Swarthmore College and a master's degree from Eastman.
Katherine Ciesinski - Read Katherine's biography here.
Susan Wharton Conkling is associate professor of music education at Eastman, where she also received a PhD. A Carnagie Scholar in the Pew National Fellowship Program and guest conductor for numerous regional and all-state choirs throughout the United States, she has presented nationally and internationally on choral conducting and rehearsal techniques, as well as the professional development of musicians and music educators. Her research has been presented to the American Association for Higher Education, the American Educational Research Association, the College Music Society, and the International Society for Music Education. In addition, Conkling has published articles in Arts Education Policy Review, Choral Journal, and Journal of Music Teacher Education.
Kathryn Cowdrick has been assistant professor of voice since 2002. She received a BE from Pennsylvania State University, an MS from Columbia, and is a graduate of Juilliard's Professional Studies Program. She has extensive background as a speech therapist and deaf educator, and frequently gives private and master classes on voice disorders and care of the professional voice. Her many operatic appearances includes performances with the San Francisco, Washington, and New York City Operas, as well as elsewhere in North America and Europe.
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Steven Daigle associate professor of opera and dramatic director of Eastman Opera Theatre, has served as part of the artistic staff for more than 200 lyric theater productions, along with calling over 400 professional operatic performances as a production stage manager. He received his bachelor's degree in vocal education and performance from Southeastern Louisiana University. He received his master of music degree in opera stage directing from Florida State University, where he studied with Lincoln Clark.
Monica Dale (MM Piano Performance, Ithaca College; BA, Connecticut College; Jaques-Dalcroze License) is a proponent of Jaques-Dalcroze Eurhythmics and founder of MusiKinesis, a contemporary American approach to the traditional European method. Her professional dance background brings a unique dimension to her work in music. he has published six books and numerous articles, and has presented workshops and courses for schools and organizations nationwide. Monica is on the faculty of the Lucy School and the Levine School of Music in Washington D.C., where she teaches children's Dalcroze/MusiKinesis classes during the school year and courses for teachers during the summers.
Harold Danko is professor of jazz studies and contemporary media, and chair of the department. In 2003 he was named "Jazz Educator of the Year" by Down Beat magazine. magazine. Danko has performed with Chet Baker, Gerry Mulligan, Woody Herman, Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra, and Lee Konitz, and has appeared on television, radio, and at major jazz festivals and leading educational institutions worldwide. He is author of The Illustrated Keyboard Series (Warner Publications) and a columnist for Keyboard Magazine.
Jennifer Alhart Davis teaches general music at Bay Trail teaches general music at Bay Trail Middle School in Penfield, NY. She has a master of music degree from Eastman, where she completed three Orff Level classes. She also serves on the board for the Greater Rochester Chapter of the American Orff Schulwerk Association and is program administrator for the Eastman Orff Schulwerk Teacher Training Course.
Katie Dey A graduate of the Eastman School of Music with a Master of Music in Viola Performance, Ms. Dey is the Principal Violist of the Greenville Symphony Orchestra. Active as a soloist and chamber musician, Ms. Dey has performed extensively throughout the United States, Germany, Sweden, and Switzerland. For four years she was on the faculty of the School District of Pickens County and has served on the faculties of numerous string camps and clinics throughout the United States. Ms. Dey planned and implemented the Annual Upstate Viola Clinic, held for the past two years on the campus of the S.C. Governor's School for the Arts and Humanities. MM (Viola Performance), Eastman School of Music, 1996 BM (Viola Performance), University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1994
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Caterina Falli has 10 years of experience in teaching English as a Second Language (ESL), a position that she fills at Eastman as assistant professor. Since 1992, Falli has taught at California's Chabot College, San Francisco State University, and at the Academy of Art College, teaching reading, writing, international business communication, and leading ESL study groups for art courses. Prior to these positions, she was the ESL program director for the American Language Academy in Berkeley. Her academic degrees are from San Francisco State University and McGill University (Montreal).
Maria Cristina Fava was born in Riva del Garda (Trent), Italy. She holds a Conservatory Diploma in Music Performance (clarinet), and a Bachelor Degree in Languages (English, German, French). While a graduate student at the University of Bologna (Arts, Music and Theater) she started to work for her native city organizing and administering major national and international events. Her articles appeared in various Italian and German journals such as Musica/Realta, I Fiati, and Clarino. In 2000, Cristina moved to Bowling Green, Ohio where she earned a Masters Degree in Music History in 2002 and a Masters in Ethnomusicology in 2004 at Bowling Green State University. She is currently a PhD candidate in Musicology at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY. Her fields of research are music and politics in twentieth-century United States, American music, and anti-Soviet politics during and after the Cold War era, music and gender issues, and music in African-American diaspora.
Joseph Flummerfelt The musical artistry of Josph Flummerfelt, Musical America's Conductor of the Year, has been acclaimed in many of the world's concert halls for nearly 40 years. He is founder and musical director of the New York Choral Artists, is an artistic director of Spoleto Festival USA, and for 33 years was conductor of the world-renowned Westminster Choir. Widely known as a master teacher, Maestro Flummerfelt has long worked with both gifted students and established professionals in his classes and rehearsals at Westminster Choir College and in master classes in the United States and around the world.
Donna Brink Fox is Eisenhart Professor of Music is Eisenhart Professor of Music Education. She is an international specialist in early childhood music education, and has given numerous presentations at the National AOSA (American Orff Schulwerk Association) conferences. A recipient of Eastman's Eisenhart Award for Excellence in Teaching, she has directed Eastman's summer Orff Schulwerk Teacher Training Course since its inception in 1992.
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Jody Graves maintains an exciting and diverse performing career and is recognized nationally as a distinguished teacher of piano. Her recital engagements as a soloist and collaborative pianist take her across the United States and abroad. She has performed concerts in Austria, Norway, France, Scotland, Germany, Japan, and most recently (May 2006) toured in the Middle East serving as a Cultural Ambassador for the U.S. State Department. The Middle East tour, with the Sapphire Trio, included concerts in Bahrain, Autar, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. The press review from the Middle East called their performances "mesmerizing" and "emotional and imaginative" (The Peninsula/Quatar). Dr. Graves is Associate Professor of Piano at Eastern Washington University in Cheney, Washington, and Director of Keyboard Studies. She is in great demand as an adjudicator for piano competitions and festivals. Each season takes her across the country as an MTA clinician, and she has an active schedule each year as a workshop presenter for teachers. Ms. Graves has been a session leader at the National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy in Chicago, and a Presenter and Performer at several State and National MTNA conferences. She has also served as an adjudicator for the International Piano Competition at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York. For five years, Dr. Graves was a faculty member for the International Workshops summer festival, along with Nelita True, Jean Barr, Marvin Blickenstaff and Tony Caramia. She has also authored articles for AMT and Clavier magazine. Ms Graves is preparing her third recording project in 2007 which will feature music of Edward macDowell, Rachmaninoff, Liszt and others. She has performed solo and chamber recitals across the country at university guest artist series and community concert events and has been a featured performing artist several times on public radio. Jody is the pianist with "The Sapphire Trio," recently featured guest artists at the National MTNA Conference in Seattle and the International Clarinet Festival in Tokyo, Japan. national events, as well as several cities during their international concert tour in Germany and Austria. Ms Graves is especially interested in promoting concert art music, creating unique ways to foster a collaborative experience between artist and listener, and she is dedicated to maintaining the life of music in our schools and culture. Ms. Graves is recognized for her creative ability to engage the audience during her concerts with anecdotes, historical perspectives and humor. Jody Graves holds a Doctorate Degree in Piano Performance and Literature from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, where she was the recipient of the distinguished Teacher of the Year award for her excellence in teaching. She obtained her Masters degree from Catholic University of America in Washington D.C., and did her undergraduate work at Eastern Washington University. Her major performance teachers include: Fernando Laires, Jeffrey Kahane, Bela Nagy, Margaret Saunders Ott, and Marilyn Neeley.
Richard Grunow - Read Richard's full bio here.
Jeannie Guerrero - Read Jeannie's full bio here.
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Paul Hofmann is a graduate of Eastman and instructor in the Community Education Division. He is active as a teacher, performer, composer, recording artist, freelance producer, and music columnist. In addition to performances and recordings with major American jazz artists, he has made numerous television and radio appearances.
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Mark Kellogg - Read Mark's full bio here.
Rohan Krishnamurthy Acclaimed an “international performer and promoter” of the South Indian pitched drum, the mridangam, by USA Today and a “percussion prodigy” by The Hindu (India), Rohan Krishnamurthy is considered a young musical ambassador in the Indian music scene. Having initially received mridangam training with Damodaran Srinivasan over a telephonic setup in the U.S. and continuing advanced training from the mridangam maestro Guruvayur Dorai in India, Rohan has performed in hundreds of concerts in North America and India since the age of nine with leading Indian musicians like Prof. T.N. Krishnan, Dr. N. Ramani, R. K. Srikantan, Chitravina N. Ravikiran, S. Shashank, T. M. Krishna, S. Sowmya, etc.
He has been invited to perform for ten consecutive years during the celebrated December Music Season in Chennai, India and has spearheaded numerous cross-musical ventures with well-known symphony orchestras, jazz ensembles, and distinguished musicians including Grammy Award-winners Glen Velez and Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, Anoushka Shankar, and Ayano Ninomiya. He recently presented a weeklong performance of “Echoes,” a novel concerto for mridangam and string orchestra, with the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra, an event that attracted nearly 13,000 schoolchildren from across Michigan. “Echoes” has since been programmed by several professional orchestras in the U.S.
Rohan has presented numerous Indian percussion summer camps, workshops, academic lecture-demonstrations, and ambassadorial events throughout the U.S. and India, and is the recipient of several awards, including USA Today’s “All-College Academic Second Team,” “Young Artist of India” by Bharat Kalachar (Chennai, India), Thomas Siwe Scholarship from the Percussive Arts Society, and “Prodigy in Performing Arts” by the Indo-American Center in New York City.
An innovator, Rohan has redesigned the ancient mridangam to make it more user-friendly and durable. His work resulted in a publication in the premier music journal, Percussive Notes, last year. This past summer, Rohan conducted acoustical research on his new design at Coe College, Iowa, and was invited to present his work at the Acoustical Society of America’s annual conference in New Orleans, where his presentation received the “Best Student Paper” award.
Rohan’s multifaceted accomplishments earned him a one-on-one meeting and performance for the President of India, Dr. Abdul Kalam, at the presidential office and estate in New Delhi. The President commented, “You an expert in your field and are doing wonderful things to bridge cultures through music. You have a very bright future!”
Rohan is in a graduate program in musicology/ethnomusicology at Eastman as a Provost’s Fellow
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Steven Laitz is associate professor of theory and chair of the theory department. He received bachelor's and master's degrees from University of California-Riverside, and the PhD from Eastman. He has given numerous lecture recitals and solo and chamber music recitals. Research interests in 19th-century music and pedagogy have resulted in articles in Theory and Practice and Integral, and in his book Developing the Complete Musician: An Integrated Approach to Theory, Analysis and Listening (Oxford University).
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James Martin received undergraduate degrees in Mathematics and Music Education from St. Louis University and the Master of Music in Trombone Performance from the Eastman School of Music, with additional study at the doctoral level. His major professors include John Marcellus, Edward Kleinhammer, Arnold Jacobs, and Jeffrey Reynolds. Professor Martin is the Director of the Webster Wind Ensemble and Big Band and is a member of the Webster Brass Quintet. He teaches tuba and trombone and courses in brass methods and music literature. He was the bass trombonist with the Buddy Rich Big Band between 1985-87 and with the Orchestra del Maggio Musical of Florence, Italy under Zubin Mehta in 1989 and 1990. Professor Martin has played bass and contrabass trombone as an extra performer with the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra, including several performances at Carnegie Hall and the 1995 tour of Japan. He has also performed with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, and the Saint Louis Pops Orchestra. He performs regularly at the Fox Theater and the MUNY, and is a member of the St. Louis Brass Ensemble.
Glenn McClure is a composer and Arts Integration Consultant. His compositions have enjoyed a wide audience in the US (St. Olaf College, Florida State University, Auburn University, San Diego State University, the American Choral Directors Association Conventions in San Antonio, Texas and Orlando, Florida, and the Nat'l Kodaly Conference in San Antonio). Some of America's finest conductors have championed his music (including Dr. Andre Thomas, Dr. Anton Armstrong, Dr. Paul Smith, Dr. Anthony Leach, Dr. Brady Allred, and Dr. Janet Galvan). Mr. McClure's acclaimed Kyrie from St. Francis in the Americas: A Caribbean Mass has enjoyed multiple performances at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center in New York City. His work has also gained audiences in Mexico, Italy, Poland, Germany, and the Czech Republic. Mr. McClure's work was featured by the St. Olaf Choir at the culminating concert of the 2002 World Symposium of Choral Music. For three years, Mr. McClure was the Composer-in-Residence at Mt. Ireneaus Franciscan Retreat Center (affiliated with St. Bonaventure University). Mr. McClure's work is published by Earthsongs and Lorenz/Roger Dean Publishers.
Mr. McClure's main compositional interest lies in the mixing of classical music with ethnic music traditions. Many of his compositions have been born out of community initiatives and collaborations. He often works with a variety of community organizations to mold and shape his music into genuine expressions of the goals, interests and hopes of the communities from which they emerge. He was chosen for the prestigious "Continental Harmony" project. This NEA project (administered by the American Composers Forum) placed composers around the country in an effort to celebrate diverse cultures in small American communities.
Mr. McClure is a passionate advocate for the integration of the Arts into the education of children. He offers 500-600 concerts and workshops annually that animate a variety of areas of learning with hands-on musical activities. His award winning work in designing and implementing these programs in both mainstream and special education environments has gained the attention of numerous grants and foundations. He has presented his work at educational conferences at both the state and national level. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of the New York State Alliance for the Arts.
Mr. McClure works extensively in professional development project for teachers and artists, including a long-term consultant position with the Bronx Arts Council (supported by the Ford Foundation). Mr. McClure helped design a groundbreaking Distance Learning Consortium that is bringing the Federal "Teaching American History" grant to rural school districts in New York, California, and Alaska. This project represents a new model for national expansion in teacher professional development, curriculum design, and in-school/after school distance learning programming. He has worked closely with Project View and curriculum initiative for video conferencing spearheaded by the New York Institute of Technology. Mr. McClure is a design consultant for the new Online Memorial to American Slaves. This digital museum will share cutting edge scholarship on American Slavery through interactive, arts-based activities. His current arts integration projects include Lewis and Clark (a middle school residency with the Sioux Falls, SD school district) and Galileo's Universe. The Galileo project will connect three US schools, two European schools, three US universities, and bestselling author, Dava Sobel (Galileo's Daughter) through web-based applications and video conferencing.
Mr. McClure's academic interests include American popular music. He worked closely in field research with ethnomusicologist, James Kimball of SUNY Geneseo in researching the influence of African music styles on rural music making in 19th century America. Mr. McClure is working closely with the Online Memorial Museum of American Slavery in its design and development.
Robert McIver joined Eastman in 1997 as professor of voice. A graduate of Oberlin Conservatory and West Virginia University, McIver has taught at Westminster Choir College and Kentucky Wesleyan College. In addition to his specialization specialization as a voice teacher, he is active as a choral conductor in community, church, and festival settings, and has published choral compositions.
Alyssa McKeithen, double reed specialist, is a freelance performer who resides in Sarasota, Florida. She plays both oboe and bassoon with various orchestras, including the Florida West Coast Symphony and the Florida Orchestra among others. Additionally, Alyssa serves as a representative for Howarth oboes and Moosmann bassoons. She has given instrument demonstrations, recitals and reed-making classes in Puerto Rico, Florida, Michigan, Illinois and Wisconsin. Prior experience includes teaching and performing in New York, Michigan, Texas and Illinois. From 1998-2004, Alyssa served as the Instructor of Double Reeds at Texas Lutheran University in Seguin, Texas where she also maintained an active private studio of middle and high school oboists in the San Antonio area. While pursuing her Doctorate degree at the Eastman School of Music, she was a teaching assistant in the department of musicology and taught lessons for the Eastman Community Music School. Alyssa's primary teachers include Richard Kilmer, Nancy Ambrose King, and Leslie Odom on oboe, and TImothy McGovern, Mark Romatz and John Kitts-Turner on bassoon. She has been making hand made reeds for students and customers since 1998.
Karen Medley is an Orff music specialist in the is an Orff music specialist in the Pentucket Regional School District (MA). This year she will be a presenter at the national conference and give eight workshops throughout the United States. She is coordinating an Orff Camp, Preschool Orff Camp, and presenting a course in Music for Early Childhood Teachers, all in Anchorage, Alaska. She has served on the AOSA national board, and has co-chaired two national AOSA Conferences.
Russell Miller, Associate Professor of Vocal Coaching and Repertory, BM, University of Southern California; MM, Manhattan School of Music; doctoral studies, Juilliard; DMA, University of Michigan. Coaching/conducting fellowship, American Opera Center; Outstanding Graduate Award, USC; Gramma Fisher Fellowship, American Institute of Musical Studies, Graz, Austria. Studied accompanying with Brooks Smith, Gwendolyn Koldofsky, Martin Katz, Marshall Williamson, Margo Garrett, Samuel Sanders; opera coaching with Alberta Masiello and Nico Castel; piano with Edith Knox and Louis Nagel; song interpretation with Adele Addison. Concert performances with Marilyn Horne, Hakan Hagegard, Robert White, Stephen Kates, Glenn Dicterow, and Donald McInnes. Collaborative recital tours in Korea, Hong Kong, Russia, and throughout the United States, including vocal quartet "SATB." Official accompanist, Walter W. Naumburg Foundation annual competition, American String Teachers Association national competition, D'Angelo International voice competition. Opera coach, Pine Mountain Music Festival (1997-2002). Faculty member, Music Academy of the West (1988-94, 1996-99); Peabody Conservatory (1990); Oberlin (1993-94); Cleveland Institute of Music (1999-2001); Bowling Green State University (2000-2001); Eastman(1995-99, 2001-).
Daniel Murray's acting credits include the New York Shakespeare Festival, Ensemble Studio Theatre, Shakespeare Festival of Dallas, George Street Playhouse, Kitchen Dog Theatre, and the Warehouse Theatre. He has taught at North Carolina Central University, Dallas Theatre Center, and Playwrights Theatre of New Jersey, among others. In addition to the Residential Program at South Carolina Governor's School for the Arts and Humanities, Daniel has taught acting and served as Director for the SCGSAH Summer Honors Program in Drama. He holds a B.A. in History from North Carolina State University where he was a four-time Atlantic Coast Conference Scholar-Athlete. Daniel is a graduate of Southern Methodist University's MFA Acting Program.
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Wes Nance BM and MM from the Eastman School of Music. Member of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra; featured soloist and member of the RPO Brass Quintet; on summer faculty of the Music Horizons Festival and the Masterworks Festival.
Alexandra Nguyen - A native of Montreal, Alexandra Nguyen is an accomplished pianist who has appeared throughout the United States and Canada, including performances at the Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall; the Dame Myra Hess series (Chicago); the 2000 Bartok International Congress; and the Societe Pro Musica Chamber Music Series. She is a founding member of two active chamber ensembles, Trio Encantar with oboist Deirdre Chadwick and bassoonist Peter Kolkay, with whom sh also appears regularly in recital; and Duo Solaris, with pianist Zarina Melik-Stepanova. Dr. Nguyen's honors include the John Newmark Prize at the Prix d'Europe Competition, the Barr Award and the Brooks Smith Fellowship, both at the Eastman School of Music. Awarded the first Performer's Certificate in Piano Accompanying and Chamber Music at the Eastman School, Dr. Nguyen was the first recipient of the C. Eschenbach Award given for outstanding performance in a vocal recital, and was a three-time winner of the Excellence in Accompanying Award.
Dr. Nguyen completed her graduate degrees in Piano Accompanying and Chamber Music under the guidance of Jean Barr at the Eastman School, and has studied with pedagogues such as Douglas Humphreys, Anne Epperson, Madeleine Belanger and Suzanne Goyette. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree from McGill University and a Premier Prix from the Conservatoire de Musique du Quebec a Montreal.
Dr. Nguyen is currently Assistant Professor of Collaborative Piano at University of Colorado at Boulder. She was formerly the Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs at the Eastman School of Music, where she also coached chamber music, coordinated the Colloquiumk series, and taught 20th century piano literature. Prior appointments include Administrative Director of the Montreal Chamber Music Festival and Director of Career Services at the Eastman School. As Director of Career Services, Dr. Nguyen participated in the first international symposium on career issues in music, The Working Musician, held in London, England in 2005. She also served as a panelist at both the National Association of Schools of Music 2005 Annual Meeting and the 2005 College Music Society Annual Conference. Dr. Nguyen is the Associate Artistic Director of Eastman’s Young Artists International Piano Competition, and is a member of the Collaborative Committee for the National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy as well as the Board of Directors of the International Guitar Institute.
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Johnathon Pape - Read Johnathon's full bio here.
Howard Potter is associate dean for community and continuing education. After receiving a bachelor of music degree from SUNY Fredonia, a master's degree from Eastman, and a DMA from the Manhattan School of Music, he served as chair of performing arts and director of instrumental music at the Manlius Pebble Hill School in DeWitt, NY. He is the founder and former director of 315 Jazz Arts Cooperative in Syracuse, conductor of many bands, jazz, and chamber ensembles, percussionist with many orchestras and with Society for New Music in New York City, and a composer and arranger of music for vibraphone, marimba, percussion, and jazz ensemble.
Doug Prosser - Read Doug's full bio here.
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Nan Gullo Richmond received her DMA from Eastman in 1992, and is also a graduate of Juilliard, where she studied harp and composition. She made her New York City Town Hall debut as a winner of Concert Artists Guild, and was a member of the Pittsburgh Symphony for six years. Richmond has published articles in Music Journal and other periodicals, and currently teaches in the Eastman Community Music School, where she is also director of the harp choir.
Janet Robbins is associate professor of music and coordinator of the Music Student Teaching Program at West Virginia University. She cochaired the 1995 national AOSA conference celebrating the Carl Orff Centenary, chaired AOSA's Research Interest Group (1990-1994), and was a member of the editorial board of The Orff Echo (1994-2002). She is the original director of the OrffSPIEL.
Michael Ruhling has been the conductor and music director of the Rochester Institute of Technology Orchestra for nine years. He is an associate professor of Fine Arts in the College of Liberal Arts at RIT, teaching a variety of courses in music history and appreciation. He has also taught courses at the Eastman School of Music, Goshen College, Huntington College, and The Catholic University of America. Dr. Ruhling is a member of the conducting and lecture faculty of the Classial Musical Festival held each August in Eisenstadt, Austria, is an associate conductor of the Brighton Symphony Orchestra, and has appeared as guest conductor of the UNLV Symphony and Opera, Goshen College Orchestra, University of Missouri Philharmonic, Finger Lakes Symphony, Prince George;s Philharmonic and Rochester's Air de Cour. He also founded and was the first musical director of the Maple City Chamber Orchestra in Goshen, Indiana. Dr. Ruhling's book, Johann Peter Solomon's Scores of Four Haydn Symphonies: Edition with Commentary was published bt the Edwin Mellen Press in 2003, and he has delivered numerous papers and presentations on 18th and 19th century symphonies and performance practices. His essay on the symphonies of Michael Haydn appear in The Symphonic Repertoire, Vol. 1: The Eighteenth Century Symphony published in 2008 by the Indiana University Press. Dr. Ruhnling is president of the Haydn Society of North America and secretary-treasurer of the Society for Eighteenth Century Music.
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Cecile Saine - Read Cecile's full bio here.
Mark Scatterday - Read Mark's full bio here.
Jim Solomon is an author, national clinician, and National Board Certifi ed Teacher. He teaches at R.B. Hunt Elementary School in St. Augustine, FL. Each summer he teaches Orff Level I at various locations and works with K-high school students at Eagle Arts Camp. Jim was chosen "Teacher of the Year 1991" in St. John's County.
Mary Helen Solomon is chair of the Fine Arts Department at Episcopal High School in Jacksonville, FL where she teaches middle school Orff and high school choral. She has been involved with teacher training using the Orff approach throughout the US and in New Zealand for 20 years. She received the Gladys Prior Award for Career Teaching Excellence from the University of North Florida in 1998.
Ann Marie Stanley - Read Ann Marie's full bio here.
Robert Swensen Associate Professor of Voice, BM, University of Arizona; Professional Studies Diploma, Juilliard School of Music; MM cum laude, University of Southern California. Mentored with Nicolai Gedda and Luciano Pavarotti. First prize, Concert Artists Guild International New York Competition (1987); first prize, Premio Giuseppe Borgati Concorso, Italy (1987); Grammy Award, Best Classical Recording, Barber: Antony & Cleopatra. Study grants from the Puccini Foundation, NY, and NIMT George London Award, NY (1988). National operatic performances including Carnegie Hall debut as George Brown in Boildieu's La Dame Blanche with Opera Orchestra of New York, Ferrando in Cosi fan Tutte at Santa Fe Opera Festival and Opera Pacific, and other appearances with Arizona Opera, Kentucky Opera. International performances with Staatsoper Unter-den-Linden, Berlin; Teatro di San Carlo, Naples, Italy; Antwerp Opera, Belgium; Wexford Festival, Ireland; Teatro La Fenice, Venice; Vienna State Opera; Opera Comique, Paris.
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George Taylor - Read George's full bio here.
Karie Templeton received a bachelor's degree in choral music education from Wittenberg University and a master's of music education and voice from Ithaca College, with additional graduate studies at Eastman. In her 26th year of teaching vocal music in the Pittsford, NY schools, Ms. Templeton directs the middle school choral and musical theater programs. Her school choirs consistently receive superior ratings at a variety of music festivals throughout the United States and Canada. They have performed at MENC Eastern Division Conferences in Pittsburgh and Rochester, and at the 2001 NYSSMA State Conference. She is director of the Music Horizons High School Summer Choir at Eastman, and has conducted many All-County Festival Choruses in New York State.
Rich Thompson is associate professor of jazz studies and contemporary media. An accomplished drummer, he has performed and recorded with the Count Basie Band, Tito Puente, Benny Carter, Frank Foster, James Williams, Marian McPartland, the Eastman Jazz Trio, and the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, among others. He is the author of Jazz Solos for Drumset, Vol. 1 (Kendor Press) and co-author of Billy Hart's Jazz Drumming (Advance Music). Thompson (Advance Music). Thompson has given various clinics and performances in Europe, Japan, Newfoundland, Thailand, and the United States and is the drum set chairman for the New York State School Music Association.
Jurgen Thym - Read Jurgen Thym's full bio here.
Bill Tiberio BM, Ithaca College; Masters in Music Ed, Fredonia; Concert Band and Jazz Program Director at Fairport High School, Instrumental Music Teacher, Fairport Schools, 1988 to present. Faculty, Tritone Jazz Fantasy Camp, and Hochstein School of Music Summer Staff. Recipient, RPO Music Educators Award, April, 2004.
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Neil Varon - Read Neil Varon's full bio.
W. Lee Vinson was named section percussionist with the Boston Sumphony Orchestra in March of 2007. He holds a bachelor's degree from the Eastman School of Music and has done graduate study at Boston University where he was recently appointed to the faculty as a Teaching Associate. While at Eastman, Mr. Vinson performed with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, and from 2000 to 2004 served as a member of the the United States Navy Band in Washington, D.C. As a student, he attended summer music festivals at Interlochen, Tanglewood, and the Brevard Music Center. His teachers have included John Beck, and Tim Genis. Mr. Vinson is originally from Auburn, Alabama and is an artist/clinician for Zildjian cymbals, Vic Firth drumsticks and Grover Pro Percussion.
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Carol Webber is professor of voice at Eastman, is professor of voice at Eastman, where she has taught since 1991. Her performance career included contracts with Metropolitan Opera, Vancouver, Seattle, Portland, Miami, and numerous regional opera companies. Former artist-in-residence at University of Washington and State University of New York at Stony Brook, Webber has given master classes throughout the United States and abroad. She previously taught at Oberlin Conservatory.
William Weinert, director of choral activities at Eastman, is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he studied with Robert Fountain. Weinert has published articles and reviews in the Choral Journal. He previously taught at the University of Wisconsin and the University of Southern Mississippi.
Glenn West - Read Glenn's full bio here.
Gretchen Wheelock BA, Wellesley; MA, MPhil, PhD, Yale. Piano study with Bruce Symonds and Donald Currier. Recipient, fellowships from Radcliffe Institute, Danforth Foundation, Mary Ingraham Bunting Institute, and National Endowment for the Humanities (University Fellowship; Summer Stipend; NEH Institute). Eisenhart Award for Excellence in Teaching (1991). Member, American Musicological Society (council member, 1987-90; program committee, 1992; board of directors, 1995-96; vice-president, 1999-2000; chair, New York State-St. Lawrence Chapter, 1995-97), American Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies, Early Music America, and Westfield Center for Early Keyboard Studies. Research interests include Haydn, Mozart, 18th-century aesthetics, reception history, and performance practice. Author, Haydn's Ingenious Jesting with Art: Contexts of Musical Wit and Humor. Articles and reviews in Early Music, The Musical Quarterly, Journal of the American Musicological Society, Journal of Musicology, Journal of Interdisciplinary History, Historical Performance, Eighteenth-Century Studies, Proceedings of the International Mozart Congress, Salzburg 1991, Musicology and Difference, Piano Roles, Siren Songs, Haydn-Fest 2002: Joseph Haydn und das Streichquartett, and The Great Tradition and its Legacy: Dramatic and Musical Theater in Austria and Central Europe. Invited guest speaker at Aston Magna, Chamber Music America, Focus on the Piano: Haydn. Advisory board, Eastman Studies in Music. Board of Directors, Mozart Society of America; Westfield Center for Early Keyboard Studies. Faculty member, Hampshire College (1976-77), Smith College (1977-83), Valentine Distinguished Visiting Professor, Amherst College (1995). Eastman (1984-).
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