Dean
Shelton G. Berg is Dean and Patricia L. Frost Professor of Music at the University of Miami Frost School of Music where he leads a dynamic faculty and teaches outstanding students. He was previously the McCoy/Sample Professor of Jazz Studies at USC Thornton School of Music and a past president of the International Association for Jazz Education (IAJE). In 2000, the Los Angeles Times named him one of three "Educators for the Millennium." He is widely acclaimed for his energetic and innovative approaches to performance, composition, and pedagogy. He has performed and recorded with top music industry professionals and has orchestrated music for television, motion pictures and major orchestras. Berg has performed and lectured throughout the world and has numerous arrangements, compositions and texts in publication. The All Music Guide says "Shelly Berg is one of the finest pianists around in the early 21st century playing modern mainstream jazz." His CD, Blackbird (Concord) reached #1 in US jazz radio (Jazzweek, 2005). Recent recording and arranging projects include a solo CD The Nearness of You (Arbors), Arturo Sandoval's Latin Grammy winning A Time for Love (Concord) and several NPR radio broadcasts for Jim Cullum's Riverwalk Jazz series. He also recorded "Rhapsody in Blue" and other Gershwin selections with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in London and was nominated for a Grammy Award in the category “Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s)” for his arrangement of “Out There” on Lorraine Feather’s CD Tales of the Unusual.
Associate Dean, Administration
Miami-born composer/pianist, Raul Murciano, Jr. is Associate Dean for Administration at the University of Miami Frost School of Music. He was formerly Media Writing and Production (MWP) program director where his leadership led to the development and implementation of the Commercial Music track in Composition. He also works closely with the Department of Musicology, through which he created and teaches courses that extol the rich diversity of Cuban music. Murciano earned Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering, Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees in Composition, all from the University of Miami. An award-winning writer and producer of music for television and film, Murciano’s earliest successes came as a founding member and performer with Gloria Estefan and the Miami Sound Machine. During his 35-year professional career, he's created more than 700 commercial music cues for over 100 clients, served as musical director and performer throughout the United States, Europe, and Latin America, composed works for the concert stage, held interests in and managed three local recording studios, and enjoyed a four-year stint as radio host on WTMI’s Music of the Americas. Murciano states, "The writing and production of commercial music merits the same level of rigor and craftsmanship afforded any other kind of music. The fact that the Media Writing and Production program resides under the umbrella of the Composition Department is a clear testament to the latter's inclusive philosophy and its unbiased embracing of this shared aesthetic notion."
Interim Graduate Dean, Associate Professor, Music Therapy
Shannon de l'Etoile, Ph.D., is interim graduate dean and associate professor for the Music Therapy program at the University of Miami Frost School of Music. Dr. de l’Etoile is a board-certified music therapist and current member of both the American Music Therapy Association (AMTA), and the Southeastern Region of the AMTA. She is recognized as a Fellow of the Robert F. Unkefer Academy of Neurologic Music Therapy, has served on the editorial review board for the Journal of Music Therapy and is currently on the editorial review board for Music Therapy Perspectives. Widely published, she earned both her bachelor and master’s degrees in music therapy from Colorado State University. She received her doctorate in music education with an emphasis on music therapy from the University of Kansas and joined the Frost School of Music faculty in fall 2001. Prior to her current appointment, Dr. de l’Etoile taught music therapy at the University of Iowa and at Colorado State University. Her clinical background includes working with adults with mental illness, children and adolescents with emotional and behavioral disorders, adults and children with developmental disabilities, and adults and children with neurologic disorders. She was previously a research associate for the internationally-recognized Center for Biomedical Research in Music in Fort Collins, Colorado where her research focused on exploring the ways that infants respond to infant-directed singing, and using infant-directed singing as a therapeutic intervention for at-risk mother-infant pairs.
Associate Dean, Undergraduate Studies, and Lecturer, Instrumental Performance
Kenneth Moses is associate dean for Undergraduate Studies at the University of Miami Frost School of Music, where he also earned B.M. and M.M. degrees. In 1975, he was appointed assistant director of bands at the University of Miami. During his tenure the Band of the Hour made multiple appearances in the Fiesta, Sugar, Orange, Cotton and Peach Bowl football games. In 1979, the band traveled to the Mirage Bowl in Tokyo, Japan. Moses was named director of admission and recruitment for the UM School of Music in 1991. Under his leadership the first prospectus on the School and a sampler CD were produced. The number of students inquiring about the School increased three fold and the number of applicants doubled during his tenure. In January 2004, Moses was appointed Assistant Dean for Undergraduate Studies. He has extensive experience as an adjudicator and clinician as well as serving as a consultant to uniform companies. He has served as a consultant to colleges and universities in the area of student recruitment and admission.
Executive Director, Advancement; Associate Dean of Development
Holly Freyre is Executive Director, Advancement and Associate Dean of Development at the University of Miami Frost School of Music where she is responsible for the implementation of all music-related fundraising and alumni affairs. Freyre has extensive business experience as a relationship manager in the corporate banking world, and most recently was a director in the University of Miami Office of Estate and Gift Planning. She served as the University’s 2009 United Way Campaign Lead Ambassador for the entire Coral Gables campus, and is a member of Young Patronesses of the Opera (YPO). Holly Freyre has also served on the executive committees of many local and state boards, including Beaux Arts.
Director of Business Affairs
Denise Eutsey is director of business affairs at the University of Miami Frost School of Music. A long time UM employee with a specialty in faculty affairs administration, Eutsey previously worked in the Office of the Provost as associate director. Eutsey also serves on the executive committee of the Frost School of Music.
Director, Admissions and Recruitment
Karen Kerr is director of admission and recruitment at the University of Miami Frost School of Music. Her office is responsible for graduate and undergraduate recruitment, admissions, and auditions for over 800 applicants annually to the Frost School. Kerr was named Director of Admission for the UM Frost School of Music in 2006. Since taking over the position she has streamlined several areas by moving to online reports and was a co-developer of an online database to track audition information. A strong supporter of academic standards, she has been instrumental in the significant increase of the academic profile for admitted undergraduate students since being appointed director. Karen serves on the Executive Committee of the Frost School and the UM unit Liaison Committee and is a current member of ICCAM, the Independent Consortium on College Admissions in Music, The College Music Society and the National Music Roundtable. Originally from Indiana, Kerr earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Indiana University Southeast where her principal instrument was piano. She has over 18 years of college admission experience. Prior to joining the Frost School she served on the admissions staff at The University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre and Dance, and the admissions staff at Indiana University Southeast.
Director, Marketing and Communications
Julia Berg is director of marketing and communications for the University of Miami Frost School of Music, reporting to Central University Communications and Advancement. Prior to her appointment she worked as acting executive director and development director for non-profit organizations in California including the Pasadena Pops Orchestra and the University of Southern California. She spent two decades working in the music products industry, first as marketing director and subsequently vice-president of marketing and product development for Alfred Publishing; then joined Coda Music Technology as vice president of repertoire development where she negotiated multi-media licenses and supervised a large production team. Julia served on the executive board of the Music Industry Council for eight years and was actively involved in music advocacy efforts with the Music Educators National Association. She is a graduate of Berklee College of Music (BM, composition) and was a music editor for documentaries such as the Academy Award-winning Karl Hess – Toward Liberty (Roland Halle & Peter W. Ledue).
Associate Professor, Chair, Theory and Composition
Charles Mason is associate professor and chair of the Department of Theory and Composition at the University of Miami Frost School of Music. He has received many awards for his compositions including the American Composers Orchestra “Playing it Unsafe” prize, the 2005 Rome Prize, the Premi Internacional de Composició Musical Ciutat de Tarragona Orchestra Music prize, and a National Endowment of the Arts Individual Artist Award. He was named 2009 Distinguished Alumnus by the Frost School of Music. His music has been performed worldwide including the FORO INTERNACIONAL DE MUSICA NUEVA in Mexico City, the Quirinale in Rome, the Aspen Summer Music Festival, and the Nuova Musica Consonante in Romani and broadcast over RAI radio throughout Italy and on NPR's “Performance Today." Dr. Mason has received commissions from many top ranked ensembles including American Composers Orchestra, DUO 46, Miami String Quartet, Gregg Smith Singers, Dale Warland Singers, Corona Guitar Kvartet, ONIX (Mexico), Luna Nova, bassist Robert Black, violinist Karen Bentley Pollick, New York Golliard Ensemble, and cellists Madeleine Shapiro, Craig Hultgren, and Jeffrey Solow to name a few. He completed his DMA and MM in composition at the University of Illinois and BM with honors from the University of Miami. In 2005 he was a composer in residence at the International Centre for Composers in Visby, Sweden and twice sponsored by the Seaside Institute as an "Escape To Create" composer-in-residence.
Program Director, Media Writing and Production; Assistant Professor of Professional Practice
Chris Boardman is the director of the Media Writing and Production Program at the University of Miami Frost School of Music and teaches Film Scoring and Advanced Music Editing. Beginning his career in the film, television and recording industries in 1974, Boardman has consistently worked at the top echelon of the entertainment industry receiving an Academy Award nomination for “The Color Purple”, 6 Emmy Awards, 13 Emmy nominations, ASCAP and BMI awards and multiple platinum records for work with such iconic artists as Quincy Jones, David Foster, Steven Speilberg, Julie Andrews, Shirley MacLaine, Barbara Streisand, Marvin Hamlisch and Josh Groban. Well known in Hollywood circles a one of a handful of musicians who can literally write anything, Boardman’s credits span both industry and genre. Whether it be conducting David Foster’s “World Children’s Day" for television, composing the 70’s inspired score for Mel Gibson’s Payback, arranging period dance music for Swing Kids and Meet Joe Black,orchestrating Chaplin for Broadway or releasing and producing solo recordings as an artist, Boardman embraces these challenges with characteristic integrity and passion making him one of the most uniquely versatile and highly respected musicians in the industry. He attended Weber State University and continued on to California State University Northridge, working simultaneously in Los Angeles recording studios. Always looking for new challenges, Boardman is the founder of a successful social media content strategy consulting business and is at the forefront of the fast moving online media space.
Assistant Professor, Theory and Composition
Juan Chattah is assistant professor of theory and composition at the University of Miami Frost School of Music. He holds a M.M. and a Ph.D. in Music Theory and Composition from Florida State University, a B.M. in Piano Performance from the Utrecht Conservatorium (The Netherlands), and a Certificate of Music Education from the Conservatorio de Musica in Cordoba (Argentina). As theorist, his primary research interest concerns the application of models drawn from linguistics and critical theory to the analysis of film music. Recent research has been presented at the Music and the Moving Image (New York 2009), College Music Society (Portland 2009 / Salt Lake City 2007) and at other noted conferences. As composer, his music ranges from tangos to interactive electroacoustic music, to children songs for the radio drama series Stories in the Air broadcast internationally through Public Radio International. His concert music is highly influenced by archetypical gestures and moods of film music. As a pianist, he studied in The Netherlands under Herman Uhlhorn and David Kuyken, and participated in master classes with Michel Beroff, Ivan Moravec, and Paul Badura-Skoda. He performed extensively in Europe and Latin America, and his students have won numerous national and international competitions.
Assistant Professor, Theory and Composition
Dorothy Hindman is an assistant professor of composition in the Department of Theory and Composition at the University of Miami Frost School of Music. Dr. Hindman’s work is performed extensively in the U.S., and throughout Eastern and Western Europe. Critics have called her music “intense, gripping, and frenetic,” “sonorous and affirmative,” and “music of terrific romantic gesture.” Awards and recognition include the 2005 Almquist Choral Composition Award, a 2004 Nancy Van de Vate International Composition Prize for Opera, a 2004 Winner of the International Society of Bassists Solo Composition Competition, an Alabama State Council on the Arts Individual Artist Fellowship, and the NACUSA Young Composers Competition. Commissions for 2010 include Prothalamia for the Empire City Men’s Chorus (NYC), and The Road to Damascus for the Caraval Quartet (NYC). Other recent commissions include Sursum Corda for the a cappella choir of the same name, The Wall Calls to Me to accompany a visual installation by artist Sally Johnson, Nine Churches for the Corona Guitar Kvartet and Lithuanian Sinfonia, Tapping the Furnace for Evelyn Glennie, Stuart Gerber and Scott Deal, and The Pillow Book for the Goliard Ensemble (NYC). Her residencies include a Seaside Escape to Create Residency in 2009; Visiting Artist at the American Academy in Rome, Italy in Fall 2005; resident composer at the Visby International Centre for Composers, Sweden in 2005; and Composer-in-Residence for the Goliard Ensemble in 2009. A native of Miami and a graduate of the Frost School of Music, she is also a writer for the Miami Herald and South Florida Classical Review.
Assistant Professor of Professional Practice, Theory and Composition
Bryn Hughes is an assistant professor of professional practice in the Department of Music Theory and Composition at the University of Miami Frost School of Music where he teaches freshman and sophomore music theory in the new Frost Experiential Music Curriculum, as well as graduate-level classes in music theory. He earned his Ph.D. in music theory at Florida State University and also holds bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Western Ontario. His research interests include music cognition, popular music analysis, atonal voice leading, and the music of Alfred Schnittke. His dissertation involved an investigation of harmonic expectation in twelve-bar blues progressions. Dr. Hughes has presented research on atonal music analysis, popular music, and music cognition at numerous regional and national conferences, including the South Central Society for Music Theory, Music Theory Southeast, the Music Theory Society of the Mid-Atlantic, Music Theory Midwest, the Society for Music Theory, the Society for Music Perception and Cognition, and the International Conference for Music Perception and Cognition. Bryn Hughes joined the faculty of the Frost School of Music in 2012.
Professor, Music Theory and Composition
Dennis Kam is a professor in the Department of Music Theory and Composition at the University of Miami Frost School of Music, where he served previously as department chair for several decades. He conducts the Other Music Ensemble (for the performance of new music). He is also composer-in-residence for the South Florida Youth Symphony. Recent recordings of Professor Kam’s music include Miami Mix II performed by the Cleveland Chamber Symphony (TNC label), as well as two works performed by the Ibis Camerata, Trio and Sonata Ibis (Albany). Professor Kam is national board member for Composition for the Southern Chapter of the College Music Society, where he was formerly president. He has also served as a member of both Executive and National Councils for the Society of Composers, Inc. Kam’s works since the 1980s have represented a number and variety of interests including new tonal or post-atonal possibilities, contextual novelty, varieties of focus and perceptibility, time and continuity, meaning, implication and representation in music. During 1982–1987, Kam was music director/conductor of the Greater Miami Youth Symphony and has received many commissions, grants, and awards, including BMI and the Ford Foundation, enabling him to serve as Professional (Composer)-in-Residence for Honolulu and the State of Hawaii under the auspices of the Ford Foundation/ MENC Contemporary Music Project during 1970–1972.
Lecturer, Media Writing and Production
Devin Marsh is a lecturer in the Media Writing and Production program at the University of Miami Frost School of Music. Marsh is an accomplished performer, writer, arranger and instrumentalist. He has toured internationally with his band Nori Nori promoting two self-produced and critically acclaimed CDs. He has composed, recorded and produced music for various films, commercials, ballets, dance groups and other artists, all while managing his Miami-based commercial recording facility, The Chill Lodge. On a Gary Burton Scholarship, Marsh studied at Berklee College of Music in Boston, later continuing his studies at the University of Miami where he received a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education, Master of Music in Media Writing and Production, and Doctor of Musical Arts in Composition. He concurrently serves as the director of sound and recording at Robert Morgan Educational Center and also heads their Photography department.
Associate Professor, Theory and Composition
Lansing McLoskey is associate professor of theory and composition in the Department of Music Theory and Composition at the Frost School of Music. Described as “one of the best composers of [his] generation,” Lansing McLoskey’s music has been performed across the U.S. and in eleven other countries on five continents. Dr. McLoskey has received dozens of commissions and grants, including the National Endowment of the Arts, Meet the Composer, ASCAP, and Barlow Endowment, to name a few. He has been awarded "first prize" in numerous composition competitions including Omaha Symphony Orchestra International New Music Competition, Kenneth Davenport National Competition for Orchestral Works and a Meet The Composer commission for Triton Brass which was premiered at Tanglewood. McLoskey completed his Ph.D. at Harvard University, and holds degrees with honors from U.C. Santa Barbara and the U.S.C. Thornton School of Music, with additional studies at the Royal Danish Academy of Music.
Lecturer, Electronic Composition
Lawrence W. Moore is a lecturer teaching electronic music courses in the Department of Music Theory and Composition at the University of Miami Frost School of Music. These courses include MIDI Control Systems, Multimedia for Musicians, Introduction to the Electronic Music Studio, Digital Synthesis and more. An art music composer who specializes in the production of electro-acoustic music, he also generates sounds and program software components for the production of music. He has an eclectic background in music, ranging from saxophone performance to studio engineering and production. Dr. Moore earned a DMA in Composition and MM in Media Writing and Production from the University of Miami; a MM in Composition and Theory plus a MM in Saxophone Performance from Penn State University, and a BA in Music from Lebanon Valley College. He produces electronic music through his independent label, Wayfarer Music. His music is performed at electronic music festivals and he composed the soundtrack for "Cruel and Usual" that was awarded honorable mention in several independent art film festivals. His music has also been featured on the History Channel's Museum documentary "First Ladies" about presidential first ladies from U.S. history.
Lecturer, Music Theory
Raina Murnak is a lecturer in music theory at the University of Miami Frost School of Music where she also teaches in the Bruce Hornsby Creative American Music program. She is a New York-born composer and vocalist and received both her Bachelors in Voice and her Master's in Composition from the State University of New York at Stony Brook where she graduated Summa Cum Laude. She went on to receive her Doctorate in Composition and Vocal Pedagogy from the University of Miami Frost School of Music. where she is currently teaching in both the Music Theory and Voice departments and is working on a music theory textbook. Murnak has enjoyed many performances of her works both in concert and on recordings. Her trio “Lagathia” written for the Ibis Trio was released on Albany Records. She is an active Miami performer in varied venues and genres, ranging from the avant-garde to the commercial. She has been featured as a background vocalist and keyboardist in several national television appearances, sings jazz and popular music with her band Van Gogh Listens, and will release her first album as lead singer and writer for the original rock band The Pure Pinks. Recent work includes a short opera collaboration with author Jane Alison, a second solo album, and the score to a full-length musical “Ruthenia” written by New York playwright, director and father Richard Murnak.
Lecturer, Theory and Composition
Scott Stinson is a lecturer in theory and composition in the Department of Music Theory and Composition at the Frost School of Music. A graduate of Indiana University, Scott Stinson studied composition with electronic music pioneer and micro-tonalist John Eaton, before completing his Doctorate at the University of Miami under the tutelage of Dennis Kam. An early performance (at age 24) of his opera Tutankhamen by the Indiana University opera studio led to increased compositional exploration of microtonal and extended instrumental techniques combined with electronics. Research interests include contemporary composers Mathias Pintscher, Andrew Toovey and Donnacha Dennehey, as well as contemporary opera and the piano music of Gyorgy Ligeti. Dr. Stinson also coordinates the activities of the Frost School of Music's on-line Basic Music Theory course.
Lecturer, Music Theory; Administrative Assistant, Office of the Dean
Daniel Williams is a lecturer in music theory at the University of Miami Frost School of Music, where he also serves as administrative assistant to the office of the dean.
Artistic Director, Henry Mancini Institute
Terence Blanchard is a legendary jazz trumpeter who recently joined the Henry Mancini Institute at the University of Miami Frost School of Music as artistic director. Blanchard has more than 29 albums to his credit, earning a “Best Jazz Instrumental Solo” Grammy for his performance on Jeff “Tain” Watts’s project, Watts, a Grammy for his solo for “Be-Bop” on Live At The 2007 Monterey Jazz Festival, and a Grammy for his CD, A Tale of God's Will (A Requiem for Katrina). Blanchard is also a prolific film composer with more than 50 film and television credits, including Spike Lee's 25th Hour for which he earned a Golden Globe nomination. He completed the score for Lee's Miracle at St. Anna and the soundtrack for Darnell Martin’s Cadillac Records. He is currently working on two Broadway plays, The Mother------ with the Hat, produced by Scott Rudin and A Streetcar Named Desire; George Lucas’ film about the Tuskegee Airmen entitled, Red Tails; and a commission for Opera Theatre of St. Louis. As Artistic Director of the Henry Mancini Institute, Blanchard leads a multi-faceted orchestra, introducing its musicians to a wide range of musical styles and the music of iconic film composers.
Professor of Music, Instrumental Performance, and Director of Bands
Gary Green, Professor of Music and Director of Bands at the University of Miami Frost School of Music, teaches conducting and serves as the conductor of the Frost Wind Ensemble. Formerly the chair of the Department of Instrumental Performance, Green holds a B.M. degree from Boise State University and an M.M. degree from the University of Idaho. He formerly conducted the University of Connecticut's Symphony Band, Wind Ensemble, and Marching Band. Green also was director of bands at University High School in Spokane, Washington, one of the most widely respected band programs in the nation. Throughout his career, Green has received numerous honors and awards. His recent conducting activities include events in Florida, Texas, Connecticut, Kansas, Maryland, Georgia, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and others. In addition, he has conducted all state, regional, national, and international honor bands.
Associate Professor, Trumpet; Chair, Instrumental Performance
Craig Morris is associate professor of trumpet and chair of the Department of Instrumental Performance at the University of Miami Frost School of Music where he devotes himself to his teaching and his career as a soloist and chamber musician. Morris emerged onto the international orchestra scene by winning the prestigious position of principal trumpet in the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, assuming that post from the legendary Adolph “Bud” Herseth. Morris was previously the associate principal trumpet of the San Francisco Symphony under the baton of Michael Tilson Thomas. He recorded extensively as principal trumpet with both orchestras, including the Grammy nominated recording of Furtwangler’s Symphony No. 2 with the CSO and Daniel Barenboim. In 2003 Morris left his position in the CSO to pursue a burgeoning solo career. With the Chicago Symphony he was featured as soloist on Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 and Stravinsky’s L’Histoire du Soldat with Pinchas Zukerman in Chicago’s Orchestra Hall. In 2009, Craig Morris gave the U.S. premiere of Desolation Wilderness, a trumpet concerto by British composer Joby Talbot, at the Cabrillo Festival for Contemporary Music under the baton of Marin Alsop. His debut solo CD Permit Me Voyage features the music of Debussy, Schumann, Brahms and Barber, following the acclaimed Naxos release, Reflections, where Morris was soloist on Thomas Sleeper’s Concerto for Trumpet. A Texas native, Morris grew up in a musical family. He attended the University of Texas and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.
Associate Professor, French Horn
Richard Todd is associate professor, French horn at the University of Miami Frost School of Music. From Carnegie Hall to the Hollywood Bowl, Richard Todd has earned international acclaim as one of the finest horn soloists today. Gold medal winner of the 1980 Concours Internationale Toulon, he is a Pro Musicis International Foundation Award winner and is continually expanding the boundaries of the horn world. Renowned for his performances that “are simply startling in their dexterity” with “a heart-clutching sound” he breaks down the barriers of music, being equally at home in all areas including classical and jazz. Now residing in Miami, he maintains a rigorous coast-to-coast concert schedule including performances as principal horn with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra. Todd has recorded on over 1,000 motion picture soundtracks, appeared and recorded with such great performers as Sinatra, Streisand, and Madonna, and as a jazz artist with Clark Terry, Ray Brown and Woody Herman. He recorded two CD’s with Andre Previn, one jazz: What Headphones, the other classical: French Chamber Music and was personally selected by Gunther Schuller to record his Concerto No.1. He has also recorded solo albums. Previously on the faculty at USC Thornton School of Music, and the Henry Mancini Institute, Richard Todd is in constant demand as a lecturer, clinician and festival artist, and is a consultant for Hans Hoyer Horns, where he assists in the development of horn and mouthpiece designs.
Lecturer, Trombone
Timothy Conner (trombone) is a lecturer in the Department of Instrumental Performance at the University of Miami Frost School of Music. Tim Conner held the position of principal trombone with the Florida Philharmonic Orchestra for 18 years. During his orchestral career he performed with the Spoleto, Chautauqua, Heidelberg, and Bedford Springs Festival orchestras, the National Symphony, Naples Philharmonic, and Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich. He was featured several times as a concerto soloist with the Florida Philharmonic, and has performed as a soloist in Milwaukee, Washington, D.C., Rochester, Pittsburgh, Santa Fe, New York City, and in countless venues in the South Florida area. He studied with Milt Stevens of the National Symphony Orchestra and received his formal musical education at the Eastman School of Music with John Marcellus. He joined the faculty of the University of Miami in 1995. In addition to teaching individual studio lessons, he conducts the Frost Trombone Choir, coaches chamber music, and teaches courses in trombone pedagogy and literature. He maintains a busy professional performing schedule and is a member of the South Florida Musician’s Association, the International Trombone Association, and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia.
Associate Professor, Tuba and Euphonium
John Olah (tuba, euphonium) is associate professor in the Department of Instrumental Performance at the University of Miami Frost School of Music. He received a B.M. degree from the Baldwin Wallace College Conservatory, an M.M. degree from the University of New Mexico, and has pursued advanced studies at the Cleveland Institute of Music. A student of Ronald Bishop, Olah has performed with the New Mexico Symphony Orchestra, the Cleveland Ballet Orchestra, the Ohio Chamber Orchestra, the Santa Fe Chamber Orchestra, the New Mexico Brass Quintet, the Cleveland Brass Quintet, the Cleveland Brass Consort, American Ballet Theater, Bolshoi Ballet, and the Blossom Festival Band. He has recorded with the Cleveland Orchestra and the Cleveland Symphonic Winds. In addition he has performed with such notable artists as Luciano Pavarotti, Joan Sutherland, Placido Domingo, Jose Carreras, James Gallway, Lena Horne, James Taylor and Mel Torme.
Renowned tuba artist Sam Pilafian, B.M. ’72, joined the Frost School of Music faculty at the start of the 2012-2013 academic year. In addition to his private teaching, he is the faculty mentor to the Stamps Brass Quintet. Pilafian was named Distinguished Alumnus of the University of Miami Frost School of Music in 1996 and is perhaps best known as a founding member of the internationally renowned Empire Brass Quintet. Versatile in both classical and jazz realms, Pilafian has recorded and performed with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, the Duke Ellington Orchestra, Lionel Hampton, and Pink Floyd. As a solo jazz artist, Pilafian has recorded fifteen CDs. He was also a member of the large brass ensemble Summit Brass. He is an arranger, composer and recording producer and is the coauthor of the best selling pedagogy texts “Breathing Gym” and “Brass Gym.” Sam Pilafian was formerly professor of music in the ASU Herberger College School of Music, having previously served for 20 years on the faculties of Boston University and their summer Tanglewood Institute. As a past president and chairman of the board of the International Tuba Euphonium Association, Pilafian now serves on its board of directors.
Associate Director of Bands
Thomas Keck is associate director of bands in the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami where he conducts the Symphonic Winds, directs the Frost Band of the Hour, and teaches courses in conducting and music education. He earned the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Conducting from Arizona State University and holds music education degrees from the University of Illinois and the University of Iowa. Previously, Keck served as Assistant Director of Bands and Director of Athletic Bands at The University of Georgia and the University of New Hampshire. Keck has presented clinics and lecture-recitals at all-state music conventions and the Eastern Division CBDNA Conference. He guest conducted district and regional bands, all-state chamber ensembles, and the 2003 MENC Eastern Division Conference. Recent research by Keck has been published in three volumes of the Teaching Music Through Performance in Band series published by GIA. Keck served as the New Hampshire State Chairperson for CBDNA and NBA and was Collegiate Coordinator for the NHMEA. He is a member of Pi Kappa Lambda, an honorary member of Kappa Kappa Psi and Phi Mu Alpha and is a friend of the arts in Sigma Alpha Iota. As a percussionist, Keck performed with the Blue Knights Drum and Bugle Corps, I-PAN Steel Groove, and numerous symphonic and improvisatory ensembles.
Assistant Professor and Program Director, Percussion
Svet Stoyanov (percussion) is assistant professor of instrumental performance and program director of Percussion at the University of Miami Frost School of Music. Praised by the New York Times for his "understated but unmistakable virtuosity" and a "winning combination of gentleness and fluidity," Bulgarian-born Svet Stoyanov is a winner of the 2003 Concert Artists Guild International Competition. He made his New York City debut at Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher Hall as a co-soloist, premiering the Phillip Glass "Concerto Fantasy" for Two Timpanists and Orchestra. Stoyanov has performed as a soloist with the Chicago, Seattle, American Symphony Orchestras and The New York Pops, to name a few, and at prominent festivals worldwide. An active and passionate chamber musician, Svet Stoyanov works with violinist Moni Simeonov (The SemiDuo project), a 2Piano/2Percussion ensemble (Hammer/Klavier), and a contemporary music collaborative with flutist Claire Chaise. Stoyanov's CD "Percussive Counterpoint" was released in 2009 to a great acclaim and features a transcription of Steve Reich's "Electric Counterpoint" for marimba and vibes, and a video performance of Thierry de Mey's "Musique de Tables" — a theatrical "ballet" for 3 sets of hands. In addition to his diverse performance career, Svet Stoyanov is actively involved with educational outreach and presents numerous clinics and workshops.
Visiting Lecturer, Percussion
In addition to his position as Percussionist with the Houston Symphony, Matthew Strauss is currently a visiting lecturer in timpani and percussion at the University of Miami's Frost School of Music. Prior to his posts in Houston and as former timpanist with the American Symphony Orchestra at the Bard Music Festival, he performed as a member of the percussion section in the Chicago Symphony Orchestra throughout the 2002-03 and 2003-04 seasons. He has performed regularly with the Philadelphia Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, American Symphony Orchestra, and Harrisburg Symphony.
Professor, Instrumental Performance and Program Director, Orchestral Activities
Thomas Sleeper is professor of instrumental performance and program director of orchestral activities at the University of Miami Frost School of Music, where he also teaches instrumental conducting. Maestro Sleeper began his professional career as a member of Fermata, a group of composer-performers who presented an annual series of concerts throughout Texas. At age 22, he was appointed Associate Conductor of the Dallas Civic Symphony and the Southern Methodist University Chamber Orchestra and Opera Theatre. Today Thomas Sleeper resides in Miami, Florida, where he enjoys a busy dual career as a composer and conductor. He is the conductor of the Frost Symphony Orchestra and Opera Theater, and Music Director for the Florida Youth Orchestra. A strong advocate for new music, Sleeper has conducted the premieres of numerous works by American composers, including Henry Brant, Carlos Surinach, Robert Xavier Rodriguez, and Roberto Sierra. Thomas Sleeper's original compositions have received excellent reviews in Fanfare, Gramophone and The American Record Guide. His Concerto for French Horn and Symphony No. 1 were recently premiered.
Professor, Instrumental Performance
Glenn Basham (violin) is a professor of instrumental performance at the University of Miami Frost School of Music. He has been a member of the Frost artist faculty since 1992 and the concertmaster of the Naples Philharmonic Orchestra since 1994. He is also the first violinist in the Bergonzi String Quartet, the quartet-in-residence at the Frost School of Music. Glenn Basham has a B.M. degree from the North Carolina School of the Arts and an M.M. degree from Indiana University. Previously, he played with the Detroit Symphony under Antal Dorati and was a member of the Chester String Quartet. He has served as concertmaster at music festivals nationwide, including the Grand Teton Music Festival, the Colorado Music Festival, the Hot Springs Music Festival, and the Pine Mountain Music Festival. He has appeared as a soloist with the Ft. Wayne Philharmonic, the Lansing Symphony, the Plymouth Symphony, the Oak Park Symphony, the North Carolina School of the Arts Festival Orchestra, the Blue Lake Festival Orchestra, the Manchester Symphony, the Marion Philharmonic, the Palm Beach Symphony, the Miami City Ballet, the Pine Mountain Music Festival Symphony Orchestra and the Naples Philharmonic Orchestra. As a jazz musician, Glenn has performed with Ira Sullivan, Simon Salz, and John Blake, and is featured on recordings with the Miami Saxophone Quartet and Skitch Henderson.
Lecturer, Violin; Artistic Coordinator & Resident Conductor, Mancini Institute Orchestra
Scott Flavin (violin and conductor) is a lecturer in the Frost School of Music’s Department of Instrumental Performance and also serves as artistic coordinator and resident conductor for the Henry Mancini Institute Orchestra. In addition, Flavin is a member of the Bergonzi String Quartet, and a director of the Frost Chamber Orchestra. He is concertmaster of the Florida Grand Opera and Miami Bach Society, and founder and music director of the Miami Mozarteum. He regularly performs across the globe, and is a member of the newly-formed chamber ensemble, Pulse. As a composer and arranger, his works have been heard on American Public Media’s radio program “Performance Today” and have been recorded by the Bergonzi Quartet. His recordings include chamber music on the Naxos, M&W, and Centaur labels, and commercial recordings on Sony, EMI, and Warner Brothers, including appearances on over a dozen Grammy Award-winning albums. He has recorded two solo CD’s, “Great Violin Solos of the Opera and Ballet” and “the Complete Brahms Violin Sonatas”. Flavin performs on a rare Italian violin made in 1780 by Tomaso Eberle.
Artist-in-Residence, Frost School of Music
Mark O'Connor (violin, composer) is artist-in-residence at the University of Miami Frost School of Music. A product of America's rich aural folk tradition as well as classical music, his creative journey pays tribute to two musical giants: American fiddler, Benny Thomasson and French jazz violinist, Stephane Grappelli. O'Connor's first recording 'Appalachia Waltz' (Sony Classical), was with Yo-Yo Ma and Edgar Meyer and gained him worldwide recognition as a leading proponent of a new American musical idiom. The tremendously successful follow-up, 'Appalachian Journey', received a Grammy Award in February 2001. With more than 200 performances, his first full length orchestral score "Fiddle Concerto" has become the most-performed modern violin concerto composed in the last 40 years. O'Connor's 2nd concerto "Fanfare for the Volunteer" was recorded with the London Philharmonic Orchestra and he has since premiered two more violin concerti. In 2001, O'Connor released "Hot Swing!" and the Chicago Tribune called it "one of the finest discs of his career and one of the greatest jazz violin albums ever." His "Americana Symphony: Variations on Appalachia Waltz" was recorded by Marin Alsop and the Baltimore Symphony. The Associated Press reviewed it as "a monumental work...inevitably will be compared to Copland." He has composed chamber music and string quartets, and his most recent recording, ‘Jam Session’ (OMAC), combines bluegrass and gypsy jazz. O'Connor's "Strings and Threads Suite" for violin and guitar, won a Grammy Award for Best Classical Instrumental Performance. Mark O’Connor is the founder and president of the Mark O'Connor String Camp, and the author of the Mark O’Connor Violin Method.
Professor, Instrumental Performance
Pamela McConnell (viola) is professor of instrumental performance at the University of Miami Frost School of Music where she is also coordinator of string chamber music and artistic director of the Frost Chamber Players. McConnell is highly regarded as a concert violist, adjudicator and master teacher. Her recent string quartet arrangements of the beloved orchestral works, Saint Seans' Carnival of the Animals, and Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf are highly popular in concert. She has performed as soloist and chamber musician throughout the world and at such prestigious venues as the Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center, and the Gardner Museum of Boston. She was previously on the faculties of University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and State University of New York at Buffalo, where, as a member of the Rowe Quartet, she shared a Peabody Award. McConnell is the founding violist in the Bergonzi String Quartet, the quartet in residence at the Frost School of Music, as well as the Pine Mountain Music Festival in Upper Peninsula Michigan, Music Mountain Chamber Music Festival in Connecticut, and Rocky Mountain Music Conservatory in Colorado. She has also been a resident faculty performer at Sewanee Summer Music Center in Tennessee and Bowdoin Music Festival in Maine. She is founder and director of The University of Miami String Academy, a preparatory program. Pamela McConnell received a B.M. degree from Northwestern University and an M.M. degree from the University of Texas at Austin, studying with such luminaries as Walter Trampler, Leonard Shure, George Neikrug, and Andor Toth.
Professor, Instrumental Performance and Program Director, Strings
Ross Harbaugh (violincello) is professor of instrumental performance and program director, Strings, at the University of Miami Frost School of Music, where, in addition to teaching cello, he is the faculty mentor for the undergraduate Stamps String Quartet and works with graduate string quartets. Ross Harbaugh is cellist of the well-known American Bergonzi String Quartet. His distinguished teachers include Janos Starker, Leonard Rose, and Peter Howard in the United States and Andre Navarra at the Paris Conservatory, and chamber music study with the Juilliard Quartet. As a founding member of the New World Quartet he won the Naumburg Prize, a Prix du Disque, and recorded 14 records and CDs for Vox, MCI Classic and IMP Masters, CRI, Centaur, Fleur de Son, and Musical Heritage labels. Performing throughout Europe and the United States, he has appeared in concerts at the Kennedy Center, Alice Tully Hall, and Wigmore Hall in London, and has concertized with such artists as Leonard Rose, Bill Preucil, Richard Goode, Jeffrey Kahane, Raphael Hillyer, Joel Krosnick, Jerome Rose, Gil Kalish, and the Guarneri Quartet. Mr. Harbaugh served as a judge for the Fischoff Chamber Music Competition and the Stulberg Competition, and the Fulbright Competition for Graduate Music Study Abroad.
Faculty String Quartet in Residence
The Bergonzi String Quartet, named for the famous violin maker, Carlo Bergonzi, has been Quartet-in-Residence at the University of Miami Frost School of Music since 1992, where all four performers are faculty members: Glenn Basham (violin), Scott Flavin (violin), Pamela McConnell (viola) and Ross Harbaugh (cello). In their first three years they performed the Beethoven Quartet cycle in a series of six concerts at the Society of the Four Arts in Palm Beach. Since then, they have developed a repertoire that includes many Latin works and a large number of original arrangements created by the members of the quartet, including Neil Hefti's What is this thing called Love?, Schubert's Erlkonig and Saint-Saëns's Carnival of the Animals for String Quartet and 12 Instruments. Prior to joining the Bergonzi Quartet, the four members were part of the New World, Rowe, Chester, and Ellis String Quartets, and have extensive collective experience, performing in virtually every major center in the world, with concerts throughout Europe, U.K., North and South America, New Zealand, and Asia. Touring the U.S yearly, the Bergonzi Quartet performs in Miami, Boston, New York City, Michigan, Wisconsin, Connecticut, and Colorado, and have been invited to perform in Singapore, Taiwan, and South Korea. They have released seven recordings including Bergonzi: By Arrangement Only, For Bergonzi Four, Mendelssohn Quartets, Bergonzi Live, Debussy and Ginastera, Cadman Quintet and Trio, for the Naxos and Bergonzi Records labels. In the summer, they are in in residence at the Pine Mountain Music Festival and the Rocky Mountain Summer Conservatory.
Lecturer, Harp
Deborah Fleisher (harp) is on the faculty of the Frost School of Music as lecturer in the Department of Instrumental Performance. Deborah began harp studies with her grandmother, Nettie Druzinsky, at age seven. She is a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music where she studied with Marilyn Costello and received an Artists Diploma from the Peabody Institute as a student of Ruth Inglefield. Deborah also worked with Alice Chalifoux and Gloria Agostini. She was the harpist with the Baltimore Opera, Delaware Symphony, Concert Artists of Baltimore, Florida Grand Opera, Miami City Ballet, and Florida Sunshine Pops. She has performed at the Marlboro and Aspen Music Festivals. Deborah has been in the pit orchestras for such shows as Hello Dolly with Carol Channing, The King and I with Yul Brynner, Evita, Phantom, A Chorus Line, and The Fantastiks and performed with Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Tony Bennett, Lena Horne, Luciano Pavarotti, Placido Domingo, Jose Carrerras, Andrea Boccelli, and Gladys Knight and the Pips. She has played with the Mineria Orquesta de Mexico, Sinfonica Nacionial de Santo Domingo, and Orquesta Sinfonica Nacional de Bolivia. She performs throughout South Florida from Key West to Naples to Palm Beach.
Associate Professor and Program Director, Classical Guitar
Rene Gonzalez, associate professor (classical guitar) at the University of Miami Frost School of Music, received B.M., M.M., and D.M.A. degrees from the University of Miami. Dr. Gonzalez presents lectures and recitals in public schools and performs for educational and chamber music groups, including duo recitals with Juan Mercadal. He has appeared throughout the southeastern United States and Puerto Rico, and has accompanied classical singer Victoria De Los Angeles. Gonzalez is also the founder of the professional classical guitar ensemble, The Ruck Ensemble.
Lecturer, Classical Guitar
Cuban guitarist, Rafael Padrón, began studying the guitar at the age of eleven. He attended the National School of Art in Havana, Cuba, Peabody Conservatory of Music of Johns Hopkins University, and Frost School of Music, University of Miami. Mr. Padrón has won top prizes in many national and international competitions. He has been featured in many of the most important international guitar festivals. Rafael Padrón has performed both solo and with orchestras in South, Central and North America, Asia and Europe. Mr. Padrón has taught classical guitar at the Pedagogical Institute of Pinar del Rio, Cuba; National University of Heredia, Costa Rica; the Costa Rica University of San José, Costa Rica and The Levine School in Washington D.C. Currently, he is chairman of the guitar department at the Miami Conservatory of Music, founder of the Guitar Program at the Florida Gulf Coast University and part of the faculty at the University of Miami Frost School of Music.
Associate Professor & Program Director, Woodwinds
Margaret Donaghue Flavin (clarinet) is associate professor of instrumental performance and program director of Woodwinds at the University of Miami Frost School of Music. She has performed in some of the worlds’ major concert halls, including Carnegie Hall, the Concertgebouw, the Zurich Tonhalle, La Scala, and for the Maggio Musicale in Florence. She has performed at international conferences in Oslo, Norway, Manchester, England, Chicago, and New Orleans, among others. Chamber music recitals include Honolulu, Grand Cayman, London and Paris, as well other venues across Europe and Japan. Dr. Donaghue has appeared as soloist with the Shanghai Broadcast Symphony and the Shen Zhen Symphony, Shen Zhen, China, as well as the Russe State Philharmonic, Russe, Bulgaria. Dr. Donaghue gives master classes and recitals across the United States and performs with her trio, Miami Chamber Ensemble and newly formed ensemble, MiamiClarinet. She performed the sextet L’Heure du Berger, in London and Paris with composer Jean Françaix at the piano. Dr. Donaghue has recently served a three-year term as a member of the Fulbright National Screening Committee, and appears frequently as clinician and adjudicator. She can be heard often on public radio across the country. She received the Doctor or Musical Arts degree from the University of Illinois, the Master of Music degree from the University of Michigan, and holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of New Hampshire. Prior to coming to Miami Dr. Donaghue served on the faculties of Central Michigan University and the University of Connecticut. She can be heard on Centaur, Albany, and Altarus labels.
Associate Professor, Flute
Trudy Kane, associate professor of Flute, joined the faculty of the University of Miami Frost School of Music in 2008 after 32 seasons as principal flutist of the Metropolitan Opera. She received both a BM and MM from the Juilliard School of Music. Upon graduation she freelanced and spent two years as a regular extra with the New York Philharmonic. Ms. Kane is active in the commercial recording field and can be heard on the soundtracks of many film scores (trudykane.com). She can be heard and seen on many Met videos including Il Trittico, Manon Lescaut, Peter Grimes and three different La Bohemes. Trudy Kane has given master classes at noted universities including Manhattan and Mannes Schools of Music, Penn State, and University of North Texas. Her CD, In the French Style, includes works by Fauré, Frank, and Gieseking. A number of her transcriptions for Flute Quartet have been published, plus her transcription of the Fauré Sonata and cadenzas for Mozart’s Concerto in D Major. She has been privileged to work with many great conductors, including Carlos Kleiber, Karl Bőhm, Erich Leinsdorf, James Levine, Pierre Boulez, and Valery Gergiev and great singers such as Leontyne Price, Placido Domingo, Luciano Pavarotti, Renee Fleming, and Joan Sutherland.
Professor, Woodwinds
Luciano Magnanini (bassoon) began his musical studies in Italy at the Conservatory Nicolo Paganini in Genoa and continued his musical training in the city of Milan. Mr. Magnanini's recordings include: Twentieth-Century Music for Bassoon and Piano, Poulenc, Saint-Saens, Elliot and A Tour d’Anches. French Music for Winds, Altarus Records, Inc., and Gordon Jacob. Concerto for Bassoon, Albany Records. He has also recorded for RCA, CBS and Harmonia Mundi. Mr. Magnanini has been principal bassoonist with the Orchestra Comunale della Opera in Genoa, Mexico City Philharmonic, Miami Philharmonic, World Symphony Orchestra, Festival Casals Orchestra and Eastern Music Festival Orchestra in North Carolina; and has played under the baton of renowned conductors such as Leonard Bernstein, Zubin Meta, Carlo Maria Giuliani, Alain Lombard, Eduardo Mata and James Conlon. Mr. Magnanini has an active performing career playing solo concerts and chamber music in the United States, South America, China, and Europe. He is Professor of Bassoon at the University of Miami Frost School of Music.
Lecturer, Saxophone
Dale Underwood (saxophone) is a lecturer in the Department of Instrumental Performance at the University of Miami Frost School of Music. Acclaimed by the Washington Post as "the Heifetz of the alto saxophone," Dale Underwood is internationally recognized as one of the today's foremost classical saxophonists. Mr. Underwood has toured extensively throughout the world as a featured soloist, performing in every state in the continental United States and Alaska, as well as in England, Germany, Belgium, Holland, Sweden, Italy, Cuba, Brazil, Mexico and Canada. A frequent guest soloist with leading orchestras, Dale Underwood has performed with the Boston Pops Orchestra, the National Symphony Orchestra, Australian Wind Orchestra and the National Conservatory Orchestra in Sao Paolo, Brazil, among others. In 1993, Mr. Underwood made his Carnegie Hall debut in a program featuring Claude T. Smith's Fantasy (written especially for Mr. Underwood), and A Gershwin Fantasy.
Lecturer, Oboe
Robert Weiner (oboe) is a lecturer in the Department of Instrumental Performance at the University of Miami Frost School of Music, and is principal oboist with the Florida Grand Opera. He has also served as principal oboist with the Miami Symphony Orchestra, Mexico City Philharmonic, Miami City Ballet Orchestra, Oklahoma Symphony Orchestra, and others, and has been guest principal oboist with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and the Florida Philharmonic. Robert Weiner was also director and oboist of the Oklahoma City Chamber Players and has performed with New York City area orchestras, including the American Symphony Orchestra, New York City Ballet and Long Island Philharmonic. Weiner has recorded on major labels and is active in the recording studios of Miami. He previously taught oboe at Conjunto Cultural Ollin Yoliztli in Mexico, Oklahoma City University, University of Oklahoma, and Cornell University. Acknowledged for his work on gouging machines and reed-making, he is in demand by professionals for advice and work in those areas. He has a B.M. degree from Eastman School of Music, and a M.M. degree from State University of New York at Stony Brook. He studied oboe with Robert Sprenkle, Ronald Roseman, Harold Gomberg, John Mack, and Joseph Robinson.
Professor and Chair, Studio Music and Jazz
Whit Sidener is professor and chair of the Department of Studio Music and Jazz at the University of Miami Frost School of Music. Professor Sidener is a recipient of the IAJE Award for Outstanding Service to Jazz Education, and the Phillip Frost Award for Excellence in Teaching and Scholarship. When under his direction, the Frost Concert Jazz Band recorded and toured extensively, appeared at ten IAJE Conferences and won 15 Downbeat Student Recording Awards. Sidener has recorded with such artists as Harry Chapin, Jose Feliciano, Aretha Franklin, Barbra Streisand, Diana Ross, Frankie Valli, Gloria Estefan and Luciano Pavarotti, to name a few. He has performed live with Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Judy Garland, Paul Anka, Johnny Mathis, Lou Rawls, Marlene Dietrich, Mel Torme, Rosemary Clooney, Sarah Vaughn, Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, Perry Como and Sammy Davis Jr. and Ray Charles. Whit Sidener played saxophones and flute on nine platinum albums, three platinum singles, and three gold singles with the Bee Gees, Andy Gibb and K.C. and the Sunshine Band. He appeared with the Bee Gees on two national tours and as a featured soloist with Bob James on his Around The Town tour.
Assistant Professor, Jazz Piano
Martin Bejerano is assistant professor of jazz piano at the University of Miami Frost School of Music. A native of Miami, Florida, Bejerano is a graduate of the New World School of the Arts, Florida State University, and the University of Miami (M.M., Jazz Piano Performance). After winning third place in the prestigious 1999 Great American Jazz Piano Competition, he moved to New York City and joined the quartet of legendary jazz drummer Roy Haynes. In 2004, their recording Fountain of Youth was nominated for a Grammy award for Best Instrumental Jazz Album. In 2002, Martin Bejerano also joined guitarist Russell Malone’s quartet, and continues to tour and record with both groups. He has performed with such jazz luminaries as the Christian McBride Band, Kenny Garrett, Roy Hargrove, Adam Nussbaum, James Moody, Jimmy Heath, Lonnie Plaxico Group and Marcus Printup at major jazz festivals, clubs and venues around the world. He has presented numerous clinics and toured with “Jazz Reach,” a non-profit organization that presents multimedia concerts for school children. In 2007, his debut CD as a leader, Evolution/Revolution (Reservoir) rose to number nine on the Jazz Week Jazz Album Chart. He was recently awarded the New Jazz Works composer/ensemble grant from Chamber Music of America. Bejerano maintains a busy teaching studio at the Frost School and also performs, arranges, records and tours the U.S. and abroad.
Lecturer, Jazz Bass
Chuck Bergeron (jazz bass) is a lecturer in the Department of Studio Music & Jazz at the University of Miami Frost School of Music where he also is the faculty mentor for the Stamps Jazz Quintet. Bergeron teaches jazz history, conducts big bands and small jazz ensembles and is an active clinician at schools throughout the country. He is one of the most active and innovative musicians working in the field of jazz. Equally versatile on the acoustic and electric bass, his unique compositional style and approach to improvisation reflect a wide variety of musical influences. Chuck’s newest CD, My Take – A Collection of Friends and Standards, is his fifth as a leader, and for the last five years he has been bassist and co-arranger for Kevin Mahogany. Born and raised in New Orleans, he earned a B.M. from Loyola University and a M.M. in Jazz Studies from the University of Miami. He then moved to New York, where he resided for 12 years while touring, performing, and recording with such jazz luminaries as Joe Williams, Stan Getz, Randy Brecker, Steve Gadd, Larry Coryell, John Fedchock, Dave Weckland many others— plus the big bands of Woody Herman and Buddy Rich. Never relinquishing his focus on performing, Chuck balances his educational endeavors with a continual schedule of touring, performing, and recording that keep him active year 'round.
Lecturer, Percussion
Recording artist and world percussionist Richard Bravo is a lecturer in Afro-Caribbean hand drumming at the University of Miami Frost School of Music. Venezuelan-born and classically trained, Richard Bravo arrived in the United States in 1978. He attended Full Sail Academy in Orlando where he immersed himself in the world of recording sciences and graduated with an Associates Degree in Engineering. Moving to Miami shortly afterward, Richard’s resolve and expertise rapidly made him a “first call” musician, who easily assimilated into the high-pressure world of music recording. Richard Bravo has contributed to over two hundred recordings and has worked with such high profile performers as Shakira, Julio Iglesias, Celia Cruz, Ricky Martin, and Jon Secada. As a direct result of many recordings on which he has played reaching gold or platinum status, he received nine Grammy Award Achievement Certificates. Recently, Richard Bravo recorded on the soundtrack for “Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights”; contributed to Spanish singer, David Bisbal’s CD, “Buleria”; played on a new CD by Nestor Torres; and recorded live in New York City with Huey Dunbar. It is his hope that his achievements in world percussion will help to inspire future generations of aspiring musicians to achieve their goals.
Lecturer, Jazz Vocal
Tim Brent is a jazz vocal lecturer at the University of Miami Frost School of Music. He was most recently the director of vocal jazz studies at the University of North Texas, assistant professor of jazz vocal studies at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, and director of the vocal jazz program at Northern Illinois University. Brent earned both master's and doctoral degrees in jazz pedagogy and jazz performance from the University of Miami Frost School of Music where he was also a teaching assistant under program director Larry Lapin. He received his bachelor’s degree in choral music education from Western Michigan University where he was a member of the vocal jazz ensemble Gold Company. He is a nine-time DownBeat award-winning vocal jazz educator, pianist, arranger and performer and has had vocal arrangements published by the University of Northern Colorado Jazz Press and Sound Music Publications, and numerous works performed by high school, college, and community vocal groups throughout the country including Gold Company, the UNT Jazz Singers and Frost JV 1 & JV II Ensembles.
Professor and Assistant Chair, Studio Music & Jazz
Don Coffman (jazz bass) is professor and associate chair of the Department of Studio Music and Jazz at the University of Miami Frost School of Music where he also serves as program director of Jazz Pedagogy. He earned his B.M. and M.M. degrees from the University of Miami. He has performed with Sonny Stitt, Jerry Coker, Chet Baker, Ira Sullivan, Pat Metheny, Bill Watrous, Joe Pass, Mike and Randy Brecker, Lee Konitz, Dave Liebman, Red Rodney, Bill Evans, Larry Coryell, Dick Hyman, and many other jazz greats. Coffman also is the artistic director of the Hollywood Jazz Festival. He performs regularly throughout South Florida, and appears regularly on the Gold Coast Jazz Society's annual subscription series.
Director, Frost Salsa Orchestra
Alberto De La Reguera is the director, composer, and arranger for the University of Miami Frost Salsa Orchestra. He has worked in the musical theater, where he received numerous awards, including Musical Director of the Year in San Juan Puerto Rico. He has also worked in commercial music production. De La Reguera has written for various artists including world-class percussionist Giovanni Hidalgo, Tony- nominated actress Josie De Guzman, and has collaborated with Grammy award-winning producer Lucco Pena. He currently serves as vice-president of the Board of Directors of WDNA-Community Public Radio where he is also co-host of the University of Miami Jazz Bandstand, a weekly radio show. Alberto De La Reguera published his music through the University of Northern Colorado Jazz-Press.
Lecturer, Jazz; Director of Community Outreach; HMI Coordinator
Stephen Guerra, Jr., is a jazz composition lecturer in the department of Studio Music and Jazz at the University of Miami Frost School of Music. He is also the conductor of the Frost Studio Jazz Band, winning DownBeat student awards in both 2010 and 2011. In addition he is the Director of Community Outreach for the Frost School and Coordinator of the Henry Mancini Institute. Stephen earned a B.A. from the University of New Hampshire in Saxophone Performance, an M.M. from the Eastman School of Music, and is currently pursuing a D.M.A in Jazz Composition from UM Frost School of Music. In high demand as a composer and arranger, Guerra was commissioned to write music for Dave Koz, Jorge Villamizar, Carmen Bradford, the Lakes Region Symphony Orchestra, the Greater Manchester Youth Symphony Orchestra, the Henry Mancini Institute Orchestra, and the Air Force Band of the West, and served as a composer‐in‐residence throughout the U.S. through the Commission Project and the National Endowment for the Arts. Guerra has performed alongside many jazz greats including Phil Woods, Al Grey, Snooky Young, Marshall Royal, John Faddis, and Jeff “Tain” Watts. He was a featured soloist on the Clark Terry Young Titan’s of Jazz 2003 release Live at Marihan’s and the Louie Bellson Big Band release, Louie and Clark Expedition 2. The Stephen Guerra Big Band released a critically acclaimed first album in 2009 entitled Namesake.
Lecturer, Jazz Guitar
Jazz guitarist John Hart is a visiting lecturer at the University of Miami Frost School of Music. A New York fixture for 29 years, he is one of the most prolific and versatile guitarists on the jazz scene today. He released eight CDs as bandleader on such prestigious labels as Blue Note and Concord and has appeared on over 100 CDs as a sideman, including a 16-year stint with organist Jack McDuff. JazzTimes wrote, “An alum of the Brother Jack McDuff University of Jazz Guitar, John Hart can burn his way through blues changes on a level that’s right up there with fellow graduates George Benson and Pat Martino.” John Hart has also worked with Jimmy Smith, James Moody, Jon Hendricks, Brian Blade, Chris Potter, Larry Goldings, Bob Belden, Javon Jackson and vocalists Lizz Wright and Hilary Kole. He has played with the Maria Schneider Orchestra for the last 20 years. John Hart has headlined at the Montreux Jazz Festival, Edinburgh Jazz Festival, Vancouver Jazz Festival, Nairn Jazz Festival, Victoria Jazz Festival and many of the premier jazz clubs in the USA. He is featured on soundtracks including HBO’s Sex in the City and appeared on the Garrison Keillor Show with the popular band Pink Martini. In 1992 he formed the John Hart Quartet featuring young star Chris Potter. The band toured extensively for seven years, was featured on NPR's Jazzset and recorded one album for Concord Records. In 2001 he formed the John Hart Trio and recorded three CDs for Hep Records. Recent recordings include a jazz organ trio CD on the Index Jazz label.
Lecturer, Jazz Saxophone
Gary Keller (jazz saxophone) is a lecturer in the Department of Studio Music and Jazz at the University of Miami Frost School of Music. A versatile saxophonist, Gary Keller has toured with the Woody Herman Thundering Herd and performed and/or recorded with such prominent jazz artists as Kenny Werner, Billy Hart, Maria Schneider, Jim McNeely, Ira Sullivan, and the late Jaco Pastorius. In the classical realm, Keller has performed and/or recorded with the Florida Philharmonic, New World Symphony, and others. His debut solo CD, Blues For An Old New Age, garnered widespread critical acclaim. He has appeared in clubs, jazz festivals, and presented guest lectures at universities throughout the United States, Europe, and Japan. Keller is the founder of the Miami Saxophone Quartet and authored the The Jazz Chord/Scale Handbook (Advance Music). A long-time Miami freelance musician, Keller has played on numerous recordings, television shows, in Broadway pit orchestras, and backed scores of prominent entertainers including Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Johnny Mathis, Natalie Cole, Lou Rawls, and Mel Torme. Prof. Keller earned a B.M. from the State University of New York at Fredonia and a M.M. from the University of Miami.
Professor and Program Director, Jazz Vocal Performance
Larry Lapin is professor and program director of Jazz Vocal Performance at the University of Miami Frost School of Music. A pianist, composer, arranger and educator, Larry Lapin's career is vast, including performances with jazz greats such as Gerry Mulligan, Bobby Shew, Johnny Smith, George Duvivier and Sarah Vaughn. In addition, he has appeared with such show business personalities as Rich Little, Phyllis Diller, Cab Calloway and Tony Bennett. Larry’s arrangements and orchestrations are constantly performed by professional and school groups all over the country, most recently by Peter Nero and the Philly Pops Orchestra. As professor of jazz studies in the Frost School's Department of Studio Music and Jazz, his students and student performing groups have garnered 26 awards in 22 years from Downbeat Magazine in DB’s annual student music award competition. Lapin is a member of the American Federation of Musicians, American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP); Music Educators National Conference; International Association of Jazz Educators; American Choral Directors Association; and Florida Vocal Association. A popular conductor and clinician, Larry Lapin is in-demand at all-state festivals and music conferences.
Professor, Jazz Vocal Performance
Rachel Lebon is professor of jazz vocal performance at the University of Miami Frost School of Music where she also coaches musical theatre students and advises students on vocal health concerns. She received B.M. and M.M.E. degrees from North Texas State University and a Ph.D. from the University of Miami. Lebon previously was on the faculty of Belmont College, Nashville, Tennessee, and has toured worldwide with the U.S. Air Force Tops in Blue. She has participated in a U.S. State Department Tour of Russia and Portugal with North Texas University's One O'Clock Jazz Band. Her professional activities include jingles and back-up vocals in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area, Nashville, and Miami, and network television specials. Lebon has appeared with the Nashville Opera Quartet and as soloist in various oratorios. She also performs contemporary music in the South Florida area. An active clinician and a member of the Professional Voice Institute, an interdisciplinary team devoted to the treatment of vocal disorders, Lebon's articles have been published in the Journal of the National Association of Teachers of Singing. She is the author of the book, The Professional Vocalist: A Handbook for Commercial Singers and Teachers, published by Scarecrow Press.
Professor and Program Director, Studio Jazz Writing
Grammy-nominated Gary Lindsay is professor and program director, Studio Jazz Writing, at the University of Miami Frost School of Music. Lindsay is an arranger, composer, performer, educator and author. He holds degrees in music from the University of Rhode Island and the University of Miami. As an arranger/composer, Gary has worked with Maynard Ferguson, Michael Brecker, Pat Metheny, Jose Feliciano, Gloria Estefan, Arturo Sandoval, The Florida Philharmonic, and The Airmen of Note, to name a few. In performances, Gary has appeared as a soloist with the Florida Philharmonic, Naples Philharmonic, and in pit orchestras for performances of "West Side Story," "Porgy and Bess," "The Music Man," "The King and I," "Fiddler on the Roof," and more. He composes, arranges and performs with the Miami Saxophone Quartet. Gary has performed on woodwinds with Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Mike and Randy Brecker, Jaco Pastorius, Stanley Turrentine and many others. Gary Lindsay is a recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts award and received a Grammy nomination in arranging for "Cherokee" from Arturo Sandoval's "I Remember Clifford" CD. Professor Lindsay has been teaching at the Frost School of Music since 1980.
Lecturer, Jazz Trombone
Dante Luciani is a lecturer in jazz trombone in the Department of Studio Music and Jazz at the University of Miami Frost School of Music where is coordinator of the Jazz Brass program, and conducts the award-winning Frost Concert Jazz Band (CJB). Dante Luciani earned B.M. and M.M. degrees from the University of Miami. Formerly the lead trombonist and soloist with the Woody Herman and Maynard Ferguson Orchestras, Luciani has performed with various artists, including Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis, Jr., Ben Vereen, Burt Bacharach, Natalie Cole, Anthony Newley, Bob Mintzer, Randy Brecker, and Paquito D'Rivera. Under his leadership, the Frost Concert Jazz Band won the Downbeat Magazine 2010 award for "Large Jazz Ensemble, Graduate College Winner." As a trombone soloist, Dante toured Eastern Europe with his Jazz Quintet and also performed in Istanbul, Turkey at the Nardis Jazz Club for the Istanbul Jazz Festival. He was twice featured as a soloist for the “Salsa Meets Jazz” series at the Arturo Sandoval Jazz Club and in 2005 was featured as an All-Star on The Jazz Cruise.
Assistant Professor, Jazz Trumpet
Grammy Award winner Brian Lynch is a newly appointed assistant professor of music at the University of Miami Frost School of Music where he teaches jazz trumpet. A highly esteemed musician within both the hardcore straight ahead and Latin Jazz communities, Lynch is as comfortable negotiating the complexities of clave with Afro-Caribbean pioneer Eddie Palmieri as he is swinging through advanced harmony with bebop maestro Phil Woods. A honored graduate of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers and the Horace Silver Quintet, he has been a valued collaborator with jazz artists such as Benny Golson, Toshiko Akiyoshi, and Charles McPherson; Latin music icons as diverse as Hector LaVoe and Lila Downs; and pop luminaries such as Prince. As a bandleader and recording artist he has released a series of critically acclaimed CDs featuring his distinctive composing and arranging, and tours with various ensembles reflecting the wide sweep of his music. He was formerly on the faculty of New York University and conducts clinics and workshops the world over. His talents have been recognized by top placings in the Downbeat Critics and Readers Polls; highly rated reviews for his work in Downbeat, Jazziz and Jazz Times; three Grammy award nominations as well as a 2006 Grammy Award, and grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, Chamber Music America, and Meet The Composer. Brian Lynch’s most recent CD releases as a leader include Bolero Nights For Billie Holiday (Venus); his Grammy Award winning collaborative recording project with Eddie Palmieri, Simpático (ArtistShare); Spheres Of Influence Suite (EWE); and ConClave (Criss Cross).
Lecturer, Jazz Vocal Performance
Lisanne Lyons earned her Doctorate of Musical Arts from the University of Miami Frost School of Music where she teaches voice and is a lecturer in jazz vocal performance and the Creative American Music program. She was previously an associate professor of music at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. She was founder of Virginia Tech's vocal jazz program and directed their award-winning vocal jazz group, the New Virginians. Lisanne Lyon's career began immediately after high school as the featured vocalist with three Air Force bands, as well as with the Woody Herman Orchestra, Maynard Ferguson, Arturo Sandoval, Roanoke Symphony, Palm Beach Pops and various bands and orchestras across the country. She has produced two solo CDs and two CDs as lead soprano in the Uptown Vocal Jazz Quartet, with whom she performed at major jazz festivals across the country and abroad. She also performs with the jazz group Mad Romance. After earning her Master's degree she joined the national touring company of "City of Angels" and was a featured performer with Joel Grey on an NBC Orange Bowl half-time show. With numerous performing, recording, and back up singing credits, plus several Down Beat awards, Lisanne Lyons is in demand as a performer, arranger, adjudicator and clinician.
Lecturer, Jazz Bass
Nicky Orta is a lecturer in the Department of Studio Music & Jazz at the University of Miami Frost School of Music where he teaches jazz bass and coaches various small groups. A highly sought after electric bassist from the South Florida area, Nicky’s knowledge of many musical styles has landed him world tours, gigs, and recordings with a diverse array of artists such as Sammy Figueroa (with whom Nicky received a Grammy nomination), Arturo Sandoval, Mike Stern, Randy Brecker, Paquito D’Rivera, Julio Iglesias, Cristian Castro, and Gloria Estefan, to name but a few. Aside from being an active performer on the Florida jazz scene, Nicky has given master classes and lectures in the U.S., Africa, Brazil, Costa Rica, Venezuela, and Panama; organized and presented three Jazz Bass Conferences in Miami; taught at the University of Miami Young Musicians Camp; is a Founder of the Miami Jazz Cooperative; and has appeared in various journals and resource sites such as Bass Player, BDGuide, Músico Pro and Forbassplayersonly.com. Nicky contributed a chapter on the electric bass for the book/DVD, Jazz Pedagogy: The Jazz Educator's Handbook and Resource Guide (Warner Bros. 2002).
Lecturer, Jazz Percussion
Stephen Rucker (drumset, jazz percussion) is a lecturer and instructor in the Department of Studio Music and Jazz at the University of Miami Frost School of Music. He directs the Funk/Fusion Ensemble, which has won six Downbeat Student Awards; his Drumset Improvisation class is one of the most unique programs in the country. Stephen Rucker has twice been voted “Best Jazz Performer” and “Most Versatile Artist” in South Florida polls. He recorded Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me with Gloria Estefan and performed for many years with Ben Vereen, including appearances with Atlanta Symphony and Dallas Symphony. Stephen Rucker was a member of the Bee Gees for more than ten years, and appeared with the band on the Tonight Show, Oprah Winfrey Show, Today Show, David Letterman, Rosie O’Donnell, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction, and a Command Performance for the Queen of England. In 1997 he performed on a Bee Gees concert at the MGM Grand Las Vegas that was mastered as a live CD that sold more than 5 million copies, and led to an extended world tour. Rucker was a member of the Ross-Levine band, a ground-breaking jazz-fusion group, and Randy Bernsen’s Ocean Sound Band, and performed or recorded with Jaco Pastorius, Joe Sample, Paquito D’Rivera, David Liebman, Jon Secada, and the Woody Herman Big Band.
Lecturer, Jazz Piano
Daniel Strange is a lecturer in jazz piano at the University of Miami Frost School of Music where he teaches Jazz Ear Training and all four levels of Jazz Piano class. Additionally, Daniel maintains his own piano studio in Miami, is the director of the Young Musicians All-Star Jazz Ensemble, and performs frequently with his wife, violinist, Ashley Liberty. He is also a faculty member of an outreach conservatory program through the Coral Gables Congregational Church, teaching solo and group piano classes. Since moving to Miami, he has played in orchestra pits for the national touring companies of A Chorus Line and Jersey Boys and with the Stephen Guerra Big Band. Daniel earned his B.M. at the University of Southern Maine, where he was awarded the Excellence in Music award. He completed his Master of Music at the Frost School of Music, where he served as the jazz piano teaching assistant and performed with three of its premiere jazz ensembles including the Jazz Vocal 1 Ensemble, the Frost Sextet and the Grammy nominated Concert Jazz Band. Along his scholastic journey he completed a year of studies at Berklee College of Music.
Lecturer, Jazz Percussion
John Yarling (drumset, jazz percussion) is a lecturer in the Department of Studio Music and Jazz at the University of Miami Frost School of Music. His flawless musicianship and commitment to his art make him the drummer of choice for many South Florida performers such as Ira Sullivan & the Inter-Outer Continental Quintet, The Shack Daddys, South Florida Jazz Orchestra, Brian Murphy Trio, The Nicole Yarling 4-Tet, and the Jeff Taylor Band. John Yarling is at ease playing in many styles including Modern Jazz, Blues, Funk and Rock. In past years he has performed with jazz luminaries Mose Allison, Sonny Stitt, Nat Adderley, Lou Donaldson, Jaki Byard, Jimmy Forrest, Mark Murphy, Mike Stern, Pete Minger, Larry Coryell and Dave Liebman as well as rockers Mick Taylor, Nicky Hopkins and Bobby Keys (The Rolling Stones). He has recorded with Ira Sullivan, Curtis Fuller, Pepper Adams, Joe Williams, Ernest Ranglin, Kevin Mahogany, and most recently, Pink. Yarling attended Florida State University (classical percussion) as well as the University of Miami (jazz performance, drum-set). Earlier in his career he taught general music and percussion at North Broward Preparatory Schools, and established a percussion program at the Florida Youth Conservatory.
Lecturer, Jazz Vocal Performance
Nicole Yarling (jazz vocalist) is a lecturer in jazz vocal performance at the University of Miami Frost School of Music where she also teaches in the Bruce Hornsby Creative American Music program. Nicole Yarling is a rising star in the jazz community. For more than a decade, she has been a part of South Florida's musical world as a singer and violinist working in most musical genres. Her rich voice and musical prowess has made her a local favorite. Yarling has worked with music legends Dizzy Gillespie and Joe Williams as well as touring as a featured soloist with Jimmy Buffett for over two years. She has been a featured guest artist for Jazz on the Green at UM, and for the Gold Coast Jazz Society and is a favorite at such jazz hot spots as Van Dyke Cafe on Miami Beach and Cactus Cantina in South Beach. Her rock band, Little Nicky and the Slicks, also performs regularly.
Associate Professor and Chair, Music Media & Industry; Program Director, Bruce Hornsby Creative American Music Program
Rey Sanchez is associate professor and chair of the Music Media & Industry Program at the University of Miami Frost School of Music, where he also serves as program director for the Bruce Hornsby Creative American Music Program. Rey Sanchez holds degrees in Composition and Studio Writing/Production from the University of Miami. Rey is a professional guitarist with an extensive list of credits and was the long-time musical director for Latin superstar Chayanne. He is a voting member of National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Rey Sanchez is actively involved in songwriting and record production, working with EMI Music Publishing, Sony BMG, Universal and others. He also authors educational guitar books for FJH Music Publishing.
Associate Professor and Program Director, Music Business and Entertainment Industries
Serona Elton is associate professor and program director of music business and entertainment industries in the Department of Music Media & Industry at the University of Miami Frost School of Music. Elton holds a BS in Business Administration, Major in Finance from the University of Florida (1993), a MM in Music Media and Industry from the University of Miami (1995) and a JD from Brooklyn Law School (2000). She is a member of the New York Bar (2001) and Florida Bar (2002). Serona Elton has broad experience in the music industry. From 1995 to 2003 she worked for EMI Recorded Music, North America. She held a number of key positions and was promoted to vice president, mechanical licensing and repertoire data services, playing an integral role in the successful implementation of a custom designed artist royalty system, design and launch of a global repertoire and rights project, and development of new processes to support the digital distribution of recordings. Ms. Elton left EMI in 2003 and since joining the faculty of the Frost School of Music, has continued consulting for music industry clients such as Sony Music Entertainment. Along with program director Rey Sanchez, she helped design the curriculum for the University of Miami’s new Master’s in Music Business and Juris Doctor degree.
Assistant Professor of Professional Practice and Program Director, Arts Presenting
Chris Palmer is assistant professor of professional practice and program director for Arts Presenting and Live Entertainment Management Program at the University of Miami Frost School of Music. Chris Palmer holds a B.B.A and an M.B.A. from Belmont University. He currently serves as the Managing Partner for the jazz/gospel a cappella group Take 6, overseeing their worldwide recording and touring affairs. Prior to his career in artist management, Chris worked with Warner Bros. Records for over 20 years. As Vice President of Progressive Mu-sic from 1990-2000, Chris was responsible for introducing and marketing artist such as Mark O’Connor, Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, Beth Nielsen Chapman and Jeff Foxworthy. Later, as General Manager and Sr. VP of Marketing, he would oversee releases such as “Breathe” by Faith Hill and introduce new artists such as Blake Shelton, Trick Pony and Big & Rich. Palmer was the Director of Music Business at Murray State University before coming to Miami.
Assistant Professor of Professional Practice, Music Business & Entertainment Industries
John Redmond is an assistant professor of professional practice in the Department of Music Business & Entertainment Industries at the University of Miami Frost School of Music. He is a 30-year veteran of the international music industry and has held executive positions in a number of multi-national music companies including: Vice President, Universal Music Publishing (Canada), Vice President, PolyGram Music Publishing (Canada) and Managing Director, Rondor Music (Canada). John Redmond has served on boards of Canadian music trade organizations and has excellent working relationships with ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, PRS, The Harry Fox Agency and virtually all of the major music publishers. He has been published in the music trades and is a frequent speaker at music trade organizations, universities and colleges. John Redmond is a former songwriter, recording artist and performer with numerous albums to his credit. Consequently, he has a great affinity with songwriters and artists. In 1994 he coupled that creative affinity with his skills, expertise and experience in the music business to form Publish This, Inc., a Miami-based company that specializes in music publishing, copyright management issues and royalty recovery.
Lecturer, Creative American Music
Carlos Rafael Rivera is a lecturer in the Department of Music Theory and Composition and the Bruce Hornsby Creative American Music program at the University of Miami Frost School of Music. Rivera is a composer that incorporates a large diversity of musical influences in his work, which reflect his multi-cultural upbringing in Washington, DC, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Panama, Miami, and Los Angeles. His music has been performed by such prominent ensembles as Chanticleer, the American Composers Orchestra (ACO), the New England Philharmonic, and the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet; recorded by Warner, Sony and Naxos labels; published by C.F. Peters, Mel-Bay, and Doberman Editions; and awarded by the ACO, the Herb Alpert Foundation, the Guitar Foundation of America, BMI and ASCAP. He is a sought out resident composer and guest lecturer, covering topics ranging from his own music, to the work of Gershwin, Rodrigo, and Radiohead. A DMA graduate in music composition at USC's Thornton School of Music, he studied with Donald Crockett, Stephen Hartke, Orlando Garcia, and mentored with Randy Newman. Equally comfortable in the popular music world, his guitar work includes performances on feature soundtracks (Crash, Dragonfly); studio sessions for Island/Def Jam, and Universal Records; as well as ABC's Scrubs, MTV, and VH-1. He has performed as opening act for The Who at the Hollywood Bowl, and with jazz trumpet icon Arturo Sandoval. Carlos Rivera is a voting member of the Recording Academy (Grammy awards) and was recently invited into the Miami Symphony Orchestra's Strategic Alliances program for their 2011-12 and 2012-13 seasons.
Lecturer, Creative American Music
Brian E. Russell is a lecturer in the Bruce Hornsby Creative American Music program at the University of Miami Frost School of Music. Dr. Russell is a dedicated music educator who has served South Florida for fifteen years. His experience includes teaching instrumental music at the elementary, middle school, senior high school, and college levels. In addition to serving as a lecturer for the Bruce Hornsby Creative American Music Program at the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music, Dr. Russell also teaches jazz and contemporary guitar at both Barry University and Miami-Dade College. Russell received his Ph.D. in music education from the University of Miami with a cognate in jazz studies. His research focuses on music assessment and guitar methodology and has been published in the refereed journal: Bulletin for the Council of Research in Music Education. He has presented research at professional conferences in Germany, Florida, Texas, Wisconsin, and Ohio, and has collaborated in research that has been presented in Sweden and China. As a professional guitar player and dedicated musician, Brian performs regularly in the Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach areas in various live and studio music venues.
Lecturer, Music Business
Louis Tertocha is the general counsel for the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts and is also a lecturer in the Music Business and Entertainment Industries Program at the University of Miami Frost School of Music. In his role at the Arsht Center, Tertocha is responsible for legal advice and representation involving all matters pertaining to the Center including supervising the negotiation of contracts, procurement, claims resolution, advocacy support, regulatory affairs, and the full range of legal policies. Prior to joining the Arsht Center, Tertocha owned a private practice which provided transaction and litigation services to a diverse array of entertainment, corporate and insurance clients on a national basis. For the various entertainment entities which he has represented, Tertocha has provided legal representation concerning talent, performance, venue, licensing, recording, publishing, and motion picture transactions. Tertocha holds a juris doctorate from University of Detroit Law School and a bachelor’s degree in history from Oakland University. He is a former chair of the Florida Bar’s Entertainment, Arts, and Sports Law Section, a member of the advisory committee to the Entertainment Law Initiative of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, and on the Board of Directors of the Miami Music Authority.
Associate Professor and Program Director, Music Engineering Technology
Colby Leider is associate professor and program director of the Music Engineering Technology Program (MuE), in the Department of Music Business & Entertainment Industries at the University of Miami Frost School of Music. He is associate editor of Computer Music Journal and works as a consultant in patent-infringement cases involving audio and new media technologies. He holds degrees from Princeton, Dartmouth, and the University of Texas. His research interests include digital audio signal processing, sound synthesis and spatialization, tuning systems, and alternate controllers for music-making, and he has received grants from the National Science Foundation, the NVIDIA Corporation, and the University of Miami. Leider also chaired the 30th Annual International Computer Music Conference. He composes music, builds musical instruments and teaches courses in music technology. He is president-founder of everglade records, a non-profit record label devoted to experimental music and acoustic documentary, and has received prizes and honors from the American Composers Forum, the Institut International de Musique Electroacoustique de Bourges, Princeton University, and the International Computer Music Association. He has composed music for Nash Ensemble of London, Paul Hillier and the Theatre of Voices, New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, Bertram Turetzky, Gregory Beyer and William Schimmel. His book Digital Audio Workstation was published by McGraw-Hill.
Lecturer, Music Engineering Technology
Joe Abbati is a lecturer in the Department of Music Engineering Technology at the University of Miami Frost School of Music where he also teaches in the Bruce Hornsby Creative American Music program. He is an artist/engineer with extensive experience in audio production, media technologies and interactivity. An alumnus of the Music Engineering program, Joe worked full-time as audio programmer, sound designer and composer before returning to join the faculty. Abbati has particular expertise in the development of video games. He is an expert in sound design, multimedia audio, entertainment software, MIDI sequencing and synthesis. Since leaving the full-time software industry, he has continued consulting on dozens of published game titles for the likes of THQ, Mattel, Activision and GameMill. Recently acquiring an MFA in Sculpture, Joe is currently creating interactive installations that explore the relationship between object, motion, light and sound.
Research Assistant Professor
Christopher L. Bennett is a research assistant professor in the Music Engineering Technology program at the University of Miami Frost School of Music. Currently, he teaches classes in Psychoacoustics, and is working with faculty and students on a new inter-disciplinary research project in collaboration with the UM Department of Physical Therapy, investigating the impact of auditory biofeedback on rehabilitation. He has most recently completed postdoctoral research at the UM Miller School of Medicine investigating audible medical alarms utilizing psychoacoustics and human factors in simulated clinical settings to improve patient outcomes. During his post-doc, he was also a lecturer on Bio-signal Processing, covering the discrete-time processing of physiologically related signals. An entrepreneur, he is a founding partner of Oygo Sound LLC, an audio development and consulting company with prominent clients in both music and medical fields. He is a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Audio Engineering Society, IEEE and other notable associations and is published in such journals as the J. Acoustical Society of America, Anesthesia & Analgesia, and the J. Audio Engineering Society. Before his professional appointments he earned a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering, with a concentration in hearing science, a M.S. in Music Engineering Technology, and a B.S.E.E. in Audio Engineering.
Assistant Professor, Music Engineering Technology
Bill Pirkle is an assistant professor of music engineering technology at the University of Miami Frost School of Music. He was previously a senior digital audio consultant for Tritone Systems, Inc., XM Satellite Radio division, providing architecture and algorithm design for dynamic processors, mixed signal hardware design, product audio specification limits, software for automated analog and digital testing, headphone power analysis and frequency response, loudspeaker enclosure design and testing, and software test engineering for a patented asynchronous digital audio transmission link with automatic sample rate conversion. He has also consulted with other leading firms including Diamond Multimedia, Zarg Software Synthesizers, Gibson Musical Instruments, Korg Research and Development, K & S Associates, M-Audio, Stick Enterprises, EX2 Mobile Audio, and As Is Entertainment. As a composer, Prikle has written the soundtracks for SpongeBob Square Pants and Square Pants II; Jimmy Neutron computer games; SpeigelMeyer, as well as several independent films. A guitarist, Pirkle earned a Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry, a Bachelor of Music in Music Engineering Technology, and a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering.
Lecturer, Music Engineering Technology
Dana Salminen is a lecturer for the Music Engineering Technology Program (MuE) at the University of Miami Frost School of Music.
Professor of Music Education, Chair, Department of Music Education and Music Therapy
Don D. Coffman, Professor of Music Education, chairs the Department of Music Education and Music Therapy at the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music at and is Professor Emeritus at the University of Iowa. He has served on the Executive Committee of the Society for Research in Music Education and chaired MENC’s Adult and Community Music Education SRIG and ISME’s Community Music Activity Commission. He currently serves on the editorial boards of the Journal of Research in Music Education and the International Journal of Community Music. His passion is making music with “chronologically gifted” adults in wind bands. He is the founding director of the Iowa City, Iowa New Horizons Band, which has provided an opportunity for senior adults to learn or reacquaint themselves with wind and percussion instrumental music since 1995. In 2006 he was honored for his work with this New Horizons Band with three awards: The University of Iowa President's Award for State Outreach and Public Engagement, the State of Iowa Governor’s Volunteer Award, and the Outstanding Continuing Educator Award from the Johnson County chapter of AARP. Coffman received a Ph.D. from the University of Kansas, a M.M.E. from Wichita State University and a B.M.E. from the University of Kansas.
Associate Professor, Director of Undergraduate Music Education
Dr. Carlos Abril is associate professor and director of undergraduate music education at the University of Miami Frost School of Music. He was previously associate professor and coordinator of music education at Northwestern University Bienen School of Music. Abril’s research focuses on socio-cultural issues in music education, arts education policy, and music perception. He has published articles in Journal of Research in Music Education, International Journal of Music Education, Music Educators Journal and the Bulletin for the Council of Research in Music Education, and serves on many editorial boards. He co-edited the book, Musical Experience in Our Lives (Rowman & Littlefield) and has written chapters for other books, including The Handbook of Research in Music Learning (Oxford) and Alternative Approaches in Music Education (Rowman & Littlefield). His music arrangements and instructional materials are published by World Music Press and in the Macmillan/McGraw-Hill textbook series, Spotlight on Music. Abril received a Ph.D. in music education at Ohio State University, M.M. in performance at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, and a B.M. in music education at the University of Miami. He is fully certified in Orff Schulwerk and has received extensive training in Dalcroze Eurhythmics. He is a former general music and choral educator in the Miami-Dade County Public Schools, where he was honored as Region V Teacher of the Year and with the Cervantes Outstanding Educator Award.
Associate Dean, Graduate Studies and Professor of Music Education
On sabbatical for 2012-2013, Dr. Edward P. Asmus is associate dean of Graduate Studies, and professor of music education at the University of Miami Frost School of Music. Dr. Asmus has centered his research on affective response to music, music motivation, non-musical outcomes of music instruction, quantitative methodology and arts assessment. His research has resulted in numerous publications including books, tests, measures, computer programs, and articles in the major research publications of music education. Dr. Asmus has served on the editorial boards of the Journal of Research in Music Education, Quarterly Journal of Music Teaching and Learning, Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education, Journal of Music Teacher Education, Update and Journal of Music Therapy and has been an advisor to Psychomusicology and Psychology of Music. He is the immediate past editor of the Journal of Music Teacher Education a publication of MENC: The National Association of Music Education. Dean Asmus has also been cited as one of the most published authors in the refereed publications of his field and is cited in Who’s Who in America and Who’s Who in American Education.
Lecturer, Music Education
Joy A. Galliford is a lecturer and researcher in the Music Education Program at the University of Miami Frost School of Music. She received the prestigious 2010 Florida College Music Educator of the Year Award from the Florida Music Educators Association and has presented at such conferences as the International Early Childhood Music and Movement Association Conference, the FMEA Conference, and Colloquium for Teachers of General Music Methods (Mountain Lake, VA). Dr. Galliford recently attended an early childhood pedagogy conference in Greensboro (NC) and the Arts Conference in Chicago. She hosted a concert called “Mozart for Children,” as part of the Mainly Mozart Festival XIII. Along with Dr. Joyce Jordan and the South Dade Childcare Center of the Archdiocese of Miami, Galliford received one of the four 2006 Awards of Excellence given by the Children’s Trust of Miami-Dade County. She and Dr. Jordan are the co-writers of Experience the Music, a literacy-based music curriculum for children ages 3 to 5. Dr. Galliford is an active member of the Music Educators National Conference, Florida Music Educators Association and Florida Elementary Music Educators Association, Early Childhood Music and Movement Association, National Federation of Music Clubs, Phi Kappa Lambda, Sigma Alpha Iota, and National Guild of Piano Teachers.
Lecturer, Music Education
James Gasior is a lecturer in the Music Education program at the University of Miami Frost School of Music.
Lecturer, Music Education
Gene Grego is a lecturer in the Department of Music Education at the University of Miami Frost School of Music. Grego began his teaching career as a public school chorus teacher at Steinmetz Junior High School in Schenectady, NY and then at Wilbur H. Lynch Middle School in his hometown of Amsterdam, NY. He earned a Master of Music Education Degree in Choral Music Education from Ithaca College, and a second Master's Degree from the State University of New York at Albany in Educational Administration. His early musical training included private music education with organist Augusta Canale, and voice with Margaret Lazarou. When he was 12 he began to play the organ at his church and was also director of the junior choir; by age 15 he directed the senior choir. He attended Union College in Schenectady, NY and graduated with departmental distinction as a Humanities Major, concentrating in Music and Art History. He played organ and harpsichord, was a member of the Glee Club and Madrigal Singers,and served as choir director and organist at various churches.
Assistant Professor, Instrumental Performance (Double Bass) & Music Education
Brian Powell is assistant professor of Double Bass and String Music Pedagogy at the University of Miami Frost School of Music. He has a Bachelor of Music degree in Performance and a Masters degree in Teaching from Indiana University, and he is a doctoral candidate at the College-Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati. He is a former member of The New World Symphony, under the direction of Michael Tilson Thomas. He has also performed with the Louisville Orchestra, the Buffalo Philharmonic, the Florida Philharmonic, and the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Powell has received recognition in several solo competitions, including winning the Aspen Music Festival Double Bass Solo Competition. As an educator, he is the former director of orchestras at Eastern High School in Louisville, KY, and was on the string faculty at Bellarmine University as their double bass instructor. He taught hundreds of string students every year from elementary to collegiate levels. His high school orchestra was selected to perform at state conventions on multiple occasions and has performed twice at the United Nations in New York City. He has received recognition as a distinguished music teacher and advocate of string music education. Mr. Powell has presided as President of the Kentucky chapter of the American String Teachers Association, and is currently President-Elect of the Florida chapter. He has also served in the mentor program of the National Association for Music Education (NAfME). Mr. Powell remains an active performer and clinician throughout the United States.
Associate Professor, Music Education
Stephen F. Zdzinski is associate professor of Music Education at the University of Miami Frost School of Music. He teaches graduate courses, directs research, and coordinates the graduate program in music education, and supervises associate teachers. He received a B.M. in French Horn Performance and Music Education from the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, and the M.M.E. & Ph.D. in Music Education from Indiana University. His research is centered on parental involvement in music, musical performance measurement, and research methodology. He has authored more than 30 articles in various professional journals. A recent recipient of a research grant from the NAMM Foundation’s Sounds of Learning Project, Dr. Zdzinski has made presentations at international, national and state music education conferences. He serves on the editorial boards of Journal of Research in Music Education, Research Perspectives in Music Education, and Psychology of Music. Dr. Zdzinski is also a contributor to the National Assessment of Education Progress Music Test. He is a member of MENC: The National Association for Music Education, Society for Research in Music Education, Society for Music Teacher Education, International Society for Music Education, and the College Music Society. Dr. Zdzinski also established the New Horizons Band at the Frost School of Music, a dynamic community outreach program for seniors.
Associate Professor and Chair, Musicology
Deborah Schwartz-Kates is associate professor and chair of the Department of Musicology at the University of Miami Frost School of Music. Her research focuses on contemporary Latin American music, ethnomusicology, national identity, and film music. Professor Schwartz-Kates has recently been awarded fellowships from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Paul Sacher Foundation in Basel, Switzerland. Professor Schwartz-Kates is under contract for two books—Revealing Screens: The Film Music of Alberto Ginastera (Oxford University Press) and Alberto Ginastera: A Guide to Research (Routledge Press). She authored the article on Alberto Ginastera for the New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians and contributed the chapter on Argentina for a textbook on Latin American music published by W. W. Norton. Her work has appeared in the Musical Quarterly, Die Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart, New Grove Dictionary of Opera, Yearbook for Traditional Music, Latin American Music Review and ECHO: A Music-Centered Journal.
Assistant Professor, Musicology
Willa Collins is an assistant professor of Musicology at the University of Miami Frost School of Music. She holds a BM degree from Prairie View A&M University, a MM degree from Rice University, and a PhD from Cornell University. Her primary research area is nineteenth-century French ballet and her doctoral dissertation, Adolphe Adam’s Ballet Le Corsaire at the Paris Opéra, 1856-1868: A Source Study, examines the composer’s last ballet during its run at Paris’ foremost theater through surviving archival documents. She has presented her work at both national and international conferences. She is the recipient of numerous awards and grants, including the American Musicological Society’s M. Elizabeth C. Bartlet Fund for Research in France. Outside of nineteenth-century France, she works on popular music, particularly the history of rhythm and blues, and the genre of funk, and their influence on hip-hop.
Research Professor, Musicology
Frank Cooper is a research professor of musicology in the Department of Musicology at the University of Miami Frost School of Music where he lectures and teaches harpsichord. Truly a Renaissance scholar, he has devoted his life to studying the arts while simultaneously pursuing careers as a teacher, writer, lecturer and performer. An expert on keyboard performance practices, he recently performed the Bach Double Keyboard Concerto with Dean Shelton Berg and a chamber orchestra at St. Martha’s Church in Miami. A highlight of his career was receiving the Liszt Centennial Medal from the Hungarian Ministry of Culture along with Vladimir Horowitz and Leonard Bernstein during the same ceremony. Reviews of his research have been published simultaneously in the New York Times, Washington Post and Time magazine. Frank Cooper has been the subject of international radio broadcasts, is widely commissioned to write program notes and record annotations, and has served as artistic director for 35 years of the Indianapolis Early Music Festival. In 2007 Cooper was presented by the National Federation of Music Clubs with its centennial citation for his “indelible and remarkable impact on the artistic life and culture of the United States and the world at large;” moreover, the Miami Herald has referred to him as “South Florida’s cultural maven.” Prof. Cooper was formerly a member of the faculties of Butler University in Indianapolis and the New World School of the Arts in Miami. As part of the Frost School’s community outreach commitment, Frank Cooper also offers a non-credit music history lecture series.
Assistant Professor, Musicology
Melissa de Graaf is an assistant professor of Musicology at the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami. She holds a B.A. degree in Music and English from the University of California, Davis, an M.A. degree in Music and Women’s Studies from Brandeis University, and a Ph.D. degree from Brandeis University. She is the recipient of a number of awards and grants, including the American Association of University Women American Fellowship. She is currently writing a book about music in the New Deal and the New York Composers’ Forum concerts, 1935–1940, which will be published by Oxford University Press. Melissa de Graaf’s essays on Aaron Copland and Ruth Crawford were recently published in collections edited by Judith Tick, Carol Oja, Ellie Hisama, and Ray Allen.
Music Librarian, Marta and Austin Weeks Music Library
Nancy C. Zavac is the music librarian at the Marta and Austin Weeks Music Library, University of Miami Libraries. She teaches Music Bibliography and regularly serves on theses committees for graduate students. She is an active member of the Music Library Association, Southeast Chapter of the Music Library Association, and the Music OCLC Users Group. As a member of the MLA Education Committee she has planned several “Continuing Education Forums” for national meetings. Nancy Zavac has a Master’s of Music degree in Musicology from the University of Miami (May 1979) and a Master’s of Science degree in Library Science from Florida State University (December 1980). From 1979 to 1982 she worked as Music Cataloger at the U. of Miami Music Library and as Music Librarian from June 1982 to the present. As Music Librarian, Ms. Zavac is responsible for selecting music materials and electronic resources, providing reference assistance and bibliographic instruction, overseeing cataloging, and supervising staff and performing administrative duties.
Professor, and Chair, Keyboard Performance
Santiago Rodriguez is professor of keyboard performance and chair of the Department of Keyboard Performance at the University of Miami Frost School of Music. Mr. Rodriguez made his Carnegie Hall debut under the baton of Dennis Russell Davis. His international career was launched in 1981 when he won the Silver Medal at the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition; he also received a special prize for the best performance of Leonard Bernstein’s Touches, a work commissioned for the competition. Mr. Rodriguez’ unique life and artistry were profiled on CBS Sunday Morning with Charles Kurault in 1993. One of today’s foremost interpreters of the music of Sergei Rachmaninov, Santiago Rodriguez has performed all of the composer’s major piano works in concert. He is currently recording The Rachmaninov Edition, which, when completed, will encompass the entire catalog of Rachmaninov’s original solo piano compositions. Mr. Rodriguez has recorded numerous world premieres, including Piano Concerto No. 1 by Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco; the Concertino for piano, strings, and cymbals of Carlos Surinach; and the Piano Sonata No. 2 of Alberto Ginastera, which was premiered by Mr. Rodriguez at Alice Tully Hall in New York. Santiago Rodriguez also enjoys a distinguished reputation as a teacher and master-clinician. Since 1980, he was a member of the Piano Division at the University of Maryland where he held the rank of professor and artist-in-residence. Mr. Rodriguez holds a masters degree from the Juilliard School, where he studied on full scholarship as a pupil of Adele Marcus, and he completed his undergraduate studies magna cum laude with William Race at the University of Texas.
Professor, Keyboard Performance
JB Floyd is professor of keyboard performance at the University of Miami Frost School of Music, where he served as department chair for many years. JB Floyd’s musical interests are diverse. As a pianist, composer, and improviser, his music making includes classical piano recitals and solo appearances with orchestra; new music performances as a soloist and collaborator; and jazz concerts. His compositions include solo piano pieces, works for piano/Disklavier and computer assisted electronic instruments, and works for chorus, orchestra, jazz ensembles and chamber music combinations. He received B.M. and M.M. degrees from the University of North Texas, and a D.M. in Performance from Indiana University. JB Floyd was awarded a Town Hall (NYC) debut recital by the National Guild of Piano Teachers competition and received a Fulbright scholarship for study in Vienna. He also received an artist-in-residence appointment to Hawaii by the Ford Foundation and numerous grants from the National Endowment for the Arts. Floyd has collaborated on many occasions with David Rosenboom in concerts of two-piano improvisations; they have also performed simultaneously on Yamaha Disklaviers from "virtual stages" in Santa Monica, CA and New York City over Internet Electric Cafe International, a network of sites around the world linked by teleconferencing systems, videophones and computers.
Professor and Program Director, Accompanying and Chamber Music
Paul Posnak’s international career as a concert pianist, recording artist, transcriber and teacher began as a child prodigy with a full scholarship to the Juilliard Preparatory School at age eight. He won First Prizes in the International J.S. Bach Competition as well as the Concert Artists Guild Competition in New York. Now professor and program director in accompanying and chamber music for the University of Miami Frost School of Music, he has performed at such venues as the White House, the Supreme Court, the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., Carnegie Recital Hall, Alice Tully Hall in New York and throughout Europe, South America, and Asia to critical acclaim. A highly regarded collaborative artist, Dr. Posnak has worked with many world-renowned vocalists, including Luciano Pavarotti and Jennie Tourel, and performed and recorded with many of the world’s leading chamber ensembles. He has fourteen recordings of solo and chamber works for labels such as EMI, Naxos, Vox, Arabesque, Centaur, Yamaha Disklavier Artist Series and Cambria including his latest CD recording, The Tangos of Ernesto Nazareth, released in 2006. Dr. Posnak's reconstructions of the brilliant solo improvisations of George Gershwin and Thomas “Fats” Waller from the old recordings and radio broadcasts have established him as a world authority and his recent film on Chopin, directed by documentary film maker Anthony Allegro, has attracted international attention.
Assistant Professor, Keyboard Pedagogy
Naoko Takao is assistant professor of keyboard pedagogy at the University of Miami Frost School of Music and is on the summer faculty of the Rocky Ridge Music Center in Colorado. Prior to joining Frost, she was a long-time faculty member at the Levine School of Music in Washington, D.C. She enjoys a versatile career as a soloist, chamber musician, ardent educator, master class clinician, adjudicator, and pedagogue. Winner of numerous soloist awards, including the gold medal at the 2000 San Antonio International Piano Competition and the most recent award from the S&R Foundation, she has performed concerti with the Alexandria Symphony (VA), Laredo Philharmonic (TX) and Ohio Valley Symphony and chamber music concerts at the Smithsonian, Strathmore, Library of Congress, and the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Highly versatile, Takao is an enthusiastic advocate of newly composed music, often premiering new works and performing for such notable organizations as the Rose International Cello Competition. She has coached chamber music extensively with the members of the Guarneri Quartet, is a founding member of the Post Classical Ensemble, and performs a wide range of works by Copland, Schoenberg and other modern luminaries. Her solo piano recitals often feature works by Beethoven, Chopin, Ravel and Rachmaninoff. Originally from Japan, Ms. Takao studied at the Preparatory Program at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, earned a BM from the Hartt School of Music and a MM and DMA from University of Maryland, College Park.
Associate Professor, Keyboard Performance
Tian Ying is associate professor of keyboard performance at the University of Miami Frost School of Music, where he has also served as department chair. Winner of many prestigious awards, including high honors at the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in 1989, Tian Ying enjoys a worldwide reputation as a pianist of taste, dexterity and artistry. Professor Ying has performed in many prestigious concert halls, including Jordan Hall in Boston, Mondavi Center in Davis, California, Orchestra Hall in Chicago, Woodruff Art Center in Atlanta and Shanghai Grand Opera Theater in Shanghai. Tian Ying’s 1993 Bank of Boston Celebrity Series concert was chosen as one of the Top Ten in classical music events by the Boston Globe. In addition, Professor Ying has been profiled in such publications as the New York Times, Christian Science Monitor and People Magazine. Ying has also appeared with numerous renowned orchestras all over the world and records for Centaur Records.
Lecturer, Organ
Dr. Robert Remek is a lecturer in organ performance for the University of Miami Frost School of Music. Dr. Remek has been a church musician in South Florida for 29 years, serving as Director of Music and Organist for both Roman Catholic and Protestant congregations. He is currently the Director of Music at First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood. His organ teachers have included Dr. Arden Whitacre, Dr. Warren Canfield, and Dr. Kenon Renfrow. He has previously served as Dean of the Fort Lauderdale chapter of the American Guild of Organists and has passed the Colleague, Associateship, and ChoirMaster professional certification examinations of the Guild. Dr. Remek was nominated for a 2005 Excellence in Teaching Award at the University of Miami, and is listed in Who’s Who in America and Who’s Who in American Education. In addition to his teaching in the Frost School of Music, Dr. Remek is also Assistant Professor of Humanities at the North Campus of Miami Dade College.
Assistant Professor, Interim Program Director, Music Therapy
Teresa Lesiuk, Ph.D., is assistant professor and interim program director for the Music Therapy program at the University of Miami Frost School of Music. Lesiuk’s research is published in Psychology of Music, Arts in Psychotherapy, Canadian Journal of Music Therapy, and Journal of Computer Information Systems. She presents regularly at regional, national and international conferences including the American Music Therapy Association, Canadian Association for Music Therapy, Society for Music Perception and Cognition, Research Alliance for Institutes of Music Education (RAIME) and International Society for Philosophy of Music Education. Her latest philosophical writing addresses the development of presence in the music therapy clinician. Dr. Lesiuk’s research interests include investigating the role of music and music therapy in high stress occupations (e.g., air traffic control and computer information systems development). Dr. Lesiuk has ten years experience of university teaching and program administration, collectively, from the University of the Incarnate Word and the University of Western Ontario. She has worked contractually as a music therapy clinician serving several client populations including elderly with dementia, elderly with psychiatric diagnosis, children with developmental delays, and adolescents with emotional-behavioral delays.
Associate Professor, Vocal Performance and Chair, Department of Vocal Performance
Esther Jane Hardenbergh (soprano), is associate professor and department chair of the Department of Vocal Performance at the University of Miami Frost School of Music and program director for the Frost School of Music at Salzburg. Dr. Hardenbergh has toured professionally in the United States and Europe in opera, oratorio and recital. She regularly performs as a soloist with orchestras, conducts master classes and adjudicates. Her students perform on both classical and music theatre stages and have won competitions. Dr. Hardenbergh made her Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall debut as winner of the 1999 International Opera Singer Competition and is a respected interpreter of 19th century German Lieder and 20th century American Art Songs. Her operatic roles include Countess Almaviva (Le Nozze di Figaro), Micaela (Carmen), Donna Elvira and Donna Anna (Don Giovanni), Marguerite (Faust) and Pamina (Die Zauberflöte). Hardenbergh holds degrees from the University of Richmond (BM, Education), Boston University (MM, Voice-Opera Performance) and a Doctorate in Music and Music Education, specializing in Vocal Pedagogy from Teachers College, Columbia University.
Assistant Professor, Vocal Performance
Tony Boutté (tenor) is assistant professor of vocal performance at the University of Miami Frost School of Music. Boutté graduated from Louisiana Tech University with a bachelor's degree in voice and tuba; earned a Master's Degree and Performance Certificate from Eastman School of Music; then studied in England at the Britten-Pears School for Advanced Musical Studies. He recently completed his Doctor of Musical Arts degree at University of Maryland, studying with François Loup. Boutté made his professional operatic debut as Orfeo in the Monteverdi Cycle produced by Skylight Opera of Milwaukee. Since then he has appeared in a wide range of roles in opera and oratorio of the Baroque and Classical periods and also enjoys a growing career as an interpreter of new music, performing in six world premieres including Michael Gordon’s Chaos, Betsy Jolas’ Motet III and Philip Glass's In the Penal Colony. Boutté has recorded a wide range of material, from J.S. Bach's St. John Passion with the Smithsonian Chamber Players and operas by Lully (Armide) and Sacchini (Oedipe à Colone) to world premiere recordings of Carbon Copy Building and Arjuna’s Dilemma.
Assistant Professor, Vocal Performance and Program Director, Frost Opera Theater
Alan Johnson is assistant professor of vocal performance, and program director of the Frost Opera Theater at the University of Miami Frost School of Music and is the recipient of the 2012 Phillip Frost Award for Excellence in Teaching and Scholarship. Johnson has led numerous opera, music theater, concert, and dance works by today’s most innovative composers, including Nicholas Brooke, Douglas Cuomo, Tina Davidson, Anthony Davis, Phillip Glass and Michael Torke. His work has garnered awards such as Drama Desk, Obie, and Joseph Jefferson Award for Outstanding Music Direction. He is the music director of the John Duffy Composers Institute at the Virginia Arts Festival. Performances at venues across the USA include American Repertory Theater, Brooklyn Academy of Music, City Center NY, Lincoln Center, New York Shakespeare Festival, Long Wharf Theater, and Spoleto Festival USA and Italy. Active in New York City since 1986 as a vocal coach and pianist, Johnson has prepared and collaborated with singers holding international engagements. As a soloist and collaborative pianist, he has performed at such venues as Alice Tully Hall and The Walker Art Center. Johnson holds a Bachelor of Music in piano performance from the University of Miami and a Master of Music in vocal coaching / accompanying from the University of Illinois.
Associate Professor, Director of Choral Studies
Karen Kennedy is associate professor and director of choral studies at the University of Miami Frost School of Music, where she conducts the Frost Chorale and other choral ensembles. She is also artistic director of the Master Chorale of South Florida. She previously held the positions of chorus director for the Honolulu Symphony, director of choral activities at the University of Hawai`i at Manoa, and director of choral activities at Towson University. She earned a D.M.A. degree in choral music from Arizona State University, a M.M. in choral conducting from Butler University and a B.M. in Music Education from DePauw University. Dr. Kennedy regularly conducts choral festivals featuring major works such as Orff's Carmina Burana, Durufle’s Requiem, Faure’s Requiem, Mozart’s Great Mass in C Minor and Rutter’s Gloria, to name a few. She has received numerous awards for teaching, including the University of Hawai`i Chancellor’s Citation for Meritorious Teaching, Arizona State University’s Manzanita “Top Prof” Award and Butler University’s Faculty Distinction Award. Dr. Kennedy is well known as a choral clinician and adjudicator for all-state and festival honor choirs. She has presented workshops at ACDA and MENC conventions and served as the ACDA Eastern Division Collegiate Repertoire and Standards Chair and as a founding member of the National Collegiate Choral Organization.
Professor, Choral Studies
Donald Oglesby is professor of choral studies at the University of Miami Frost School of Music. Oglesby is well-known for his work on Baroque music, particularly that of J.S. Bach. He is Artistic Director and Conductor of the Miami Bach Society. Dr. O (as he is known) has performed all of the major choral and orchestral works of Bach and numerous Baroque cantatas, oratorios, concerti, and symphonies. On Christmas Day 1989, his performance of Handel’s Messiah was broadcast nationally by NBC. Choirs under Dr. Oglesby’s direction have toured the eastern United States as well as Great Britain and Europe. Dr. Oglesby has worked at the Center for Baroque Music in Versailles; has been president of the Florida chapter of the American Choral Directors Association, the Miami chapters of Pi Kappa Lambda and Pi Kappa Phi honor societies; currently serves on the Editorial Board of the Choral Journal; and is Chair of the Research and Publications Committee of the American Choral Directors’ Association.
Assistant Professor of Professional Practice, Music Education
Corin Overland is an Assistant Professor of Professional Practice in Music Education at the University of Miami Frost School of Music, where he teaches courses in choral conducting, choral literature and secondary choral methods. Overland received a Ph.D. in Music Education from Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he held teaching and research assistantship positions. Overland holds an M.M. in Choral Conducting from the University of Missouri at Kansas City, and a B.A. in Music Education from Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minnesota. Dr. Overland has taught choral music at the secondary level for 14 years in Minnesota, Maryland, and Missouri, and holds multiple teaching certifications in choral, instrumental and general music. Prior to beginning his doctoral work, he was the Director of Choral Music at Punahou Academy in Honolulu, Hawaii: the nation’s largest private school. He frequently appears as guest conductor and clinician for local and national events, serving most recently as the conductor of All-State Jr. Honor Choirs in Oregon and Delaware. His research interests include the history of music education organizations; integrated-arts school reform models; and the effects of musical training on physical coordination and timing. He has presented research nationally and internationally, and is published in the Journal of Research in Historical Music Education and the Music Educator’s Journal.
Lecturer, Vocal Performance
Nobleza Pilar holds two B.M. degrees from Philippine Women's University, and M.M. and D.M. degrees from Indiana University. She studied with Martha Lipton, and was coached by Eileen Farrell and Zinka Milanov. She has taught at colleges and universities in Singapore and Mexico, as well as the United States. A recipient of scholarships from Fulbright Hays and the London Opera Centre, Pilar has performed in solo recitals in Los Angeles, Chicago, Kalamazoo (Michigan), Hickory (North Carolina), the Hawaiian Islands, the Philippines, Singapore, the Bahamas, and Mexico. She is a long standing member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing and Pi Kappa Lambda. In past years Dr. Pilar directed opera scenes and conducted workshops at Miami-Dade schools and also taught Diction, Vocal Pedagogy and Music Fundamentals. She is currently an active judge for District and State Competitions for NATS and Florida Vocal Association, and has served as Preliminary Judge for the National Foundation for the Advancement of the Arts (YoungArts) for the past 15 years.
Visiting Assistant Professor, Vocal Performance
Robynne Redmon (mezzo soprano) is visiting assistant professor in the Department of Vocal Performance at the University of Miami Frost School of Music. Critics have hailed her “glorious singing, intense acting, excellent phrasing, ardent tone, splendid shading and solid coloratura and excellent artistic sense” (Das Opernglas) and for her “exactitude of pitch, her luxuriance of tone, her abundant animal spirit and unerring dramatic intelligence” (Newsday). She has performed leading roles with the major opera houses of the world including The Metropolitan Opera (Maddalena in Rigoletto, Marina in Boris Godunov, Suzuki in Madama Butterfly and Fenena in Nabucco); Lyric Opera of Chicago (Adalgisa in Norma, Fenena in Nabucco, Laura in La Gioconda), and with San Francisco Opera, Teatro alla Scala, Berlin State Opera and Opera de Marseilles. She added the role of Amneris in Aida in her South American debut at the Teatro Municipal in Santiago, sang Eboli in Don Carlos with Boston Lyric Opera and Minnesota Opera, and as Zia Principessa in Suor Angelica and Frugola in Il Tabarro for Montreal Opera. A respected interpreter of modern music and creator of new roles, Ms. Redmon performed in world premieres of Madame Mao for Santa Fe Opera, and Harvey Milk and Esther for New York City Opera. Equally at home in recital and concert she has appeared with the Israel Philharmonic, Montreal Symphony Orchestra, Atlanta Symphony, Detroit Symphony, and Nashville Symphony with whom she recorded a critically acclaimed Beethoven Missa Solemnis (Naxos). She also sang a special Chinese language version of Das Lied von der Erde at the British Library as part of the Silk Road Exhibition.
Lecturer, Vocal Performance
Elaine Rinaldi is fast making her mark among the ranks of rising young American conductors. Critics have called her performances “brilliant” and her interpretative work “impeccable”. As Founder and Artistic Director of Orchestra Miami, Rinaldi has brought a new level of professionalism and quality to the local arts scene: “In just two years, Rinaldi has created an orchestra which, though small in size, is clearly of a high caliber” (El Nuevo Herald); “The orchestra's playing was consistently energized, polished and responsive to Rinaldi over the 2 ½-hour program, showing some of the fire and excitement of the [former Florida] Philharmonic on its best nights” (The Miami Herald). As Artistic Director of Orchestra Miami, she has had the privilege of working with some of the top names in classical music today, including Angel Romero, Nestor Torres, Mark Rucker and sopranos Elizabeth Caballero and Eglise Gutierrez. Additionally, Elaine is much in demand as one of the nation’s top vocal coaches. Her clients include Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Eric Halfvorson, and Russell Thomas. She joined the faculty of the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music in 2008, as a lecturer in vocal coaching, and maintains an active recital and chamber music performance schedule.
Accompanist, Frost School of Music
Paul Schwartz is Staff Accompanist for the Frost School of Music, with a special focus in accompanying for vocal, choral and instrumental performances.
Visiting Assistant Professor, Vocal Performance
Versatile bass-baritone Kevin Short is a visiting associate professor in vocal performance at the University of Miami Frost School of Music. He also thrills audiences around the globe in a wide range of repertoire ranging from Mozart's Die Entführung aus dem Serail and Monteverdi's L'incoronazione di Poppea, to Verdi's Attila and Don Carlos, and Bizet's Carmen. Kevin Short has performed multiple roles with the Metropolitan Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Houston Grand Opera, and Los Angeles Opera, Paris' Opera Comique, Theatre Caen, Staatstheater Stuttgart, and many others in such roles as Leporello in Don Giovanni, Mephistopheles in Faust, Escamillo in Carmen, Nick Shadow in The Rake's Progress, Figaro and Il Conte in Le Nozze di Figaro, and Porgy in Porgy and Bess. Short also enjoys an active festival and concert schedule. He has worked with the Boston Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, St. Louis Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, Detroit Symphony, the New York Pops Orchestra, Opera Orchestra of New York, Radio France Orchestra, and the Winter Olympics Festival Orchestra for the opening ceremonies in Nagano, Japan. He received his training at Morgan State University, B.S., the Curtis Institute of Music, M.M., and the Juilliard School of Music Opera Center. While attending these institutions he was a prizewinner in numerous competitions including the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and the Opera America Competition and received awards and grants from the Sullivan Foundation, the Shoshana Foundation, and Opera Index.
Lecturer, Vocal Performance
Ross Barentyne-Truluck is a lecturer in the Department of Vocal Performance at the University of Miami Frost School of Music. He worked previously as an accompanist-vocal coach and musical director in New York City for more than 25 years. Barentyne-Truluck has accompanied singers from all the major opera houses and performed in concert in forty-nine of the fifty states. Among these singers are Plácido Domingo, Martina Arroyo, Licia Albanese, James Courtney, Giuseppe di Stefano, Jean Cox, Florence Quivar, Anna Reynolds, and Beverly Wolff . As musical director of the internationally renowned La Gran Scena Opera Company, Ross performed extensively throughout North, South and Central America, the United Kingdom and Europe. After almost thirty years of maintaining a private studio in New York City and performing worldwide, Ross moved to South Florida in 2000 and joined the vocal performance faculty of University of Miami Frost School of Music. At UM he took to the opera stage, where he portrayed The Impresario in Mozart’s The Impresario and Buoso Donati in Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi with the Frost Opera Theatre. Mr. Barentyne-Truluck holds degrees from the University of North Texas, Michigan State University, and pursued doctoral studies at Florida State University.
Lecturer, Vocal Performance
Ana Flavia Zuim is a voice instructor for musical theatre at the University of Miami Frost School of Music. She is also an accomplished pianist, conductor, and musical director. Her teaching experience includes voice, piano and electric bass, both at her private studio, and at the University of Miami, New World School of the Arts, Barry University, and Florida Atlantic University. She was assistant director for FAU Tops Camp in 2008 and 2009, and worked at the Belvoir Terrace Performing Arts Camp in Lenox, MA in 2011, where she also collaborated with Belvoir’s post camp program “A Broader Way” directed by Idina Menzel and Jeanine Tesori. She is musical director at Miami Children’s Theatre, a position she's held since 2009. Interested in musical theatre compositions, Ana Flavia has been researching the importance of speech inflection in musical theatre compositions, with great help from renowned contemporary composers Libby Larsen and Larry O’Keefe. She has music directed and conducted numerous musicals and showcases, and worked with various Broadway accredited professionals. A native of Brazil, Ana Flavia moved to the US in 2003 after completing her bachelors of music at State University of Londrina. She earned a Master’s in piano performance from Lynn University and is in the final stages of completing a Ph.D. in Fine and Performing Arts from Florida Atlantic University, where she was a winner of their annual Concerto Competition.
Lecturer and Dance Program Coordinator
Kathyanne Guy, Lecturer and Dance Program Coordinator, received a B.F.A. in dance from the University of Utah and a M.F.A. from New York University, As a member of the Robert Small Dance Company, Claudia Gitelman and Dancers, Hanya Holm Dance Ensemble, New Kinetic Concert and Sundance Theatre Company, she has performed, taught, and choreographed throughout the United States. She was a dance movement specialist with the National Endowment for the Arts, Artist In School teaching and touring program; a faculty member at Interlochen Arts Academy; and resident guest artist at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, North Dakota.
Lecturer, Dance
Carol Frances Kaminsky, Lecturer (Dance), holds a B.A. from the University of South Florida and an M.A. degree in dance movement therapy from Goucher College (Towson, Maryland), and is a Registered Dance Therapist. A member of the University of Miami dance faculty since 1986, Kaminsky also serves as a dance movement therapist for North Shore Hospital in Miami, and a staff member of the Synthesis Institute of Miami. She previously was a dance movement therapist for Parkway Regional Medical Center in Miami. Her professional affiliations include membership in the American Dance Therapy Association.
Lecturer, Dance and Vocal Performance
Anne Kuite teaches movement for undergraduates in the Opera Theater curriculum within the Department of Vocal Performance. As a faculty member in the UM Dance Program, she teaches modern dance technique, improvisation and classes in stretching and bodywork for students across the university. A former resident of Illinois, her performing career has included appearances with the American Heritage Dancers folk dance company and the Peoria Civic Ballet, and throughout the Chicago area with Akasha, Lynda Martha, and Robin Lakes Rough Dance companies. New York performances have included appearances at the Merce Cunningham Studio and the Gang Gallery/SoHo. Her choreography has been performed at MoMing Dance and Arts Center (Chicago), the Southern Theater (Minneapolis), Gusman Hall (Coral Gables) and most recently, Bearnstow Dance Center (Parker Pond, ME). Her teaching career in Illinois has included dance for high school students at New Trier, Mather, and Lyons Township High Schools, and faculty positions at Millikin University and Harper College. In addition to her dance career, Anne has served in executive arts and events management positions at The Joyce Theater, Wave Hill, and The Graduate Center/CUNY in New York City. She holds a B.S. in Dance Education from Illinois State University and an M.F.A. in Dance from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. She is a nationally Certified Pilates Teacher through the Pilates Method Alliance as well as a faculty instructor and teacher trainer at Polestar Pilates Miami.
