An award-winning educator with 39 years of leadership in higher education, Shelton (Shelly) Berg is Dean and Patricia L. Frost Professor of Music at the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami. He is a Steinway piano artist and five-time Grammy-nominated arranger, orchestrator, and producer. His album projects The Deep (Chesky), The Nearness of You (Arbors), Blackbird (Concord) and The Will (CARS), and I Love You Porgy/There’s a Boat That’s Leavin’ Soon For New York are critically-acclaimed. Berg earned Grammy nomination as co-producer of Gloria Estefan: The Standards (Sony). Recent projects include recording and/or performing with Tony Bennett, Seal, Lizz Wright, Andra Day, Clint Holmes, Renée Fleming, and Arturo Sandoval. He is also the host of a monthly radio show Generation Next on Sirius XM, music director of The Jazz Cruise, and artistic advisor for the Jazz Roots series at the Adrienne Arsht Center in Miami.
Before joining the Frost School of Music, Shelly Berg was the McCoy/Sample Professor of Jazz Studies at the Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California and a past president of the International Association for Jazz Education (IAJE). In 2003 he was honored as Educator of the Year by the Los Angeles Jazz Society and in 2002 received the IAJE Lawrence Berk Leadership Award. In 2000 the Los Angeles Times named him one of three “Educators for the Millennium.”
His textbooks include Essentials of Jazz Theory, the Chop-Monster beginning improvisation series, Rhythm Section Workshop for Jazz Directors (Alfred Music) and Jazz Improvisation: The Goal-Note Method (Kendor). He has appeared as a performer and lecturer throughout the United States as well as in Canada, China, Mexico, Europe, Israel, Japan, Romania and Venezuela.
Sandra Lopez (Neill) has triumphed on the great stages of the world with her a “meltingly beautiful soprano voice” (New York Times). Recent engagements included performances in the title role of Daniel Catan's FLORENCIA EN EL AMAZONAS for the Spanish Debut of the Opera with Opera Tenerife, as well as the World Premiere of the Opera MIAMI TRANSFER in collaboration with Teatro Victoria (Spain) and Opera Atelier in the role of Gertrudis. Recent seasons include Cio-Cio San in Puccini's MADAMA BUTTERFLY for Florida Grand Opera, Lady Macbeth in Verdi's MACBETH as well as the title role in Puccini's TOSCA for Opera North, the title role in Puccini's MANON LESCAUT for Sarasota Opera, her role debut as Elle in LA VOIX HUMAINE with Opera Atelier/Colony Theater, and concert appearances with the Northern Kentucky Symphony alongside her husband, International tenor Stuart Neill. Notable performances include Elisabetta in DON CARLO with the Finnish National Opera, Opera de Oviedo as TOSCA, Venice’s Gran Teatro la Fenice as Mimi in LA BOHEME, Opera de Massy, Opera de Fribourg in Switzerland, Festival de St-Cèrè, etc. singing the title role in MADAMA BUTTERFLY, the Salzburg Festival, the Verbier Festival in Switzerland, the Tanglewood Festival and The Metropolitan Opera in ELEKTRA, CARMEN, DON CARLOS, PARSIFAL, among others.
Ms. Lopez is also known for her performances in new works, including the premiere of Crozier’s WITH BLOOD, WITH INK as Dying Juana with the Fort Worth Opera which was released on Albany Records, and Bolcom’s VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE as Catherine for the Metropolitan Opera.
Ms. Lopez recently appeared with the Lithuanian Opera and the Nürnberg Symphony, as well as with Andrea Bocelli, and has performed the Verdi Requiem, Strauss' Four Last Songs, Brahms' Ein Deutsches Requiem, Orff's Carmina Burana, Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, etc, as well as with various festival and symphonies, including the Orquesta Nacional de Puerto Rico, Fort Worth Symphony, Greensboro Symphony, etc.
Ms. Lopez is an active voice teacher and conductor. She serves on the Voice Faculty of the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami, and she serves as a conductor and vocal coach for the Miami Classical Music Festival for whom she has conducted Mozart’s DIE ZAUBERFLÖTE and LE NOZZE DI FIGARO, Monteverdi’s ORFEO and L’INCORONAZIONE DI POPPEA, and Handel’s RADAMISTO and TESEO.
American Mezzo-Soprano, Robynne Redmon has the unusual distinction of having achieved operatic success in the Bel Canto, French Grand Opera, and Italian Dramatic Repertoire, as well as having premiered numerous 20th century works. She has appeared in leading roles at The Metropolitan Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, San Francisco Opera, Teatro alla Scala, Staatsoper Berlin, Bayerische Staatsoper, Opéra de Marseilles, Teatro Regio di Torino, Teatro Municipal de Santiago, Opéra Montreal, Santa Fe Opera, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis and New York City Opera among others. Her orchestral performances have included appearances with the Detroit, Montreal, Seattle, Atlanta, Nashville and Virginia Symphonies, and the Israel Philharmonic.
Her recordings include the Beethoven Missa Solemnis with the Nashville Symphony, Mahler 8th Symphony, and Stravinsky’s Les Noces, both under the baton of JoAnn Falletta with the Virginia Symphony.
She is also the director of Frost School of Music’s summer program held in Salzburg, Austria.
Acclaimed for his “infectious passion”, Dr. Reid Masters brings extensive experience as a conductor, educator, and countertenor. Before serving as Music Director at First Presbyterian Church of Fort Lauderdale, Dr. Masters was the Assistant Director of Choral Activities at Kennesaw State University in Georgia where he directed the KSU Chamber Singers, University Chorale, Men’s Ensemble, and the Community & Alumni Choir in addition to teaching Conducting & Choral Literature. Dr. Masters was the Artistic Director of the New Jersey Chamber Singers for 11 years, which released a commercial album of Mozart’s Requiem with Affetto Records, distributed internationally by Naxos in 2018. He is also the Co-founder and previous Assistant Director of the professional chamber choir Kinnara Ensemble, working alongside Dr. JD Burnett. He studied choral conducting with Joseph Flummerfelt, Andrew Megill, Joe Miller, and Patrick Gardner in addition to working with Helmuth Rilling. In addition to his substantial work with local High School choirs, Honor Choirs, and Festival Choirs, he is internationally active as a clinician, leading workshops and masterclasses for ensembles such as the Taichung Chamber Singers in Taiwan and the Highgrove Singers in the Bahamas.
As a countertenor, Dr. Masters has made solo appearances around NJ and NY featuring repertoire such as Bach’s St. Matthew Passion, Gesualdo’s Tenebrae Responsories, Buxtehude’s Membra Jesu Nostri, Scarlatti’s Stabat Mater, Schütz’s Musikalische Exequien, Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms, and Handel’s Messiah. He has performed with some of the Northeast’s finest baroque ensembles such as the Brandywine Baroque Band and The Sebastians. In choral settings, he has sung with some of the most prestigious orchestras such as the New York Philharmonic under the direction of conductors such as Maestros Lorin Maazel, Kurt Mazur, Alan Gilbert, Nicholas McGegan, and Jaap van Zweden.
American conductor and tenor Matthew Brady joins the Frost School of Music as a new faculty member in Choral Studies. Brady previously served as Director of Choral Studies at the New Mexico Military Institute, Cal State San Bernadino, and he taught in the Michigan Public Schools.
In addition to his academic posts, Brady is in demand as a professional conductor and clinician. He is the Artistic Director of Collegium Musicum of Miami. Garnering praise for his engaging and dynamic leadership, he has recently led festival performances at Carnegie Hall, and served as guest conductor of the New Mexico All-State Choir and the Broward County Honor Choir. Brady enjoys an active professional choral singing career. Recent engagements include performances with the Philadelphia Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic, the Choral pick-up, Dallas Bach Choir, Dallas Choral Festival, and the Westminster Summer Festival Chorus. Prof. Brady's educational background includes Westminster Choir College, Western Michigan University, the University of North Texas, and Birmingham University in England as a protégé of three-time Grammy winner Simon Halsey.
A Magna Cum Laude graduate of the University of Houston where he earned B.M. and M.M. in applied voice, Professor Kim Josephson is hailed as one of opera's most versatile baritones and a regular guest of leading opera companies. His title roles include Rigoletto, Falstaff, Simon Boccanegra, Germont in La Traviata, Enrico in Lucia di Lammermoor, and Belcore in L'Elisir d'Amore to name a few. He has also appeared at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, most notably as Eddie Carbone in the world premiere of William Bolcom's A View from the Bridge and, from the standard repertoire, Rigoletto, Germont, Sharpless in Madama Butterfly, and Marcello in La Boheme.
Mr. Josephson is the recipient of many honors, including William Sullivan/George London Foundation Award, Baltimore Opera Vocal Competition, Enrico Caruso International Vocal Competition, Loren Zachary Foundation Award, Puccini Foundation Award, Bagby Foundation Award, Bruce Yarnell Award, Singer's Development Foundation Award, and a Richard Tucker Career Grant. He is praised for his performances of new music as well as the classical repertoire. He has served as chair of the vocal area at the University of Oklahoma and is an Edith Kinney Gaylord Presidential Professor of Voice.
“Dance and movement, more than a way to make a living, can become a way of living.”
Jorge L. Morejón is a Lecturer of Dance at the Frost School of Music. He received his bachelor’s degree in Special Education from Florida International University with a focus in Dance in
Dr. Morejón started dancing with Creation Ballet Dance Company in Gasping in Oblivion and Bolero Suite. He was invited to the Florida Dance Festival where he was lead dancer/actor in Sleepless City. He
Following his graduation from UM in 2006, he moved to Toronto where he started his doctoral program in Theatre Studies where he performed in Seven Against Thebes and co-choreographed Mirrored Spaces. In 2008, he transferred to the University of California, Davis and completed his Ph.D. in Performance Studies. While in California, Dr. Morejón performed with the Montalvo Arts Center in Divide Light: A New Opera and with Side Show Physical Theatre in The Ten PM Dreams and the Elephants Graveyard. He also performed in The Winter’s Tale and Hinterland with UC Davis’ Theatre and Dance Department. In addition, he performed and choreographed My Hands / Tus Brazos with Linda Bair’s Dance Company.
Dr. Morejón got his start in television when he appeared on the soap operas “Angelica Mi Vida” and “Guadalupe” on the Telemundo network. His professional theatre debut took place in Maria Antonia at Teatro de Bellas Artes and The Maids with Creation Art Center, Miami.
After completing his Ph.D. in 2011, Dr. Morejón became Lecturer and Dance Coordinator at the Department of Creative and Festival Arts, University of the West Indies, Trinidad and Tobago. There he choreographed and directed productions such as Re-Awakening the Caribbean Spirit, Maria Antonia“As artists, we should strive try to live every day in a way that makes a difference in the world. Through our artistry, we have tremendous power and tremendous responsibility. We have the power to heighten people’s awareness of the limitless beauty of the human experience that exists around them and within them every moment of their lives, and we have the responsibility to guide them towards choices that are driven by passion, empathy and compassion.”
Jeffrey Marc Buchman is Associate Professor and Stage Director for Opera at the FROST SCHOOL OF MUSIC. Opera News called him “a formidable talent.” Constantly pushing the limits of the performing arts, Professor Buchman’s versatility has led him to a wide variety of venues where he’s interpreted many of opera’s classics, while also regularly premiering new works. His innovation puts him at the forefront of a new era in directing.
Professor Buchman’s journey began as a trumpet player in the Greater Baltimore youth orchestra, which, in turn, led him to the Baltimore School for the Arts and the Interlochen Arts Academy, where he discovered his love of classical singing and opera. His operatic debut was with Deborah Voigt in her first performances of Ariadne auf Naxos at Boston Lyric Opera. He subsequently went on to win first prize in the National Society of Arts & Letters vocal competition, as well as the prestigious Luciano Pavarotti International Voice Competition. That led to a personal invitation from the legendary tenor to sing with him on Live from Lincoln Center: PAVAROTTI PLUS.
Mr. Buchman has directed Donizetti’s Le Convenienze ed Inconvenienze Teatrale for Seattle Opera, Carmen for Atlanta Opera, Rigoletto, The Magic Flute, and Andy Vores’ No Exit and Eugene Onegin for Florida Grand Opera, Ricky Ian Gordon’s 27 for Michigan Opera Theatre, Laura Kaminsky’s As One for Hawaii Opera Theatre, Il Barbiere di Siviglia for Lyric Opera Baltimore, Rigoletto and South Pacific for Anchorage Opera, Hansel & Gretel for Sarasota Opera, Laura Kaminsky’s As One for Opera Colorado, L’elisir d’amore for Toledo Opera, Romeo et Juliette, Daughter of the Regiment, Gianni Schicchi and Suor Angelica for Intermountain Opera, Il Barbiere di Siviglia and Tragédie de Carmen for Syracuse Opera, La Cenerentola for Green Mountain Opera, Cold Sassy Tree for Sugar Creek Opera, Turandot and Manon Lescaut for Mobile Opera, Il Trovatore, Faust, Don Pasquale and The Magic Flute for Opera Naples and Il Barbiere di Siviglia for Orlando Philharmonic.
In addition to his work at opera companies across the U.S., Mr. Buchman has had extensive experience working with young singers, including directing Don Giovanni and The Magic Flute at Philadelphia’s prestigious Academy of Vocal Arts, Carmen, La Traviata and La Bohème at Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music, The Magic Flute and Cosi fan Tutte at the Brevard Music Festival, L’Elisir d’Amore at the Brancaleoni International Music Festival, Il Tabarro and Gianni Schicchi at Opera Project Columbus, La Traviata and L’Elisir d’Amore at Cincinnati Conservatory of Music Summer Opera Bootcamp, Le Nozze di Figaro and Don Giovanni for the Miami Summer Music Festival, Don Giovanni for UCLA's Herb Alpert School of Music, The Bartered Bride, Cosi fan Tutte, Die Fledermaus, Hansel & Gretel, Lo Speziale, Pasatieri’s La Divina, Amelia al Ballo and The Magic Flute for the New World School of the Arts, and Gianni Schicchi, Suor Angelica, Stravinsky’s Mavra and Golijov’s Ainadamar for the FROST SCHOOL OF MUSIC at the University of Miami.
An innovative director, Professor Buchman has stood at the helm of a variety of new and groundbreaking productions ranging in scale from the most intimate of chamber operas, such a Laura Kaminsky’s opera As One for two performers and string quartet, to his work as Artistic Director of “Live Arts”, a dynamic multimedia arena event involving more than 1,200 performers from broadway, ballet, opera and symphony produced by the Grand Rapids Symphony. He also continues to collaborate with composer Carson Kievman, having directed the world-premieres of his works, Fairy Tales: Songs of the Dandelion Woman, Intelligent Systems: The Surrender of Self in Mystical Contemplation and Tesla.
Professor Buchman studied German at the Goethe-Institut in Prien am Chiemsee, Germany and Spanish at the Instituto Cervantes in New York. He holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Opera from the Boston Conservatory of Music and a Masters of Music degree in Voice from the Peabody Conservatory of Music in his native city of Baltimore, Maryland. He credits artistic success with the ability to begin with the discipline and skill-building that ultimately allows for the release and freedom that must occur for true expression. Operatic art form, he says, is uniquely powerful. He quotes his friend and mentor, world-renowned stage director and producer Tito Capobianco by stating “Opera is a hurricane of passions of which the singing human voice is the epicenter, dragging fiercely all the arts with it in a sublime and romantic psychosis of insatiable sensuality.”"I spent a lifetime traveling the world, performing, soaking in all the different cultures because I thought the intent was to make me a better artist. I have found that it was part of the plan to make me a better teacher. There is nothing as thrilling as being able to help a young singer discover the immense potential inside and watch them blossom. I am very happy to be at a point in my life where performing is secondary and teaching is primary."
Jeanette Thompson is a full time lecturer in Vocal Performance at the Frost School of Music. Her career has taken her all over the globe with recitals, orchestra concerts and operatic performances in Belgium, Germany, France, Luxembourg, Turkey, Spain, Italy, Austria, Japan, Slovenia, Croatia, Canada, Tunisia, Greece, Cypress, Cameroun, Zaire, insidKenya, Latvia, Czech Republic, Puerto Rico, and throughout the United States. She made her Carnegie Hall debut singing Verdi's Messa da Requiem, and is an international star of high acclaim.
Professor Thompson has been lauded throughout the world as a singer with great depth, warmth, beauty, style and heart. Noted composers David Winkler, Craig Bohmler, Steven Sametz, Ricky Ian Gordon and Thomas Cipullo have written works expressly for her. Her discography includes the sound track to a French movie ("Deux Ramoneurs chez une Cantatrice") and 3 CD’s (including "Jeanette Thompson sings Negro Spirituals"). She has won numerous competitions in several nations (including a Gold Medal at the Famed Queen Elizabeth Competition in Brussels).
Ms. Thompson received a Bachelors of Music from Florida State University, a Masters of Music from Rice University. She has command of Italian, French, German and Turkish and for six years served on the faculty of the International Summer Festival of the Arts in Belgium.
She has served on the faculties of University of Wisconsin-Madison, City University of New York-Medgar Evers, Vassar College, Lehigh University and Izmir State Conservatory of Music in Turkey where she founded a Singing Competition for Young Singers and for 9 years served as president of the jury. She invited directors, conductors and impresarios from opera companies all over the world (including the Metropolitan Opera, Aspen, Chicago, LaScala, etc.) Through this competition, she has helped provide jobs, opportunities and has placed many young singers in companies throughout the world. As a teacher, she is noted as an outstanding technician of singing.
“It is my profound wish that every one of my students discovers the possibilities that lie within, and that I can help them unlock the magic that is waiting for them to share.”
Dr. Frank Wayne Ragsdale, is Associate Professor of Voice, Department Chair, and Program Director at the Frost School of Music where he teaches a variety of styles of voice including classical, music theatre (legit, belt, and mix), pop, rock, and country. His students have gone on to graduate programs at Eastman, Indiana University, The Cleveland Institute of Music, and Rice, and young artist programs such as Seagle Music Colony and Tri-Cities Opera. They have sung with Houston Grand Opera, Tri-Cities Opera, Opera Omaha, Glimmerglass, Florida Grand Opera, and Utah Festival Opera. Many have secured agents and subsequently been hired by some of the top theaters in the country, including Lincoln Center (Broadway), Longacre Theater (Broadway) Goodspeed Opera House, Paper Mill Playhouse, Forestburgh Playhouse, Casa Mañana, Dallas Theater Center, Clinton Area Showboat Theater, in addition to taking part in national tours, cruise ship companies and theme park entertainment. Several have won competitions throughout the country with NATS, Classical Singer, Lotte Lenya, Crescendo, Utah Festival International Opera Competition, and the districts and regions of the MET Council Auditions.
It is little wonder that in 2014, while teaching at Oklahoma City University, Dr. Ragsdale was awarded the University Full-time Faculty Excellence in Teaching Award, for which he was also a finalist in 2008.
Dr. Ragsdale boasts a long and varied performing career in opera, oratorio, musicals, plays, and recitals throughout the United States, Canada, Australia, Europe, South Africa, the Middle East, and Central America, where, for three consecutive years, he was invited by the U.S. Embassies of Costa Rica and Honduras to give recital tours and masterclasses. He has performed in such notable venues as Carnegie Hall, Avery Fisher Hall, Cairo Opera House, Mechanics Hall, Notre Dame, San Marco di Venizia, and St. Martin-in-the-fields. Dr. Ragsdale earned degrees from Atlantic Union College, The Longy School of Music, and a Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Miami.I want my students to embrace and embody the study of dance and dance/movement therapy through their unique personality and point of view. Students with a solid foundation in the concepts of dance have the tools for self-discovery, artistic inquiry, communication and confidence in performance.
Carol Kaminsky is a senior lecturer in dance and is the Dance Program Coordinator at the Frost School of Music. Professor Kaminsky teaches dance/movement therapy, modern dance, dance methodology, creative dance for children, improvisation, composition and stretching and body work. Ms. Kaminsky began her ballet training and performance at a young age with Thomas Armour and Robert Pike at the Miami Conservatory, now the Thomas Armour Youth Ballet, and tap dance training with Ron Daniels. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Dance from the University of South Florida in Tampa, Florida and her Master’s degree in Dance/Movement Therapy from Goucher College in Baltimore, Maryland.
Ms. Kaminsky began her dance career teaching children, specializing in creative dance and modern dance education for preschoolers and elementary school aged children and children with special needs. She developed and taught in the University of Miami Children’s preparatory dance program and summer dance camps. She is currently teaching movement for children in the UM Music Prep Program.
Ms. Kaminsky’s clinical background includes dance therapy with hospitalized patients in acute psychiatric care, women in eating disorders treatment, children with special needs in schools, and individuals with Parkinson’s disease. She did numerous workshops and seminars integrating dance/movement therapy for wellness and personal growth. Additionally, Ms. Kaminsky is a facilitator of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and and currently teaches mindfulness in private practice. She is part of the UMindfulness Program that offers meditation sessions to UM students and staff.As a professional singer, Colaizzi has performed with top-tier professional choral ensembles such as GRAMMY-nominated Seraphic Fire and Santa Fe Desert Chorale and has appeared as a performer and soloist with GRAMMY award-winning vocal band Roomful of Teeth. Other recent solo performance credits include The Choral Arts Society of Washington (The Kennedy Center, Washington D.C.), The Messiah Festival of the Arts (Lindsborg, KS), and The Mass of the Americas (Miami, FL). Discography credits for ensemble and solo work include The Apple Tree with Seraphic Fire (2023) and Justin Morell’s All Without Words with the John Daversa Jazz Orchestra (2021).
Colaizzi has trained and performed at highly regarded programs such as the Illinois Bach Academy, the International Baroque Institute at Longy, the Seraphic Fire Professional Choral Institute at Aspen School of Music, and the Amherst Early Music Festival. A proud South Florida native, she has been featured with the Master Chorale of South Florida, the Greater Miami Symphonic Band, and the South Florida Jewish Chorale.
Colaizzi holds degrees in music education, vocal performance, and vocal pedagogy. She recently completed her Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the University of Miami in 2023.
She resides in Miami, Florida, with her partner and their two cats, Angus and Louise.
“My life as a musician is balanced between being a composer and a conductor. I find it critical to maintain a direct connection with the act of making music as a performer. I see my compositions as the summation of all the parts of my life as a musician; a composer, conductor and educator. With each work I struggle to bring into new contexts the concepts of harmony, rhythm and melody. This is what I try to share with my students and to foster in their own music making”
Shawn Crouch is Assistant Professor of Practice, Music Theory and Composition at the FROST SCHOOL OF MUSIC at the University, as well as the artistic director of the Ibis New Music Ensemble. He has received wide praise including “Music of gnarly energy”- New York Times and “A highly respected composer and conductor, he brings many years of experience and accomplishment to the classroom. A Gifted Composer”- Gramophone Magazine. Professor Crouch’s Visions and Ecstasies, A Mass was chosen as “Best New Work” of 2016 by the South Florida Classical Review.
He has seen his works performed and commissioned by a significant number of leading ensembles in the United States, Canada and Europe, among them, the Cleveland Orchestra, American Modern Ensemble, Cantori New York, California E.A.R. Unit, Chanticleer, Del Sol String Quartet, Eighth Blackbird, the Lunar Ensemble, the New Ear Contemporary Ensemble, the Phoenix Chorale, Prism Quartet, San Francisco Choral Artists, Santa Fe Chorale, Seraphic Fire, and Volti.
Aside from his live performance, Professor Crouch’s music has been commercially recorded and released by many notable artists and ensembles. His “Paradise,” a motet for 12 voices, was recorded by Volti for their This Is What Happened album. “Lullaby,” a selection from “Paradise,” can be found on The Best of Chanticleer on Warner Bros. Records. His composition, “Light of Common Day” was included on the Seraphic Fire album Reincarnations. Another of his efforts, “Pie Jesu” “rom “The Road from Hiroshima,” was one of the selections on Seraphic Fire's self-titled album. Shawn Crouch's instrumental compositions “City Columns” and “Adolescent Psychology” can be found on the Navona Records label. His music is published by G. Schirmer, Hal Leonard and HoneyRock Publishing.
In recognition of his efforts, Professor Crouch Shawn has received honors and awards from such prestigious institutions as the American Academy of Arts and Letters, The American Prize, ASCAP, BMI, Yale University, the Society of Composers Inc., Meet the Composer and the Percussive Arts Society. In addition, he was the inaugural recipient of the Dale Warland Singers Commissioning Award given by Chorus America and the American Composers Forum.
Professor Crouch studied composition with Martin Bresnick, Ezra Laderman, Lansing McCloskey and Malcolm Peyton. He has also been the Wallace-Readers Digest Composition Fellow at the Tanglewood Music Center and a composition fellow at the Norfolk Music Festival. He received his B.Mus. from the New England Conservatory, his M.Mus. from the Yale School of Music,and his D.M.A. from the University of Miami Frost School of Music. Shawn Crouch serves on the board of Chorus America.
Music is the only art form with equal power to move the mind, heart, soul, and pelvis. I have an insatiable and omnivorous appetite for music, and am as moved by Berio’s Sinfonia and DuFay’s Nuper rosarum flores as I am by a J.S. Bach cantata. In my lessons, I may reference Steve Reich, Machaut, William Schuman, Claude Vivier, Miles Davis, Radiohead, Jimi Hendrix, and The Ramones…in the same lesson.
Debussy perfectly encapsulated my feelings when he said “Music in its essence is not a thing that can be poured into a rigorous and traditional mold. It is made of colors and rhythmical beats. All the rest is fraud, invented by cold-blooded imbeciles riding on the masters' backs.”
Lansing McLoskey is Professor of Music Composition at the Frost School of Music. An internationally acclaimed composer, he approached his work early on in a somewhat unorthodox way, opting to follow his own version of “The Three B’s.” While the classical world would dictate Bach, Beethoven and Brahms, Professor McLoskey set his sights on the Beatles, Bauhaus and Black Flag. He started his career as a punk rock provocateur, writing songs and playing guitar for various insurgent outfits in San Francisco during the early ‘80s. Ironically, it was that visceral sound, with its edge and exuberance, that led to his love of classical music.
That early experience served him well as his career progressed. His compositions have been performed in 21 countries on six continents and garnered him more than three dozen national and international awards, among them the prestigious Goddard Lieberson Fellowship accorded “a composer of exceptional gifts” by the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Kudos from the critics have come as well. He has been described as “a major talent and a deep thinker with a great ear” by the American Composers Orchestra, “an engaging, gifted composer writing smart, compelling and fascinating music” by Gramophone Magazine, and “a distinctive voice in present-day American music.”
There have been numerous other accolades as well. He was a 2019 Bogliasco Foundation Fellow, and his oratorio Zealot Canticles won a 2019 Grammy for Best Choral Performance and 2nd place for the 2019 American Prize. In addition, he was the recipient of the 2018 Copland House Award and commission, the 2019 Analog Choral Composition Competition, the 2018 Boston Choral Ensemble Competition, The 2016 American Prize for Choral Composition, the 2016 Robert Avalon International Competition for Composers, and Grand Prize in the Chatham Baroque Composition Competition. Other citations include awards won from the Omaha Symphony International New Music Competition, the Kenneth Davenport National Competition for Orchestral Works, the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra International Composition Award, the Charles Ives Center Orchestral Composition Competition, the Paris New Music Review International Composition Competition, the Red Note Festival Composition Prize, and an Astral Career Grant from the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts. In 2009, he became the only composer in the 53 history of the ISU Contemporary Music Festival to win both the orchestral and chamber music competitions, judged by independent juries.
Considering his ample accolades, it’s little wonder that Professor McLoskey has received a number of commissions for his work. He has composed original pieces for numerous prestigious organizations and institutions, among them the Barlow Endowment, the Fromm Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, Pew Charitable Trusts, the Anne Stookey Fund, Meet The Composer, Ensemble Berlin PianoPercussion, ensemberlino vocale, Passepartout Duo, Splinter Reeds, Kammerkoret NOVA (Norway), Atlantic Brass, Triton Brass, the New Spectrum Foundation, a concert-length oratorio for The Crossing Choir, and a full-length opera for Guerilla Opera (Boston).
Along with his extensive performing schedule, Professor McLoskey has lectured and given Masterclasses at over 30 schools and festivals, including Aspen, the Tanglewood Institute, Universität der Künste Berlin, the National Conservatory of Music of Mexico, and two dozen universities across the United States. He’s also served as Composer-in-Residence at half-a-dozen music festivals. As a recording artist, his work is available worldwide on seventeen releases on Albany Records, Innova, Wergo Schallplatten, Centaur, LAWO Classics, Capstone, Tantara, and Beauport Classics, and published by Theodore Presser Company, American Composers’ Press, Mostly Marimba, Subito Music, and Odhecaton Z Music.
For more information: http://www.lansingmcloskey.com
Violinist Karen Lord-Powell enjoys a varied career as soloist, chamber and orchestral musician, and teacher. She teaches violin, chamber music, and orchestral repertoire at the Frost School of Music, and is a member of the leadership team for the Experiential Music Curriculum, Frost’s innovative approach to musicianship training. Formerly Principal Second Violin of the Louisville Orchestra, Karen’s orchestral experience includes work with the Indianapolis and Houston Symphonies, and with renowned conductors such as Stephane Deneve, Mariss Jansons, and Leonard Slatkin. She has appeared as Concertmaster of the Louisville Orchestra, the New World Symphony, the Miami Bach Society, and has been a featured soloist with the Glenelg Chamber Orchestra, the Northwestern Chamber Orchestra, and in recital at the National Governor’s Convention in Washington, D.C. Karen’s chamber music collaborations include performances as part of the Kentucky Center Chamber Players, the Sona String Quartet, and with members of the Bergonzi, Amernet, and Baumer String Quartets. She currently performs with the Nu Deco Ensemble and is recording an album of new works for Centaur Records with her husband, double bassist Brian Powell. Karen spends her summers as a tenured member of the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra in Western New York State.
The Frost School of Music is a unique institution that allows students to explore the multifaceted nature of contemporary musicianship. If you are looking for a school that nurtures bold ideas, expects only the highest quality of scholarship and musicianship, and provides experience with cutting-edge technologies, you will find it all here! Let’s also not forget the school’s marvelous location. Miami is the multicultural center of America’s subtropics. Studying here makes the experience that much richer.
Juraj Kojs is an Assistant Professor of Professional Practice at the FROST SCHOOL OF MUSIC. He is also a renowned composer, sound and multimedia artist, performer, producer, researcher, and educator. His compositions have received recognition on multiple occasions, including honors received from “Europe—A Sound Panorama,” Miami New Times’ “Best Of”, Eastman Electroacoustic Composition and Performance Competition, and the Digital Art Award. Miami New Times went on to describe his muscle-powered multimedia performance of Neraissance as "striking and unforgettable," and MiamiArtzine called his composition Signals "enthralling and immersive." The Miami Herald praised his work Bang for the Train as "most profound…unexpected and enjoyable."
Professor Kojs has also created commissioned works for The Quiet Music Ensemble, Miami Light Project, Deering Estate Chamber Ensemble, Meet the Composer, Harvestworks, Miami Theater Center, Deering Estate and Vizcaya Museum & Gardens. Those who have performed his music include Tomoko Mukaiyama, Blair McMillen, Margaret Lancaster, Madeleine Shapiro, Jennifer Beattie, and Adam Marks, Glass Farm Ensemble, Michael Straus, Susan Fancher, Eugen Prochac, Canticum Ostrava, Atticus Brass Quintet, IKTUS Percussion Quartet, The Quiet Music Ensemble, Ensemble s21, Talujon Percussion, Cassatt String Quartet, Ensemble Pamplemousse, the Now Ensemble, Yale Gamelan Suprabanggo, The Living Earth Show and the Deering Estate Chamber Ensemble.
In addition, Professor Kojs’ research articles have appeared in various conference proceedings and journals such as Organized Sound, Digital Creativity, the Leonardo Music Journal, Computer Music Journal, the Journal of New Music Research and the International Journal of Arts and Technology.
Professor Kojs is the director of the Miami-based Foundation for Emerging Technologies and Arts (FETA). He holds a Ph.D. in Composition and Computer Technologies from the University of Virginia. He also taught at Medialogy Department Aalborg University (Copenhagen, Denmark), Yale University, Stanford University, University of Virginia, and Miami International University of Art and Design. Further information can be found at www.kojs.net
I combine my extensive research on cognitive psychology, with my international experience as a pianist and composer, along with my very strong interest in film and video-game music to design the most innovative music theory and aural skills program in the country.
As Associate Professor of Music Theory at the Frost School of Music, Juan Chattah, Ph.D. focuses his efforts on two different areas of research - one, the application of models drawn from cognitive psychology, linguistics, and critical theory to the analysis of film music; and two, the exploration of innovative pedagogical paradigms informed by methodological advances in non-music related disciplines.
Dr. Chattah’s recent publications in film musicology include David Shire’s The Conversation: A Film Score Guide (Rowman and Littlefield, 2015), “Film Music as Embodiment” in Embodied Cognition and Cinema (Maarten Coegnarts and Peter Kravanja, eds.; Leuven University Press, 2015). His recent writings in music theory pedagogy include Aural Skills in Context (co-authored with Matthew Shaftel and Evan Jones; Oxford University Press, 2013) and Transforming Musical Studies from Its Foundations: A Manifesto for Progressive Change (co-authored with David Myers, Pat Campbell, Ed Sarath, and Tim Rice; College Music Society, 2014).
A prolific composer, Dr. Chattah’s undertakings range from tangos performed regularly by the Emory Tango Ensemble, to interactive electroacoustic music incorporated by several dance companies, original underscoring for independent films, and children songs written for the program Stories in the Air, an original innovative series broadcast worldwide through Public Radio International. He is also active as a solo and chamber pianist; he studied under respected master musicians Elisabeth Westercamp in Argentina and Herman Uhlhorn and David Kuyken in the Netherlands and participated in masterclasses with Michel Beroff, Ivan Moravec, and Paul Badura-Skoda.
Dwight Banks completed his Ph.D. studies in composition at the University of California, Berkeley. In addition, he completed his M.M at California State University, Northridge, and his BFA at the City College of New York majoring in jazz composition and trumpet performance under the guidance of pianist, composer, and bandleader John Lewis of the Modern Jazz Quartet.
Dr. Banks has been previously selected as a winner in the Detroit Symphony Orchestra’s emerging composer’s program for his orchestral piece Pupil of the Eye. Additional honors include several awards from ASCAP and the James Irvine Foundation Honorary Fellowship. His music has also been performed by ensembles such as the South Arkansas Symphony, the Berkeley New Music Ensemble, and the North South Consonance Ensemble.
Dr. Banks has presented research papers at various conferences with topics ranging from the extended works of Duke Ellington to compositional techniques in the music of Witold Lutoslawski.
The diversity of his involvement in music has included research into subcultural urban music trends which is often reflected in his concert works.
“It’s my job to share everything I know with young artists, which is a big responsibility. I am still so excited about everything that has to do with music, and everything new I learn I want to share with the people closest to me, namely, my students. In turn, I have really high expectations of them. There is a certain amount of work that I expect, but I also expect them to nourish the artist that they are, and to be passionate about what they are doing.”
Dorothy Hindman’s music, a fusion of punk/grunge with a spectralist sensibility and classical refinement, has been called “bright with energy and a lilting lyricism” (New York Classical Review), “dramatic, highly strung” (Fanfare), “varied, utterly rich and sung with purpose and heart” (Huffington Post), “powerful and skillfully conceived” (The Miami Herald), and “music of terrific romantic gesture” (The Buffalo News). ICON magazine raves, “Hindman’s music weds technique and syntax of classical music with the directness and impudence of rock. Highly recommended for rockers wishing to get their proverbial feet wet in post-20th century classical music.”
Her over 400 performances span 35 states and 21 countries, appearing in venues including Carnegie Hall, the United Nations, Boston’s Jordan Hall, the American Academy in Rome, Amsterdam’s Muziekgebouw, Berlin’s BKA-Theater, and Miami’s New World Center, and on Festivals including the Havana Contemporary Music Festival, 2nd Festival Expresiones Contemporaneas, Australian Flute Festival, 2015 Birmingham New Music Festival, Charlotte New Music Festival, and Nuovi Spazi Musicali Festival. Her collaboration with artist Sally Johnson has been exhibited in major museums throughout the Southeast.
Her music is championed by the world’s top new music performers including CAMP, Ex-Sentia, Bent Frequency, Empire City Men’s Chorus, Fresh Squeezed Opera, Quince, Splinter Reeds, the [Switch~ Ensemble], Gregg Smith Singers, Caravel String Quartet, New York Saxophone Quartet, Corona Guitar Kvartet, Duo 46, bassist Robert Black, cellist Craig Hultgren, percussionists Stuart Gerber and David Moliner, pianists Jacob Mason and Eunmi Ko, and more. Festival appearances include the Havana Contemporary Music Festival, Australian Flute Festival, and Rome’s Nuovi Spazi Musicali. Artistic collaborations include scoring Carrie Mae Weem’s film Italian Dreams, and The Wall Calls to Me with visual artist Sally Wood Johnson.
Hindman’s grants include support from the Mellon Foundation, the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs, and the Alabama State Council on the Arts. Her awards and recognition include Resonate 2024, the 2023 14th Edition of the "Città di Udine" International Composition, NODUS 2022 Fundacio Caixa Castello, Here and Now Miami Light Project Commission 2021, Coction Ensamble 2020, the American Prize, three Gold Medals in the Global Music Awards, 2017 ISCM/New Music Miami, 2017 Boston Microtonal Society, Iron Composer 2015, NoteNova Choral Competition, Almquist Choral Composition Award, Nancy Van de Vate International Composition Prize for Opera, International Society of Bassists Solo Composition Competition, the NACUSA Young Composers Competition, and more. Artist residencies include the Hambidge Center, Kimmel Harding Nelson Center for the Arts, Seaside Escape to Create, Visby International Centre for Composers, Visiting Artist at the American Academy in Rome, and Composer-in-Residence for the Goliard Ensemble.
Hindman’s music appears on fifteen CDs, including her award-winning, critically acclaimed monograph CDs on the innova label Tightly Wound, Blow by Blow, and Tapping the Furnace. Kulturni Magazin UNI writes, “… extraordinary glimpses into interesting topics, concepts of modernity and structured complexity. … a remarkable discovery.” Her recordings also appear on the Albany and Capstone labels. Her music is published by Universal Edition, Subito Music, NoteNova, and Groth Music.
Hindman’s guest faculty appearances include the Charlotte New Music Festival, the Summer Composition Intensive at St. Mary’s College, the Miami International Piano Festival Academy, and the AmiCa Credenze POP Festival in Sicily. She is currently an Associate Professor of Composition at the Frost School of Music.
“Teaching music for me is all about the transference of one’s own legacy of inherited knowledge from the truly great musical masters of the past -- the John Eatons, Joseph Gingolds, and Janos Starkers whose teachings about music -- and life -- I am conscious and mindful of every day.”
Scott Stinson is a lecturer of music at the Frost School Of Music. An innovative musician and composer, he recently staged the large ensemble premiere of Agopolis Metropolis, part of a special consortium of works for wind ensemble and chorus by four composers, including Orlando Garcia, Sydney Guillaume and Steve Danyew that was organized by conductor Brenton Alston at Florida International University in October 2016. His two previous works for winds, Cog (2011) and Rage Against the Machine (2014), were both premiered by the FROST Wind Ensemble under conductors Thomas Sleeper and Gary Green.
Iksander, a composition for multi-percussion, will be premiered in May 2017 at McGill University in Montreal, Canada by percussionist Peter White. Other current compositional projects include a concerto for piano and orchestra, as well as an operatic work based on Shakespeare’s Macbeth.
At age 24, Professor Stinson was given an early performance of his opera Tutankhamen by the Indiana University opera studio. That in turn led to further compositional exploration of microtonal and extended instrumental techniques. In addition, his interests in research have focused on Arabic influences on Western musical culture, as well as the effects of modern electronic media and devices on the human brain and cognition.
When not teaching composition, orchestration, counterpoint and other theory courses at the FROST SCHOOL OF MUSIC, he spends as much time as possible playing chess, board games and puzzles, as well as reading historical biographies, especially those of English monarchs. He is especially proud that two of his recent composition students -- Steve Danyew (2006) and Paul Mortilla -- were B.M.I. award winners in 2016.A graduate of the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, Professor Stinson studied composition with microtonalist opera composer and electronic music pioneer John Eaton. His other influences include such notable contemporary composers as Thomas Ades, Mathias Pintscher, Sofia Gubaidulina and Kaija Saariaho.
I decided to teach because I find joy and fulfillment from working with young composers. I owe it to them to be fully present during their lessons. My goal when teaching is to become immersed in the language the students are trying to speak so that I can best help them realize their composition goals.
Charles Norman Mason is the professor of composition and chair of the Department of Theory and Composition at the Frost School of Music. Widely hailed for his imaginative and creative compositions, Mason has won respect the world over, garnering prizes and recognition from numerous international competitions including the prestigious Rome Prize.
Professor Mason brings with him a body of work that has received consistent acclaim from some of the nation’s most respected music publications. Critics have praised him for his originality, color, and creativity. His music has been repeatedly recognized for its originality and intrigue. Steve Smith of The New York Times called his work “Additions” “nearly seamless integration of electronic and acoustic sounds…” Peter Burwasser of Fanfare magazine labeled him a “boldly, original voice.” High Performance Review added kudos of its own, proclaiming the music to be “full of invention…funky and colorful…consistently ingenious.”
The accolades don’t end there. Writing in New York’s Upstate Music” magazine, Katherine Porlington stated, “Mason's ‘Senderos Que se Bifurcan’ is, without doubt, one of the finest new clarinet chamber works of the past twenty years.” The Birmingham News’ Nancy Raabe noted that “Mason's brilliant From Shook Foil occupies a class of its own...it is charged with creativity.”
Not surprisingly, Professor Mason’s compositions have also been the recipient of numerous awards, including the Rome Prize, National Endowment of the Arts individual award, Dale Warland Commission Prize, Premi Internacional de Composició Musical Ciutat de Tarragona Orchestra (SPAIN). and American Composers Orchestra “Playing it Unsafe” commission prize. His music has been performed all over the world, including at such prestigious international festivals as the Foro Internacional De Musica Nueva in Mexico City, the Quirinale in Rome, the Aspen Summer Music Festival, and the Nuova Musica Consonante in Romania. His music has also been featured several times on “Performance Today” on NPR.
Professor Mason brings that invention and excitement to his classroom, inspiring his students to create and compose with the same eagerness and exhilaration. He empowers them to exercise their individual voices and full potential when it comes to mining their craft and creativity.
For more about Professor Mason, visit his website at www.charlesnormanmason.com“Preparing students for a successful future regardless of their chosen path is of the utmost importance to me. I strive to challenge my students while providing them with fulfilling and meaningful musical experiences that will give them the tools to thrive as musicians and become productive creators of art.”
Stephen Guerra is the assistant professor in the Department of Studio Music and Jazz at the Frost school of Music. He is also the director of the award-winning Frost Studio Jazz Band and teaches classes in jazz conducting and repertoire, composition, arranging, and saxophone. He formerly served as the director of Frost MusicReach and launched many of the programs that continue today.
Under Dr. Guerra’s leadership, the Henry Mancini Institute has appeared in numerous PBS specials, major-label record releases, and high-profile live events throughout the United States including a recent performance with John Williams, Kristen Chenoweth, and Matthew Morrison in Beverly Hills, California. Dr. Guerra, in collaboration with Dean Shelly Berg and Resident Conductor and Artistic Coordinator Scott Flavin, strives to create innovative learning and performance opportunities for HMI.
In high demand as a composer and arranger, Dr. Guerra has been commissioned to write music for Dave Koz, Ben Folds, Carmen Bradford, the National Symphony Orchestra, the Greater Manchester Youth Symphony Orchestra, the Henry Mancini Institute Orchestra, and the Air Force Band of the West. In December 2016, he traveled to Japan as the assistant orchestrator for Japanese music sensation Yoshiki’s Classical Tour. He has served as a composer‐in‐residence throughout the U.S., thanks to the Commission Project and the National Endowment for the Arts. Dr. Guerra has also performed alongside many jazz greats, including Phil Woods, Al Grey, Snooky Young, Marshall Royal, Louis Bellson, 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. In addition to the Stephen Guerra Big Band critically acclaimed first album Namesake in 2009, he also contributed to the New Hampshire Jazz Orchestra’s 2015 release Swingin’ for the Holidays.
Before pursuing his DMA and eventually joining the faculty at the Frost School of Music, Dr. Guerra was a high school band director in Concord and Pelham, New Hampshire. He created jazz education programs at both the Manchester Community Music School and the Bedford Youth Performing Company in New Hampshire. Dr. Guerra earned a B.A. from the University of New Hampshire in saxophone performance, a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies from the Clark Terry International Institute of Jazz Studies, an M.M. from the Eastman School of Music, and a D.M.A. in jazz composition from the Frost School of Music.
A pianist, composer, and educator, Nick Rosen began his musical journey at the age of five while plucking out tunes on the piano. Since then, he has traveled the world doing what he loves and inspiring people through the art of music. As his skills and talents developed, he was hired by the University of Miami to teach on the jazz faculty. Nick has performed with artists ranging from jazz royalty to indie singer-songwriters and everything in between. Most recently he was featured on Faye Webster’s critically acclaimed album “I Know I’m Funny Haha” as well as “Car Therapy”, a collection of Webster’s songs with a symphony. Nick has two albums under his name, "Step Into The Light" on Ropeadope Records and "KIN Copaset featuring Paula Champion" on Tribo Records. Both showcase his ability as a bandleader, composer, and lyricist. Nick has shared the stage with Roy Ayers, Wallace Roney, Curtis Fuller, Etienne Charles, Jennifer Holiday, Jamison Ross, Nathan East, and others. He has toured with Russell Gunn, Dionne Farris, Col. Bruce Hampton, The Shadowboxers, Sachal Vasandani, and Rich Robinson’s Magpie Salute. And he has performed at venues like Madison Square Garden, The Blue Note, The Troubadour, and the Ryman.
“To play music for a living is to be truly fortunate. I hope to impart this truth on my students as we work together to put them on the right path to becoming successful musicians
“Add Martin Bejerano to the expanding roster of hot young
pianists that stretches from Hiromi Uehara and Eldar Djangirov to
Robert Glasper and Taylor Eigsti…” – Jazz Times
Acclaimed Latin GRAMMY-nominated pianist, composer, and educator Martin Bejerano has
performed/recorded with numerous jazz luminaries, including his 20 year association with
GRAMMY Lifetime Achievement Award-winning drummer Roy Haynes, Christian McBride Band,
Dave Holland, Pat Metheny, Ignacio Berroa, Ron Carter, Russell Malone, Dafnis Prieto, Luciana
Souza, Marcus Strickland, Jonathan Kreisberg, and Roxana Amed, performing at nearly all of the major jazz clubs, festivals and venues around the world, as well as performing on the Late Show with David Letterman. He is featured on over 25 recordings, including the 2022 Latin GRAMMY-nominated album #CubanAmerican, the GRAMMY-nominated Fountain of Youth with the Roy
Haynes Quartet, and Roxana Amed’s Latin GRAMMY-nominated albums Ontology and
Unánime.
An award-winning bandleader, Martin’s groups have performed at such notable venues as
Symphony Space, Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola at Lincoln Center, The Jazz Gallery, Blues Alley, Barquisimeto Jazz Festival, El Hatillo Jazz Festival, St. Petersburg Jazz Festival, Festival Miami, Frost Live Signature Series, and Lucerne Piano Off-Stage Festival. He has been thrice-awarded the prestigious “New Jazz Works” grant from Chamber Music America in 2010, 2017, and 2024, as well as numerous composition grants and commissionsfrom such organizations as Dranoff 2 Piano Fusion, Bacardi, Sonos Chamber Orchestra (New York City), and both a Provost Research Award grant and Arts and Humanities grant from the University of Miami.
As an educator, Professor Bejerano has presented numerous masterclasses and clinics all over the world, and has adjudicated for the National Young Arts Foundation, the Jazz Educators Network, and numerous other institutions and competitions. He has been published in Keyboard magazine, and author of aone-of-a-kind multi-media iBook on jazz improvisation, Practicing Jazz Improvisation.
Born in Gainesville and raised in Miami, FL (1979), Grammy-Award nominated tenor saxophonist Marcus Strickland has been active on the New York jazz scene since the 1990s. He developed his chops alongside his twin brother, drummer E.J. Strickland, with a unique rhythmic sensibility.
Brought up by a father who worked as a lawyer and played the drums during his spare time, Marcus learned musical rudiments in the context of drumming, emerging as a uniquely interactive player. Early influences include Joe Henderson, Wayne Shorter, and Whit Sidener, who helped him hone harmonic knowledge in the context of the saxophone. As a teenager, Marcus transcribed the complex harmonies of Charlie Parker and John Coltrane and learned the culture of playing the saxophone through Branford Marsalis.
In 1997, Strickland received a scholarship to study at The New School for Social Research in New York City, earning a B.A. in jazz performance (2002). There, he took Jazz Orchestra Ensemble with Blue Note Records veteran Charles Tolliver and Blakey Ensemble with Coltrane band double bassist Reggie Workman. As a student, Marcus became friends with fellow student pianist Robert Glasper and vocalist Bilal, and a new generation of sound began to take shape. As fate would have it, Bilal introduced Marcus to Slum Village and J Dilla, launching an interest in beat making and new ideas about what it means to create music.
Accompanying artists such as Roy Haynes (2002-2005), Jeff “Tain” Waits (2004-2013), and Chris Dave (2013-now), Marcus’ early career focused on mastering the jazz idiom—especially bebop—while reaching into the future. Having played with three drummers that marked time in terms of music development, Marcus’ own eclectic approach to sound advanced in relationship with the groove. Inspired by low-mid register beats, Marcus took up the bass clarinet.
Meanwhile, Strickland placed third in the 2002 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Saxophone Competition, and launched his own music label, Strick Muzik, in 2006. DownBeat magazine’s Critics' Poll named him 'Rising Star on Tenor Saxophone' in 2010 and 'Rising Star on Soprano Saxophone' in 2008. He was also named the 2006 'Best New Artist' by JazzTimes magazine's Reader's Poll. He was signed to Blue Note Records in 2015, and in 2017, was invited to play with bassist Christian McBride’s New Jawn, a group conceived with him in mind.
Marcus’ band and concept project, Twi-Life, thrives at the intersection of jazz and Hip Hop, and here Strickland becomes beatmaker and composer as well as a saxophonist. Playing with the meaning of ‘twilight’ emphasizing the dichotomy as well as the connection between day and night, this project stresses the necessity to stretch out artistically, beyond the limits of category or genre.
His 2020 music video On My Mind remix featuring Bilal and emcee Pharoahe Monch with street dancer Storyboard P, premiered with Afropunk and won Best Music Video at the Philadelphia Independent Film Festival and Best Body at the London Music Video Festival, among other accolades.
Strickland has performed with McCoy Tyner, Tom Harrell, Nicholas Payton, Wynton Marsalis, Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, Carnegie Hall Big Band, Dave Douglas, Keyon Harrold, and Mos Def, among others. Marcus’ forthcoming independent album, The Universe’s Wildest Dream, urges for a raising of consciousness about the random and delicate miracle of life on Planet Earth. He spends his time between New York and Miami, where he serves as Associate Professor of Practice in the Department of Studio Music at the University of Miami Frost School of Music.
“When we surrender to the music and keep it the focus of the performance, we remain the vessel for our art. There are numerous possibilities in performance when we maintain the belief that ‘creating’ is a privilege.”
Kate Reid is Director of the Jazz Vocal Performance program and Associate Professor of jazz voice in the Studio Music and Jazz Department at the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami. Apart from overseeing all aspects of the Jazz Vocal Performance program, Professor Reid directs two of Frost’s three jazz vocal ensembles - Frost Extensions and Frost Jazz Vocal I. Dr. Reid also teaches jazz improvisation, sight-singing, and music theory and she maintains a full jazz voice studio of undergraduate and graduate students.
Dr. Reid enjoys a busy career as a guest artist, conductor, clinician, and adjudicator at all-state jazz and choral festivals through the United States and Canada, among them, the Sacramento State Jazz Festival, Illinois Wesleyan University Jazz Festival, Alberta Choral Festival, Ontario Vocal Festival, Reno Jazz Festival, Eastern Washington University Jazz Festival, Minnesota State University Moorhead, Millikin University Vocal Jazz Festival, Northern Arizona University Mad/Jazz Fest, the Rocky Mountain Music Festival at Banff and the vocal jazz festivals in California at Cuesta College, MiraCosta College, and Fullerton College. She has also participated in the Manhattan Concert Productions Jazz Series and has conducted the California, New York, and New Hampshire All-State jazz choirs.
Before joining the faculty at the Frost School of Music, Dr. Reid was Professor of Music and Director of Vocal Jazz at Cypress College in Cypress, California for eleven years. While living in Southern California, Dr. Reid appeared regularly with her own quartet at jazz venues throughout the Los Angeles area. She has worked with many great jazz musicians in Southern California, including guitarists Ron Eschete, Larry Koonse, and Bruce Forman, and drummers Roy McCurdy and Jamey Tate. Dr. Reid’s CD, The Love I’m In (2012), features tenor saxophonist Ernie Watts and pianist Otmaro Ruiz. Like her album Sentimental Mood (2008), The Love I’m In features tunes from the Great American songbook and it received extensive airplay on jazz radio stations throughout the U.S., Canada, Europe, and South Africa. In addition, Dr. Reid has performed with many renowned artists, including John Clayton, Robin Eubanks, Jon Hendricks, Grady Tate, Mercer Ellington, Don Shelton, Mark Murphy, the Duke Ellington Orchestra, Liza Minelli, Mark Murphy, Rosemary Clooney, Dianne Schurr, and Dr. Billy Taylor.
Dr. Reid’s multifaceted career also includes work as a studio and session singer in Los Angeles. Her film credits include Planes, Star Trek Into Darkness, Oz-The Great and Powerful, Epic, and Men In Black III, featuring the music of composers Danny Elfman, Michael Giacchino, John Powell, and Joel McNeely. She has lent her voice to several network television series, to commercial spots for Ace Hardware, T-Mobile, and Suntory Whiskey, and to recordings by such artists as MUSE, X Japan, and Josh Groban.
In addition to teaching at the Frost School of Music, Dr. Reid continues to perform, record, and teach throughout the U.S. and Europe. Dr. Reid earned her B.M. in Jazz Studies from Western Michigan University and an M.M. and D.M.A. in Jazz Vocal Performance from the University of Miami.
Dr. Reid is a member of the American Federation of Musicians Local 47, Screen Actor’s Guild/American Federation of Television and Recording Artists (SAG-AFTRA), The Recording Academy (formerly NARAS), the American Choral Director’s Association (ACDA), Phi Beta Kappa, and the Jazz Education Network (JEN)John Yarling attended Florida State University (classical percussion), University of Miami (jazz performance, drum set) and has taught general music and percussion at North Broward Preparatory Schools, and established a percussion program at the Florida Youth Conservatory.
His flawless musicianship and commitment to his art make him the drummer of choice for many South Florida performers such as Ira Sullivan and the Inter-Outer Continental Quintet, The Shack Daddys, South Florida Jazz Orchestra, Brian Murphy Trio, The Nicole Yarling 4-Tet, the Jeff Taylor Band and Diane Ward. He is at ease in 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, ark Murphy, Mike Stern, Larry Coryell, and Dave Liebman as well as rockers Mick Taylor, Nicky Hopkins, and Bobby Keys (The Rolling Stones). H has recorded with Ira Sullivan, Curtis Fuller, Pepper Adams, Joe Williams, Ernest Ranglin, Kevin Mahogany, and most recently Pink.
"Every musician is a unique individual. I try to find that which is inside of each student, the special qualities that make them who they are, and nurture those strengths. By providing all the information necessary to develop the skill sets that are demanded of a professional musician but also paying close attention to the varying needs of the individual player, I hope to direct each student on a path to not only a long career in music but also an artistically fulfilling one"
John Hart is a Lecturer in Jazz Guitar at the FROST SCHOOL OF MUSIC. As the head of the Jazz Guitar Department, Professor Hart teaches applied lessons, ensembles, and vocal accompaniment. He is one of the most sought-after and prolific guitarists on the jazz scene today.
A New York fixture on the New York music scene for 30 years, Professor Hart has distinguished himself as a band leader with ten CDs - including releases on such prestigious labels as Blue Note and Concord - as well as a first call sideman to the stars. A prolific recording artist, John has appeared on 100-plus CDs as a sideman.
In addition, Professor Hart’s resume includes associations with numerous jazz greats from earlier generations and cutting edge contemporary artists. He may be best known for a sixteen year tenure with organist Jack McDuff, a gig which proved to be a proving ground for many of the great jazz guitar innovators. He has also worked with Jimmy Smith and can be seen on YouTube performing with him at the Mt. Fuji Jazz Festival in 1990. Other associations include Lou Donaldson, James Moody, Jon Hendricks and more recently Dr. Lonnie Smith. His versatility is apparent when you look at some of his other associations. He has played in bands led by Brian Blade, Chris Potter, Larry Goldings, Bob Belden, Rick Margitza, Javon Jackson and has played with the Maria Schneider Orchestra for the last 20 years.
JazzTimes said of Professor Hart, "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.” Bill Milkowski said in Jazziz magazine, "John Hart is a modern day keeper of the flame" and Scott Yanow from Jazztimes said “Hart is a true original”
Professor Hart’s recording career as a leader began in 1990 when he signed with Blue Note records. In 1992, he formed the John Hart quartet which featured young star Chris Potter. The band was together for seven years, during which time they toured extensively, were featured on NPR's Jazzset, and recorded an album for Concord records. In 2001 he formed the John Hart trio, which recorded three CDs for Hep records. He has also headlined at the Montreux Jazz Festival, the Edinburgh Jazz Festival, the Vancouver Jazz Festival, the Nairn Jazz Festival, the Victoria Jazz Festival and many of the premier jazz clubs in the U.S.
In addition, Professor Hart has been the guitarist of choice for many of New York City’s great jazz vocalists and has performed and/or recorded with Hilary Kole, Lizz Wright, Philip Bailey, Rene Marie, Deborah Cox, Jon Hendricks, Annie Ross and Michael Feinstein among others. He played in the house band at the legendary Apollo theatre in the 1980's, later did a variety of studio work, played on soundtracks for HBO's "Sex in the City," and made a recent appearance on “Prairie Home Companion” with the popular band Pink Martini. From 2011 – 2014, he was the musical director of the Birdland Jazz Quartet, the house band at the famed jazz club Birdland.
Professor Hart recently signed with Zoho Records, which will release a new trio release, Exit from Brooklyn, in the spring of 2016. It places him into consideration on the first ballot for the 2017 Grammy awards.“What you want for yourself, give freely to others. Our musicianship is simply an extension and expression of our level of consciousness”
John Daversa is Chair of Studio Music and Jazz at the Frost School of Music as well as an internationally respected performer, composer, arranger, producer, bandleader, educator, and Schilke and BFM Jazz recording artist.
2019 Grammy Winner for:
2017 Grammy Nominations for:
Dr. Daversa’s celebrated career has included appearances on “The Today Show,” “Late Night with David Letterman,” “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” as well as such musical gatherings as Live 8 in Berlin, the Hamburg Music Festival, the Java Jazz Festival, the Monterey Jazz Festival, the Montreal Jazz Festival, the Montreux Festival, and the Playboy Jazz Festival. He has recorded with such notable and distinguished artists as Herbie Hancock, Fiona Apple, Sheryl Crow, Dori
In 1996, Dr. Daversa founded the John Daversa Progressive Big Band, an influential jazz ensemble of considerable distinction. Their 2011 album Junk Wagon: The Big Band Album won Best in Show and Awards of Excellence in creativity, originality
Dr. Daversa’s latest big band release, 2016’s, Kaleidoscope Eyes: Music of the Beatlesreverently puts a distinctive twist on the iconic Beatles songbook by combining a 40 piece orchestra with vocals by Renee Olstead and Katisse Buckingham. The album has been recognized with six Gold Medals from the 2016 Global Music Awards and is the recipient of 3 GRAMMY© nominations. "This is art,” said jazz legend Terence Blanchard. “This is what music should be. No recreation. No mimicking. Just honesty - Fearless honesty."
In addition to his other accolades, Dr. Daversa is a recipient of the Herb Alpert Award, the David Joel Miller Award, the National Trumpet Competition, the ITG Jazz Soloist Competition, and a finalist in the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition.
Dr. Daversa earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Music from The University of California, Los Angeles, a Master of Fine Arts degree in Jazz Studies at California Institute of the Arts, and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Jazz Studies at the University of Southern California. He previously taught at both USC and California State University Northridge, California. He endorses Schilke Music Products.
"I perceive education as a way to facilitate those who are interested in their search for a path, the tools to motivate & foster the constant desire for exploration."
Pianist and composer Gonzalo Rubalcaba is a Studio Music and Jazz lecturer at the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami.
Rubalcaba was already a young phenom with a budding career in his native Cuba when he was discovered by Dizzy Gillespie in 1985. Since, Piano & Keyboard Magazine selected him in 1999 as one of the great pianists of the 20th century, alongside figures such as Glenn Gould, Martha Argerich
He was born on May 27,
The encounters with Gillespie and, in 1986, with Charlie Haden and then Blue Note Records president, Bruce Lundvall, set the stage to finally showcase Rubalcaba ́s talent before jazz audiences in the United States. These years are documented in a series of recordings in Havana and Frankfurt, Germany, including three superb recordings with his Cuban Quartet on the German label
His international recording career, which includes titles such as Discovery – Live at Montreux, Images-- Live at Mt. Fuji, The Blessing, Suite 4 y 20, Rapsodia, Diz and Imagine – Gonzalo Rubalcaba in the USA, has garnered him 16 nominations including both Grammys and Latin Grammys. He won Grammys for Nocturne (2001) and Land of the Sun (2004), two collections of Latin ballads and boleros recorded with bassist Charlie Haden; and Latin Grammys for Solo (2006) and Supernova (2002).
In 2010, Rubalcaba and businessman Gary Galimidi, founded 5Passion Records and since, the label has not only released Rubalcaba’s latest recordings such as Fe (2011), XXI (2012) Live Faith (2014) and the Latin
Hailed by The New York Times as "an auteur" (Ben Ratliff) and by Jazz Times as a "daring improviser who delivers with heart-wrenching lyricism" (Bill Milkowski), Trinbagonian Etienne Charles has received critical acclaim for his exciting performances, thrilling compositions, and knack for connecting with audiences worldwide. Perhaps more than any other musician of his generation or Eastern Caribbean origin, Charles brings a careful study of myriad rhythms from the French, Spanish, English, and the Dutch-speaking Caribbean to his compositions.
Charles’ latest album, Carnival: The Sound of a People Vol. 1, is an excursion into the varied acoustic sounds, grooves, chants, and rituals of his native Trinidad & Tobago Carnival. His 2016 album San Jose Suite was a musical discourse on the effects of colonialism through the scope of the experiences of First Nation peoples and African descendants in three San Jose locations, Costa Rica, California, and Trinidad.
In June 2012, he was written into the US Congressional Record for his musical contributions to Trinidad & Tobago and the World. In 2013, his album Creole Soul reached #1 for three weeks on the Jazzweek chart and was eventually named #3 Jazz Album of the year by Jazzweek. Also in 2013, he received the Caribbean Heritage Trailblazer award from the Institute of Caribbean Studies (Washington, DC). In 2015, Charles was named as a John Simon Guggenheim Fellow in the Creative Arts. In 2016, he was the recipient of the Michigan State University Teacher-Scholar Award, the Jazz at Lincoln Center Millennial Swing Award, and was a featured panelist and performer at the White House for a Caribbean Heritage Month Briefing.
He made his debut as producer and songwriter on the album Petite Afrique by Somi (Sony/Okeh 2017) which won Outstanding Jazz Album at the 2018 NAACP Image Awards. He has been featured as a bandleader at the Newport Jazz Festival (RI), Monterey Jazz Festival (CA), Atlanta Jazz Festival (GA), Pittsburgh JazzLive international Festival (PA), San Jose Jazz Festival (CA), Java Jazz Festival (Indonesia), Ottawa Jazz Festival (Canada), St. Lucia Jazz Festival, Barbados Jazz Festival, Library of Congress (DC), Carnegie Hall (NY) and Koerner Hall (Canada). As a sideman he has performed with and/or arranged for Roberta Flack, Marcus Roberts, Marcus Miller, Count Basie Orchestra, Frank Foster’s Loud Minority Big Band, Monty Alexander, Gregory Porter, René Marie, Paulette McWilliams, and many others. He has been commissioned as a composer and arranger by the Savannah Music Festival (2017), Chamber Music America (2015), the Charleston Jazz Orchestra (2012) and the Chicago Jazz Ensemble (2011).
As an educator and conductor, he has done residencies at the Juilliard School, Stanford University, Columbia College Chicago, Oakland University, Kent State University, Walnut Hills High School, Cultural Academy for Excellence, and the US Military Academy. His dedication to the preservation of artistic traditions in his homeland inspired him to form and lead the carnival bands, “We the People” (2017), “Street Party” (2018), “D’longtime Band” (2019), and “Euphoria” (2020), which featured a full live brass band on a truck going through the streets of Woodbrook and Port of Spain playing vintage calypso and soca. Understanding his role as an Artist citizen and seeing live music as a way to uplift all people, he is dedicated to bringing it to those who aren’t able to attend concerts. Specifically, in his homeland of Trinidad and Tobago, he has done performances and workshops at Princess Elizabeth Center, St. Dominic’s children’s home, St. Mary’s children’s home, St. Jude’s school for girls, St. Michael’s school for boys, St. Margaret’s school for boys, Youth Training Center and Maximum Security Prison.
“To whom much is given, much is required.”
David L. Anderson II is a professor for Gospel Ensemble at Frost School of Music as well as a respected producer, arranger, musician, and educator.
56th GRAMMY® Nominations for his work with The Runners on:
55th GRAMMY® Nominations for his work The Runners on:
Known for his ability to "develop the sound," Mr. Anderson has been called upon to curate the singers and musicians, in addition to arranging the vocals, for numerous televised events and performances including the Super Bowl, BET’s "S.O.S.: Saving Our Selves: Help For Haiti" Live Benefit Concert, the Historic Hampton House Concert Series and Univision Awards Show. His ear for exceptional vocalists and musicians has even secured him the opportunity to be the exclusive provider of performers for Sunday brunch at Red Rooster Overtown, a new restaurant started by acclaimed Chef Marcus Samuelsson.
In 2005, Mr. Anderson founded R.E.AL. Music Entertainment, a music production and performance company, through which he has produced and/or written songs for artists including John Legend, Chris Brown, Kelly Rowland, Tamia, Luke James, Ace Hood, and Bishop Paul S. Morton. Some of these records have gone on to be featured in movies, such as Tyler Perry’s “Madea Goes to Jail”, performed on live award shows, and nominated for GRAMMYs.
Mr. Anderson earned his Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Florida and a Master of Fine Arts degree in Music Business and Entertainment Industry from the University of Miami.
“Learning to play music is akin to learning a language. With hard work and dedication, the aspiring musician can master the various dialects that represent a host of musical styles, thus allowing him/her to thrive in any musical situation.”
Graduate Program Director of Jazz Performance, Instrumental at the Frost School of Music, Dante Luciani is one of the most unique and versatile jazz trombonists on the scene today. Originally from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he conducted the award-winning Concert Jazz Band from 2001-2012. Among the band’s honors are Downbeat’s prestigious award for “Best College Big Band” in 2006, 2007, and 2010. The group was also nominated for a Grammy award for a collaboration with arranger/composer Maria Schneider.
Professor Luciani has also been a featured artist with the Naples Jazz Philharmonic and he is currently the trombonist with Ira Sullivan's Inter-Outer Continental Quintet. He has performed and recorded as lead trombonist/soloist with the Dizzy Gillespie All-Star Big Band, the Maynard Ferguson Big Bop Nouveau Band, the Arturo Sandoval, Woody Herman's Thundering Herd, Dizzy Gillespie, Slide Hampton, Michael Brecker, Bob Mintzer, Nat Adderly, James Moody, Micky Roker, Shirley Scott, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Elvis Costello, Paul Anka, Frank Sinatra Sr., Frank Sinatra Jr., Gloria Estefan, the South Florida Jazz Orchestra and many others.
As a trombone soloist, Dante frequently tours Eastern Europe with Janusz Szprot and his Young at Heart band and has also performed regularly in Istanbul, Turkey at the Nardis Jazz Club. He was twice featured as a soloist for the " Salsa Meets Jazz" series at the Arturo Sandoval Jazz Club in Miami, Florida.
Recent Latin GRAMMY-winning recordings include sessions for Ed Calle’s Mamblue big band, as well as Arturo Sandoval's CD entitled Rhumba Palace. Others projects include P Diddy's Bad Boyz, solo work for vocalist Paula Doyler's project Over and Over, Trumpet Summit with the South Florida Jazz Orchestra, as well as work with the Frank Derrick big band, the Stephen Guerra big band, and, most recently, the 14 Jazz Orchestra under the direction of arranger Dan Bonsanti.
In addition, Professor Dante is a regular clinician/performer at the Pulawy Summer Jazz Workshop in Pulawy, Poland, and the Zywiec Trombone Festival in Zywiec, Poland.“I like to bring the consciousness of ideas and work on the different techniques to make those ideas possible. I also like to bring awareness of musical traditions as well as the creative approach to making music. There are a vast number of possibilities when we approach music, therefore, I always give the students the freedom to choose, but with personalized guidance and a body of knowledge that will support each particular intention.”
MacArthur Fellow and 2019 Grammy winner Dafnis Prieto joined the Frost faculty in 2015. Under his direction, the Dafnis Prieto Artist Ensemble, an elite group of Frost jazz musicians, won Top College Combo at the 2016 Next Generation Jazz Festival with an appearance at the Monterey Jazz Festival.
Originally from Santa Clara, Cuba, Prieto is a gifted educator who has conducted master classes, clinics, and workshops throughout the world. His revolutionary drumming techniques and compositions have had a powerful impact on the Latin and jazz music scene internationally. He published the critically acclaimed drumming instructional book, A World of Rhythmic Possibilities: Drumming Lessons and Reflections on Rhythms.
Since his arrival to New York in 1999, Prieto has worked in bands led by Henry Threadgill, Eddie Palmieri, Chico and Arturo O’Farrill, Roy Hargrove, and Don Byron, among others. He has composed music for dance, film, chamber ensembles, and most notably for his own bands, ranging from duets to big band, and including the distinctively different groups featured on seven acclaimed recordings as a leader. His work is heard on the 2002 Grammy-winning album The Gathering by the Caribbean Jazz Project. In addition, Prieto has received commissions, grants, and fellowships from Chamber Music America, Jazz at Lincoln Center, MOMA, East Carolina University, and Meet the Composer.
Prieto served as faculty of jazz studies at NYU from 2005-2014. He is the founder of the independent music company Dafnison Music and endorses Yamaha Drums, Sabian Cymbals, Latin Percussion, Evans Drumheads, and Vic Firth Sticks.
Listen to his January 2021 NPR interview here.
I was fortunate to be born and raised in New Orleans, one of the richest musical and cultural cities in the world – also the best place to eat in America. I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Jazz Performance from Loyola University, a Master’s in Studio Music and Jazz from the University of Miami, and a Doctorate in Higher Education Leadership from Nova Southeastern University. I also attended Louisiana State University and the Eastman School of Music.
Charles Bergeron has been playing music professionally for almost four decades and has performed, toured, or recorded in multiple musical styles music on six continents. Fifteen years of his professional career were spent in New York City, giving him the opportunity to work with Stan Getz, Randy Brecker, Dave Grusin, James Moody, John Abercrombie, Joey Calderazzo, Larry Coryell, Dave Weckl, Ronnie Cuber, Ed Shaughnessy, Art Lande, Rick Margitza, Jeff Hamilton, Dave Stryker, Dennis Mackrel, John Fedchock, Peter Erskine, Charles Pillow, Adam Nussbaum, Red Holloway, Andy Laverne, Allen Farnham, Stanley Jordan, and Bob Moses, among others. He is also a proud alumnus of both the Woody Herman and Buddy Rich big bands.
A year before moving to Miami, Bergeron began a seven-year period as bassist and later musical director for Warner Bros. vocalist Kevin Mahogany. He then toured with 10-time Grammy-winning trumpeter Arturo Sandoval. After settling in Miami, he has performed with a host of jazz luminaries, including Tom Scott, Wycliffe Gordon, Shelly Berg, Brian Lynch, Tom Harrell, Phil Markowitz, Don Friedman, Eric Alexander, Joe LaBarbera, Houston Person, Ira Sullivan, Jimmy Greene, Joshua Breakstone, Gregg Field, Dena DeRose, Steve Houghton, Claudio Roditi, Dave Tull, Terell Stafford, Richie Cole, Russell Malone, Carmen Lundy, Bill Mays, Ken Peplowski, Don Braden, Lew Tabakin, Orrin Evans, Matt Wilson, and Elvis Costello.
Throughout his career, Bergeron has accompanied many of the premier vocalists in the musical community. A partial list includes the great Joe Williams, Patti Austin, Freddie Cole, Anita O’Day, Tierney Sutton, Janis Siegel and Cheryl Bentyne from the Manhattan Transfer, Monica Mancini, Jack Jones, Marilyn Maye, Carmen Lundy, Debbie Boone, Niki Harris, Karrin Allyson, Jackie Ryan, Tony DeSare, Jamie Davis, Michael Feinstein, The Pointer Sisters, Nancy King, Freda Payne, Pete McGuiness, Carmen Bradford, Nicky Yarling, Cyrille Aimee, Hilary Kole, Jazzmeia Horn, and Sheila Jordan.
Charles Bergeron has released five albums of his original compositions for quintet and trio, winning two ASCAP Composer’s Awards for his writing. For the last twelve years, he has been the director of the South Florida Jazz Orchestra, a critically acclaimed big band featuring the top musicians in the Miami area. The band has two internationally released albums of original compositions and new arrangements, and two more scheduled for release in 2018. Their most recent recording spent eight weeks in the Top Ten on the JazzWeek Radio charts and received top reviews from national publications.
He has recorded as a sideman on many jazz and commercial albums, some of the most recent being Ed Calle’s Grammy award-winning Mamblue, Charles Pillow’s Bitches Brew Large Ensemble featuring Dave Liebman, and albums with Nathalie Cole, Heart, Il Volo, and Deana Martin.
Charles Bergeron's former students have toured and recorded with many of today’s leading artists, including Grammy-winner Maria Schneider, Sonny Emory, Arturo Sandoval, Harry Connick, Jr., U.S. Military service bands, and popular contemporary artists such as Lauryn Hill, Rhianna, Pitbull, and NIMA Artist of the Year Corey Mac. In the summer, he served as a guest clinician at the Jalisco International Jazz Festival in Guadalajara, Mexico, alongside each annual edition of the Frost Sextet. His student groups have won multiple Downbeat Awards over the years and represented the Frost school frequently at festivals and educational conferences.
He has traveled extensively as a representative of the Frost School of Music, conducting workshops, clinics, and recruiting forums across the country, including college fairs in Dallas, the Next Generation Festival in Monterey, California, and has visited high schools in Chicago, New Orleans, Denver, and New York. He has been a clinician and adjudicator at many festivals and competitions over the years, including the New York City Jazz Festival, the Loyola University Jazz Festival, University of Nebraska – Lincoln, and the Tucson Jazz Institute. He was also recently the guest artist and conductor for the Louisiana All-State Jazz Ensemble Festival.
In 2017, he launched the inaugural Frost Jazz Bass Camp. As director, his intention was to make this a successful annual event that not only benefits Frost recruitment but also positively contributed to the jazz bass community.
“I strive to share the knowledge and understanding that I’ve gained from a long career, one that’s been blessed by close proximity to the legends and many incredible music making experiences, with my students and the FROST community as we journey together into the heart of music.”
Brian Lynch is the Studio Instructor of Jazz Trumpet at the FROST SCHOOL OF MUSIC Department Of Studio Music And Jazz, and the Director of the Brian Lynch Artist Ensemble. In addition, Professor Lynch directs other ensembles in the Studio Music And Jazz program, including the Art Blakey and Horace Silver ensembles.
Professor Lynch is a Grammy© Award recipient and he brings an unparalleled depth and breadth of experience to his teaching as well as his music. An honored graduate of two of the jazz world’s most distinguished academies, Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers and the Horace Silver Quintet, he received wide acclaim during his long tenures with Latin jazz legend Eddie Palmieri and jazz master Phil Woods. 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 over 20 critically acclaimed CDs featuring his distinctive composing and arranging, and he continues to tour the world with various ensembles, a reflection of the wide sweep of his music.
Voted Trumpeter Of The Year and recipient of the Record Of The Year Award by the Jazz Journalists Association in 2017, Professor Lynch’s talents have also been recognized by top placements in the Downbeat Critics and Readers Polls (#3 Trumpet, Critics Poll) as well as feature stories and highly rated reviews for his work in the New York Times, Jazz Times, and Downbeat. He has received multiple Grammy Award nominations - the latest in 2016 for his Madera Latino project - and garnered a Grammy win in 2006 for Best Latin Jazz Album. He is also the recipient of grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, Chamber Music America, and Meet The Composer.
Professor Lynch’s independent record label, Hollistic MusicWorks, has released a series of critically acclaimed recordings under his name since its inception in 2010, including the Grammy Award nominated Madera Latino (2016), Questioned Answer (2014), and the Unsung Heroes series of recordings (2011-13), the latter of which were awarded a 5 star “masterpiece” rating by Downbeat magazine. Professor Lynch also released seventeen albums as a leader between 1987 and 2010 on the Criss Cross, Ken, Sharp Nine, Cellar Live, Nagel Heyer, EWE, Zoo’t Jazz, Artist Share, and Venus recording labels. Professor Lynch’s discography as a featured artist and sideman includes over 200 recordings, including nine albums with Eddie Palmieri, thirteen albums as part of the Phil Woods Quintet, and three albums with Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers, all of which feature his contributions as arranger, composer, and featured soloist. Other notable recordings include albums with Prince, Toshiko Akiyoshi, Issac Delgado, Donald Harrison, George Russell, Tito Puente, and many other artists representing diverse genres of Jazz, Latin, and popular music. Professor Lynch has also arranged and produced for numerous artists, including Lila Downs, Conrad Herwig (the Latin Side series of albums), Mondo Grosso, and Yerba Buena.
Professor Lynch has conducted clinics, workshops, and residencies the world over, including at the Stanford Jazz Workshop, Harvard University, Dartmouth University, Michigan State University, Senzoku University (Japan), Yamaha Artist Services (Taipei and Moscow), and the Rotterdam Codarts University. He has been Artist In Residence for the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music’s Jazz Institute (2010-present) and Artistic Director of Ensamble Tonica (Guadalajara, Mexico), Before joining the faculty at the FROST SCHOOL OF MUSIC, Professor Lynch was on the faculty of New York University from 2003 to 2011. He has also taught at the Prinz Claus Conservatorium (Netherlands) as Visiting Professor (2002-07), Long Island University, and The New School.
Professor Lynch’s degrees include a Masters of Music from New York University and a Bachelor’s Degree in Jazz Performance from the Wisconsin Conservatory Of Music.
“I have been lucky through my upbringing to be able to work as a musician in a multi-cultural environment, first in Puerto Rico and now in Miami. The most satisfactory experience as an instructor at FROST has been to open the minds of students to explore different music cultures and grow not only as musicians but as individuals."
For the past 25 years, Alberto De La Reguera has served as director, composer and conductor of the five-time DownBeat Collegiate Award-winning Frost Latin Jazz Orchestra, formerly the Frost Salsa Orchestra. De La Reguera is also Library Assistant for the Marta and Austin Weeks Music Library on the Frost School campus.
Cuban born De La Reguera moved to Puerto Rico at the age of nine, and in the 1970’s began writing and arranging music with Teatro Del Sesenta, considered the best theater company on the island. In 1976, De La Reguera was chosen as musical director of the year for the cantata “El Otro Agueybana.” He has since worked and arranged for Tony Award nominated actress Josie De Guzman, world class percussionist Giovanni Hidalgo, Latin Grammy nominee Mario Ortiz, and Grammy award winning artists Cucco Pena, Barry Lynch and Federico Britos, among others. His music is published through the University of Northern Colorado Jazz Press.
A 35-year member of WDNA-FM in Miami, De La Reguera served fifteen years as Vice-President of the station’s Board of Trustees. He currently produces the weekly UM Frost Jazz Hour live radio broadcast from the WDNA Jazz Gallery studio.
Dr. Melvin L. Butler is Associate Professor of Musicology at the Frost School of Music. He also serves as Academic Ombudsperson in the Office of the Provost and Vice President. His research focuses on music and religion in Haitian, Jamaican, and African American communities, with emphasis on the cultural politics of performance, national identity, and extraordinary experience. He also examines the discourses of cultural authenticity and spiritual power that inflect congregational practice. At the heart of his scholarly work lies a critical reconsideration of how spiritually charged music-making is embedded in processes of boundary crossing, identity formation, and social positioning throughout the African diaspora. He is the author of Island Gospel: Pentecostal Music and Identity in Jamaica and the United States (2019, University of Illinois Press)
An acclaimed saxophonist, Dr. Butler has performed with Brian Blade and the Fellowship Band for over twenty-five years. He is featured with this ensemble on several albums, including Brian Blade Fellowship (1998), Perceptual (2000), Season of Changes (2008), the Grammy-nominated Landmarks (2014), Body and Shadow (2017), and Kings Highway (2023). He has worked with several other jazz artists as well, including Betty Carter, Joey DeFrancesco, Eric Essix, Christian McBride, Jimmy McGriff, Dr. Lonnie Smith, and Reuben Wilson. Dr. Butler has also toured the U.S., Europe, and the Caribbean with celebrated Haitian band Tabou Combo, with whom he recorded three albums—Why Not? (1997), 360 Degrees (1997), and Sans Limites (2000).
In 2022, Dr. Butler was elected to the Board of Directors of the Society for Ethnomusicology and to a two-year term as the SEM President (2023-2025). Prior to this, he served as Secretary of the International Association for the Study of Popular Music (U.S. Branch) and on the executive board of the Haitian Studies Association. Before joining the University of Miami faculty, he taught at the University of Chicago, Yale University, and the University of Virginia.
Dr. Butler earned his Ph.D. in ethnomusicology from New York University, where he also received an M.A. in jazz studies. He also holds a bachelor's degree in performance from Berklee College of Music.
“In the classroom, my goal is for students to gain a broader and deeper understanding not only of the musical styles and techniques used by performers and composers, but how these musical traits intertwine with issues of identity, politics, gender, race, and technology. In other words, I ask students to examine music within the cultural context that it is produced and consumed and how those factors affect the ways in which they engage with music.”
Marysol Quevedo is Associate Professor of Musicology at the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami. She is the author of Cuban Music Counterpoints: Vanguardia Musical in Global Networks (Oxford University Press, 2023) in which she maps the intellectual and artistic networks Cuban composers forged between 1940 and 1991 and how they negotiated aesthetic and political agendas at local and international levels. This project is possible thanks to support from the University of Miami’s Provost Research Award, Institute for the Advanced Study of the Americas Faculty Seed Grant, UM’s Arts and Humanities Fellowship, and UM’s Center for the Humanities Faculty Fellowship.
More broadly, Quevedo’s research focuses on art music in Cuba before and after the 1959 Revolution, and cultural diplomacy and art music networks during the Cold War. She has traveled to Cuba several times, chronicling her experience in the blog myresearchincuba. With a minor in ethnomusicology, she favors an interdisciplinary approach that combines the methods of both historical musicology and ethnographic fieldwork. Quevedo holds a PhD in Musicology from Indiana University, Jacobs School of Music.
Quevedo has conducted research at Florida International University’s Diaz-Ayala Music Collection thanks to the Diaz-Ayala travel research grant, and the Cuban Heritage Collection at the University of Miami through the Goizueta Dissertation Research Fellowship. She received initial music education at the Coro de Niños de San Juan and later at the Conservatorio de Música de Puerto Rico, where she studied flute, cello, and music theory. After graduating from the CMPR’s Pre-College Program, she attended the University of Central Florida, majoring in flute performance in the studio of Frost alumna Dr. Nora Lee García.
Quevedo has presented her research at academic conferences around the world and is an active member of the American Musicological Society, the Society for Ethnomusicology, and the Society for American Music, currently serving as Director-at-large of the American Musicological Society’s Board of Directors. She also serves on the editorial board of the American Music journal. Quevedo has published essays in A Cultural History of Western Music in the Modern Age, Voices of the Field: Pathways in Public Ethnomusicology, Experimentalisms in Practice: Perspectives from Latin America and Experiencing Music and Visual Cultures and the journals Cuban Studies and Boletín Música, as well as entries for the Dictionary of American Music, Routledge Encyclopedia of Modernism, Dictionary of Caribbean and Afro-Latin American Biography, and Oxford Annotated Bibliographies.
Trained as an ethnomusicologist, jazz historian, and pianist, Mark Lomanno explores the resonances between artistic performance, academic study, and sustainable community-building. Specializing in interdisciplinary approaches to music studies, Lomanno approaches his teaching and research through a mix of ecomusicology, environmental humanities, ethnography, improvisation studies, historiography, phenomenology, spirituality studies, and translation studies. Geographically, Lomanno’s ethnographic, performance, and scholarly work are based in the Afro-Atlantic world, most especially in the Canary Islands.
Lomanno has published writing in multiple journals, the Grove Dictionary of American Music, and in two recent edited volumes (Intimate Entanglements: Vulnerability in the Ethnography of Performance and Playing for Keeps: Improvisation in the Aftermath of Crisis). He co-edited (with Daniel Fischlin) The Improviser’s Classroom: Pedagogies for Co-Creative Worldmaking, published by Temple University Press in 2025 for the Press’s Insubordinate Spaces series. He has several ongoing projects, including chapters in Translating the Field: Music, Power, Praxis; the Oxford Handbook of Ecomusicology; and Critical Approaches to Canary Island Studies. His monograph on intercultural collaboration in global jazz is forthcoming.
Through his teaching, research, and performance Lomanno is active in community-based and public initiatives, most especially through outreach and advocacy work related to his ethnographic courses and scholarship. He has curated several residencies and symposia, including on: Improvisation and Social Advocacy (2015), with Canarian jazz fusion group Simbeque (2017), Black Feminist Ecologies (2021), and the “Homegrown Dialogues” event (2025) with vocalist Andromeda Turre at Yale University, funded by a grant from the University’s Institute for Sacred Music. As a jazz industry professional, Lomanno has experience in archival work, arts administration, music journalism, and venue management. He also writes for the magazine Jazz Times and runs the website “Rhythm of Study” (rhythmofstudy.com). Lomanno’s piano performance career includes residencies and appearances across the United States and abroad, along with several recordings, including a 2013 collaborative release with Canarian saxophonist Enrique “Kike” Perdomo.
Lomanno has served in several administrative roles for the Society for Ethnomusicology, including as former Chair of the Improvisation Section. Lomanno is also active in the American Musicological Society, the Grupo Internacional de Estudios Canarios, Jazz Journalists Association, the Small Island Cultures Research Initiative, as well as the international jazz research networks, Rhythm Changes (based in the European Union) and the International Institute for Critical Studies in Improvisation (Canada).
At the University of Miami, Lomanno has a secondary appointment in the Department of Anthropology and serves on the Faculty Advisory Council for the Abess Center for Ecosystem Science and Policy. Before coming to Miami, Lomanno taught at Swarthmore College (as a Consortium for Faculty Diversity and Mellon Foundation Postdoctoral Fellow), St. John’s University, Northeastern University, and Albright College (with appointments in Africana Studies, Latin American Studies, and Women’s and Gender Studies).
My primary goal as both a musicologist and a teacher is to show how music reflects and shapes notions of individual and group identity. In other words—and to paraphrase the wonderful scholar Christopher Small—I seek to understand how people use sound to explore, affirm, and celebrate who they are.
David Ake is professor and chair of the Department of Musicology at the Frost School of Music. In addition to overseeing the administrative workings of the department, Professor Ake teaches graduate and undergraduate courses on music history and occasionally coaches small jazz ensembles and teaches private lessons.
An award-winning scholar and educator in the fields of jazz and popular music, Ake authored the books Jazz Cultures; Jazz Matters: Sound, Place, and Time since Bebop; and the collection Jazz/Not Jazz: The Music and Its Boundaries (co-edited with Charles Hiroshi Garrett and Daniel Goldmark), all for the University of California Press. He also contributed chapters or articles to the Cambridge Companion to Jazz, American Music, Jazz Perspectives, and many other publications. He has delivered papers at the national meetings of the American Musicological Society, the Society for American Music, and the International Association for the Study of Popular Music, as well as keynote addresses to conferences in England and Canada, and guest lectures at universities across the US.
Professor Ake also remains active as a jazz pianist and composer. His recording credits include the solo-piano release In Between and a series of critically acclaimed projects for the Posi-Tone label: Bridges, Lake Effect, Humanities, Slingshot, and Green Thumb. He has performed or recorded alongside a host of renowned musicians, including Ralph Alessi, Scott Colley, Ravi Coltrane, Peter Epstein, Mark Ferber, Gerry Gibbs, Drew Gress, Charlie Haden, Clifford Jarvis, Boris Kozlov, Brian Landrus, Sam Minaie, Ben Monder, Tony Malaby, James Newton, and Rudy Royston.
Prior to joining the Frost School of Music, Professor Ake chaired the Department of Music at Case Western Reserve University and was a longtime faculty member at the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR), where he served as Director of the School of the Arts, among other leadership positions. Ake’s honors include the Nevada Regents’ Teaching Award and the Society for American Music’s Housewright Dissertation Award. He holds a Ph.D. in musicology and MA in ethnomusicology from UCLA, along with degrees in jazz performance from the California Institute of the Arts and the Frost School of Music.
“I want to inspire students to be good and well-rounded human beings rather than just great musicians – that engaging in sociocultural activities is just as important as practicing your instrument.”
Brent Swanson is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Musicology at the Frost School of Music, where he also serves as Program Director for the Bachelor of Arts in Music. He holds a B.F.A. and M.M. in Musicology from the University of Florida and earned his Ph.D. in Ethnomusicology from the University of Maryland.
Dr. Swanson’s research explores the musical traditions of Africa, Latin America, the United States, and the Caribbean, with a particular focus on the role of music in peacebuilding. His dissertation, “Rwanda’s Voice: An Ethnomusicological Biography of Jean-Paul Samputu,” is a multi-sited ethnographic study examining Rwandan musical identity through the life and work of singer-songwriter Jean-Paul Samputu. His other scholarship includes a chapter in Music and Peacebuilding: African and Latin Experiences (Lexington Books, 2020) titled “Hope, Destruction, and Reconciliation: Samputu's Healing Ngoma,” which analyzes how Samputu employs both Rwandan and global musical styles to express national trauma and healing. The work also highlights Samputu’s use of BaTwa vocal timbres as a subtle critique of Rwanda’s official reconciliation policies. Dr. Swanson has also contributed to Rwanda '94: Beyond Time and Space, an online exhibit curated by Rafiki Ubaldo, and to Theology and Protest Music (Lexington Books, 2023).
In addition to his academic work, Dr. Swanson is a professional performer and songwriter who has collaborated with a range of acclaimed artists, including Bo Diddley, Marco Pereira, Hamilton de Hollanda, and Jean-Paul Samputu.
From 2007 to 2008, he served as President of the non-profit Mizero Children of Rwanda foundation, helping to raise awareness about the power of traditional music and dance in promoting peace and reconciliation. During his leadership, the group toured North America and performed at the LEAF Festival and the United Nations.
In 2019, Dr. Swanson was named an Engaged Faculty Fellow by the Office of Civic Engagement, where he developed a new CIVIC course titled Music and Peacebuilding. This course combines academic study with community engagement, giving students hands-on experience with local organizations to explore how music can help address violence and foster healing in South Florida.
“The FROST SCHOOL OF MUSIC offers the perfect balance of tradition, technology, and superb artistry. The faculty is passionate in its work: striving for continued excellence and seeking opportunities for students.”
Tian Ying is Associate Professor of Keyboard Performance at the FROST SCHOOL OF MUSIC. He has held that position since 2002.
Praised by the Boston Globe as “one of the finest pianists active in America," he is well-known in the music world for his eloquent, poetic, and dramatically intense performances. Professor Ying’s reputation for creating profound interpretations played at the highest level of virtuoso accomplishment has earned him a distinguished place among today's most exciting, original and accomplished artists of his generation.
Professor Ying is the winner of many prestigious awards, including high honors at the Eighth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in 1989. The Times of London said of him, “His quality of sound is intensely imaginative, achieved and beautiful, with the capacity for largeness and fullness; and he showed in his phrasing a courtesy towards the music, inviting it rather than applying force, that was rare. This is an undemonstrative and unpretentious musician." The Chicago Tribune said, “Ying has individual ideas; he can clearly do anything he wants at the piano. But he is far too intelligent and sensitive to waste his big technique in superficial display. There is an integrity to his pianism that commands respect."
There have also been many articles written about Professor Ying, including profiles in The New York Times, Christian Science Monitor, and People Magazine. A frequent juror at competitions, he served on the Grant Panel of the National Endowment for the Arts.
Professor Ying has appeared with numerous orchestras, including the Rochester Philharmonic, Louisville Orchestra, Chicago Sinfonietta at Orchestra Hall, and the symphonies of Atlanta, Fort Worth, Toledo, Columbus, Colorado, Hartford, Jacksonville, Spokane, Oakland, Madison, Wichita, Ann Arbor, Shanghai, and Hong Kong Philharmonic, among others. Solo recitals have taken him across North America, Europe, and from Casablanca to Seoul; he has also performed at Jordan Hall, Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie, Orchestra Hall in Chicago, Mondavi Center, Bass Hall in Fort Worth, Woodruff Arts Center, Shanghai Grand Opera Theater, Taipei National Theater, Hong Kong Cultural Centre Concert Hall, and in Bangkok Thailand, among many other locales.
During the 2003-04 season alone, Professor Ying performed nine different concerti with orchestras across the U.S. The Boston Globe chose Tian Ying’s Bank of Boston Celebrity Series concert as one of the Top Ten in classical music events; The Miami Herald chose his performance of Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 5 at the Opening Concert at the 2009 Festival Miami as the Top Five performances of the year.
Recent and upcoming engagements include recitals at Universities of Louisville, Wisconsin, Alabama, and South Carolina, Coker College, Lee University, and festivals at Southeastern, Eastern Music, Pine Mountain and many others.
Professor Ying records for Centaur Records and DeMA Records.
I have been playing the piano since age 5. The reason I continue to do it at this present, advanced age is that I’m still trying to get it right.
Santiago Rodriguez is the highly acclaimed Professor and Chair of the Keyboard Performance department at the Frost School of Music. Professor Rodriguez has been hailed as “a phenomenal pianist” by The New York Times and singled out as “among the finest pianists in the world” (according to The Baltimore Sun). He began performing at age ten, launching a 35-year career with a vast classical repertoire that has brought him international acclaim.
Rodriguez’s international credits include performances with the world’s leading orchestras - the London Symphony, the Dresden Staatskapelle, the Weimar Philharmonic, the Yomiuri-Nippon Symphony Orchestra of Japan, the Tampere Philharmonic of Finland, the Berliner Symphoniker, the Philadelphia, Chicago, St. Louis, Baltimore, Seattle, Indianapolis, American Composers’, and Houston Symphony Orchestras, the National Symphony Orchestra of Washington, D.C., and the American Symphony Orchestra.
Santiago Rodriguez’s talents have taken him all over the world - to Carnegie Hall, Avery Fisher Hall in New York, the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London, The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., Montreal’s Theatre Maisonneuve, the Santander Festival in Spain, Schauspielhaus in Berlin, Leipzig’s Gewandhaus, the Herbst Theater in San Francisco, the Ambassador Auditorium in Pasadena, to the prestigious Ravenna Festival in Italy, and concerts in Finland, China and Taiwan.
Little wonder then that the critics are so enamoured with him. This line from a review posted after a performance in Italy sums up his success: “He conquered the audience.”
Still, Mr. Rodriguez’s kudos don’t stop there. As a chamber musician, he’s collaborated with the Guarneri String Quartet and the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. He also toured extensively as member of a piano trio with Ruggiero Ricci and Nathaniel Rosen, as well as with such distinguished musicians as Walter Trampler, Ransom Wilson, Gervaise de Peyer, Aurora Nátola-Ginastera, and Robert McDuffie.
Mr. Rodriguez’ vast classical repertoire reflects that versatility, as evidenced by performances that span the past 35 years and over 65 concertos. They include the works of Bach, Bartók, Beethoven, Brahms, Chopin, Mozart, Tchaikovsky, Grieg, Gershwin, Liszt, Schumann, Franck, Mendelssohn, and Prokofiev. The list also encompasses a number of lesser known compositions as well, including those by Khachaturian, Strauss, Saint-Saëns, MacDowell, Falla, Pónce, Surinach, Albéniz, Castelnuovo-Tedesco, and Previn.
As if that wasn’t enough to single his success, Mr. Rodriguez has also been cited as one of today’s foremost interpreters of the music of Sergei Rachmaninov. He is currently recording The Rachmaninov Edition, which, when completed, will encompass the entire catalogue of Rachmaninov’s original solo piano compositions. The three volumes which have been released so far have received international acclaim, including one review which described him as “born for Rachmaninov” and “a spellbinding mix of high-born virtuosity and poetic glamour.” Volume 2 was awarded the Washington Area Music Award for best classical recording of 1995, and Volume 3 was selected by Classical Pulse as one of the best recordings of 1995. Mr. Rodriguez has also recorded numerous works on Élan Recordings, earning equal acclaim along the way.
Mr. Rodriguez made his concert debut at age ten performing Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 27 with the New Orleans Philharmonic. His international career was launched in 1981 when he won the Silver Medal at the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. He subsequently 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. He has also been featured numerous times on the ABC, NBC, PBS, CNN, BBC, and CBC television networks.
In addition to his other credits, Mr. Rodriguez also enjoys a distinguished reputation as a teacher and master clinician. He was a member of the Piano Division at the University of Maryland where he held the rank of Professor and Artist-in-residence. He has also presented masterclasses at many major music schools and national/state teacher’s conferences in the U.S. and abroad. Most recently, he was Chair of the Jury at the William Kapell International Piano Competition in College Park, Maryland, and the San Antonio International Piano Competition in Texas. Santiago Rodriguez is also the Artistic Director of the Florida International Piano Competition and Artist-in-residence at the Endless Mountain Music Festival in Pennsylvania. He holds a Masters degree from Juilliard, and he completed his undergraduate studies magna cum laude at the University of Texas-Austin.
“It is my belief that every young musician has a unique artistic quality that should be shared as a contribution to the musical world. It is our mission, as teachers, to help students discover just such a voice through the process of self-realization of their full potential.”
Oleksii Ivanchenko is a lecturer and accompanying coordinator in the Keyboard Performance Department at the Frost School of Music. A Ukrainian-born pianist, Mr. Ivanchenko has won top prizes in nearly thirty national and international competitions and performed as soloist and with orchestras in Europe, Asia, South Africa, and North America. In addition to his appearances as a solo artist, Mr. Ivanchenko has established a reputable career as a collaborative pianist. He has played with such eminent musicians as Mikhail Kopelman, Viktor Uzur, Marcos Machado, Rie Suzuki, Jarosław Nadrzycki, Dale Underwood, Ross Harbaugh, Aaron Tindall, Jodi Levitz, Basil Vendryes, Sheila Browne, and George Taylor.
In 2006, Mr. Ivanchenko moved to the United States to continue his studies at Rowan University as a full scholarship student of Veda Zuponcic, where he earned both BM and MM degrees in Piano Performance. In 2012, he was awarded a teaching assistantship and a full scholarship at the FROST SCHOOL OF MUSIC where he pursued his doctoral studies in Piano Performance and Pedagogy under the guidance of Professors Santiago Rodriguez and Naoko Takao. Upon his graduation in May 2015, Mr. Ivanchenko was given the Outstanding Doctoral Student Award from the University of Miami. Currently,
Mr. Ivanchenko began his piano studies at the age of five with his mother, Oleksandra Ivanchenko. Exhibiting exceptional talent, he was soon accepted into the Lysenko Special Music School in Kiev, as a pupil of Natalya Tolpygo. In 2003, Mr. Ivanchenko was awarded the Presidential Scholarship of Ukraine to pursue his studies at the P. I. Tchaikovsky National Music Academy in Kiev, where he received his first Bachelor and Master of Music degrees.There are many paths up the mountain. Working hard prepares the mind to be open to lessons from even the most surprising sources.
For me, there is nothing more rewarding than to share this process with students. If you are willing to work hard, I will work hard to help you find the path that is right for you.
A prizewinner of numerous competitions including the gold medal at the San Antonio International Piano Competition, Takao enjoys a multi-faceted career as a soloist, chamber musician, a pedagogue, and a researcher. Recent engagements include: an all-Beethoven solo recital under the auspices of the SAIPC and San Antonio Symphony, concerto appearances (Mozart’s K. 459, 503, and Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue), and teaching at the Vianden Music Festival (Luxembourg). She has appeared at prestigious venues such as the Kennedy Center Terrace Theater, Weill Recital Hall, Coolidge Auditorium at the Library of Congress, Lensic Performing Arts Center (Santa Fe), Caramoor, Le Domaine Forget (Canada), and Taipei National Concert Hall. While known for her affinity to works by Beethoven, Chopin, and Rachmaninov, Takao is equally sought after as an enthusiastic advocate of newly composed music, and has premiered many works to high acclaim at organizations such as the Society of Composers and International Alliance for Women in Music. Her 2015 release of the complete 12 piano sonatas by Vincent Persichetti is followed by another album of his chamber music. The latter includes the world-premiere of Concertato for Piano and String Quartet, Op. 12, based on a manuscript discovered during her recent research at the New York Public Library. She can be heard on Capstone, Centaur, Dorian, Elan, and Friends of Smithsonian labels.
In addition, Takao’s passion for collaborative work has made her a seasoned veteran in chamber music scenes, playing for all instruments imaginable in recital settings. She has also frequently served as an orchestral pianist for larger ensembles such as the Washington D. C. based Post Classical Ensemble (directed by Joseph Horowitz), the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra, and the Smithsonian Chamber Ensemble/Players (directed by Kenneth Slowik)—a long time affiliation with recording engagements including a GRAMMY-nominated album. As an adjudicator, she has been invited as a juror for competitions such as San Antonio International Piano Competition, WPTA International Piano Competition (Novi Sad, Serbia), and Discover Chamber Music National Competition (Chicago). Takao is also busy in academic circles, appearing at various colleges and universities as an invited artist, adjudicator, masterclass clinician, or a conference presenter.
Combining her unique performance background with research, she directs the FSOM graduate programs in Keyboard Performance and Pedagogy, an innovative curriculum specifically designed to provide a platform for an in-depth pedagogical inquiry, embracing knowledge from both historical and the latest empirical sources while pursuing performance refinement. Her research interest of late is on cognitive neuroscience and its application to piano performance and the learning process, which resulted in a winning grant proposal.
Originally from Japan, Takao came to the United States alone while only a teenager, following the recommendation by the late Alicia de Larrocha whom she was introduced to through Mie Ishii. After studying at the Preparatory Program of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music under Nathan Schwartz, she studied with Raymond Hanson, Anne Koscielny and Santiago Rodriguez at the Hartt School of Music and University of Maryland, College Park. In chamber music, she coached extensively with the members of the Guarneri Quartet, in particular, with the late David Soyer.“Music is the perfect expression what it means to be alive. Nothing gives me greater pleasure than to witness the creative spirit take wings, to guide students of music in their discovery and realization of the powers that lie within them and which find expression spontaneously, uniquely and authentically.”
Kevin Kenner has taught piano at the FROST SCHOOL OF MUSIC since 2015. His students have successfully pursued careers as performers, recording artists and pedagogues, many garnering major prizes at prestigious piano competitions worldwide.
Professor Kenner’s achievements have won him international acclaim. The Chicago Tribune praised him as "one of the finest American pianists to come along in years.” Britain’s Independent described one of his recitals as "...the best performance I have ever heard in the concert hall of all four of Chopin's ‘Ballades’.” The Financial Times hailed Professor Kenner as a "player of grace, subtle variety and strength, with a mature grasp of dramatic structure and proportion - in short, a grown-up musician nearing his peak.” Likewise, the Washington Post proclaimed him "a major talent... an artist whose intellect, imagination and pianism speak powerfully and eloquently." Conductor Stanislaw Skrowaczewski, a former associate of the late Artur Rubinstein, said Professor Kenner’s work was among the most sensitive and beautiful he had ever heard.
Born in Southern California, Professor Kenner first showed his interest in piano at an early age. After studying with Polish pianist Krzysztof Brzuza, he was sent to Poland to audition for the eminent professor Ludwik Stefański. He was then entered in the 1980 International Chopin Competition in Warsaw, where he became its youngest competitor and was given a special award from the jury. Later, Leonard Bernstein, Leon Fleisher and Karl-Heinz Kämmerling served as mentors and teachers.
Professor Kenner’s artistry has been internationally recognized by a number of prestigious awards. He won top prize at the International Chopin Competition in Warsaw, the International Terrence Judd Award in London, and third prize at the Tchaikovsky International Competition in Moscow. Other awards include those from the Van Cliburn International Competition and the Gina Bachauer International Competition. Professor Kenner has also been invited to serve on the juries of some of the most celebrated international piano competitions, including the Chopin, the Busoni, Sydney, and Hong Kong competitions.
In addition to his solo piano performances, Professor Kenner has also worked with a number of the world’s leading string quartets and collaborated as a duo with cellist Matt Haimovitz and violinist Kyung-Wha Chung. He has performed with several prestigious chamber ensembles while gaining a reputation as a superlative performer on vintage instruments. He recorded and appeared in concert with the Orchestra of the 18th Century and his recording of Chopin’s works on an 1849 Pleyel also earned him praise from the French classical music magazine Diapason. He has also recorded a number of Chopin’s other works as well as compositions by Ravel, Schumann, Beethoven, Piazzolla, and Paderewski. The latter two releases won prizes for best recording of the year from the Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry in 2006 and 2012. His recent CD, Chopin Resonances, was singled out by Gramophone magazine as the Editor’s Choice and was nominated for the International Classical Music Awards in France. Two years ago, Polish National Radio cited him for the best recording of Chopin’s “Ballades.”Moldovan-born pianist Ana Ivanchenko has garnered critical acclaim for her performances in prestigious concert halls across North America and Europe, including Hungary, Spain, Romania, Ukraine, Belarus, and Moldova. She has appeared as a soloist with numerous orchestras, among them the National Philharmonic, Chamber, and Tele-Radio Orchestras of Moldova, the West Chester Symphony Orchestra, the Rowan University Symphony Orchestra, and the Frost Symphony Orchestra.
As a recitalist, Dr. Ivanchenko has performed in celebrated venues such as the Great Hall of the Liszt Academy of Music (Budapest, Hungary), the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage (Washington, D.C.), Taplin Auditorium at Princeton University (NJ), the Transcarpathian Philharmonic (Uzhhorod, Ukraine), and the Organ and National Philharmonic Halls (Chișinău, Moldova), among others.
Dr. Ivanchenko is the recipient of top prizes in more than twenty national and international piano competitions throughout the United States and Europe. Highlights include awards in the International Chopin Competition (Hartford, CT), the Carl Filtsch International Piano Competition (Sibiu, Romania), Jeunesses Musicales International Competition (Bucharest, Romania), Princeton International Piano Competition (NJ), and MTNA National Piano Competition (Denver, CO). A winner of the Frost School of Music Concerto Competition, she performed Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3 with the Frost Symphony Orchestra under the baton of maestro James Judd.
Dr. Ivanchenko began her formal piano training at the age of six at the Music Lyceum named after Ciprian Porumbescu in Moldova, studying under Larisa Jar. In 2006, she was awarded a full scholarship to pursue a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance at Rowan University (NJ), where she studied with Veda Zuponcic. She graduated summa cum laude, receiving both the Ethel F. Brannan World Education Award and the Jacobs Music Steinway Award for her outstanding academic and artistic achievements. She continued her graduate studies at Rowan, earning her Master of Music in 2012.
Subsequently, she was awarded a full scholarship and teaching assistantship at the Frost School of Music, where she earned her Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Piano Performance and Pedagogy under the mentorship of Santiago Rodriguez and Dr. Naoko Takao.
Since 2014, Dr. Ivanchenko has held an adjunct faculty position at the Frost School of Music, teaching in the Departments of Music Theory and Composition (2014-2016), Musicology (2016-2025), and Keyboard Performance (2021-2025). She served as sabbatical replacement for acclaimed pianists and Frost Professors Santiago Rodriguez(2022–2023) and Kevin Kenner (Fall 2025). In Fall 2025, Dr. Ivanchenko was appointed to a full-time faculty position in the Department of Keyboard Performance.
"I care about my students deeply as trombone players, musicians, and human beings, and will do whatever I can to help them to succeed as students and in their careers beyond."
Tim Conner, Associate Professor of Practice at the FROST SCHOOL OF MUSIC, initially 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, teaches courses in trombone pedagogy and literature, and serves on several doctoral committees. He has been a featured soloist with the FROST Wind Ensemble several times, including its world premiere of David Maslanka’s “Concerto for Trombone and Wind Ensemble,” which was written for him and Gary Green. Their recording of this work was released on the Naxos label. He also presented the world premiere of Thomas Sleeper’s “Translucence for Trombone” with the Frost Symphony Orchestra.
Professor Conner currently performs with several area orchestras, including the Boca Symphonia and the Southwest Florida Symphony. He has been featured several times as a concerto soloist with the Florida Philharmonic. He previously held the position of Principal Trombone with the Florida Philharmonic Orchestra for eighteen years, up until the orchestra’s financial demise in 2003. During his orchestral career, he has performed with the Spoleto, Chautauqua, Heidelberg, and Bedford Springs Festival orchestras, the Naples Philharmonic, the Jerusalem Symphony, and the Tonhalle Orchestra, Zurich, among others. He also played Principal Trombone in the orchestra for the Florida Grand Opera for more than twenty years, and served as Principal Trombone for the Miami City Ballet for more than seven years.
Professor Conner has shared the stage to perform with a number of renowned artists, including Ray Charles, Mel Torme, Natalie Cole, Ella Fitzgerald, Roberta Flack, Frankie Valli, Frank Sinatra, Jr., the Moody Blues, Michael Bolton, Toni Tennille, Bernadette Peters, Henri Mancini, Peter Nero, Andrea Marcovicci, Chuck Mangione, and the late Celia Cruz, among others. During his varied career, he has performed chamber music for President Bill and Hillary Clinton, appeared live on the CBS Morning Show, and made appearances on several NPR radio broadcasts. He also performed at home plate for the Florida Marlins 1997 World Series baseball games.
Professor Conner has performed numerous solo recitals in several U.S. cities, including New York City as part of the River to River Festival “Summer Stars” series. His chamber music recitals have included hundreds of concerts with brass quintets, brass choirs, and less traditional, mixed ensembles, at churches, art galleries, and on concert series throughout South Florida. He has been a featured performer at Festival Miami with the FROST Chamber Players. In addition, he has been a guest trombone teacher while conducting master classes at numerous other music schools, including the Cleveland Institute of Music and Mahidol University in Bangkok, Thailand. He has performed at both the American Trombone Workshop and the International Trombone Festival, where he has conducted trombone choirs and judged the final rounds of international trombone competitions.
Professor Conner’s recordings have appeared on the Mark, Albany, Mercury, Harmonia Mundi, and Naxos record labels. He is a member of the South Florida Musician’s Association, the International Trombone Association, the College Music Society, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, the Association for Contemplative Mind in Higher Education, and the University of Miami’s Mindfulness Research and Practice Initiative. He grew up in the Washington, D.C. area where 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.
“Ultimately, being a professional musician translates into a way of existence; a lifelong journey. It is my belief that one must earn the privilege of teaching music, by practicing this profound art-form regularly and very honestly; by continuing to learn and remaining utmost open-minded; by simply loving music unconditionally. Being able to perform and teach the art of music is a dream come true for me.”
Praised by the New York Times for his “understated but unmistakable virtuosity” along with a “winning combination of gentleness and fluidity,” Svet Stoyanov is a driving force in modern percussion. He has performed more than one thousand recitals and has presented over two hundred masterclasses worldwide.
Winner of the prestigious Concert Artists Guild International Competition, Mr. Stoyanov was also presented with the Johns Hopkins University Alumni Award. His career highlights feature solo concerto appearances with the Chicago, Seattle, and the American Symphony Orchestras, as well as solo performances in Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center and Taiwan National Concert Hall amongst many others worldwide. Some of the conductors he has performed with include James Conlon, Gerard Schwarz, Oliver Knussen, Marin Alsop and Pierre Boulez.
Svet Stoyanov has recorded for numerous labels, featuring Telarc, Naxos and Bridge Records. His recent albums “Percussive Counterpoint”, as well as “Textures and Threads” were broadcast internationally and applauded for their artistic integrity, virtuosic ingenuity and excellent quality. Mr. Stoyanov’s upcoming recording projects feature an original concept audio-visual album, as well as a record, celebrating the music of his native country: Bulgaria.
A passionate advocate for contemporary music, Svet Stoyanov has commissioned a significant body of solo and chamber works. Most recently, American Rome Prize winner Andy Akiho completed a work for Mr. Stoyanov and his Time Travelers Percussion Project, called Pillar IV. The work was recently premiered to great acclaim in New York’s National Sawdust.
A significant recent collaboration of Mr. Stoyanov is the commission of “Sideman” – a percussion concerto written for him by the composer and musical mastermind Mason Bates. The concerto was already performed in Miami and at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. This season Mr. Stoyanov will perform the piece again in Miami, Kansas City and Baltimore. The concerto was also just recorded by Mr. Stoyanov for an upcoming release.
Alongside his diverse performance career, Svet Stoyanov is the Director and Associate Professor of Percussion Studies at the Frost School of Music, University of Miami, where he has collaboratively built a most unique and innovative modern percussion program.
Mr. Stoyanov endorses some of the finest percussion instruments and products today, namely Adams, Remo, Zildjian, Pearl and Pro Mark. His artistic mission is committed to the purity, quality and virtue of music.
Teaching is one of my greatest joys – to be able to help motivated students grow as musicians is endlessly fascinating and rewarding. My goal as a teacher is to help students become their own best teachers, and use that skill to strive to ever-greater heights.
Scott Flavin is a lecturer in violin performance and chamber music and Resident Conductor for The Henry Mancini Institute at The Frost School of Music.
In addition to his extensive teaching, he enjoys an incredibly versatile musical career. He is a highly sought-after concertmaster, having served from 2002 to 2019 as concertmaster of Florida Grand Opera, and having appeared in that role with major conductors and performers, including such diverse artists as Luciano Pavarotti, Lena Horne, and Itzhak Perlman. Equally active in chamber music, Flavin is the first violinist of the internationally-acclaimed Bergonzi String Quartet and violinist of PULSE Trio, who regularly perform across the country and around the world, premiering new works and regularly receiving glowing reviews by publications such as the New York Times and Washington Post.
Flavin holds several important positions as a conductor, including Resident Conductor with The Henry Mancini Institute Orchestra and Music Director of the Miami Mozarteum Orchestra. He has appeared on the podium with artists including Chick Corea, Bobby McFerrin, and Joseph Silverstein. He has conducted for various festivals, and the nationally-broadcast “Jazz and the Philharmonic” for PBS television.
Flavin is also an active arranger, composer, and writer. He has written four plays that have been presented in productions across the country and writes articles regularly for various publications. His arrangements for string quartet are popular, having been heard often on radio (Performance Today) and around the country in concert, as well as recorded by the Bergonzi String Quartet. His composition Fragment(s) was premiered in 2017 at the Mainly Mozart Festival, and other works have been performed on radio and in concert.
As a recording artist, he is constantly in demand. 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, with such stars such as Placido Domingo, Michael Jackson, and Shakira. He has also performed on television several times for MTV Unplugged and the Video Music Awards.
Scott Flavin grew up in Boston, where he received his early musical training, and then attended the Eastman School of Music. He was a member of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra for seven years, and concertmaster of Miami City Ballet for six years.
“The language of music is my voice. I have extensive experience in solo playing, string quartet, and orchestra performance. I will work with you to develop the tools you’ll need for your own musical vision. The FROST SCHOOL OF MUSIC will give you the flexibility and skills to find your own voice in today’s musical landscape.”
Ross Harbaugh is Professor of Cello at the FROST SCHOOL OF MUSIC, and cellist of the Bergonzi String Quartet. As a founding member of the New World Quartet, Professor Harbaugh won the Naumburg Prize, a Prix du Disque, and recorded 20 records and CD’s for the Vox, MCI Classic and IMP Masters, CRI, Centaur, Fleur de Son, and Musical Heritage labels.
Professor Harbaugh has performed throughout Europe and the United States, including concerts at such prestigious venues as the Kennedy Center, Alice Tully Hall, and Wigmore Hall in London, and has appeard in concert with such renowned artists as Leonard Rose, Bill Preucil, Richard Goode, Jeffrey Kahane, Raphael Hillyer, Joel Krosnick, Jerome Rose, Gil Kalish, and the Guarneri Quartet. He has soloed with the Atlanta Symphony, Cincinnati and Toledo Symphonies, among many others, and appears nationally in recital each year. He was Principal Cellist of the Grand Rapids and Toledo Symphonies, and has performed under direction of Erich Leinsdorf and Max Rudolf. In the pop world, he has appeared on recordings with Michael Jackson and Busta Rhymes.
Professor Harbaugh’s distinguished teachers include Janos Starker and Leonard Rose in the United States, and Andre Navarra at the Paris Conservatory. He also took chamber music study with the Juilliard Quartet. His teaching experience includes stints at Harvard University, University of Michigan, and Interlochen, with master classes at Yale and Brown Universities. Mr. Harbaugh presents workshops in ensemble communication, Tai Chi for Cello, and gives cello workshops throughout the country at such venues as the 7th American Cello Congress Tempe, the Tennessee Cello Workshop, and the ASTA National Convention this year. He has authored numerous articles for American String Teacher and The Strad, and appears regularly on National Public Radio. His students are prize winners in numerous musical competitions, including “From the Top.” They hold positions in respected orchestras, schools of music, and chamber ensembles.
In addition, Professor Harbaugh has also served as a judge for the Fischoff Chamber music Competition and the Stulberg Competition, and the Fulbright Competition for Graduate Study Abroad. He performs and teaches in numerous summer festivals including Cabrillo, Interlochen, Madeline Island, Pine Mountain, Hamden-Sydney, the ORFEO Music Festival in Vipiteno, Italy, and the Margess Institute in Switzerland. This summer he will be teaching and performing at the Blue Ridge Chamber Music Festival, the Pine Mountain Music Festival, Interlochen National Music Camp and the Castleman Quartet Program in Fredonia, NY. In 2017, he is recording the Chopin Sonata and performing the Saint-Saens Cello Concerto on tour in Florida.
For more comprehensive information about Professor Harbaugh's teaching, visit the following links:
“I want my students to ultimately be able to explore so they can find their own way. I do not wish for my students to be clones of their teacher.”
Robert Weiner has been teaching Oboe at the FROST SCHOOL OF MUSIC since 1998. He also coaches chamber music and serves as the faculty mentor for the Stamps Woodwind Quintet. He has taught Ear Training in the Experiential Music Curriculum since its inception. He previously taught oboe at Conjunto Cultural Ollin Yoliztli in Mexico City, Oklahoma City University, University of Oklahoma, and Cornell University.
In addition to his academic duties, Mr. Weiner is Principal Oboist with the Florida Grand Opera and other local South Florida music organizations. He has also served as Principal Oboist with the Mexico City Philharmonic, Miami City Ballet Orchestra, Oklahoma Symphony Orchestra, and others, as well as guest Principal Oboist with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and the Florida Philharmonic. Mr. Weiner has been a soloist with orchestras in the United States and Mexico. He has been a recitalist and chamber musician in Florida, New York, Oklahoma and Mexico. Mr. Weiner also has been a Master Class clinician in the United States and Mexico. He was Director and Oboist of the Oklahoma City Chamber Players and has performed with several New York City area orchestras, including the American Symphony Orchestra, New York City Ballet and Long Island Philharmonic.
Mr. Weiner has recorded for several major record labels and he remains active as a Miami studio musician. Acknowledged for his work on gouging machines and reed-making, he is in demand by professionals for advice and performance in those areas. He is also active as an editor and arranger, specializing in music for Oboe. He holds a B.M. degree from the Eastman School of Music, and a M.M. degree from the State University of New York at Stony Brook. He studied oboe with Robert Sprenkle, Ronald Roseman, Harold Gomberg, John Mack, and Joseph Robinson.Concert Artist, Recording Artist, Orchestral Artist, Chamber Music Artist, Jazz Artist, Studio Artist, Composer, Arranger, Master Teacher, Published Author – Richard Todd’s career can best be described as unparalleled. He has been a soloist at Carnegie Hall, the Hollywood Bowl, the Sydney Opera House, and Walt Disney Concert Hall, among his many appearances A graduate of USC as a student of Waldemar Linder and the legendary Vincent DeRosa, Professor Todd was also a student at the Music Academy of The West and at Tanglewood, where he met the great Gunther Schuller, who was later to become his mentor and record producer.
His professional career began at age 21 as a member of the Utah Symphony. At age 22 he became principal horn of the New Orleans Symphony. At age 24, he won the Medaille d’Or at the Toulon International Competition. Professor Todd then moved back to Los Angeles and began working in the studios at the same age. Richard Todd has experienced and excelled at every form of music that he has attempted. Principal Horn of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra for 35 years, performer in many of the world’s premier chamber music festivals, dozens of solo appearances with orchestras both here and abroad – including world premieres of Kenneth Fuchs’ Canticle To The Sun and Craig Russell’s Rhapsody For Horn And Orchestra. He was also hand-picked by Gunther Schuller to record his Horn Concerto #1 in 1992, and the Brahms Trio, which was his final recording before his death in 2015. His classical career has received hundreds of rave reviews from both the press and the public alike.
As a jazz artist, his education came from lessons with Ellis Marsalis and listening to every great artist available. He has performed with Clark Terry, Lalo Schifrin, McCoy Tyner, Andre Previn, Terrence Blanchard, Billy Childs, Ray Brown, John Clayton, Shelly Berg, Peter Erskine, Alan Pasqua, Tom Scott, Billy Pierce, Arturo Sandoval, Ronnie Scott, Marian McPartland and dozens of others in jazz clubs, concert halls, and jazz festivals. His studio career has spanned over35 years and included over 2,000 film and television scores. He has been given screen credit on scores such as Star Trek Into Darkness and Tomorrowland. He was twice commissioned by the LA Chamber Orchestra to compose works for them and became the first sitting member of the orchestra to have a composition performed. The work, “ceLebrACiOn”, was premiered at the opening concert of the orchestra’s 40th anniversary season. He was formerly faculty at Cal Arts, UCLA, USC, and the University of Indiana. Professor Todd joined the Frost School in 2009 and has grown his studio consistently since his arrival. He has dozens of former students enjoying careers as orchestra performers, freelance artists, studio musicians, artistic administrators, and instructors at major institutions such as UCLA and USC.
Professor Todd is a Buffet Artist for Hans Hoyer Horns and is developing his own line of signature mouthpieces with Osmun Music.
Learn more about Richard Todd by visiting his personal website here.
Students are a source of inspiration for me. I learn from them every day, as I have learned from all my former teachers, through their lessons and by their performances. I am a natural performer. I love the stage and therefore performing is my passion.
I am also a disciplined and perseverant person who can’t spend one day without playing the guitar. Finding a nice tone, playing with good taste, choosing the repertoire they can master, encouraging them to be the best they can, those are some of the things I will always try to transmit to my students.
Cuban-born guitarist, Rafael Padrón, brings an extensive and diverse career as both an artist and educator to his role as Program Director of Classical Guitar at the Frost School of Music. An innovative and passionate performer, he has been featured both solo and with orchestra in numerous cities throughout the world. His credits include work with such stellar ensembles as the Symphony Orchestra of Matanzas, Cuba, the Ayacucho Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela, the Chamber Orchestra of Caracas, Venezuela, Camerata Latinoamericana of Costa Rica. The Independence Symphony Orchestra of Costa Rica, the Panama National Symphony Orchestra and The Panamerican Symphony Orchestra of Washington D.C.
Mr. Padrón has also been a featured performer at any number of high profile international music festivals. As an artist who is constantly in demand, he has headlined the International Festival of the Guitar in Havana, Cuba, The International Festival of the Guitar in Panama, The International Music Festival in Costa Rica, The Festival Iberoamericano de Guitarra in Tenerife, Spain, Rust International Guitar Festival and Competition in Rust, Austria, and Brno International Guitar Festival in the Czech Republic. He also premiered composer Leo Brouwer’s “Concerto for Guitar and Orchestra No. 3, Elegíaco” at the International Festival of Music of the Hatillo in Caracas, Venezuela, and introduced Mr. Brouwer’s suite “From Yesterday to Penny Lane” at the International Guitar Festival in Costa Rica.
Mr. Padrón’s wealth of teaching experience is equally diverse. He taught classical guitar at the Jose Antonio and Carmen Calcaño Foundation of Caracas, Venezuela, the National University of Heredia, Costa Rica, Costa Rica University of San Jose, Costa Rica, The Paco de Malaga Guitar Gallery in Washington D.C., The Olenka Music School in Columbia, Maryland, and The Levine School in Washington D.C.
Among his many accolades, Mr. Padrón has received major honors from numerous national and international competitions, including the Best Interpretation of Latin American Music in Havana, Cuba, The Diploma of Honor at the International Classical Guitar Competition in Chile, and top prizes from the National Guitar Competition in Havana and the Montpelier Cultural Arts Center Recital Series Competitions in the United States.
Mr. Padron began studying the guitar at the age of eleven. He attended the National School of Art in Havana, Cuba, studying under the guidance of the distinguished Argentinean teacher and performer, Victor Pellegrini. In 1986, he was awarded a scholarship to study at the Advanced Institute of Art in Havana, where he graduated with a degree in music in 1991, while also receiving the prestigious “Student of High Achievement” award. In addition, he participated in master classes with such accomplished artists as composer Leo Brouwer and guitarists Maria Luisa Anido, Alvaro Pierri, Costa Cotsiolis and David Russell. He graduated from the Peabody Conservatory at the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD, where he also completed his Graduate Performance Diploma on a full scholarship, under the tutelage of world-renowned guitarist Manuel Barrueco. Mr. Padron received his Masters Degree Diploma at the University of Miami in December 2005.Originating from Uruguay, Pablo Rieppi has established himself as a distinguished figure in the New York music scene. He is a member of the New York City Ballet Orchestra and is the Percussion Department Coordinator and Instructor at The Juilliard School's Pre-College Division and Music Advancement Program. Most recently, Mr. Rieppi was appointed Lecturer at the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music.
Over the past three decades, Mr. Rieppi has showcased his musical excellence on stages worldwide. His extensive experience includes regular performances with the New York Philharmonic and collaborations with various artists, from jazz and classical luminaries to rock and R&B icons. His versatility as a musician is a testament to his adaptability and skill, demonstrated by his work with Joe Zawinul, Aretha Franklin, Gustavo Dudamel, Ricardo Muti, Ray Charles, and The Who, among others. The Houston Chronicle aptly remarked, “Pablo Rieppi sparked a lot of buzz at intermission with his ability…he was rock solid no matter what position he had to contort into to play.”
Mr. Rieppi has also made his mark on Broadway, contributing his talents to the orchestras of The King and I, Legally Blonde, West Side Story, Beauty and The Beast, Oklahoma, The Frogs, Pacific Overtures and The Sound of Music, among others. His recording career is equally impressive, contributing to feature film scores such as Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story, Noelle, Noah, The Brave One, The Good Shepherd, You’ve Got Mail, Salem’s Lot, Gemini Man, and Zoolander 2, among others. His recording work extends to television shows and new works with various chamber ensembles.
Mr. Rieppi's passion for music education is evident in his commitment to fostering creative learning. He currently teaches at The Juilliard School and The Frost School of Music, with past roles at SUNY Purchase, Oberlin Conservatory, Hofstra University, and Columbia University. His work as a teaching artist has included engagements with the Juilliard Summer Percussion Seminar, Carnegie Hall, Music For All, and various domestic and international music festivals. He has also led numerous percussion master classes worldwide. He founded Percussion On The Sound (POTS!), a year-round, pre-collegiate ensemble in residency at Hofstra University and Five Towns College.
Mr. Rieppi composed the soundtrack for Blackballed: The Bobby Dukes Story. His composition Rage and Peace for percussion and electronics was performed by the NYU Percussion Ensemble and at The Aspen Music Festival. His method book, Snare Drum Technique: Essential Basics for Daily Practice, ranks among the 30 most used snare drum method books, according to Percussive Notes. His work The Rite from 12 Modern Timpani Solos was chosen as the New Jersey All-State Timpani Solo for 2025 onward. Rhythmic Roots has gained popularity for auditions and recitals, and his accompaniments for Jacques Delecluse’s 12 Etudes for Snare Drum are available on Bandcamp. Mr. Rieppi’s works are published by Bachovich Music, with videos accessible on PRieppiMusic.com, ThePercussionConservatory.com, PercussionOntheSound.com, and YouTube.
Mr. Rieppi's academic achievements include a Master’s Degree and Professional Studies Certificate from The Juilliard School, a Bachelor’s Degree from George Mason University, and an Honorary Doctorate Degree from Five Towns College. He proudly endorses Innovative Percussion and Zildjian musical instruments. Mr. Rieppi is the President of the Percussive Arts Society New York Chapter.
"My goal as a teacher is for my students to graduate with the ability to teach themselves; that they can listen, evaluate, and formulate a plan for improvement. I want to empower them with the confidence to tackle all musical challenges, so their career is truly in their hands. In order to do this, they must graduate as the best musicians they can be, regardless of major. That is the simple beauty of the Frost School. It is a true community of musicians."
Margaret Donaghue Flavin is associate professor, director of the woodwind program at the Frost School of Music.
Dr. Donaghue has performed as chamber musician and soloist in more than a dozen countries across three continents. She has performed in major venues around the world, including Carnegie Hall, Symphony Space, American Cathedral in Paris, St Martin-in-the-Fields, and The American Academy in Rome.
Chamber music recital venues include Paris, London, Rome, Boston, New York City, Honolulu, and Grand Cayman, as well others across the US, 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.
She has performed at international conferences in Oslo, Norway; Manchester, England; Assisi, Italy; Chicago, Los Angeles, St Louis, and New Orleans, among others. During a chamber music tour of Europe she performed the sextet L’Heure du Berger, with composer Jean Françaix at the piano.
Dr. Donaghue performs as clarinetist with PULSE Trio, an exciting and versatile chamber group, along with Scott Flavin, violin and Naoko Takao, piano. She also plays recorders for the early music ensemble, Impulso Barroco, the Baroque counterpart of PULSE, committed to unique and engaging period performances. She is a founding member of MiamiClarinet and Miami Chamber Ensemble, and has performed across the United States and abroad with both ensembles. MiamiClarinet is quartet comprised of Dr. Donaghue and three of her former Frost students, all of whom are now university professors. They are passionate about new music, specifically chamber music repertoire for the clarinet. To date they have premiered over a dozen works written for them over the past six years.
Dr. Donaghue is the Executive Director of the Blue Ridge Chamber Music Festival, which she co-founded in 2014 with her husband, violinist/conductor Scott Flavin. She is a sought-after clinician and adjudicator. She is currently coordinator for the International Clarinet Association High School competition for Orlando, 2017 and Ostend, Belgium, 2018. She has adjudicated for The ICA’s Young Artist, High School, and Research competitions numerous times. Dr. Donaghue also served a three-year term as a member of the Fulbright National Screening Committee, and is State Chair of the National Association of College Wind and Percussion Instructors.
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 is a Buffet Crampon Performing Artist, and D’Addario Woodwinds Artist. She can be heard frequently on Public Radio, and has recorded for the Centaur, Albany, Altarus and Living Composers labels.
Leonardo R. Soto, Jr. is the Principal Timpanist of the Houston Symphony a position he has held since 2018. Before arriving to Houston, Leonardo served as Principal Timpanist of the Charlotte Symphony from 2009 to 2018, and the Detroit Opera House from 2003 to 2009. Leonardo has the unique distinction of being the first native Hispanic to hold a Principal Timpani position in a major orchestra in the United States. During his career Leonardo has been invited as guest timpanist with orchestras such as The Cleveland Orchestra, Pittsburgh Symphony, Detroit Symphony, Seoul Philharmonic, NewWorld Symphony, Grand Rapids Symphony, Santiago Philharmonic, Sinfonica Nacional de Chile, among others, while in Charlotte he was an active member of NuDeco Ensemble in Miami, and currently an active member of the Grand Tetons Music Festival Orchestra As an educator Leonardo is faculty member at the Brevard Music Festival and has guest as clinician and lecturer at Universities such as Northwestern, DePaul, Rice, Denver, Lynn, Houston, University of Georgia, North Carolina, Universidad de Antioquia in Colombia, Bolivia, Puerto Rico, Seoul and Universidad de Chile. As well as active coach at Carnegie Hall’s NYO-NYO2, Filarmónica Joven de Colombia, Programa de Orquestas Juveniles de Chile and former faculty member at Queens University of Charlotte. As a soloist Leonardo made his debut with the Houston Symphony in 2020 and has performed concerti with the Charlotte Symphony, Amarillo Symphony, University of North Carolina percussion ensemble. In January 2017 he performed the world premiere of “Evolution Percussion Concerto,” written for him by composer Leonard Mark Lewis. In 2024, along side Matthew Strauss of the Houston Symphony, Leonardo became a co-founder of the International Timpani Intensive ITI, an annual timpani seminar that welcomes students from around the world and at the same time is livestream internationally. The seminar takes place in Houston and hosts over 30 timpanist from college to professional level. Mr Soto began his musical education at the University of Chile and was the recipient of the Teatro Municipal of Santiago National Scholarship. Concurrently, he was trained as a Latin percussionist by his father, Mr. Leonardo Soto, Sr., one of Chile's most prominent musicians in the field. Leonardo embarked on his professional career with the Santiago Philharmonic Orchestra and the National Symphony Orchestra of Chile, where he gained experience in orchestral, opera and ballet repertoire. In 1997, he received the Fundación Andes International Scholarship to finish his education in the United States where he studied at Carnegie Mellon University under Timothy Adams who was the Timpanist of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. Later he was made an honorary student at Cleveland State University by Tom Freer retired percussionist of the Cleveland Orchestra. Working with Jeff Luft of Luft Mallets in 2018 Leonardo launched his own signature line of Timpani mallets to the market and is a proud performing artist for, Adams
“My goal to instill in my students the confidence to walk out on any stage and know they belong there because they have technical command, an artistic vision, and their own unique voice.”
Jodi Levitz, Professor of Viola at the Frost School of Music and Artistic Coordinator of Stamps Ensembles at the University of Miami, boasts an international reputation as a consummate artist and a passionate advocate of exploring new musical possibilities for the viola. She brings that energy and experience to the classroom, having spent twelve years as principal viola and soloist with the critically acclaimed Italian chamber group I Solisti Veneti, a position she attained while still a student at The Juilliard School of Music.
Professor Levitz’s career has been built on stellar accomplishments. She has performed as soloist throughout Europe, South America, North America and Asia, and has recorded her music for such distinguished record labels as Concerto, Dynamic, Naxos and Erato. A highly regarded educator and pedagogue, she was on the faculties of the Ars Musica Academy at Imola and Progetto Orchestra, and she presently serves as co-artistic director of the Zephyr International Chamber Music Festival in Courmayeur, Italy. As Professor of Viola and Chamber Music at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, she served as both Chair of Strings and Chair of Chamber Music. An avid chamber musician and violist of the Ives Quartet from 2007-2015, she has collaborated with Menahem Pressler, Peter Frankl, Gil Kalish, Robert Mann, Norman Fisher, Joel Krosnick, Geoff Nuttall, amongst many others.
A 2011 recipient of the Sarlo Family Foundation Award for Excellence in Teaching, Professor Levitz has helped her students achieve a number of notable accomplishments. As a result of her guidance and encouragement, her students have claimed first prize awards from the Walter W. Naumburg and Fischoff chamber music competitions, while others have been recruited for positions in major orchestras and teaching institutions both here and abroad. In addition, her influence has motivated many of her students to become music activists throughout the world.
Professor Levitz herself was awarded first prize in the D'Angelo and Hudson Valley competitions, among many others. She entered The Juilliard School Pre-College Division at age 12, and holds a BM. and MM. from Juilliard. In addition to her principal teachers, Margaret Pardee, Paul Doctor, William Lincer and Dorothy DeLay, she studied chamber music with members of the Juilliard Quartet, Felix Galimir, and Josef Gingold.
Personal Website: https://www.jodilevitz.com/
“Jennifer Grim must be one of the finest flutists of our time.”
—Jon Sobel, BlogCritics
“Jennifer Grim is a treasure, and Michael Sheppard makes an ideal musical partner for her seemingly boundless talent.”
—Jon Sobel, BlogCritics
Praised by The New York Times as “a deft, smooth flute soloist,” Jennifer Grim is a bold and multifaceted artist whose performances have captivated audiences across the United States, Latin America, Europe, and Asia. With a career defined by artistic excellence, stylistic versatility, and visionary leadership, she stands at the forefront of today’s classical music landscape.
Jennifer is currently a member of Solidaire, a dynamic flute and percussion duo with her colleague Svet Stoyanov. As the ensemble-in-residence at the Frost School of Music, Solidaire is committed to delivering imaginative, expertly crafted, and fearlessly expressive performances that invite audiences into a deeper, more immersive connection with music. She also is resident flutist for Ensemble Flagelot, a contemporary music group that focuses on works from the 21st century.
For over two decades, Jennifer was the flutist of the award-winning Zéphyros Winds and the New York Chamber Soloists, and she continues to appear regularly with leading ensembles such as the Boston Chamber Music Society, Alpenglow Chamber Music Festival, and Ensemble Flageolet. Her wide-ranging collaborations include performances with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, St. Luke’s Chamber Ensemble, American String Quartet, and members of the Takács and St. Lawrence Quartets.
Her critically acclaimed solo album, Through Broken Time (New Focus Recordings), affirms her deep commitment to contemporary music and diverse compositional voices. Featuring works by David Sanford, Julia Wolfe, Tania León, Alvin Singleton, Allison Loggins-Hull, and Valerie Coleman, the album was spotlighted by The New York Times for its “sharply executed program” and named one of “5 Albums You Can Listen to Right Now.” Take Effect called it “a meticulous and diverse” release where “there just isn’t a second here that’s not exciting and memorable.”
As a concerto soloist, Jennifer has appeared with the National Flute Association Annual Convention Orchestra, Orquesta Sinfónica UANL (Monterrey, Mexico), National Symphony Orchestra of Cuba, Lviv Philharmonic, Frost Symphony Orchestra, and many others. She has also been a featured performer and clinician at festivals and institutions nationwide and abroad, including the MidAtlantic Flute Convention, MidSouth Flute Festival, Oberlin Conservatory, International Flute Festival of Costa Rica, Penn State, SUNY Buffalo, and more.
Her orchestral work includes principal flute positions with Festival Orchestra Napa, Mozart Orchestra of New York, Santo Domingo Festival Orchestra, Opera Naples, and the Boca Symphonia.
During the 2025–2026 season, Jennifer will present and perform at the Juilliard School, Texas State University, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and Montclair State University. She will be the featured guest artist with the Austin Flute Society and New York Flute Club Festivals.
A passionate educator and forward-thinking advocate for the arts, Jennifer serves as Professor and Chair of the Department of Instrumental Performance at the Frost School of Music, University of Miami. She previously served on the faculty of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where she was honored with the Teacher of the Year Award by the College of Fine Arts. In addition to her academic leadership, she is the President of the Board of Directors of the National Flute Association, past-President of Chamber Music America, and serves as Artistic Administrator for the Frost School at Festival Napa Valley.
A native of Berkeley, California, Jennifer Grim holds a Bachelor of Arts from Stanford University, and Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees from Yale University. She performs on an all 14K Gold Custom Haynes flute with a 19.5K headjoint and platinum riser.
Internationally recognized for his moving performances, innovative programming and extensive catalog of recordings, American conductor Gerard Schwarz serves as Music Director of the All-Star Orchestra, Eastern Music Festival, Palm Beach Symphony, and Mozart Orchestra of New York, and is Conductor Laureate of the Seattle Symphony Orchestra and Conductor Emeritus of the Mostly Mozart Festival. He is a Distinguished Professor of Music; Conducting and Orchestral Studies of the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami and Music Director of the Frost Symphony Orchestra.
His considerable discography of over 350 albums showcases his collaborations with some of the world’s greatest orchestras including The Philadelphia Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre National de France, Tokyo Philharmonic, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, New York Chamber Symphony, and Seattle Symphony Orchestra among others. In 2017 The Gerard Schwarz Collection, a 30-CD box set of previously unreleased or limited release works spanning his entire recording career was released by Naxos.
Schwarz began his professional career as co-principal trumpet of the New York Philharmonic and has held Music Director positions with the Mostly Mozart Festival, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, and New York Chamber Symphony. As a guest conductor, he has worked with many of the world’s finest orchestras and has led the San Francisco, Washington National, and Seattle Opera companies on many occasions. He is also a gifted composer and arranger with an extensive catalog of works that have been premiered by ensembles across the United States, Europe, and Korea.
Schwarz is a renowned interpreter of 19th century German, Austrian and Russian repertoire in addition to his noted work with contemporary American composers. He completed his final season as Music Director of the Seattle Symphony in 2011 after an acclaimed 26 years - a period of dramatic artistic growth for the ensemble.
In his nearly five decades as a respected classical musician and conductor, Schwarz has received hundreds of honors and accolades including Emmy Awards, GRAMMY nominations, ASCAP Awards, and the Ditson Conductor’s Award. He was the first American named Conductor of the Year by Musical America and has received numerous honorary doctorates. The City of Seattle named the street alongside the Benaroya Hall “Gerard Schwarz Place” in his honor. His book, Behind the Baton, was released by Amadeus Press in March 2017. Schwarz has been married to his wife Jody for over 37 years, and he has four children.
“I love sharing my knowledge and professional experience with students while helping them find their own path as bassoonists. I believe the FROST SCHOOL OF MUSIC equips students with a broad skill set that allows each student to pursue their passion.”
Gabriel Beavers is the associate professor of bassoon at the FROST SCHOOL OF MUSIC. He also performs with the Nu-Deco ensemble and serves as 2nd bassoonist in the Music in the Mountains Festival Orchestra in Durango, Colorado.
Prior to joining the faculty of the FROST SCHOOL OF MUSIC, Professor Beavers served on the faculty of Louisiana State University School of Music and was principal bassoon with the Baton Rouge Symphony. Formerly a fellow with the New World Symphony, he was also principal bassoon with the Virginia Symphony, acting principal bassoon with the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra and the Jacksonville Symphony, and acting second bassoon with the Milwaukee Symphony for one season. Professor Beavers also previously held the position of visiting assistant professor at the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Music.
In addition to his orchestral activities, Professor Beavers maintains an active schedule of solo and chamber performances. He has appeared as a soloist with the Virginia Symphony, Baton Rouge Symphony, Henry Mancini Institute Orchestra, FROST Wind Ensemble, Ensemble Ibis, Chesapeake Bay Wind Ensemble, Greater Miami Symphonic Band, LSU Symphonic Winds and the Louisiana Sinfonietta. He has given recitals throughout the United States and at international wind and double reed festivals in England, Brazil and Japan. Professor Beavers has also recorded two well-reviewed solo albums, A Quirky Dream and Gordon Jacob: Music for Bassoon, both of which are available on Mark Records.
Professor Beavers received his BM from Boston University School of the Arts in 1999 and his MM from Southern Methodist University School of the Arts in 2001.
“After many years as a performer, it’s time to pass on what I’ve learned about music and the saxophone. If I don’t pass it on, the art will die. I love working with students and watching them progress towards a professional career.”
Dale W. Underwood is professor of Saxophone at the FROST SCHOOL OF MUSIC. He is also the director of the FROST Saxophone Ensemble.
Before coming to the FROST SCHOOL OF MUSIC, he was the principal saxophonist and soloist with the United States Navy Band in Washington, D.C. for 30 years.
During that time, he performed for every U.S. president, from Lyndon Johnson to William Clinton. He has performed in every state in the continental United States and Alaska. In addition, he has soloed in 20 foreign countries.
Professor Underwood also taught at George Mason University, The University of Maryland and Catholic University. In 1993 he made his Carnegie Hall debut and soloed there three times. He’s also soloed at Disney Hall and the Kennedy Center. He was heralded by the Washington Post as “ The Heifetz of the Alto Saxophone.” In 1978 he organized the Navy Band’s first International Saxophone Symposium and ran a total of 20 Symposium’s until his retirement in 1997. The Symposium is now in its 40th year. In addition, he has amassed a prolific discography of classical and contemporary works, receiving rave reviews in the process. With over 30 works originally written especially for him, he continues both his playing and teaching careers.“Having spent the first part of my career in some of the most prestigious orchestra positions in the world, I now devote myself to teaching and to performing as a soloist and chamber musician. I am passionate about helping my students further their musical and technical abilities in pursuit of their dreams.”
Grammy-nominated trumpet soloist, Craig Morris, is a versatile performer comfortable in all genres of music from Baroque to Contemporary. Regarded as a leading proponent for new music and original programming, Morris received a 2019 Grammy Nomination in the Best Classical Instrumental Solo category for his album Three Pieces in the Shape of a Square, featuring the music of Philip Glass. Craig Morris has also recently premiered major pieces by two leading American composers: a major new concerto by Joel Puckett titled The Fifteenth Night of the Moon and also The Lightning Fields, a major new work for trumpet and piano by Michael Daugherty. Morris is featured in two solo recordings on the Naxos label: Concerto for Trumpet and Winds by Thom Sleeper on the album Reflections (another piece that was written for Morris), and his acclaimed debut solo album Permit Me Voyage, featuring his own original transcriptions of Debussy, Schumann, Brahms, and Barber.
Morris has an active recital touring schedule, most recently touring with highly regarded collaborative pianist Rebecca Wilt at universities and concert venues across the country. Morris has also been featured as a soloist with ensembles and festivals around the world, including appearances with the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the San Francisco Symphony, and the Miami Bach Society to name a few. Morris has also appeared at leading festivals including The Seminar for Advanced Studies at Chosen Vale in New Hampshire, Instrumenta Oaxaca, in Oaxaca, Mexico, the Schagerl Brass Festival, in Melk, Austria, the Blekinge International Brass Institute, in Karlskrona, Sweden, and the Beijing Modern Music Festival in Beijing, China.
Prior to his work as a soloist, Morris first gained an international reputation by being appointed Principal Trumpet of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra by music director Daniel Barenboim, following the legendary Adolph “Bud” Herseth in that chair. Prior to that Morris was the Associate Principal Trumpet of the San Francisco Symphony, appointed to that chair by music director Michael Tilson Thomas. Still active as an orchestral performer, Morris has served as guest principal trumpet with the St. Louis Symphony, the Swedish Radio Orchestra, the Jacksonville Symphony, the San Diego Symphony, the Sarasota Orchestra, and the Mainly Mozart Festival Orchestra in San Diego. Since 2007, Morris has been the principal trumpet of the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music, the world’s leading orchestral new music festival, where he has worked closely with some of the leading composers of our time.
Currently based in Miami, Florida, Craig Morris is the Trumpet Professor at the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami. He has been a Yamaha Artist since 2015.
There is an explicit contract between teacher and student to work together as hand in glove. EACH must be willing to go to the extreme for the entire period of study in order that the student accomplish the maximum amount possible. The school where they are working must be able to attach to this contract educational resources not otherwise available to the teacher and the student. The Frost School understands this responsibility and offers a unique curriculum perhaps optimal for more students than at any other Music School.
Charles Castleman, perhaps the world’s most active performer/pedagogue on the violin, has been soloist with the orchestras of Philadelphia, Boston, Brisbane, Chicago, Hong Kong, Moscow, Mexico City, New York, San Francisco, Seoul and Shanghai. Medalist at Tchaikovsky and Brussels, his Jongen Concerto is included in a Cypres CD set of the 17 best prize-winning performances of the Brussels Concours’ history.
Mr. Castleman's solo CDs include Ysaye's six Solo Sonatas (made at the time of his unique performance at Tully Hall in NYC), eight Hubay Csardases for Violin and Orchestra, and ten Sarasate virtuoso cameos on Music and Arts, Gershwin and Antheil on MusicMasters, and contemporary violin and harpsichord music for Albany. As one of sixteen Ford Foundation Concert Artists he commissioned the David Amram Concerto, premiering it with Leonard Slatkin and the St. Louis Symphony, recording it for Newport Classic. He is dedicatee of "Lares Hercii" by Pulitzer winner Christopher Rouse.
He has performed at such international festivals as Marlboro, Grant Park, Newport, Sarasota, AFCM (Australia), Akaroa (New Zealand), Ascoli Piceno (Italy), Budapest, Fuefukigawa, Montreux, Shanghai, Sheffield, and the Vienna Festwoche. His recitals have been broadcast on NPR, BBC, and Australia Broadcasting Company, in Berlin and in Paris.
Mr Castleman has conducted master-classes in London, Vienna, Helsinki, Kiev, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Seoul, Singapore, Tokyo, and all major cities in Australia, Canada and New Zealand. His students have been winners at Brussels, Munich, Naumburg and Szeryng, are in 30 professionally active chamber groups and are 1st desk players in 11 major orchestras. He is founder/director of THE CASTLEMAN QUARTET PROGRAM, in its 48th season, now at S.U.N.Y Fredonia and at Linfield College , McMinnville, OR -intensive workshops in solo and chamber performance.
Charles Castleman’s long-term chamber music associations have included THE NEW STRING TRIO OF N.Y. with BASF recordings of Reger and Frank Martin and THE RAPHAEL TRIO with CDs of Dvorak, Mendelssohn, Beethoven, and Wolf-Ferrari for NONESUCH, SONY CLASSICAL, DISCOVER, UNICORN, and ASV, and with premieres by Rainer Bischof and Frederic Rzewski for the Vienna Festival and Kennedy Center.
Mr. Castleman earned degrees from Harvard, Curtis, and University of Pennsylvania. His teachers were Emanuel Ondricek (teaching assistant of Sevcik, Ysaye student) and Ivan Galamian, his most influential coaches David Oistrakh, Szeryng, and Gingold. He plays the “Marquis de Champeaux” Stradivarius violin from 1708, and chooses from more than 80 bows.
“My entire career has been devoted to the art of teaching as well as the art of performance. Students who study with me at the FROST SCHOOL OF MUSIC do not commit to a predetermined method of teaching, but are part of a challenging and nurturing bass program that is tailored to their career goals, their technical and repertoire experience, their learning style, and other important individual considerations. We create a learning environment that allows every student to reach their fullest potential with confidence and a continued love for music and sharing it with others.”
Anna Kate Mackle has served as Principal Harp of The Florida Orchestra, the Dick and Helen Minck Chair, since 1999. Prior to joining TFO she served as principal harpist of the New World Symphony, the Colorado Music Festival, the Spoleto Festival Orchestras (Italy and USA), the National Repertory Orchestra, the Ohio Light Opera Orchestra, and the Sarasota Opera Orchestra. From 2000-2024 Mackle served as Principal Harp and Faculty Artist at EasternMusic Festival until the management and board abruptly shut down the 2025 festival in the middle of contract negotiations with the faculty. Mackle has been a faculty member at St. Petersburg College since 2000, a guest instructor at Howard W. Blake School of the Arts since 2023, and is a former faculty member at Interlochen Arts Camp and Pinellas County Center for the Arts.
Mackle is a six-time concerto soloist with The Florida Orchestra, twice a concerto soloist at Eastern Music Festival, and, along with her husband, TFO Principal Percussion John Shaw, is a founding member of the Mackle Shaw Duo, a chamber music duo that commissions and performs music for harp and percussion. The Mackle Shaw Duo has been awarded grants from the New World Symphony, the City of St. Petersburg, Creative Pinellas, The Palladium Theater St. Petersburg, and the St. Petersburg Arts Alliance to commission works from such composers as Jerod Impichchaachaaha’ Tate, Mattea Williams, Michael Ippolito, Daniel Black, Nathan Daughtrey, and The Honourable Elizabeth A. Baker.
Mackle earned a Bachelor of Music degree, cum laude, from Baldwin-Wallace University, and a Master of Music degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music, studying with Alice Chalifoux during both degree programs. In her spare time Mackle enjoys reading, traveling, spending time with her cats Brian and Steve, and running races. She is currently training for her fifth marathon.
“Music is humanity expressed through sound. The way you do anything, is the way you do everything. I am all about teaching consistency alongside creativity in everything that we do. When things are consistent, things are authoritative. When things are authoritative, people will LISTEN! When things are creative, the listener will most likely stay engaged throughout a performance. Our goal should to be able to control the largest of brass instruments (tuba and euphonium) at an incredibly high level, so that when we see a phrase and silently sing it in our head we can instantly and effortlessly relay that musical message to the listener. At some points within music we are asked to be the leader, other times a follower, and at other times a joint collaborator. Knowing exactly how to control our instrument allows us to be musically free.”
With his orchestral playing praised as “a rock-solid foundation” and his solo playing described as being “remarkable for both its solid power and its delicacy,” Aaron Tindall is the professor of tuba and euphonium at the Frost School of Music – University of Miami, the principal tubist of the Naples Philharmonic, and the tuba professor at The Colburn School in Los Angeles, California. In the summers, he teaches and performs at the Festival Napa Valley in Napa, California and at the Eastern Music Festival in Greensboro, North Carolina, where he also serves as principal tuba with the EFM Festival Orchestra under the direction of Gerard Schwarz.
Aaron has previously served as the principal tubist of the Sarasota Orchestra, the acting principal tubist of the Iceland Symphony Orchestra, held the principal tuba position with the Aspen Festival Orchestra where he was an orchestral fellow and has collaborated as guest tubist with orchestras such as the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony Orchestra Brass, Teatro alla Scala Opera and Ballet Orchestra, Milan, Italy, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Australia, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Colorado Symphony Orchestra, The Florida Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra-Kennedy Center, New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, New World Symphony, Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra and the Utah Symphony.
He is a frequent soloist, guest artist/clinician and orchestral tubist throughout the United States, Europe and Asia. He has been featured at a majority of the International Tuba and Euphonium conferences since 2006, performed in England with the National Champion Grimethorpe Colliery Brass Band and his solo playing has been heard on NPR’s Performance Today radio show.
Aaron has been a prizewinner of many competitions (solo and chamber) across the world. He has also been a two-time finalist in the prestigious Concert Artist Guild Competition, and released four highly acclaimed solo recordings — Yellowbird (solo tuba and jazz piano trio), Transformations (winner of the International Tuba Euphonium Association’s Roger Bobo Excellence in Recording award and winner of two 2017 Global Music Awards), This is My House… (awarded two 2015 Global Music Awards) and Songs of Ascent.
Many of his students have obtained prestigious principal positions with the top professional orchestras in the U.S. and Canada, and also in the premier military bands of Washington, D.C., West Point, and the U.S. Coast Guard. They are also frequent prizewinners at various national and international solo and chamber music competitions.
Aaron is an International Yamaha Performing Artist and a Denis Wick – London artist and design specialist, having designed their complete Ultra Range AT signature series tuba mouthpieces.
Shannon de l’Etoile, Ph.D., is Associate Dean of Graduate Studies, and Professor of Music Therapy at the University of Miami FROST School of Music. She knows better than anyone the therapeutic effects of music as well as its power to soothe and help heal. A board-certified music therapist and member of both the American Music Therapy Association (AMTA), and the Southeastern Region of the AMTA, Dr. de l’Etoile is pleased to share her knowledge in this specialized area of expertise.
In addition to her experience as a clinician, Dean de l’Etoile received recognition as a Fellow of the Robert F. Unkefer Academy of Neurologic Music Therapy. She currently serves on the editorial review board for the Journal of Music Therapy and was previously a member of the editorial review board for Music Therapy Perspectives.
Combining her clinical background and the vast knowledge she has acquired throughout her career, Dean de l’Etoile has worked 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. Her current focus is on the study of infants’ responses to music, and their arousal and response when they’re serenaded with song. Even at that young age, an infant’s reaction is to move in response to the rhythm. As evidenced on any dance floor, that’s an instinct that becomes more pronounced even as we age.
Dean de l’Etoile joined the FROST School of Music faculty in fall 2001. Widely published author, Dean de l’Etoile 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. Prior to her current appointment at FROST, she taught music therapy at the University of Iowa and at Colorado State University. She was previously a research associate for the internationally-recognized Center for Biomedical Research in Music in Fort Collins, Colorado.
Federico, born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Miami, where he attended under a full scholarship and served as a Teacher Assistant and Henry Mancini Fellow.
Throughout his studies, he has played in Master Classes for artists such as Denis Azabagic, Manuel Barrueco, Margarita Escarpa, Máximo Diego Pujol, Berta Rojas, LAGQ, and Hopkinson Smith to name a few. He has given several lectures on pedagogy and arts management including a discussion on his DMA Essay on Music Memorization for the classical guitarist at the 2017 Guitar Foundation of America Convention in Fullerton, CA.
His most recent performances include solo recitals, appearances with the Miami Guitar Trio and other chamber groups, the FIU Symphony Orchestra, The Frost Symphony Orchestra, the Henry Mancini Institute Orchestra, the Florida Grand Opera, the New World Symphony, and has played under the baton of Michael Tilson Thomas, Jeff Beal, and James Newton Howard.
Dr. Musgrove Stetson has received over 20 grants to bring classical guitar programming to South Florida and was selected as a 2017-2018 Miami Leader by the Miami Foundation for his contribution to the community. He is currently a faculty member at Frost School of Music, the Miami Conservatory of Music, and founding President and Executive Director of the Florida Guitar Foundation.
Federico will co-host the 2019 Guitar Foundation of America Convention at the Frost School of Music, University of Miami, alongside Classical Guitar Program Director, Professor Rafael Padron.
Dana Salminen is the Director of Production Services and an Adjunct Faculty of Music Engineering Technology at the University of Miami Frost School of Music. In 2008, he founded the sound engineering company, Aesir Sound, currently employing more than a dozen engineers in South Florida. He handles clients ranging from iii Points music festival, national entertainment companies, to local venues. Dana has toured with acts ranging from Flo Rida to Bobby McFerrin and worked with such musicians as Sting and Pitbull. He feels at home in almost any venue, be it an arena, recording studio, or classroom. Dana grew up around the world, starting in Saudi Arabia and graduating high school in Indonesia. A trombonist and bassist, Salminen earned a Bachelor of Music in Music Engineering and Computer Science, with a minor in Marketing at the University of Miami.
Yani Trevin Rubio is a native of Miami. She received her Bachelor of Music and Master of Music in Music Therapy from the University of Miami in 1997 and 2001, respectively. She is a board-certified music therapist and a Fellow of the Robert F. Unkefer Academy of Neurologic Music Therapy.
Rubio has over 25 years of clinical experience working in vast settings with various populations with an emphasis on children, youth, and adults with special needs and adults in rehabilitation with neuromotor deficits. She founded the Creative Children Ensemble for youth with special needs from 2003 to 2011.
She served as adjunct professor at the University of Miami within the Music Therapy program earlier in her career and has supervised countless music therapy students and interns. During her years as Director of Programming and grant writing at Creative Children Therapy and Villa Lyan School, her programs received several grants for inclusion through the arts. She has created new programs, lectured abroad in South America since the late 90’s and at various universities in South Florida. She has been broadcast on radio and TV on the positive effects of music therapy.
She developed and produced, “This Is ME!” in 2018 and 2019, a full-stage innovative theater production including individuals with and without special needs and their families. Professor Rubio is a founding member for the Miami-Dade Department of Cultural Affairs All Kids Included Initiative (AKI). Through AKI, she received a grant for the MAAS program (Music and Art for Autism in the Schools) through which teachers would implement successful new methods.
Rubio is currently an active professional development facilitator throughout the community enhancing program development, inclusion through the arts, best practices, and strategies to assist in the management of community arts programming.
Teresa Lesiuk, Ph.D., is associate professor and program director for the Music Therapy program at the University of Miami Frost School of Music. She is a board-certified music therapist and a member of the American Music Therapy Association and the Southeastern Region of the AMTA. She is also the North American representative of the Education and Training Commission of the World Federation of Music Therapy.
Dr. Lesiuk began her career teaching junior-high school choir, band, and general music in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. She subsequently provided music therapy to several clientele including those with dementia, dual diagnosis, and children with developmental disabilities. She also coordinated an academic program for music therapy at the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio and as well, helped to develop and grow the music therapy program at University of Windsor. Teresa’s initial (and still current) research interest included the role of music in high stress occupations, such as air traffic control and computer information systems development. She published several studies of her work in Psychology of Music, Arts in Psychotherapy, Journal of Music Therapy, Information Management Resources Journal and the International Journal of Information Management Professionals.
Along more applied research lines, Dr. Lesiuk created and examined the outcomes of a Mindfulness-based Music Therapy program for women with breast cancer. The benefits of the therapy are shared in publications found in Oncology Nursing Forum and Healthcare. More recently, Dr. Lesiuk has collaborated with the Movement Disorder Team from the Miller School of Medicine and another research colleague to examine the cognitive, motor, and psychosocial outcomes of piano training for adults with Parkinson’s Disease. This research was funded by the GRAMMY Foundation and the University of Miami Provost Award. The most recent publication from this work has been published in Healthcare.
She presents regularly at regional, national and international conferences. She is also an accomplished pianist and enjoys teaching functional piano techniques to all the music therapy majors.
Dr. Lesiuk received her BM in Music Education and Master’s of Education from the University of Manitoba. She received her Master’s of Music in Music Therapy from Colorado State University of her PhD from the University of Western Ontario.
I am so passionate about teaching because I know that I am helping to shape the future leaders of the music business, who will find innovative ways to expand upon the connection between the musician, the music, and the listener while ensuring that the cultural and commercial value of music is preserved.
Serona Elton is an experienced music industry professional and educator. She is the Vice Dean of the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami, as well as Chair of the Music Industry department and a full professor. She is also a Yamaha Master Educator.
Additionally, she serves as Head of Educational Partnerships for The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC). In this role, Elton directs The MLC’s efforts to engage future members of the music industry currently studying music business and related subjects at colleges and universities across the country and around the world.
Previously, Elton worked for Warner Music Group where she held the position of Vice President, Product Management, and EMI Recorded Music North America where she was Vice President, Mechanical Licensing and Repertoire Data Services. She has also provided consulting services to Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, Zumba Fitness, and other music-related companies.
A respected expert, Elton has written numerous articles and book chapters about the music industry and is a co-author of the book Music Business Handbook and Career Guide (13th edition). She is recognized by many for her extensive insight into licensing, royalties, and music industry processes and structures, and has contributed to news stories for NPR’s Marketplace, CNN.com, Billboard, and other outlets. She was awarded the first-ever Music Business Educator of the Year Bizzy Award by the Music Business Association in 2023.
Elton is a speaker in the U.S. Department of State Speaker Program. She is also a member of the Promoting Peace, Education, and Cultural Exchange (PEACE) Through Music Award Committee, which is part of the U.S. Department of State Global Music Diplomacy Initiative. Elton also serves as a council member on the College Music Society's Council on Music Business-Industry and serves as a Director-at-Large on the American Musicological Society Board of Directors. Previously, she has served as president of the Music and Entertainment Industry Educators Association (MEIEA), a trustee of the Copyright Society, chair of the Florida Bar Entertainment, Arts, and Sports Law Section, and a governor on the Recording Academy, Florida Chapter, Board of Governors. She is also an alumnus of the Nashville-based Leadership Music program, and a licensed attorney in New York and Florida.
Elton holds a B.S.B.A. in Finance from the University of Florida, an M.M. in Music Industry from the University of Miami, and a J.D. from Brooklyn Law School. She also holds a Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt certification. Elton resides in South Florida.
For a more comprehensive list of past and current positions, published articles and accomplishments, visit Ms. Elton’s LinkedIn page: https://www.linkedin.com/in/serona or her website www.seronaelton.com.
Olga Cardona is a Lecturer in the Music Industry program at the Frost School of Music. She is a well-regarded 30-year veteran of the Latin music business, with expertise in performing rights and music publishing.
She began her career in 1993 at performing rights organization SESAC, where she rose through the ranks to become the company’s first-ever Director of Writer/Publisher Relations for their newly-formed Latin music division, SESAC Latina. During her tenure, the company grew to represent as much as 30% market share of the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart, representing catalogs by writers such as Marco Antonio Solis, KC Porter and Omar Alfanno, to name a few.
She was subsequently hired by BMG Music Publishing in 1999 as their first-ever Director of US Latin Operations, overseeing the catalogs of Mexican superstar Juan Gabriel, Panamanian artist Edgardo Franco "El General" (considered the pioneer of the reggaeton genre) and Dominican artist-songwriter Vladimir Dotel & Ilegales, along with the catalogs of the company's offices in Latin America.
She joined Universal Music Publishing in 2007 upon their acquisition of BMG Publishing, where she was instrumental in the integration of the Latin catalogs, an experience that became invaluable during the company's acquisition of Univision Publishing catalog a year later. During her tenure at the company, she was responsible for overseeing all aspects of administration and marketing for the entire US Latin writer and catalog roster. She was also responsible for driving increased exposure of UMPG’s Latin songwriter roster on social channels, while working closely with the company’s Global Administration team in Nashville, as well as with UMPG’s North American and European Marketing teams. Among the catalogs she administered throughout the years were J Balvin, Romeo Santos, Juan Luis Guerra, Rubén Blades, Gloria and Emilio Estefan, Wisin & Yandel, Bad Bunny, Rudy Perez, Jorge Luis Piloto, Feid, Alex Cuba, Claudia Brant, Anitta, Chino & Nacho, Fania, Gustavo Santaolalla, Because Editions, Rudy La Scala, Willy Chirino and Pitbull.
She holds a Master's Degree in Music Business and Entertainment Industries from the Frost School of Music at University of Miami and a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communications from Towson University in Maryland. She is a founding board member of the Miami Chapter of the global organization Women in Music, having served as their first Vice Chair of Membership and where she still serves as Asst. Vice Chair of Membership. She is a member of various organizations, such as the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame, the Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame, The Recording Academy, The Latin Recording Academy, She Is The Music, MEIEA (Music and Entertainment Industry Educators Association) and the Music Business Association.
I bring backstage access to students with every module. Practical, useful information about real-world challenges and their solutions. My method replaces “sage on the stage” teaching and transitions to a coaching facilitator mentality. All with the goal of helping students acquire professional readiness
Michael DeMarco is the Founder and CEO of Celebrity Direct Inc., a premier talent booking agency specializing in the production of high-profile performances for corporate and nonprofit events nationwide. With over two decades of experience in the live entertainment industry, he has negotiated and produced exclusive private events featuring major artists such as Beyoncé, Sting, Rihanna, John Legend, Jerry Seinfeld, Alicia Keys, and Earth, Wind & Fire. DeMarco's clients span a diverse range of industries, including finance, healthcare, luxury goods, and philanthropy and his expertise lies in navigating the complex intersection of talent relations, contract negotiation, and event strategy at the highest levels. His firm has long been recognized as a national leader in delivering bespoke, high-impact entertainment experiences tailored to discerning audiences.
In addition to his career as a talent agent and producer, DeMarco is a professionally trained symphony and opera conductor. He studied at The Juilliard School and trained privately under the late Maestro Vincent La Selva of the New York Grand Opera. His musical education continues through participating in masterclasses with esteemed conductors from leading conservatories in Rome, London, and St. Petersburg.
At the Frost School of Music, DeMarco teaches courses in Concert Tour Management, drawing on his dual background in performance and production to offer students a backstage view into the business mechanics of live entertainment. His teaching emphasizes practical insight, strategic thinking, and the cultivation of professional readiness for careers in the music and entertainment industries.
Acclaimed attorney Matt Buser specializes in entertainment, sports, intellectual property, and corporate law, bringing a unique blend of deep legal expertise, sharp business acumen, and genuine passion for the creative arts. Since establishing his practice in 2014, Matt has built a robust reputation for empowering creators, safeguarding the rights of elite talent, and offering strategic, personalized legal counsel.
A graduate of the University of Miami School of Law, Matt also holds a degree in Political Science from the University of Georgia. Throughout his distinguished career, he has been recognized by leading industry publications, including Billboard, USA Today, LA Weekly, and E! News, highlighting his innovative and practical approach to law.
Beyond his practice, Matt is an avid musician, accomplished guitarist, and singer, regularly engaging with the creative community through speaking engagements and serving as a creative judge at industry events and conferences. His passion for the arts directly informs his legal practice, allowing him to provide insightful counsel grounded in a genuine understanding of his clients’ worlds.
Matt’s personalized approach and dedication to excellence embody his trademark motto: #NotYourAverageLawyer.
“One of the joys of my teaching experience is piquing our students’ interest in the various aspects of the contemporary music business industry while introducing them to the multitude of music business career opportunities that await them.”
John Redmond is Assistant Professor of Practice in the Music Business and Entertainment Industries program at the FROST SCHOOL OF MUSIC. He is a 30-year veteran of the international music industry and has taught various music business courses at FROST for over a decade. He also serves as faculty advisor to two University of Miami student-run enterprises, the Independent Music Award-winning ‘Cane Records and Cat 5 Music.
Professor Redmond has held executive positions in a number of multinational music companies during his music business career, among them, Vice President, Universal Music Publishing, Vice President, PolyGram Music Publishing and Managing Director, Rondor Music International. With those positions came a number of responsibilities, including the creative and administrative activities of the Canadian divisions of each of these companies. His creative role included the discovery and fostering of successful songwriters as well as the development and promotion of these songwriters for the international arena. The Canadian songwriters he worked with during his tenure with those companies included Alanis Morissette, Avril Lavigne, Bryan Adams, Finger 11, Jann Arden, k.d.lang and Shania Twain. His administrative functions included contract negotiations, copyright supervision, royalty management, song licensing, budgeting and monitoring financial performance.
In addition, Professor Redmond was responsible for the Canadian activities of many song catalogs, including those of ABBA, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Beastie Boys, Bob Marley, Coldplay, Elton John, Justin Timberlake, Prince and U2. As a result of his companies’ successes, he has been the recipient of multiple gold and platinum sales awards, as well as performance awards from BMI, ASCAP and SOCAN (Canada).
Professor Redmond has served on multiple boards of various important music trade organizations and associations. These board directorships and his executive music publishing positions have cemented many important personal and working relationships with international music organizations.
As a former recording artist signed to London Records/Universal Music as well as a songwriter signed with Acuff-Rose Opryland/SONY-ATV Music Publishing, Professor Redmond has toured internationally and recorded extensively. He has numerous albums and singles to his credit, including a critically acclaimed self-titled album. Consequently, he has an affinity with songwriters, musicians and recording artists. He has coupled this creative affinity with the skills, expertise and experience of the music business to form his Miami-based company, Publish This Inc. Among other services, this company specializes in music publishing, royalty recovery and copyright management issues. His clients have included Universal Music, Sony Music Entertainment, producer/songwriter LRoc (Janet Jackson, Usher), producer/songwriter Brian Howes (Hinder, Nickelback), classical guitarist Liona Boyd, and platinum selling singer/songwriter Jann Arden, among many others.
Professor Redmond’s advice and expertise have been widely sought and valued by some of the world's best-known songwriters, recording artists, producers and managers. He has advised the Canadian Federal Government on copyright and music publishing issues, been published in various international trade magazines and has been a featured speaker at music trade organizations, universities and colleges.
For a more comprehensive list of past and current positions, published articles and accomplishments, visit Mr. Redmond’s LinkedIn page: https://www.linkedin.com/in/JohnRedmond1.Guillermo Page, a successful music industry executive, started his career in Venezuela in 1982 as a recording studio assistant. He later served as General Manager at Velvet de Venezuela. In 1989, he moved to the United States to pursue new opportunities in the industry. After several years at Rodven Records working in operations and sales, driven by his entrepreneurial spirit, Page negotiated with Velvet de Venezuela and Discos Fuentes from Colombia in 1993 to combine efforts in the U.S. market and establish Vedisco Records, a joint venture led by him. The label quickly became one of the top U.S. Latin indie labels of that time.
While working full-time, Page enrolled at the University of Miami Business School, earning a BBA in International Finance & Marketing in 1995. He later returned to his alma mater and completed an MBA in 1998, with a focus on Marketing and International Business.
In 1999, Page accepted an offer from BMG U.S. Latin to lead their strategic marketing division. In 2001, he moved to EMI Latin America and took charge of the regional strategic marketing department, managing teams in seven countries across the LATAM region. Later, he was promoted to VP of EMI Marketing, overseeing the strategic marketing and distributed labels division at EMI U.S. Latin. In 2005, Page joined Sony Music Latin as head of strategic marketing and later became its SVP of Commercial & Sales. He played a pivotal role in the label’s transition from a physical to a digital business. Page excelled at maximizing current revenue streams while developing new ones through licensing and brand partnerships during this industry transition. In 2012, he joined Universal Music Latin Entertainment. Eventually, he became its SVP of Sales & Strategic Products for the U.S. and Mexico, with responsibility for Latin repertoire across the LATAM region.
In 2018, Page decided to enhance his marketing skills to remain competitive in a constantly evolving industry. He earned a Master of Science in Marketing from Florida International University, with a specialization in Digital Marketing, Brand Development, and Marketing Analytics. He also holds certifications in Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, as well as several other certifications in the Google Ads platform, YouTube, and HubSpot.
Since 2019, Page has served as the Assistant Director of the Music Industry Program at the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music, where he is currently an Associate Professor. In 2025, he was honored as a Centennial medalist during the university's centennial celebration for his outstanding career. He also serves as a board member of the Music and Entertainment Industry Educators Association (MEIEA) and collaborates with the Grammy Museum on its annual Grammy Camp program. Additionally, he manages GDR Consulting, a firm advising artists, record labels, music publishers, and industry organizations.
For a more comprehensive list of past and current positions and accomplishments, visit Mr. Page’s LinkedIn page here.
“Being on board at the Frost School of Music is the most exciting and fulfilling period of my professional career. I can share with my students the accumulation of years of work in the fields of music education, arts leadership and management, live entertainment and performance.” “Students here are driven to success, energetic and creative and push me to be my very best!”
Gary Alan Wood has been the Director, Arts Presenting and Live Entertainment, and Professor of Practice in the Department of Music Media and Industry in the FROST SCHOOL OF MUSIC since 2014. During his tenure at the school, Mr. Wood has been responsible for creating a comprehensive cognate opportunity for students, including two new courses (MMI 735 – World of the Working Musician, and MMI 632 – Arts Leadership), and overseeing an online degree program FROST ONLINE. His personal mission is to help musicians and artists discover their artistic voice while envisioning a path towards a successful professional career.
A native of Anoka, Minnesota, Mr. Wood has been active in arts education, arts administration and the world of the symphony for over 30 years. His career has included public school music and theatre arts education, symphony orchestra education and community programs, a stint as executive Director of one of America’s most unique chamber music and jazz presenting organizations, Camera of Houston, and Director of a multi-dimensional complex of visual and performing arts activities, the Regina A. Quick Center of the Arts of Fairfield University, Fairfield, Connecticut.
After designing programs in education and community collaborations for the Minnesota Orchestra from 1996 to 1999, Mr. Wood moved to Philadelphia to lead the expanding programs and initiatives of The Philadelphia Orchestra. His department received national attention for numerous innovative initiatives designed to bring classical music to classrooms and in-depth community involvement projects to neighborhoods throughout the city. The much-heralded Neighborhood Concert initiative brought the Philadelphia Orchestra concert experience to ordinary citizens by providing performances in local venues. A project commissioned in collaboration with the Minnesota Orchestra entitled We Are Met at Gettysburg offered both specific children and public concerts in Philadelphia and Minneapolis, along with specially created comprehensive classroom materials and numerous hands-on workshops.
From 2004 to 2008, Mr. Wood served as President and Chief Executive Officer of the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts|Riverfront, one of the country’s most prominent arts conservatories. He oversaw the immediate recovery of the campus after Hurricane Katrina, leading the school back to full educational operation.
Mr. Wood is also a frequent speaker guest lecturer and clarinetist in schools, education symposiums, and arts conferences.
Mr. Wood holds two degrees from the University of Minnesota - a Bachelor of Science degree in Music Education and a Master of Music degree in Woodwind Performance, with a focus on the clarinet. He also attended the Peabody Conservatory of Music of The Johns Hopkins University as a graduate assistant and became involved with numerous music education and performance-related courses. He has several writings to his credit, including two articles for Scholastic, Inc., 2004 New Book of Knowledge, along with several music activity booklets, including “The Planets: An Out-of-this-world View of Classical Music” and “Imagination: Music & Art.”"Music moves people involuntarily, even subliminally, and yet by means of the most apparently precise and rational techniques. If a few combinations of pitches, durations, timbres and dynamic values can unlock the most hidden contents of our spiritual and emotional being, then the study of music should be the key to understanding human nature" (Nicholas Cook, A Guide to Music Analysis, 1987)
Tom Collins, Ph.D. is Associate Professor of Music Engineering Technology within the Music Engineering program at the Frost School of Music. He is Principal Investigator of the Music Computing and Psychology Lab [https://tomcollinsresearch.net], also situated in the Frost School of Music.
Dr. Collins' research concerns the development and application of machine learning techniques for/to music-analytical and music-generative tasks, with projects leading to research papers, reusable code [https://github.com/mus-com-psy/], and collaborations with upcoming and GRAMMY Award-winning artists on songs cocreated with AI.
The lab also works on audio/music in extended reality (XR/AR/VR), AI for podcasting and game audio, and pattern discovery algorithms applied to coordinated movement in music and athletics.
Dr. Collins has a strong track record in the supervision of Ph.D. students – training them and helping them pursue careers in industry or academia, with recent graduates joining ByteDance, Sony Interactive Entertainment, and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.
In terms of teaching, Dr. Collins offers courses on electronic production technologies, research methods, and music artificial intelligence.
“Music and sound are foundational to the human experience, and at Frost our students learn both the creative and technical, the art and science, of music engineering.”
Christopher L. Bennett, Ph.D. is Program Director and faculty within the Music Engineering Technology program at the Frost School of Music. He teaches classes in Acoustics, Psychoacoustics, Transducer Theory, Audio Signal Processing, and iOS Audio Programming. An avid researcher, Dr. Bennett is working with faculty and students on a funded inter-disciplinary research project in collaboration with the University of Miami Department of Physical Therapy and Miami VA Hospital, investigating the impact of patent pending auditory biofeedback technology to improve rehabilitation. He also collaborates on funded research with the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine investigating audible medical alarms in simulated clinical settings to improve patient outcomes. Other areas of research interest include the human auditory system and psychoacoustics.
In addition to his investigative and exploratory efforts, Dr. Bennett is an experienced entrepreneur. He is a founding partner of Oygo Sound LLC, an audio development and consulting company with prominent clients in music and signal processing.
Dr. Bennett is a full member of the Audio Engineering Society as well as other notable associations. He has been published in such prominent journals as the J. Acoustical Society of America, Anesthesia & Analgesia, and the J. Audio Engineering Society. 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.
I have a passion for music research. It’s fun and exciting because you get to create new knowledge, as it is our responsibility to create scholarship that helps to bring the joy of music and musical participation to everyone. I love doing it and I love teaching others how to do research in music.
Stephen F. Zdzinski is Professor of Music Education at the Frost School of Music. He teaches graduate courses, directs research, and serves as the graduate program director for music education. Dr. Zdzinski also established the New Horizons Band at the Frost School of Music and has helped to develop a music education outreach program with the Miami Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired.
Dr. Zdzinski’s research programs focus on parental involvement in music, social issues in music learning, musical performance measurement, international music education, and music research methodology. He has authored more than 40 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 over 90 presentations at international, national and state music education conferences.
Dr. Zdzinski has been teaching in higher education since 1992. Prior to joining the faculty at the Frost School of Music, he taught at the University of Maryland, the University of Toronto, Indiana University, Wayne State University, and the University of South Carolina. Previous to his college teaching career, Dr. Zdzinski was a high school and middle school band director in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, and Indiana. As a professional musician, he has performed with the Corning Philharmonic (NY), the Hershey Symphony (PA), the Williamsport Symphony (PA), and the Ridgewood Concert Band (NJ).
In addition, Dr. Zdzinski serves on the editorial boards of Journal of Research in Music Education, Research Perspectives in Music Education, Contributions to Music Education, and Psychology of Music. He is a member of 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. 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.
I remind my students that we teach PEOPLE, not music. Teaching is an invitation to learning. How you treat others has to come first. The process is more important than the product. Convey your love of the journey so that others will come along with you. Because we cannot make students learn, we have to continually inspire them to learn. If the process is enjoyable, the result will be an excellent product and learners who will want to continue to make music throughout their lives.
Don D. Coffman is Professor of Music Education and Chair of the Department of Music Education and Music Therapy at the Frost School of Music. He teaches courses in instrumental conducting, methods of teaching instrumental school music, and community music programs.
Professor Coffman has over 40 years of teaching experience spanning elementary, junior high, high school, university, and community band settings. He is an internationally known scholar with over 100 publications and 100 presentations in 13 countries around the globe. He holds the title of Professor Emeritus at the University of Iowa, where he taught for 24 of those 40 years.
In his storied career, Professor Coffman has conducted over 300 wind band performances and clinics. He founded the Iowa City, Iowa New Horizons Band in 1995 and led it for 16 years. That program continues to provide an opportunity for senior adults to learn or reacquaint themselves with wind and percussion instruments and the opportunity to use them to make music. He continues to teach adults in Frost’s New Horizons Band program. In 2002 he spent three months as Artist-in-Residence at the University of Tasmania (Australia) researching their community music band program. His greatest passion is making music with “chronologically gifted” adults in wind bands.
Professor Coffman has chaired the Community Music Activity Commission of the International Society for Music Education and the Adult and Community Music Education Special Research Interest Group of the National Association for Music Education (NAfME). He has served on NAfME’s Society for Research in Music Education Executive Committee and twice served as a member of the editorial board of NAfME’s Journal of Research in Music Education. He is associate editor of the International Journal of Community Music and editor of Research Perspectives in Music Education.
Professor Coffman received his 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.
I've come to a frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element in the classroom. It's my personal approach that creates the climate. It's my daily mood that makes the weather. As a teacher, I possess a tremendous power to make a child's life miserable or joyous. I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration. I can humiliate or humor, hurt or heal. In all situations, it is my response that decides whether a crisis will be escalated or de-escalated and a child humanized or de-humanized. (Haim Ginott)
Dr. Corin Overland is Associate Professor of Professional Practice at the University of Miami Frost School of Music, where he teaches courses in choral music education and choral conducting. He received a Ph.D. in music education from Temple University, and an MM in choral conducting from the University of Missouri—Kansas City Conservatory of Music and has over fifteen years of experience as a practicing music teacher in a variety of public and private school settings.
Overland is frequently in demand for his work with early adolescent choral ensembles and has conducted All-State and festival choruses in Minnesota, Maryland, Colorado, Kansas, Hawaii, Oregon, Delaware, South Carolina, and Florida. He is a member of the GRAMMY Recording Academy (Professional Division) and has choral compositions in print with Alliance and Santa Barbara Music Publishing.
Overland’s research interests focus on economic and labor issues pertaining to arts education, teacher evaluation, and for-profit rock music schools. His research and scholarship on these and other topics appear in the Journal of Research in Historical Music Education, the Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education, College Music Symposium, Contributions to Music Education, and the Music Educators Journal. He has authored chapters appearing in Contemporary Research in Music Education: Learning Across the Lifespan (Routledge) and the 2016 International Yearbook on Research in Arts Education (Waxmann Verlag). He is a content consultant for the State of Florida’s Performing Fine Arts Assessment music teacher evaluation system, and a peer reviewer for NAfME, AERA, and the International Yearbook on Arts Education (INRAE). He is the current Chair and Academic Editor of the Music Educators Journal and has served on the Editorial Board since 2014.
As an educator at the Frost School, I strive to empower my students by having them construct knowledge and make broad connections that are meaningful to their unique professional goals and intellectual curiosities. I seek to facilitate a personal change or expansion in thinking about music, education, community, and life, that is relevant in contexts beyond the university classroom.
Carlos R. Abril is Professor of Music Education and Associate Dean of Research at the Frost School of Music, where he teaches courses in philosophy of music, general music methods, and equity, access, and diversity in music education.
His body of research seeks to identify, document, and eliminate visible and invisible barriers to the study of music in schools. That work is published in numerous research and professional journals, as well as in books. His books include the forthcoming General Music: Dimensions of Practice (co-edited with Dr. Brent Gault, published by Oxford), Teaching General Music: Approaches, Issues, and Viewpoints (Oxford), and Musical Experiences in Our Lives: Lessons We Learn and Meanings We Make (Rowman & Littlefield). His music and instructional materials have been published by World Music Press and McGraw-Hill’s Spotlight on Music.
Dr. Abril has served on the Research Panel for the National Endowment for the Arts and is Chair of the Society of Research in Music Education. He has also served on over ten editorial boards in North America, South America, and Europe, including the Journal of Research in Music Education, Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education, and Revista Complutense Investigación en Educación Musical.
Prior to joining the University of Miami, Dr. Abril was an Associate Professor and Coordinator of Music Education at Northwestern University. He received his Ph.D. in music education at The Ohio State University, an M.M. in performance at the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, and a B.M. in music education at the University of Miami Frost School of Music. He is also a former general music and choral educator in the Miami-Dade County Public Schools, where he was named the Region V Teacher of the Year and awarded the Cervantes Outstanding Educator Award. He is a recipient of the Phillip Frost Award for Excellence in Teaching and Scholarship and the University of Miami Provost’s Research Award.
“If you truly love music, don’t let anyone or anything prevent you from reaching your dream. It is my goal to help you reach that dream.”
Steve Rucker is a lecturer in the Studio Music and Jazz Department at the Frost School of Music. He received his bachelor’s degree in Studio Music and Jazz from the University of Miami in 1979 and was awarded his Master’s Degree in Jazz Performance in 1983.
Mr. Rucker got his start in Charlotte, North Carolina, performing locally and touring with the Funk/R&B group “Sugarcreek.” During this period he became the musical arranger for this seven-piece horn band, and wrote and recorded their first single, "Runnin' Out Of Time". He moved to South Florida in 1976, and performed and recorded steadily with a number of jazz, Latin, funk and fusion groups. He was twice been voted “Best Jazz Performer” and “Most Versatile Artist” in South Florida polls.
In the early 1980s, Mr. Rucker was a member of the Ross-Levine band, a groundbreaking jazz-fusion group. In addition to numerous appearances with them, he recorded the albums “That Summer Something” and “Humidity,” which featured Pat Metheny and Hiram Bullock.
While a member of Randy Bernsen’s Ocean Sound Band, he recorded tracks on “Paradise Citizens” and “Calling Me Back Home,” and performed many concerts internationally, including a billing with Miles Davis. He also recorded “Blues Hat Dances 'Round Midnight” with Bernsen, and continues to perform with him.
In 1990, Mr. Rucker recorded “Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me” with Gloria Estefan. For many years, he performed internationally with Ben Vereen, and appeared with Mr. Vereen with the Atlanta Symphony and the Dallas Symphony.
Steve Rucker was a member of the Bee Gees for more than ten years, and appeared with them on numerous TV shows and performances, including:
In 1997, Mr. Rucker appeared at a Bee Gees concert at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas that was shown on pay-per-view television, HBO, and was mastered as a live album.
The CD of this performance sold more than 5 million copies, which led to a world tour of One Night Only concerts. The tour included playing to an audience of 56,000 at London’s Wembley Stadium and concluded in the newly built Olympic Stadium in Sydney, Australia for 72,000 fans.
In 2010, Mr. Rucker recorded an album with composer Ron Miller, entitled "Peacock Park the Music of Ron Miller." He completed an album in 2013 entitled "Conversions" with singer/pianist Hal Roland, in a live jazz quartet configuration.
Mr. Rucker has also performed or recorded with:
He is also knowledgeable in the field of recording and production, having produced two records for Active Ingredient: “Building Houses” and “Extra Strength.”
Mr. Rucker joined the faculty at the University of Miami in 1979. His Drumset Improvisation class is one of the most unique programs in the country. He directs the Funk/Fusion Ensemble, which has won Downbeat Student Awards almost every year for 15 years. In previous years has created Tower of Power Ensemble and Weather Report Ensembles.
“My aspirations as a musician and artist have remained consistent with that of my goals as an educator: to cultivate a musical environment that is deeply rooted in performance, study, and modern experiential learning. I find students achieve success in music and education through a series of fulfilling intellectual exchanges; with their studies, with each other, and with their art.”
Stephen Gleason a New York-born and bred musician. As an accomplished guitarist and vocalist with heavy roots in both jazz and popular music, he has carved out a unique career of performing, composing, producing, and teaching music.
As a college professor for over twenty years, he has served as musical director for many jazz and popular vocal ensembles in New York and Miami. He remains active in his duties as an instructor at the FROST Young Musician’s Summer Camp and Preparatory programs. As a faculty member, he serves as music director for the FROST Contemporary Vocal Ensemble and maintains a devoted private student roster.
As an award-winning ensemble director, his original vocal arrangements are heralded as a "modern and vibrant interpretation of classic jazz and the Great American Songbook,” garnering attention from the likes of Manhattan Transfer and Phil Mattson from the renowned A cappella quartet Singers Unlimited. As a member of the vocal jazz group Quintet, Stephen would earn a Contemporary A cappella Society award in for their debut album Quintet: Volume 1.
A profound commitment to education has led to lectures, workshops, and masterclasses nationwide, Europe, and Africa; with articles featured in Hot House and Jazz Insider. Working as guitarist and vocalist, he has performed for major network television, corporate, and political affairs including Rachael Ray, The Food Network, and The Presidential Inaugural Ball.
I believe that teaching is a process of discovery. A good teacher has to be able to read a student and develop their talents according to the nature of their gifts.
I also discovered that teaching was the best way to learn. I share with my students the experience of music through my voice, through my adventures as a composer or a band leader, through the years of releasing music, and through my journey of finding my place in the world.
I ask my students, though, to make some commitment: work hard to become a sophisticated version of yourself, be unique, be bold, and know the tools to translate the language in your heart and mind into wonderful music. Becoming an artist, a teacher, a songwriter… comes from the same place. Just find your voice. I will be here to help you.
ROXANA AMED vocalist, composer, producer, educator
Latin GRAMMY® nominee, NARAS® and LARAS® member, Gardel Award winner Roxana Amed is an Argentine-American jazz artist born in Buenos Aires, based in the US. Amed is a singular singer- songwriter whose music blends South American folk traditions with art rock and modern jazz. An award-winning vocalist, producer, songwriter, and educator, Sony Music recording artist, Amed, has been praised by GRAMMY.com for her "artistic vision and understanding of her place in the canon".
Amed is considered by colleagues, audiences, and critics as one of the most important voices in South American music. She has opened her way to the International scene and has collected the finest reviews from her productions.
Amed has earned acclaim for her albums with fellow Argentine multi-instrumentalist and former Pat Metheny band member Pedro Aznar, including 2004's Limbo and 2006's Entremundos. More albums followed, including 2010's "Cinemateca Finlandesa," a duo album with pianist Adrián Iaies (Latin GRAMMY® nominee), "Inocencia" in 2011, followed by "La Sombra de Su Sombra" in 2013 with pianist and composer Frank Carlberg featuring the poems of Alejandra Pizarnik. In 2019, she produced "Instantáneas," an album with live-in-studio performances, including her rendition of Joni Mitchell's Blue.
In April 2021, she released "Ontology," which featured her American group with pianist Martin Bejerano,saxophone player Mark Small, bassist Edward Perez, and drummer Ludwig Afonso. She found her interpreting songs by Wayne Shorter, Alberto Ginastera, Miles Davis, and original repertoire. It significantly impacted the international jazz media scene, collecting excellent reviews from the most essential jazz media in the world. In August 2021, she was awarded the "New Jazz Works" grant supported by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation through Chamber Music America. On September 28th, 2021, her album Ontology received two Latin GRAMMY® Awards nominations for Best Latin Jazz/Jazz Album and Best Arrangement categories. A few months later, this album won the Gardel Award for Best Jazz Album in 2022 in Argentina, the first time in 19 years that a vocalist or female producer received this award.
On September 16th, 2022, she released "Unánime", an album dedicated to Latin Jazz with brilliant collaborations by Chucho Valdés, Pedro Aznar, Niño Josele, Chico Pinheiro, among others. It has collected so far fantastic reviews from international jazz media and also received a new Latin Grammy Nomination for Best Latin Jazz/Jazz Album, awards celebrated in Seville, Spain in November 2023, and a nomination for the Argentine awards Premios Gardel as Best Jazz Album.This restless artist released by June 2023 "Los Trabajos y Las Noches" with Finnish/New York-based composer-pianist Frank Carlberg, the second part of a project based on music written for poems by Argentine Alejandra Pizarnik. It was successfully presented in Joe's Pub, NY. This album collected great reviews worldwide, and Downbeat gave it 4 stars and got a new nomination, Gardel Award 2024, as Best Jazz Album.
Amed worked on a special project for the CMA grant that resulted in "Becoming Human," her eleventh album. It is a 10-song cycle, original compositions by Amed, that illustrates the human journey and her experience as an artist. The album was released on May 2nd, 2024, and premiered in NY at the Jazz Gallery and in Miami. "[Becoming human] in its understated—even prayerful—way makes the strongest case for Amed's overdue inclusion among the first rank of jazz vocalists. " John Chacona, All About Jazz. The vocalist and producer releases her new album "Todos los fuegos" in May 2025, and she embarks on a new challenge —curating a selection of iconic songs that broke barriers, reinventing them through jazz-tinged arrangements.
Amed's vision comes to life with the help of celebrated pianist, arranger, and fellow Argentine Leo Genovese, who serves as a key collaborator on the project. Together, they craft a dynamic musical landscape. The album also features Tim Lefebvre (David Bowie's Blackstar, Tedeschi Trucks Band) on electric bass, Kenny Wollesen (John Zorn, Bill Frisell) on drums, and Mark Small (Michael Bublé, Darcy James Argue) on saxophones and clarinet.
All her albums are released by SONY Music Latin.
She is an author-composer signed with Sony Music Publishing.
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Roxana Amed attended the National Conservatory of Music in Buenos Aires, Argentina, for classical piano. She was trained in classical voice until she developed her popular music vocal technique through the study of jazz and other genres.
When she moved to the States in 2013, Amed received a Full Scholarship and a Teaching Assistantship from Florida International University, where she got her Master's in Jazz Vocal Performance, with a special award for her final recital rendition.
She has a postgraduate degree in Literature (National Institute for Educators, Instituto Superior del Profesorado, Buenos Aires) and in Filmmaking (Fundación Universidad del Cine, Buenos Aires), among other studies.
Music is a peculiar thing. It lives in the air, exists only when performed. Music can be owned but not possessed, felt but not touched, shared but not diminished; it is always different but always the same. Musicians paint the air. I believe that musical traditions should be palettes to be investigated, not merely portraits, however beautiful, to be replicated. 21st century musicians must be informed by, but not conformed to, the past. They must build on a diversity of traditions to create altogether new traditions. This is the transformative cycle of musical development and the very essence of music itself; that peculiar art form that lives only in the mutable present.
An educator, scholar, producer, songwriter, guitarist, and technologist, Rey is also the Associate Dean for Strategic Initiatives and Innovation and a Professor of Modern Artist Development and Entrepreneurship with a secondary appointment in Media Scoring and Production at the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami. His courses include Music Copyright Law (graduate), Entrepreneurship for Musicians, and Musicianship Skills for Songwriters. This multi-faceted educator and musician is co-director of Café Con Leche, the FROST School’s Latin Singer-Songwriter’s Collective, and has been responsible for expanding the educational opportunities offered by the Frost School of Music overall.
An accomplished multi-tasker, he also serves as Director of the Bruce Hornsby Creative American Music Program (CAM), an innovative performing and songwriting program curriculum developed with Frost School alumnus Bruce Hornsby to incorporate both American roots music and contemporary genres. The program has become one of the school’s fastest growing areas of study. Dean Sanchez introduced the Contemporary Performance area, creating the opportunity for popular musicians, including those who perform on electronic instruments, to become full music majors at Frost, a first for a major music school in the U.S. He also led the development of the Bachelor of Music in Modern Artist Development and Entrepreneurship (MADE) degree, among the most popular undergraduate programs at FROST.
It’s that degree of commitment and initiative that Dean Sanchez has not only brought to the Frost School of Music, but also to the university as a whole. He was instrumental in establishing the first-of-a-kind joint JD/MM and MA degrees in Music Industry and Live Entertainment Management in cooperation with the University of Miami School of Law. He also spearheaded the development and launch of the online extension of the Frost School of Music - Frost Online - now featuring four master’s programs, nine certificates, and serving over 90 fully-online graduate students.
Dean Sanchez is a thought leader in higher music education. He is a past president of the Music & Entertainment Industry Educator’s Association (MEIEA), and a founding board member of the Association for Popular Music Education (APME). He is actively involved with the College Music Society (CMS), serving on their Presidential Task Force on Leading Change, and most recently as Chair of the Technology and AI Group for the CMS Think-Tank Summit, Reimagining Music Schools for 2026 and Beyond. Dean Sanchez is a pioneer in popular/commercial music education and an expert in related curriculum design. He has consulted with notable institutions such as Florida State University, Virginia Tech, and the Iceland University of the Arts, among others.
Dean Sanchez has had a strong interest in computer-generated music throughout his career. He’s been working extensively with emerging AI tools, investigating their effect on the creative process, their ethical/legal implications, and their potential impact on the future of music. He has presented on this topic at numerous conferences and industry events, including the National Association of Music Merchandisers (NAMM), the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM), and CMS, for which he also led the CMS Cohorts on Artificial Intelligence in Music.
Dean Sanchez not only brings that enthusiasm and exuberance to the classroom, but to every project he undertakes. An accomplished artist in his own right, Dean Sanchez has worked with numerous international artists, including Latin superstar Chayanne, for whom he served as his longtime musical director. His lengthy career has found him associated with such distinguished organizations as EMI Music Publishing, Sony Music, Universal Music, Univision, Telemundo, and Columbia Pictures Publications, among others. He is an author of numerous educational guitar books published by FJH Music Publishing. In addition, his band Yerba Blue released its debut album Americaña in 2010, a fusion of Bluegrass, Americana and Latin music. He continues regularly to work on a variety of recording projects.
Dean Sanchez holds degrees in Music Theory & Composition and Studio Writing & Production.
“My philosophy of teaching aims to free the artist from his or herself and from self-imposed limits in order to allow individuals to go beyond one’s self. I am a believer in positive psychology and the importance of personal expression and truth in art.”
Raina Murnak serves as the Director of the FROST Summer Institute of Contemporary Songwriting. She has been an active vocalist and performer for over 20 years. She has been a university educator for the last 16 years, and has created such innovative programs as the Contemporary Music Theory program, the Solfege/Sight Singing program within FROST’s renowned Experiential Music Curriculum, and the advanced theory, theater and songwriting programs at the FROST Young Musician’s Summer Camp. She also remains active on FROST Online teaching courses in Undergraduate Music Theory Fundamentals and Graduate Peak Performance.
As a multi-talented artist well versed in not only music, but also in dance and the visual arts, Professor Murnak has created hundreds of songwriting and theater productions she has directed for her students, while garnering close to 100,000 video views. As a performer, she has starred on stage and screen as a lead vocalist, background vocalist and musical director for numerous artists.
After pursuing a musical path as an avant garde classical vocalist, Professor Murnak is now widely as a regarded contemporary vocalist and songwriter. She has an impressive command of multiple vocal techniques and styles, and she oversees a large private studio where she teaches students who use singing as therapy, as well as those who tour and compete in televised music competitions.
Dr Murnak holds both a BM and MA degree in Vocal Performance and Composition from the State University of New York at Stony Brook and a DMA in Music Theory and Composition and Vocal Pedagogy from the University of Miami.Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, a musical household laid the groundwork for Nicole Yarling's career. She was inspired very early by her father, who played jazz organ and piano, and her father's records, which all made an impact on Yarling's musical tastes: Artists such as Etta Jones, Miles Davis, Stuff Smith, J.J. Johnson and Sonny Rollins, the Beatles and Motown classics were in regular rotation. Aside from the familial influences, Yarling's education is extensive and ongoing, ranging from a BA in Music from Baruch College, to a Masters in Music Education at Columbia University, as well as private training in composition, arranging, voice and violin.
Yarling's notable talent has a virtue all its own, but it would be remiss not mention the late great vocal legend, Joe Williams. Joe "discovered" Yarling through a series of events, and adopted her as his very own project. He recognized this diamond in the rough, gleaming through, and began to invest in seeing Yarling rise to the top. "Joe Williams Presents Nicole Yarling at the Manchester Craftsmen's Guild" was born as a result. It also captures a moment in history, which can never be duplicated: "Joe Williams Presents..." was to be Joe's final recording. Sadly, Joe passed away before he could see the actual release of his final work of art. Joe intended to escort Yarling to the highest limits, much in the same way Count Basie did for him in the late fifties. Count Basie had once supported Joe Williams at his first solo engagement by having the marquee read "Count Basie Presents Joe Williams."
It can be boldly stated, however, that Yarling's talent has a strength all its own, to forge ahead on Joe's intended path. Joe Williams' torch certainly won't die out, as it has been graciously passed along to one Nicole Yarling, or as Joe might have said; the "Darling Ms. Yarling." Yarling has completed a yet-to-be published manuscript entitled, “Here’s to Life: A Celebration of Joe Williams” in honor of her mentor.
Yarling realized the valuable gifts given to her. She knows that the best way to keep these gifts is to share them with others. She applies her knowledge today at Florida Memorial University as an Assistant Professor, and Director of Popular Music where she received the honor of “Teacher of the Year” and “Scholar of the Year” in her division. In addition, she served as Adjunct Professor at the University of Miami, teaching voice and composition and directing the R&B Ensemble for six years and will be returning to the school in Fall 2020.
With her creativity, performance, teaching and encouragement she aids in establishing strong artistic community ties. As a mentor, she established a concert series almost ten years ago called Jazz Encounters, at radio station WDNA in Miami. As a result of the series, she created the Jazz Education Community Coalition, going into its seventh year, where she mentors young musicians with an interest in studying Jazz. In 2018, Yarling received a $10,000 Knights Arts Champion award for her work with the JECC. She has participated as adjudicator, educational consultant, and performer for the prestigious Young Arts organization based in Miami for the past nine years. She did a coaching stint along with Betty Wright for Little Dreamers, an organization established by Phil Collins to help young performer fulfill their dreams. In Ft. Lauderdale, Yarling serves as Educational Director and host of a monthly jazz jam for young musicians, First Friday Jam, sponsored by the Gold Coast Jazz Society going into its eleventh year. The Jazz Journalists of America acknowledged her efforts when she received the Jazz Hero Award for 2015. In 2016, Yarling was inducted into the South Florida Jazz Hall of Fame.
For the past two years, Yarling has served as curator of the Student stage for the South Beach Jazz Festival.
Bassist Marty Quinn’s sharp attention to the groove and character of a song place him among Miami’s most sought after bass players. A Chicago native, he brings his love of rock, blues, gospel, and folk music into creative musical scenarios. Quinn earned his Bachelor’s in Jazz Studies at Capital University and moved to Miami, graduating with a Master’s in Jazz Pedagogy from the Frost School of Music. Quinn thrives in an array of genres, frequently touring and performing with indie band Cannibal Kids, the Bebop Bounty Big Band, jazz vocalist Nicole Henry, Jean Caze, and Abstract Citizen. His passion for teaching burns just as bright as performing; Quinn loves his position as full-time lecturer in Contemporary Bass at the Frost School of Music.
I love passing on my passion for disciplined work in multiple styles. I have a deep understanding of harmony and voice leading, which I enjoy expressing in my solo improvisatory performances. At any time on my piano you may find a book of Bach chorales, Chopin etudes or Joplin rags. On my laptop, you will find transcriptions of Oscar Peterson, Jerry Lee Lewis, Billy Joel and beyond. I love digging deep into my memory of musical examples to help my students learn and grow. I am a passionate, life-long learner myself!
Daniel Strange has performed on a variety of the world’s biggest stages from Carnegie Hall to NBC’s The Today Show as well as with critically acclaimed artists representing multiple genres including Jodi Benson, Susan Egan, Robert Davi, The Mills Brothers, Michael Feinstein, Ann Hampton Calloway, Rachel York, Lindsay Mendez, Tony award nominee Norm Lewis, folk legend Noel Paul Stookey and two-time Tony award winner Sutton Foster. He has played in orchestra pits for the national touring companies of Wicked, Jersey Boys, Pippin, Les Miserables, West Side Story, Dreamgirls, Young Frankenstein, Legally Blonde, and A Chorus Line. As a composer, Daniel has written, arranged and orchestrated for numerous musical settings including jazz, pop, choral, and orchestral ensembles from all over the country.
Daniel is the director of contemporary keyboard studies at the University of Miami's Frost School of Music and directs the Music Media and Industry department's top ensemble, the American Music Ensemble, which received the 2015 DownBeat Magazine award for outstanding performance by a collegiate blues/pop/rock ensemble. He has presented clinics on original composition, solo jazz piano and spoken on numerous panels at many national music conferences including the Jazz Education Network Conference, The Intersection of Jazz and Classical Music Piano Festival and Competition, and The Association of Popular Music Education Conference. In the spring of 2014, Daniel was named a quarter finalist for the 2nd annual Grammy Music Educator Award.
Daniel is the director of the award-winning Coral Gables Congregational United Church of Christ Community Arts Program’s All-Star Jazz Ensemble, a three-time finalist in Jazz At Lincoln Center’s Essentially Ellington Competition and Festival. Under his leadership, the All-Star Jazz Ensemble has released an album, With A Swing! as well as opened for the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, the Count Basie Orchestra, Grammy winning vocalist Catherine Russell, famed Tonight Show Bandleader Doc Severinsen, Jazz at Lincoln Center musicians Sherman Irby and Vincent Gardner, and the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra. Daniel can be heard on his album Life As I Hear It that features his original compositions and an all-star of lineup of musicians as well as on multiple albums including the Grammy nominated track "All My Tomorrows" from Jeremy Fox's With Love. He resides in Miami with his wife, violinist Ashley Liberty, along with their son and daughter, Harrison and Summer.My philosophy of teaching is one that involves the whole student. I believe in offering wisdom and to singers and to become a conduit to them evoking sounds that are reflective of their life experiences. I involve the importance of vocal technique in an effort to point the way towards opening the threshold of connecting body and mind, and nature and nurture to singing. I allow my students to consider beyond the fixed technique and towards a place of singing from the depths of them. Singing is personal, and it is important to feel connected to the honesty and beauty of their talent.
An accomplished and in-demand voice teacher, Cassandra has become a staple and representation of fine vocal techniques to emerging singers today. In addition to Frost School of Music, she upholds a thriving vocal studio and is the owner of Performing Artist Mastermind, Mentorship Program. She has become a leader in promoting cultural and artistic awareness through vocal instruction and has had students performed on stages cross-country including Carnegie Hall, NBC’s The Voice, Sullivan Theater on the Square, Adrienne Arsht Center, X-Factor while also having students chosen as lead roles for theaters in New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Sarasota, and Los Angeles.
As a vocal pedagogue, she regularly works with a wide range of singers to achieve a voice that can move healthily and easily through a variety of genres by way of reducing tension, anxiety, and emotional blockages. Through her coaching technique, she strives to help singers discover their unique voice and own technical ability to develop an extraordinary instrument with confidence and authenticity.
Her dedication in vocal arts carries through as she has been invited to teach master classes around South Florida, taught as a guest voice teacher at the University of Miami musical theater sector, served on vocal-juries for Miami’s top Magnet Music programs, a vocal adjudicator for the National Association of Teachers of Singing as well as the District Florida Vocal Association for Solo and Ensemble, and serves as Superintendent for the Miami-Dade County Youth Vocal Competition. She has also been invited to feature her students in events all across the state of Florida, Georgia, and New York.
Her voice lessons remarkably not only educate but also enrich and enlighten people of all ages, therefore, nourishing the appreciation of vocal performance. After she earned a Bachelor’s in Music Education and began teaching, her passion to enrich lives through a person’s individual voice coupled with her entrepreneurial spirit, led her to subsequently earn a Master of Business Administration in Entrepreneurship to provide better leadership in this realm.
Along with performing and the degrees she holds, Cassandra continually studies the art of commercial singing, songwriting, and successful techniques for marketing musical artists. Through her work with record labels, managers, publishing houses, and sporting events, she knows what it takes to produce exciting, unique singers. Under her leadership, Cassandra produces singers that mesmerize audiences through pure tonal ability and skill of the vocal instrument. Yet beyond that, her goal with these vocalists is to produce an “honest” singer with a timeless voice that stands out. She remains an active member of NATS, FMEA, FVA, APME, NAfME, and other fine arts communities both domestically and internationally.
Personal Website: cassandraclaude.com
“I love every style of music… especially when there’s a guitar in it! The reason that I became a teacher was to guide other guitar players who needed someone to show them how to become a musician. One of the most challenging and perhaps the most entertaining parts of my interaction with my private students is working to develop professional and creative habits that will serve them musically and professionally now and in the future. “
A multifaceted musician, researcher, educator, and lecturer, Brian E. Russell, Ph. D. serves as Director of Contemporary Guitar studies, Director of Assessment and Lecturer at the FROST SCHOOL OF MUSIC. A second generation Miamian, he has devoted his career to playing and teaching the guitar. His musical background in a variety of contemporary genres, from rock, pop and heavy metal to jazz, country and bluegrass, has made him a valuable and versatile musical contributor on both the stage and in the studio. Apart from recording with the legendary Julio Iglesias and adding his accompaniment to such popular modern musicals as “Rock of Ages,” “Wicked,” “The Last Five Years,” and “Tommy,” he also writes and produces original music with his group, the Brian Russell Alliance.
Dr. Russell’s dedicated approach to mentoring musicians and motivating them to pursue success careers has been a hallmark of his teaching style. The Grammy Foundation recognized him as a Quarterfinalist for the prestigious Grammy Music Educator Award.
He continues to pursue research involving performance measurement paradigms, jazz theory knowledge acquisition, creativity in jazz improvisation, and measurement development. He has published his research in several national and international music education journals and has shared his findings in several worldwide forums. He currently serves on the editorial committees for the International Journal of Music Education and for the Journal for Popular Music Education and serves as an invited reviewer for the Psychology of Music journal.
Dr. Russell earned his Ph. D. in Music Education with a cognate in jazz performance from the FROST SCHOOL OF MUSIC. His experience teaching guitar, piano, orchestra and choral music at the college, high school, and middle school levels has provided Dr. Russell with unique insights into guiding and inspiring aspiring student musicians on their journey from studies at the university to satisfying musical careers beyond the campus."In the ever-changing landscape of Music Production and Composition, developing versatility and adaptability within your skill set as a songwriter, producer, and composer is of utmost importance in order to strive for long-term and short-term success in today’s Music Industry. Our goal in the Media Writing and Production program is to enhance the existing talents of our students and expand them even further with the goal of assisting them to reach their full potential as Music Professionals."
Randall Barlow is a full-time lecturer in the Media Writing and Production program. Professor Barlow currently teaches various "core" courses for the MWP program but is also involved in other courses open to other MMI majors such as the Recording Ensemble, Music for Media, and Pop Composition I and II.
Professor Barlow also has 35 years of experience as a professional musician, performer, songwriter, and producer. He toured with Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine as the lead trumpet player from 1985 to 2010. During this time he developed his songwriting and production skills and wrote and produced many Grammy-nominated and Grammy-winning hits with many artists including Gloria Estefan, Ricky Martin, Jennifer Lopez, Mandy Moore, Alejandro Fernandez, Cristian Castro, Julio Iglesias, Shakira, and many others. Professor Barlow earned a Bachelor’s degree from the Frost School of Music in Studio Music and Jazz trumpet performance, and also achieved his Master’s Degree in Media Writing and Production from the Frost School of Music.
Pauly is a Dominican composer, producer, pianist, and music educator, who has established himself in contemporary Christian music. With notable collaborations with artists like Boses, Arautos Do Rei, Maribel Soto, Junior Kelly Marchena, and Lenny Salcedo, Pauly has made a strong impact as both a producer and a performing artist. From an early age, Pauly displayed a strong interest in music, beginning piano lessons at 11 years old and very soon accompanying the music services at his local church.
Pauly pursued studies in Contemporary Piano at the National Conservatory of Music in the Dominican Republic before earning a Bachelor of Music in Contemporary Writing and Production from Berklee College of Music. Graduating with honors, he also won an “Award for Excellence in Vocal Writing” and a “Contemporary Writing and Production Award.”
Continuing his educational journey, Pauly German obtained a Master of Music in Media Writing and Production from the prestigious Frost School of Music. Passionate about education, Pauly has mentored numerous students at institutions such as Berklee, Greater Boston Academy, Gulliver Preparatory School, the National Conservatory of Music in the Dominican Republic, and most recently, at Frost. Noteworthy accomplishments in his career include making a vocal arrangement for the hit song "See You Again" to be performed live with Charlie Puth, a debut performance of his latest orchestral work by the Juan Pablo Duarte Symphony Orchestra, and conducting masterclasses at the National Conservatory of Music and the Universidad Nacional Pedro Henríquez Ureña in the Dominican Republic.
Having spent the better part of my life making and teaching across musical genres, I know of no other way to so deeply feel the wonder of being alive.
CARLOS RAFAEL RIVERA is a GRAMMY and two-time EMMY winning composer and educator, whose career has spanned several genres of the music industry. Having scored one of the most viewed NETFLIX Limited Series of all time, THE QUEEN’S GAMBIT, starring Anya Taylor-Joy, and helmed by writer/director Scott Frank, Carlos received his second Primetime EMMY award, his first GRAMMY, and additionally received the Society of Composers and Lyricists (SCL), as well as the BMI Film TV & Visual Media Award, the Hollywood Music in Media (HMMA), and two International Film Critics Association (IFMCA) Awards.
His work for Film and TV includes scores for Netflix’ GODLESS, for which he received a Primetime Emmy, Universal Pictures’ A WALK AMONG THE TOMBSTONES, starring Liam Neeson, the PEABODY and EMMY award winning hit TV show HACKS for HBO Max, for which he received the World Soundtrack Award (WSA) and the BMI Film TV & Visual Media Award, as well as JUST BEYOND for DISNEY +, LA REINA DEL SUR 3 for TELEMUNDO, and APPLE TV+’s LESSONS IN CHEMISTRY
His work can be heard in concert halls and at festivals around the world, including performances by prestigious orchestras and chamber groups such as the Cincinnati Pops, Chanticleer, the Pro Musica Mundi Choir, and the Beethoven Academy Orchestra.
As a guitarist, he has performed onstage as opening act for The Who at the Hollywood Bowl; recorded studio sessions for Island/Def Jam, and Universal Records; and had songs placed on feature soundtracks (CRASH, DRAGONFLY), as well as Netflix’s FIREFLY LANE, ABC’s SCRUBS, MTV, and VH-1.
A protégé of RANDY NEWMAN, he earned a DMA in Composition at USC’s Thornton School. He passionately shares his knowledge as Associate Professor in Media Scoring and Production at The University of Miami’s Frost School of Music. He resides in Miami, Florida.
Viviana is an accomplished Social Media & Communications Specialist with a deep-rooted passion for the music industry. With an undergraduate degree in Marketing & Event Production from la Universidad del Sagrado Corázon and a master's degree in Music Business and Entertainment Industries from Frost School of Music, the Puerto Rican native has combined academic expertise with hands-on experience to drive impactful digital strategies.
Throughout her career, she has played pivotal roles in the success of various music projects, working with Latin independent labels. Viviana's work in social media has been instrumental in building strong connections between artists and their audiences, a skill she's further honed in their current role at the Frost School of Music.
Jordan Levin has been writing professionally about culture since the early 90’s, including 18 years as a staff arts writer at the Miami Herald, where she was dance critic and Latin music critic, and also covered theater, film, television, and pop culture. While at the Herald she produced multiple radio pieces for WLRN-Miami Herald News, and two for National Public Radio. She has freelanced for the New York Times, the L.A. Times, American Theater Magazine, Dance Magazine, Variety, Billboard, The Forward and many other publications.
Levin has worked in community engagement and storytelling with multiple Miami arts organizations, including the Miami Light Project, The Moss Center, and Dimensions Variable gallery. She has been an adjunct professor for the Journalism Department at the University of Miami School of Communications, and authored the text for “Miami Creative,” a visual history of Miami culture by photographer Barry Fellman.
Before turning to journalism, Levin was an arts presenter in Miami, working for Tigertail Productions and Miami Dade College. A graduate of Sarah Lawrence College, she moved to Miami from New York, where she was a dancer/performer on the downtown scene.
Eddy Davis is the Director of Events for the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami, where he provides strategic leadership in the planning and implementation of the Frost Music Live! concert series and a wide range of special events. A seasoned arts manager and event producer, Eddy has spent more than two decades shaping innovative performances and impactful arts programs that have enriched Miami’s cultural landscape.
Before joining the Frost School of Music, Eddy served for eleven seasons as Managing Producer for Live Arts Miami, one of the region’s most influential contemporary performance presenters. There, he led the production of large-scale site-specific works, touring residencies, and multiple concert series, collaborating with nationally and internationally acclaimed artists including Carrie Mae Weems, Arturo O’Farrill, Camille A. Brown, Taylor Mac, Sona Jobarteh, Rosie Herrera and many more.
Previously, Eddy played a key role in producing major broadcast events for Univision Network, including multiple Latin GRAMMY Awards and Presidential debates. He is also the founder of Avid Arts Management, a production house providing strategic event support and technical direction for clients such as Billboard Music, rock legends The Who, the International Festival of Arts & Ideas, and the Miami Film Festival. His work has taken him to leading venues worldwide, including the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra) in Saudi Arabia, and La Plata Stadium in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Eddy has been as a featured speaker for the Arts & Business Council of Miami’s MAMP Conference, a task force member for Emerging Arts Leaders of Miami, and a grant panelist for Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs. Raised in a musical family, Eddy first studied violin and then electric bass, performing and recording throughout Florida for many years.
An active performer and committed arts advocate, Abby Young is a violinist, violin teacher, and arts administrator. A former Henry Mancini Institute Fellow herself, Abby earned her Master’s and Doctoral Degrees in Violin Performance at the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music. Her doctoral research culminated in her thesis, entitled "Job Satisfaction of Orchestral Musicians: The Effects of Non-Performance Organizational Roles."
Abby is now Personnel Manager and violinist for Nu Deco Ensemble, where she has shared the stage with Wyclef Jean, PJ Morton, Ben Folds, Corey Henry, Jacob Collier, and Macy Gray. She also performs regularly with the Naples Philharmonic, Florida Grand Opera Orchestra, Palm Beach Symphony, and Atlantic Classical Orchestra. Abby has also performed with Andrea Bocelli, Michael Bolton, José Feliciano, Natalie Cole, the Marley Brothers, and with KSHMR at the Ultra and Ilesoniq Music Festivals. She maintains a private violin studio and previously served as the Ensemble Librarian for the University of Miami Frost School of Music.
A native of Ashland, Oregon, Abby grew up studying Klezmer and Celtic music and performing with her family band. In her free time, she aims to visit a new country each year and enjoys being outside as much as the South Florida weather will allow.
Barbara Ham joined the University of Miami in January 2008 and has over twenty (20) years of experience in Finance and Accounting.
Barbara joined the University of Miami after leaving her role as Director of Shared Services for Staples, Inc in Columbia, South Carolina, where she worked for briefly after leaving Knight Ridder Publishing Company. She spent over ten (10) years with Knight Ridder, where she served as General Manger of the KR Shared Services and ten (10) years with Harford Insurance Group in Hartford, Connecticut, where she held many leadership roles, before moving to Miami in 1992.
Barbara holds a Bachelors Degree in Accounting from Morris Brown College in Atlanta, Georgia. She has three children and enjoys reading and most of all, spending time with her family.