Department of Music Adjunct Faculty
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Melissa Bishop, Adjunct Professor of Music Theory. Professor Bishop received the Bachelor of Music in Composition from Webster University where she studied with Bob Chamberlin and Kim Portnoy. She received her Master of Music in Theory and Composition at Kansas State University where she studied with Hanley Jackson. Since 2002, her duties at Webster have included teaching varying levels of Theory as well as songwriting. She currently serves as musical director for some of COCA’s off-site classes, as well as pursuing songwriting in the Nashville market.
Kathryn Smith Bowers, Emerita Professor of Music. 
During a 24-year-tenure Dr. Bowers led the Webster Chorale and Choral Society, in addition to the highly regarded St. Louis Summer Sings series. She served Webster as Director of Music Education and Sacred Music, and continues to teach various courses in her very active retirement. Dr. Bowers has published articles and presented papers and workshops in Finland, Hungary, England, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, and the United States. She has also directed choral festivals in Washington, DC and the St. Louis area. Her research interests cover a broad range of historical and contemporary topics, including commissioned works for children’s choirs, the American shaped-note tradition, Jacobean verse anthems, and the sacred vocal music of John Jenkins. Other musical activities include transcribing, editing, and composing choral music. Dr. Bowers received degrees in music education and choral music from Northwestern University (BME), the University of Oregon (MA), and the University of Illinois (DMA). Her conducting teachers have included Margaret Hillis, Helmuth Rilling, and Milko Kolarov.
Patricia Eastman, Adjunct Professor of Piano & Musicianship. Patricia Weeks Eastman has been a member of the Webster University music faculty since 1997. Her interest in piano ensemble playing led to the formation in 2002 of ‘Duo Albireo’ with piano colleague Donna Bowen Vince. They have performed regularly on the Webster Concert Series and made their debut with the Webster Symphony in 2004. She is also founder and co-director with Ms. Vince of the Winter Piano Ensemble Festival and the Summer Piano Camps for intermediate and advanced students. As an active collaborative pianist she has performed with the Winston-Salem Symphony, the Brevard Festival Orchestra, the Webster Symphony and on the stages of Powell Hall, the Sheldon Concert Hall and ‘At the Garden Live’. She received the B.M. in Piano Performance from the North Carolina School of the Arts and the M.M. in Performance and Pedagogy from Webster University, with additional graduate studies at the St. Louis Conservatory of Music with Joseph Kalichstein. Her interest in the French School of piano playing led to her work with Philipe Drevet, a protégé of Cortot. She is a highly regarded piano instructor and adjudicator whose students go on to attend some of the top music schools and festivals in the country. A long time member of MTNA, MMTA, SLAMTA and NFMC, she hopes to never be president of any of them. Ms. Eastman grew up on New York’s Long Island where, at the age of six, she began her music studies on the accordion.
Tim Garcia, Adjunct Professor of Music Software Applications. A native of St. Louis, Tim Garcia has been a Webster University faculty member since 1996 teaching music notation classes. He received the BM in Theory/Composition and the MM in Jazz Studies- Theory/Composition from Webster. He is an active free-lance performer, educator, clinician and arranger, with works performed and recorded for radio, TV and concert halls. He has performed in the St. Louis area for twenty-five years as a soloist and with groups such as the Genesis Jazz Project, an 18-piece big band. Currently, he leads the Tim Garcia Trio, a group that performs frequently in region and he operates a piano studio in Kirkwood. Tim is also on the faculty at Maryville University and St. Louis Community College-Forest Park. Visit his website: http://www.timgarcia.net.
Aurelia Hartenberger, Adjunct Professor of Music Education. Dr. Aurelia Hartenberger is a doctoral graduate of Washington University, with graduate and under graduate work at Univ of Mississippi, Univ of Miami, Coral Gables Fla, and Southeast Missouri State Univ. Formerly, Dr. Hartenberger served as Music Coordinator for the Lindbergh School District from 2007-2010, Curriculum Director of the Mehlville School District from 1990-2006, and was a member of the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Fine Arts Task Force (1990-2006). Presently she serves as MMEA Advancing Music Education Chair, a member of AMIS (American Musical Instrument Society) National Governing Advisory Board, and is the creator of the web-based “Curriculum SUCCESS Tool” for AureusConcepts.org. Dr. Hartenberger is Past President of MENC Southwest Division, Past President of MMEA, and Past President of the St. Louis Suburban Music Educators. She has served as a member of the MENC Benchmark Committee for National Standard 2, and the MENC National “Model Music School” Program. She has also been cited five times as “Teacher of the Year” at the local, district, and state levels, and was inducted into Missouri Music Educators Association "Hall of Fame" in 2010.Dr. Hartenberger’s most recent research work has been published in the GIA Publication: Symposium Proceedings of the 2007 Symposium on Assessment in Music Education – “Connecting Standards to Assessment through Core Conceptual Competencies," and she is cited in "The Music and Literacy Connection," 2003MENC Publication. In 2009, she presented at the “Learning and Brain” Conference in Washington, D.C. She has also been published in many educational journals throughout the USA and has presented clinics and workshops on Neuroscience Research and Learning in ten states.
Matt Kickasola, Adjunct Professor of Music History. Dr. Kickasola teaches theory and a graduate course in music repertoire. He majored in vocal performance at Covenant College in Lookout Mountain, Georgia. After graduating with honors he continued his vocal studies under Christine Anderson at the Esther Boyer College of Music of Temple University, only to become interested in the academic side of music as well. After completing his M.M. in voice, he switched to the study of historical musicology at Washington University in St. Louis, where he became a scholar of late-19th and 20th-century British music, earning both an MA. and PhD. His master’s thesis is entitled Vaughan Williams and “The Pilgrim’s Progress” in the Twentieth Century, and his dissertation, Granville Bantock and the English Choral Imagination, examines Bantock’s experimental choral symphonies. He has presented papers of his research both in the United States and in England, and his work has also led to the world premiere of Bantock’s previously unknown setting of Walt Whitman’s Darest Thou now, O Soul by the St. Louis Chamber Chorus in 2008.
Allen Carl Larson, Emeritus Conductor of the Webster University Symphony Orchestra and Professor Emeritus of Music. Dr. Larson received his undergraduate degree at Park University in Kansas City, with his masters and doctoral degrees from Indiana University. His doctoral mentor was the renowned Bach scholar and score studies expert, Dr. Julius Herford. Dr. Larson has held posts with the St. Joseph Symphony, the St. Joseph Youth Symphony and Nova Choralis, the Indiana University Choral Union and Chamber Singers, the Northland Symphony, and the Saint Louis Chamber Chorus. Dr. Larson for nine years was director of the choir at the First Unitarian Church of St. Louis. As a guest conductor, he has led performances with the Saint Louis Symphony, the Webster Chamber Winds, the Saint Louis Symphony chamber Ensemble, the Washington University Wind Ensemble, and the Kansas City (KS) Civic Symphony. He has conducted performances with the Webster Opera Studio and Conservatory Theatre of The Magic Flute, Dido and Aeneas, The Marriage of Figaro, Fiddler on the Roof, Brigadoon, Carousel, and others. In 1996 he conducted the world premiere of Andrew York's concerto for two classical guitars and chamber orchestra, Word, at the Sheldon Concert Hall. Dr. Larson has conducted instrumental and vocal ensemble performances for the KFUO "Live from the Garden" series. he has presented clinics and workshops for high schools, colleges, and churches, and has served as the pre-concert lecturer for the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra. Twice during his tenure at Webster, he has served as chair of the Department of Music. Dr. Larson recently founded a new chorus in Saint Louis, the Sheldon Chorale. His final concerts with the Webster Symphony Orchestra were during the 2008-2009 school year.
Earl Naylor, Adjunct Professor of Music Theory. Professor Naylor received his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Music from Drake University, where he was a graduate teaching assistant in the theory department. He has done further studies at the Eastman School of Music. He is a past dean of the St. Louis chapter of the American Guild of Organists and was chair of the 1979 national convention of the Organ Historical Society.
Heather Nehre, Adjunct Professor of Music History. Professor Nehre graduated with a BM in piano performance from Wartburg College (IA) and completed her graduate work at Washington University in St. Louis. While at Washington University, Professor Nehre was active in student government where she served as co-president of the Graduate Student Senate, the student governing body of the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences. She was also named the student chair of the National Conference on Graduate Student Leadership, which was held in St. Louis and later presented the findings of this conference at the national meeting of the National Association of Graduate-Professional Students. Professor Nehre’s research focuses on American Music of the 19th and early-20th Centuries and includes an in-progress dissertation on the music of Amy Beach.
Carl Pandolfi, Adjunct Professor of Musicianship and Bassoon. Professor Pandolfi teaches courses in Musicianship and Music Appreciation, and is a composer and multi-instrumentalist. The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, The Webster Symphony Orchestra, Equinox Chamber Players Plus, Synchronia, Festive Muse/Shama Trio, and other professional ensembles have performed his compositions. He also is a General Music teacher (K-8) at a local Parochial school where he teaches recorder, guitar, and Orff instruments. Prof. Pandolfi comes from a family of professional musicians, many of whom have been members of major US orchestras. He was the Composer-in-Residence for the St. Louis Public Schools (1992-1996), and holds Master’s degrees from both Webster University and the Indiana University School of Music.
Eric Ring, Adjunct Professor of Music Theory and Ensembles. Dr. Ring undertook his undergraduate studies at the University of Iowa, where he graduated with a B.A. in History and a B.M. in bassoon performance. His graduate education includes an M.A. degree in Bassoon Performance from Western Illinois University, and a D.M.A. in Bassoon Performance and Pedagogy (with a Music Theory Pedagogy Minor) from the University of Iowa. His major professors include Ronald Tyree, Douglas Huff, and Benjamin Coelho. Prior to his arrival at Webster, Dr. Ring was the third bassoonist/contrabassoonist with the Cedar Rapids Symphony. He has also performed with the Des Moines Metro Opera, the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Symphony, and the Nova Singers, and is a former member of the Beaufort Chamber Orchestra and the Parris Island Marine Band.
Marc Thayer, Adjunct Professor of Music Business. Marc Thayer is the Director of Education for The Association of American Voices, a Cultural Diplomacy NGO with whom he has taught and performed in Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Thailand and Burma. From 2002-2011 Marc worked as the Vice President for Education and Community Partnerships with the St. Louis Symphony. Currently he plays violin with the Kingsbury Baroque Ensemble and he teaches violin and viola at the Community Music School of Webster University. Marc also conducts the Saint Louis University String Orchestra where he teaches violin and viola. He has served as the Artistic Producer for the Whim Estate Concert Series in St. Croix and he was on the faculty of the Guadalquivir Festival with the National Symphony Orchestra of Bolivia. Marc performed as a member of the New World Symphony in Miami Beach, FL, from 1995-1998 and founded their Education and Community Engagement Programs. Marc has performed with the American Russian Young Artists Orchestra, the Opera Festival of Heidelberg, Germany, the Orquesta Superior of Cordoba, Spain, the Baroque Festival of St. Savin and with the International Festival of Art in Aix-en-Provence, France. Marc received a Bachelors and Masters Degree from the Eastman School of Music where he studied with William Preucil and Zvi Zeitlin. Currently Marc serves on the Board of the St. Louis Arts and Education Council and the Advisory Council for the Community Music School of Webster University.
Karen Trinkle, Adjunct Professor of Music History and Theory. Dr. Trinkle earned her Ph.D. in musicology from Washington University in St. Louis, and her Bachelor of Music in Music History and Literature from Roosevelt University in Chicago. Her doctoral dissertation, Telemann’s Concertouverturen, centers on the orchestral music of Georg Philipp Telemann. In 1994, she was named an American Fellow by the American Association of University Women and developed an interdisciplinary course centered on women in music, which she has taught at Webster since 1995. She is the recipient of a grant from The College Music Society Community Engagement Program to develop professional relationships between academe and local institutions. In 2008 she was selected to participate in the National Gallery of Art Teacher Institute on Dutch Art in the Golden Age. Her research interests focus on Baroque music, gender studies, and interdisciplinary relationships between art and music. Dr. Trinkle has presented papers in the United States and Germany on national styles and performance practices in Baroque orchestral music, and music in the paintings of seventeenth-century Dutch artists. At Webster, she teaches courses in music theory and history, musicianship, women’s studies and interdisciplinary studies.
Robert Waggoner, Adjunct Professor of Jazz Studies & Music Education. Professor Waggoner teaches courses in jazz education methods at Webster University and serves as jazz ensemble director for the Community Music School of Webster University. He received the Bachelor of Music Education from the St. Louis Institute of Music, attended University of North Texas State University, and completed graduate work, Southern Illinois-Edwardsville. He studied bass with Henry Lowe; He is a former faculty member of the Parkway School District and St. Louis Community College-Meramec. He serves on the faculty for the Jim Widner Summer Jazz Camps, and St. Louis University High School Jazz Camp. Professor Waggoner is an active jazz clinician, adjudicator, and conductor through out the Midwest; He has received the St. Louis Suburban District Music Certificate of Merit, Hall of Fame, the National Band Association Outstanding Jazz Educator, and the Jess Cole Jazz Educator Award for outstanding service to jazz education from the Missouri Unit of the International Association of Jazz.
Kendall Stallings, Professor of Music-Emeritus. Dr. Stallings received a doctorate in Musical Composition and Theory from Washington University in St. Louis and has been a member of the faculty at Webster University since 1967. He has taught courses in analysis, theory, musicianship, literature and composition, and served as Director of Theory and Musicianship, and Music Department chair. Employing vocal, instrumental, and tape media, he has composed concert, film, and theater music ranging from brief pieces for a single performer to much longer works for relatively large forces. His music has been heard in the concert hall, the theater, on radio and television, and at Dressel’s in St. Louis’s Central West End.
John Thomas, Adjunct Professor of Music Theory. Professor Thomas received the Master of Music in Horn and Music Theory from the University of Missouri-Columbia and the Bachelor of Arts in Music Education from the University of Missouri – St. Louis. He is principal horn of the St. Louis Philharmonic; solo tenor horn, St. Louis Brass Band; and a member of the Clarion Brass Quintet, Webster University, and Gateway Festival Orchestra. He has served as a soloist with the Kirkwood Symphony and Musical Diversion Society. His published works include pieces for horn octet, woodwind quintet, brass quintet, and wind ensemble. His Symphony No. 1 was premiered in April 2000 by University City Symphony, with a number of his orchestrations and arrangements also performed by St. Louis Philharmonic and St. Louis Brass Band.
APPLIED AND ENSEMBLE FACULTY
Dave Black, Adjunct Professor of Jazz Studies. Professor Black teaches guitar and courses in popular music and jazz studies at Webster and is a modern dance accompanist at Washington University and the Center of Contemporary Arts. He received the Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies from Webster and was voted “Best Acoustic Guitarist” (1996, 1997) and “Best Solo Artist (1996) in the St. Louis Music Awards. Professor Black is a very active free-lance performer, teacher, and arranger. He regularly performs as a solo artist and with Dangerous Kitchen and Brilliant Corners in St. Louis. He has also performed with artists including Fareed Haque, Richard “Groove” Holmes, and Bucky Pizzarelli. He has two compact discs, “Alone & Together” and “Spirals,” both features Paul DeMarinis on saxophones. Professor Black has also written works for several Mel Bay Publications.
Christopher Braig, Adjunct Professor of Jazz Studies. Christopher Braig holds a Bachelors Degree in music education from Webster University and has studied jazz saxophone at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music with Rick VanMatre. He has been a professional musician for more than twenty years working for Disney, Carnival Cruise Lines, The Shoji Tabuchi Show and Bahama Breeze. Christopher is the director of the Webster Mini Big Band and is a faculty member at the Webster Summer Jazz Camp. He performs all over St. Louis on saxophone and steel pans with his Caribbean Bebop Band and teaches at Chaminade College Preparatory School.
Tom Byrne, Adjunct Professor of Jazz Studies. Professor Byrne teaches guitar, jazz theory, improvisation, and ensembles. He received both his Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies and Master of Music in Jazz Studies from Webster University. He has performed professionally in the St. Louis area for over twenty years leading his own ensembles as well as accompanying numerous local jazz artists including Willie Akins, Paul DeMarinis, Kim Portnoy, Tom Kennedy, Reggie Thomas, and Ptah Williams. He has also performed in numerous productions at and with the following organizations: the MUNY, the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra, Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, the Sheldon Concert Hall and Webster University. Mr. Byrne can be heard on Kim Portnoy's Jazz Orchestra cd "Wash Away the Dust of Everyday Life," Mardra and Reggie Thomas's CD "Fade to Blue," and the two "Jazz Spoken Here" CDs, which feature the Webster jazz faculty. He recently released his own CD, "Beyond Tomorrow," a trio recording of mostly original compositions.
Victoria Carmichael, Adjunct Professor of Voice. Professor Carmichael completed her BM in vocal performance at Illinois Wesleyan University and MM at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. She taught voice, diction, ear training, and music appreciation courses for 5 years at St. Charles County Community College and was a section leader for the St. Louis Symphony Chorus for 5 seasons, a highlight of which was singing the role of "Ida" in the Symphony's Millennium Gala performance of Die Fledermaus. She lived in Wilmington, NC for 2 years where she taught at the Cape Fear Community College as well as singing with St. Andrew's-on-the-Sound Episcopal church and directing a local women's choir. Now back in her hometown of St. Louis, she enjoys singing with the Union Avenue Opera during their summer seasons. Favorite roles she has sung with this company and other regional opera companies include Laetitia in The Old Maid and the Thief, Phoebe in Gilbert and Sullivan's Yeoman of the Guard, and Mrs. Gobineau in Menotti's The Medium. Professor Carmichael also enjoys performing in recital and is ready for an art song "jam session" any time of day.
Rosemarie Cereghino, Adjunct Professor of Voice. Soprano Rosemarie Cereghino is a 15-year adjunct member of the voice faculty. She has devoted her career to music and education. Ms. Cereghino earned the B.A. in Music (piano performance) from Washington University, where she also took the M.A. Ed. She received her M.M. in Vocal Performance in 1995 from Webster University. A lifelong learner, she has continued her education, studying vocal pedagogy methods with Richard Miller and Oren Brown, the McClosky method, and popular style with Lisa Popeil. Most recently she received certification in Somatic Voicework (TM)--The LoVetri Method, a highly-recognized method of teaching contemporary commercial music vocal technique. Ms. Cereghino has accumulated more than 40 hours in speech and language pathology and spent a year in the clinical doctoral program in audiology at Washington University School of Medicine, thereby garnering a solid understanding of anatomy and physiology of the speech and hearing mechanisms.
Erin Elstner, Adjunct Professor of Percussion. Erin Elstner is an experienced percussion and drum set instructor She also teaches privately through the Webster University Community Music School and is the conductor of the CMS Percussion Ensemble and a member of the adjunct faculty at Maryville University. She received her B.M. in Percussion Performance at Mannes College of Music in New York (The New School University) and her Music Education certification from the University of Missouri-St.Louis where she graduated summa cum laude. She has taught at the St. Louis Symphony Community Music School, the Third Street Music Settlement and Carnegie Hall in New York, the Taichung School of Arts and Music in Taiwan, The Strike Institute and The Erin Elstner Percussion Studio. As a freelance performer, Ms. Elstner’s numerous performance achievements include playing percussion at the International Women’s Brass Conference, an American tour led by Susan Slaughter and Principal orchestral players, percussionist for the new music ensemble Synchronia, member of the Brazilian groups The Sambistas and the Sambanditos,“The True Heart” performance with Glen Velez, the VH-1 Fashion Awards with the group De La Guarda, playing percussion for Peter Cetera of Chicago, "Bright Lights, Broadway" Asian tour and the Joffrey Ballet. She has also been the percussionist/drummer for blues, rock and pop bands, including vibraphonist for Champale and drummer for Hazmat Modine and RED, played with artists such as David Garza and recorded/played on many records including those of Clem Snide and Kill Henry Sugar.Jeanine York-Garesche, Adjunct Professor of Clarinet. Professor Garesche holds a Bachelor of Music from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and the Master of Music from the St. Louis Conservatory of Music. Her major teaches include George Silfies and Robert Coleman. Professor Garesche has performed with Quintessence-St. Louis, Opera Theatre Saint Louis, the Illinois Symphony Orchestra, the Fort Wayne Philharmonic, Synchronia New Music Ensemble, and the Webster University Symphony Orchestra. She has served on the staff and faculty of the Tidewater Music Festival in Maryland, attended the Johanneson International School of the Arts in Canada, and served as clarinetist-in-residence for the Kneisal Hall Chamber Music Festival in Blue Hill, Maine. Professor Garesche is a member of the Webster Wind Quintet, and a replacement player with the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra and is a faculty member at the Community Music School of Webster University.
Kevin Gianino, Adjunct Professor of Jazz Percussion. A native of St. Louis, Professor Gianino attended St. Louis Community College-Meramec, the University of Missouri-St. Louis, and Webster University. He has served as a faculty member for the International Summer Jazz Academy in Poland and for the Webster Summer Jazz Combo Camp, and the Jim Widner Summer Jazz Camps. He is in demand as a clinician, adjudicator, and performer on a national basis. He is a member of the Webster Faculty Jazz Ensemble, Brilliant Corners, the Sessions Big Band, and the Hard Bop Heritage Quintet. Among the numerous artists with whom he has performed are Toshiko Akiyoshi, Nick Brignola, Richie Cole, Buddy De Franco, Jon Faddis, Terry Gibbs, Al Grey, Rob McConnell, Bobby Shew, Marvin Stamm, Clark Terry, and Nancy Wilson. He is an artist endorser for the Pearl Drum Company. He has toured the U.S., Canada, and Mexico with the Ice Follies and Holiday on Ice Shows 1979-1983 featuring Peggy Fleming. He appeared on the NBC Television special: Highlights of Ice Follies and Holiday on Ice starring Tony Randall. He is the leader of the St. Louis Jazz Orchestra and has made numerous appearances at jazz festivals as adjudicator, guest artist and clinician. Gianino is an instructor at Fred Pierce’s Drum Shop & Studio, and Greenville College in Illinois.
Deberah Haferkamp, Adjunct Professor of Strings & Chamber Music. Professor Haferkamp received the Masters of Music/Music Education from Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville and the Bachelor/Music Education from the University of Evansville. She studied with Paul Rolland and Gerald Fischbach. Awards and honors have included the Merit Award for Outstanding Music Educator from the St. Louis Suburban Music Educators Association and the Kiwanis Award for Leadership. She is a Past-President of the American String Teachers Association-Missouri Chapter (ASTA-NSOA), and a past board member of the St. Louis Suburban Music Educators Association. She conducts the Lionsgate String Ensemble and is the violist in the Landolfi Quartet. She authored “Developing the Active Listener,” for outreach concerts to children and is active in bringing alternative styles of string playing to school orchestras throughout the region. She serves as concertmaster, Alton Symphony & Florissant Valley Community orchestra, principal violinist, St. Louis Philharmonic & Gateway Festival Orchestra, and as a freelance musician, she performs with the Bach Society, Masterworks Chorale, MUNY Orchestra and Dance St. Louis.
Erik Harris, Adjunct Professor of Bass. Born in New York City and raised in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Erik Harris began his musical studies on guitar at age 5 and switched to double bass at age 13. Erik attended the Juilliard School on a full scholarship, where he studied with noted double bass pedagogue Homer Mensch. While at Juilliard he won the double bass concerto competition and performed as soloist with the Juilliard Symphony. He went on to receive both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Juilliard, and, in 2005, was recognized as one their 100 most notable alumni in honor of the school’s 100th anniversary. Upon graduation, Erik served as Principal Bass with the New World Symphony in Miami, Florida during its inaugural season in 1988. The following year, at age 23, he was invited by Sir Georg Solti to join the Chicago Symphony. In 1993, Erik was appointed Principal Double Bass of the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra. Since coming to St. Louis, he has performed in chamber music concerts at Sheldon Hall, the Innsbrook Institute and at the Strings Festival in Steamboat Springs, Co. In 2011, he performed as soloist with the St. Louis Symphony, Nicholas McGegen conducting. An avid teacher, Erik has taught master classes at the Manhattan School of Music, New World Symphony and the Juilliard School and has taught at Webster University since 2010.
Willem von Hombracht, Adjunct Professor of Jazz Studies. Willem von Hombracht teaches bass, directs combos and a bass ensemble, and performs with the faculty jazz ensemble. He studied at the Arnhem Conservatory of Music in the Netherlands, and privately with Buell Neidlinger and Charlie Haden. He has performed in orchestras, chamber groups, jazz, rock and blues bands. Willem has over 30 years of experience in all jazz styles, and is in great demand as a bassist with groups ranging from traditional, to bebop, to free form improvisation. His performing credits include Billy Higgins, Andrew Hill, John Hicks, Howard Johnson, Herb Jeffries, Richie Cole, Bobby Shew, and Don Preston. He is an inventive composer, drawing on a variety of elements in his works. He directs bass master classes and jazz/improvisation workshops in the USA and in Europe, and has been on the faculty of the International Summer Jazz Academy in Poland since 2001, where he was named Artistic Director in 2008.
Jay Hungerford, Adjunct Professor of Jazz Studies. Professor Hungerford is the “top call” freelance bassist in the St. Louis region. He tours regularly with numerous artists, performing at festivals and for clinics across the country and internationally. He has served for more than twenty years as a member of the Webster jazz faculty and teaches for the Community Music School of Webster University. He received the Bachelor of Music Education from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale. Professor Hungerford has been acknowledged as “Best Local Bassist” by Riverfront Times. His compact disc, “Keys to the City,” features the outstanding jazz pianists of the St. Louis region, including several Webster University colleagues and alumni. Visit Jay’s website: http://www.jayhungerford.com
Michael Karpowicz, Adjunct Professor of Woodwinds & Chamber Music. Professor Karpowicz, Saxophone and Woodwinds, received the Bachelor of Music Education and Master of Music Performance from Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville, where he received a Downbeat Award as Outstanding Jazz Soloist. He has performed with the Sessions Big Band, Kim Portnoy Big Band, St. Louis Jazz Orchestra, Jim Widner Big Band, and the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. He has been a member of the Fox Theatre Orchestra and the MUNY Opera Orchestra for more than twenty years, and for the St. Louis Repertory Theatre at Webster University. He has performed with Louie Bellson, Jon Faddis, Rob McConnell, Clark Terry, Lew Tabackin, Toshiko Akiyoshi, Nick Brignola, Bobby Shew, Mel Torme, Michel LeGrand, Dave Pietro, and Conrad Herwig. He has also performed with artists such as Henry Mancini, Johnny Mathis, Lou Rawls, The Four Tops, The Temptations, The Manhattan Transfer, Sammy Davis Jr., Natalie Cole, Barry Manilow, Bernadette Peters, Julie Andrews, Tony Bennett and Aretha Franklin. He has served as a faculty member for the International Summer Jazz Academy in Poland, the Webster Summer Jazz Camp, the Southern Illinois University Summer Jazz Camp, and the Musicians Association of St. Louis Summer Music Workshop. He has appeared on many commercial recordings and two nationally televised ABC Television Specials. He is Director of Bands at DeSmet Jesuit High School.
Paula Kasica, Adjunct Professor of Flute. Professor Kasica received her Bachelor of Music from the Saint Louis Conservatory of Music. Her teachers have included Jacob Berg, Julius Baker, and Gerald Carey. Paula plays as an extra with the Saint Louis Symphony and has performed with Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Ballet Orchestra of St. Louis, the Aspen Music Festival, and the Bach at the Seminary Series. Since 1997, Ms Kasica has been on the faculty of the Christian Performing Arts Festival. In addition to teaching flute at Webster University, she teaches at Missouri Baptist University. She is a member of the Equinox Chamber Players and the Webster Symphony Orchestra. Paula, along with her husband John, acting Principal percussionist with the Saint Louis Symphony, perform around the country as WINDFIRE: Flute and Percussion Spectacular. In August of 2006, WINDFIRE won the National Flute Association Chamber Music Competition in Pittsburgh. She and John have three children.
Karl Koesterer, Adjunct Professor of Piano. Professor Koesterer received the Bachelor of Music in Piano from Southern Illinois University/Carbondale, and the Master of Music in Piano Performance and Pedagogy from Webster University. His major professors included Dr. Gail Delente and as a scholarship student of Dr. W. Kent Werner. Professor Koesterer is the piano department faculty coordinator for the Community Music School of Webster University and is a member of the Music Teachers National Association.
Ken Kulosa, Adjunct Professor of Cello. A native of Albuquerque, Kenneth Kulosa moved to St.Louis thirteen years ago at the invitation of the St. Louis Symphony. Kenneth came to St. Louis from Chicago where he played with the Chicago Symphony, the Grant Park Symphony, and the Chicago Chamber Musicians. At the same time, he held the post of principal cellist for both the South Bend and Northwest Indiana Symphonies. A graduate of the New England Conservatory and the University of Houston, Kenneth studied with Laurence Lesser and Hans Jorgen Jensen, later becoming Mr. Jensen’s assistant at Northwestern University. An active pedagogue as well as performer, Kenneth is in great demand as a private teacher and in 2003 the Missouri Chapter of the American String Teachers Association named him their Artist/Teacher of the Year. He is active as a chamber musician throughout the St. Louis area with the Saint Louis Symphony’s Community Partnership program, the Pulitzer Foundation, and as a member of the Sheldon Concert Hall’s education series resident piano trio. Passionate about period performance, Kenneth is currently a member of the Kingsbury Early Music Ensemble and frequently performs music from the baroque and classical period on period instruments.
Anna Lackschewitz, Adjunct Professor of Viola. Anna Lackschewitz, violist, received her BM and MM from the Juilliard School. After finishing high school at 15, she studied at the Staatliche Musikhochschule in Freiburg, Germany, where she performed with the Freiburg Philharmonisches Orchester. Her first love is chamber music, and she has studied with members of the Juilliard, Manhattan, New York, Guarneri, and Tokyo String Quartets and performed chamber music concerts throughout the US, France and Germany. Freelancing in New York she played for orchestras, choruses, opera and Broadway musicals as well as commercial music. Since coming to St Louis Ms. Lackschewitz has played solos with the University City Symphony and is principal violist of the Fox Theater Orchestra, University City Symphony, and Webster University Symphony, where she plays in the faculty string quartet as well as teaching.In addition to performing and instrumental instruction, Ms Lackschewitz has professional experience with other aspects of the music business. She chaired the working executive board of a chamber orchestra, worked for a music publisher, served on the union executive board, completed a two-year Suzuki teacher training program, and taught public school orchestra.
Debby Lennon, Adjunct Professor of Voice & Director of the Webster Jazz Singers. Professor Lennon is a native of St. Louis. She attended Fontbonne University and studied voice at Washington University, and at the L’Ecole Hindemith in Vevey, Switzerland. A member of the St. Louis Symphony Chorus for eleven seasons, she made her solo debut with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra in the 1992 Carnegie Hall premiere of William Bolcom’s “Songs of Innocence and Experience.” She is a frequent soloist at the SLSO Queeny Pops and Powell Hall with Bob Coleman’s Legacy Big Band and is an active free-lance artist in the St. Louis area. From 1992-1999, she recorded and performed with the nationally known a cappella octet, Pieces of 8, of which she is a founding member. In addition to serving on the voice and jazz faculty at Webster University, Professor Lennon serves at St. Joseph’s Academy as vocal instructor, and she maintains a private voice studio. She recently issued her first compact disc, “I’m All Smiles,” to rave reviews throughout the Midwest.
James A. Martin, Adjunct Professor of Low Brass, Ensembles and Literature. Professor Martin received undergraduate degrees in Mathematics and Music Education from St. Louis University and the Master of Music in Trombone Performance from the Eastman School of Music, with additional study at the doctoral level. His major professors include John Marcellus, Edward Kleinhammer, Arnold Jacobs, and Jeffrey Reynolds. Professor Martin is the Director of the Webster Wind Ensemble and Big Band and is a member of the Webster Brass Quintet. He teaches tuba and trombone and courses in brass methods and music literature. He was the bass trombonist with the Buddy Rich Big Band between 1985-87 and with the Orchestra del Maggio Musical of Florence, Italy under Zubin Mehta in 1989 and 1990. Professor Martin has played bass and contrabass trombone as an extra performer with the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra, including several performances at Carnegie Hall and the 1995 tour of Japan. He has also performed with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, and the Saint Louis Pops Orchestra. He performs reularly at the Fox Theater and the MUNY, and is a member of the St. Louis Brass Ensemble.
Susan Ryan Martin, Adjunct Professor of Piano. Professor Martin joined the piano faculty of Webster University in 1990. As an undergraduate, she studied piano with Professor Mary Mottl at St. Louis University, earning the Bachelor of Arts in Music. She graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a Master of Music in Piano Performance. Her teachers there included Kenneth Drake and Ian Hobson. In addition to her teaching, she is the Director of Music at St. Francis Xavier College Church.
Nancy Mayo, Adjunct Professor of Piano and Piano Accompanying. Nancy Mayo is a collaborative and solo pianist. She has been a prize winner in several solo competitions, including the South Carolina Music Teachers Association (SCMTA), Music Teachers Southern Region Association, the Clara Wells Competition in Pittsburgh, and the Columbia (S.C.) Philharmonic Young Artist Competition, which included a performance with the Columbia Philharmonic. After graduating summa cum laude with a BA and MA in piano performance from Bob Jones University, she worked as a repetiteur at the Columbia (S.C.) Lyric Opera and Hamburgische Staatsoper (Germany), and also served as ballet and orchestral pianist at the Staatsoper and Hamburgische Philharmonic. Mrs. Mayo has taught at Newberry College, Columbia College, and Columbia International University. In St. Louis, she has served as pianist for the Saint Louis Women’s Chorale, Sheldon Chorale, and as an extra keyboardist with the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra. She is a vocal coach in the Opera Theatre of St. Louis Artists-in-Training program and repetiteur for the Opera Theatre of St. Louis Festival, Union Avenue Opera and Winter Opera St. Louis. Mrs. Mayo also directs music at Cornerstone Presbyterian Church, maintains a private piano studio, and enjoys an active schedule both as a soloist and a collaborator.
John McClellan, Adjunct Professor of Guitar. Professor McClellan is director of the classical guitar program at Webster University and Coordinator of Guitar Studies for the Community Music School of Webster University. In addition, he serves on the boards of Mel Bay Publications and the St. Louis Symphony, and is executive director of the St. Louis guitar Consortium, Inc. He recently published a volume on the guitar technique of Chet Atkins, published by Mel Bay, Inc, with a DVD/CD on Atkins to be issued in 2005. Professor McClellan received the Master of Music degree at the St. Louis Conservatory of Music. Further studies followed at Yale University with guitarist Benjamin Verdery, Brazilian cellist Aldo Parisot, and with Bach scholar and harpsichordist Anthony Newman. Professor McClellan performed with Luciana Pavarotti during his 1999 World Tour, and has done major tours of the United States and Australia. He has issued several discs as a soloist and as a duo performer with Kirt Hanser.
Alice Montgomery, Adjunct Professor of Voice. Professor Montgomery studied under Adele Addison, Richard Hughes, Henry Lewis, Clarice Carson, and Dickson Titus. A scholarship recipient for the Tanglewood Festival, Mannes Workshop, and Aspen Music Festival, she was also a finalist in the Lyric Opera of Chicago Competition. She has given oratorio and concert performances with ensembles including the Baltimore Choral Arts Society, New York Choral Society, Bach at the Sem, and the Bronx Symphony. She has appeared in opera productions of St. Luke’s Chamber Ensemble, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Opera Ensemble of New York, Pennsylvania Opera Festival, Bronx Opera, and Brooklyn Lyric Opera. Professor Montgomery also holds a master’s degree in Speech Language Pathology, and works as a voice and singing specialist at the Center for Voice in Saint Louis.
Alice Nelson, Adjunct Professor of Music, Director of the Webster Opera Studio. Professor Nelson received the Bachelor of Music degree from Mississippi University for Women, and the Master's Degree from the University of Memphis. She has also participated in the Wesley Balk Opera/Music-Theater Institute in Minneapolis and the Institute for Advanced Vocal Studies in Paris. In addition to her work at Webster, she is a member of the music staff for Opera Theatre of St. Louis, where she is a vocal coach for the nationally recognized Artists-in-Training program, and has been Associate Music Director for eight operas for young people, including three world premieres. She has also prepared children's choruses for OTSL's productions of Tosca, Street Scene, Carmen, and Gloriana. She is in demand in the St. Louis area as a vocal coach/accompanist, and has prepared singers for performances with the Metropolitan Opera, Royal Opera at Covent Garden (London), Lyric Opera of Chicago, San Francisco Opera, the Chatelet (France), Lyon Opera (France), the Los Angeles Symphony, the St. Louis Symphony, the Berlin Symphony, and the Concertgebouw Orchestra (Amsterdam), among others. Before coming to Webster, she was vocal coach/accompanist for seven years at the St. Louis Conservatory of Music, and for twelve years at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.
Joseph Neske, Adjunct Professor of Piano and Ensembles. Professor Neske received the Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Southern California where he studied composition with Morton Lauridsen and Frederick Lesemann. Since 1999, his duties at Webster University have included teaching 18th century counterpoint, choral arranging, and piano. He also serves as an accompanist for vocal and instrumental students and the Webster Choral Ensembles. He is the director of the Webster New Music Ensemble. Prof. Neske is also a rehearsal pianist for the St. Louis Municipal Opera Company (MUNY).
Vera Parkin, Adjunct Professor of Piano. Vera Parkin has performed as a keyboardist in the St. Louis Symphony since 1987, participating in recordings, Carnegie Hall tours, Discovery and Pulitzer series contemporary concerts, and many Community Partnerships outreach concerts. In addition to experience as a Principal Keyboardist, she has worked in professional theatre and opera, is active as a pedagogue, arts administrator, chamber music and vocal coach, collaborative pianist, and teaches theory and composition. As Artistic Director of the Webster University Community Music School Preparatory Program, she supervises the region’s most advanced young musician.. This work continues in the summer as Director of Student Life at the Innsbrook Institute and Festival.She received the BM and MM in Piano Performance from Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville; undergraduate studies at Northwestern University; doctoral work at Washington University. Her teachers have included Gui Mombaerts, Ruth Slenczynska, and Seth & Maryse Carlin. She is a former Artist Presentations Society winner, former Principal Keyboardist with the Illinois Symphony, and extra keyboardist with the Memphis Symphony.
William Partridge, Adjunct Professor of Organ. Professor William Partridge, M.M., F.C.C.M., is the Canon Precentor Organist and Choirmaster of Christ Church Cathedral, University Organist at Washington University and a member of the faculties at Webster University and Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville. In addition to teaching at the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore, Mr. Partridge has served on the faculties of American University, Washington, D.C., the School of Music at Converse College, Spartanburg, S.C., and the Catholic University of Puerto Rico on a U.S. State Department project. Prof. Partridge is a Fellow of the College of Church Musicians at the Washington National Cathedral, where he also received his Master’s in Church Music under Leo Sowerby and Paul Callaway. Additional studies were with George Thalben-Ball at the Temple Church, London, Sir William McKie of Westminster Abbey, and Dr. Gerald Knight at the Royal School of Church Music in England. For the past ten years, Mr. Partridge has served on the Board of Directors for the Hesse Scholarship Foundation. From 1996-1998 he served as Dean of the St. Louis Chapter of the American Guild of Organists.
Dee Pavelka, Adjunct Professor of Voice. Professor Pavelka completed the Bachelor and Master of Music degrees in Vocal Performance Pedagogy at Webster University, with additional study at the St. Louis Conservatory of Music. Active as a soloist, she has appeared with the St. Louis Philharmonic, Webster Choral Union, St. Louis Conservatory Chorus, Gateway Festival Orchestral, Camerata Singers, Musica Nova, Music for Diverse Voices, Saint Louis Chamber Chorus, the Alton Civic Orchestra, and the American Kantorei. She has participated in the Art Song Festival at Westminster Choir College, in the Lieder Master Classes conducted by John Wustman at the University of Texas, and has attended vocal performance and pedagogy workshops and festivals across the country. At Webster University, Professor Pavelka teaches voice, pedagogy, and history of art song. She has also performed music for voice and guitar on the Music from Christ Church concert series.
Amy Jo Rhine, Adjunct Professor of Horn. Amy Jo Rhine is a seasoned orchestral performer who is a principal member of The IRIS Orchestra (Germantown, TN) and who frequently performs with the Saint Louis Symphony. From 1996-2001, Rhine was the Assistant Professor of Horn at Wichita State University. In demand as a chamber musician, she has performed throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, Japan and Panama most notably with QUADRE, the Voice of Four Horns, the Lieurance Wind Quintet, Wichita Brass Quintet and the Wilson Wind Quintet. Highlight festival appearances include the Bach, Dancing and Dynamite Society in Madison, Wisconsin as well as the Painted Sky Music Festival, in Flagstaff, AZ. Rhine joined the faculty of Webster University in 2006 where she imparts her valuable training from Verne Reynolds at the Eastman School of Music (BM and Performer’s Certificate) and James Decker at the University of Southern California (MM). Formerly, she held the Principal Horn positions with the Wichita Symphony and the Louisiana Philharmonic, to which she made critical administrative contributions in that cooperative ensemble. Since 1997, she has enjoyed spending her summers in Boulder, CO performing Associate Principal Horn with the Colorado Music Festival Orchestra, where she met her husband and fellow hornist, Greg Roosa. Amidst their busy performance schedules, they reserve ample time to managing the Death Star with their son, Norty.
Alison Rolf, Adjunct Professor of Violin. Alison Rolf hails from England where she attended Clare College, Cambridge and the Royal Academy of Music, where,as a student of Lydia Mordkovitch, she was a recipient of the Dip RAM- the conservatory's premiere prix for outstanding final recital. She was a founding member of the London-based Elgin Piano Trio, giving concerts throughout the UK and abroad including a residency at the Banff Centre in Alberta, Canada. In St. Louis, she is involved in a number of chamber groups including the Webster Faculty String Quartet and the Crusell Quartet,with which she has recently released a CD on the Centaur label. She is concertmaster of the Webster University Orchestra and has also performed with Union Avenue Opera, at the Fox theatre and the Muny. Alison has taught violin and viola at DaySpring School of the Arts in Maryland Heights since arriving in the US in 2002.
Carol Schmidt, Adjunct Professor of Piano. Professor Schmidt is a graduate of Webster University, having completed the MM in Jazz Studies/Piano Performance and the BM in Theory/Composition. At Webster University, she teaches jazz and classical piano and other music related courses, and maintains a very active life as a professional performer and educator in St. Louis. Professor Schmidt has served as director of the Webster Jazz Singers and as a faculty member for the International Summer Jazz Academy in Krakow, Poland. She is particularly interested in the music of Thelonious Monk and has transcribed many of Monk’s compositions and solos. For many years, she was a performer/composer and co-leader of the award winning nationally touring jazz group, “Jasmine.” In St. Louis, she performs with her group and with Webster Faculty Jazz Ensemble.
Gary Sims, Adjunct Professor of Voice. Professor Sims received the BM from William Jewell College and MM in Vocal performance from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Before joining the Webster voice faculty in 1980, he was instructor of voice and piano at Brewton-Parker College in Mount Vernon, Georgia. He is well known in the St. Louis area as a professional voice teacher, singer, actor, and composer. Professor Sims’ extensive performance experience includes concerts with the Bach Society of Saint Louis, Fort Worth Oratorio Orchestra, Savannah Symphony, Georgia Chamber Orchestra, Christ Church Cathedral, Saint Louis Chamber Chorus and Orchestra, and the Jerusalem Symphony. In recent years, Professor Sims has expanded his repertoire to include Musical Theatre.
Vicki Smith, Adjunct Professor of Voice. Vicki Werner Smith, soprano, earned her Master’s of Music in Vocal Performance from the University of Oklahoma. She was a district Metropolitan Opera Auditions winner and also winner of the Dame Eva Turner Award. Ms. Smith has enjoyed a decade of singing with the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra as a principal singer and soloist, singing as soloist in works such as Bruckner’s Psalm 150, Rossini’s La Petite Messe Solennelle, and Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, under the baton of Maestro Leonard Slatkin. Former students of Ms. Smith have performed in Broadway and national tours, as well as various regional opera houses and theatres such as Central City Opera, Lyric Opera of Kansas City, STAGES!, the Muny, and more.
Susie Thierbach, Adjunct Professor of Violin. Dr. Thierbach is an active violin performer and teacher in the St. Louis area. She received her Bachelors at Illinois Wesleyan University and her Masters from Missouri State University, and earned a Doctor of Arts in Violin Performance and Pedagogy from the University of Northern Colorado where she studied under Richard Fuchs. Susie has performed with the Webster University Symphony since she returned to St. Louis in 1999. She is an active free-lance player, performing with the Union Avenue Opera, the St. Louis Chamber Orchestra, and at the Fox Theater.
Carolbeth True, Adjunct Professor of Piano. Professor True is a very active member of the St. Louis Musical community. A pianist equally talented in jazz and classical music, she performs regularly in clubs and concerts. Her group, The Carolbeth Trio, performed at the Adam’s Mark for three and one half years, followed by two and one half years at Jazz at the Bistro. Her piano studies began with her mother, the late Carole Miles. She studied with Evelyn Mitchell at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. A long time Webster faculty member, she has also built an extensive private teaching practice. She has served on the International Summer Jazz Academy faculty in Krakow, Poland and is a cast member for The Jazz Story, a history--performance presentation at the Sheldon Concert Hall. She has performed with numerous artists including Harry Allen, Buddy DeFranco, Gary Foster, Terry Gibbs, Scott Hamilton, Warren Vache, Roseanne Vitro, and Bill Watrous. She has served as rehearsal pianist and assistant musical director with The MUNY for twenty years and has performed repeatedly with the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra. She has served as musical coordinator for the Buckeye Harmonica Festival and the International Harmonica Festival. She has been a soloist with the Webster University Symphony, Washington University Symphony, St. Louis Philharmonic, Jacksonville Symphony, and Florida Spacecoast Philharmonic. In 2001, she was the soloist for the premiere performance of Bluework, a concerto by Webster faculty composer Kim Portnoy with the Webster Symphony. In addition to her trio, she performs with The Hard Bop Heritage Quintet, the Sessions Big Band, the Webster Jazz Repertory Ensemble and Traditional Jazz Band. She is heard on compact discs including The Carolbeth Trio, New World Harmonica Jazz and Klezmer Nuthouse with Sandy Weltman, and two discs with the Sessions Big Band, Softly As In A Morning Sunrise and Tribute. She was the 2004 recipient of the St. Louis Magazine “Musician of the Year” award and the “Owen Miller Award for service and dedication from the St. Louis Musicians Association, Local 2-197.
Donna Bowen Vince, Adjunct Professor of Piano & Accompanying. Donna Bowen Vince joined the piano faculty at Webster University in 1981 after her return from a year of study at L’ecole Normale de Musique in Paris, France. Her love for French music was shaped by former teachers Dr. Gail Delente and Mr. Jules Gentil. Through the Institute for Advanced Vocal Studies in Paris, France, Ms. Vince has also coached with renowned vocal accompanists Noel Lee, Irene Aitoff, and Dalton Baldwin. Ms. Vince currently teaches Piano, Class Piano, Piano Pedagogy, and accompanies for the vocal and instrumental programs at Webster. She is also an active accompanist outside the Webster community. Her many collaborative performances have included concerts at The Sheldon, KFUO Radio Broadcasts “Live From The Garden”, Midwest Lyric Opera, The Webster University Symphony, and performances in Salle Cortot in Paris, France. Her students are often recipients of prestigious awards and many have continued their piano studies in top universities across the country. Donna is the other half of Duo Albireo with colleague Patricia Weeks Eastman. They perform regularly in and around the St. Louis area. Together they direct the Webster University Summer Piano Camps, and Winter Piano Ensemble Festival. Her professional affiliations include The National Federation of Music Clubs, Music Teacher’s National Association, Missouri Music Teacher’s Association, and the St. Louis Area Music Teacher’s Association. Ms. Vince obtained both a Bachelor and Master of Music from Webster University, and is currently a doctoral candidate in Piano Performance at the University of Kansas. She hopes someday to learn to play the accordion.
ARTIST AFFILIATES
Christine Brewer, Visiting Professor of Voice. Grammy® Award winning American soprano Christine Brewer’s appearances in opera, concert and recital are marked with her own unique timbre, at once warm and brilliant, combined with a vibrant personality and emotional honesty reminiscent of the great sopranos of the past. Her range, golden tone, boundless power, and control make her a favorite of the stage as well as a sought-after recording artist. At Webster University, Ms. Brewer teaches master classes each term, and speaks annually in a popular lecture series. On the opera stage, Ms. Brewer is highly regarded for her striking portrayl of the title role in Strauss’s Ariadne auf Naxos, which she has performed with the Metropolitan Opera, Opéra de Lyon, Théâtre du Châtelet, the Santa Fe Opera, the English National Opera, and the Opera Theater of St. Louis. Garnering critical acclaim with each role, Ms. Brewer has performed Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde at the San Francisco Opera, Gluck’s Alceste with the Santa Fe Opera, the Dyer’s Wife in Strauss’s Die Frau Ohne Schatten at the Lyric Opera of Chicago and the Paris Opera, and Lady Billows in Britten’s Albert Herring at the Santa Fe Opera. She is also celebrated for her work on lesser known operas such as the title roles in Gluck’s Iphigénie en Tauride with the Edinburgh Festival, the Rio de Janeiro Opera, and Madrid Opera and Strauss’s Die ägyptische Helena with the Santa Fe Opera. A stunning recitalist, in addition to her many appearances at Carnegie and Wigmore Halls, Ms. Brewer has graced Lincoln Center’s “Art of the Song” series at Alice Tully Hall. Other appearances include the Kennedy Center in Washington. D.C., Spivey Hall in Georgia, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, and the Mondavi Center in California. Her unique voice has been featured at the Gilmore, Ravinia, and Cleveland Art Song festivals. www.christinebrewer.com
David Halen, Adjunct Professor of Violin. David Halen is Concertmaster of the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra. He received the Master of Music from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign and the Bachelor of Music from Central Missouri State University; He has also been a Fulbright Scholar at the Freiburg Hochschule, Germany; Soloist Diploma, Freiburg, Germany. He appears regularly as a soloist and chamber musician and is first violin with the St. Louis String Quartet. Professor Halen is the former Associate Concertmaster, Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra, 1991-95; former Assistant Concertmaster, 1986-1990, and first violin, 1983-86, Houston Symphony; former first violin, Harrington String Quartet, 1983. Professor Halen is a faculty member of the Community Music School of Webster University.
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