Rebecca Salo is the Consortium Instructor of Horn at the University of Evansville and Principal Horn in the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra. Through her teaching activities, Professor Salo seeks to share her passion for music with students of all ages. In addition to teaching at the University of Evansville, Professor Salo maintains an active private studio, and she regularly organizes a variety of events for young horn players. Her experiences include teaching natural horn (historical performance) at the Eastman School of Music, working as a sectional coach at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp, directing a summer horn choir program, and founding the Purdue Christmas Horn Extravaganza.
As an active performer, Professor Salo enjoys collaborating with other musicians in orchestral performance and chamber ensembles, as well as performing as a soloist. She is a member of the Harlaxton Quintet and Shepard Brass. Recently, Professor Salo has appeared as a soloist with the Lafayette Symphony Orchestra, Purdue Wind Ensemble, and Kokomo Park Band. She also co-founded a horn and piano duo, Duo Giústo, which will be releasing a professional recording in Fall 2021.
Professor Salo has pursued doctoral studies at the Eastman School of Music, where she was awarded the Performer’s Certificate for her recital performance. She completed her Master of Music degree at Indiana University, and she holds a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from Purdue University. Additionally, she spent a year studying music at the Chopin University of Music in Warsaw, Poland. Professor Salo’s primary teachers include Peter Kurau, Jeff Nelsen, Wayne Lu, and Kazimierz Machala.
To learn more about Professor Salo, visit her website at www.rebeccasalo.com.
Born and raised in Minnesota, Michael Chu is both an active performer and music educator. Coming from a diverse musical education including violin, piano, trumpet, and saxophone, Michael enjoys drawing inspiration from many different influences and cultures. He actively seeks to expand his knowledge and understanding of both historical and contemporary styles, respecting traditions while embracing new directions. Michael is a graduate of the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, where he received his B.M. in Violin Performance and Music Education as a student of Sally O’Reilly. He later went on to receive his M.M. in Violin Performance from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music as a student of Chen Zhao. Other influential teachers have included Catherine Van Hoesen, Aaron Janse, and Blayne Barnes.
Michael has placed in numerous competitions, including first prize in the Mary West Symphony Solo Competition, Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra Youth Chamber Music Competition, Schubert Club Student Scholarship Competition, Thursday Musical Young Artist Scholarship Competition, and was a National Finalist in the MTNA Young Artist Performance Competition.
Michael also plays with the Owensboro Symphony Orchestra, and has previously played as a Substitute Violinist in the Quad City Symphony Orchestra and as a Substitute Concertmaster for both the Kenwood Symphony Orchestra and Linden Hills Chamber Orchestra.
Melissa Heffner is Clinical Assistant Professor of Music Therapy at the University of Evansville. She holds a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance with a minor in Early Childhood Special Education from Eastern Washington University and a Master of Music in Music Therapy with a specialization in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Ohio University. Her professional interests include collaborating and co-treating with other healthcare professionals, and her master’s thesis research study involved collaborating with a speech-language pathology graduate student.
Professor Heffner has been a Music Therapist-Board Certified (MT-BC) since 2013 and has worked in clinic and home settings as well as day, assisted living, and skilled nursing facilities serving disabled, autistic, neurodivergent, and neurotypical children, adults, and older adults. She has provided telehealth and in-person music therapy and adapted lessons in piano, guitar, and voice to individuals and groups in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and central and southeastern Ohio.
Prior to joining the faculty at the University of Evansville, Professor Heffner was Adjunct Professor and Music Therapy Clinical Supervisor at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX. There, she supervised music therapy practicum students in their developmental, gerontological, and psychiatric practicum placements both in-person and via telehealth. She also supervised music therapy interns in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and music therapy practicum students at Ohio University.
Professor Heffner has been a member of the American Music Therapy Association (AMTA) since 2009 and has been serving on the AMTA Academic Program Approval Committee since 2019.
Dr. Strandberg’s teaching and research is driven by her interest in how audiences hear music based on their cultural experiences and frames of reference. She frequently designs assignments, activities, and class trips that challenge students to consider the mindset and values of past musicians, composers, and audiences. Her classes not only examine music in its historical contexts, but also focus on building students’ skills in researching, writing, and discussing music.
Her research focuses on the reception of violin virtuosity in mid-nineteenth-century Paris, examining concert reviews in the press to explore how critics and listeners perceived and discussed these performers. Her recent publications include articles in the Journal of Musicological Research and the Journal of Music History Pedagogy. She has presented at conferences throughout the U.S. and Europe, recently appearing as an invited speaker at the annual conference of the National Chopin Institute in Poland.
Dr. Strandberg is also interested in local history and has plans to collaborate with students on projects examining music’s historical role in the Evansville area. She holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Cello Performance from the University of Minnesota and a PhD in Musicology from Indiana University.
Fran Vile is an Adjunct Professor of Music Education at the University of Evansville. Prior to his arrival at UE, Fran served for thirty (30) years as the Director of Bands and Performing Arts Department Chair in the Boonville School District of the Warrick County School Corporation. Fran’s teaching duties included the marching band, two concert bands, jazz ensemble and assisted with the Boonville Middle School sixth, seventh and eighth grade bands. Prior to assuming this position, he served as Director of Music for the Fountain Central School Corporation in Veedersburg, IN for six (6) years.
Bands under his direction have performed at the ISSMA State Marching Band Contest and ISSMA State Concert Band Contest, and have received numerous Gold Ratings at the ISSMA District, Regional and Semi-State Marching Contests as well as the ISSMA Junior High and High School Concert Band Festivals. Fran is an adjudicator for the Indiana State School Music Association, has been selected to be the guest conductor of the Indiana Bandmasters Association and has served two terms as a member of the Indiana State School Music Association’s State Board.
Mr. Vile earned an Associate of Applied Science in Music degree from Onondaga Community College, Syracuse, New York; a Bachelor of Music Degree from Ashland College (University), Ashland, OH and a Master of Science Degree in Music Education from Indiana State University, Terre Haute, IN.
Tenor Darian Clonts, a native of Atlanta, Ga., joined the Voice faculty at the University of Evansville in the Fall of 2019. He has been seen performing with companies across the U.S. such as Cincinnati Opera, The Utah Festival Opera and Musical Theater, The Princeton Festival, and The Atlanta Opera. Some of his operatic roles include The Witch (Hansel and Gretel), Mingo (Porgy and Bess), Hérrison (L’Étoile), Goro (Madama Butterfly), and El Remendado (Carmen). He holds a B.A. in Music from Morehouse College, and both an M.M. and D.M. in Voice from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. He holds a certificate in Vocology, which is the science and practice of voice habilitation, and if necessary, rehabilitation. He is currently on the Voice faculty at William Paterson University and Montclair State University. The main focus of his musical research includes opera and African American music, and he has lectured on his research at schools and institutions across the United States.
Dr. Demian Kogutek is a Music Therapist Accredited (MTA) by the Canadian Association for Music Therapy (CAMT). He began classical guitar studies at Juan Jose Castro conservatory of music in Buenos Aires, Argentina. In Canada, he graduated from the Honors Bachelor of Music Therapy program at University of Windsor in 2009, and the Master’s of Music Therapy at Wilfrid Laurier University in 2011. He is an experienced clinician in geriatrics, mental health, oncology, neurological rehabilitation, and palliative care in long-term care, hospital, and hospice settings. His PhD. research stems from a collaboration between the Health and Rehabilitation Science program and the Brain and Mind Institute at Western University with co-supervision from Dr. Jeffrey Holmes and Dr. Jessica Grahn. His research and teaching area of interest is motor improvement in neurological rehabilitation through client’s active use of musical instruments. His PhD. research was expanded with the support of Mary Elizabeth Horney Fellowship in Rehabilitation Research from the Parkwood Institute Research-Specific Endowment in collaboration and supervision from Dr. Jessica Grahn and Dr. Manuel Montero-Odasso. Dr. Demian Kogutek will be joining the University of Evansville as the director of the music therapy program where he will teach courses in guitar, music therapy, supervise music therapy practical, and coordinate music therapy internships.
Dr. Emily Britton, a native of Rochester, New York, currently serves as Consortium Instructor of Horn at the University of Evansville and Principal Horn of the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Music Education from Roberts Wesleyan College, a Master of Music Performance and Literature degree from Eastman School of Music, and a Doctor of Music degree in Brass Performance from Florida State University. Dr. Britton studied with Michelle Stebleton, W. Peter Kurau, and Jennifer Burch.
Before joining the faculty at University of Evansville, Dr. Britton was a member of the USAF Heritage of America Band, stationed at Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Hampton, Virginia. During her tenure with the Air Force, she performed with the Heritage Brass, the Langley Winds, and the concert band. In five years of service, she gave over four hundred performances of various kinds throughout the East Coast, giving master classes at various universities and high schools and enjoying several particularly unique opportunities, such as playing the National Anthem for millions of NASCAR and Major League Baseball fans and performing the music of Glenn Miller in the streets of Poland. While living in Virginia, Dr. Britton also became a frequent substitute horn player with the Virginia Symphony Orchestra. Before entering the military, Dr. Britton appeared regularly with the Tallahassee Symphony, the Albany Symphony, the Mobile Symphony, the Pensacola Symphony and Opera, and Sinfonia Gulf Coast, and served as Principal Horn of the Northwest Florida Symphony and the Gainesville Chamber Orchestra. She was awarded second place in the collegiate division of the International Horn Competition of America in 2009.
Dennis Malfatti is Co-Director of the UE Music Conservatory, Professor of Music, and Director of Choral Activities at the University of Evansville. In May, 2011 he conducted Haydn’s Paukenmesse at Carnegie Hall in New York City with the New England Symphonic Ensemble and a chorus of one hundred fifty-five singers made up of choirs from across the country. In June, 2016, he returned to Carnegie Hall to conduct the New England Symphonic Ensemble and guest choirs in a program featuring Mozart's Te Deum K. 141, Kyrie in D minor K. 341, and Haydn's Te Deum for Empress Marie Therese.
Choirs under his direction have sung by invitation at the 2016 American Choral Directors Association Central Division Conference in Chicago, at state level music education conferences in both Virginia (2005) and Indiana (2010 and 2013) and at Washington National Cathedral.
Previous positions have included serving as Conductor of the Evansville Philharmonic Chorus, Director of Choral Activities at Longwood University in Virginia, and Assistant Conductor and Chorus Master of the Operafestival di Roma in Rome, Italy. As conductor of the Evansville Philharmonic Chorus, he prepared the chorus for performances of major works including Prokofievs' Alexander Nevsky, Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, and Haydn's Creation, and he conducted multiple performances of Handel's Messiah with the chorus and orchestra.
As a participant in both the 2005 and 2010 Oregon Bach Festival conducting master classes, he studied choral/orchestral works of J.S. Bach with the renowned conductor Helmuth Rilling and conducted the Oregon Bach Festival Orchestra and Chorus in several performances as part of the Discovery Series.
He serves as the President-Elect of the Indiana Choral Directors Association and he has published articles and book reviews in both state and national choral publications. In 2013, he was the recipient of the Educator of the Year Award from the Arts Council of Southwest Indiana.
Flutist Leanne Hampton enjoys an exciting and versatile career as an orchestral performer, chamber musician, soloist, and teacher. She is the Consortium Instructor of Flute at the University of Evansville as well as Principal Flute for the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra. Leanne completed a DMA at the University of Colorado Boulder where she served as a teaching assistant to Christina Jennings. Since 2012, she served as the instructor of flute for the Continuing Education Department at the University of Colorado. Additionally, Leanne was a member of an award-winning graduate wind quintet, 40th Parallel. She has performed with the Boulder Opera Company, Cheyenne Symphony Orchestra, and the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra. Leanne has attended the Aspen Music Festival and the Texas Music Festival, and she is a semi-finalist for the New World Symphony’s 2017-2018 season. She has performed under the baton of distinguished conductors including Marvin Hamlisch and Robert Spano, and she has worked with prominent artists such as Gil Shaham, Stephen Hough, and the Indigo Girls. Leanne has premiered works by American composer, Daniel Kellogg, and she performed has with the Aspen Contemporary Ensemble, the Colorado New Music Ensemble, and at the Midwest American Composers Exchange Conference. She has competed and won prizes at the Mid-South Flute Society Young Artist, Oklahoma Flute Society, MTNA, and Plowman Chamber Music Competitions. A native of Little Rock, Arkansas, Leanne received her MM from the University of Colorado and BA from the University of Central Arkansas. Her principal teachers are Christina Jennings, Dr. Carolyn Brown, and Brook Ferguson. Other important influences include Nadine Asin and Leone Buyse
Dr. Thomas Josenhans is the professor of clarinet and a member of the Harlaxton Quintet, the woodwind quintet in residence, at the University of Evansville. His prior teaching appointments include positions at McMurry University in Abilene, Texas, and Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania.
Since the fall of 2006 Josenhans has served as principal clarinetist of the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra. Previously, he was principal clarinetist of the Roanoke Symphony and principal clarinetist and a member of the Artist Faculty at the Wintergreen Music Festival in Virginia. He has served as guest principal clarinetist with the Charleston Symphony during the Piccolo Spoleto Festival.
An active performer and chamber musician, Josenhans has appeared as soloist with groups as diverse as the Columbus Symphony Orchestra and the Abilene Community Band. He was soloist with the UE Wind Ensemble for a performance of Dana Wilson's Liquid Ebony, and he has been featured as a soloist with the Roanoke Symphony, Evansville Philharmonic and at the Wintergreen Festival. He recently performed Debussy’s Premiere Rhapsody as soloist with the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra. He has played at conferences of the International Clarinet Association, and performed recitals at the University of Oklahoma Clarinet Symposium. He is an active clinician in area schools and has presented clinics at the Indiana Music Educators Association (IMEA) Convention and the Texas Music Educators Association Convention. He has also been heard at the Aspen, Blossom, Sarasota, and Chautauqua Music Festivals.
Dr. Josenhans holds degrees from Oberlin Conservatory of Music, the Cleveland Institute of Music, and State University of New York at Stony Brook. Charles Neidich, Franklin Cohen, Theodore Johnson, and Lawrence McDonald are among his primary teachers.
Dr. Timothy Zifer, Professor of Music, holds a bachelor's degree in music education from Ohio University, a master of music in trumpet performance from Louisiana State University, and a doctorate in trumpet performance with a minor in wind conducting from Louisiana State University. Dr. Zifer teaches courses in applied trumpet, UE Jazz Ensemble I, UE Trumpet Ensemble, jazz studies, and music management. Dr. Zifer received the Dean's Teaching Award in 2010.
Dr. Zifer is the principal trumpet of the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra and is an active soloist and recitalist. He also serves as the principal trumpet and founding member of the Shepard Brass (UE Faculty Brass Quintet). Most recently, Dr. Zifer recorded Robert Russell Bennett's Rose Variations with the UE Wind Ensemble.
Prior to taking over the jazz program, Dr. Zifer served as director of bands (1996-2008). During this time the University of Evansville wind ensemble toured over 20 states and appeared at the 2001 International Trumpet Guild Conference, competed in the 2002 International Hawaiian Music Festival, and performed at the 2006 and 2008 Indiana Music Educators Association conventions. The UE Jazz Ensemble I has performed and competed at the prestigious Elmhurst Jazz Festival from 2008-2012, having received two honorable mentions and recognition for an original composition by a student. The UE Trumpet Ensemble has performed at the 2001 and 2004 International Trumpet Guild Conferences as well as the 2011 University of Kentucky TrumpetFest. In 2001, Dr. Zifer served as the conference host for the International Trumpet Guild Conference on the campus of UE. The conference brought in over 800 attendees from around the world and featured recitals, lectures, exhibits, and clinics by some of the world's leading trumpet professionals.
Dr. Mary Ellen Wylie earned a Bachelor's degree in music education from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and advanced degrees, including a Doctorate, from the University of Kansas. She is an experienced music therapist having worked with children with severe developmental delays and multiple handicaps; adults with mental handicaps; the elderly and terminally ill; and patients with cancer.
Dr. Wylie is Past President of the American Music Therapy Association (AMTA) and has served a number of years on the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of the organization. She has also held several appointed and elected positions in the Great Lakes Region of AMTA, including President of the Region. In March 2010 she was awarded the Honorary Life Member award from the region for distinguished contributions made over the years.
Dr. Wylie has given numerous presentations locally, as well as at national, regional, and state music therapy conferences. She has been published in the Journal of Music Therapy and Music Therapy Perspectives. As Director of the music therapy program, Dr. Wylie teaches courses in music therapy, supervises music therapy practica, and coordinates internships.
Dr. Kenneth Steinsultz is Co-Director of the UE Music Conservatory, Director of Bands, and Professor of Music at the University of Evansville. Prior to coming to Evansville, he served as assistant to the Director of Bands at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
As a conductor, Dr. Steinsultz is a frequent guest conductor of district and regional honor bands. His university ensembles have performed at regional festivals and state organizational conferences, most recently the College Band Directors National Association 2016 North Central Division Conference at Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa. At the University of Evansville, he conducts the Wind Ensemble, University Band, Aces Brass Pep Band, and teaches courses in applied low brass and conducting. Dr. Steinsultz also serves as music director and conductor for The Spirit of Evansville Sweet Adelines Chorus.
An active performer, Dr. Steinsultz was a guest artist for the Tuba and Euphonium Association’s Midwest Conference in 2013 and 2015. Dr. Steinsultz also performed at the 2014 International Tuba and Euphonium Conference. He has served as principal euphonium in the Evansville Symphonic Band. Dr. Steinsultz has been featured soloist with the Bend in the River Brass Band (Evansville), the Concert Band of Central Illinois, and the Quincy (IL) Park Band. In 2005, he was guest clinician for the Association of Concert Bands national conference and performed as a guest artist on the finale concert.
In addition to performing, Dr. Steinsultz has been a member of the Board of Directors for the Evansville Symphonic Band, serving as secretary. He has presented clinics at state conferences in Illinois and Indiana.
Dr. Steinsultz has served as music director at Lewistown (Illinois) Community High School and director of bands for Brown County Unit Schools in Mt. Sterling, Illinois. He has been a member of the Quincy Park Band, Quincy Symphony Orchestra, and Mississippi River Brass Band. He has performed with the Champaign-Urbana Symphony, Danville (Illinois) Symphony, Illinois Symphony of Springfield/Bloomington, and the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra.
He is a member of the College Band Directors National Association, National Band Association, Indiana Bandmasters Association, International Tuba and Euphonium Association, and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia (honorary membership).
Dr. Steinsultz holds degrees from Quincy University and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Carol Dallinger is Professor of Music at the University of Evansville where she has been a member of the faculty since 1972. She is also founder and coordinator of the University of Evansville Suzuki Violin Program. An active performer, Ms. Dallinger serves as principal second violinist of the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra and performs regularly on department recitals. Ms. Dallinger has lectured at both state and national music conferences and, as a registered teacher trainer with the Suzuki Association of the Americas, frequently serves as clinician for summer institutes throughout the United States and overseas. She is a former member of the National Board of Directors of the Suzuki Association.
Ms. Dallinger has been recognized for her contributions to teaching with the UE Alumni Board Outstanding Teacher Award in 1995, and the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences Outstanding Teacher Award in 2000. In 2006, she received the Suzuki Chair Award for her contributions to the field of Suzuki Talent Education at the American Suzuki Institute, Stevens Point, WI. From 2008 - 2013 Ms. Dallinger held the title of Oramay Cluthe Eades Distinguished Professor of Music.
Professor Dallinger holds a Bachelor of Music in performance from Illinois Wesleyan University and a Master of Music in performance from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana. She currently teaches courses in applied violin, applied viola, and Suzuki violin pedagogy.
Before coming to the United States, Renato Butturi performed throughout Italy, France, Germany, Kenya and the Ivory Coast. As a member of the University of Evansville music faculty, he is much in demand as a soloist and chamber musician and has performed as special instrumentalist with the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra, the Fort Wayne Symphony and the Indianapolis Symphony. Professor Butturi is an active jazz performer and is on the summer faculty at the University of Cincinnati Classical Guitar Workshop. He appeared on a recording of Spanish song for baritone and guitar titled CANCIONES, and is the founder and artistic director of the Evansville Classical Guitar Society.
Professor Butturi holds a Bachelor in Music Education degree from the University of Evansville and Master of Music degree in Historical Performance Practice from Washington University. He currently teaches courses in applied and jazz guitar, applied lute, and jazz studies.
Anne Hastings Fiedler is currently Professor of Music and head of the keyboard area at the University of Evansville. She is a recipient of the prestigious Exemplary Teacher Award given by University of Evansville and also the Outstanding Teacher Award given by the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. She was honored as Artist of the Year at the 2016 Mayor’s Arts Awards and from 2013-2018 held the title of Oramay Cluthe Eades Distinguished Professor of Music.
An active performer, Professor Fiedler was finalist and prizewinner in the National Beethoven Piano Sonata Competition and has collaborated nationally with a variety of soloists and ensembles, notably in performances at International Trumpet Guild Conference and several International Double Reed Society Conferences. She can be heard on the CD entitled Oboe Serenade. Professor Fiedler has been featured soloist on numerous occasions with the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra, the Evansville Chamber Orchestra and the University of Evansville Orchestra. She performs frequently as collaborative pianist with faculty and guest artists on the First Tuesday Series and Tuesday Night Concert Series sponsored by the music department. Fiedler is also principal keyboard and assistant principal second violin of the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra.
Professor Fiedler's diverse areas of interest and teaching experience include studio piano, music theory, piano pedagogy, and collaborative piano. She has reviewed collegiate theory texts for McGraw-Hill Publishing and regularly presents master classes and serves as an adjudicator for local, state, and regional piano competitions. She is co-founder and first president of the Greater Evansville Chapter of the Indiana Music Teachers Association and has presented at IMTA state conferences.
Professor Fiedler holds Bachelor of Music with Highest Honors and Master of Music Degrees from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She currently teaches courses in applied piano and music theory.
Robert Nicholls is Director of Music at First Presbyterian Church in Evansville. He began his musical education as a Chorister at Westminster Abbey with Simon Preston. He graduated from Oundle School (Music Exhibitioner) and Cambridge University (Choral Exhibitioner at Gonville and Caius College).
Robert’s organ teachers include James Parsons, Philip Scriven, Roberta Gary, and John Schwandt (improvisation). Robert’s compositions for both organ and choir have been performed and broadcast in both the US and Europe, and at RSCM America summer residential courses. In addition to responsibilities for music at First Pres, Robert accompanies silent movies.
He was an Adjunct Lecturer in Music (Organ) at the IU Jacobs School of Music 2015-2017, teaching graduate-level courses in keyboard skills, improvisation, and the Sacred Music Practicum. Robert is the current Dean of the Evansville Chapter of the American Guild of Organists.
Cellist Jennifer Farney holds a Bachelor Degree in music performance from DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana and a Performance Diploma from Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. Her teachers include Dr. Helga Winold, Eric Kim, Robert deMaine, and Dr. Eric Edberg. Ms. Farney has appeared as soloist with the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra, the Warren (MI) Symphony Orchestra and the DePauw University Symphony Orchestra. She appears frequently on music department recitals as soloist and chamber musician and performs as assistant principal cellist with both the Evansville Philharmonic and Owensboro Symphony Orchestras. Ms. Farney currently teaches courses in applied cello.
In 2008 after a teaching career of 48 years, including 41 years at the University of Evansville, Dr. Lacy retired from full-time teaching and continues to teach courses in applied bassoon. Before his retirement, his primary duties included teaching bassoon, saxophone, oboe, jazz, and music theory. Dr Lacy is founder of the UE Jazz program and was its director for 40 years. In addition to his teaching duties, Dr. Lacy served as chair of the Department of Music on three occasions for a total of seven and one-half years. His many honors include the Oramay Cluthe Eades Distinguished Professor of Music, the Dean's Award for Excellence in Teaching from the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at UE and was named co-winner of the national "Advisor of the Year" by Sigma Alpha Iota in 2002.
Dr. Lacy serves as principal bassoonist and saxophone soloist with the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra, of which he has been a member for 44 seasons. He was also principal bassoonist of the Owensboro (KY) Symphony Orchestra for nineteen seasons and has served as principal bassoonist of the Indianapolis Festival Music Society Orchestra and the Harlaxton Quintet. He has performed solo recitals at the University of Colorado, the University of Georgia, Western Michigan University and Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville. His chamber music performances have included appearances at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, Interlochen Arts Academy and on the Wisconsin Public Radio Network.
Lacy has been a member of the International Double Reed Society since its inception in 1972 and has been a member of the International Association of Jazz Educators. Other professional memberships include Pi Kappa Lambda music honorary society, and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity, which has made him a recipient of their Orpheus Award. He is also an honorary member of Sigma Alpha Iota music fraternity. At the University of Evansville, he served as faculty advisor to SAI for 25 years and advisor to Phi Mu Alpha for over 30 years.
His teaching experience has included six years in the public schools of Indiana and Illinois and one year at the University of Charleston in West Virginia, in addition to his 43 years at the University of Evansville. He has also served as visiting professor of music at the University of Louisville and at Indiana University.
Dr. Lacy holds the bachelor of music education degree from Murray State University and the master of music in bassoon and doctor of music in woodwinds from Indiana University.
Dr. Robertson attended the Eastman School of Music and Michigan State University, earning a Bachelor of Music in oboe performance and a Bachelor of Arts in applied mathematics, both with high honors. She continued her studies at Indiana University where she earned a Master of Music in oboe and a Doctor of Music in oboe literature and performance. Her primary teachers were Richard Killmer, Daniel Stolper, Marc Lifschey and Theodore Baskin.
Dr. Robertson has been principal oboe of the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra since 1995 and principal oboe of the Lancaster Festival in Ohio since 2001. She has performed as principal oboe of the Grand Rapids Symphony Orchestra and has substituted with the Louisville Orchestra, Indianapolis Symphony and the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra. Dr. Robertson is a member of the Harlaxton Quintet, woodwind quintet in residence at the University of Evansville.
Dr. Robertson is an active member of the International Double Reed Society and performed at the 2003 and 2006 Conferences. As the youngest of five finalists, she won second place in the IDRS Fernand Gillet Performance Competition in 1991. She has published several articles on the oboe works of Antal Dorati in the IDRS Double Reed journal. Robertson is also a member of the College Music Society and is the CMS campus representative for the University of Evansville. She recently released the CD Oboe Serenade, and currently teaches courses in applied oboe.
Ross Erickson is Consortium Instructor of Percussion at the University of Evansville and is Principal Percussion with the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra and the Owensboro Symphony. Prior to coming to Evansville, Mr. Erickson performed as percussionist with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Terre Haute Symphony Orchestra, and the Columbus Indiana Philharmonic.
Erickson's diverse musical experience includes performances with the IU Brazilian Ensemble, IU Steel Pan Ensemble and IU Afro-Cuban Folkloric Ensemble. He has attended the Aspen Music Festival, National Orchestral Institute, and toured for one season with the American Wind Symphony Orchestra.
Mr. Erickson earned both Bachelor and Master of Music degrees in Performance from Indiana University. His principal teachers include John Tafoya, Dean Borghesani, Kevin Bobo, and Michael Spiro. He is a member of the Percussive Arts Society.
Dr. Alanna Keenan, assistant professor of voice, holds a Bachelor of Music in vocal performance from Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa, and Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees in vocal performance with a minor in musicology from Louisiana State University. She teaches applied voice and diction. Prior to joining the faculty of the Department of Music she taught at Franciscan University in Steubenville, Ohio, where she directed the vocal program and taught courses in performance, music history, diction, and aural skills.
Dr. Keenan is an active performer both in recital, opera, and oratorio. Among the roles she has sung are Mother Marie (Dialogue of the Carmelites), Mrs. McClean (Susannah), Cathleen (Riders to the Sea), Hermia (A Midsummer Night’s Dream), Marcellina (Le nozze di Figaro), and the title role in Carmen. Oratorio credits include Saint-Saëns’s Christmas Oratorio, Vivaldi’s Gloria, Fauré’s Requiem, Handel’s Messiah, and Schubert’s Mass in G. Keenan has recently appeared as a soloist with OvreArts, the Pittsburgh Festival Orchestra, and choir of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Dr. Keenan’s students have been accepted to graduate schools across the country including Indiana University, Catholic University, Cleveland State University, and East Carolina University. Her students have been accepted into summer programs such as SongFest and the American Singers’ Opera Project. She is a full member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing.
Gregory Rike is an Assistant Professor of Music and also serves as Musical Director for the nationally-recognized UE Theater. Prior to coming to Evansville Dr. Rike held teaching positions at the University of Mississippi, The Ohio State University, Ohio Northern University, Heidelberg College, and the University of Findlay.
In demand as a performer, clinician, and coach, Dr. Rike is equally comfortable with opera, oratorio, art song, and musical theater genres. He has been musical director of such shows as A Little Night Music, Follies, Company, Urinetown, Grand Hotel, The Last Five Years, Into the Woods, Parade, Assassins, The Mystery of Edwin Drood and Sweeney Todd as well as The Marriage of Figaro, Baby Doe, and Tartuffe. He has performed with various opera companies as well as the Evansville, Toledo, Charleston, Columbus, and Ohio State Symphony Orchestras. He has judged National Association of Teachers of Singing competitions in Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Michigan, Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Ontario, Canada, as well as the Metropolitan Opera auditions in Memphis, Tennessee.
Dr. Rike currently teaches courses in applied voice, song literature and vocal pedagogy.
Dr. Erzsébet Gaál Rinne is a Hungarian-American harpist, a Kodály pedagogue, and a researcher in physical wellness for musicians. She has given concerts across Europe and America, and is a recipient of the Pro Artibus Award from the Artisjus Foundation for promoting Hungarian contemporary music abroad.
She has made presentations at the Fifth and the Eighth World Harp Congresses in Copenhagen, Denmark and in Geneva, Switzerland; The American String Teacher Association National Conferences in Columbus, OH, Dallas, TX, and in Kansas City, MO; Third International Conference on Arts and Humanities in Honolulu, Hawaii; The Phenomenon of Singing International Symposium V, in Newfoundland, Canada; and the Seventeenth International Kodály Symposium in Leicester, England. Her professional work can be heard on the solo harp CD recordings Harpa Hungarica and Harpchipelago, and seen on the DVD program Harp Playing for Life.
Dr. Rinne is an honor graduate of the Ferenc Liszt Academy of Music, Budapest, Hungary, and holds a Doctor of Music degree from Indiana University.
Chun-Ming (Jimmy) Chen is the director of orchestral activities. He was previously the music director of the Heartland Symphony Orchestra in Minnesota and the music director of the Artists Chamber Orchestra in Taiwan.
Chen has served as interim Conductor of the Grinnell Symphony Orchestra in Grinnell, Iowa, acting music director of the Coe College Symphony Orchestra in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, co-director of the Ithaca College Sinfonietta in Ithaca, New York, and Director of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Chinese Choral Society in Boston, Massachusetts.
He has appeared as guest conductor with the Tunghai University Opera Department, and Miaoli Wind Ensemble in Taiwan, Boston Conservatory Symphony Orchestra and Wind Ensemble, Chorus Boston, Cornell Symphony Orchestra, Ithaca College Symphony Orchestra, and the University of Iowa Symphony Orchestra.
Chen earned his bachelor’s degree in saxophone performance from Tunghai University, master’s degrees in orchestral conducting from Boston Conservatory and Ithaca College, and a doctorate in orchestral conducting from the University of Iowa. His primary teachers include Annie Chung, Bruce Hangen, Jeffery Meyer, and Dr. William LaRue Jones.
Eric McCluskey is an assistant professor of music at the University of Evansville. He currently teaches applied voice and the vocal diction courses. Prior to coming to the University of Evansville, Dr. McCluskey was an assistant professor of music at Shorter University in Rome, Georgia where he taught applied voice, vocal diction, song literature, and second semester of vocal pedagogy. He holds a doctor of music degree from the Jacobs School of Music where he studied with Distinguished Professor, Timothy Noble. His Masters of Music and Bachelors of Music come from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. Additionally, McCluskey received training while participating in the Merola Program with the San Francisco Opera, the Musicians Club of America in Franklin, North Carolina, and at the Chautauqua Institute in New York.
Before beginning a teaching career McCluskey sang professionally and continues to perform as often as his teaching will allow today. His career spans over thirty years and began with Opera Theatre of St. Louis in 1985 singing the role of Fiorello in Rossini’s Il Barbiere di Siviglia with Leonard Slatkin, conducting. After completing a Masters degree in 1986 his career began to escalate and by the early 1990’s he had sung with opera companies across the United States. His performances include touring with San Francisco Opera’s Western Opera Theater and two tours with New York City Opera’s National Company. He has sung side by side with some of the great ladies of opera today including: Susan Graham, Anna Marie Martinez, and Christine Brewer. McCluskey has also worked with some of the leading conductors, coaches, and stage directors including the already mentioned Leonard Slatkin, John Nelson, Donald Palumbo, Stephen Lord and the late Colin Graham.
Mr. McCluskey has sung a few world premieres including: Gian Carlo Menotti’s The Singing Child with the Spoleto Festival USA and Opera Omaha’s performances of Weisgall’s Gardens of Adonis and Casken’s Golem. His career has afforded him some unique performances as one might expect including singing with the Paris Opera Ballet, Mahler’s Songs of a Wayfarer. McCluskey sang the performance with the orchestra in the pit while the international ballet star, Rudolf Nureyev danced. Dr. McCluskey has also enjoyed performances on board the HMS Sagafjord and Vistafjord on three different occasions.
Several awards helped jump start his career including: the William Matheus Sullivan Award, the Richard Gaddes Award from Opera Theater of Saint Louis, the Merola Opera Awards, and the Young Artist Competition from the Women’s Association of the St. Louis Symphony Society. He also credits competitions in which he competed as a finalist in support of his career including: The Bruce Yarnell Competition and the Zachary Competition.
Dr. McCluskey while completing his doctoral degree at the Jacobs School of Music began building a web site for the songs of Gerald Finzi and one can now visit an expanded version of the site at: www.finzisong.com
Eykamp String Quartet
For over a decade, through the generous support of Richard and Rita Eykamp, the Evansville Philharmonic and the University of Evansville have had the unique distinction of having a Resident Quartet to enrich the musical, cultural and educational activities of the Evansville community. Since 2012, the Eykamp String Quartet Artists in Residence position has been held by the Larchmere String Quartet. As the Resident Artists of the University of Evansville and the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra, the Quartet works regularly with students at the University of Evansville and the Evansville Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, performs as the principal players of the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra and serves as ambassadors of chamber music performance and educational outreach across the tri-state, nationally, and abroad.
Dedicated to bringing the accessibility of chamber music to all audiences, the members of the quartet have performed regularly on the international stage in venues such as the Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall, the Gewandhaus, the KKL and Suntory Hall, as well as the most intimate settings including community centers and schools. Along with festival appearances at the Banff Centre (Canada) and Accademia Chigiana (Sienna, Italy), the quartet has most recently toured in New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Georgia, Alabama, Indiana, and Florida. Projects for the upcoming 2014-15 season include a commercial Naxos recording of the complete string chamber works of Stefan Krehl, concert tours and teaching workshops across Indiana, Tennessee, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, and Florida, and serving as Artistic Directors of the inaugural Harlaxton Chamber Music Festival in Grantham, England.
Devoted to music education and performance, the members of the quartet have previously taught at a variety of institutions, including University of Illinois, Indiana University, Johns Hopkins University and DePauw University, and given string and chamber music master classes, lectures and workshops such as Denver University, Virginia Commonwealth University, Rice University, the University of South Florida, and the University of Southern Maine. Additionally, they continue to inspire thousands of young music students through their ongoing work with youth orchestras, at summer music festivals, and in K-12 interactive educational workshops across the US, Canada, and Europe.
Passionate about performing the works of living composers as well as the 20th century masters, member of the quartet have commissioned, premiered and performed works by composers including David Dzubay, Don Freund, Eugene O’Brien, Gabriela Ortiz, Augusta Read Thomas, and Pierre Boulez.
