Growing up in Cincinnati, Ohio Jack began playing Irish Fiddle at the age of 7, eventually going on to be named the Midwest youth Irish Fiddle Champion in 2011 and 2012. He continued his studies at Cincinnati’s School for the Creative and Performing Arts where he began studying classical violin and Jazz. Jack holds a BM in Jazz Studies from CCM in Cincinnati, and a Performer’s Diploma in Solo Performance from Indiana University where he studied with Dallas Symphony Orchestra Concertmaster Alex Kerr, in addition to serving as Concertmaster of the Indiana University New Music Ensemble.

As a Jazz Violin soloist Jack has appeared with Carl Topilow and the National Repertory Orchestra, and as Concertmaster and Violin soloist Jack appeared under the direction of Marin Alsop leading the National Orchestral Institute in Richard Strauss’ Heldenleben.

Jack currently lives in Evansville, Indiana where he serves as Concertmaster of the Evansville Philharmonic. When he is not playing concerts he is an avid hiker, runner, and occasional banjo player.

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.

Graham Cullen, principal cellist with the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra, holds Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees from Indiana University. He has worked closely with the Pacifica Quartet. Cullen held the assistant principal cello position with the Columbus Indiana Philharmonic and was a member of the Richmond and Terre Haute Symphony Orchestras. He was a grand prize winner of the Alice Coleman Chamber Competition.

Carol Dallinger is Professor Emerita of Music in the UE Music Conservatory. She served as a full-time member of the string faculty from 1972 - 2021. During her tenure, Ms. Dallinger performed as second violinist with the Evansville String Quartet, served as violin/viola instructor and taught classes in string techniques. In addition, as a Suzuki Association of the Americas Teacher Trainer, she was advisor and instructor for the Certificate in Suzuki Violin Pedagogy and was founder and coordinator of the University of Evansville Suzuki Violin Program that recently celebrated its 50th Anniversary. Ms. Dallinger served as Principal Second Violinist of the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra for over four decades.

Ms. Dallinger has lectured at both state and national music conferences and has frequently served 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 and is an officer of the Suzuki Association of Indiana Board of Directors.

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 continues to teach in the UE Suzuki Talent Education Violin Program and serves as an Adjunct Professor in the UE Music Conservatory.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Praised for her “naturally…beautifully…renderings” flutist Leanne Hampton enjoys an exciting and versatile career as a teacher, orchestral performer, and chamber musician (Courier Press). She holds the position of Consortium Instructor of Flute at the University of Evansville where she teaches applied flute students, woodwind methods, and a course on film music. Leanne performs as Principal Flute of the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra and flutist of the Harlaxton Wind Quintet. Additionally, she performs as Principal Flute of the Owensboro Symphony Orchestra and serves on the University of Louisville and Kentucky Wesleyan College faculties.

Leanne received a BA from the University of Central Arkansas, and MM and DMA from the University of Colorado. She has performed with the Colorado Symphony, Arkansas Symphony, Breckenridge Music Festival, Cheyenne Symphony, Colorado MahlerFest Orchestra, and Boulder Opera Company. Leanne has competed at the Mid-South Flute Society, Colorado Flute Society, Oklahoma Flute Society, MTNA, Plowman Chamber Music, and Bruce Ekstrand Graduate Competitions. She received additional training at the Aspen Music Festival and Texas Music Festival.

Leanne has been a featured soloist on Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 with the Evansville Philharmonic. She has also been a soloist with the UE Wind Ensemble (Alfred Reed's Divertimento) and the UE Symphony Orchestra (Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 5). In the Summer of 2024, Leanne will perform the Indiana Premiere of Alan Theisen's L'histoire de la Nouvelle-Orléans (2023), a Concerto for Flute and Wind ensemble, with the Evansville Symphonic Band. Leanne has had the opportunity to perform with a diverse array of artists including “Weird Al” Yankovic, Leslie Odom Jr., the Beach Boys, and Béla Fleck. In 2017, Leanne performed on “The Indigo Girls in Concert: Live with the CU Orchestra” album.

Leanne has also collaborated with the composers and musicians of the Aspen Music Festival Contemporary Ensemble and the Colorado New Music Ensemble. She has premiered works at the Midwest American Composers Exchange and the National Flute Association Conference. She has performed and presented for the Indiana Music Educators Association Symposium, Eastern Kentucky University Flute Day, American Guild of Organists - Evansville Chapter, International Horn Society, the University of Madison-Wisconsin, and the Arts Council of Southwestern Indiana. She has served as an adjudicator for the Central Ohio Flute Association and Kentucky Music Educators Association.

Leanne's principal teachers are Christina Jennings, Dr. Carolyn Brown, and Brook Ferguson. Other important influences include Nadine Asin and Leone Buyse. She is a member of the National Flute Association and the College Music Society. In her free time, she enjoys watching Marvel movies with her German Shepherd mix, Betty.

Mark Hatlestad is principal violist of the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra and violist with the Eykamp String Quartet. A Minnesota native, Hatlestad is an avid performer, music educator, and advocate for contemporary music. He has appeared in festivals across the globe, including the Sommerakadamie Leutkirch in Germany and the Chautauqua Summer Music Festival. He recently completed undergraduate and graduate studies at Indiana University, where, in addition to performing, he worked as an assistant for the IU Summer String Academy.

Melissa Heffner is the Director of Music Therapy and Clinical Assistant Professor of Music Therapy at the University of Evansville. She holds a Master of Music in Music Therapy with a specialization in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Ohio University and a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance with a minor in Early Childhood Special Education from Eastern Washington 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.

Charles du Preez is a clarinetist and bass clarinetist hailing from rural Nebraska. After earning his BA in English at Nebraska Wesleyan University, he attended The California Institute of the Arts, where he received his MFA in Music Performance under the tutelage of William Powell. Charles received his DMA from the University of Arizona in August of 2022, where he studied with Dr. Jackie Glazier.

While at the University of Arizona, he served as the graduate teaching assistant for the clarinet studio, performed the Francaix Clarinet Concerto as winner of the Fred Fox School of Music Winds and Percussion Concerto Competition, and was selected for three years as a Medici Scholar. His lecture recital and accompanying 222-page document “Listener-Based Analysis of Electroacoustic Music” includes a select chronology of analytical methods of electroacoustic music and the analyses of two pieces for electroacoustic bass clarinet.

He has performed with the Tucson Symphony, the New Mexico Philharmonic, the Southern Arizona Symphony Orchestra, Chamberhood (part of Arizona Friends of Chamber Music), and the Arizona Symphonic Winds. He has also competed as a finalist in the International Clarinet Association Orchestral Audition Competition, and performed at the San Luis Potosi Opera Festival, the American Single Reed Summit, and the Pierre Monteux Festival.

When not engaged in music, he spends his time training for Ironman triathlons, doing yoga and qi gong, exploring the outdoors, and is a certified ACSM Personal Trainer.

Dr. Alanna Keenan, Conservatory Co-Chair and associate 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, diction, and directs the Schmidt Opera Series. 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. She was also a voice faculty member of the New York State Summer School of the Arts in Fredonia, New York.

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 appeared as a soloist with Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra, Evansville Bach Singers, 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.

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.

Dennis Malfatti is the Oramay Cluthe Eades Distinguished Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities at the University of Evansville in Evansville, IN. Choirs under his direction have sung by invitation at the American Choral Directors Association Central Division Conference in Chicago, at state level music education conferences in both Virginia and Indiana, and at Washington National Cathedral. In 2013, he was the recipient of the Educator of the Year Award from the Arts Council of Southwest Indiana and in 2025, he was the recipient of the Dean's Excellence in Teaching Award for the College of Arts and Sciences at University of Evansville. In 2021 he completed a six-year term as President of the Indiana Choral Directors Association.

In 2025, he conducted Schubert's Mass in C with the New England Symphonic Ensemble and festival chorus at Carnegie Hall in New York City. Previous performances with the New England Symphonic Ensemble at Carnegie Hall have included Haydn's Paukenmesse in 2011 and Mozart's Te Deum K. 141, Kyrie in D minor K. 341, and Haydn's Te Deum for Empress Marie Therese in 2016. He has published articles on choral music in state, regional, and national publications of the American Choral Directors Association. His article “Handel's Saul The Apotheosis of Baroque Music-Theatre” was the featured cover article in the April 2018 edition of the Choral Journal. Previous positions he has held include founder and conductor of the Evansville Bach Singers, Conductor of the Evansville Philharmonic Chorus, Chorus Master of the Bronx Opera Company (NY), and Assistant Conductor and Chorus Master of the Operafestival di Roma in Rome, Italy. In addition to conducting choral repertoire, he has conducted opera productions at both University of Evansville and at Virginia Commonwealth University. Dr. Malfatti also champions new works for choir. In 2024 he commissioned the work Remembered Light by composer William Averitt and poet Robert Bode for the UE University Choir, which received its premiere in April of 2025.

He holds a D.M.A. in choral conducting with a minor in orchestral conducting from the Louisiana State University, a M.M. in conducting from the Pennsylvania State University, and a B.Mus. in music theory and composition from the University of the Pacific. A native of the San Francisco Bay Area, Dennis Malfatti lives in Evansville Indiana with his wife Celia Teoh, and their daughter Annamaria.

Rachel Maurer is Clinical Instructor of Music Therapy at the University of Evansville. She holds a Bachelor of Music in Music Therapy, a Bachelor of Music in Music Education, and a minor in Psychology from the University of Evansville. She also holds a Master of Arts in Music Therapy from Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College.

Rachel has been a Music Therapist-Board Certified (MT-BC) since 2006 and has provided music therapy services in the Evansville tri-state area since then, in addition to having provided practicum supervision for University of Evansville music therapy students since 2012. Since 2006, Rachel has secured contracts for music therapy services at various facilities to create opportunities for more individuals to be served. Throughout her career, Rachel has worked with many different populations and in a wide variety of settings, including inpatient psychiatric units, medical hospitals, physical rehabilitation units, schools, hospice care centers and palliative care, home-based services for individuals with developmental disabilities, and skilled nursing facilities.

In addition to being on faculty at the University of Evansville, Rachel continues to provide clinical music therapy services in the Evansville/Newburgh area. Rachel also regularly engages in professional development activities to maintain knowledge regarding the latest research and best practices in music therapy, especially in the areas of mental health, trauma, and addictions. Rachel is a member of the American Music Therapy Association (AMTA) and the Association for Indiana Music Therapy (AIMT). When she is not providing music therapy services, Rachel enjoys travelling with her family.

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.

Gregory Olson is Adjunct Professor of Music at the University of Evansville, currently teaching courses in applied double bass. Originally from Los Angeles, he received his B.M. Performance from Indiana University, where he studied with Murray Grodner and Stuart Sankey. He also holds a M.A. in Education from Western Kentucky University.

After initially joining the Owensboro Symphony in January of 1974, Mr. Olson has served as Principal Bassist with the Owensboro Symphony and Evansville Philharmonic Orchestras since 1981, and served in the same capacity with the Orquestra Sinfonica de Minas Gerias in Belo Horizonte, Brazil from 1978-80. Mr. Olson also currently performs with Orchestra Kentucky Bowling Green, and was recently named Principal Bassist with the Paducah Symphony Orchestra.

As a teacher, Mr. Olson has been Double Bass Instructor for the Owensboro Symphony Academy since 1981, and has been an Adjunct Instructor in Double Bass at University of Evansville and Western Kentucky University during the years 1983-89. He was also Director of the Owensboro High School Orchestra and String Teacher with the Owensboro Public Schools from 1981 until his retirement at the end of 2013. He currently teaches string classes part-time in the Daviess County Public Schools.

Mr. Olson also currently serves as Personnel Manager and as Coordinator of Education Activities for the Owensboro Symphony.

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. 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.

For the 24-25 academic year, University of Evansville welcomes back Dr. Brian St. John,the Baker Professor of Music and Director of Orchestras at Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, Kentucky, as Interim Director of Orchestral Activities at UE. Prior to his appointment at WKU, Dr. St. John was Assistant Professor of Music and Director of Orchestras at the University of Evansville. At UE St. John directed the University Symphony Orchestra and String Ensemble and taught conducting and composition courses. During his years in Evansville, Dr. St. John was also Assistant Conductor for the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra and Music Director for the Evansville Philharmonic Youth Orchestra. Earlier in his career Dr. St. John spent 13 years in Boulder County, Colorado, where he was Resident Conductor for the Longmont Symphony Orchestra, Music Director of the Longmont Youth Symphony and Music Director for the Niwot Timberline Symphony (now the Boulder Symphony Orchestra). In addition to conducting hundreds of concerts in that span, St. John wrote and premiered seven original ballets, a piano concerto, a concertino for string bass and orchestra and a double concerto for mandolin, mandola, and strings. Additionally, he co-founded two arts organizations which are still in operation in Boulder County and even taught public school strings for four years! Dr. St. John began his professional career as Assistant Conductor for the State Ballet of Missouri (now the Kansas City Ballet) and Assistant Conductor for the Philharmonia of Kansas City.

Dr. St. John holds a bachelor’s degree in viola performance and a master’s degree in orchestral conducting from the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music and the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Orchestral Conducting from Arizona State University. While in Arizona, St. John also served as Music Director for the North Valley Chamber Orchestra and was adjunct faculty at Paradise Valley Community College; both in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Brian St. John’s 8th ballet, The Little Mermaid, was filmed by PBS television station WNIN in Evansville, Indiana, and was broadcast over regional PBS stations. It was premiered by the Evansville Philharmonic Youth Orchestra and was fully produced and staged in the spring of 2014. A revival of his third ballet, Hansel and Gretel, was presented at Utah Valley University for a series of performances in February, 2023. His electronic music ballet, Divertimento, has been performed at multiple dance conferences in numerous states across the USA.

Dr. St. John is an active clinician, having led orchestra clinics in Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and has guest conducted a run of Nutcracker Ballet performances with the Phoenix Symphony and Ballet Arizona. He has presented scholarly research sessions at the Kentucky Music Educators Association Conference, the American String Teachers Association National Conference, and the American Choral Directors Association National Conference. Dr. St. John has taken the WKU Symphony to perform at the KMEA (Kentucky) state conference and as demonstration group at the ACDA national conference in Kansas City, MO.

Dr. Kenneth Steinsultz is Director of Bands and Professor of Music at the University of Evansville. Prior to coming to Evansville in 2008, he served as assistant to the Director of Bands at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1993-2008.

During his tenure at the University of Illinois, Dr. Steinsultz conducted the Symphonic Band 1, the 2nd of 6 bands in the program. In spring 2007 term, he was also the principal conductor the University of Illinois Wind Symphony, the premier band at the University of Illinois.

At the University of Evansville, Dr. Steinsultz conducts the UE Wind Ensemble, UE University/Community Band, Aces Pep Band, UE Low Brass Ensemble, and teaches courses in applied low brass and conducting. Under his leadership, the UE Wind Ensemble has performed, by invitation, for the Chicagoland Band Festival; the Indiana Music Educators Conference; and the College Band Directors National Association, North Central Division Conference.

Dr Steinsultz is fan of barbershop harmony. He has been active for over 30 years in various quartets as well as conducting the Shawnee Hills Barbershop Chorus (Harrisburg, IL), the Great River Barbershop Chorus (Quincy, IL), the Illini Statesmen Barbershop Chorus (Champaign-Urbana, IL), and is currently music director of the Spirit of Evansville Sweet Adelines Chorus (Evansville, IN)

As a solo musician, Dr. Steinsultz was an invited guest artist for the International Tuba and Euphonium Association’s Midwest Conference in 2013 and 2015. In May 2022, he performed a recital at the Great Plains Regional ITEA conference on the campus of Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. Dr. Steinsultz also performed at the 2014 International Tuba and Euphonium Conference at Indiana University.

As an ensemble musician, he has performed with the Quincy (Illinois) Park Band, Quincy Symphony Orchestra, Mississippi River Brass Band, Champaign-Urbana Symphony, Danville (Illinois) Symphony, Illinois Symphony of Springfield/Bloomington, Evansville Symphonic Band, Bend in the River Brass Band, and the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra.

Dr. Steinsultz holds degrees from Quincy University and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

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.

Dr. Zifer, Professor of Music Emeritus, holds a bachelor’s degree in music education from Ohio University, a master of music in trumpet performance from Louisiana State University, and a doctor of musical arts degree in trumpet performance with a minor in wind conducting from Louisiana State University.  Dr. Zifer retired as full-time professor of music from UE in the spring of 2023.  Prior to his retirement he taught courses in wind ensemble, concert band, jazz bands, athletic pep bands, brass ensembles, trumpet ensembles, jazz studies, and music management core courses.

Dr. Zifer’s teaching accolades include the 2010 Dean’s Teaching Award as well as the Oramay Cluthe Eades Distinguished Professorship (2018-2023).  His professional activities included principal trumpet with the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra (1999-2022), principal trumpet with the Evansville Symphonic Band (2012-present), founding member of Shepard Brass (faculty brass quintet) and Purple Aces In The Hole (faculty traditional jazz ensemble).  He has been a guest recitalist in the US and abroad during his performing and teaching career.

As a music director Dr. Zifer’s ensembles have performed all over the United States during his time at UE.  Most recently he took the UE Jazz Band on a tour of New Orleans in the Fall of 2022.  The UE Jazz Band has also attended the Elmhurst Collegiate Jazz Festivals numerous times winning awards and recognitions.  The UE Jazz Band has also hosted several Grammy Award winning artists during his tenure.  Most notable artists include Doc Severinsen, New York Voices, and Diane Schuur.

Dr. Zifer is currently serving as the UE Music Conservatory’s trumpet instructor.  He also maintains a private trumpet studio as well as teaching over 65 trumpet students in the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation schools.  His hobbies include golf, pickleball and walking with his two Weimaraners, Fritz and Hans.

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 Academia 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.