Brass/Percussion Faculty
Hover your mouse over any faculty member to read a short biography.
Lauraine Carpenter
M.A., New York University
Adjunct Associate Professor (trumpet)
Lauraine Carpenter Bachelor of music education from Ithaca College; master of arts from New York University; principal trumpet with Toledo Symphony; former regular member of Cayuga Chamber Orchestra; has performed in a meringue and swing band, with the New York City Ballet Orchestra and toured with Robert Palmer; former member of San Jose Symphony, San Antonio Symphony and Oakland Symphony (principal trumpet); regular sub with San Francisco Symphony and San Francisco Opera and Ballet orchestras; public school experience in New York and California; participated in the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music (Santa Cruz, Calif.), 1992-2006; past board member for International Women’s Brass Conference; commissioned Alice Gomez (1999) to write trumpet and congas piece and premiered at IWBC; former trumpet professor at University of Toledo.
Dr. William Mathis
D.M.A., University of Michigan
Associate Professor, Chair of Music Performance Studies (trombone)
Dr. William Mathis Chair of music performance studies, bachelor’s from Wichita State University and a master’s and doctorate from the University of Michigan; principal teachers include H. Dennis Smith, Larry Zalkind, Russel Widener, Johann Doms and Harvey Phillips; formerly served for 13 years as professor of low brass at Northwestern State University of Louisiana; member of the Glass City Brass Quintet; former member of Shreveport Symphony; solo appearances at the Festival of Sandpoint and with the Ann Arbor Chamber Orchestra; chamber appearances with the Canadian Brass, the Festival at Sandpoint, Keystone and Rafael Mendez Brass Institutes, International Brassfest, International Trombone Festival, New York Brass Conference, Eastern Trombone Workshop and state music education conventions in Arkansas, Louisiana, Ohio and Texas; member of the LATEX Trombone Quartet; performed with Toledo, Utah, Wichita, Longview, Rapides Symphonies and the Eisenstadt Summer Festival Orchestra.
Dr. Andrew Pelletier
D.M.A., University of Southern California
Assistant Professor (horn)
Dr. Andrew Pelletier Joined the brass faculty in 2004; Grammy Award-winning soloist and chamber musician regularly performing across the United States; principal horn, Michigan Opera Theatre (Detroit Opera House), Ann Arbor Symphony and San Luis Obispo Festival Mozaic; first-prize winner of the 1997 and 2001 American Horn Competition and appeared as a soloist at the International Horn Society Annual Symposia in 1997, 2003, 2005 and 2009; in demand for artistic residencies and clinics at universities and music schools; solo appearances in 20 U.S. states, England, Canada and Mexico, member of Southwest Chamber Music, with which he won a 2005 Grammy Award for Best Classical Recording (small ensemble category); has performed as principal horn for the Santa Barbara Symphony, Columbus Bach Ensemble, Ann Arbor Ballet Theatre, Michigan Symphonietta, Long Beach Camerata, Maine Chamber Ensemble and Portland (Maine) Ballet; regular performer with the Toledo Symphony; has also performed with the Detroit Symphony, New West Symphony, Portland (Maine) Symphony and Portland Opera Repertory Theatre; spent over seven years as an active freelance performer in Los Angeles and can be heard on film soundtracks for Lethal Weapon 4, X-Men, Against the Ropes and Frequency, as well as various television movies for Lifetime TV and the Sci-Fi Channel, while still maintaing numerous recording projects in Los Angeles; holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Southern Maine and a master’s and doctorate from the University of Southern California; primary teachers are John Boden and James Decker and trumpeter Roy Poper; has recorded for Cambria Master Classics, Delos and MSR Classics labels; articles published for the International Horn Society, New York Brass Conference, Texas Bandmasters Association and the Norwegian Horn Society; has taught at the Portland (Maine) Conservatory of Music, University of Southern California and Moorpark College.
Charles Saenz
M.M., University of Illinois
Associate Professor (trumpet)
Charles Saenz Coordinator of brass/percussion; joined the BGSU faculty in fall 2001; holds a bachelor’s from New Mexico State University, a master’s in trumpet from the University of Illinois; prior to coming to BGSU he was a member of the faculty at the University of Nebraska at Omaha; has performed with the Illinois Symphony, the Urbana-Champaign Symphony, the Sinfonia da Camera, the Prairie Ensemble, the Illinois Brass Quintet, the Nebraska Brass Quintet, the Omaha Big Band and the Toledo Jazz Orchestra; has appeared as a soloist at the Nebraska Music Educators Convention with the Nebraska Wind Symphony, the Nebraska Choral Arts Society and various high school concert and jazz bands throughout the Midwest; performances at music festivals including the Society of Composers Inc. National Convention and the Bang On A Can new music festival at Lincoln Center; principal trumpet teachers include Michael Ewald, Ken Van Winkle, Darryl White and Tom Wirtel; recipient of various awards including first prize in the 1994 International Trumpet Guild Solo Competition; artist/clinician for Ewards Trumpets; director of the BGSU Trumpet Ensemble.
David Saltzman
M.M., Peabody Conservatory
Adjunct Associate Professor (tuba/euphonium)
David Saltzman Joined the brass faculty in 2007; Principal tuba with the Toledo Symphony; bachelor’s degree and performer’s certificate from Indiana University and a master’s degree from the Peabody Conservatory; additional study at the University of Michigan; Principal tuba for the Honolulu Symphony and the Honolulu Brass Quintet 1997–2007; taught at the University of Hawai’i at Manoa 1997–2007; has performed with the Cleveland Orchestra and the Alabama, Baltimore, Cincinnati, Detroit, Indianapolis and Windsor symphonies; additional chamber performances with Detroit Chamber Winds, Washington Symphonic Brass and Galliard Brass; winner of the first CETI solo competition in 1996; has performed solo recitals and master classes throughout Hawaii and mainland U.S.; featured recitalist at the International Women’s Brass Conference in St. Louis, Missouri and the British Tuba Euphonium Conference in Birmingham, England in 1997; founder and director of the University of Hawai’i tuba/euphonium ensemble and director of the BGSU tuba/euphonium ensemble; principal teachers include Harvey Phillips, Dan Perantoni, Fritz Kaenzig, Toby Hanks and David Fedderly.
Dr. Roger Schupp
D.M.A., University of Texas at Austin
Professor (percussion)
Dr. Roger Schupp Holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music performance from Central Missouri State University, and a doctorate in percussion performance with a jazz emphasis from the University of Texas at Austin; has performed in a variety of ensembles including the Toledo and Austin Symphonies, the Kansas City Civic Orchestra, Toledo and Austin Jazz Orchestras and at Opryland U.S.A. where he was a show leader, writer, arranger and musician; has performed and recorded with such diverse artists and ensembles as the Royal Ballet of London, Marvin Hamlisch, Tommy Tune, Bob James, Ronnie Milsap, Chuck Berry, Amy Grant and the Broadway touring cast of A Chorus Line; member of the Percussion Arts Society’s Contest and Audition Procedures Committee; is a performing artist/clinician for the Pearl Drum Company, Avedis Zildjian Cymbals,and Innovative Percussion; member of the Faculty Jazz Quartet.
Garth Simmons
M.M., Eastman School of Music
Adjunct Associate Professor (trombone)
Garth Simmons Principal trombonist with Toledo Symphony; bachelor’s degree from Northwestern and master’s degree and performer’s certificate from Eastman School of Music; performed with Chicago Sinfonietta, Civic Orchestra of Chicago and Elgin Symphony Orchestra; soloist with Chicago Chamber Orchestra; former principal trombonist with Alabama Symphony Orchestra and Florida Symphony Orchestra; taught at Birmingham-Southern College and University of Alabama at Birmingham; often featured soloist with Toledo Symphony and area universities; frequently performs as a substitute and extra with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra.