Large Ensemble Directors
Hover your mouse over any faculty member to read a short biography.
Dr. Emily Freeman Brown
D.M.A., Eastman School of Music
Professor, Director of Orchestral Activities (orchestral activities)
Dr. Emily Freeman Brown Director of Orchestral Activities; studied at London’s Royal College of Music, where she was a two-time winner of the Sir Adrian Boult Conducting Prize, and the Eastman School of Music, where she served as associate conductor of the Eastman Philharmonia and conductor for the Eastman Opera Theater; principal teachers have included David Effron, Leonard Slatkin, Herbert Blomstedt and Franco Ferara; 1988 finalist of the internationally known Affiliate Artists Conductor’s Program; articles published in BACH journal and Journal of the Conductors Guild; has appeared with orchestras in the United States, Europe and South America; recent engagements have included appearances with the Toledo Symphony, Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, Charlotte Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra, Dayton Philharmonia, Dearborn Symphony, Eastman Virtuosi, Lawton Philharmonic Orchestra, Sioux City Symphony, Syracuse Symphony, Cleveland Chamber Symphony, Chicago Civic Orchestra, State Philharmonic of Sibiu (Romania), National Symphony of Latvia, Pleven Philharmonic (Bulgaria), National Symphony of Macedonia and the National Symphony of Chile and Bartok Ensemble in Santiago, Chile; festival appearances include the Skaneateles, Interlochen and Chautauqua Music Festivals and the American Festival of the Arts in Houston; conductor for the Ohio, Minnesota, Washington and Missouri All-State Orchestras as well as the All-New England Orchestra; served as music director for the Perrysburg Symphony Orchestra (1977–2000); President of the Conductors Guild (2003–2005); her students, who have come from Europe, South America, Asia and the United States, have successfully participated in international conducting competitions and master classes. Many have gone on to doctoral studies at major music schools, and to positions with orchestras or universities.
Jeff Halsey
M.M., Bowling Green State University
Professor (double bass)
Jeff Halsey Teaches jazz history and improvisation, as well as applied jazz bass studies; director of Jazz Lab Band II; has toured Europe and the United States performing with such artists as Tommy Flanagan, Jimmie Forrest, Clark Terry, Jay McShann, J.C. Heard, Dizzy Gillespie, Arturo Sandoval and Stanley Cowell; has recordings on the Azica, Cadence, Cimp, Hiroko, Steeplechase and Timeless labels with artists such as Jack Schantz, Chip Stephens, Ernie Krivda, J.C. Heard, Stanley Cowell and the Cadence Jazz All Stars; member of the Faculty Jazz Group.
Dr. Carol Hayward
D.M.A., Ohio State University
Assistant Professor (band activities)
Dr. Carol Hayward Director of the Falcon Marching Band and Athletic Band; conductor of the Concert Band; holds a bachelor degree from Capital University, a master’s degree in music education and a doctorate in conducting from Ohio State University; served for over 20 years as a high school band director; bands under her direction have performed at the national convention of the American School Band Directors Association; awarded the National Band Association Citation of Excellence in 2000; member and past state chair of the American School Band Directors Association; member of the College Band Directors National Association, the Ohio Music Education Association and Phi Beta Mu, National Honorary Bandmasters Fraternity; honorary member of Kappa Kappa Psi and Tau Beta Sigma; President of Mid-American Conference Band Directors Association.
Dr. Bruce Moss
Ph.D., Ohio State University
Professor, Director of Band Activities (band activities)
Dr. Bruce Moss Professor, director of band activities; conducts the Wind Symphony and teaches conducting and music education courses, holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Illinois and a Ph.D. from Ohio State University; former director of bands at Eastern Illinois University; served as chairman of the music department and director of bands at York Community High School in Elmhurst, Ill. where his ensembles were widely recognized through performances at the MENC National Convention and at major high schools and universities throughout the United States and Candada; continues to serve as music director of the Wheaton Municipal Band in Illinois, a professional summer community ensemble that is regarded as one of the finest of its kind in the nation; organized and conducted a professional wind ensemble for the College of DuPage; has taught courses at numerous universities and serves as a frequent guest conductor, clinician and adjudicator throughout the United States and Canada; serves as new music reviewer for The Instrumentalist; elected member the American Bandmasters Association, President of College Band Directors National Association, North Central Division.
Dr. Mark Munson
D.M.A., Cincinati College-Conservatory of Music
Associate Professor (choral activities)
Dr. Mark Munson Holds bachelor’s degree in music education from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, master’s degree in choral music education from the University of Michigan and doctorate in choral conducting from the University of Cincinnati; during 2005–06 academic year was visiting professor of music at Sweden’s Musikhögskolan i Malmö (Malmö Academy of Music) of Lunds universitet, choral music specialist at Fröknegårdskolan of Kristianstad, and visiting conductor of Christianstads Motettkör; taught eight years of high school choral music in Pennsylvania and Ohio; has conducted the Collegiate Chorale, University Choral Society, A Cappella Choir, and University Women’s Chorus; currently conducts the University Choral Society; teaches choral methods, repertoire and conducting at the undergraduate level, as well as choral literature and conducting at the graduate level; supervises student teachers and serves on thesis committees for students pursuing master’s degrees; president of the Ohio Choral Directors Association; active as a guest conductor, adjudicator and clinician; has presented sessions at national, divisional, and state conventions for the American Choral Directors Association and for the Music Educators National Conference; has conducted many festival choruses inside and outside of Ohio; founder and past director of the Bowling Green Children’s Chorus and of the Ohio Ambassadors Chorus, an ensemble of high school singers that tours Europe biannually; articles published in ACDA’s Choral Journal and Student Times, MENC’s Teaching Music and Journal of Music Teacher Education, OMEA’s TRIAD and Worship Arts, a journal for church musicians.
Russell Schmidt
M.M., Eastman School of Music
Associate Professor, Director of Jazz Activities (jazz piano)
Russell Schmidt Associate professor; director of jazz activities; holds degrees from the Eastman School of Music; previously served on the faculties of Arizona State University, the University of North Carolina at Asheville and Eastman; former co-conductor of the award-winning Eastman Studio Orchestra, as well as a former “pops” guest conductor with the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra; currently serves as artistic director for the Toledo Jazz Orchestra; director of BGSU’s Jazz Lab Band I (Jazz Lab Band I has performed at numerous jazz festivals throughout the Midwest, and with such guest artists as Carl Allen, Benny Golson, Tim Hagans, Howard Johnson and Dave Samuels); former guest conductor of the IAJE/OMEA Intercollegiate Jazz Ensemble; has numerous publications, including materials for jazz ensemble and jazz piano, released by advance music; his compositions have also been published by GIA (Music Education) Publications and the Penfield Music Commission Project; has composed and arranged for artists as wide-ranging as jazz saxophonists Bob Berg and Michael Brecker, the Ying String Quartet and the chamber music group Rhythm & Brass; as a jazz performer, has worked with such artists as Eddie Daniels, Clare Fischer, John Hollenbeck, Joe Lovano, Gerry Mulligan, Arturo Sandoval and Clark Terry; recorded with guitarist Bob Sneider, vocalist Vicki McDermitt, the Paul Ferguson Jazz Orchestra and the Birch Creek Big Band, among others; one of only two American jazz pianists selected to participate in the 2nd Martial Solal International Jazz Piano Competition; additionally, has served as keyboard soloist with more than 30 professional orchestras, including performances with the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center and with the San Francisco Symphony.
Dr. William Skoog
D.A., University of Northern Colorado
Associate Professor, Director of Choral Activities (choral activities)
Dr. William Skoog Joined the choral activities faculty in fall 2001; conducts the top select SATB choir, Collegiate Chorale, and University Men’s Chorus; holds a doctorate in choral conducting from the University of Northern Colorado, master’s degrees from Denver University in vocal pedagogy, performance and conducting, and bachelor’s from Gustavus Adolphus; directed choral ensembles at OCDA and MENC conferences and special events honoring William F. Buckley Jr. and Generals Colin Powell and Norman Schwartzkopf; sought after as a High School All-State and regional adjudicator, clinician and guest conductor; has conducted the Bowling Green State University Choral Society with the Bowling Green Philharmonia, Toledo Symphony, Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra and Moravian Symphony Orchestra; has taken choruses on regional, national and international tours; invited to conduct his choruses at international Dvorak Festivals in 2003 and 2005, and the Lucerne Music Festival (Switzerland) in 2008; conducted European premieres of works by Dave Brubeck in Germany, Austria and Czech Republic; prepared choruses for Dmitry Sitkovetsky, Edvard Tchivzhel, Stephan Sanderling, Girodano Bellincampi; particpated by select audition in the Robert Shaw Festival and Institute Singers under Rober Shaw; performed with Sir Neville Marriner, André Previn and Peter Schreier at Carnegie Hall; published in national journals such as the Choral Journal and Music Educators Journal; presents papers at respected scholarly conferences such as the International Conference on War Literature, Durrell School, Corfu, Greece.
Dr. Sandra Frey Stegman
Ph.D., University of Michigan
Assistant Professor (choral education)
Dr. Sandra Frey Stegman Graduate of the University of Michigan and former public school teacher; active in music education and choral studies; has conducted various university ensembles and performed as music director and conductor of the Waterloo (Iowa) Metropolitan Chorale; conducts A Cappella Choir and University Women’s Chorus; served as music educator and consultant to schools and communities in North Queensland, Australia; toured abroad as an assistant director with the Ohio Honors Chorale; directed the Toledo Opera Children’s Chorus and conducted the All-State Intermediate Choir in Interlochen, Mich.; founded the Junior Choral Society and Cantare which performed under her direction at state and division music conferences (ACDA and MENC); active as a clinician, consultant, and guest conductor, appeared as conductor of the 2001 OMEA District 1 Middle School/Junior High Honors Festival and 1998 American Choral Directors Association Central Division Junior High Honor Chorus; scholarship and research: presentations at the 2005 International Conference on Arts and Humanities, the 2000 MENC National Convention and the 1998 College Music Society Annual Conference, articles in the Choral Journal and the Journal of Music Teacher Education and author of the publication titled Student Teaching in the Choral Classroom.
Dr. Kenneth Thompson
D.M.A., University of Iowa
Assistant Professor (band activities)
Dr. Kenneth Thompson Holds a D.M.A. in conducting and master’s degree in music education from the University of Iowa and bachelors degrees in music education and trumpet from Limestone College, where he was recently honored as Young Alumnus of the Year; also serves as principal guest conductor of the St. Louis Wind Symphony and Chamber Winds, a professional wind ensemble where he was previously the associate conductor; conductor for numerous regional conventions, live radio broadcasts and recordings released by KJOS music in both the Conservatory Editions and Bandworks series; research and writings have been published in Journal of hte World Association of Symphonic Bands and Ensembles, School Band and Orchestra Magazine, Journal of the Australian Band and Orchestra Directors Association, Bandmusic PDF Archives and the BCM International Web Archive; has appeared as a guest speaker, performer, or lecturer for local, regional and international conventions, including presentations or performances for Sigma Alpha Iota, Phi Mu Alpha, the International Society for Music Education, the Missouri Bandmasters conference, the Midwest Composers Symposium, the Iowa Center for New Music and the South Carolina, Iowa, Ohio and Missouri Music Educators Association conferences; maintains an active clinician and adjudication schedule throughout the Midwest; teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in conducting and repertoire, band methods, coordinates student teaching seminar, supervises instrumental techniques and field experience placements, has conducting responsibilities with ensembles in the band area, and is the director of the New Music Ensemble