DMA Students & Alumni
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- DMA Students & Alumni

Carolyn Anderson (Voice)
MM: Bowling Green State University
BM: Oberlin Conservatory
Website: www.carolynsoprano.com/
Member: PACEM
Document Topic: “Opera-Films of the COVID-19 Pandemic in the United States: A Look at Production Practices for Opera Singers”

Rachel Constantino (Horn)
MM: University of California, Los Angeles
BM: Manhattan School of Music
Website: www.rachelconstantino.net
Member: PACEM
Document Topic: “New Sounds, New Sources: Building Electronic Instruments for Indeterminate Composition & Improvisation”

Francisca de Castanheiro de Freitas (Piano)
MM: Bowling Green State University
BM: Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro

Shelly Du (Harp)
Orchestra Personnel Coordinator for the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
Artist Diploma: Cleveland Institute of Music
MM: Cleveland Institute of Music
BM: Oberlin Conservatory of Music
Website: www.shellyduharp.com
Document Topic: “Twenty-First Century American Pedal Harp Music: Analyzing Non-traditional Works by American Female Harpist Composer-Performers”
Stephen Eckert (Piano)
AD: University of Ottawa
MM: Piano Performance, University of Ottawa
BM: Piano Performance with honors, minor in Composition, Memorial University of Newfoundland
Website: www.stepheneckertpianist.com
Member: Spectra Trio
Member: Ensemble Allure
Member: Duo Aequalis

Mickey Emch (Soprano)
Ensemble Sales & Operations Manager for the Toledo Alliance for the Performing Arts
MM: Louisiana State University
BM: University of Missouri - Columbia
Document Topic: “Defining and Teaching Vocal Distortion Techniques”

Garrett Evans (Saxophone)
MM: University of Hartford
BM: Lawrence University
Member: PACEM
Document Topic: “Massive Forces: A Cognitive and Historical Study of Contemporary Maximalist Works”

Chris Harris (Percussion)
MM: California State University, Sacramento
BM: California State University, Sacramento
Website: www.14christopherh9.wixsite.com/chris-harris
Member: Asterix Trio

Haley Harrison (Clarinet)
BM: Eastern Illinois University
MM: Indiana University Jacobs School of Music

Martha Haydee Hudson (Oboe)
MM: Bowling Green State University
BM: Universidad Autonoma de Zacatecas

Niayesh Javaheri (Piano)
MM: University of Oklahoma
BM: Vienna Conservatory of Music and Dramatic Arts
Member: Asterix Trio

Anat Zapateado Kardontchik (Violin)
MM: Carnegie Mellon
BM: Eastman School of Music
Document Topic: “Mari Kimura’s Artistic Vision Through Catalog of Works and Musical Innovations”

Otavio Manzano Kavakama (Cello)
MM: Bowling Green State University
BM: University of Southern Mississippi
Member: Iris Collective Artist Fellow
Fellowship: Aspen Contemporary Ensemble (2022-23)
Member: Aspen Contemporary Ensemble (2021-23)
Website: www.otaviomk.com
Document Topic: “Integrating the Brazilian Viola and the Cello: A Deep Look into Creative Processes in Cross-Cultural Collaborations”

Jacob Koch (Percussion)
MM: Kent State University
BM: University of Toledo

Shannon Lotti (Flute)
MM: University of Nebraska
BM: University of Texas at Arlington
Website: www.lottiflute.com
Member: Spectra Trio

Anthony Marchese (Cello)
Adjunct Instructor of Cello: Bluffton University
MM: Bowling Green State University
BM: Eastern Michigan University
Member: Spectra Trio
Member: PACEM
Document Topic:

David Munro III (Oboe)
MM: Bowling Green State University
BM: Virginia Commonwealth University
Member: Newphonia
Member: Diverge Trio
Document Topic: “‘Friends of Dorothy’ in the 21st Century: Musical Constructions of Gay Male Identity in Post-Brokeback Mountain Films”

Katherine Pracht Phares (Mezzo-Soprano)
Assistant Professor of Voice: Bowling Green State University
MM: University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
BM: The University of Iowa
Member: Newphonia
Member: Mezzo-Soprano and Double Bass Duo
Website: www.katherinepracht.com
Document Topic: “Factors That Affect Career Trajectories of Professional Opera Singers Over the Age of Forty”

Keri Lee Pierson (Soprano)
Assistant Professor of Voice: Northern Michigan University
MM: University of South Carolina
BM: University of Central Florida
Member: Deux Saisons
Member: PACEM
Website: www.kerileesoprano.com
Document Topic: “Practicing Collaboration: A Comparative Study of Music Entrepreneurship Programs in Higher Education”

Alex Popovici (Conducting)
MM: Kent State University
BA: Kent State University
Document Topic: “Three Strikes: Modern American Orchestras and Their Communities”

Sam Valancy (Saxophone)
MM: University of Missouri-Kansas City
MM: Northwestern University
BM: University of Miami
Artist's Certificate: University of Missouri-Kansas City

Hila Zamir (Clarinet)
Professional Studies Diploma: Brooklyn College
MM: Manhattan School of Music
BM: Tel Aviv University
Document Topic: “The Honest Journey to Musical Growth: Strategies to Improve Inner Thinking in Music Practice”

Claudia Aizaga (Flute)
Website: www.claudiaaizaga.com
Member: Newphonia
Member: Diverge Trio
DMA Document: “Hidden Gems from Latin America: People, Pedagogy and Literature of the Festival Internacional de Flautistas en el Centro del Mundo (1991-present)”

Amanda DeBoer Bartlett (Voice)
Member: Ensemble Dal Niente and Quince Contemporary Vocal Ensemble
Founder: Omaha Under the Radar
Website: www.amandadeboer.com
DMA Document: Ingressive Phonation in Contemporary Vocal Music

Henrique Batista (Percussion)
Website: www.henriquembatista.com
DMA Document: "Africa! Africa! Africa!" Black Identity in Marlos Nobre's Rhythmetron

Curtis Biggs (Trombone)
Adjunct Instructor: Snow College
Website: www.curtistrombone.blogspot.com
Member: Radium Duo
DMA Document: The Pedagogy of Norman Bolter as Examined through the Frequency Bone Summer Music Connection

Hong-Da Chin (Composition)
Website: www.hongdachin.com
Assistant Professor of Theory/Composition: Western Illinois University, Fall 2018
DMA Document: The Music of Marc Battier, Kee Yong Chong and Gene Coleman: Compositions for Traditional Asian Instruments and Electronics in the Twenty-First Century

Mark Cook (Percussion)
Adjunct Instructor: Bluffton University; Bowling Green State University
Website: www.markcookpercussion.com
DMA Document: Telematic Music: History and Development of the Medium and Current Technologies Related to Performance

Ariel Magno da Costa (Piano)
Freelance Pianist: Northwest OH/ Southeast MI
Website: www.arielmagnodacosta.com
DMA Document: Basque and Modernist Influences in Gabriel Erkoreka's Works for Solo Piano (1994-2019)

Sandy Coursey (Piano)

Maria Mercedes Diaz Garcia (Conducting)
Freelance Conductor: Munich, Germany
Website: www.mercedesdiazgarcia.com
DMA Document: The Shaping of Time in Kaija Saariaho's Émilie: a Performer's Perspective

Pablo Gómez-Estévez (Composition)

Derek Emch (Clarinet)
Box Office Associate for the Toledo Alliance for the Performing Arts
Freelance Clarinetist: Northwest OH/ Southeast MI
DMA Document: Pathways to the Practice of Free Improvisation

Noa Even (Saxophone)
Lecturer and Head of Woodwinds-Rowan University
Co-Founder and Executive Director: Cleveland Uncommon Sound Project (CUSP)
Member: Ogni Suono
Member: Patchwork
Website: www.noaevenmusic.com
DMA Document: Examining François Rossé's Japanese-Influenced Chamber Music with Saxophone: Hybridity, Orality, and Primitivism as a Conceptual Framework

Nick Fox (Percussion)
Adjunct Instructor of Percussion: Bowling Green State University
MM: Northern Illinois University
BM: University of Wisconsin Whitewater
Member: Altered Sound Duo
Document Topic: “Utilizing Unconventional Percussion Instruments in Solo Electroacoustic Composition: A Literature Survey and Performance Guide”

James Fusik (Saxophone)
Saxophone Lecturer and Director of Athletic Bands: Wayne State University
DMA Document: The Theatrical Saxophone: Visual and Narrative Elements in Contemporary Saxophone Music

Ioana Galu (Violin)
Website: www.ioanagalu.com
Assistant Professor of Violin/Viola: University of South Dakota
Member: Rawlins Piano Trio
DMA Document: The Solo Violin Works of Samuel Adler, Chen Yi, and Shulamit Ran: A Performer's Perspective

Yen-Lin Goh (Piano)
Senior Lecturer of Piano: Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris
Graduate Coordinator: Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris
International Coordinator/Pianist: Ge Gan-ru Ensemble
Youtube Channel
OneBeat 2018 Fellow
DMA Document: Reimagining the Story of Lu You and Tang Wan: Ge Gan-ru's Wrong, Wrong, Wrong! and Hard, Hard, Hard!

Adam Har-zvi (Composition)

Joshua Heaney (Saxophone)
Website: www.heaneymusic.com
Saxophone Instructor & Recruitment Coordinator: Oklahoma City University
Program Director Assistant: Snow Pond Music Festival
DMA Document: The Development of Luciano Berio's Sequenza IX and Its Implications for Performance Practice

Jeffrey Heisler (Saxophone)
Website: www.oakland.edu/smtd/faculty-staff/jeffrey-heisler
Associate Professor of Saxophone: Oakland University
Member: Assembly Quartet
DMA Document: Anatomy and Evolution of Morton Subotnick’s In Two Worlds for Alto Saxophone and Interactive Computer

Gunnar Hirthe (Clarinet)
Website: www.gunnarowenhirthe.com/
Adjunct Instructor of Clarinet: College of Wooster
Adjunct Instructor of Clarinet: Cleveland State University
DMA Document: Identity in the Clarinet Music of Michael Finnissy and Evan Ziporyn

Isabelle Huang Hubbard (Percussion)
United Airlines B777 First Officer
Freelance Percussionist
DMA Document: A Study of the Relationship Between Traditional Peking Opera and Contemporary Western Percussion Music in Mu Kuei-Yin in Percussion by Chien-Hui Hung

Aaron Hynds (Tuba)
Website: www.soundcloud.com/aaron-hynds
Manager of Audio Operations at Indiana University
Lecturer of Music Business and New Media: University of Kentucky
DMA Document: The Composer's Guide to the Tuba: Creating a New Resource on the Capabilities of the Tuba Family

Cory Ryan Kasprzyk (Composition)
Website: www.coryryancomposer.com
Lecturer of Music: York College (CUNY)
DMA Document: Found Composition: Ecological Awareness and its Impact on Compositional Authority in Music Employing Electronics

Katherine Kilburn (Conducting)
Website: www.katherinekilburn.com
Assistant Director of Orchestras: Michigan State University
DMA Document: Pedagogical Approaches to Conducting Gesture in Contemporary Music

Yeji Kim (flute)
Assistant Professor of Flute: Mokwon University
Principal Flute: Seoul Royal Symphony Orchestra
Founding member: Contemporary Ensemble Trois C
DMA Document: Hybridity in Flute Music of Four Contemporary Composers

Garrett Krohn (Horn)
Website: www.unwsp.edu/bio/garrett-krohn
Adjunct Instructor: University of Northwestern, St. Paul, MN
DMA Document: Horn and Live Electronics A Survey of and Performance Guide for a Neglected Repertoire

Jose Augusto Duarte Lacerda (Percussion)
Website: Youtube
Professor of Percussion: Federal University of Mato Grosso (Brazil)
Freelance Percussionist: Singapore
DMA Document: Self-Actualization: Transcendentalist Discourse in the Work of Stuart Saunders Smith

Karl Larson (Piano)
Website: www.karllarsonpiano.com/
Brooklyn-based Freelance Pianist (chamber, collaborative, solo)
Co-Founder and Pianist, Bearthoven
Co-Founder and NYC Curator, Permutations
Company Manager, Bang on a Can Summer Institute
Karl Larson and Ashley Bathgate EXCELcast: Making New Music in the Jungle
Youtube
DMA Document: The Solo Piano Music of David Lang

Hillary LaBonte (Soprano)

Jeff Manchur (Piano)
Website: www.jeff.manchur.com
Assistant Instructor of Piano: Heidelberg University
DMA Document: But why is it so Long?: Eschatology and Time Perception as an Interpretation of Morton Feldman's 'For Philip Guston'

Octavio Mas-Arocas (Conducting)
Director of Orchestras: Michigan State University
DMA Document: Fearless Programming: Invigorating the American Orchestral Tradition through New Music

Octavian Moldovean (Flute)
Website: www.moldoveanoctavian.wixsite.com/website
Freelance Musician: Bucharest, Romania

Chris Murphy (Saxophone)
Member: Altered Sound Duo
Director of Bands: Maumee City Schools
DMA Document: Mindfulness and Metacognition: A Guide to Implementing Beneficial Mental Habits in Music Teaching

Zachary Nyce (Piano)
Minister of Music: Faith United Church
Piano and Voice Faculty: 5th Music Studio
Katz 22
DMA Document: Heartening Folk: Frederic Rzewski's North American Ballads as an Extension of Folk Culture

Jonathan Taylor de Oliveira (Piano)

Liz Pearse (Soprano)
Website: www.lizpearse.com
Lecturer of Music: University of Wisconsin Eau-Claire
Adjunct Instructor of Voice: Winoa State University
Quince Contemporary Vocal Ensemble
Damselfly Trio

Olman Piedra (Percussion)
Website: www.olmanpiedra.com
Associate Professor of Percussion/Jazz: University of Toledo
DMA Document: Creative Musical Improvisation in the Development and Formation of NEXUS Percussion Ensemble

Mihai Popean (Composition)
Website: www.popean.com
Vice-Dean of Research/
Director of the Music and Transdisciplinary Research Center:West University of Timisoara (Romania)
DMA Document: The Stillness of the Silent Sound: A Tantric Analysis of Karlheinz Stockhausen's Aus den sieben Tagen

Spencer Prewitt (Clarinet)
Website: www.spencerprewitt.com
Assistant Professor of Clarinet: Austin Peay State University
Principal Clarinet: Gateway Chamber Orchestra
Clarinet: Nashville Scoring Orchestra
Substitute Clarinet: Nashville Symphony
Clarinet Faculty: Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp
DMA Document: A Comparison of Teacher-Guided Instruction and Self-Guided Student Practice Strategies

Michiko Saiki (Piano)
Website: www.michikosaiki.wordpress.com
Freelance pianist/artist: Leipzig, Germany
(con)temporary (in)sights
YouTube Performance
DMA Document: The Vocalizing Pianist: Embodying Gendered Performance

Andrew Martin Smith (Composition)
Website: www.andrewmartinsmith.com
Senior Adjunct Instructor: State University of New York at Fredonia
Instructor of Music Theory/Composition: Interlochen Summer Arts Camp
General Manager: Society of Compoers, Inc.
Co-owner: ADJ•ective New Music, LLC
Head of Institute Database Management: Institute for Composer Diversity

Timothy Stulman (Composition)
Course Director of Topics in Music Theory
Dean of Music Production: Full Sail University
DMA Document: A Cultural Analysis of Chen Yi's Si Ji (Four Seasons) For Orchestra

Stephanie Titus (Piano)
Website: www.stephanietitus.weebly.com
Adjunct Instructor of Music Education: Music Theory: Ohio Northern University
Instrumental Accompanist: University of Findlay
Adjunct Instructor of Piano and Music Theory: Bowling Green State University
DMA Document: Japanese Contemporary Piano Music: Cultural Influence and Identity

I-Chen Yeh (Piano)
Website: www.oakland.edu/smtd/faculty-staff/i-chen-yeh
Applied Instructor: Oakland University
Adjunct Instructor: Bowling Green State University
DMA Document: The Piano Etudes of David Rakowski

Matthew Younglove (Saxophone)
Website: www.mattyounglove.wixsite.com/mattyounglove
Assistant Professor of Saxophone: Tennessee Tech University
Member: Assembly Quartet
DMA Document: The Saxophone Music of Alex Mincek and Eric Wubbels: Uses of Form, Repetition, and Extended Technique

Nicholas Zoulek (Saxophone)
Website: www.nickzoulek.com
Sole Proprietor: NZ Media
DMA Document: Analyzing the Intersections of Saxophone and Digital Media Through Media Theory
After Review of initial applications, due January 1, 2025, selected applicants will be invited for auditions February 24 - February 26, 2025.
Updated: 02/09/2025 03:59PM