ILLINOIS - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Associate Professor of Music Education at the University of Illinois Urbana - Champaign
- Education
Biography
Adam Kruse is Associate Professor of Music Education at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign where he teaches music education courses primarily in areas of popular music and music technology. He is a co-leader for the Hip-Hop Xpress project and also co-directs the Illinois School of Music's Summer Hip-Hop Camp. Kruse completed his Ph.D. in music education at Michigan State University and earned a Master of Arts degree in secondary education and a Bachelor of Science degree in music education from Ball State University. As a graduate student, Kruse earned an Excellence in Diversity Award, a Research Enhancement Award, and a Dissertation Completion Fellowship. His dissertation titled, "‘They Wasn't Makin' My Kinda Music': Hip-Hop, Schooling, and Music Education," won the 2014 Outstanding Dissertation Award from the Council for Research in Music Education. Kruse's current scholarship focuses on Hip-Hop music learning and engagements of Hip-Hop culture in school music settings. He presents frequently at national and international conferences and has published in many of the field's leading journals.
At the University of Illinois, Kruse earned a Campus Distinguished Promotion Award in 2021 and the 2019-2020 Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching from the College of Fine + Applied Arts. He also received a Creative Research Award from the College and an M 3 I 4 grant from the School of Music to host the first-ever Hip-Hop Music Ed Symposium. Kruse was also recognized with the 2020 Outstanding Early Career Paper in Music Education from the American Educational Research Association and a 2017-2018 Technology Initiative Award from the College Music Society. The Hip-Hop Xpress project that Kruse co-leads with Dr. William Patterson and others has been awarded grants from the University's Presidential Initiative to Celebrate the Impact of the Arts and the Humanities; the Student Sustainability Committee; and the Office of the Vice-Chancellor for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion's Call to Action to Address Racism and Social Injustice. This project also earned the 2021 Campus Excellence in Public Engagement award.
Education
BS in Music Education and MA in Secondary Education, Ball State University; PhD in Music Education, Michigan State University
Job Titles:
- Director of Finance
- Staff
Bio
Amy Gilreath has won the respect and praise of musicians and audiences the world over for her beautiful sound and expressive interpretations. As a soloist and chamber musician, she has been invited to perform in Cuba, Italy, Mexico, Russia, England and given multiple other performances throughout Europe as well as appearances at International Trumpet Guild Conferences and International Women's Brass Conferences. Amy is also a member of Monarch Brass Ensemble, the Consortium Brass Quintet and a past member of the Monarch Brass Quintet, Dallas Brass, Velvet Brass, Battle Creek Brass Band and Keith Brion's New Sousa Band. She has performed with many renowned musicians including Doc Severinsen, former band leader of the Tonight Show Band with Johnny Carson; Italian jazz trumpet artist Andrea Tofanelli. Ron Romm, founding member of the Canadian Brass; and jazz trumpet artist Marvin Stamm. Serving as Principal Trumpet of the Illinois Symphony Orchestra since 1999, Amy also holds the Co-Principal Trumpet position with Sinfonia da Camera. In addition, she has also performed as an extra and a sub with the St. Louis Symphony. Amy can also be heard on her solo CD Enjoying Life and on various Sinfonia da Camera recordings released by Albany Records. She has also been a featured artist in the highly acclaimed international brass magazine The Brass Herald.
As a founding member and trumpeter of Stiletto Brass Quintet, Amy and the group has given performances at the Festival de Música de Cámara de Aguascalientes Mexico, the International Women's Brass Conference, the International Trumpet Guild Conference, the Northeast Regional Tuba Euphonium Conference, and toured throughout the United States. Stiletto has also been guest artist with the Bradenton-Sarasota Pops Orchestra as well as the Heartland Festival Orchestra and released two recordings: Stiletto Brass Quintet with Doc Severinsen and Scarpe !.
In demand as a pedagogue, Amy has taught masterclasses at Penn State University, University of Louisville, University of Tennessee, and throughout the United States, and at the prestigious Moscow Conservatory, the Royal Academy of Music in London and the Conservatoire of Bordeaux in France. Currently, she is a long-standing faculty member of Orvieto Musica, a chamber music festival held in Orvieto Italy and the Director of the festival's Trumpet Fest. Amy has published articles in the Brass Herald and the International Trumpet Guild Journal. Her doctoral research paper, A Descriptive Study of Selected Trumpet Concertos of the Soviet Union, included a lengthy bibliography of trumpet concertos from there and introduced these concertos to the trumpet community at large. Amy currently serves on the Board of Directors for the International Women's Brass Conference and has served twice on the Board of Directors for the International Trumpet Guild.
After receiving her Doctor of Musical Arts and a Masters in Performance from the University of Illinois, Amy was one of the few women to hold a full time university trumpet professor position in the 1990's, and the first woman trumpet professor at Illinois State University. Then in 2019 Dr. Gilreath retired as Professor Emeritus of Trumpet at Illinois State University after serving on the faculty since 1990. During her time there she was the first faculty member to be awarded the Illinois State University Outstanding Creative Arts Award for her numerous national and international performances as a chamber musician, soloist and orchestral musician and many publications in international journals. She was also a recipient of the Outstanding Teacher Award in the School of Music.
Her teachers include Ray Sasaki, Michael Tunnell, Vincent DiMartino, Rich Illman, Arnold Jacobs and Susan Slaughter.
Education
MM and DMA, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Job Titles:
- Professor of Harp
- Professor of Harp / Chair of Strings Area
Biography
Known for her bold artistry and diverse repertoire, Ann Yeung is recognized as one of the leading teachers and harpists of her generation throughout the world. She has performed in festivals and judged competitions throughout Europe, Asia, and the Americas, and enjoys a multi-faceted creative career. She has won top international prizes (France, Japan) and numerous national harp solo competitions. "A dynamic performer with considerable flair" - Harp Column, her performances have been described as "splendid and cast a powerful spell" - New York Concert Review. She is a Past President of the American Harp Society, Inc., having overseen a transformative period, and formerly Editor (2002-2014) of the World Harp Congress Review, for which the World Harp Congress recognized her in 2014 for outstanding dedication and service.
Job Titles:
- Lecturer in Composition - Theory
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- Professor of Voice / Director, Vocal Jazz Studies, Jazz Vocal Ensemble, Varsity Men 's Glee Club
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- Director of the Marching Illini Associate Director of Bands / Chair of the Conducting Area
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- Assistant Professor of Bassoon
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- Associate Professor of Horn
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- Associate Professor of Composition - Theory
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- Assistant Professor of Musicology
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- Assistant Professor of Vocal Coaching
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- Professor and Chair of Jazz Performanc
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- Professor of Harpsichord / Director of Concerto Urbano
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- Choral Music and Music Education
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- Associate Professor of Piano / Chair of Keyboard Area
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- Professor of Piano Pedagogy
Job Titles:
- Principal
- Principal Harp, Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional Del Ecuador
Dai-An Liu has been appointed Principal Harp of the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional del Ecuado r (OSNE). She made her debut in November 2021 in Quito, performing Claude Debussy's Danses as concerto soloist, in celebration of the 72nd anniversary of the OSNE, the country's first musical institution established by the government. An accomplished multi-instrumentalist, Dai-An is a graduate of the Eastman School of Music and and alumna of the Illinois Harp Program. She is also a winner of the 2021 International Music Talents Award, hosted by the Taiwan National Symphony Orchestra.
Job Titles:
- Associate Professor of Organ
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- Professor Emeritus of Conducting
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- Clinical Associate Professor of Music / Artist in Residence / Cello, the Jupiter Quartet
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- Instructor of Voice / Resident Director, Lyric Theatre @
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- Professor of Musicology / Director, Balkanalia Faculty Affiliate, Anthropology Faculty Affiliate, Slavic Languages and Literatures
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- Clinical Associate Professor of Trombon
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- Postdoctoral Research Associate in Voic
Alonza Lawrence has extensive experience as a vocal performer and studio teacher and has led several school, community, and church choruses. Past teaching experiences include serving as the Associate Instructor for the African-American Choral Ensemble of Indiana University; vocal coach, rhythm coach, accompanist, and soloist for the Emmy award-winning "Amen, Music of the Black Church!" PBS concert documentary; music educator and chorus director in the Virginia public schools; Artistic Director of the Boys Choir of Hampton Roads (Virginia), and the Minister of Music for several churches in Virginia and Indiana. He has also performed with the Virginia Symphony, the I. Sherman Greene Chorale, and the Virginia Opera.
Dr. Lawrence's work and research bridges the gap between Eurocentric and Afrocentric music practices. Areas of special interest include Classical Voice, Musical Theater, Opera and Afrocentric Voice and Piano Performance (Gospel, R&B, Soul, Pop, etc.). Since joining the Voice Faculty at the University of Illinois as a Postdoc, he serves as a professor of voice, contemporary vocal performance, Gospel studies, and a vocal coach for the Lyric Theater.
Dr. Alonza Lawrence earned both his Doctorate of Music and his Master of Music from the Jacobs School of Music of Indiana University, and he holds a Bachelor of Music Education from Norfolk State University.
Education
DM, Indiana University; MM, Indiana University; BME, Norfolk State University
Job Titles:
- Interim Director of Choral Activites
- Interim Director of Choral Activities
- Interim Director of Choral Activities / Director, Chamber Singers Women 's Glee Club
Dr. Andrea Solya currently serves as the Interim Director of Choral Activites and Teaching Associate Professor of Choral Music at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where she also directs the University of Illinois Chamber Singers and Women's Glee Club. She teaches choral conducting and literature to both undergraduate and graduate students in the School of Music.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Professor and Associate Director Emeritus
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- Associate Professor of Composition - Theory
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- Professor Emeritus of Trombone
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- Emeritus Professor of Composition - Theory
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- Professor Emeritus of Choral
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- Associate Director of Bands Emeritus
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- Clinical Assistant Professor
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- Assistant Director of Athletic Bands / Director, University Band
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- Business Office Administrator
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- Associate Professor Emerita of Composition - Theory
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- Professor of Composition - Theory Emeritus
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- Professor Emeritus of Musicology and Medieval Studies
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- Professor Emeritus of Piano
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- Assistant Professor of Clarinet
Job Titles:
- Associate Professor Emeritus of Clarinet
James Blachly is a Grammy Award-winning conductor dedicated to enriching the concert experience by connecting with audiences in memorable and meaningful ways. James Blachly serves as Music Director of the Johnstown Symphony Orchestra and of the Experiential Orchestra, and is a versatile guest conductor in diverse repertoire with orchestras including the New York Philharmonic.
With the Johnstown Symphony, he conducted the orchestra in a former steel mill in a concert that was featured on Katie Couric's America Inside Out, and in six seasons the orchestra has increased season ticket sales and annual giving each by more than 50%. In 2021, he received a commendation by the City of Johnstown and the Johnstown chapter of the NAACP.
With the Experiential Orchestra, he has invited audiences to dance to Stravinsky's Rite of Spring and Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker, sit within the orchestra at Lincoln Center, and engage with Symphonie fantastique and Petrushka with circus choreography at The Muse in Brooklyn. Their world premiere recording of English composer Dame Ethel Smyth's 1930 masterpiece The Prison, released on Chandos Records, won a 2021 Grammy Award and was widely acclaimed by The New York Times, The New Yorker, Gramophone, San Francisco Chronicle, Financial Times, The Guardian, and many others.
Blachly's work on The Prison began in 2015. He is the editor for the new Wise Music Group critical edition that has not only made modern performances and this recording possible, but has led to a new wave of interest in Smyth's work throughout the music world. This is the first-ever Grammy Award for music by Smyth, who lived from 1858-1944 and struggled her entire career to have her music judged on its merits rather than on the basis of her gender.
In 2022, he will held a week-long artist residency at Montclair State University featuring composer in residence Jessie Montgomery. He will teach courses on composition, conducting, choral techniques, and deliver several keynote lectures, culminating in an Experiential Orchestra-style immersive performance.
In 2016, Blachly was the only conductor from the U.S. invited to participate in the Young Conductor's Showcase as a part of El Sistema's 40th Anniversary celebration, and he was also the only U.S. conductor to be invited as Conducting Fellow in Maestra Marin Alsop's final year at the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music. In addition to the New York Philharmonic, recent guest conducting engagements include the Williamsburg Symphony, Bohuslav Martinu Philharmonic, Malaysian Philharmonic, Spokane Symphony, Portland Symphony (ME), Danbury Symphony, and Odyssey Opera (Boston), as well as performances at Trinity Church Wall Street, Roulette, National Sawdust, Carnegie Hall, and Lincoln Center.
Job Titles:
- Marilyn Pflederer Zimmerman Endowed Chair Emerita
Job Titles:
- Clinical Associate Professor of Clarinet
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- Director, Global Arts Performance Initiatives / Coordinator, Robert E. Brown Center for World
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- Professor of Music and Theatr
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- Professor of Musicology / Interim Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs
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- Business and Finance Specialist
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- Professor of Jazz Performance ( Trombone and Composition / Arranging )
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- Lecturer of Jazz Performance and Piano Pedagogy
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- Professor Emeritus of Musicology
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- Professor Emeritus of Vocal Coaching and Accompanying
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- Graduate Assistant in Music Admissions
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- Professor of Flute / Chair of Woodwinds, Brass and Percussion
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- Professor of Accompanying / Co - Director of Lyric Theatr
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- and Performing Arts Librarian / Assistant Professor, University Library
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- Professor Emeritus of Horn
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- Associate Professor of Composition - Theory
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- Assistant Director of Bands
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- Head, Music and Performing Arts Library / Associate Professor, University Library
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- Adjunct Lecturer of Double Bass
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- Clinical Assistant Professor of Audio & Recording Technologies
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- Professor of Jazz Performance
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- Professor of Music Director of the School of Music
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- Professor of Curriculum & Instruction, College of Education
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- Clinical Associate Professor of Music / Artist in Residence / Viola, the Jupiter Quartet
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- Assistant Professor of Musicology
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- Marilyn Pflederer Zimmerman Endowed Chair Emerita
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- Associate Professor Emeritus of Tuba and Euphonium
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- Associate Director for Marketing, Krannert Center for the Performing Arts
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- Teaching Assistant Professor in Musicology / Director of Undergraduate Studies
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- Clinical Associate Professor of Music / Artist in Residence / Violin, the Jupiter Quartet
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- Associate Professor of Musicology
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- Clinical Assistant Professor of Lyric Theatr
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- Director of Krannert Center for the Performing Arts
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- Facilities and Operations Coordinator
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- Professor Emeritus of Composition - Theory / Emeritus Faculty
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- Swanlund Professor of Voice / Co - Director of Lyric Theatr
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- Clinical Associate Professor of Music / Artist in Residence / Violin, the Jupiter Quartet
Noël Wan is the Gold Medalist of the 2022 USA International Harp Competition, one of the two most prestigious international harp competitions in the world and held only every three years. She also was awarded the prize for the best performance of the new work in Stage III of the four-round competition held over nine days. The 12th edition brought together 44 contestants from 20 countries in July 2022. Her programming featured her own transcriptions of demanding works by J.S. Bach and Leo Brouwer as well as Alexina Louie's From the Eastern Gate, chosen "especially to represent shared identities as diasporic Asian women."
Noël is a double alumna of Illinois, receiving her BMus as a Bronze Tablet and Edmund J. James Scholar with highest honors in 2014 and her DMA as a Distinguished Fellow in 2019. As a scholar, she has written and presented on topics of performance practice, ecocriticism, affect theory, new materialism, feminism, and race.
She joined the Florida State University College of Music in August 2022 as Assistant Professor of Harp and Entrepreneurship.
Job Titles:
- Suzanne and William Allen Distinguished Professor of Music / Professor of Voice and Director, Black Chorus
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- Clinical Professor of Jazz Trumpet
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- Professor Emeritus of Orchestral Conducting and Literature
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- Teaching Assistant Professor in Music Education / Student Teacher Placement Coordinator
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- Undergraduate Academic Advisor
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- Director of Graduate Studies / Associate Professor of Composition - Theory
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- Associate Professor of Percussion
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- Associate Professor of Voice
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- Associate Professor of Piano
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- Associate Professor of Jazz Saxophon
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- Professor Emeritus of Voic
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- Professor Emeritus of Trumpet
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- Professor of Viola and Electric Strings
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- Assistant Professor of Violin
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- Clinical Associate Professor of Voice / Resident Director, Lyric Theatr
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- Director of the Sousa Archives and Center for American Music / Archivist for Music and Fine Arts and Associate Professor of Library and Archives Administration
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- Clinical Assistant Professor
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- Professor Emeritus of Composition - Theory
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- Professor Emeritus of Composition - Theory
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- Public Engagement Assistant Director
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- Professor of Composition - Theory / Co - Director, Illinois Modern Ensembl
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- Director of Public Engagement
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- Interim Director of Music Admissions
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- Professor Emeritus of Percusssion
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- Professor Emeritus of Musicology and Anthropology
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- Associate Professor Emeritus of Bassoon
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- Associate Professor Emeritus of Composition
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- Professor Emeritus of Piano
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- Clinical Associate Professor
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- Lecturer in Composition - Theory
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- Associate Professor of Voic
Job Titles:
- Associate Professor Emeritus of Composition - Theory