OMAHA CONSERVATORY - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Educational Programming Coordinator
Andrew Bukowinski grew up in Central Oklahoma, where he began playing cello in the public school system, and quickly grew attached to the instrument. His passion for cello took him to Arizona, where earned his Bachelor of Music, summa cum laude from Arizona State University, and later to Chicago, where he earned his Master of Music with distinction from DePaul University.
Throughout his studies, Andrew had the opportunity to perform in solo master classes for Andres Diaz, Bernard Greenhouse, Monica Huggett, Phillipe Muller, and Menahem Pressler, as well as chamber music for the St. Lawrence, Orion, and Brentano string quartets. His principal teachers were Thomas Landschoot, Stephen Balderston, and Jeffrey Lastrapes.
In the summer of 2012, Andrew traveled to Peru, where he taught and performed with colleagues from around the world and witnessed the profound impact that music education can make in disadvantaged communities. After moving to Chicago, Andrew continued his passion for bringing music instruction to underserved communities by serving as the cello Teaching Artist for the Chicago Metamorphosis Orchestra Project (ChiMOP) in the Belmont Cragin neighborhood for 6 years.
During his 9 years in Chicago, Andrew maintained an active freelance schedule and a teaching roster of 30 private students. He has played with the Illinois Symphony, Rockford Symphony, Southwest Michigan Symphony, South Bend Symphony, and Chicago Chamber Orchestra. His students have ranged from beginners to advanced college students, and from age 5 to retired adults. Andrew has completed Suzuki teacher training in Books 1-8 with Barbara Wampner, Avi Friedlander, Tanya Carey, and Dr. Shu-Yi Scott, and continues to seek out opportunities to further enrich his teaching.
Andrew moved to Omaha in Summer 2021 to join the Artist-Faculty of the Omaha Conservatory of Music, and has been enjoying his time teaching private lessons, Suzuki group classes, and working as a lead and assistant teacher in the String Sprouts program.
When not playing or teaching cello, Andrew enjoys drinking a good cup of coffee, running, biking, taking pictures of animals, going on outdoor adventures, and exploring his new city.
Job Titles:
- Administrative Coordinator
Angie Frey joined our staff in June 2021. She has been a music specialist in the Elkhorn Public Schools for many years, as Elementary Music Department Head for the district. She is also an active performer on local stages, such as the Rose Theater, Omaha Community Playhouse, and others. Angie is happy to answer any questions you might have or direct you to the right department at the Conservatory!
Barb Abels joined the Conservatory in the accountant role in November 2020. Barb has many years of experience in the for-profit world as well as serving our community with volunteer work. If you are a dog lover, you'll want to ask her about her passion for service dogs. Barb's husband is a USMC Veteran who has a service dog, her 16-year-old daughter has been playing violin since fourth grade and her 14-year-old son plays football, wrestles, and does track.
Candace E.B. Jorgensen was once told at a young age that she "looked like a cello person," picked up the instrument and never looked back. Originally hailing from Syracuse, New York, Jorgensen graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Music and Education from Doane College in Crete, Nebraska. While pursuing her degree, she performed with strings and jazz ensembles at Doane and in addition attended the University of Nebraska (Lincoln) to perform in the UNL Symphony Orchestra.
Jorgensen has a great love for musicals and has enjoyed playing in many theaters in Nebraska as well as in Chicago, where at the Jedlika Center for Performing Arts, she played in the Chicago-area premier of Little Women and the national premier of In My Life, as well as the emotional show Last 5 Years at the Steele Beam Theatre.
As a teacher Ms. Jorgensen has enjoyed teaching classes, groups, and her private studio and is passionate for how Suzuki philosophies are helpful and inspiring to learners of all ages. She is a member of the Suzuki Association of the Americas and enjoys expanding her Suzuki training each summer.
In recent years, Jorgensen has traveled and worked in Europe and Asia with her vocalist husband where she performed and taught music through any platform available. She spent two years in Hong Kong teaching English through music. While in Asia, she performed with the alternative rock band Noughts and Exes.
Job Titles:
- Tenaska Marketing Ventures
Job Titles:
- Director of Finance and Administration
Cats, Fishing, Kayaks, and Chocolate. These are just some of my favorite things.
Job Titles:
- Director of Marketing
- Director of Marketing and Oversees All Aspects of Marketing Including Print Materials
Erin Petersen joined Omaha Conservatory of Music in January of 2018 as Director of Marketing and oversees all aspects of marketing including print materials, social platforms, website management, media appearances and advertising. Prior to joining the Conservatory, Erin worked as the Media and Marketing Director for a wedding publication and as the Creative Director at a digital advertising company. Erin brings to the Conservatory her love of visual storytelling through photography, videography, digital media, and graphic & web design. In her spare time - she enjoys spending time with her daughter Roarke, renovating her 1928 brick bungalow home in Benson with her husband Kyle, photography, attending concerts (both at OCM and throughout the thriving Omaha music scene), walking her dog Angus, and cuddling her mischievous cat Dibs.
Job Titles:
- MJAG Construction, LLC, Nebraska 's Distinguished Young Women
Job Titles:
- DatabaseUSA, Co - Founder and CEO
Job Titles:
- Interim Director of SoundWaves and Suzuki Institute
Grazzia Rode-Sagastume is a Honduran-American violist and violinist. She began her musical education on the viola at age 13 in the Escuela de Música Victoriano López in her home city, San Pedro Sula, with Maestro Mario Alejandro Torres. She completed her Bachelor of Arts in Music at Western Illinois University studying viola with Dr. István Szabó and chamber music with Dr. Richard Hughey. While attending WIU, she was awarded a full scholarship, performed in the prestigious President's International String Quartet, and was a member of the Quincy Symphony Orchestra. Rode-Sagastume then graduated from the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque with a Master in Music with dual concentrations in Viola Performance and String Pedagogy. While in New Mexico, she studied viola and violin with Susan Kempter, Kimberly Fredenburgh, and Carmelo de los Santos. In her capacity as graduate assistant, she was actively performing chamber music with the Abe Franck Graduate String Quartet and UNM's New Music Ensemble. She also performed professionally with New Mexico Philharmonic, Santa Fe Symphony, Performance Santa Fe Symphony, and San Juan Symphony in Durango, Colorado. Also an active teacher, Rode-Sagastume taught at the Young Musician's Initiative (El Sistema Albuquerque), the UNM Lab School (Suzuki), and maintained a private studio. While in Albuquerque, she also completed training in all Suzuki violin books 1-10 with nationally renowned pedagogue Susan Kempter.
Job Titles:
- Events & Summer Programming Manager
Job Titles:
- Social Media & Content Specialist
Jessica Bachman joined the Omaha Conservatory of Music marketing team in July of 2021 as the Social Media & Content Specialist, bringing a variety of experience in music performance, social media management, artistic operations, patron engagement, and scholarly research and writing. Jess loves telling compelling stories through content writing, cultivating relationships within arts communities, and advocating for music through innovative content approaches. In addition to her administrative work, Jess is a lead teacher in the String Sprouts program here at the Conservatory!
Jessica graduated in 2019 with a B.Mus. in Cello Performance with honors from the University of Northern Colorado School of Music, studying with Dr. Gal Faganel. While at UNC, she completed a thesis, entitled "Claude Debussy's Sonata for Violoncello and Piano: Style, Tradition, Burlesquerie," under the guidance of Professors Janice Dickensheets and Jonathan Bellman, and has also presented her work at the annual meeting of the American Musicological Society's Rocky Mountain Chapter. In 2021, Jessica completed a M.A. in Musicology at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, where she was a Graduate Assistant under Professor Jillian Rogers and worked on projects in French modernism, topical and narrative analysis, and the music of Leonard Bernstein and Aaron Copland.
Outside of work/music, Jessica loves working on her skills as a burgeoning home chef, reading the latest fiction thriller, outdoor cycling/spin classes, shoe shopping, and conducting her search for the best iced chai latte in Omaha.
Job Titles:
- Morgan Stanley Wealth Management, Treasurer
Kai is happy to speak with current and potential Conservatory students and families about all the Conservatory has to offer, and can answer questions about current programs.
Job Titles:
- Educational Programming Manager
Kimberly McGreevy joined Omaha Conservatory of Music in 2019 as Educational Programming Coordinator. In 2021 she was promoted to Educational Programming Manager. Outside of the Conservatory she is a Teaching Artist (Dancing Classrooms and Golden Ballroom) for Arts in Motion (AIM; 2014) and a Teaching/Performing Artist for African Culture Connection (ACC; 2011). Kimberly received her Bachelor of Music degrees both in K-12 Vocal Music Education and Vocal Performance from Hastings College in 2005. She taught vocal/general music in Grand Island Public Schools from 2005-2008 and in Omaha Public Schools from 2009-2013. Kimberly does a variety of performing in the community focusing on her main passion, musical theatre-including performances at SNAP! (Carrie: The Musical); Blue Barn (The Christians), the Omaha Community Playhouse (Caroline, or Change, Working, Young Frankenstein), Skullduggery Theatre, and local short and feature films. Outside of work and theatre, Kimberly enjoys board games, cooking and baking, arts and crafts, ethnic foods, and spending time with her family.
For assistance with Group Classes, OCM Concert Series, SoundWaves Summer Institute, or other Educational Programming events and activities, Kimberly will be happy to help you.
Job Titles:
- Facilities & Campus Safety Manager
Kyle Petersen joined Omaha Conservatory of Music in February 2022. He can help you with facilities/space or maintenance requests, rentals, and more! Email Kyle at kylepetersen@omahacm.
Job Titles:
- String Sprouts Coordinator
Job Titles:
- Director of Development
- Director of Development for the Omaha Conservatory of Music
Mark Kresl is the Director of Development for the Omaha Conservatory of Music. Prior to that, he served as Director of Marketing and Development at Midwest Geriatrics, Inc. a non-profit senior care company that serves underserved seniors in the greater Omaha area. Mark has a BBA from Crichton College in Memphis, TN and has lived and worked in Pittsburgh, Chicago, Greater New York City, Dallas, and Memphis.
He is on the board of directors of Madonna Rehab Hospital Foundation, The Omaha Film Festival, and The Cathedral Arts Project, and the Omaha Entertainment and Arts Awards.
Job Titles:
- Community Engagement Manager
Melanie Walters joins the Conservatory staff from the world of musical theatre. As a choreographer, Melanie's work has been seen on the stages of the Omaha Community Playhouse in productions such as Mamma Mia, The Producers, Altar Boyz, Spamalot, Evil Dead, Young Frankenstein, Sister Act, and Legally Blonde. She also serves as choreographer for award-winning high school show choirs throughout Nebraska, Iowa, and South Dakota.
As a performer, Melanie has appeared on numerous stages around the Omaha metro. Favorite roles include Eva Peron (Evita), Aida (Aida), Velma Kelly(Chicago), Adelaide (Guys and Dolls), Lucy Harris (Jekyll and Hyde), Mary Magdalene (Jesus Christ Superstar), The Narrator (Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat), and the Lady of the Lake (Spamalot). She was thrilled to receive both the 2015 Theatre Arts Guild Award and Omaha Entertainment Award for Outstanding Choreography and Best Actress in a Musical role for her work in Spamalot.
As a non-profit professional, Melanie spent 10 years working just down the hill at the Omaha Community Playhouse. She served as Development Coordinator for six years before moving into the Education Department, where she served as Director of Education before making the decision to stay at home with her son, Leo.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Tenaska Capital Management, Chair
Job Titles:
- Retired, Kiewit Companies, Vice Chair and Admin / Finance Chair
Job Titles:
- Tenaska Capital Management, Chair Emeritus
Job Titles:
- Executive Director
- Executive Director of the Omaha Conservatory of Music
- of Music, Executive Director
Ruth Meints has been the Executive Director of the Omaha Conservatory of Music (OCM) since 2005 and authored the String Sprouts curriculum launched in 2013. String Sprouts enrolls over one thousand preschoolers from underserved areas and provides an instrument for all five years of instruction at no cost to the families. She currently teaches violin and viola at OCM and conducts various workshops around the country in violin/viola pedagogy and music education, integrating current neuroscience findings into music teaching. While at OCM, she has developed many music education programs, such as OCM's Summer Institutes, Winter Festival Orchestra, a full music program at the St. Augustine Indian Mission School, as well as the Inside the Mind of the Artist recital and master class series. Her teaching experience has included head of the string department at Azusa Pacific University and faculty at Biola University in the Los Angeles area, as well as faculty at San Jose Talent Education, Omaha Talent Education, and Artist-Faculty at the Omaha Conservatory of Music. In 2016, Ruth was given the Governor's Arts Award for excellence in arts education sponsored by Nebraska Arts Council and Nebraska Cultural Endowment. In 2019, she also presented a TedXOmaha talk entitled "Music, Preschoolers, and Poverty."
Ruth received her Bachelor of Music in Violin Performance from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and her Master of Music degree with an emphasis in Suzuki pedagogy from Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville with John Kendall, pioneer in bringing the Suzuki philosophy to the United States.
Job Titles:
- Grant Writer & Donor Stewardship
Job Titles:
- of Music, Artist - Faculty Representative