Youth Arts Center Dance Faculty _______________________________________________

Andrew Acquista, Accompanist: BM in Education with a concentration in Percussion from CSU Humboldt and an MM in Performance with a concentration in Percussion from CSU Long Beach with extensive studies in percussion from community to university settings. He has studied all forms of percussion including conga drums, hand percussion, Brazilian percussion, Ghanian music, Djembe and Doun, drum set, vibraphone, steel drum, Mbira as well as orchestral percussion. He has studied with teachers such as Michael Spiro in Afro-Cuban music, Mark Lamson, a Brazilian music specialist, Randy Drake, Brad Dutz, C.K. Ladzeko, Lansana Kouyate, Eugene Novotney, Michael Carney, Ray Holmon, and Michael Cox. Recent performance include an appearance with the Neophonic Orchestra-Jazz Institute, Santa Monica City College Folkloric Dance Showcase, his Master’s Recital, as well as performances with the salsa big band, Orchestra La Fiebre. He is lead drummer for the West African dance classes and accompanist for modern classes at Santa Monica City College, as well as lead drummer for West African Dance classes and accompanist for modern dance classes at CSULB.

Lilian Barbeito, Ballet: is the co-director and resident choreographer of BODYTRAFFIC, a contemporary dance company based in Los Angeles. She is a native of Santa Fe, New Mexico where she trained with the Aspen/Santa Fe Ballet and worked with the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, Southwest Ballet and the Santa Fe Opera. After graduating from the Juilliard School on a four year, full tuition scholarship, Lillian worked with the Metropolitan Opera, New York City Opera, Zvi Gotheiner, the Agnes DeMiIle Project and Terrain. Since moving to Los Angeles, Lillian has performed with American Repertory Dance Company, Collage Dance Theatre, Helios Dance Theater, John Malashock, Oni Dance and String Theory Productions. She has appeared at the 2006 and 2007 Grammy’s, in several music videos and feature films including projects with Angela Luna, Beruit and Spike Lee. Lillian has taught for institutions such as CalArts, Chapman University, Lyon Opera Ballet, Halifax Dance Theater, Southland Ballet Academy, Westside Academy of Dance and UCLA’s Department of World Arts and Cultures. She is currently on faculty at St. Joseph Ballet and recently completed a Countertechnique teacher training with Anouk Van Dijk in Amsterdam.

Deborah Brockus, Director/Jazz/Dance Injury/Social Dance: has been labeled “ the single most important person in Southland Dance”, an “impresario”, the mother superior of LA dance” and “indefatigable” by the Los Angeles Times for her involvement in establishing the local dance scene as a producer, choreographer, and teacher. She is the artistic director of Brockus Project Dance Company founded in 1991. She has received awards for teaching, choreography and producing. Brockus is the Director of the Summer Dance Program at Idyllwild Arts Academy, Artistic Director of Brockus Project Dance Company, Director of BPStudios, and winter and summer intensives at BPStudios. She is the former Chair of the Dance Department at Idyllwild Arts Academy, Former Chair of Dance at the California Conservatory of the Arts, and former head of the Dance Division of LAUSD’s Saturday Gifted and Talented Conservatory. Brockus is the producer of Dance In LA showcases, which include The Spectrum Dance in LA received a Lester Horton Award for Outstanding Production of a Festival or Series in 2002 and was nominated again in 2004 for Spectrum and in 2003 for Split. Brockus has worked nationally and internationally on stage, in film, and on television as both a dancer and choreographer. As a teacher her students have won many awards including: Princess Grace Award, Spotlight Awards, and the National Arts Recognition Award. Her students work in international and national modern and ballet companies, jazz companies and on Broadway and in the Hollywood industry. She has been on the judging panel for the Fosse Scholarship Awards in LA, Festival Under the Stars in Palm Springs and the Imagination Celebration of OPAC. She was the focus of an article in the Los Angeles Times and has been interviewed for articles in both Dance Magazine and Pointe Magazine. Brockus is the producer of Dance In LA showcases, which include The Spectrum Dance in LA received a Lester Horton Award for Outstanding Production of a Festival or Series in 2002 and was nominated again in 2004 for Spectrum and in 2003 for Split.

Ronaldo Bowins, Musical Theatre/Jazz: received his early formal training in New York City and studied at such schools as Broadway Dancer Center, Steps 74, Alvin Ailey American Dance Academy, and City Center Ballet. While in New York he worked with Michoyo Dance Company and Musia Dance Theatre. He also traveled with several musical road companies like Hello Dolly, A Chorus Line, Oklahoma, Best Little Whore House, My Fair Lady, and Seven Brides. Ronaldo spent several years in Germany work on such productions as Starlight Express and Kaum Zu Glauben (TV Variety show), and Fantasialand. When Ronaldo relocated to Los Angeles he worked with Lula Washington Dance Theatre, KIN Dance Company, Dance Theatre of East L.A., Donlavy Dance Company, Silyan Dance Company, and Brockus Project Dance Company. Ronaldo has also taken on the role of producer with his production of MEN: Dancing, a collection of male dancer performing works created by male choreographers. Ronaldo is currently an instructor at the Idyllwild Arts Academy.

Ronald E. Brown, African and Modern Instructor: began training in Classical Ballet studying at the Ballet Russe of Cleveland, the Akron Chamber Ballet, the School of American Ballet. Later, he explored the modern dance discipline of Jose Limon, Martha Graham and Lester Horton. Presently Ronald has found the joy of movement in West African Dance under the guidance of Nzingha Camara. His professional credits include performing with such notable companies as the Alvin Alley American Dance Theater, Alvin Alley II, Dianne McIntyre’s Sounds In Motion, UCLA Dance Company, JazzAntigua and Malathi Iyengar & Rangoli Dance Company. He has taught extensively throughout the United States at Interlochen Arts Academy, Brown University, Illinois State University, Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles County High School for the Performing Arts, Crossroads School for the Arts & Sciences and the Lula Washington Contemporary Dance Theater, and the Dance Connection Academy. Internationally, Ronald has conducted workshops in Finland, Italy, Japan, Taiwan, Canada, Brazil and Spain. He has served as Associate Adjunct Professor of Dance in the Dept. of World Arts & Cultures at UCLA for fifteen years. He has received nominations for the Lestor Horton Teacher of the Year Award. For two years Ronald has resided in Manaus Amazonas, Brazil as instructor for the Secretaria de Estado da Cultura e Tourismo. Ronald is currently on faculty with the California State University Long Beach Dance Department, Santa Monica College Dance Department and the Idyllwild Arts Academy Dance department.

Patrick Doran-Sheeran, Accompanist: has spent the last 15 years as a composer, arranger and musician for dance and theatre throughout the Southern California area. During this time Patrick has played for an incredible group of teachers and master clinicians from some of the world’s finest companies and schools of dance. His dance scores have been premiered at venues as superb as the Getty Center, and performed to by acrobats from Cirque du Soleil. Over the years Patrick has also music-directed many unusual-but-excellent theatrical productions, co-created multimedia performance art shows and taught courses in Rhythm and the Nature of Art. He has performed on stages throughout the U.S. and around the world, including the Sydney Opera House and in Vienna, Austria.

Robyn Gardenhire, Ballet: studied on scholarship at the school of American Ballet Theater, New York Ballet, San Francisco Ballet. She has performed with Joffrey 11 and has danced at the City Center and Jacob’s Pillow. With avant-garde choreographer Karlo Armitag, she toured all of Europe. She has worked with Mikhail Baryshnikov in American Ballet Theater and the White Oak Project. After teaching throughout the USA and abroad, she returned home to LA and founded the City Ballet of Los Angeles in 2000.

Stephanie Gilliland, Modern/Yoga/Composition: is a choreographer and dance artist working outside mainstream dance for over thirty years. She has co-founded two dance collectives and her own companies both in New York and California, including the critically acclaimed TONGUE/Contemporary Dance, based in Los Angeles until 2005. Gilliland is the recipient of three Lester Horton awards and her work has been supported by numerous funding organizations, including The National Endowment for the Arts, The Irvine Foundation, Dance USA and the California Arts Council. She has served on the dance faculties of the University of California, Irvine and Riverside, Loyola Marymount University and the Idyllwild Arts Academy where she is currently in her thirteenth year. In addition to her work in dance Gilliland is a practitioner and teacher of yoga.

Leigh Anne Gillespie, Accompanist: teaches in the Music and Theatre Departments for the Idyllwild Arts Academy. She holds an MFA in Electronic Music from Mills College, a BM in Piano Performance from George Mason University, and has studied piano with Dean Sanders at the University of Illinois. She has worked with many well-known dance teachers and choreographers, accompanying daily classes, master classes and performances for companies and schools such as the Joffrey Ballet, the Eliot Feld Ballets, the Martha Graham Company, the Marylans Youth Ballet and the Washington Ballet. Her compositions and video/multimedia art works have been presented at the Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions, Mills College, CSU Los Angeles, and the CEIAT Festival at California Institute of the Arts.

Hiroshi Hamanishi, Tap: has toured nationally and internationally with the production of Caution: Men at Work, Tap. He has had the pleasure of dancing with Alfred Desio, Rhapsody in Taps, Jazz Tap Ensemble, the James Brown Band, Dianne Walker, Arthur Duncan and Gregory Hines. He has been invited from the Spectrum Dance in LA, KIN Dance Company, St. Louis Tap Festival, NY Fringe Festival, and Idyllwild Arts summer dance program. Hiroshi is on faculty at the Colburn School, El Camino College, and Loyola Marymount University.

Richard Harvey, Jazz: began his dance training with a Ballet Company in Northern California. He then went to the Gus Giordano Dance Center in Evanston Illinois, on a full scholarship where he studied all forms of dance. He later became a soloist for the Gus Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago, and was trained as a teacher in Jazz techniques. Richard, along with colleague Gail Gilbert from David Parsons Dance Company, have created a choreographers showcase titled Nevada Dance Project that selects works from professionals in the Las Vegas area to perform for the community. This is in its fourth year of existence. He continues to teach throughout America and perform with many contemporary companies around the world. Le Ballet “Why Not” in Paris France, Danny Buraczeski Dance in New York, Dance Kaleidoscope Indianapolis, and First City Dance Theater in Florida just to name a few.

Denise Leitner, Jazz Instructor: born and raised in Los Angeles, started her dance training at age 3. As a serious Ballet student she received her training from Stephen Wenta, Stanley Holden and Margaret Hills. After her studies at the Royal Ballet School in London, she returned home and discovered her love for jazz and contemporary dance. She became assistant to master teachers and choreographers including Hama, Ben Lokey and Joe Bennett. Denise has choreographed across the globe for stage, screen, television and music videos. She travels throughout the United States teaching and choreographing for regional companies. She is currently working on a project for Columbia Pictures as a movement consultant. She has trained numerous dancers who have gone on to work in all entertainment mediums and she is a private coach to many celebrities including Kate Hudson, Topher Grace and Riley Keough. Her company, Dancer’s Voice was founded in 1993 and has been critically acclaimed by the Los Angeles Times and continues to perform for dance festivals throughout the country. Currently a faculty member at Edge Performing Arts Center, Denise works intensely with the scholarship students. She is a member of the judging panel as well as a contributing choreographer for the scholarship concert. She is also a faculty member at Loyola Marymount University where she just completed a commission for their faculty concert. Other faculty positions include CSSA, Maui Performing Arts Academy, The Santa Monica Dance Studio and adjudicator for The Great Canadian Dance Festival. Denise has been invited to conduct a jazz intensive in Zurich, Switzerland in the coming year.

Youth Arts Center Music Faculty _____________________________________________

Allison Allport, harp: received her Doctorate of Musical Arts degree in harp performance with minor fields in music education, instrumental conducting and orchestration from the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music. Allison’s studies at USC were funded by a full scholarship, and she was named the string department’s Outstanding Graduate at the doctoral level of the class of 2008. She has received awards from Pi Kappa Lambda, the Pasadena Fine Arts Club, Sigma Alpha Iota, American Harp Society, Young Musicians Foundation and was the first place winner in the junior division of the American String Teacher’s Association National Solo Competition. She also performed a solo recital at the World Harp Congress in Prague. Allison’s orchestral performances include numerous concerts with the Los Angeles Opera Orchestra, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Pasadena Symphony, Long Beach Symphony, New World Symphony and a Carnegie Hall appearance with the American Youth Symphony. Allison has performed concertos with many orchestras including Colburn Chamber Orchestra, USC Thornton Chamber Orchestra, Young Musicians Foundation Debut Orchestra and the Long Beach Bach Festival. Allison has performed at many celebrity events including a luncheon for His Royal Highness Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh and at Merv Griffin’s funeral. Allison has recorded for numerous films and can be heard on sound tracks such as The Spiderwick Chronicle, Cars, and National Treasure II: Book of Secrets. Allison also loves to share her knowledge of music with others. She was a graduate assistant and student instructor at USC, maintains a private studio and teaches on the faculty of the Idyllwild Arts Summer Program. During the past year, some of Allison’s most exciting musical projects include performing in the Los Angeles Opera’s production of Wagner’s Ring Cycle and collaborating and recording with Rivers Cuomo of the band Weezer. When she is not busy with music, Allison is excitedly planning for her upcoming wedding and married life. She is also training to become a Sierra Club Leader, a designation she intends to use to help coordinate and lead wildfire recovery efforts in the Angeles Forest.

Doug Ashcraft, has performed throughout the United States and Europe in venues that include Carnegie Recital Hall, Alice Tully Hall, London’s Wigmore Hall, and Jacqueline Du Pre Hall at Oxford University in England. He has won prizes in many competitions including the Young Keyboard Artists Association, Music Teacher’s National Association, and the American pianists Association. He completed his masters and doctoral degrees at the University of Southern California working with pianist John Perry. He has participated in the Aspen Music School and the Holland Music Sessions in Alkmaar, Netherlands. He has been a member of the Idyllwild Arts Academy faculty since 1995. Currently, he serves as Chair of the Music Department as well as Dean of the Arts at the Academy.

Marina Benedict, Professional dancer as series regular and guest star for television series on the WB, CBS, Fox, and TNN. Dance coach and choreographer for music videos, live performances, concerts, and commercials for entertainment companies such as MTV, BMG, and A & M Records, as well as for musicians including N’SYNC, Moby, and RunDMC. Training includes Cornish College of the Arts, Joffrey School of Ballet and The Royal Academy of Dance in London.

Richard Berent, accompanist: has an active career as pianist, musical director, and composer in the Los Angeles area. His original musicals have been produced at regional theaters throughout the United States. He is a staff accompanist at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy, where he helps train the next batch of Tony Award winners.

Heather Bishop, Choral Vocal Faculty.

Amy Bowers, trombone: is a freelance musician in Southern California and performs with many of the top orchestras, including Pacific Symphony, San Diego Symphony, Los Angeles Master Chorale, and is the second trombonist in the Santa Rosa Symphony Orchestra. She currently teaches at the University of Southern California where she instructs chamber music and teaches trombone and euphonium. She has won many solo competitions including the Pasadena Solo Competition, Sigma Alpha Iota Solo Competition, USC Concerto Competition, YMF Debut Orchestra Concerto Competition, Pasadena Young Artist Solo Competition, and was the recipient of the Robert Marsteller Outstanding Brass Player Award from the Thornton School of Music. Miss Bowers received both her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the University of Southern California.

Thomas Cuffari, Pianist.

Brian Dehn, Choral Vocal Faculty

Charles DeRamus, bass: The third generation bassist in his family, Charles is currently a member of Sweden’s national orchestra, the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra. Previously he has served as principal bass of the Norrlands Operan (Sweden), been a member of the New World Symphony, and worked extensively with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Houston Symphony, and Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra. His Studies include degrees from Indiana University, Rice University, and participation in numerous summer festivals including the Tanglewood Music Center, Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival, Pacific Music Festival, National Repertory Orchestra, and National Orchestral Institute. Charles is currently a faculty member of the Sequoia Chamber Music Workshop, has served on the faculties of the All-State at Interlochen and University of Michigan Summer Arts Institute, and has given guest masterclasses in England at the Royal College of Music and the Yehudi Menuhin School.

Bobby Dominguez, percussion; studied drum set and Latin percussion with Joe Porcaro, Billy Moore, Chuck Flores and Todd Gregory. He has given numerous orchestral and jazz performances in Southern California performing with Brandon Fields, Russell Ferrante, John Patitucci, Don Mock, Riverside and San Bernardino Civic Light Opera Productions, Bill Watrous, Les Brown, Bobby Shew, Redlands Bowl Symphony, Inland Empire Symphony, Les Hooper, Jack Blades, and Rocco Presti. Dominguez appeared as the drummer in the 1988 CBS television series of Dirty Dancing, produced by Christopher Morgan and Mireiller Soria. He is currently on faculty at the University of La Verne, University of California at Riverside, Idyllwild Arts Summer Program, and the National Guitar Summer Workshop. He has provided instruction for twenty-two years at Lier’s Music Co., San Bernardino, California. He has served as a clinician at Hemet High School, and San Bernardino Valley, Crafton Hills, Chaffey, and Riverside Community Colleges.

Cameron Domingues, saxophone: BM in Performance from Cal State University Fullerton, MM in Performance from the University of Southern California, and is currently working on her Doctorate of Musical Arts from USC. She is a freelance performer and teacher in the Los Angeles and Orange County areas. She has been playing woodwinds for over seventeen years specializing in saxophone and bassoon. Mrs. Domingues has performed with several groups such as the Fullerton Civic Light Opera, Cypress Pops Orchestra, Disneyland College Saxophone Quintet, and the Pacific Symphony Institute. Cameron is a member of the South Coast Saxophone Quartet who went to the Colman Competition finals in 2003. She is a faculty member at Mt. San Antonio College and teaches a large studio of private students ranging in ages from middle school to college.


Lisa Edwards, Pianist.

David Evans, conductor, Symphonic Band, trumpet coach, High School Chamberfest. Graduate of San Diego State University, Trumpet Performance Degree with Distinction; and California State University, Northridge, Masters Degree, Music Performance and elected member of Pi Kappa Lambda Music Honor Society. He has studied conducting with Dr. Frederick Fennel and has been guest clinician for the Southern California School Band Association and guest conductor for several honor bands throughout Southern California. As a trumpet performer he has studied with James Stamp, Uan Rasey, Claude Gordon and Thomas Stevens. He has performed with the San Diego Symphony and Opera Orchestras, San Diego Brass Quintet, Los Angeles Civic Light Opera, Los Angeles Brass Society, and numerous shows in Los Angeles. Mr. Evans’ students have performed with or have been members of the Israel Philharmonic, New York Philharmonic, National Symphony, Cleveland Symphony, Dallas Symphony, San Francisco Symphony, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the Canadian Brass Quintet. He is currently professor of trumpet at the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music at Cal State Univ., Long Beach, and is in constant demand as a performer, clinician, and teacher.

Sam Fischer, violin: has performed as a soloist throughout the United States, Europe, and Japan. A graduate of the University of Southern California and the Juilliard School, Mr. Fischer’s principal teachers include Robert Lipsett, Dorothy DeLay, and Masao Kawasaki. He has appeared as soloist with several orchestras in his native Los Angeles, as well as with the Aspen Young Artists Orchestra and the Charleston Symphony. As a freelance musician, he has performed with the Los Angeles Opera Orchestra, the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, the Santa Barbara Chamber Orchestra, and the Pacific Symphony. He has also played on major motion picture sound tracks for many of Hollywood’s top composers, including Jerry Goldsmith, James Horner, Alan Silvestri, and Hans Zimmer. He gives frequent chamber music performances as a member of the California String Quartet and has also performed at the Yellowbarn Chamber Music Festival and the Austin Chamber Music Festival. An avid teacher, Mr. Fischer is on the faculty of the Colburn School of Performing Arts.

Lee Gause, trombone: Served thirty years as trombonist and leader of the United States Navy Band Commodores jazz ensemble in Washington, D.C. He has performed extensively at the White House and has toured throughout the US, Europe and South America. He has appeared at prestigious jazz festivals such as Newport, Detroit/Montreaux and national conventions including IAJE and The Midwest. As a freelance player, Gause has performed with many of the giants in the jazz entertainment business from Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennet, Natalie Cole and Henry Mancini to Dizzy Gillespie, Bob Mintzer, Christian McBride and Louie Bellson. Besides recordings with the Commodores he has appeared on projects with Bill Potts, Frank Mantooth, George Roumanis, Ashley Alexander and numerous recordings with the Washington Winds. He is an active musician and private teacher in the Washington area.

Richard Gianguilio, conductor, HS Symphony Orchestra: Music Director and Conductor of the Greater Dallas Youth Orchestra, is now in his thirtieth season with the GDYO. Mr. Giangiulio holds music degrees from the Curtis Institute of Music, the Juilliard School of Music and the Paris Conservatory where he studied under Maurice Andre while on a Fulbright grant, and was awarded the first prize. In 1967, Mr. Giangiulio was a First Medal winner in the Geneva International Trumpet Competition. He has appeared as soloist with the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Dallas Symphony, the Knoxville Symphony, and at summer festivals in Ansbach, Germany; Lucerne, Switzerland; and Lieska, Finland. He served as Principal and Co-Principal trumpet of the Dallas Symphony for thirty-two years. From 1977-1982 he was the assistant conductor for educational concerts with the Dallas Symphony, developing and conducting multi-age youth concerts and park concerts. Mr. Giangiulio is also the newly appointed Music Director of the Allen Philharmonic. He has been on the Idyllwild Arts Summer Program faculty since 1994. He has recorded over thirty solo and symphonic CDs.

Yehuda Gilad, clarinet: Educated in Israel and at the University of Southern California School of Music. Associate Professor of Music, USC, and Master Teacher, R.D. Colburn School of Performing Arts. Recipient of many awards including the Israel-America Cultural Foundation Scholarship and the Robert Simon Award in Music. Conductor of the Santa Monica Symphony, 1982-88. As a clarinetist, he has performed with the Marlboro Music Festival, the Music Academy of the West, the San Francisco Chamber Music Festival and the Israel Philharmonic.

Amy Gillick, bassoon: holds a BM from CSU Long Beach and her Master’s and Doctorate degrees from UCLA. She claims the proud distinction of being the first Doctor of bassoon to graduate from UCLA. As an educator, Amy teaches at the Orange County High School of the Arts (OCHSA) and at Concordia University in Irvine. She joined the Idyllwild Summer Arts Program faculty in 2009. Amy actively teaches reed making master classes and holds a private studio of bassoon and saxophone students in Los Angeles and Orange County. She is principal bassoonist in the Bakersfield Symphony and also a member of the Santa Monica Symphony. She performs with many other orchestras in Southern California, having played with the Pasadena Symphony, Long Beach Opera, among others. She performs frequently with the Santa Monica Symphony Wind Quintet and the recently founded Clap and Tap Quintet. Amy Gillick has performed with some of the most highly acclaimed artists of our time, including Laurendo Almeida, Christopher Parkening, Joseph Kalichstein, Robert Levin, Anton Nel, Edo DeWaart, Stanislaw Skrowaczewski, Steven Hough, Joseph Silverstein, David Zinman, Hugh Wolff, Edgar Meyer, Joshua Bell, Richard Carpenter, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, and many others.

Roger Guerrero, Choral Vocal Faculty.

Matt Harris, piano: BA, University of Miami, masters degree from Eastman School of Music; based in Los Angeles; keyboardist, composer/arranger; previously toured with Maynard Ferguson and Buddy Rich; both leaders performed and recorded his charts, many of which are featured in the Kendor jazz catalog. Recording debut as a leader on Voss Records; most recently accepted an appointment as Director of Jazz Studies at California State University, Northridge.

Jeff Hellmer, piano: declared “the real virtuoso” of Great American Jazz Piano Competition after one of his two recent appearances as a finalist in the nation’s most prestigious jazz piano competition; musical collaborations include Eddie Daniels, Harvey Pittel and the Lettermen; faculty member, University of Texas, Austin; maintains an active performing schedule at jazz venues in Austin as well as performing and teaching throughout the United States and abroad; compositions are available through UNC Press and Walrus Music.

Frank Heuser, wind and brass coordinator: Symphony Orchestra: Assistant Professor of Music and head of Music Education, UCLA. Has taught at University of Oregon, East Los Angeles College, Cal State University, Los Angeles and Chapman University; researcher in motor control and brass physiology with publication in Medical Problems of Performing Artists and the Southeastern Journal of Music Education; member of the editorial board of the Journal of Music Teacher Education.

Andrew Honea, cello: Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Cello from the University of Southern California, studying with Gabor Rejto; MM and BA from Yale University, where he studied cello with Aldo Parisot. Dr. Honea is active as an orchestral musician as a member of the Pacific Symphony Orchestra and the long Beach Symphony. He has played for numerous television and motion picture sound tracks. Live theatre performances at the Pantages include The Lion King, The Producers, White Christmas, and Wicked. He was Adjunct Professor of Cello and Chamber Music at California Sate University, Long Beach, Assistant Professor of Cello at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, and Visiting Lecturer at Scripp’s College, Claremont. An active educator, he has participated in the Pacific Symphony Orchestra’s Class Act Education program and the Long Beach Symphony’s Music in the Schools Education program since their inception. His string quartet performs for the Philharmonic Society of Orange County’s Meet the Musicians program. Additionally, his private teaching studio has produced a number of outstanding young cellists whose honors include television appearances, competition prizes, and orchestral awards, and a number of professional cellists.

Tom Hynes, guitar: BM, University of Southern California, MA, California State University, Los Angeles; currently on faculty of Fullerton College, Citrus College and Cal State, Los Angeles; professional credits include Bob Hope, Danny Ganz, Bobby Vinton, Pia Zadora, Les Hooper, Louie Bellson, Lanny Morgan, Les Brown, the Mills Brothers, and The Fifth Dimension; guest artist, clinician and adjudicator for numerous festivals in California and Arizona; directed the Southern California School Band and Orchestra Association High School Honor Jazz Ensemble.

David Jackson, trombone & brass chamber music coordinator: Professor of Trombone at the University of Michigan, is a soloist, chamber, and orchestral musician who has performed with the Chicago Symphony, the Dallas Symphony, the Detroit Symphony, the Fort Worth Symphony, the New World Symphony, the Cabrillo Music Festival Orchestra and the Spoleto, Italy Festival Orchestra. He is an advocate of new music and has commissioned and performed the premieres of eight works for trombone. His chamber music experience includes performances with the Canadian Brass, the American Brass Quintet, Nexus Percussion Ensemble and the Galliard Brass Ensemble. His summers are spent teaching and performing at the Hot Springs Music Festival, the Interlochen Arts Camp All-State Division.

Matt Johnson, drums: considered one of Southern California’s most versatile drummers, the Los Angeles Times proclaimed Matt Johnson “a hurricane on sticks!” Best known for his jazz stylings, he is equally versed in all forms of pop drumming and has performed with a range of entertainers from singers Julie Andrews and Andy Williams to Surf-rock pioneers Jan and Dean to big band legends Billy May and Les Brown. Modern Drummer Magazine said Johnson possesses “captivating technique and creativity.” Along with his busy performance schedule, since 1993, he has worked to inspire the next generation of young drummers as part of the music faculty’s of Fullerton College and the Idyllwild Arts Summer Jazz Workshop. A recent entry on ratemyprofessors.com said, “discipline and control dominate his playing and teaching...personality and charisma bring students back again and again.”

Nancy Ambrose King, oboe & woodwind chamber music coordinator: is the first-prize winner of the Third New York International Competition for Solo Oboists, held in 1995. She has appeared as soloist throughout the United States and abroad, including appearances with the St. Petersburg, Russia, Philharmonic, the Janacek Philharmonic in the Czech Republic, and the Festival Internacional de Musica Orchestra in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She has recorded three CDs for Boston Records, the solo recordings Nancy Ambrose King: The Winning Program and Évocations; and a recording of flute and oboe music with flutist Amy Porter entitled Porter-Ambrose King. She has taught and performed in the Sarasota and Bowdoin Music Festivals, and has appeared as a recitalist throughout the world, including the American Academy of Music in Rome and the Royal Conservatory of Music in Stockholm. Currently Associate Professor of Oboe at the University of Michigan and First Vice-President of the International Double Reed Society, she was previously Associate Professor and University Scholar at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. She has also served on the music faculties of Indiana University, Ithaca College, University of Northern Colorado, and Duquesne University Schools of Music.

Cathy Larson, flute: attended Pepperdine University where she graduated with honors earning a Bachelor of Arts in Music Performance. Ms. Larson performs in many Los Angeles Area orchestras including Burbank Symphony, Southeast Symphony, and Downey Symphony. She has appeared as soloist with the Palisades Symphony and the Conejo Symphony. In addition, she has done National Tours with Yanni, Michael Crawford, and David Arkenstone on whose Grammy nominated album “Atlantis” she was featured. She also participates in various chamber music ensembles, plays a variety of ethnic musical genres, and maintains a private teaching studio.

Desirée LaVertu, Choral Vocal Faculty.

Scott Lee, viola: Winner of the 1996 Concert Artists Guild International Competition, he is a top prize winner in the Lionel Tertis International Viola Competition, the William Primrose Viola Competition, and the Corpus Christi Young Artists Competition. He has appeared as soloist with numerous orchestras, including the San Diego Symphony, Longmont Philharmonic, Kansas City Symphony and the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra. He has performed at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall and Merkin Hall in New York, and the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. A featured soloist at the International Hindemith Viola Fest and at the 22nd and 24th International Viola Congress. Recent highlights of his chamber music concert schedule include performances at the Chamber Music Northwest, OK Mozart Festival, Newport Chamber Music Festival, La Jolla Summerfest, Ravinia Festival, New York City’s Bargemusic, Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, Musicians from Marlboro, Merkin Concert Hall, and Taiwan’s National Concert Hall, Alice Tully Hall, the Gardner Museum in Boston and the Metropolitan Museum, the Marlboro Festival and in numerous chamber music venues across the United States. He has also collaborated with members of the Guarneri, Juilliard, Orion, and Miami String Quartets, and performed with members of the Beaux Arts and Mannes Piano Trios. He is now Professor of Viola at the University of Missouri-Kansas City’s Conservatory of Music.

Jane Levy, viola: A California native, Jane Levy studied chamber music with members of the Griller String Quartet at UC Berkeley and viola with Milton Thomas, Heichiro Ohyama, and David Schwartz in Los Angeles. She plays and teaches both violin and viola, coaches chamber music groups, and works as a free lance musician in the L.A. area. Jane is a member of the Pasadena Symphony and has performed often with the L.A. Opera, L.A. Master Chorale, and Long Beach Symphony. She has played in the Oregon Bach Festival and the San Luis Obispo Mozart Festival for many years. She especially enjoys performances of early music on period instruments and is a member of Musica Angelica Baroque Orchestra and performs with Seattle Baroque, Santa Fe Pro Musica, and the Corona del Mar Bach Festival.

Larry Livingston, conductor Chamberfest Orchestra: is a distinguished conductor, educator, and administrator, and a highly respected motivational speaker. The founding Music Director of the Illinois Chamber Orchestra, Livingston has appeared with the Houston Symphony and in the Los Angeles Philharmonic Green Umbrella Series. He has conducted at the Festival de Musique in Evian, France, and has led the Stockholm Wind Orchestra, as well as the Leopoldinum Chamber, Chopin Academy, Wroclaw Philharmonic and Academy Orchestras in Poland. He served as Music Director of the Pan Pacific Festival Orchestras in Sydney, participated as a performer and clinician at the International Jazz Festival in Rome, and conducted an electro-acoustic ensemble in concerts in Tokyo under the auspices of Yamaha International. Mr. Livingston has led the American Youth Symphony Orchestra, the Young Musicians Foundation Orchestra, the USC Thornton Chamber and Symphony Orchestras in Los Angeles and the USC Thornton Contemporary Music Ensemble in Berlin, and served on the jury for the renowned Besancon International Conducting Competition in Besancon, France.

Mr. Livingston has performed with soloists Keiko Abe, Ran Blake, Shelly Berg, John Barrows, Maureen Forrester, Adolph Herseth, Lawrence Lesser, Yehudi Menuhin, Robert Merrill, Itzhak Perlman, Donald Sinta, Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, John Walz and Time for Three, and has premiered and/or recorded works by Jan Bach, Paul Cooper, Mario Davidovsky, Robert Erickson, Ernst Krenek, Kasia Livingston, Edwin London, Pauline Oliveros, Russell Peck, Roger Reynolds, and Yuji Takahashi. He served as a conductor in the University of Michigan All-State Program at Interlochen, and has been the Conductor of the Festival Orchestra at Idyllwild Arts since 1989. He has conducted extensively in Eastern Europe, and particularly throughout Poland, leading orchestras in Warsaw, Wroclaw, Jelenia Gora, Bialystok, and Olsztyn, attracting consistent critical acclaim.

Since 2004, Mr. Livingston has toured with the famed Landes Jugend Orchester, served as clinician and guest conductor at the College Band Directors National Conference in Alice Tully Hall, led All-State Ensembles in Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, Oregon and Texas. He has also twice conducted the George Enescu Bucharest Philharmonic Orchestra in Romania, the Music for All Honor Orchestra, the Thornton Symphony and Chamber Orchestra, and the Thornton Wind Ensemble. Mr. Livingston served as Vice President and Music Director of the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, where he was also Conductor of the Symphony Orchestra and Contemporary Music Ensemble, and, subsequently, became Dean of the Shepherd School of Music and Elma Schneider Professor of Music at Rice University in Houston. From 1986 until 2002, Mr. Livingston served as Dean of the USC Flora L. Thornton School of Music, where he is Chair of the Conducting Department, and Music Director of Thornton School Orchestras. From 2002, to 2007 he was a member of the Board of Directors of the Guitar Center, which he now serves as Director of Educational Initiatives.

Rob Lockhart, saxophone: BM in music theory with a performers certificate and MM from Eastman School in Jazz Studies, as well as attending the Banff School with Dave Holland, Kenny Wheeler, and David Liebman. He has played with the Woody Herman Orchestra, Tom Harrell Big Band, Doc Severinsen Big Band, Joe LaBarbera Quintet, Kurt Elling, in addition to single performances with Dave Liebman, Mel Lewis, Hank Jones, Clark Terry, and as a soloist with the Houston Symphony Orchestra. His teachers include Dave Liebman, Al Regni, Micheal Nascimben, Joe Allard, Ramon Ricker, and Mardele Marcellus. As a jazz artist he is a featured sideman with Steve Houghton, Bob Sheppard, Bill Cunliffe, Matt Harris, and Mitch Watkins for Enja records. In TV and film Rob has worked on Star Trek, Jag, Party of Five, Fish Police and many films including the jazz score of Dillinger with Charlie Haden. He has taught for over 20 years in New York, New Orleans, Austin and Los Angeles.

Julie Long, flute: BM, Cleveland Institute of Music; MM, DMA, University of Southern California. Freelance flutist in the Los Angeles area. She has performed with Los Angeles Philharmonic, Los Angeles Music Center Opera Orchestra, Los Angeles Master Chorale, Ojai Festival Orchestra, Long Beach Symphony, Pasadena Symphony and others. Recently appointed second flute, Riverside County Philharmonic Orchestra. Former principal flute, American Youth Symphony and Young Musicians Foundation Debut Orchestra; finalist in the National Flute Association Young Artist Competition in 2000 and 2002. Active in the recording studios. Member of new music group Ensemble Green; also plays wooden Renaissance and Baroque flutes. Flute professor at Long Beach City College and The Masterís College.

Louise MacGillivray, horn: MA in Music Performance, CSU Northridge. She is a freelance musician in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties. Currently on the music faculty at CA Lutheran University she also has an extensive private teaching studio and is a clinician/adjudicator/consultant for many local schools and youth symphonies. Her primary interest is in performing and coaching chamber music.

Patricia Massey, clarinet: Northwestern University. Her principal teachers have included Clark Brody, Robert Marcellus and Mitchell Lurie. She has performed with the Charleston, Honolulu and Minnesota Orchestras. Currently, she works as a free-lance musician and teacher in Los Angeles.

Nelms McKelvain, is one of the Academy’s primary piano instructors. His students have won major competitions, including the Joanna Hodges Piano Competition and the Los Angeles Liszt Competition. They continue their studies at the finest colleges and conservatories in the country. He performs at the Academy with music faculty, students and guests. McKelvain received his Bachelor’s degree in piano performance from the Oberlin College Conservatory of Music and his Master’s degree from the University of Texas at Austin, studying with internationally noted artist and teacher John Perry. His doctoral study was also with John Perry at the University of Southern California.

Peter Middleton, flute: Professor of Music, Northern Illinois University where he teaches flute, recording techniques and acoustics. He has a patent on an electronic tuning device and has compiled an extensive flute discography.

Esther Minwary, viola: received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Music from the University of Southern California where she studied with Ralph Fielding, Pamela Goldsmith, and Donald McInnes. She was a member of the American Youth Symphony under the baton of Mehli Mehta and Alexander Treger. Mrs. Minwary has been a participant at the Bowdoin Summer Music Festival (Maine) and the Rome Festival Orchestra (Italy). She is currently completing her Masters degree in Viola Performance at California State University, Long Beach. She enjoys performing chamber music and has performed new works internationally. Mrs. Minwary has performed under the direction of Zubin Mehta and Esa-Pekka Salonen in venues such as the Music Center and Walt Disney Hall.

Janet Miller has been a director, choreographer and educator for thirty years. Her choreography was recently seen off-Broadway at the Westside Theatre in The Marvelous Wonderettes. She received a nomination for a 2009 Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Choreographer for this production. Ms. Miller is the Resident Director for Phantom Projects and the Artistic Director for MB Players. She is the recipient of the 2003 Excellence in Art Award for Drama from the city of Torrance. Janet received a 2003 Choreography Garland for The Marvelous Wonderettes, in addition to the 2006 Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Choreography. In 2008, she received a Garland and a LADCC award for choreography for Winter Wonderettes. She holds a BA in Musical Theater from CSUN, and an MA in Theater from CSULA. She is adjunct faculty at Cerritos College and CSULA. Ms. Miller is a proud member of SDC.

Joseph Modica, conductor: Assistant Professor of Music Education at the University of South Carolina. Prior to coming to South Carolina he was the Interim Director of Choral Activities at Chapman University, where he conducted the University Choir and University Singers, and taught conducting and choral methods. He has held adjunct teaching positions at Biola University and Chapman University. He has earned a Bachelor of Music degree in conducting from Chapman University, a Master of Music degree from California State University, Long Beach, and is currently finishing a Doctorate of Musical Arts degree in Choral Music at the University of Southern Carolina.
Having a passion for teaching and inspiring young artists, Mr. Modica taught high school choir for eleven years. He is formerly the director of Choral Activities at Mater Dei High School, and he taught for 5 years at Redlands East Valley High School. His choirs consistently received superior ratings at festivals and competitions and have been heard at two CMEA State Conferences. He is active in many professional organizations such as ACDA, MENC, and SCVA, and enjoys serving as a clinician and adjudicator throughout the Western United States.

As the conductor of the Festival Choir, he has recently conducted Dona Nobis Pacem by Vaughn Williams at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles. He has also taught at the Summer Fine Arts Camp at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, where his duties included conducting the concert choir, middle school choir, jazz choir, private voice lessons, and conducting the musical. In 2002 Mr. Modica prepared the chorus for the American Ballet Theatre production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, which was aired on PBS as part of the Great Performances series. Recently, Mr. Modica prepared choruses for Video Games Live in Anaheim, CA and for the National Tour of Star Wars in Concert throughout the US.

Choirs under Mr. Modica’s direction have toured in Italy, Australia, Hawaii, New York, Washington, D.C., Washington, Oregon, Florida and the Bahamas. On a recent tour throughout Italy his choirs from Chapman University received multiple standing ovations at their performances in Venice, Florence, and Rome. The choir was honored to sing High Mass at Basilica San Marco in Venice and Basilica San Pedro in Rome, in addition to singing for Pope Benedict XVI.

Kristy Morrell, French horn: is a faculty member at the University of Southern California School of Music, and French Horn instructor at Los Angeles’ Colburn School of Performing Arts. She has been a member of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Los Angeles Opera, Pasadena Symphony, Pacific Symphony and New West Symphony. She is also a respected recording artist, performing on numerous motion pictures, television sound tracks and records. She has a Doctorate of Musical Arts from the University of Southern California, where she also received her Master of Music. She received a Bachelor of Music and a Performer’s Certificate from the Eastman School of Music. In 1993, she was the First Place winner of the International Horn Society solo competition, and in 1997 she was the First Place winner of the solo competition at the International Women’s Brass Conference. Her principal teachers were Verne Reynolds, Vincent DeRosa and James Decker.

Cynthia Moussas, violin: BM, Juilliard. Member of the Los Angeles Opera, Los Angeles Master Chorale and the Long Beach Symphony. Performances with the Green Umbrella Series, Ojai Festival. Active in the recording studios and as a private teacher in Southern California. She has been a coach with the Idyllwild Symphony Orchestra for 16 years.

Linda Muggeridge, costumer, has been a faculty member for the Song and Dance program for almost a decade. A resident of Southern California, she is also the costumer for Peninsula and Palos Verdes High Schools, Miraleste Middle School and Curtains Up! community theater company. Linda has her own costume company and maintains an extensive inventory of costume items. As a member of Miraleste Middle School’s arts staff, she is also keyboard accompanist for the choir program. Although she enjoys working as a costumer, her professional background in the performing arts includes stints with the Young Musicians Foundation, Performing Tree, and the Los Angeles Philharmonic (as Director of Education and Producer of Open House at the Hollywood Bowl). She served on the Governor’s panel to award the California State Awards for Arts Education and was a founding board member of Children’s Hospitals’ Mark Taper Arts Program. Linda is co-director of the non-profit organization Campus Concerts, which provides instrumental music performances to schools across Southern California.

Darren Mulder, trumpet; BM in Music Education from California State University, Long Beach; MM, University of Southern California. He is a member of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra and performs regularly with the Pacific Symphony, Opera Pacific, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Los Angeles Opera, Long Beach and Santa Monica Symphonies. He is the former Principal Trumpet of the National Orchestra of Mexico (UNAM) as well as the Festival dei Due Mondi, Spoleto, Italy.

Edith Orloff, piano: acclaimed performances throughout the U.S. and in Europe as recitalist, chamber musician, and soloist with orchestra; concert coordinator of the Summer Chamber Music Program at Idyllwild Arts; faculty member since 1976. She is a founding member of the Pacific Trio, the resident ensemble for Idyllwild Arts, which tours and records in the U.S. and Europe. She has played with such notable ensembles as the Houston Symphony Chamber Players, Ensemble Con Brio of Bruchsal, Germany, and the Czech String Trio of Prague. To promote new music, she has helped to launch several series featuring works by contemporary composers. A recent CD recorded with her husband, clarinetist David Peck, highlights modern works for clarinet and piano. She is a regular guest with Festival Mozaic, having appeared with festivals in La Jolla, Ventura, Grand Tetons, and Andé, France. A Master’s Degree graduate of CalArts, she has taught privately and given masterclasses for over thirty years.

Andrew Park, was born in Korea and raised in a musical family. He gave his first public performance at the age of five and won numerous major competitions in Korea, such as the Korea Times Competition and the Jeon-Buk State Music and the Arts Competition. In 1993, he won the first prize of Joanna Hodges International Piano Competition in Palm Desert, California. He has participated and performed in the Boston University Summer Festival, Tanglewood Music Festival, and Aspen Music Festivaland is actively performing as a solo musician and a chamber musician nationally and internationally. He is a devoted performer of chamber music and has performed with musicians such as Hai Kyung Suh and his own group, the Park Trio. He was also invited to perform with OMC Orchestra and ICO Orchestra. Dr. Park resides in Fullerton, Orange County area and his students have won the prizes from numerous competitions throughout the country. He is a chairperson of MTNA Annual Evaluation and Sonata/Sonatina competition as well as a judge of SYMF and MTAC competitions. He has taught piano at the Idyllwild Arts Academy for two years, Usc and LACC, and has lectured at USC Thornton School of Music. He completed his bachelor, masters, and doctoral degrees at the University of Southern California with pianist John Perry. He currently teaches at Bethesda Christian University in Anaheim, California. As a conductor, Dr. Park is music director at the Oriental Mission Church and the Private Eye Youth Chamber Orchestra. Dr. Park has recorded the Carnival of the Animals by Saint-Saens with Idyllwild Chamber Orchestra for the children of the world and a Christian CD, “priere” with his chamber group, the Park Trio. Recently he joined the faculty at the Idyllwild Arts Academy as a part-time piano teacher.

Olga Perez, Choral Vocal FAculty

Stephen P. Piazza, conductor: Since he first performed as a clarinetist with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra in 1978, Stephen Piazza has appeared with some of the music world’s most highly-acclaimed artists in hundreds of performances in the Los Angeles Music Center, Disney Hall and the Hollywood Bowl. He’s also appeared in such venues as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center, Paris’s Theatre du Chatelet, Mexico City’s Palacio des Belles Artes, Cologne’s Philharmonic and Birmingham’s (UK) Sir Adrian Boult Hall. In August 2004 he conducted the Idyllwild Festival Wind Ensemble in the first wind band performance in Disney Hall. As a member of the Los Angeles Opera Orchestra, he continues to perform with the current array of internationally recognized conductors and singers, and his studio and commercial work includes numerous motion pictures as well as CD recordings with Barbara Streisand and Josh Groban.
In 1983, Piazza was chair of the Pierce College music department when he reorganized the college’s wind band program. As director of the newly-formed Los Angeles Pierce Symphonic Winds, he began to build a community-based ensemble that would eventually perform throughout the United States, Canada, Italy, France, Austria and the United Kingdom. In June of 2004, the L.A. Winds were the featured American performers at the Festivale des Anchez in France’s magnificent Cote d’azur. In December 2004, the Winds performed at the famed Midwest Band and Orchestra clinic in Chicago. In 2007 they were one of the featured performers at the annual California Band Director’s conference and in July, 2008 they were one of two American bands representing the United States at the Mid Europe Band and Orchestra Festival in Austria. Since 1975, Mr. Piazza has been an integral part of the Idyllwild musical community.

Thomas Porwol, violin: was born in Rybnik, Poland, and has lived in Germany since 1988. He completed his violin studies with Valery Klimov and Liviu Casleanu. His violin and chamber music education led him to Eduard Brunner, Thomas Kakuska (Alban-Berg-Quartet), and the Kronos Quartet. As a soloist and founder of the Milan Ensemble he performs regularly at festivals such as the Ludwig van Bethoven Festival Glogau, Scarampella Festival Brescia, and Music of the XX & XXI century. The Milan Ensemble has recorded for German, Italian and Polish radio and television and is known for its unconventional repertoire and performances. An important part of his activities is his work with his sister, pianist Alexandra Porwol. As a duo, they have won prizes in international competitions in Europe. Since 2000, he has been the director of the Easter Festival in Bayreuth, Germany, and is responsible for the organization of several important cultural projects from Classic to Jazz in Europe.

Joel D. Pressman, Director: With degrees in Voice and Conducting from the University of Southern California, Mr. Pressman has an extensive background in performing, directing and teaching musical theatre. A member of the Broadway cast of Lerner & Loewe’s Gigi, he has also performed with the Los Angeles and San Francisco Civic Light Opera companies, with Valley Opera, Opera a Ia Carte, as conductor/singer of the Disneyland Carolers, and as singer in such diverse situations as Barbra Streisand’s Higher Ground CD, the Ojai Festival and opera for children at the Hollywood Bowl. After 35 years teaching musical theatre and vocal music at Beverly Hills High School and 26 seasons producing musical theatre at Idyllwild Arts, Mr. Pressman is also in demand as soloist and clinician. His students have appeared in the Broadway or National companies of shows such as Light in the Piazza, Wicked, High School Musical, Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables, Ragtime, Cabaret, Aida, City of Angels, Assassins, Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Cats, A Chorus Line, and 42nd Street.

Wendy Knudsen Pylko, vocal coach: MM in Vocal Arts, University of Southern California; BA in Liberal Arts, Evergreen State College. She has worked as a teacher/artist for Los Angeles Opera’s Community and Education Department as well as Southland Opera and the cerritos Center for the Performing Arts. She was director of Vocal Music at Flintridge Preparatory School for four years. She has performed with Aspen Opera Theater, Minnesota Opera Institute, Opera Theater and Orange County Opera. Additional studies at The Music Academy of the West and the University of Oslo.

Lori Marie Rios, Assistant Conductor.

Bart Samolis, bass: A successful session and touring artist, he has performed and recorded with various jazz and contemporary music acts. Playing fretted, fretless, upright and orchestral basses, he can be seen and heard world-wide, in all media as well as live performances. In the studio, his movie credits are many, including Dreamgirls, The Invasion, Alvin and the Chipmunks, Superman Returns, The Fantastic Four, and The X-Men. Bart has also recorded many TV themes and cues including MadMen, Battlestar Galactica, and The Practice. He has also been working with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Educational Program developing high school orchestras and jazz bands. His forte however , is constantly searching for a new approach to his instrument. This is clearly evident in his recordings and becomes even more dynamic in his live performances.

Maria Schleuning, violin: joined the Dallas Symphony in 1994 and has been a featured soloist with the orchestra on numerous occasions. Solo appearances include performances with the Seattle Symphony, Oregon Symphony, Long Bay Symphony, Columbia Symphony, Allen Philharmonic, and the Portland Youth Philharmonic. In 2004 she performed with the Greater Dallas Youth Orchestra on a tour of Eastern Europe, which included concerts at the Gewandhaus in Leipzig and the Rudolfinum in Prague. As a chamber musician, she has performed at Avery Fisher Hall, Alice Tully Hall, Carnegie Recital Hall, the Summergarden Series at the Museum of Modern Art, Merkin Hall, and concerts with Villa Musica in Germany. Since 1993 she has been a faculty member and performer at the Bowdoin International Music Festival in Maine, and has also performed at Music in the Mountains and the Skaneateles Festival. She studied violin with Josef Gingold at Indiana University where she was awarded the prestigious Performer’s Certificate; with Yfrah Neaman in London as a recipient of the Dame Myra Hess Foundation Trust; and with Joel Smirnoff at the Juilliard School.

Bill Schlitt, percussion: on the percussion faculty at Azusa Pacific University, California State Polytechnic University-Pomona, Concordia University-Irvine, University of Redlands, Vanguard University, and Idyllwild Arts Academy. Currently performs as timpanist and soloist with the Redlands Symphony Orchestra, and as an extra with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra. He has performed under such conductors as Pierre Boulez, Robert Shaw, Christoph Eschenbach, and Esa-Pekka Salonen and premiered a work by composer John Cage. Formerly principal percussionist with Music Theater of Southern California. He is an accomplished percussion educator, clinician, and author. Performance experience includes: recording artist on various motion picture and television films, numerous audio recordings, and freelance percussionist in various ensembles throughout Southern California.

Robin Sharp, percussion: is an active freelance musician and composer in the Los Angeles area. As a youth, Mr. Sharp studied both classical and world percussion at the Idyllwild Arts Academy, winning competitions there and performing as guest soloist with the San Luis Obispo Symphony Orchestra. He attended the Boston University Tanglewood Institute, where he studied with Tom Gauger and Arthur Press of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Sharp has worked with conductors Esa Pekka Solemen, Michael Tilson Thomas, Mehli Mehta, James Conlon, George Mester and has played in the Juilliard Orchestra, New York Youth, American Youth Symphony, Aspen Festival Orchestra and the Riverside Philharmonic. In 1998 he won the California State University Northridge Concerto Competition where he received his Bachelors of Music in 1999. Mr. Sharp received his Masters of Music from the University of Southern California in 2001, and is currently on faculty at the Pasadena City College where he teaches applied percussion.

Dan St. Marseille, saxophone: recordings are heard internationally on jazz radio and have been the subject of articles in such publications as Downbeat, Jazztimes, Los Angeles Times, Japan’s Jazz Critic Magazine, among others. Three of St. Marseille’s CD’s received four star ratings in the third edition of the All Music Guide To Jazz; The Experts Guide To The Best Jazz Recordings. In addition to local and national tours, Dan has performed in Europe, Canada, and many jazz clubs and festivals including a headline performance at the prestigious Coleman Hawkins Festival in Topeka, Kansas. His own composition Claxography, written for the renown jazz photographer William Claxton, was chosen as the title of Claxton’s new book of photographs. Dan’s performance was released in Japan on Toshiba-EMI records on a compilation disc featuring Clifford Brown, Zoot Sims, Art Blakey and others. In May of 2001, Dan was the music director for an international event entitled Clickin’ With Clax at the Los Angeles County Museum Of Art. In April of 1999, he was inducted into the Saddleback Valley School District’s Hall Of Fame which included such other greats as golfer Mark O’Meara and soccer player Julie Foudy. He is also an educator, having presented workshops at major colleges and universities and he maintains a regular teaching studio in Southern California.

Scott Sutherland, tuba: is a native of Los Angeles and primary music arranger for the Presidio Brass, a national touring brass quintet based in San Diego. He earned his Bachelor of Music degree from USC and a Master of Music degree from UCLA. As a soloist, Scott has been featured with the San Diego Symphony, Riverside and Burbank Philharmonic Orchestras and has performed with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Diego Opera, and the New West and Long Beach Symphonies. He is currently on faculty at Palomar College.

Louise Thomas, piano: D.M.A., is director of the Collaborative Arts program at Chapman University. Her responsibilities include coaching vocalists and instrumentalists as well as playing for the nationally-acclaimed Chapman University Choir and Singers and coaching within the opera program.

Jeff Tower; Chairman: BA in Music Education, University of Northern Iowa, MM in Trombone Performance, University of Redlands; Director of Bands at Hemet High School for thirty-one years; played professionally behind such artists as Frank Sinatra, Bob Hope, Ray Charles and many others; instrumental music accomplishments include Downbeat Magazine’s DeeBee Award for best student recordings in the fields of Big Band Jazz and Classical Instrumental; honorary doctorate degree in music from Pacific Western University for musicality and educational accomplishments at the high school level in Southern California.

Virginia Jung-Kim Trent, oboe: BM in performance from Pennsylvania State University. MM, graduated with honors, and currently working on DMA in performance at University of Southern California. Teaching experiences include Penn State University, Penn State Summer Music Festival, master class oboe clinician in several school districts in Houston, TX, judge in Texas All-State and regional competitions, and reed master classes at USC. Orchestral experiences include Pennsylvania Chamber Orchestra, Nittany Valley Symphony, State College Choral Society, and Texas Music Festival. She has won twice at the All-American National Solo Competition. Mrs. Trent wrote a book called The Oboist’s Perspective. It is based on a collection of pedagogical ideas from various teachers she has studied with and research from different schools of oboe philosophy. Her major teachers include Timothy Hurtz, Rudy Vrbsky, Bob Atherholt, Joel Timm, and David Weiss. Apart from oboe, Mrs. Trent also enjoys songwriting. She has performed and worked with Lamont Dozier and Glen Ballard. She is a freelancing musician and soloist in the Los Angeles/Southern California area and teaches a large studio of oboe students ranging in the ages from middle school to college.

Althea Waites, piano: highly acclaimed throughout the United States, Europe and Asia as a soloist and chamber musician. She is a graduate of Yale University School of Music where she studied with Donald Currier, and has also worked with Alice Shapiro and Russell Sherman. Festival appearances include Aspen, Tanglewood and the Yale Summer Festival. Performances include Geneva Conservatory in Switzerland, Wigmore Hall, London and the University of Heidelberg. Her work in Southern California includes several performances at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Japan America Theater, KCET Public Television, Redlands Symphony Orchestra and UCLA’s Schoenberg Hall, as well as recitals, master classes and residencies at college and universities. She is a Steinway artist and records for Cambria Records.

Amanda Walker, clarinet: MFA, UCLA; currently principal clarinet of the Los Angeles Mozart Orchestra where she performed Copland’s Clarinet Concerto on their 1999-2000 series. She has also performed with the Los Angeles Master Chorale, Pacific Symphony, Long Beach Symphony, the Royal and Swedish Ballets, the Los Angeles Music Center Opera Orchestra, and the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra for a recording of Ned Rorem’s works. She has appeared as one of the Los Angeles Mozart Orchestra’s Chamber Musicians and has also participated in the Bach Camerata of Santa Barbara, the Henry J. Bruman Summer Chamber Music series and the Summer Music series at the Getty. She is active in recording for film, freelances and is also in demand as a teacher. Her training in England was at the Royal College of Music where she studied with Thea King. Recordings include Viklarbo’s recent CD release Songs and Romances which can be found on the Raptoria Caam label and the Mozart and Strauss Serenades with the California Philharmonic.

John Walz, cello: A celebrated soloist and chamber music artist, known for his dazzling virtuosity and elegant musicianship. A student of famed French cellist, Pierre Fournier, he has appeared as soloist with more than150 symphony orchestras on four continents. His performances of twenty-five different concertos include both standard showcases and rarities like Martinu’s Concerto #1 and William Schuman’s Song of Orfeus. In 1979, he, along with pianist Edith Orloff, founded the Pacific Trio. Now performing with violinist Roger Wilkie, this renowned ensemble has played more than 900 concerts throughout North America and Europe. In addition to his solo and chamber music duties, he is currently the principal cellist with the Los Angeles Opera, a position he previously held for 20 years with the Long Beach Symphony. His ever expanding discography includes recordings of the concertos by Dvorak, Haydn, Shostakovich, Bloch, Martinu, Vivaldi, and trios by Brahms, Dvorak, Smetana, and the newly released Pacific Trio CD featuring Beethoven’s Triple Concerto and Archduke Trio.

Roger Wilkie, violin: Concertmaster of the Long Beach Symphony, he has also held that position with the Los Angeles Music Center Opera, and the Round Top Festival Orchestra of Texas. He has appeared as soloist with many Orchestras, including the Santa Barbara Chamber Orchestra, Long Beach Symphony, Carmel Bach Festival Orchestra and the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra. He has given solo recitals for the San Luis Obisbo Mozart Festival, Los Angeles County Museum of Art/KUSC-FM broadcasts, Swiss National Radio, and National Public Radio’s Performance Today. His chamber performances have included the Santa Fe, La Jolla, and Mainly Mozart Music Festivals, and the Camerata Pacifica of which he is the Principle violinist. As a founding member of the Angeles String Quartet (1987-1993) he toured throughout North America including New York’s 92nd Street “Y” and recorded an interactive CD/video disc for Voyager Company.

William Wood, bassoon: is a graduate of St. Olaf College with a BA in Music, 1984; private study with Benjamin Kamins and Charles Ullery and the University of Southern California with an MM, in Music Performance, 1987; private study with Michael O’Donovan and master classes with Dorman Herzberg. He has worked as a musician since 1984 in Los Angeles, and appears regularly with the Los Angeles Opera Orchestra, the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, Pasadena Symphony Orchestra, Los Angeles Master Chorale Sinfonia Orchestra, and the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, and is a member of the New West Symphony.

Christoph Wyneken, string coordintor: violin/viola: studied at the conservatories in Berlin, Detmold and Austin, Texas (USA). His work as the concertmaster of the Berlin Radio-Orchestra was followed by further experience with the Berlin Philharmonic and the position of principal concertmaster of the NDR Radio-Orchestra in Hanover, Germany. His performing career has included numerous recordings for radio broadcast, solo concerts and concert tours in Germany and abroad with the Berlin String Trio, the Waldstein Piano Trio and the Orfeo-Chamber Soloists. Many of his former students play in renowned orchestras or study at distinguished conservatories such as the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia and the Musikakademie in Vienna. One of Wyneken’s goals is the instruction and support of extraordinarily gifted young musicians not yet at the conservatory or university level. The stage for his engagement in this area is provided by the State Youth Orchestra of Baden-Württemberg, of which Wyneken has been the artistic director since it’s founding over 30 years ago. Many of his students and the chamber music groups he has coached have received first prizes at the national level of the German youth music competition, Jugend Musiziert. Since 1991, Christoph Wyneken has been an instructor for chamber music at the conservatory in Freiburg and is now also a guest professor at the “Musachino” conservatory in Tokyo, Japan.

David Young, double bass: BM, Eastman School of Music; M.M., D.M.A., University of Southern California. Studies with Oscar Zimmerman, Peter Mercurio, Dennis Trembly. Principal Double Bass, Los Angeles Opera, Long Beach Symphony; many other performing and recording activities. Faculty, University of California-Irvine, California State University-Long Beach. Creator and Founder, String Family Players. Music video producer for children; on-stage narration and conducting for children’s concert audiences.

Youth Arts Center Theatre/Film Faculty _________________________________________

Ira Abrams: Ph.D. & MA degrees in Social Relations/Social Anthropology from Harvard University and a BA in Anthropology from the University of California, Los Angeles. He is currently a faculty member at the Idyllwild Arts Academy where he teaches in the Moving Pictures Department. Abrams is a member of the Producers Guild of America and serves as a Board of Member of CineStory, a national non-profit screenwriter’s organization. He has been a Visiting Professor at the School of Film and Television at Chapman University, Chair and Professor, Department of Film and Video at Columbia College Chicago, IL, Associate Professor and Production Area Head at the Department of Radio-Television-Film at the University of Texas, Austin, a Visiting Professor at the Instituto Tecnologico, Monterrey, Mexico, a faculty member of the International Film and Television Workshops, Oaxaca, Mexico and Rockport Maine, and a Filmmaker in Residence at the University of Manchester, England. He was founder and Director of the USC Center for Visual Anthropology. As a professional filmmaker, Abrams is President of Xaibe Productions, which produces series for broadcast and educational use. He has been the Series Producer of Chicago Tomorrow, WTTW Public Television, Chicago and was awarded an Emmy for his KOCE-TV series Faces of Culture. He has served as executive producer for many educational and documentary films and television productions.

Karina Becker, Karina Becker has been the technical instructor for Acting for the Camera since 2007. She has a Bachelor of Science in Communication from the University of Nebraska at Omaha, and began her career in broadcasting and video production. In addition to editing, she currently works as a foley artist and sound designer in Los Angeles

J. Barrett Cooper, Director: Returning to Idyllwild for his third summer, where last year he directed Pericles, Prince of Tyre. In 2003 he spent the Spring Semester at Idyllwild Arts Academy teaching Shakespeare and Staged Combat and directed A Midsummer Night’s Dream. He is the Producing Artistic Director of The Savage Rose Classical Theatre Company in Louisville. Since last summer Mr. Cooper has directed The Tragicall History of Doctor Faustus, The Two Gentlemen of Verona and All’s Well That Ends Well with Savage Rose, and Timon of Athens with Walden Theatre. Currently Mr. Cooper is also the Curator of Historic Interpretations at The Frazier International History Museum in Louisville, KY where in January 2008 he began the Frazier Sword Guild. He has been the Associate Director at Walden Theatre, a nationally known pre-university training program, where he still teaches and directs. He is a freelance director, fight director and actor. Some of the theatres he has worked with are: Actors Theatre of Louisville, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Pioneer Playhouse, Wayside Theatre, Kentucky Opera, Kentucky Shakespeare Festival, Dallas Shakespeare, Necessary Theatre and has worked Universities and training programs in Kentucky, Virginia, Indiana, and California and taught seminars in Shakespeare and Stage Combat at Hanover University, Wheaton College, Indiana University Southeast and The English Speaking Union. He received his MFA at the University of Alabama/Alabama Shakespeare Festival, MFA/PAT program and his BFA from Southern Methodist University. He has also worked with world renowned fight director John Waller of the Royal Armouries Leeds and the European Historic Combat Guild.

Stephanie Erb, Costumer; After attending SMU’s professional actor training program, Stephanie worked for a season at The Cleveland Playhouse as an actress and also taught dialects, theatre games and scene study to children ages 7-15. She followed her stint in Cleveland with years on the regional theatre circuit, which often involved interacting with student actors and interns. In 1991, she toured the United States with John Houseman’s Acting Company in Two Gentlemen of Verona and Romeo and Juliet and also participated as a teacher in many improv classes offered by The Acting Company all over the country. Upon moving to Los Angeles, Stephanie has made her living acting in television, film, commercials and theatre. She taught voice for several years at various acting schools in Hollywood. She pioneered a program at Roosevelt Elementary School in Burbank to teach Shakespeare to second graders-her concern being that children not be “afraid” of Shakespeare just because it sounds unusual. By the end of the course, the children were writing their own scenes and sonnets and knew more about William Shakespeare than most adults. She hopes to continue work of that nature as it truly made her realize that theatre is a universal language and a great way to communicate with children of all ages. Her full resume can be seen on www.StephanieErb.com.

Alex Gaynor, BFA in Film, Chapman University.

Wendy Girard is an award winning actress, director, producer, and a coach for actors and writers. Her acting credits include Annie Hall, The Incredible Hulk, Magnum, PI, Simon and Simon, MacGruder & Loud, Matt Huston, New Love, American Style, Land’s End and the new Twilight Zone. She starred in TV movies including Outlaws and Home Fires, was featured in On Wings of Eagles, and starred on the series AfterMASH. She has taught acting, and coached actors and writers privately in New York, Washington, DC and Los Angeles. She is also a national voice-over artist. She currently teaches Method Acting and Spolin Improvisation for actors and writers in Palm Springs and at The Indio Performing Arts Center.

Leon Martel, completing an MFA from the University of Iowa, he co-founded the Duck’s Breath Mystery Theater and with them has performed on stage across the country, in three series for National Public Radio, two specials for PBS, and a children’s series for Fox Television. As an actor he has worked many times with Maria Irene Fornes, both in America and in Italy, with writer-director John Steppling, and on film, with directors Alan Rudolph and Jane Anderson. As a director, his experience is eclectic, including “new opera” with Overtone Industries, (String of Pearls in Concert at Carnegie Hall) and Steve Wuyrick-Magic to the Extreme for Sahara Casino in Las Vegas. In more conventional settings (The Matrix Theater, The Met, Theater of NOTE, the 24th Street Theater) he has directed Brecht, Shakespeare, Durang, and numerous original works. He is Director of Performing Arts at New Height Prep in Northridge. As a member of the writing workshop led by Sam Shepard he wrote the award winning one act Hoss Drawin, then for thirteen years worked as a writer, actor, and director at the Padura Hills Festival in Los Angeles. Plays include the award winning Kindling, 1961 El Dorado (co-written with wife Elizabeth Ruscio) Mooncalf, Feed Them Digs, Hard Hat Area, STEEL-John Henry and the Shaker, and Bea(u)tuful in the Extreme. He has written two Orchestral Theater plays for the LA Philharmonic, performed at the Disney Concert Hall, and The Magic of Brother Bear performed at Disney Land-California Adventure. He has been teaching acting and playwriting since 1982, notably for UCLA Extension, the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, and the Strasberg Institutes.

Laurel Ollstein: MFA, UCLA; has been involved in new play development as an actress and playwright for the past fifteen years. She has worked with the Eureka Theatre, One Act Theatre, Berkeley Shakespeare Festival, Main Playwrights Festival and Theatre Rhinocerous. In Minneapolis, she has worked at the Minneapolis Center and the Guthrie Theatre among others. Her one-woman show, Laughter, Hope and a Sock in the Eye, based on the life of Dorothy Parker, has been produced around the country and at the Burbage Theatre in Los Angeles. She has also worked with the critically acclaimed theatre company The Actor’s Gang for the past ten years. Her other plays that have been produced around the country are Prenupt, Pot Roast, Storage Room, Insomniac and Cheese. Laurel currently teaches Playwriting in Los Angeles at Loyola Marymount University and UCLA Extension. In the last ten years she has at least one new play produced per year. Her latest project is the book for the musical OPA! which premiered last summer in New York City at the Midtown Theatre Festival where it was nominated for fourteen awards, including best production and best ensemble.

Pam Pierce, MA in Screenwriting from Stanford University.

Alec Volz, Scene Analysis and Improvisation Instructor: in his eighth season with Walden Theatre in Louisville, KY where he teaches several different styles of improv, as well as acting and technical theatre courses. At Walden he has recently directed, The Two Noble Kinsmen, The Second Shepherd’s Play, Antigone, Holiday, Richard III, As It Is In Heaven, Troilus And Cressida, The Grapes Of Wrath and Language Of Angels. Alec attended the University of Kentucky before touring with a children’s theatre company he co founded. He studied with the Roundabout Theatre Company in New York where he performed in several Off-Off Broadway productions. Alec is co-founder and member of The Louisville Improvisors, Louisville’s longest running theatrical improv company. With L.I., Alec has co written and performed in over twenty revues and sketch comedy shows as well as monthly improv shows. He has performed at the Chicago Improv Festival, The St, Louis Fringe Festival, and for the past eight years hosted a local improv festival Improvapalooza performing with national improv groups such as The Groundlings and The Transformers from Los Angeles. Technical credits include set and prop design for most of Walden’s productions last and this year and production stage manager for The Chicago Improv Festival. He is a Talking Books narrator for The American Printing House For the Blind and is a commercial voice/over actor. Alec is co-author and director of psychobabblish a play about the trials and tribulations of a mentally ill man that has been performed all over the south and Sonny’s House Of Spies that had its world premier at Walden in March of 2008.

Isaac Webb is currently the Chair of the Idyllwild Arts Moving Pictures Department and in development on a supernatural thriller with QED International. Isaac wrote and directed First Born a psychological thriller starring Elisabeth Shue, Steven Mackintosh, and Blair Brown. The film centers on a woman who struggles with postpartum psychosis. First Born is produced by Graham King’s Initial Entertainment Group (Gangs of New York and The Departed) and is being distributed by First Look Films International. Isaac is also Co-Director of Desire, a documentary project that follows the lives of six teenage girls from New Orleans through four years of high school. Desire was aired on PBS. Funders include the National Endowment for the Arts, the Ford Foundation and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. Isaac was chosen as one of eight filmmakers selected for the Sundance 2000 Writer and Director labs for his feature length film, Blackbottom. Isaac has also produced, written and directed several short films that have been recognized by such festivals as the Chicago Film Festival, the Louisiana Video Shorts Festival, and the San Francisco Film Festival. Of special note was The Wedding, which aired nationally on Encore, Bravo, BET and Showtime. He has also written scripts for HBONYC and Universal Studios. Among the numerous individual awards and grants that Isaac has received are the Rockefeller Fellowship, a Kodak Spirit Award, The New Orleans Film Festival Lumiere Award, and a Louisiana Division of the Arts Artist Fellowship. Isaac has been featured in Filmmaker’s Magazine 25 People to Watch and is a member of both the Directors Guild of America and the Writers Guild of America. Isaac earned his baccalaureate degree at Northwestern University.

Youth Arts Center Visual Arts Faculty ___________________________________________

John Brosio: BFA 1991, University of California, Davis. Further studies at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena as well as the George Lucas Industrial Light and Magic facility in California. Brosio has exhibited his paintings in both solo and group shows including Sue Greenwood Gallery in Laguna Beach; and Klaudica Marr Gallery in Sanya Fe, New Mexico. Recently, Mr. Brosio had a retrospective of his work at the National Academy of Sciences Museum in Washington, D.C. and presently teaches at the Laguna College of Art. www.johnbrosio.com

Kristin Coffin: BA in Studio Art, with concentrations in Metalsmithing and Jewelry Design from the University of Vermont. She graduated Summa Cum Laude, first in her major, and was awarded Phi Beta Kappa membership. Ms. Coffin was a goldsmith at the couture Grannis Gallery, one of the premiere art jewelry galleries on the East coast. She has been involved in art education for a decade, and specializes in teaching traditional metalsmithing techniques that have been used for thousands of years. She is currently the metalsmith for the award-wining company, Belle Brooke Designs, located in Los Angeles.

David Delgado is in his final year studying Sculpture at the College of the Arts in Oakland, California. He is well versed in traditional handbuilding techniques and the potter’s wheel for utilitarian and sculptural purposes. This will be David’s fifth year working for the Idyllwild Arts Summer Program.

Richard Godfrey: BFA, 1976, MFA 1978, San Francisco Art Institute. Additional studies at Carnegie Mellon University and Cleveland Art Institute. Mr. Godfrey has been involved in art education over the past twenty years, conducting classes and workshops at the San Francisco Art Institute; Santa Monica Museum of Art, UCLA, LACMA as well as numerous other institutions. His work has been represented in galleries, collections, and museums including Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles (MOCA), Laguna Art Museum, Muse d’Adzak, Paris and recently at the National Foundation of China for the XXIX Olympics in Beijing. His work is represented by L2 Kontemporary in Los Angeles and Patricia Corrica Gallery in Santa Monica. He is a member of the California Art Education Association. www.richardgodfrey.com

Greg Kennedy: BS, Biology, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, National Science Foundation Award for botany and geology studies in the Spring Mountain Range of Clark County Nevada. After graduating with honors in 1972, Greg turned his attention toward ceramics. Since that time, he has been a studio potter and ceramics teacher. His focus and inspiration is mountain topography and is continually charmed by nature. Respectful of traditional pottery, he enjoys meeting with indigenous potters and learning from them during his global travels. This will be Greg’s 26th year of teaching for Idyllwild Arts. His home and studio are located in the coast range of Oregon, where he practices quiteness, authenticity, harmony, and sustainability.

Sarah Lehrer-Graiwer: BA in Art History, Harvard University, MA in Art Criticism and Theory at the Art Center College of Design. Ms. Lehrer-Graiwer was awarded Magna cum laude in Art History and Architecture at Harvard University and graduated Phi Beta Kappa. She has also been granted numerous fellowships in her studies, including the Harvard College Research Program Fellowship, Patricia King Fellowship, and the Linker Grant from the Office of the Arts at Harvard University. Sarah Lehrer-Graiwer is an art critic, curator, and trained draughtswoman based in Los Angeles. She contributes regularly to publications such as Artforum, ArtReview, Artonpaper, ArtSlant, as well as writing for exhibition catalogs. In addition to working on a book on Lee Lorenzo, she is the founding editor of the new journal, Per Talk.

Carrie Meeker: BA in Linguistics, University of California, Berkeley; MA Linguistics, UC Santa Barbara. Carrie returns to her fourth year at Idyllwild, bringing along her experience working with a variety of media including ceramics, watercolors, photography, fiber arts, and the written word. Her work in visual arts have received recognition and awards in public exhibitions.

Eric Metzler: BFA from California State University, Northridge. He has worked with such internationally known photographers as Cole Weston, George Tice and Bruce Barnbaum. Eric’s work has won such competitions as the International Collegiate Photographic Contest and the Nikon-sponsored Maine International Photographic Contest. Eric’s work has been exhibited in galleries in San Diego, La Jolla and New York. Currently he has an image in the Single Image Contest 2009 for B&W Magazine coming out in December of 2008. Eric is a full-time faculty member at the Idyllwild Arts Academy.

Jim Morford: Degrees in Digital Media Arts from and multimedia instructor at Cerro Coso Digital Animation Academy and College of the Sequoias, using Flash, 3ds max, XSI, Adobe Premiere Pro and Adobe Photoshop. He began his graphics career creating the AniMax computer graphics system and has designed graphics and facilities for the environmental field and contributes to the development of the Papervision3D rendering engine and the Blender 3D authoring environment. Jim owns and manages VisualInertia, a studio creating digital, 2D and 3D interactive content for animation and game design and development.

Lyndsay Rice has a BFA from the Univeristy of Wisconsin in Jewelry and Metalsmithing. She is in the process of completing her MFA at the University of Oregon. She has shown her work across the nation. This will be her fourth summer working for the jewelry classes at Idyllwild Arts.

Rachel Welch: graduated from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, receiving a degree in Art and Design with a concentration in Studio Arts. She spent a year at the Accademia Di Belle Arte in Florence, Italy, studying sculpture and drawing. Her artwork has been shown throughout California as well as in Italy.

Youth Arts Center Creative Writing Faculty _______________________________________

Kim Henderson: Session III: MFA, University of Montana. Currently the Creative Writing Department Chair for the Idyllwild Arts Academy, she previously taught Creative Writing and Composition at the University of Montana as well as at the middle school level in Albuquerque and Bloomfield, NM. Her stories have appeared in Conceptions Southwest, and in Night Train Magazine.

Bill Mohr: session I & II; MA and PhD, University of California, San Diego, is an Assistant Professor of English at California State University, Long Beach. He has been on the summer arts faculty at Idyllwild Arts since 1995. His writing has been published in over six dozen magazines and a dozen anthologies, including Best of the Web 2008, Dzanc Books. He has been a featured reader at the Idyllwild poetry festival six times and at Beyond Baroque’s Literary Arts Center in Venice, California a dozen times. Dr. Mohr has been awarded grants to do research at the Huntington Library in San Marino, and in 1996 was a Visiting scholar at the Getty Research Institute in Los Angeles. As the editor and publisher of Momentum Press from 1974-1988, he was awarded four grants from the National Endowment for the Arts. His editorial work included two major anthologies of Los Angeles poets, The Streets Inside (1978) and Poetry Loves Poetry (1985). His first book, Hidden Proofs, appeared in 1982. His most recent collection is Bittersweet Kaleidoscope (If Publications, 2006).

Ed Skoog: (MFA, Creative Writing, University of Montana) is Writer-In-Residence at the Richard Hugo House in Seattle and author of Mister Skylight, a collection of poems (Copper Canyon, 2009) and many stories and poems in literary magazines such as The Paris Review, Poetry Ploughshares, The New Republic, American Poetry Review, and Narrative. He was one of thirteen teachers nationwide nominated for a Distinguished Teacher in the Arts award from the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts in 2005. He has taught creative writing at Tulane University, the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts/Riverfront, and formerly at the Idyllwild Arts Academy.