Timothy Archbold (Cello) is a freelance cellist in the Chicago area. He currently performs with several area orchestras including the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra and Skylight Theater. Archbold grew up in Regional Australia. He received his bachelor’s degree from University of Melbourne. He then went on to complete an Artists Diploma at the Hochschule fur Kunste in Bremen, Germany and his master’s degree at Wichita State University.

Richard Armandi (Bass, Tuba/Euphonium, Jazz Bass) is one of the most versatile and in-demand musicians and educators on the Chicago scene today. As a jazz bassist he has performed with such luminaries as Marion McPartland, Barry Harris, Bobby Shew, David Baker, Jamey Aebersold, Dick Hyman, Scott Hamilton, Carl Fontana and many others, and has performed with such stars as Rosemary Clooney, Bob Newhart, Martin Short, Phyllis Diller, Rich Little and many others. As a tubist he has performed with the Lyric Opera, American Ballet Theater, Grant Park Orchestra, Chicago Brass Quintet, and as featured soloist with the New Philharmonic, Ethos Chamber Orchestra, Concordia University Wind Ensemble, and at the 1992 International Tuba-Euphonium Conference. He has been recorded on many album projects including three with the Maxwell Street Klezmer Band, and on many commercial jingles. He is in constant demand as a bassist and tubist in almost every conceivable musical genre. As an educator he has served on the faculties of College of DuPage (Glen Ellyn, IL), Triton College (River Grove, IL), and Trinity Christian College (Palos Park, IL) teaching bass, low brass, jazz combo and improvisation. He has also served on the faculty of the Jamey Aebersold Summer Jazz Workshops since 1990.

Daniela Folker (Violin), Master of Music Performance, Roosevelt University, Chicago, IL, is the Principal Second Violinist for the Elgin Symphony Orchestra. Additionally, she is violinist with the Chicago Philharmonic, Chicago Sinfonietta, Ravinia Festival Orchestra and Chicago Opera Theater. Daniela has performed with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra and the Lyric Opera of Chicago as well as performed for numerous televised programs including Oprah, Late Night with David Letterman, Soundstage, and with Celine Dion for an NBC Special. She has performed with such artists as Luciano Pavarotti, Andrea Bocelli, Josh Groban, Seal, Natalie Cole, and many others.

David Govertsen (Voice) recently stepped in on short notice at Lyric Opera of Chicago where he “handsomely replaced the ill Peter Rose as the producer La Roche” opposite Rene Fleming and Anne Sophie von Otter in Capriccio. Mr. Govertsen also appeared on short notice as Arkel in Pellas et Melisande with the Chicago Symphony under Esa-Pekka Salonen and as a soloist in James MacMillan’s Quickening with the Grant Park Orchestra.A former member of the Ryan Center at Lyric, his other mainstage assignments have included roles in Die ZauberflA?te, Boris Godunov, Werther, Die Meistersinger von NA?rnberg, Madama Butterfly, and Rom et Juliette. He returns to Lyric this season as the Sprecher in Die ZauberflA?te and Priam in Les Troyens.

Mr. Govertsen recently created the roles of David/Bonobo in Matthew Aucoin’s new opera Second Nature for Lyric Opera Unlimited. Other operatic highlights of the past season include a reprise of La Roche at Santa Fe Opera, 2nd Soldier and 5th Jew in Salome with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, and the title character in Cimarosa’s Il Maestro di Capella with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra. On the concert stage this season he appeared with the Madison Symphony, Fort Wayne Philharmonic, Bach Week Festival, Battle Creek Symphony, and Champaign-Urbana Symphony Orchestra, among others.

Mr. Govertsen made his Carnegie Hall debut in 2011 as the Herald in Otello with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra conducted by Riccardo Muti. He is an alumnus of both the Santa Fe Opera and Central City Opera apprentice programs and holds degrees from Northwestern University, Northern Illinois University and the College of DuPage. Locally in Chicago he has performed dozens of roles, among them the title roles in Don Giovanni, Le Nozze di Figaro, Don Pasquale, and Gianni Schicchi, the Four Villains/Les Contes da Hoffmann, Sarastro/Die ZauberflA?te, Colline/La BohA?me, Basilio and Bartolo/Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Don Magnifico/La Cenerentola, Zaccaria/Nabucco, Sparafucile/Rigoletto, Padre Guardiano/La Forza del Destino, Nick Shadow/The Rake’s Progress, and Friedrich Bhaer/Little Women.

Dr. Steven L. Havens (Piano) earned a Master of Music in piano performance from the University of Texas at Austin, and his PhD from the University of Iowa. Dr. Havens also studied at the Hochschule fA?r Musik [Mozarteum] in Salzburg, Austria as a Rotary International Scholar. Principal areas of academic concentration include piano performance, collaborative piano, and piano pedagogy. Primary instructors include Michael Campbell, Danielle Martin, and Ren Lecuona. Dr. Havens holds membership in Pi Kappa Lambda National Music Honor Society, Phi Kappa Phi National Honor Society, and Phi Eta Sigma National Honor Society. Dr. Havens was selected to participate in the International Festival-Institute at Round Top, Texas, as well as the Vienna International Masterclasses in Austria. He has performed in Austria, Germany, France, England, Belgium, and the Netherlands. He has served on the piano faculty of the University of Iowa All-State Music Camp, has been affiliated with Wheaton College Conservatory of Music, and served as a teaching assistant at the Interlochen Summer Arts Camp in Michigan. Dr. Havens is currently a member of the piano faculty at College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, where he was named one of the outstanding faculty members in 2005. For further information, please visit stevehavens.net

Teaching Philosophy:

“It is my sincere commitment to offer my students all I can to inspire outstanding performance and skill development in a manner that is inviting, accessible, and meaningful. As an instructor of piano, my primary objective lies in helping to foster and cultivate in each of my students his or her highest capacity in confident, expressive, imaginative, and intelligent music making. Success in music study – both in process and outcome – is dependent upon a number of factors, among them: thoughtful planning, effective communication, constructive guidance, creativity, and good humor on the part of both student and instructor.

Over several years of teaching, my students have taken part in a number of solo and concerto competitions. In addition to local and regional contests and events, these include: the Tuesday Morning Music Club Competition, the World Youth Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Youth Concerto Competition. My students have also attended programs such as the Credo Chamber Music Program at Oberlin College, the National Music Camp at Interlochen, and the University of Texas at Austin Summer Workshop for High School Pianists. Students have gone on to distinguished educational institutions such as Northwestern University, Roosevelt University, Elmhurst College, Wheaton College, Michigan State University, and Indiana University, among others.”

Nathan LeMahieu (Organ) currently serves as Organist and Co-Music Director at St. John Lutheran Church in Wheaton, Illinois. He is a Ph.D. candidate in New Testament at Wheaton College and teaches at Wheaton’s School of Biblical and Theological Studies. Prior to moving to Wheaton, Nathan was the Campus Pastor of Christ Church Highland Park, Illinois, a multi-site congregation that he helped to launch in 2011. He has also previously served as the Minister of Music at the First Baptist Church of Oak Park and as an Organ Scholar at the University of Notre Dame’s Basilica of the Sacred Heart.  Nathan holds the Master of Divinity degree from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and the Master of Sacred Music degree from Notre Dame.  He is also a graduate of Northwestern University with degrees in both organ performance and political science.  While in Evanston, he served as Organist at the Alice Millar Chapel and was the Music Director of Canterbury Northwestern.  He has studied with American organists Craig Cramer, Margaret Kemper, and Douglas Cleveland and also with Michael Radulescu and Ullrich Böhme at the Hochschule für Musik und Theatre Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy in Leipzig, Germany.  Nathan has performed in recitals and master classes throughout several states as well as in Germany and the Netherlands and has been the recipient of numerous awards and fellowships.

Carolyn May (Flute) received her bachelors’ degree in Music Education from the University of Illinios-Urbana and her Master of Music from Northwestern University. Ms. May has been principal flutist of New Philharmonic at the College of DuPage since its inception in 1977 and has been a soloist on numerous concerts. She has taught flute lessons at the College of DuPage since 1980 to students from age 7 to age 70! Also an accomplished pianist and accompanist, Mrs. May is a retired band director in School District 102, LaGrange. She also teaches privately at her home in LaGrange, and freelances in the Chicago area.

Marlene Meyer (Voice) earned a Master of Music in vocal performance from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. She is a past winner of the Rose Fae Thomas Competition, the American Opera Society of Chicago Competition, the Union League Emma Roe Competition, and both District and Regional Metropolitan Opera Auditions. She has been a soloist with the Chicago Symphony, the Grant Park Orchestra and Chorus, and the Cleveland Orchestra at the Blossom Festival.

“I believe there should be no barriers to studying voice. I particularly enjoy working with young students just discovering their voice, helping them develop their core skills and helping them prepare auditions to further their studies. I also enjoy working with older students wishing to maintain their skills as they age, or those who are beginners to the joy of singing and wish to supplement their enjoyment of participation in community or church choirs.”

Emi Murata (Piano), MM, NCTM has taught Class Piano, Keyboard Kapers and offered private instruction at the College of DuPage since 1991. She enjoys teaching a diverse population, including children as young as age 3, college majors, as well as retirees. Ms. Murata focuses on her students unique and individual needs, whether they are taking lessons for leisure, for more serious study, or choosing a career in music. Competition winners, students who have limited time to practice, as well as those who have specific goals or special needs, have found success in her studio. Ms. Murata believes that good communication is a major key to success and works towards giving her students experience in a variety of musical styles and genres.

Over 39 years experience teaching piano, theory, sight singing and ear training to all ages and abilities, Ms. Murata served on the faculty in institutions such as Columbia College, College of DuPage, and Sherwood Conservatory. Equally adept at instructing beginner through college levels, Ms. Murata also has a private studio in Oak Park, and is an experienced clinician, has published articles, and enjoys presenting master classes throughout Illinois. An avid spokesperson on the benefits of ensemble playing, her students have performed in this capacity at state and national levels.

Ms. Murata made her debut at age sixteen as concerto soloist with the Elmhurst Symphony Orchestra. She earned her B.S. in Mathematics and Computer Science, with distinction in Music from University of Illinois at Chicago, and received her Masters of Music in Piano Performance at University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana. In addition to performing as a soloist, Ms. Murata is a member of the Murata Piano Trio, Piano à la Quartette and co-organizes the Glorious Grands: A Piano Extravaganza!!!, an 8 Steinway grand piano concert held here at COD’s McAninch Arts Center, and at Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s Symphony Center for their Keys To The City Piano Festival.

Emi Murata is an active member of several performing and educational organizations. Former president of both Musicians Club of Women and Salt Creek Music Teachers Association (awarded Music Teachers National Association’s 2011 Local Association of the Year), she was voted Member of the Year by her colleagues at Chicago Area Music Teachers Association as well as Salt Creek Music Teachers Association, and was chosen to be a 2014 MTNA Foundation Fellow, a distinction held only by two other SCMTA members in the Foundation’s 20 year history.

Emi’s passion for teaching is evident, as her students travel from as far as Michigan to study with her, and stay active in her studio for many years. Emi is looking forward to working with you and your individual learning style and catering to your unique needs.

Elizabeth Murphy (Voice), Lyric Soprano, has been a member of the College of DuPage music faculty since 1994. Throughout her tenure, Ms. Murphy’s educational excellence has been recognized on a number of occasions; these include her appointment as the COD Music Department’s first lecturer, and her being named an Outstanding Faulty Member by the College at large.

Elizabeth appreciates being part of COD’s collaborative fine art community, welcoming diversity and enriching all creative potential. She appreciates the opportunity to develop meaningful connections with her students helping many keep music in their lives, no matter their major. She is dedicated to adapting/teaching classes that are inclusive, facilitating the success of students at all levels. She is very proud to have helped establish the Music Department’s newest student club last year, The Songwriters Club. She continues as its adjust faculty advisor.

With more than 25 years of teaching experience, Elizabeth has maintained a varied portfolio of educational involvement. Examples of such include: establishment of a large and diverse private voice studio, musical direction of musicals, adjudication of music festivals, and invited clinician for voice ensembles. More recently, Elizabeth has been working with Drs. Robert Bastian and Brent Richardson as a referred vocal health specialist.

Ons tage, Elizabeth’s performing includes both Classical and Theatrical credits and has been featured in The Britten Pears Festival (Aldeburgh, England), the Chautauqua Institution (Chautauqua, New York), and The Blossom Festival (Cleveland, Ohio). Locally, she has also performed with Chicago Opera Theater, DuPage Opera Theater, Illinois Opera for the Young, Light Opera Works, and has soloed with several regional orchestras.

Timothy Omerod (Woodwinds) started his musical career playing sax at the age of nine. He earned a Master of Music in bassoon performance from Northwestern University, in Evanston Illinois, where he studied under Wilbur Simpson from the Chicago Symphony. He started teaching in high school, continued through college, has taught at the College of DuPage since 1996 and in the westerns suburbs of Chicago since 1983. He studied sax, flute, clarinet, and oboe from professional performers in the Chicago area. He is a member of the National Flute Association, as well as the American Federation of Musicians, Chicago Local.

His playing experience has covered a broad spectrum: principal bassoon with the Fox Valley Symphony; sax, flute, keyboards, and vocals in top forty bands across the Midwest; Naperville Chamber Winds; Willowcreek church in Barrington Illinois; and shows, jazz, studio work, and jobbing dates around Chicago as a woodwind doubler, since 1983.

Also a composer, Mr. Omerod has written original middle school level solos for sax, flute, clarinet and oboe, where they are performed in competition each year. He also writes original music and lyrics for pop and contemporary religious genres.

As a doubler, Mr. Omerod understands the concerns of playing various woodwinds. He has experience across the entire spectrum of styles. He has successfully taught every age level for many years. He believes that playing is a passion that can always remain enjoyable, while instilling discipline and organizational ethics to insure progress.

Steve Ramsdell (Guitar) earned a Bachelor of Music in guitar performance and a Master of Music in jazz pedagogy, both from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. He performs commercial music, original music as a leader, jazz classics, and solo classical music. Some highlights include New Year’s Eve celebrations at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, Steve’s Looking ForCD release party at SPACE in Evanston, performances with Spider Saloff at the Iridium in New York, and shows with Matt Geraghty at Ondojazz in Lisbon and the Chicago Jazz Fest. Steve’s musical arrangements can be heard on Spider Saloff’s CD Like Glass, while his original compositions appear on his release Looking For and his first CD Steve Ramsdell Group. Steve has taught private guitar lessons and leads guitar ensembles at College of Dupage since 1994, and has also taught at Wheaton College since 1998. Mr. Ramsdell enjoys working with all levels and strives to help students develop the skills needed to pursue their musical goals.

Dr. Karol Sue Reddington (Piano)

has performed and held faculty and administrative positions locally, nationally and internationally, as in Hong Kong, China, Japan, Thailand and European and Russian centres. Dr. Reddington’s 2002 Carnegie Hall debut, at Weill Concert Hall (NYC), was shared with Swiss violinist/colleague, and Beijing’s Conservatory faculty member, Mathias Boegner. As a member of the COD piano faculty, Karol Sue was awarded a College of DuPage Liberal Arts Faculty Grant for the lecture-performance of O. Messiaen, a composer also highlighted in her Paris American Cathedral artist series performance. Always In support of current new composers are her performances of local composers.

Receiving the Doctor of Musical Arts performance degree in piano and literature from the College Conservatory of Music, University of Cincinnati, Dr. Reddington’s work includes study, inspiration and coaching with Eugene & Elisabeth Pridonoff, Marion Hall MacFayden, Soulima Stravinsky, Alfonso Montecino, Hans Graf, Rafael de Silva, and Gaby Casadesus. She has also coached with Menahem Pressler of the Beaux Arts Trio, James Tocco, the Tokyo String Quartet, the Quatuor Via Nova de France, and the IRCAM Ensemble Contemporain de France. As director/artistic director/faculty in a decade of service in Bermuda’s music institutions, she initiated the establishment of the international chamber music series Some Enchanted Evening.

In addition to having served as a Piano Examiner of Canada’s Royal Conservatory of Music, she has participated as judge/adjudicator/master-class presenter for competitions and festivals of the Chicago area. Dr. Reddington was awarded the west suburban Illinois Music Teachers Association’s 2014 Outstanding Member of the Year.  Dr. Reddington recently served as adjudicator for the Macau 2019 Near-East Asia Pacific Young Pianist Competition, and also as adjudicator for the 2020 DuPage Symphony Orchestra Young Artist Competition.

Maintaining an active private studio, her students have been awarded inclusion in numerous festivals and competitions, including the Cairn-Maling Piano Competition of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the DuPage Symphony Orchestra Young Artist Competition, local concerto competitions, the National Music Camp of Interlochen and scholarship acceptance into professional college and university studies. Dr. Reddington is current Director of the Berkley-Pendell Piano Scholarship Competition, a recognised youth competition of the western Chicago suburban area.

With immense respect, consideration, encouragement and mentoring of all those with diverse levels of music interest and experience, the mutual goal is profoundly individual for each student, and dedicated towards a life-time of enjoyment, personal development, and progress, developed through the sharing within this amazing discovery.

Dave Rice (Jazz Piano) began studying piano at age 6, and has played professionally since age 16. After playing in bands and singing in choir and music productions through school, he received a Bachelor of Arts in Music Education from SIU Carbondale. Dave traveled on the road extensively through the 70’s and 80’s. In 1992 Dave began touring with Otis Rush. He has toured Europe, Asia, and North and South America with Otis Rush. On those tours he played shows with Ko Ko Taylor, Lonnie Brooks, Ronnie Baker Brooks, and Luther Allison. He has warmed up for artists such as George Benson, Buddy Guy, Pearl Jam, Jimmy Page, Herbie Hancock, and Robert Plant. Dave received a Master of Music degree from VanderCook College of Music in Chicago. He released an album in the 1990’s called Locution. The title track is in video form on his website (www.davericeproductions.com). He also has played with Donna Lori, the Cryan Shames, Gloria Newlun, Bobbi Wilsyn, Carlos Johnson , Pistol Pete, Dan Hayes Orchestra, Buddy Rich Band and many others. Dave has written a book Improvisation on the ii-V-I and Blues progressions. Dave teaches in the Valley View School District in Bolingbrook/ Romeoville and at College of Dupage, and plays music full time. Most recently he has organized and runs an open jazz jam session at Shanahan in Woodridge on Thursday nights. He continues to play nightly throughout the Indiana, Illinois, and Wisconsin areas. The schedule of where Dave is appearing is also on his website.

Dr. Andrew Rozsa (Trombone) is Lecturer in Trombone at College of DuPage and Illinois Wesleyan University. Previously, he was a member of Orchestra Iowa and the Dubuque Symphony Orchestra.

He has performed as a substitute with the Des Moines Symphony, Orchestra Iowa, Montreal Symphony, Thunder Bay (Ontario) Symphony, Elgin Symphony, Northwest Indiana Symphony, Illinois Philharmonic, Illinois Symphony, New Philharmonic Orchestra, Rockford Symphony, Elmhurst Symphony, Kenosha Symphony, Wheeling Symphony, and the Lira Ensemble. He has also been a member of the Ohio Light Opera orchestra and the American Wind Symphony Orchestra.

An active educator, Andrew has served on the faculty of McGill University, McGill Conservatory, and numerous high schools in the suburban Chicago area before joining the College of DuPage faculty.He continues to teach at the high school level as well, at Palatine High School in Palatine, IL.

As a composer, his works have been premiered by the Cleveland Chamber Symphony and the Albuquerque City Schools string program, among others.

Dr. Rozsa also holds performance degrees from McGill University, DePaul University, and the Cleveland Institute of Music; he also holds a composition/theory degree from Baldwin-Wallace College-Conservatory of Music. His major trombone teachers were Doug Bennett, Allen Kofsky, Thomas Klaber, Charles Vernon, Mark Fisher, Floyd Cooley, James Box, and Pierre Beaudry. He studied composition with Dan Adams, James Feldman, and Loris Chobanian. He was also a participant at the 2011 Alessi Seminar.

Dr. Thomas Sergey (Guitar and other fretted stringed instruments) teaches students of all ages and skill levels and in all guitar styles. He is as passionate teaching beginners as he is working with advanced musicians. Using traditional, Suzuki, and other teaching methods, Dr. Sergey adapts his teaching style to the individual goals, learning style, skill level, and temperament of each student. His passion for teaching is inspired by seeing his students succeed, whether in a weekly lesson or on the concert stage.

Dr. Sergey has years of professional music experience. As a performer, he has concertized nationally and worldwide, both as a classical and jazz guitarist, and his experience as a music educator includes teaching at McHenry College, Roosevelt University, and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign as well as the College of DuPage. Dr. Sergey has also served as a clinician and music competition adjudicator, and as a composer his music is regularly performed at guitar and contemporary music conferences and festivals.

Dr. Sergey holds music degrees from Northern Illinois University, the University of Miami, and Boston University, where he earned his doctorate. He is also trained in the Suzuki method of music teaching and curriculum. Dr. Sergey is a Nationally Certified Teacher of Music (NCTM) by the Music Teachers National Association and a nationally recognized guitar teacher by the Guitar Foundation of America.

Julie Spring (Harp) Even before she entered this world, Julie Spring was destined for the harp. Her mother was quoted as saying that her children would learn to play the harp when Julie was still in the womb! So it was that Julie and her siblings all took lessons while growing up outside Chicago. Eventually, Julie’s path took her to Eastman School of Music and further to Roosevelt University’s Chicago College of Performing Arts, where she earned her Master’s Degree in Orchestral Studies.

Since that time, Julie has lived in numerous places and had the joy of playing with some of the world’s most prestigious orchestras, including holding the title of Principal Harp with the Toronto and Hartford Symphony Orchestras as well as the Civic Orchestra of Chicago. While Julie cherished the opportunities to play with these orchestras and playing as a guest with the Chicago Symphony, Lyric Opera Orchestra of Chicago and Grant Park Symphony, she finds a persistent calling to teach.

Outside of the standard private lesson studio in her home, Julie has taught as a sabbatical replacement at her alma mater, Eastman School of Music, as well as Harp faculty at Gordon College, Boston, and Concordia University, Chicago. While her own, grueling practice hours at the harp are treasured, she takes immense pride in the growth and accomplishments of her students.

In 2016, through common musical connections, she met and joined the Chicago Harp Quartet, “the quartet that put harp quartets on the map!” (Harp Column, 2018). With CHQ, Julie has toured domestically and internationally, and released “Dance Sketches,” the quartet’s sophomore album with 5 world premier works for harp quartet.

Julie’s harp-roadie-in-training is her son, Dax, who turned 7 this year. You can find them playing a duet on piano or harp just as easily as they discuss Transformers or Legos. Julie will warn you that her son’s blonde curls are deceptively angelic, though he is always willing to help move a bench or stand for musicians in need!

Andrew Szymanek, (Trumpet) a versatile trumpeter hailing from the Chicago area, enjoys a multifaceted musical career spanning genres that range from big band jazz to chamber ensembles and symphony orchestras to brass quintets. Andrew’s remarkable adaptability to the nuances of each musical style makes him a sought-after guest soloist in diverse musical programs. He presently holds the position of Adjunct Instructor of Trumpet at the College of DuPage while also managing a private studio. He gained acclaim as a professional trumpet player and soloist with the Air Force Regional Bands, performing extensively across the Midwest. Notable highlights include a Taps solo with the Kansas City Symphony, captivating an audience of over 50,000 and millions more on PBS. Beyond his military service, Andrew has performed as a substitute and extra at the Lyric Opera of Chicago and served as an Associate Member of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago. His trumpet playing has also been heard on the jazz scene alongside ensembles such as the renowned Pete Ellman and Rob Parton Big Bands. Moreover, his dedication to music education has seen his students excel in prestigious ensembles including ILMEA All-State festivals as well as the Chicago and Naperville Youth Symphonies. He holds degrees in Trumpet Performance from Northern Illinois University and DePaul University. Andrew currently resides in the Chicago suburbs with his wife, daughter, and dog, where music remains an integral part of their lives.

Cynthia Trowbridge (Piano) performs as a collaborative pianist in recitals and competitions throughout the Chicago area.  A member of the piano faculty at the College of DuPage, she teaches private and class piano and serves as staff accompanist.  Cindy also does extensive work as an accompanist for vocal and instrumental studios and recitals at Wheaton College.  She is the principal pianist for Credo Flute summer festival, and has been the pianist for DuPage Opera Theater and music director for Wheaton College’s Opera Music Theater program.  Cindy has been featured as a collaborative pianist in several  WFMT live broadcasts, and recently performed with British composer and flutist Ian Clarke in concerts of his works.

Ms. Trowbridge holds a Master of Music from Indiana University, where she was a student of  Menahem Pressler, and a Bachelor of Music from DePauw University.  She studied at the Austro-American Institute in Vienna, Austria, and has performed in Austria and England.

Paulette Velazquez (French Horn) holds a Bachelor of Music in horn performance from the University of Illinois and a Master of Music in horn performance from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Before settling in Chicago, Paulette was principal horn of La Filarmonica de Jalisco for two years, located in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. Paulette’s principal teachers include A. David Krehbiel, former principal horn San Francisco Symphony, and Dan Gingrich, principal Chicago Symphony. Paulette is an active freelance musician playing regularly with Elgin Symphony, Chicago Sinfonietta, Joffery Ballet, the New Philharmonic and at various theaters in Chicago. Paulette is a member of the applied faculty at Lewis University and the Saint Xavier University as well as The College of DuPage. She also maintains a very active private teaching schedule teaching students from the Joliet, Lockport, Frankort and Plainfield area schools. Since students all have different learning styles, Ms. Velazquez constantly looks for new ways to explain musical ideas and tries to reach every student by whatever means possible. Although some students may only achieve the basic level of enjoying music while others may attain a high level of understanding, Ms. Velazquez believes that all levels of musicianship are important to our society.

Ben Wahlund (Percussion) is a Grammy nominated, award-winning music educator, composer, and performer who lives in the Chicago area. Wahlund serves as the director of percussion at the College of DuPage and is a full-time instructor at the Northern Illinois University School of Music. He performs in ¡The Screaming Norwegians! Percussion Duo, the Naper Chamber Players, is a member of the Yamaha Performing Artist roster, the Zildjian Artist Program and endorses Innovative Percussion Sticks and Mallets. Mr. Wahlund’s musical compositions have won numerous awards and are performed around the world.

Ann Field Williams (Voice) earned a Master of Music in vocal performance from the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, under the tutelage of Susan Clickner, Terry Decima and John Moriarty. She has been a member of the College of DuPage voice faculty since 1998, and is a member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing.

An accomplished performer and a passionate advocate for the art song, Ms. Williams is active in recital, chamber and church music. She has been a featured soloist with regional choruses and opera companies, including DuPage Chorale, New Classic Singers and various roles with Opera North (Vermont), Dallas Lyric Opera and DuPage Opera Theatre. Prior chamber performances have been with the Blossom School of Music (Ohio) and Applehill Center for Chamber Players (New Hampshire).

Ms. Williams has a gift for understanding each student’s needs and providing them with a better understanding of their own voice and its potential, through an enduring technique which encompasses breathing, diction, and execution of text. Her knowledge and experience allows her to instill confidence, professionalism, and a strong work ethic in her students, whether beginning vocal studies or building upon an established vocal foundation.