Meet the Music Faculty
The Westmont Music Faculty blend their deep faith with musical artistry, guiding students to discover God’s creativity through music.
"There’s a sort of joy in being able to communicate with precision, contribute and bring depth to a certain field. The tradition of music, not just in the West, but around the world, is incredibly rich, including how it relates to the church and how God has created the world and wants us to experience it."
— Daniel Gee, D.M.A., Assistant Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities
Steve Butler, D.M.A.
Dr. Steve Butler, an ASCAP award-winning composer, teaches music theory, composition, orchestration, and form and analysis. He earned his Doctor of Musical Arts in composition from the University of South Carolina. Sunhawk Corp. in Seattle publishes his works, which have been staged across the United States and in Europe. He has received funding from arts organizations such as the American Composers Forum, the Esperia Foundation, the County Arts Council of Santa Barbara, the Contemporary Arts Forum, the Richard/Lexington County Arts Council, and the South Carolina Arts Commission.
Daniel Gee, D.M.A.
Daniel Gee is Assistant Professor of Music at Westmont College, where he serves as Director of Choral Activities. Under his leadership, the Westmont College Choir and Chamber Singers perform both locally and abroad, including at Westmont's annual Christmas Festival at the Granada Theatre. Gee directs the Santa Barbara Youth Symphony, and has served as Assistant Conductor of the Long Beach Symphony.
Han Soo Kim, D.M.A.
Violinist Han Soo Kim is an award-winning and internationally accomplished artist who has performed to critical acclaim in numerous countries on four continents. He has been praised by many audiences around the world for his passion, sensitivity and charisma. His playing is described as a "musical gift of rare beauty" The Korea Times. He performs a diverse mix of musical styles ranging from the standard works to avant-garde contemporary repertoire.
Ruth Lin, D.M.A.
Dr. Ruth Lin conducts the Westmont College Orchestra and serves as the Music department chair. Dr. Lin is an award-winning teacher and works with orchestras and conductors from around the country and around the world. She has presented at the College Orchestra Director Association Conference, and has co-authored an article for Association of Lutheran Church Musicians magazine, In Tempo. She earned her bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate degrees from Northwestern University in Evanston, IL.
Zig Reichwald, Ph.D.
Siegwart “Zig” Reichwald teaches music history and serves on the Chapel team at Westmont College. He holds a B.M. in Organ Performance from the University of South Carolina and an M.M. in Conducting and a Ph.D. from the Florida State University.
Active Faculty by Instrument
Brass
David Etterbeek, Trumpet | David Etterbeek’s musical journey began as a preteen playing sold-out venues at jazz festivals across the U.S. and Canada. At 17, he was the youngest of three U.S. trumpet finalists selected in the nationwide Seventeen Magazine/General Motors Concerto Competition. As a college student he was personally chosen by Adolph Herseth to perform separate seasons with the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, where he was later awarded the prestigious Sudler Prize as the orchestra’s most outstanding member. Mr. Etterbeek has appeared as a soloist with the Michigan Chamber Orchestra, Green Bay Symphony, Getty Museum Chamber Music Series, Colburn Chamber Music Society, Channel Islands Chamber Music Society, and Jacaranda: Music at the Edge. He regularly performs with top ensembles throughout Southern California, including the Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Diego Symphony, and New West Symphony. His artistry has been shaped by a distinguished roster of teachers including Kurt Pearsall, Ed Higgins, Ray Mase, Vincent Cichowicz, Adolph Herseth, Boyde Hood, and Don Green. He holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Northwestern University and a Master of Music degree from the University of Southern California. David lives in Burbank with his wonderful wife Brenda and their two children, Gavin and Chloe. |
Eric Heidner, Trombone, Tuba | Eric C. Heidner is in his sixteenth year as the Director of Bands at Santa Barbara City College, where he directs both the SBCC Concert Band and the "Good Times" Jazz Ensemble. He holds a B.M. in trombone performance from UCSB, as well as an M.A. in musicology. He earned his teaching credential from Westmont College in 1997, and has been teaching trombone there since 2008. As a professional brass instrumentalist, he has worked with such greats as Doc Severinsen, Clark Terry, Alex Iles, Andy Martin, Bill Reichenbach, and Bill Watrous. He also leads the SBCC Trombone Choir, an ensemble made up of trombonists from SBCC, UCSB, Westmont, and the greater Santa Barbara community. |
Stephen Hughes, Trombone, Tuba | Stephen Hughes currently teaches private trombone lessons at Westmont College. Originally from Rochester, New York, Stephen is in his fifth year as the music teacher at La Colina Junior High School. Before coming to Santa Barbara, he earned his B.M in trombone performance at Oberlin Conservatory (studying with Jame DeSano), as well his M.A. in teaching at the Longy School of Music of Bard College, in Los Angeles. Stephen's has taught and played around the world, from the Bronx, NY to the Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles, to El Sistema El Salvador. As a brass professional, has shared the stage with such artists as Gustavo Dudamel and Barbara Morrison, and played at venues like the Santa Barbara Bowl and the Eastman Theatre. |
Preston Shepard, French Horn | Preston Shepard is an active free-lance hornist in the Los Angeles area. Preston has performed with Los Angeles Opera, Long Beach Symphony, Santa Barbara Symphony, Opera Santa Barbara, San Bernardino Symphony, Redlands Symphony, Riverside Philharmonic, Pacific Opera Project, Los Angeles Symphony, Los Angeles Jewish Symphony, and many others around the Greater Los Angeles area. He has also recorded on numerous feature films and television shows such as Geostorm, Inhumans, The Nun, Blood and Treasure, Untold, Homecoming Season 2, Star Trek : Lower Decks, Star Trek: Picard, Star Trek: Discovery, The Orville, and Solar Opposites, as well as for video game projects such as Fortnight, Overwatch and League of Legends. Preston is also the professor of horn at The Master's University. |
Composition
Dr. Steve Butler, Composition | Dr. Steve Butler, an ASCAP award-winning composer, teaches music theory, composition, orchestration, and form and analysis. He earned his Doctor of Musical Arts in composition from the University of South Carolina. Sunhawk Corp. in Seattle publishes his works, which have been staged across the United States and in Europe. He has received funding from arts organizations such as the American Composers Forum, the Esperia Foundation, the County Arts Council of Santa Barbara, the Contemporary Arts Forum, the Richard/Lexington County Arts Council, and the South Carolina Arts Commission. |
Ensemble Directors
Andrea Di Maggio, Flute Choir, Wind Chamber | Westmont College adjunct flute professor since 2012, Andrea has implemented a flute choir and woodwinds chamber music program at Westmont College, which is open to all serious flute students, as well as other wind players. Additionally she serves as the recruiter for the Winds/Brass departments and loves to work with Music and College Admissions to find excellent new students for the Westmont Music Program. Andrea regularly performs in Westmont faculty recitals, as well as ensembles in the south coast community; she is a regular participant in the concert series for the Santa Barbara Music Club and is a frequent substitute player for the Santa Barbara Symphony. She also maintains a competitive private flute studio and is the flute section coach for the Santa Barbara Youth Symphony. |
Dr. Daniel Gee, College Choir, Chamber Singers | Daniel Gee is Assistant Professor of Music at Westmont College, where he serves as Director of Choral Activities. Under his leadership, the Westmont College Choir and Chamber Singers perform both locally and abroad, including at Westmont's annual Christmas Festival at the Granada Theatre. Actively and equally engaged in both choral and orchestral worlds, Gee directs the Santa Barbara Youth Symphony, and has served as Assistant Conductor of the Long Beach Symphony. Gee received his Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music. A proud Westmont alumnus of 2013, Gee was a Monroe Scholar and graduated as First Senior, with departmental honors in both music composition and philosophy. |
Dr. Ruth Lin, Orchestra | Dr. Ruth Lin conducts the Westmont College Orchestra and serves as the Music department chair. Dr. Lin is an award-winning teacher and works with orchestras and conductors from around the country and around the world. Dr. Lin was one of the ten Conducting Fellows at the Juilliard Conducting Workshop for Music Educators. Dr. Lin performed as a Debut Conductor with the National Symphony Orchestra as part of the National Conducting Institute where she had the opportunity to work with Maestro Leonard Slatkin and led the National Symphony Orchestra in concert. Internationally, Dr. Lin has conducted the Xiamen Philharmonic in Xiamen, China, and the Musica Sinfonietta in Penang, Malaysia. |
Dr. Paul Mori, Chamber Orchestra, Wind Chamber | Dr. Paul Mori '77 has served as musical director of the Rainier Symphony (1996-2001) and as the music director of the Bainbridge Orchestra and the Rainier Youth Symphony. He has also appeared as guest conductor for various orchestras, including the Northwest Mahler Festival Orchestra and the Huntington Chamber Orchestra (a professional orchestra in West Virginia). At Westmont he teaches bassoon, conducts the Wind Ensemble, and coaches chamber ensembles. |
Music History and World Music
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Dr. Steve Butler, World Music | Dr. Steve Butler, an ASCAP award-winning composer, teaches music theory, composition, orchestration, and form and analysis. He earned his Doctor of Musical Arts in composition from the University of South Carolina. Sunhawk Corp. in Seattle publishes his works, which have been staged across the United States and in Europe. He has received funding from arts organizations such as the American Composers Forum, the Esperia Foundation, the County Arts Council of Santa Barbara, the Contemporary Arts Forum, the Richard/Lexington County Arts Council, and the South Carolina Arts Commission. |
Dr. Zig Reichwald, World Music | Siegwart “Zig” Reichwald teaches music history and serves on the Chapel team at Westmont College. He holds a B.M. in Organ Performance from the University of South Carolina and an M.M. in Conducting and a Ph.D. from the Florida State University. Over the past 20 years, Dr. Reichwald’s research and teaching has advanced increasingly towards exploring the crevices between the siloed approaches to spirituality and an anachronistic division of sacred and secular spaces in 19th century music. Much of his current research focuses on Mendelssohn’s sacred music within the context of the theology of Friedrich Schleiermacher, the politics of Restoration-era Prussia, and the rise of German nationalism. Prior to his appointment at Westmont, Dr. Reichwald taught at Converse University and Palm Beach Atlantic University. |
Music Theory
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Dr. Steve Butler, Music Theory | Dr. Steve Butler, an ASCAP award-winning composer, teaches music theory, composition, orchestration, and form and analysis. He earned his Doctor of Musical Arts in composition from the University of South Carolina. Sunhawk Corp. in Seattle publishes his works, which have been staged across the United States and in Europe. He has received funding from arts organizations such as the American Composers Forum, the Esperia Foundation, the County Arts Council of Santa Barbara, the Contemporary Arts Forum, the Richard/Lexington County Arts Council, and the South Carolina Arts Commission. |
Percussion
Daniel La France, Percussion | Daniel La France is a performer and educator based in Burbank, California. He is a freelance percussionist, performing with orchestras across Southern California, including the West Coast Symphony, American Youth Symphony, Colburn Symphony, and the Downey Symphony. As an educator, he has coached drum lines at Pasadena City College, the University of California, Los Angeles, and currently coaches at Crescenta Valley High School. He began his orchestral percussion studies at Pasadena City College under instructors Robin Sharp and Nicholas Stoup. He is a graduate of California State University, Northridge where he studied under John Magnussen, winning the 2015 concerto competition at the university. He recently completed graduate studies at UCLA, where he studied under Theresa Dimond, Gregory Goodall, and Raynor Carroll. |
Piano and Organ
Erin Bonski-Evans, Collaborative Pianist | Erin Bonski-Evans, D.M.A. (ABD) is a prolific pianist and pedagogue. She is recognized nationally and internationally for her work as a collaborative artist and teacher, and has held collaborative artist positions at Interlochen, Oberlin Baroque Performance Institute, Toledo Opera Association and Bowling Green State University. Locally, she has accompanied for Music Academy of the West, Opera Santa Barbara, and Santa Barbara Master Chorale, and coached and accompanied for Ensemble Theatre Company. In addition to Westmont, Erin has been teaching at Santa Barbara City College for ten years, and currently serves as the Minister of Music at First Presbyterian Church. She has recorded the piano works of Dr. Earl Louis Stuart, and has published pedagogical articles in American Music Teacher Magazine. |
Jim Connolly, Piano Technician | James Connolly is a Registered Piano Technician with training from Steinway and Sons, Yamaha, and more than 25 years of experience. Clients include The Lobero Theater, The Music Academy of The West, The Granada Theater, Westmont College, The Santa Barbara Bowl, and Steinway’s Concert and Artist division. As well as providing high quality tuning and repair for the home, concert stage, and recording studio he maintains a full piano rebuilding facility in downtown Santa Barbara known as The Piano Kitchen. Jim is an active performing musician and is a member of the Piano Technicians Guild. The PTG certifies Registered Piano Technicians through a series of rigorous examination designed to test their skill in tuning, regulation and repair. Those capable of performing these tasks up to a recognized worldwide standard receive RPT certification. |
Neil Di Maggio, Collaborative Pianist | Neil Di Maggio, pianist and teacher, enjoys a full and diverse dual career as an active performer and teacher and as Director of Research in College Advancement at Westmont College. He earned a bachelor’s degree in piano performance (summa cum laude) from San Jose State University, where he studied with Beethoven scholar, Dr. Alfred Kanwischer. His Master of Music degree in piano performance is from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music where he studied under master teacher Mack McCray. Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara with renowned collaborative artist and professor, Anne Epperson resulted in a second Master of Music degree, this time in collaborative piano. His other major influential instructors are Yael Weiss and Betty Oberacker, and Laurette Goldberg (harpsichord). Neil’s professional work has taken him from California to Phoenix to New York City, and he enjoys a busy musical career of chamber and solo performances, collaborating with faculty from Westmont College, Santa Barbara City College, and UC Santa Barbara. He serves as pianist for Westmont’s College Choir, and makes guest appearances with a variety of local groups including Santa Barbara Strings, Sonos 5 Winds and the West Coast Symphony Orchestra. Neil’s students are scholarship recipients from the Music Teachers’ Association of California, the Santa Barbara Music Club, and the Performing Arts Scholarship Foundation, and he serves on the piano faculty with the Westmont Academy for Young Artists (WAYA). |
Dr. Egle Januleviciute, Instructor of Piano | Egle Januleviciute was born in Lithuania, into family of professional musicians. She holds the Diploma with Highest Honors from Academy of Music of Lithuania, Vilnius, Master of Music in Piano Performance degree from Bowling Green State University, OH, and Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Piano Performance from University of California Santa Barbara. Learn more about Egle at http://www.eglej.com |
Thomas Joyce, Instructor of Organ | Thomas Joyce, DMA, is Minister of Keyboard Music (organ, piano, harpsichord) at Trinity Episcopal Church, a vibrant parish in downtown Santa Barbara. He also teaches organ as an adjunct instructor at Westmont College and faculty accompanist/associate choral director at Santa Barbara City College. Thomas offers private lessons in piano, organ, voice, and musicianship, and is active in the Santa Barbara community as a keyboard accompanist and collaborative artist. |
Hyo Jin Lee, Collaborative Pianist | Starting her professional debut at age 13 with Seoul Sinfonietta, Pianist Hyo Jin Lee has performed widely to critical acclaim throughout the United States, France, Australia and Korea. She performed in concertos with the W Philharmonic, Korean Symphony, Gangnam Symphony, Korea Senior Symphony, Cheongju City Philharmonic Orchestra and Los Angeles Doctors Symphony. In addition, Hyo Jin gave her recitals at Auditorium Gilles de la Rocque (Chourchevel, Paris), Steinway Hall (Sydney, Australia), Harvard Sanders Theater, Jordan Hall (Boston), South Hampton Cultural Center, Staller Center (New York), Seoul Arts Center, Kumho Art Hall, Sejong Cultural Center (Seoul). |
Heather Levin, Instructor of Piano | Heather Levin was born and raised in Redlands, California and attended the University of California Santa Barbara where she received her M.A. While a student there she also worked as an accompanist for voice lessons, singing classes, studied voice with Marjorie McKay and played in the jazz band. During her junior year of undergraduate study, she participated in the Education Abroad Program furthering her studies in French and Music at the Université Paul Valéry in Montpellier, France. Upon completing her Masters at U.C.S.B. she became a member of the Music Teacher’s Association of California and has since become extremely active in Santa Barbara and its vicinity as both a solo pianist and teacher and in the areas of vocal accompaniment, choral accompaniment, chamber ensemble performance, church and religious organizations’ music programs, school and community music theatre productions and opera. Very recent and/or current appointments include but are not limited too: Westmont College, Santa Barbara City College, Cate School, Carpinteria High School, Laguna Blanca School, Dos Pueblos High School, Montecito Union School, The Santa Barbara Children’s Chorus, the Goleta Valley Children’s Choir, the Unitarian Society of Santa Barbara and Congregation B’nai B’rith. As an educator, Heather creates a warm and comfortable teaching environment that is at the same time challenging, rewarding and successful. Curriculum is determined individually, based on a careful assessment of current ability, personal tastes and the specific goals of a degree program and departmental requirements. Heather greatly enjoys teaching and collaborating with people of all ages and backgrounds. |
Chika Nobumori, Collaborative Pianist | Chika Nobumori is currently pursuing a Doctorate of Musical Arts in piano performance at the University of California, Santa Barbara. During her 4 years at UCSB, Chika has taught Class Piano, Music Appreciation and Japanese as a TA, and was nominated for an Outstanding TA Award in 2023. She received a Masters in Music in piano performance from California State University, Northridge. There, she was a scholarship recipient and a teaching assistant for the music and mathematics department. In addition, Chika holds a Bachelor's in Science in applied mathematics with specialization in computing from University of California, Los Angeles. Chika has participated in various festivals, seminars, and has held masterclasses with distinguished artists. Outside of her school activities, she enjoys staying active as a collaborative pianist for instrumental and choral groups, as well as an instructor at private and non-profit organizations. |
Strings
Christopher Ahn, Cello | A native of Los Angeles, Christopher Ahn has appeared in solo and chamber music performances across the U.S. as well as abroad in Europe, Australia, South Korea, South Africa, Canada and Central America. Recent performances include solo recitals at the Brand Library and Art Center, UCLA, California State University, Dominguez Hills, and Santa Monica College. He has also performed chamber music on the Dilijan, L’Ermitage Foundation, Music Guild, Trinity Lutheran, and Chapman University concert series, and has performed numerous times for live radio broadcasts on the Sundays Live recital series at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Chris has enjoyed frequent collaboration with the Lineage Dance Company, most recently presenting a performance of the Bach Cello Suites with dance choreography on the Brand Library and Art Center Dance Performance series. He has also worked closely with several Los Angeles based composers, premiering new works for solo cello and chamber ensemble on new music series throughout the Los Angeles area. Chris has been invited to summer programs at the Aspen Music Festival, Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival, Banff Centre Masterclasses, Stellenbosch International Chamber Music Festival, and the Rencontres Musicales Camerata Lysy in Montepulciano, Italy. He has collaborated with members of the St. Lawrence, Ysaye, and Amar string quartets, and has performed in masterclasses for such distinguished musicians as Anner Bylsma, Ralph Kirshbaum, Lynn Harrell, Rohan de Saram, Paul Katz, Raphael Wallfisch, Matt Haimovitz, Ani Kavafian, Ida Kavafian, and members of the Takacs, Cleveland and Borodin string quartets. Chris pursued his studies at UCLA, the Cleveland Institute of Music, and the University of Michigan, where his principal teachers included Antonio Lysy, Richard Aaron, Stephen Geber, and Colin Carr. He resides in Los Angeles, where he maintains an active and varied freelance career playing with orchestras, chamber ensembles, and recording for film and television. He was appointed Principal Cello of Opera Santa Barbara in 2018, and he currently serves as a member of the string faculty at Westmont College. |
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Jim Connolly, Bass Guitar | Jim Connolly, string bass instructor, is a composer and performer living in Santa Barbara, California. He writes music for The Gove County Philharmonic, The Gove County String Quartet and Lit Moon Theatre. He has composed for choir, musical saw, five string violin, string quartet and various chamber ensembles. He plays the double bass, saw, banjo, piano and sings. He attended New England Conservatory. Jim has received nine Independent Theater Awards, numerous commissions, grants, ASCAP Plus Awards and in 2001 was listed as one of the twenty-five most intriguing people in Santa Barbara. He has collaborated or performed with Nate Birkey, Gilles Apap, Jeff Kaiser, Brad Dutz, Headless Household, Jeff Bridges, Vinny Golia, Eugene Chadbourne, Cougar Estrada, Anna Abbey and his brother Kevin Connolly. |
Marcia Dickstein, Harp | Marcia Dickstein, renowned harpist, is enticing new audiences to harp in chamber music and harp solo with orchestra, and inspiring composers to write new works in classical and jazz genres. As founder/artistic director of the Debussy Trio, she has performed worldwide in the United States, Canada, Europe, Scandinavia, and Japan, over NPR radio and on commercial and PBS television. Adjunct professor of harp at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and Westmont College in Santa Barbara, Marcia holds master classes throughout the United States and maintains a private studio in Los Angeles. Her transcriptions and scholarly editions of solo and chamber music for professional and student harpists are published by Fatrock Ink. Marcia has been featured as solo and chamber music harpist at festivals, in film and television, and as a recording artist. Her most recent recordings are “Look Ahead” and “Three by Three” (Klavier label), which feature 10 new works especially written for the Debussy Trio (Klavier label) and “Chill Dog” (Pupsnap Music). |
Cam Audras, Viola | Polymathic at heart, Cam Audras believes musicians possess the power to serve as advocates for social good. Audras has served as Principal Violist with the Santa Barbara Chamber Players, the California Young Artists Symphony, and Symphony of the Vines. Additionally, he has appeared in the Santa Barbara Symphony, Pink Martini, Los Angeles Dream Orchestra, American Youth Symphony, Santa Barbara String Quartet, Organic String Quartet, 805 String Quartet, Santa Barbara Master Chorale, Symphony of the Vines, San Luis Obispo Symphony, Lompoc Pops Orchestra, and the Debut Chamber Orchestra. Audras has claimed top prizes in the Performing Arts Scholarship Foundation Competition, Valley Talent Music Scholarship Competition, and Henry Schwab Violin and Viola Competition. Festival appearances have included the Center Stage Strings Music Festival at the University of Michigan, Credo Chamber Music Festival at Oberlin Conservatory of Music, Bowdoin International Music Festival, and Manchester Music Festival. He has performed in masterclasses for Kim Kashkashian, Rachel Barton Pine, and Dimitri Murrath, and his principal teachers were Jonathan Moerschel, Che-Yen (Brian) Chen, Yura Lee, and Helen Callus. |
Wesley Park, Guitar | Wesley Park is a concert classical guitarist and educator from the Los Angeles area. Because of his colorful playing and enjoyable programs, he has played professional concerts internationally in countries such as the United States, Canada, Germany, and Austria. Wesley is a protégé of the American classical guitar virtuoso Christopher Parkening who claimed that “Wesley makes beautiful music on the guitar, using tonal colors and contrasts, and utilizes the entire range of the guitar to bring out the intrinsic beauty of the instrument.” Wesley’s goal with the guitar is to carry on the legacy of the great Spanish guitarist, Andrés Segovia, and Christopher Parkening. |
Barry Newton, Double Bass | Barry Newton, a Los Angeles native, studied at the University of Portland and received his B.F.A./ M.F.A. from the California Institute of the Arts. He has studied extensively with notable bassists including Tommy Thompson, Fred Tinsley, and Peter Rofe. His orchestral credits include Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, New West Symphony, and the New York Philharmonic. Barry has worked with such eminent conductors as Leonard Bernstein, John Mauceri, John Williams, and Boris Brott. He has accompanied Yes, Chicago, Moody Blues, The Scorpions, Elton John, Brian Wilson, The Three Tenors and Andrea Bocelli, among others. Barry’s dedication to contemporary performance practice has included regular premieres of new works in the Southern California area. His jazz experiences have lead him to performances with Peter Erskine, Anthony Braxton, Buddy Childers and the Dave Pell Octet. As a practicing composer and improvisor, Barry often works with various Rock/Pop projects on the west coast. His current group ‘Kiss the Frog’ is an assortment of pop, electronica, and experimental improvisation. Dedicated to music education, he currently serves as an adjunct professor at Westmont College, Pepperdine University, Ventura College, Schwab Academy of Music, and Kadima Conservatory. Barry has been the recipient of scholarship awards by the Ahmanson Foundation, the Surdna Foundation, and the Doris Duke Charitable Trust Foundation. He currently lives with his child Hannah in Topanga, California. |
Emily Sommermann, Violin | Emily Sommermann is an accomplished violinist whose passion for music resonates through her dynamic performances. Her musical journey began in New York, where she received her foundational training under esteemed instructors Alan Arnold, Nathan Gottschalk, and Isidor Cohen of the Beaux Arts Trio. Emily earned her Bachelor of Music degree from SUNY Albany and her Master of Music degree from The University of NY at Stony Brook. Emily's orchestral experience is extensive, having played in the Chicago Youth Symphony, Albany Symphony Orchestra, Long Island Symphony Orchestra, and Springfield (IL) Symphony Orchestra. Summer festivals include the North Carolina School of the Arts and Chautauqua Institution. In California, Emily took on the role of assistant concertmaster of the Santa Barbara Civic Light Opera Orchestra and as a section violinist with the Santa Barbara Symphony and the Santa Barbara Chamber Orchestra. She recently was seen playing with the Santa Barbara Chamber Players and as concertmaster for the Santa Barbara Master Chorale orchestra. Emily leads the Santa Barbara String Quartet, a highly sought-after ensemble that adds beauty and elegance to private events. Beyond performance, Emily is equally dedicated to teaching. She has trained with the Suzuki Association of the Americas, immersed herself in Education Through Music ETM, and enriched her educational methodology by attending Orff and Kodaly workshops. Her teaching career is highlighted by directing children's orchestras and choirs, and instruction at several area schools, including El Montecito Early School and Laguna Blanca School. In addition to teaching at Westmont College, Emily is the director of the Chamber Ensemble at Cate School and guides students in her private studio. |
Dr. Han Soo Kim, Strings Coordinator, Violin | Violinist Han Soo Kim is an award-winning and internationally accomplished artist who has performed to critical acclaim in numerous countries on four continents. He has been praised by many audiences around the world for his passion, sensitivity and charisma. His playing is described as a "musical gift of rare beauty" The Korea Times. He performs a diverse mix of musical styles ranging from the standard works to avant-garde contemporary repertoire. His passion for sharing musical knowledge and experience to young musicians has taken him to many different parts of the world. As an avid educator, he has given lectures, workshops and masterclasses nationally and internationally on technique, innovative practice methods and performance. He devotes a considerable amount of time to traveling for clinics as well as maintaining an internationally active recording and performance schedule. He has served as Chair of Adjudicators of New York International Music Competition and string adjudicator of Santa Barbara Music Club Scholarship Awards. At Westmont College, he is Head of Strings and teaches alongside his wife, Joanne Kim, a clarinetist. He is Founder and Director of Westmont Academy for Young Artists and is a teaching artist at InterHarmony International Music Festival in Italy. Dr. Kim has earned his Doctor of Musical Arts in violin performance under a fellowship grant. His Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees in violin performance are from The Juilliard School where he was a merit scholarship recipient. His influential teachers and mentors include Roman Totenberg, Sally Thomas and Pamela Frank. He has worked with distinguished chamber music artists including Emerson, Guarneri, Juilliard, and Orion String Quartets. |
Steven Zander, Violin | Steve Zander is in frequent demand as a studio musician, orchestral violinist, and chamber music collaborator. Based in Malibu, CA, Steve is a member of the Santa Barbara Symphony, associate concertmaster of Opera Santa Barbara, and performs in many other professional orchestras in the Los Angeles area, including the Pasadena Symphony, New West Symphony, Pacific Symphony, and the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra. In recent seasons, Steve has also appeared as a concerto soloist with the Central Wisconsin Symphony Orchestra, and the Malibu Coast Chamber Orchestra. While still in music school, Steve was a member of the Madison Symphony and the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, as well as a substitute with the Houston Symphony. An avid chamber musician, Steve has collaborated with principal members of the Boston Symphony, Houston Symphony, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and with members of the Pro Arte Quartet. Steve can also be heard on many motion picture and television soundtracks, including “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides,” “Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice,” “Logan,” and “A Quiet Place.” Steve began his violin studies at the age of four at the Aber Suzuki Center in Stevens Point, WI. He earned his Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Wisconsin‐ Madison, as well as a Master of Music from the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University. His principal teachers were Patricia D’Ercole, Vartan Manoogian, and Sergiu Luca. |
Voice
Dr. Nichole Dechaine, Voice | Nichole Dechaine currently teaches private voice lessons at Westmont College. She graduated from the University of Redlands and earned her master’s degree and doctorate from UC Santa Barbara, where she taught for six years. Dechaine is an active performer with UCSB, Opera Santa Barbara, the Music Academy of the West, the Amherst Early Music Festival Baroque Academy in Connecticut, and numerous local ensembles including Vocal Scholars, Santa Barbara Quire of Voyces and the Santa Barbara Choral Society. She also sings at All Saints’-by-the-Sea Episcopal Church. |
Christina Jensen, Opera | Christina Jensen, Stage Director, Dramaturge, and Playwright, thrives on the multifaceted challenges of telling stories. She explores the struggle between the emotional aspect of theatre and the cold logic of drama. Balancing these two opposing sides, as a director, she crafts beautiful and believable theatrical experiences. After graduating from Westmont College with a double major in Music and Arts Criticism, Christina earned her M.F.A. in Dramaturgy from the American Repertory Theater/Moscow Art Theatre Institute for Advanced Theatre Training at Harvard University. While there she learned from world- renowned directors and worked with professional and student actors. She participated in several world premieres of new works as well as new productions of classic literature. During her study abroad in Moscow, she not only gained familiarity with the Russian language and culture, but also gained an appreciation for the creative soul of Moscow. Christina has directed throughout Southern California. She has been a guest director for the University of California, Riverside, the Resident Stage Director of Redlands Opera Theatre, Stage Director for Independent Opera Company, and Stage Director/Playwright for FCC Players. The Tender Land will be her second collaboration with Westmont's Music Department. Her directorial credits include The Elixir of Love, Carmen, Gianni Schicchi, Faust, Eugene Onegin, Don Giovanni, HMS Pinafore, Amahl and the Night Visitors, Roméo et Juliette, Così Fan Tutte, Aleko, Pygmalion, Die Fledermaus, The Snow Maiden, The Tempest, and The Secret Garden. |
Kathleen O'Brien, Voice | Mezzo-soprano Kathleen O’Brien has been a soloist with the San Diego Pops, the San Diego Chamber Orchestra, the San Diego Master Chorale, the La Jolla Symphony and sung a variety of roles with the San Diego Opera and the Hawaii Opera Theater. She graduated from Oberlin College, studied with Jennie Tourel while at Juilliard, and completed her Master’s in Music at Cal State, Fullerton. She is the Director of Music at St. Patrick’s Church in Carlsbad. She is delighted that many of her voice students at MiraCosta have transferred to four-year colleges and are growing both vocally and musically. |
Christina Ramsey, Voice | Mezzo-soprano Christina Pezzarossi Ramsey combines a dynamic performance career with a passion for vocal pedagogy, inspiring students through her extensive expertise and dedication to music education. As an Adjunct Professor of Voice at Westmont College, Christina offers private vocal instruction in classical and contemporary styles and teaches courses such as Musical Drama Workshop and Survey of Vocal Literature. She mentors students in vocal technique, repertoire selection, and performance preparation, fostering artistic and personal growth. Her students have achieved success in competitions and scholarship programs. In addition to her role at Westmont, Christina is the founder of VoxOps Vocal Studio, where she provides tailored instruction to students of all ages and skill levels, expanding her impact across the nation. Her academic experience includes serving as a Teaching Assistant at UC Santa Barbara, where she taught courses in Music Appreciation and World Music, emphasizing critical analysis and cultural context. She is currently completing her Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Voice at UCSB. Christina’s performance highlights include roles such as Carmen in Carmen (Opera San Luis Obispo), Margaret in The Light in the Piazza (Opera in the Heights and Opera Santa Barbara), Dorabella in Così fan tutte (Pacific Opera Project), and Rossweisse in Die Walküre (Opera Santa Barbara). Her concert engagements include solo appearances in Messiah with the Charleston Symphony and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the Santa Barbara Symphony. Her accolades include being a finalist in the Carolyn Bailey Argento Vocal Competition and the Coeur d'Alene Symphony Young Artist Competition, among others. When not teaching or performing, Christina enjoys hiking with her husband, Colin, and spending time with their dog, |
Colin Ramsey, Voice | Chinese-American Bass, Colin Ramsey, has become known for his “majestic, rotund, ravishing bass” (Opera Today). This year, he returns to San Diego Opera to sing Betto in Gianni Schicchi as well as to Opera Santa Barbara to debut Hunding in Die Walküre and Escamillo in Carmen. Mr. Ramsey’s career has brought him to stages across the globe including the Santa Fe Opera, Festival Lyrique en Mer in Belle-ile, France, Opera San Jose, Seattle Opera, Austin Opera, Sarasota Opera, Pensacola Opera, and Opera Idaho. His repertoire encompasses many roles including Capulet in Gounod’s Romeo and Juliet, Cadmus/Somnus in Handel’s Semele, Colline in La bohème, Fafner in Das Rheingold, Guglielmo in Così Fan Tüte, Leporello in Don Giovanni, Figaro in Le Nozze di Figaro, Don Basilio in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Alidoro in La Cenerentola, and Reverend Hale in Robert Ward’s The Crucible. |
Sara Rockabrand, Voice | Sara Turner Rockabrand has enjoyed an active career as a performer and teacher. She will join the Westmont College faculty as an adjunct voice instructor in fall 2011. She is a graduate of Westminster Choir College, where she studied voice, choral conducting and piano, and earned degrees in both Music Performance and Music Education. She pursued master's level work at Westminster Choir College, the University of Utah, and Southern Illinois University, as well as studies in historic dance at Stanford University. Her performing experience includes solo recitals, oratorio work, and church soloing, as well as choral performances with The New York Philharmonic, the San Francisco Symphony and other orchestras. In 2008 she performed on a program at Steinway Hall in New York City. While serving as a teacher in the Princeton, New Jersey Public Schools from 1962-66, she co-authored the first comprehensive vocal music curriculum for the district. She continues to serve as a consultant for Kodaly and Suzuki-based programs in music education, as well as in historic dance. Mrs. Rockabrand served as a voice teacher and vocal coach at Ball State University from 1969-1974, and at Principia College from 1975 to 2010, where she chaired numerous junior and senior voice recitals. Her students have gone on to complete successful graduate degrees at major universities, and many are pursuing careers as professional singers and teachers. Together with her husband Bob she has lectured and performed in England, Germany, Austria, India, and Hawaii, presenting both classical recitals and Broadway-style productions. They also received the Alumni Merit Award from Westminster Choir College in 1996 for excellence in teaching. |
Chad Ruyle, Voice | Chad Ruyle, tenor is an active collegiate vocal instructor, and performer. Chad has been on the music faculty of Allan Hancock College in Santa Maria since 2018, where he is a professor of vocal music and teaches voice classes. He is also on the faculty of Cuesta College in San Luis Obispo, where he teaches applied music, and a class through community education, Musical Theater Vocal Workshop. Mr. Ruyle has also been a mentor instructor with the Santa Barbara Arts Fund since 2019. Chad received his Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from California State University, Fullerton, and his Master of Music in Vocal Arts from California State University, Northridge. Chad is an avid performer and has performed with many groups across the Central Coast including, Opera San Luis Obispo, Central Coast Gilbert, and Sullivan, San Luis Obispo Master Chorale, Central Coast Follies, and Cal Poly Early Music Ensemble to name a few. Chad was a featured soloist at the First German UMC (Christuskirche) in Glendale, California, and at St. Benedict’s Episcopal Church in Los Oso, California. He has been a featured soloist at the Bach in Mission program in San Luis Obispo. It is Chad's instructional goal to share his passion for singing and performing with all students who want to express themselves through song. |
Woodwinds
Catherine Del Russo, Oboe | Catherine Del Russo received her Bachelor of Music Degree and Performance Certificate at the Eastman School of Music where she studied with Robert Sprenkle. She also received her Masters of Music Degree from Ohio University where she studied with John Mack in Cleveland. Since then, Ms. Del Russo has performed around the world, beginning with the Eastman Wind Ensemble to the Far East as Principal Oboe. After that, she performed with the Buffalo Philharmonic, Orchestra Filharmonica de Caracas, and Orquesta Municipal in Caracas, Venezuela. Ms. Del Russo has played with many orchestras in Los Angeles, including the Glendale Symphony Orchestra, the Santa Barbara Symphony, Santa Barbara Chamber Orchestra, the Desert Symphony, Long Beach Symphony, the Los Angeles Mozart Orchestra, Riverside Symphony, San Bernardino Symphony, and was Associate Principal Oboe with the Honolulu Symphony. Currently, she is Principal Oboe of Opera Santa Barbara, Orchestra Santa Monica, Downey Symphony, Asia America Orchestra, and solo Enlish horn with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra. Catherine has enjoyed playing on films, commercials and television shows. She has been a promoter of chamber music and new music in Los Angeles. In 2011, she won the Consortium of Southern California Chamber Music Presenter's with a chamber music trio for oboe, viola and piano. Catherine is the founding member of Lobo Ensemble, a chamber music group, with oboe, violin, and cello, for which she performs recitals regularly. Catherine is Professor of Oboe at Westmont College and Occidental College. |
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Andrea Di Maggio, Flute | Andrea Di Maggio has been praised for her "stellar playing and social grace" by the Santa Barbara Independent. Studying with French Flutist Isabelle Chapuis, Andrea graduated from San Jose State University with her degree in flute performance and was granted a teaching and performing position at Arizona State University. As a student of Jill Felber, Andrea received her M.M. from the University of California Santa Barbara. Since settling in Santa Barbara, Andrea has been granted performance awards from the Performing Arts Scholarship Foundation, the Santa Barbara Foundation, the Santa Barbara Music Club, the Music Teacher's National Association, and the Leni Fe Bland Foundation. Andrea is a regular performer for Westmont College, the Santa Barbara Music Club and the West Coast Symphony and Chamber Orchestra, as well as a participant in masterclasses and area orchestras. She is a founding member of Sonos5winds, the Woodwind Quintet-in-Residence at Westmont College, where she is the flute faculty. Additionally she is the flute instructor for the Westmont Academy of Young Artists and has been on the teaching faculty of Santa Barbara City College. Andrea's private and college students have won awards from the National Flute Association, the Music Teacher's Association of California, the Santa Barbara Music Club, and the Santa Barbara Youth Symphony. She performs on a silver, gold, and platinum Miyazawa flute. |
Dr. Joanne Kim, Clarinet | Clarinetist, Joanne Kim, has concertized as solo performer and chamber and orchestral musician in many parts of North America and Asia. Her performing career began in her late teens with the honorable Stamas Scholarship Fund from the New York Philharmonic offering her a new clarinet for her studies and concerts. She has performed with New York Soloist Ensemble, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Korean Chamber Orchestra, Astoria Symphony, New Jersey Philharmonic Orchestra, Chelsea Symphony, and the Santa Barbara Symphony. Concerts have led her to renowned venues including Carnegie Hall, Avery Fisher Hall, Alice Tully Hall, Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, Massey Hall, Glenn Gould Studio, Toronto Centre for the Arts, Roy Thompson Hall, and The Granada Theatre. She has also performed at colleges, conservatories and festivals including Royal Conservatory of Music, Mannes College, Columbia University, Manhattan School of Music, Queens College, Hunter College, Wilfred Laurier University, University of Western Ontario, Ball State University, New School University, Long Island University, Waterloo Windfest, and Centre d'arts Orford. Dr. Kim has earned Doctor of Musical Arts in clarinet performance at Manhattan School of Music with a fellowship under the tutelage of Mark Nuccio. Her Bachelor of Music was from Mannes College, and Master of Music degree with merit scholarship in the prestigious Orchestral Performance Program was from Manhattan School of Music. As a passionate educator, Dr. Kim travels to give lectures and classes while maintaining an active performance schedule. Dr. Kim performs with her husband, Han Soo Kim, a violinist, and is a member of the Sonos5winds, the wind quintet in residence at Westmont College. Dr. Kim is on the faculty at Westmont College, Westmont Academy for Young Artists, and InterHarmony International Music Festival. |
Andrew Martinez, Saxophone | A Santa Barbara native, Andrew started playing the saxophone at the age of 13. After being heavily influenced by his high school band director, Isaac Jenkins, he went on to study jazz performance at the University of North Texas and played in many of their prestigious Lab Bands. At UNT, Andrew studied with some of the best jazz educators in the business including Dan Haerle, James Riggs, Neil Slater, & Fred Hamilton. In August of 1999, Andrew decided to make Los Angeles his home where he performed in the bands of Engelbert Humperdinck, Sheena Easton, Jack Sheldon, Bob Florence, and Bill Holman to name a few. Andrew has also been lucky enough to perform beside some of the most talented musicians in the world including Pete Christlieb, Bobby Shew, Dan Higgins, Wayne Bergeron, Andy Martin, Rick Baptist, Sal Lozano, Doug Webb, and Kim Richmond. In September of 2008, Andrew returned to Santa Barbara where he currently teaches music at Santa Barbara City College, the Harmony Project by the New West Symphony, and Goleta Valley Junior High. Andrew currently performs across Southern California as a featured soloist, and with his current band “The Sax Collective”. |
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Dr. Paul Mori, Wind and Brass Coordinator, Bassoon | Paul Mori '77 first gained his reputation as a conductor with the Bach Ensemble of Baltimore in the 1990s. That chamber orchestra performed a wide-ranging repertoire, from Bach to Bartok, and was featured numerous times on the public radio station WBJC's prestigious "Music in Maryland" series. Dr. Mori went to Baltimore to study at the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University, earning a master's degree in bassoon performance with Phillip Kolker and later completing a doctorate in orchestral conducting, stuyding with the legendary Frederik Prausnitz. He has served as musical director of the Rainier Symphony (1996-2001) and as the music director of the Bainbridge Orchestra and the Rainier Youth Symphony. He has also appeared as guest conductor for various orchestras, including the Northwest Mahler Festival Orchestra and the Huntington Chamber Orchestra (a professional orchestra in West Virginia). Dr. Mori returned to Baltimore, the place of his musical roots, in December 2005 when he conducted a concert with the world-renown violinist Hilary Hahn and members of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. At Westmont he teaches bassoon, conducts the Wind Ensemble, and coaches chamber ensembles. |
Adelle Rodkey, Oboe | Adelle Rodkey earned her Bachelor of Music degree from Wheaton Conservatory of Music, where she studied under Carl Sonik. She has received awards from the Music Teachers National Association and the Pillsbury Foundation. A member of the California Music Teacher Association, Adelle maintains a private studio of piano and oboe students in the Santa Barbara area and performs frequently in orchestras and chamber ensembles. |
Laura Walter, Flute | Flutist Laura Walter has performed widely across the United States, and is an active adjudicator at prestigious competitions. Her students have gone on to successful careers as musicians, doctors, scientists and major symphony conductors. After studying flute, piano, and jazz extensively in the Midwest, she played with the Lexington Philharmonic (KY), Dayton Philharmonic (OH), Springfield Symphony (OH) and Richmond Symphony (IN). She then furthered her studies with Peter Lloyd of the London Symphony, and Kyril Magg of the Cincinnati Symphony. Her M.M was earned at the University of Kentucky, and she now performs with the Santa Barbara Symphony, Opera Santa Barbara, and other chamber groups in the Santa Barbara and Los Angeles area. Alry Publications has published several of her pieces for flute choir, and an etude book written to highlight difficult orchestral flute passages. She has taught at Wright State University, Miami Valley Music Academy, and been a featured guest lecturer at the Dayton Philharmonic. Ms. Walter has been on the faculty of Westmont College for over 20 years. She has recorded over a dozen CD’s with various artists, performed on the Today Show, and for Oprah, as well as with Henry Mancini, Doc Severinsen, Yanni, Steve Allen and others. Her solo album “The Nature of Nurture” has won critical acclaim. Recently she was featured on a recording of J.S. Bach’s Mass in B Minor with the Santa Barbara Master Chorale, and locally premiered “Cut Pieces” with Ursula Gallenkamp, performance artist. As a piccoloist in John Luther Adams’ ground breaking “Inuksuit” for 48 percussionists and 3 piccolos, she performed at the Ojai Music Festival, in a tree. Formerly the Executive Director of The Richards Institute of Education and Research, a non‐profit group, she continues working with teachers and children, especially at‐risk youth, using the experience of interactive play to develop motivation, intelligence, literacy, emotional stability and beauty. She is the regional coordinator of Education Through Music (ETM) and leads workshops for teachers to incorporate the arts into the current STEAM philosophy, integrating song, movement and play into daily activities for a more effective classroom. Traveling extensively in the summers, she continues working with young musicians across the US and Japan, at Fine Arts camps and workshops. A special interest in trauma has led her to the exploration of the uses of music and art in healing, creating empathy, and hope. |
Visiting Artists
Elise Aquilon
Music Department Administrative Assistant
Email: music@westmont.edu
Tel: (805) 565-6040
Office: Music Building 101
Daniel Macy
Music Department Coordinator & Tour Manager
Email: music@westmont.edu
Tel: (805) 565-6240
Office: Music Building 101