New Faculty and Staff Announcements

Visit our faculty and staff webpages to read more about our esteemed colleagues.

Miguel Harth-Bedoya, associate professor of orchestral studies, is the Mary Franks Thompson Director of Orchestral Studies at Baylor University, where in addition to conducting the orchestras, he teaches orchestral conducting at the undergraduate and graduate level.

Kathleen Kelly, assistant professor of vocal coaching, was the first woman and first American named as Director of Musical Studies at the Vienna State Opera. Trained at the San Francisco Opera, she joined the company's music staff and moved from there to a long association with the Metropolitan Opera.

Matthew Laube, assistant professor of church music, held the position of Leverhulme Early Career Fellow in the Department of History, Classics and Archeology, Birkbeck, at the University of London from 2018 to 2022.

Shijun Wang, assistant professor of piano, has performed in California, New York, Oklahoma, Florida, Georgia, Utah, Connecticut, New Jersey, as well as Germany, France, Norway, China, Mexico, and Japan. In his most recent China tour, he gave masterclasses, lectures, and recitals in more than half of the major Chinese conservatories includes Shenyang Conservatory, Xi'an Conservatory, Sichuan Conservatory, and Jilin College of Arts.

Michael Clark, lecturer of piano pedagogy, earned his D.M.A. from Rice University, M.M. from University of Houston, and a B.M. from Ithaca College. Michael has served on the faculty of Music Academy of Houston and the University of Houston Preparatory and Continuing Studies Program where he helped launch a Recreational Music Making program.

Sharon Bjorndal Lavery, lecturer of collaborative piano (vocal), began her academic career as a double major in piano and voice performance at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music. Awarded the Oberlin Faculty Prize in Accompanying upon graduation, Dr. Lavery went on to study Collaborative Piano and Chamber Music at the Manhattan School of Music.

Andrew Vagts, lecturer in theory, has taught theory at Texas Woman's University, as a teaching fellow at the University of North Texas, and as a teaching assistant at the University of Minnesota.

Byunghee Yoo, lecturer in collaborative piano (instrumental), has performed throughout the United States, South Korea, China, and Italy including appearances at Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall, Merkin Hall, Sheldon Hall, and Seoul Arts Center.

Margaret Harper, visiting part time lecturer of organ, serves as the Associate Director of Music and Organist at Saint Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church in Dallas, TX, one of the largest Episcopal churches in the U.S.

Brad Holmes, visiting professor of choral music, served as the Director of Choir Programs at Millikin University in Decatur, IL. Prior to his appointment at Millikin, Dr. Holmes was Associate Director of Choirs at Luther College in Decorah, IA.

Beth Holmes, visiting part time lecturer of choral music, served on the Millikin University choral staff conducting the Millikin Women and the voice faculty teaching private voice.

Morgan Manifacier, visiting assistant professor of voice, has been described as a performer who "gives himself completely to the singing." Dr. Manifacier is quickly establishing an international career as an interpreter of repertoire spanning from the Renaissance to the most recent contemporary music.

Marcelo Boccato Kuyumjian, visiting lecturer of jazz studies, is originally from Campinas, Brazil. He received the D.M.A. in Jazz Studies from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he was also a 2018-19 Graduate Fellow at the Humanities Research Institute for his dissertation "Performing Samba: Aesthetics, Transnational Modernisms, and Race."