Personnel
Flutes
Jennifer Andersen-Germaine
Carla Colon
Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Carla completed her Bachelor Degree in Flute Performance at the Music Conservatory of Puerto Rico. There she studied under the guidance of Ruben López, second flute of the Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra. In 2003 Carla began her graduate studies at Cleveland State University where she studied under the guidance of Sean Gabriel, principal flutist of the Cleveland Lyric Opera Orchestra and the Cleveland Contemporary Orchestra. She was a winner of the Solo Concerto Competition in 2004 and performed as a soloist with the CSU Symphonic Orchestra. Subsequently, Carla completed the music teaching certification program at Cleveland State University.
Carla enjoys everything related to arts and design. She is currently pursuing a second Master Degree in Urban Planning and Design and is an active advocate of the arts. She also enjoys performing regularly with the Central Ohio Symphony Orchestra and as a freelance musician in productions and recitals around the Richland County area. This year, Carla has also joined the Cleveland Philharmonic Orchestra and the Cleveland Winds.
Stephanie DeLine
Stephanie DeLine earned a Bachelor’s of Music Education at The Florida State University and Masters of Music Education from the University of Akron. She currently is the band director at Saint Paschal Baylon Catholic School in Highland Heights, Ohio. Ms. DeLine has previously held teaching positions at Chagrin Falls High School and Landmark Middle School in Jacksonville, Florida.
Eduardo Mandujano
A native of Mexico City, Mexico, Eduardo Mandujano earned Bachelor and Master of Music degrees in flute performance from Youngstown State University (Youngstown, OH) in 2004 and 2006, respectively. While in Youngstown, he was the principal flutist of the Dana Symphony Orchestra for several years. In 2003, he won First Prize in the Dana Young Artist Competition, performing the Khachaturian Flute Concerto. In 2004, he was awarded the Just Flutes Bursary, which enabled him to study with Jonathan Snowden in England.
Most recently, Eduardo Mandujano attended Cleveland State University and completed his coursework to obtain an Ohio Music Teaching License. He is currently the band director at All Saints School (Wickliffe, OH), St. Martin of Tours School (Maple Heights, OH) and assistant band director at the Gesu School (University Heights, OH). In August 2010, he won a position in the flute section of the W. D. Packard Concert Band (Warren, OH).
Prior to relocating to Cleveland, he spent three years in Massachusetts, where he worked as a flute finisher and headjoint maker for Verne Q. Powell Flutes. In addition, he held a private flute studio in Westborough, MA. He has performed as a soloist with the YSU Flute Ensemble, the Dana Symphony Orchestra, the W.D. Packard Concert Band, the Mercer Community Band, the Warren Junior Military Band and the Orquesta Santa Cecilia in Mexico. He has also taught masterclasses at Youngstown State University and the Universidad Autonoma de Queretaro in Mexico. As a recitalist, he has performed in the United States, Mexico and the Netherlands. His teachers include Dr. Nancy Andrew, Dr. Kathryn Thomas Umble, William Bennett and Jonathan Snowden. Eduardo Mandujano lives in Shaker Heights with his wife Heather, who is also a flutist and a music teacher.
Brad Paller
Brad currently attends Cleveland State University, where he is pursuing a degree in voice. He studies with Noriko Fujii Paukert, and holds a position as a member of the tenor section in The Old Stone Church Choir on Public Square in downtown, Cleveland. His principal flute teachers were Deidre McGuire, Bill Hebert and Sean Gabriel. He has sung in the Opera Cleveland productions of Les pêcheurs de perles and I Pagliacci, as tenor soloist in Handel’s Messiah with The Cleveland Philharmonic, and continues to perform throughout the Cleveland area. He participated in choral festivals in the Italian cities of Rome, Vicenza, and Florence, and has sung at both Carnegie Hall in New York City, and The National Cathedral in Washington, D.C.
Julie Wesolek
Julie earned a Bachelor of Music Performance at Baldwin-Wallace Conservatory where she studied with William Hebert and Deidre McGuire. She also had the privilege of studying with Kathy Chastain and Michel Debost. During that time she also played with the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra under Jaja Ling.
Julie earned a Masters of Music in Flute Performance from from University of North Texas where was a teaching fellow for Mary Karen Clardy. She played with the chamber orchestra under Anshel Brusilow and the contemporary music ensemble, NOVA, under Joseph Klein. Julie has played with the Flower Mound Chamber Orchestra, Irving Symphony and Amistad – a chamber group specializing in classical Latin American music.
Oboes
Sue Keserich
Jeff Kish
Jeff Kish is currently an oboe performance major completing his degree at Cleveland State University after studying at the Oberlin Conservatory. He has performed in multiple groups in the area including the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra, Cleveland Winds and the Cleveland State University Orchestra. Jeff has performed on From the Top and studied for a summer in Italy with the Oberlin in Italy program.
Jesse Martin
Jesse graduated with a bachelors degree in music education in 2000 from Baldwin-Wallace Conservatory of Music with an emphasis on oboe. He is currently in his 11th year of teaching in the Avon Local School District, where he is director of string orchestras grades 5-8, director of the Avon High School Sinfonia, Chamber Orchestra, Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra Winds and Percussion, and Pit Orchestra. Also a violist, in 2001, Jesse implemented and started a strings/orchestra program for the Avon Local School District, which has since grown to nearly 250 students, with the Middle and High School string ensembles consistantly earning superior ratings at OMEA state orchestra contests as well as Music in the Parks and Festivals of Music competitions.
Jesse also performs regularly throughout Northern Ohio. He is currently principal oboist with the Firelands Symphony Orchestra, and is a member of the Phoenix Project wind quintet. He regularly freelances as an oboe soloist as well as performs as a woodwind specialist in pit orchestras throughout the region. He is currently pursuing a Masters degree in Music Education at Cleveland State University.
Bassoons
Carolyn Hupalowsky
Joe Kan
Phillip Kish
Phil Kish has performed with local groups including Cleveland Youth Wind Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra, Cleveland Winds and the Suburban Symphony. He has performed in Europe, China, Brazil and South Africa with various groups. Phil performed the Mozart Bassoon Concerto after winning the Lehigh University Concerto Competition. He holds a biochemistry degree from Lehigh University and is currently pursuing an advanced degree in this area.
Kathy Stockmaster
Clarinets
Robert Bethea
Bobby Davis
Mary Ann Grof-Neiman
Mary Ann Grof-Neiman is currently the Program Administrator of the Cleveland Institute of Music’s Preparatory and Continuing Education Division. She received her bachelor of science in music education degree from the Bowling Green State University. Ms. Grof-Neiman has served as clarinetist for the Blossom Festival Band, Lakeland Civic Band, Lakeside Symphony Orchestra, Youngstown Symphony, Erie Philharmonic, and currently performs with the Cleveland Philharmonic Orchestra, Lakewood “Home Town” Band, Medina Community Band, and is principal clarinetist with the Sounds of Sousa Band and the Chagrin Falls Studio Orchestra. She maintains private studios at Baldwin Wallace College through their Conservatory Outreach Program as well as her home in Medina. She has served the Ohio Music Education Association as a Woodwind Adjudicator for the last 16 years and is a member of AFM Local 24.
Gayle Kish
Gayle Kish is currently the Coordinator for the Center of Arts and Innovation at Cleveland State University. She received her Bachelor of Art degree in Music from Cleveland State University and is currently pursuing a Master Degree in Consumer and Industrial Psychology. Gayle participates in numerous groups including Cleveland Women’s Orchestra, Lakeland Community College Civic Band, Chagrin Studio Orchestra and Cleveland State University music ensembles. One of her most memorable experiences was playing a side-by-side concert with the Pittsburgh Symphony.
Michael Komperda
Michael Komperda is now in his second year teaching in Vermilion where he teaches the middle school bands, the jazz ensembles, and assists with the high school bands, choirs and marching band. He earned his Bachelor of Music Education degree from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music where he studied clarinet with Eli Eban, and Howard Klug, and conducting with Dr. Paul Popiel. He has performed in a variety of ensembles in Ohio and Indiana, and has taught bands that have performed at the IMEA State Convention, ISSMA State Marching and Concert Band Finals, and Jazz and Concert Band festivals in New Orleans, St. Louis, and throughout the state of Indiana. He has also performed as a cast and pit member for several musicals, and has been involved with producing/directing productions of “The Pajama Game,” and “Bye, Bye Birdie.” Professionally, he is a member of OMEA/MENC, and teaches clarinet, saxophone and music theory lessons.
Danielle Mahone
Sara Marganski
Sara Marganski earned her Bachelors Degree from Kent State University in Clarinet Performance, a Masters Degree from University of Florida in Clarinet Performance and earned her Music Education Licensure from Cleveland State University. Marganski is currently teaching at North Ridgeville City Schools, where she is Assistant Marching Band Director, and both Middle and Elementary School Band Director. She has also taught at Padua Franciscan High School, and various high school music clinics, workshops and camps in Ohio. She is an active performer in the area, and has performed with ensembles in northeast Ohio, and many other orchestras and ensembles in Florida.
Tracy Paroubek
Ms. Paroubek earned her Bachelor of Music Education from the Ohio State University in 2002 with a focus in instrumental music. While at Ohio State, she served as principal clarinetist in the Symphonic Band under the direction of Richard Blatti and also played in the Wind Symphony under the direction of Dr. Russell Mikkelson. Ms. Paroubek has studied clarinet with Robert McCallister at the Cleveland Music School Settlement, James Pyne at Ohio State, and Robert Jones of the Columbus Symphony Orchestra.
Ms. Paroubek is in her eighth year of teaching at Chardon Middle School where she is responsible for 6th, 7th, and 8th grade band and jazz band, and assists with high school marching band. She has also taught in Fairport Harbor Schools and Cedar Cliff Local Schools in southwestern Ohio. She has taught all levels of band, choir, and general music. Ms. Paroubek graduated from Mentor High School in 1998 where she was principal clarinetist in the program’s AA Wind Ensemble under the direction of Buzz Hunsicker and a member of the Cleveland Youth Wind Symphony for three years. In 2006 Ms. Paroubek earned a Masters in Educational Administration from Cleveland State University.
Bettyjeane Wischmeier
Bettyjeane Wischmeier earned a Bachelor of Music in Education degree from Cleveland State University in 2005. For the past ten years, Bettyjeane has taught both clarinet and saxophone privately and in numerous schools in Northeast Ohio. In 2010 she became the Assistant Marching Band Director for Beachwood High School and continues to teach part time in the Beachwood City School District.
In addition to teaching, she has performed and/or recorded with musicians such as; Mifune, Shout, The Mojo Generations Big Band, Guy Lombardo and the Royal Canadians, The Temptations, Latin Jazz Artist Bobby Sanabria and others. Recently, she had the pleasure of sharing the stage with former guitarist of the Dazz Band, Michael Calhoun which gave her the opportunity to arrange horn parts for his upcoming solo album.
Currently she is completing her Masters of Music Education degree from Cleveland State University, where she studies with former Cleveland Orchestra member Ted Johnson and Cleveland Jazz Orchestra member George Shernit.
Saxophones
Allan Hinkle
Allan Hinkle is a member of the music faculty at Tri-C East where he conducts the Tri-C Orchestra, teaches saxophone and clarinet, and is a staff instructor of curriculum courses. He is a regular member of the Hermit Club big band, Joe Mayer swing band, Ted Witt’s Nite Owls, and the University Hts., Pepper Pike and Shaker Hts. community bands. He has performed with the Cleveland Philharmonic, Suburban Symphony, Chagrin Falls Studio Orchestra, Dan Zola and Swingtime big bands, Cleveland State Jazz Band and guest conducted the Chagrin Valley Chamber Orchestra. Mr. Hinkle also co-produces and conducts concerts of the Shaker Symphony Orchestra with local international violinist Andrew Sords.
He holds Bachelors and Masters degrees in saxophone and conducting from California State University, Los Angeles. He earned a teaching certificate from Cleveland State and has taught instrumental and general music in the public and private schools of greater Cleveland. Originally from California, Mr. Hinkle has been a member of the greater Cleveland musical community since 1995.
James Kalyn
James Kalyn is a saxophonist, clarinetist, conductor and educator with more than twenty years experience as both a professional orchestra musician and a college teacher. Fluent in traditional and contemporary classical music styles as well as in jazz and theatre music, Kalyn’s flexibility enables him to enjoy a diverse career of mutually enriching activities. As a concert saxophonist Mr. Kalyn has performed on concert stages, recordings, and radio throughout the United States and Canada, as well as in Argentina, China, and Japan. He has also played saxophone in ensembles such as the Toronto Symphony and the Cleveland Orchestra.
As a clarinetist he has been a member of the orchestras of Greensboro and Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and London and Windsor Ontario as well as RED {an orchestra} in Cleveland and the Carolina Chamber Symphony. Accomplished also on flute and bassoon, Mr. Kalyn is an experienced theater musician, and has played in numerous productions, including the Toronto runs of Crazy for You and Phantom of the Opera. For nine years Kalyn served as Professor of Saxophone and Wind Ensemble Director at the North Carolina School of the Arts. His previous teaching and conducting appointments include posts at the University of Western Ontario, Wilfrid Laurier University, the Eastman School of Music, Ithaca College, and Youngstown State University. In 2009 Kalyn taught conducting at the Oberlin Conservatory and will conduct the Oberlin Wind Ensemble in 2010. He is also the conductor of the Northern Ohio Youth Orchestra. Recently Kalyn has pursued opportunities in China and is Program Director for the Oberlin Conservatory’s relationships in China. Kalyn holds a Doctoral degree from the Eastman School of Music, a Masters degree from Michigan State University, and a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Western Ontario.
Tom Lempner
Tom Lempner, saxophone, completed a Masters of Music degree (summa cum laude) at Kent State University as a Graduate Teaching Assistant under Chas Baker and Greg Banaszak, during which he earned Outstanding Soloist at Elmhurst Jazz Festival, the Walter J. Watson Jazz Award, and KSU Concerto Competition Winner (Graduate Division). Additional formal studies include a double Bachelors degree in Music Performance and Music Therapy at the Conservatory of Music at Baldwin-Wallace College, and he received a diploma from the Armed Forces School of Music, Little Creek, VA. As an educator, Mr. Lempner currently serves on the music faculty at Western Reserve Academy and is a Music Therapist for PEP schools in Cleveland.
Tom has premiered the works of Cleveland composers Nicholas Underhill, Loris Chobanian, Jeffrey Quick, and Thomas Janson. Highlights of performance venues include Severance Hall, New York’s Lincoln Center, the Cleveland Bop Stop, the House of Blues, and the Cleveland Composer’s Guild, including broadcasts on 90.3 WCPN FM radio, CBS channel 7, 104.9 WCLV FM, and the Hazel Chapman Show. He has performed in Germany, (Lake Kostanz Music Festival), Switzerland, Czech Republic, Dominican Republic, and throughout the United States. Past engagements include performances with the Canton Symphony Orchestra, Midland-Odessa Symphony, Stow Symphony Orchestra, Revelation Saxophone Quartet, and Cleveland Philharmonic Orchestra. Tom performs with Trepanning Trio, Hermit Club Jazz Orchestra, Dan Zola Swing Big Band, Sarata Duo, Transportation Boulevard, Burning River Trio, and Neo-Tessares Saxophone Quartet.
John Perrine
John Perrine, Saxophone, is Director of the Jazz Ensemble and Coordinator of Jazz Studies at Cleveland State University. He has premiered works by Kari Juusela, Aaron Johnson and William Price. Perrine holds a doctorate from Louisiana State University , a masters from Northwestern University , and a BME from Stetson University . His teachers include James Bishop, Fred Hemke, Jonathon Helton and Griffin Campbell. He has studied jazz with Harold Blanchard, Don Owens, Tony Garcia and Michael Koucour.
Recently, Perrine has performed the Bolcom Concert Suite with the Volga Band (Saratov, Russia). Perrine also gave master classes at the Saratov Conservatory and the Rostov On-Don Conservatory and well as at Moscow State University for Culture and Arts where he has been invited back to perform the Ingolf Dahl Saxophone Concerto. In addition to work abroad Perrine has also recently given live broadcast recitals with faculty members Eric Ziolek, Rock Wehrmann and Mark DeMio on WCLV in Cleveland, Ohio and performed with his own jazz quartet at Night Town (Cleveland Heights) and The Bop Stop (Cleveland, Ohio). He is a founding member of the Red Stick Saxophone Quartet. The quartet has won national prizes in the MTNA and Fischoff chamber music competitions. Perrine’s composition “Vonnegut:Suite for Saxophone Quartet” was premiered at the North American Saxophone Alliance International Convention in Columbia, South Carolina by the Red Stick Saxophone Quartet.
Trumpets
Al Couch
Charles ”Al” Couch served as Assistant Principal Trumpet with The Cleveland Orchestra from 1972 to 2002. Currently he is a member of The Cleveland Jazz Orchestra, the Heritage Brass Quintet and the Nite Owls, a 1920s dance band. He also appears with his wife, Joanne Couch, in the duo Bright Seraphim performing music for trumpet & soprano. And he continues to work as a freelance musician in the Cleveland area. Previously Mr. Couch performed with the Norfolk Symphony and La Orquesta Sinfonica del Estado de Mexico. He served as Adjunct Professor of Trumpet at the Oberlin Conservatory and the Cleveland Institute of Music. While in the Army, he taught at the Armed Forces School of Music. He currently is the trumpet instructor at Cleveland State University.
Don Day
Neil Mueller
Neil Mueller has enjoyed a varied career as a trumpeter, conductor and educator. He has played trumpet concerti with the Boston Pops, the Eastern Connecticut Symphony, the Fargo-Moorhead Symphony and the Boston University Symphony Orchestras as well as with the Berkshire Bach Ensemble. Of a solo performance with the Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra, New London (CT)’s paper The Day wrote: “Mueller popped sonic fireworks and was especially impressive in his control of dynamics, maintaining a balanced timbre in his quietest and brassiest passages, including the stratospheric flourish ending the second movement.”
Presently Principal Trumpet with the Fargo-Moorhead Symphony Orchestra, he has performed as a free-lance musician with numerous groups throughout the northeast and Midwest, including the New Haven Symphony, the New Hampshire Symphony and the Marlboro Festival Orchestras. His work as first trumpet with the Brass Ring quintet, resulted in premiere performances and recordings of commissioned works for the group by Pulitzer Prize-winning composers Ned Rorem, Joseph Schwantner, David del Tredici and Jacob Druckman, as well as recitals at the Kennedy Center and throughout the U.S. and Italy. The recording, New American Classics for Brass Quintet, is available on the Crystal label.
As an educator, he has taught at North Dakota State University (Associate Professor 1999-2008) as well as the University of New Hampshire, Boston University’s Tanglewood Institute and the International Music Camp on the U.S. / Canadian border. He has conducted bands and orchestras, including the NDSU Wind Ensemble (Principal Conductor) and the University Symphony Orchestra (Associate Conductor). In 2006, Mueller’s Three Classical Trumpet Concerti arranged for two trumpets was published by Balquhidder Music (www.balquhiddermusic.com) and distributed internationally by Carl Fischer. Mueller, whose teachers include Allan Dean, J. Robert Hanson, William Vacchiano and Roger Voisin, holds degrees from Concordia College (MN), Yale University, and Boston University.
Traci Nelson
Gerhard Shermaier
Gerhard Schermaier earned his Bachelors of Musical Arts Degree and his Music Education Licensure from Cleveland State University. Gerhard has been performing with the University Brass Quintet and as a free-lance musician for the last twenty years. He has studied trumpet with Robert Dolwick (Erie Philharmonic) and with Charles Couch (Cleveland Orchestra). As a music educator within the Cleveland/Akron area, he has been the elementary music director at Ss. Cyril & Methodius and at Emmanuel Christian Academy.
Mike Willard
Matt Wirfel
Matt Wirfel performs throughout the greater Cleveland area and currently teaches general and instrumental music at St. Raphael School in Bay Village, Ohio. Matt works frequently as a freelance principal trumpeter for theater productions at Beck Center for the Arts, Paul W. Cassidy Theater, Stagecrafters, and various other venues. He can also be heard regularly at St. Clarence Church in North Olmsted. Matt earned his Bachelor of Science in Music Education at Clarion University in Pennsylvania and his Masters in Music Education from Youngstown State University. Matt is a former member of U.S. Navy Band Great Lakes located north of Chicago, Illinois. In Navy Band Great Lakes, Matt served as section leader, soloist, conductor and leader of the brass quintet. Matt also earned two Navy & Marine Corps Achievement Medals and was nominated junior sailor of the quarter. Matt also plays on the Music Near the Market recital series every summer.
French Horns
David Brockett
David Brockett, Horn, frequently performs with The Cleveland Orchestra, the Cincinnati Symphony, the Pittsburgh Symphony, the Fort Wayne Philharmonic and the Cincinnati Pops. He has recorded and toured extensively with The Cleveland Orchestra, and has performed with the Cleveland Jazz Orchestra, and the Jack Schantz Jazz Unit.
Nathan Harris
Kirk Hartung
Kirk Hartung originally from Portland, Oregon, earned his Bachelor degree in 2006 from Baldwin-Wallace College, where he studied with David Brockett. Following graduation, Kirk studied with Eric Ruske at Boston University before completing his Masters in performance at Cleveland State University with Jesse McCormick in 2009. In addition to performing with the Cleveland Winds, Kirk is pursuing career opportunities in the classical performance field.
Van Parker
Steve Weitzner
Trombones
Chris Graham
Brad Hruska
Brad Hruska currently teaches in the Perry Local School District where he directs the high school marching, concert, and jazz bands and assists with the middle school band program. He is an active staff member for the Cleveland Youth Wind Symphony and recently traveled with the group on international concert tours to France, Spain, and Portugal. In 2009 Hruska completed his graduate studies, obtaining a Master of Arts in Music Education from Case Western Reserve University. At CWRU he was an instructor and participant with the CWRU Symphonic Winds, University Circle Wind Ensemble, and Cleveland Youth Wind Symphony, under the direction of Dr. Gary Ciepluch.
Before his studies at CWRU, Hruska served as Director of Bands for Edon Northwest Schools in Williams County, Ohio. While with Edon, he was a member of the Defiance College Community Band under the direction of Vince Polce and the Big Band Sound of Defiance College, under the direction of Scott Rogers. He also served as an orchestra musician for the Williams County Community Theatre, Bryan Fountain City Festival, and numerous school districts in Wood and Williams Counties.
A native of Brooklyn, Ohio, Hruska received his Bachelor of Music in Music Education from Bowling Green State University, where he studied trombone with Sean Flanigan and William Mathis. At BGSU, he held positions of leadership in the marching band as well as the Ohio Collegiate Music Education Association.
Carone Lowrey
Erin Ocampo
Jean Wroblewski
Jean Wroblewski has been performing as a freelance trombonist for over 15 years. She received her Bachelor’s (1997) and Master’s of Music Performance (1999) from Cleveland State University and then pursued a teaching license for the State of Ohio (2002). During her career, she has performed with ensembles such as the Cleveland Opera and Ballet Orchestra’s, Summit Chorale Society, The Cleveland Philharmonic, Gabriel’s Horns, The Cleveland Choral Arts Society, Mansfield Symphony and has been involved in productions at Playhouse Square, Cain Park, Hiram College, Near West Theater, Kent State University Main Campus and Stark Campus and The Kent Blossom Porthouse Theater. Jean is the second trombonist with the Firelands Symphony in Sandusky, OH. In addition to performing, she is a full-time Instrumental Music Teacher for the Euclid City School System and is a private studio teacher in Cleveland area. She has also performed and recorded with the “Emperor’s of Swing” the “Northern Ohio Brass Quintet” and the Motown groups “Twist” and “Shout”.
Euphoniums
Amy DeLuca
Marty Witczak
Martin Witczak, originally from Euclid, OH, obtained his Bachelor’s degree in Music Education from Case Western Reserve University in 1998 and a Master’s in Music Education from CWRU in 2005. Upon graduation, Martin was a music teacher at North Olmsted City Schools from 1998 to 2004, where he taught middle school band and general music and high school marching band, concert band and jazz ensemble and assisted with the rhythm section of the award winning jazz choir, Special Edition. In 2004, Martin took his current position as the Director of Bands at Kirtland High School. At Kirtland, Martin works with all levels of instrumental music, including middle school band, elementary school brass classes, marching band, two concert bands, and a jazz ensemble. In addition, he accompanies the choir and soloists throughout the year.
Martin performs with the Air National Guard Band of the Great Lakes (555th Air Force Band) as a tubist, pianist, and euphonium player in that group’s Concert Band, Jazz Ensemble, Brass Quintet, and Jazz Combo. He has played with the Strongsville Community Band, MOJO Big Band, and the Air Force Band of Flight. He is also active as a freelance jazz pianist and has appeared as a soloist with the John Carroll University Jazz Ensemble and has been a faculty member at the Lakeland Community College Summer Jazz Camp.
Tubas
Adam Clemens
Doug Omundson
In 1998 Mr. Omundson earned a bachelor’s in Microbiology from Arizona State where he studied tuba with Sam Pilafian. He then attended the Peabody Conservatory under David Fedderly until 1999, leaving to join the Washington, D.C. based quintet “The Monumental Brass”. Mr. Omundson has additionally studied with Arnold Jacobs, Patrick Sheridan, and Ron Bishop. Since 2000 he has balanced music with additional career pursuits including information technology, industrial engineering, and nursing. Mr. Omundson currently works full-time as a registered nurse at the Cleveland Clinic.
Percussion
Darren Allen
Dan Allie
Dan Doherty
Bobby Kalas
Nicolas Rodriguez
String Bass
Tom Ovens
Piano
Eric Ziolek
Harp
Alice Allen
Music Director
Birch Browning
Dr. Birch Browning, founder and conductor of the Cleveland Winds, is an Associate Professor of Music Education and Graduate Music Program Director at Cleveland State University. Dr. Browning taught high school band and orchestra in Florida prior to earning a Ph.D. in Music Education at Florida State University. A member of the CSU faculty since 2002, Dr. Browning previously taught music education courses at Stetson University and Florida State University.
Browning’s various conducting posts reflect his diverse interests in music performance and education. Recent conducting positions include the CSU Chamber Winds and The Cleveland Chamber Winds, a professional small wind band. Recent guest conducting experiences include the Cleveland Philharmonic, the Volga Band (in Saratov, Russia), the Mercyhurst College Tri-State Band Festival, the Gnesin Academy wind band in Khanty-Mansyisk, Russia, Moscow State University for Culture and Arts, and various school honor bands. Dr. Browning is also a permanent conducting faculty member at the All-Russia Orchestral Conference held annually in Moscow. Browning’s principal conducting teachers include James Croft, Bobby Adams, and Joe Kreines. Other influential conducting coaches include Larry Rachleff and Ken Kiesler.
Dr. Browning’s professional affiliations include MENC, OMEA (Ohio Music Education Association), CBDNA (College Band Directors National Association), WASBE (World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles), SMTE (Society for Music Teacher Education), and IMTE (Instrumental Music Teacher Educators). Dr. Browning serves as Editor of OMEA’s research journal, Contributions to Music Education.
