MPAC 135
970.248.1163
chofer@mesastate.edu
Dr. Calvin Hofer is currently Head of the Music Department and Director of Wind Studies at Mesa State College where he conducts the MSC Wind Symphony and teaches applied trumpet. Dr. Hofer is principal trumpet with the Grand Junction Symphony Orchestra as well as the Mesa State College Faculty Brass Quintet. He also plays principal B-flat cornet with the Rocky Mountain Brass Band in Silverton, Colorado. Dr. Hofer received his undergraduate degree from South Dakota State University, his Master of Music Education degree from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, and his Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of North Texas. While at UNT, Dr. Hofer was a finalist in the concerto competition and voted outstanding graduate student in instrumental music.
Before coming to Mesa State College, Dr. Hofer was Director of Bands and trumpet instructor at Morningside College in Sioux City, Iowa as well as a member of the Sioux City Symphony, Sioux City Jazz Orchestra and Symphony Brass Quintet. Before graduate school Dr. Hofer was the Assistant Director of Bands at Central High School in Rapid City, S. D. where he taught instrumental music in grades 5-12.
MPAC 134
970.248.1178
flanigan@mesastate.edu
Dr. Sean Flanigan is very excited about his new appointment as Assistant Professor of Low Brass at Mesa State College. Over a long professional career, he has developed a reputation as an extremely versatile performer. Equally at home in the symphonic and jazz idioms, his wide range of professional experience has included principal trombone and featured soloist with the Cedar Rapids Symphony, performances with the Des Moines Symphony, Toledo Symphony, Toledo Opera Orchestra, Syracuse Symphony Orchestra, American Jazz Philharmonic, North Texas Wind Symphony and the Chicago Jazz Orchestra.
As a freelance trombone artist, Dr. Flanigan has backed such artists as Dizzy Gillespie, Jimmy Heath, Clark Terry, Urbie Green, the Temptations, Johnny Mathis and Jack Jones, recorded for television, radio, and commercial CDs and has performed for numerous touring Broadway shows in the Des Moines area.
Dr. Flanigan has presented solo recitals and clinics in South America at the National Conservatory in Caracas, Venezuela and as featured guest artist (along with the Empire Brass and Jacques Mauger of the Paris Conservatory) at the Ibero-American Brass Festival in Barquisimeto, Venezuela.
Holding a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of North Texas, as well as a Master of Music in Trombone Performance and a Master of Science in Music Education from the University of Illinois, Dr. Flanigan has served on the faculty of Drake University, Bowling Green State University, the Oklahoma Summer Arts Institute and Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp.
As an educational clinician and consultant for Conn-Selmer, Inc., Dr. Flanigan is in demand as a performer and teacher throughout the United States. He is very pleased to be a part of the dynamic music program at Mesa State and looks forward to developing relationships with directors throughout the Rocky Mountain region.
MPAC 107
970.248.1866
Diana Musselman, horn instructor, is principal horn with the Grand Junction Symphony. Mrs. Musselman earned her degrees in music education and performance from the University of Northern Colorado. She has played with the National Repertory Orchestra, the Greeley Philharmonic Orchestra, the Crested Butte Chamber Music Festival, the Western Slope Music Festival in Crested Butte, and the Marsha Thomas Chamber Music Festival. She is currently a music specialist at Tope Elementary and a member of the Grand Junction Symphony Woodwind Quintet. Ms. Musselman is instructor of horn at Mesa State College, and teaches music education and music appreciation courses.
MPAC 133
970.248.1124
Dr. Adam Ballif holds a Doctor of Musical Arts and a Master of Music degree in clarinet performance from Arizona State University. Before coming to Mesa State, he was Assistant Professor of Clarinet at the University of Evansville in Evansville Indiana and served as Principal Clarinetist with the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra. He received his Bachelor's Degree in Music Education from Brigham Young University. While in Utah, he performed with the Orchestra at Temple square, which included performing with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and recording soundtracks for motion pictures produced by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In July 2002, he participated in the Belgium Clarinet Academy and presented a paper titled, "Benny Goodman Influences Classical Composition, " at the 2002 International Clarinet Association's convention in Stockholm Sweden. In Arizona Adam was principal clarinetist with the Mesa Symphony Orchestra and taught instrumental music at the elementary and middle school levels. His principal clarinet teachers include Robert Spring, William Holman, and Alan Stanek.
Visit Dr. Adam Ballif's Personal Website.
MPAC 131
970.248.1054
Kristi Ballif, flute, earned her Master of Music degree in Flute Performance from Arizona State University and her Bachelor of Music in Flute Performance from Brigham Young University. She has been teaching private students for over ten years. Her instructors have included Elizabeth Ruppe, Trygve Peterson, and Elizabeth Buck. She has also participated in masterclasses for Trevor Wye, Robert Dick, Tadeu Coelho, Linda Chesis, and Keith Underwood.
Visit Kristi Ballif's Personal Website.
MPAC 131
970.248.1036
Mary Lindsey Bailey was recently appointed Lecturer of Oboe at Mesa State College and is in her first season as Principal Oboe of the Grand Junction Symphony Orchestra. She formerly served as Principal Oboe of the Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra in Shenzhen, China, and as Co-Principal Oboe of the Long Bay Symphony Orchestra in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. She has also performed with many orchestras such as the Louisville Orchestra, Charleston Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Baroque Orchestra, and South Carolina Philharmonic.
During her career, she has performed internationally in cities such as London, Paris, Hong Kong, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, and Turin. As winner of the Concerto Competition in Oboe at the University of Cincinnati, she gave the world premiere performance of Piotr Szewczyk's Concertino Parroso. She has participated in the Sarasota Music Festival, Opera Theatre and Music Festival of Lucca (Italy), Brevard Music Center, and Piccolo Spoleto Festival. She holds a Bachelor of Music degree and performance certificate from the University of South Carolina and a Masters of Music degree from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music where she is a candidate for the Doctor of Musical Arts degree. In addition to her degree studies, she spent a semester abroad in London, England studying at King's College London. Her principal teachers have been Mark Ostoich, Rebecca Schalk Nagel, and Tess Miller. Other studies include Richard Killmer, Nancy Ambrose King, Neil Black, Allan Vogel, and Eric Ohlsson.
MPAC
970.248.1792
Ken Heitt, bassoon instructor, received his Bachelor's degree in Music Education at the University of Northern Colorado, where he graduated with honors. He taught music in the Mesa County school district in Grand Junction, Colorado. Mr. Heitt has played with the Greeley Philharmonic Orchestra, the Marsha Thomas Chamber Music Festival, and has been the principal bassoonist with the Grand Junction Symphony Orchestra since 1978. He maintains a private studio, is a member of the Grand Junction Symphony Woodwind Quintet, and is currently an adjunct instructor at Mesa State College.
MPAC 129
970.248.1088
Darin Kamstra is the Director of Jazz Studies and Percussion at Mesa State College. He currently holds the principal timpani/percussion position with the Grand Junction Symphony Orchestra, performs actively as a jazz drummer across western Colorado, and appears frequently as a percussion and jazz clinician.
Dr. Kamstra received a D.M.A. in Percussion Performance and Literature from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and he received degrees in Percussion Performance and Music Theory/Composition from the University of Northern Colorado (M.M.) and Eastern Washington University (B.M. & B.A.).
Previously, Dr. Kamstra was a Lecturer of Music in Percussion at Western State College of Colorado. He served as principal timpanist of the Greeley Philharmonic Orchestra and has performed with professional orchestras, jazz groups, and music theater companies throughout Colorado, Illinois, and the Pacific Northwest. Also an active composer and arranger, Dr. Kamstra’s works are published by Grand Mesa Music Publishers and Walrus Music Publications, and they have been featured at regional, national, and international conventions and at universities across the United States. He is a contributor to the Percussive Arts Society Online Research Journal, a Local Education Artist for Pearl/Adams Percussion, and a Regional Endorser for Sabian Cymbals.
To hear recordings featuring Dr. Kamstra, please see the percussion and jazz studies home pages.
MPAC 132
970.248.1181
Carlos Elias began his musical studies at the age of five at the National Center of Arts in San Salvador. After graduating from high school and coming to the United States, he graduated Magna Cum Laude from Biola University in California, obtaining a Bachelor's degree in violin performance. He earned his Masters degree from the University of Cincinnati, College-Conservatory of Music and an Artist Diploma from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh. Among his teachers are Elizabeth Holborn, Mark Baranov, Valentin Stefanov, Won Bin Yim, and Hong-Guang Jia. He has also played in several master classes given by Ruben Gonzalez, Dorothy Delay, Andres Cardenas, Jacques Israelievitch and Sylvia Rosenberg. Mr. Elias has performed in solo recitals and in orchestras in the United States, El Salvador, and Japan, and was the winner of the Biola University Concerto Competition in 1988 and 1989, and 2nd place in the El Salvador Violin Competition in 1985. In 1986, he represented his country at the World Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Lorin Maazel. He has been a member of the Sendai Philharmonic Orchestra in Sendai (Japan), Pittsburgh Opera Orchestra, Erie Philharmonic, Wheeling Symphony Orchestra, and assistant concertmaster of the El Salvador Symphony Orchestra. He has participated in several music festivals, such as Congress of Strings, Aspen Music Festival (CO), Sarasota Music Festival (FL), Casals Festival (Puerto Rico), Affinis Music Festival (Japan), Western Slope Music Festival (CO), and, most recently, at the Corsi Internazionali di Musica (Italy). He studied conducting with Marlin Owen and Gerhard Samuel. He has conducted the Sendai Philharmonic Junior Orchestra in Japan and the National Center of the Arts Chamber Orchestra in El Salvador. Mr. Elias is currently Director of Strings/Orchestra at Mesa State and Concertmaster of the Grand Junction Symphony Orchestra. He and his wife, pianist Andrea Arese-Elias, gave their New York debut at Weill Hall in Carnegie Hall on March 28, 2002. Mr. Elias was invited to make his conducting debut in Bulgaria with the Pleven Philharmonic Orchestra on May 20, 2003. Carlos Elias plays a 1985 violin by the late American maker Sergio Peresson.
MPAC 107
970.248.1792
Kirk Gustafson received his formal training from the University of Colorado and the University of Washington, where he earned his Doctorate of Musical Arts in opera and orchestral conducting. As a guest conductor, Dr. Gustafson has appeared with the Rogue Valley, South Dakota, Southwest Illinois, Littleton, and Salt Lake Symphonies, the Boulder and Arapahoe Philharmonics, the Arvada Chamber Orchestra, and the Colorado Festival Orchestras, where he was assistant conductor for eight seasons. He currently is Music Director and Conductor of the Grand Junction Symphony Orchestra, an accomplished cellist and chamber musician, and Lecturer at Mesa State.
MPAC
970.245.4687
J. Cameron Law received his Bachelor's of Music degree with university honors and academic distinction in cello performance from Colorado State University. He completed a Masters degree in cello performance at the University of Michigan, where he was awarded a music fellowship and teaching assistant. Mr. Law has performed as the Assistant Principal Cellist of the Fort Collins and Cheyenne Symphonies, and is currently Principal Cellist of the Grand Junction Symphony. He is very active as both a performer and clinician. He has performed for three seasons at the Western Slope Summer Music Festival in Crested Butte. In 1997, he was selected to conduct the Colorado All-State String Orchestra. In addition, he is on the string faculty at the CSU Summer Music Camp and serves as the Camp Director for the CASTA Middle School String Camp. In 1999, he was awarded the Grand Junction Chamber of Commerce Outstanding Educator Award. He is also past president of the Colorado chapter of the American String Teacher's Association. Mr. Law is currently the Director of Orchestras at Grand Junction High School and is on the adjunct faculty at Mesa State College.
MPAC
970.248.1053
Eric Nohe has a Bachelor of Music in Classical Guitar Performance from Southern Methodist University. He has trained students who have been offered scholarships at Northwestern University, Yale, Manhattan School of Music, University of Denver, and the University of Colorado in classical and jazz guitar performance. Mr. Nohe performs in concerts, clubs, and receptions, in both classical and jazz idioms and has performed for President Ford, Arnold Schwartzenegger, Henry Kissinger, and others.
MPAC 126
970.248.1457
Dr. Monte Atkinson has been Director of Choral Activities at Mesa State College, Grand Junction, Colorado, since 1985, where he leads an active choral area, oversees choral music education, and conducts the Mesa State Concert Choir and Chamber Choir. Choirs under his direction have performed with the Denver Chamber Orchestra, Mexico National Symphony, Vancouver Symphony, annually with the Grand Junction Symphony Orchestra, and the Mesa State Symphony Orchestra. He has conducted the Mesa State Chamber Choir in performance throughout the United States and Canada, Europe and Great Britain.
Dr. Atkinson continues to serve as Artistic Director and Conductor of the Western Colorado Chorale, a 45-voice semi-professional choral ensemble he founded in 1985. The Western Colorado Chorale's concert series showcases choral and solo repertoire of great diversity, highlighted by their annual masterworks in which they are joined by the Grand Junction Symphony Chamber Orchestra. In addition, as chorusmaster for the Grand Junction Symphony Orchestra, Dr. Atkinson has prepared many of the great choral works for the symphony's annual masterworks concert. Prior to his appointment at Mesa State College, Dr. Atkinson served on the choral faculty at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville. An accomplished pianist, he holds a Bachelors degree in choral music, piano and strings from Utah State University. His Masters in Choral Conducting and Doctorate of Musical Arts in Choral Music were earned at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. In 1999 Dr. Atkinson was honored as the recipient of the Distinguished Faculty Award at Mesa State College. In February, 2008, Dr. Atkinson will make his first appearance as guest conductor at Carnegie Hall of the New England Symphony and Festival Chorus, which includes the Mesa State College Chamber Choir and Western Colorado Chorale. A long-time member of the American Choral Directors Association, Dr. Atkinson is married to flautist Gail Patten Atkinson, and continues to be in demand as an adjudicator, clinician, and guest conductor.
MPAC 111
970.248.1960
Dr. Jack Delmore, lyric tenor, has an extensive background in all areas of vocal performance. He holds a Masters degree in Voice Performance from the New England Conservatory of Music and a Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Arizona, Tucson. He is currently an associate professor of Music and Music Theater at Mesa State College. Dr. Delmore has performed such diverse chamber works as Britten's Canticles and Winter Words, Schumann's Dichterliebe, Faure's La Bonne Chanson, and Poulenc's Telle Jour Telle Nuit. He has also studied and performed the Russian repertoire of The Mighty Five, as well as more obscure early 20th century American art songs. As an associate professor of two very active areas at Mesa State, Dr. Delmore directs many musicals, operettas, and, as of late, operas. Among those he has directed are The Pirates of Penzance, My Fair Lady, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, She Loves Me, Guys & Dolls, The Mikado, No, No, Nanette, and Jesus Christ Superstar. Dr. Delmore also produced the first one-act operas performed at Mesa State in full production, Dido and Aeneas. Next spring he will direct Pasatieri's riotous Signor Deluso. Recently, he sang the premier of the chamber opera In the Shadow of the Glen by the acclaimed American composer, Nancy Van de Vate, at the Longy School of Music in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Dr. Delmore has been a frequent soloist with the Grand Junction Symphony Orchestra and the Western Colorado Chorale. He has performed numerous works with these organizations, including Verdi's Requiem, Orff's Carmina Burana, and Haydn's Creation.
MPAC 109
970.248.1791
Carol Ann Niles, soprano, received her Bachelor of Music Education from St. Mary College (Kansas), and her graduate studies were at Miami University (Ohio). She was a member and soloist with Denver's Classic Chorale and performed often with the Denver Symphony Orchestra. While living in New Zealand, she recorded for the N.Z. Broadcasting Corporation. Ms. Niles has been on the voice faculty at Mesa State College since 1979 and performs frequently with the Grand Junction Symphony Orchestra as well as the Western Colorado Chorale. She has sung numerous lead roles in both oratorio and opera. Ms. Niles maintains a large private voice studio and teaches Class Voice and directs the Women's Chorus at Mesa State College. She was a member of the voice faculty at the Corsi Internazionali di Musica summer music program at the University of Urbino, Italy for four years. Ms. Niles is currently serving as the President of the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) for the Colorado and Wyoming region. NATS is the largest association of singing teachers in the world and provides support and educational opportunities to university, college and private voice teachers.
MPAC
970.248.1053
Jan Drazek, soprano, holds a Bachelor of Arts from Dallas Baptist University and a Master's in Voice Performance from Southern Methodist University. She undertook postgraduate trainng at the American Institute of Musical Studies in Graz, Austria. She is a frequent soloist with the Grand Junction Symphony Orchestra, performing in Verdi's Requiem and many solo roles in oratorio. Ms. Drazek has performed extensively in musical theater in Dallas, New York, Aspen, and Grand Junction. She has taught at Dallas Baptist University and currently teaches private voice and voice diction at Mesa State.
MPAC
970.248.1792
Richard Luke, baritone, holds a Bachelor's of Music Education from Walla Walla College (WA) and has studied at Colorado University, Colorado State University, University of Northern Colorado, Southern Adventist College, and Central Florida University. He has studied with William Vennard and Burton Coffin. Mr. Luke has over 24 years experience in vocal and choral teaching in private schools in Colorado, California, and Florida. He currently sings in the Western Colorado Chorale and is on the voice faculty at Mesa State.
MPAC 130
970.248.1069
Dr. Arthur Houle is in frequent demand as a clinician, adjudicator and performer, both as soloist and collaborator. He holds degrees from the University of Massachusetts-Lowell, New England Conservatory and the University of Iowa. Houle is founder and director of the Festival for Creative Pianists (www.pianofestival.org). A frequent presenter for national and regional professional conferences, he was the only pianist to be invited to perform twice, to critical acclaim, in the 1995 International Chopin Music Festival. He has given coast-to-coast lecture/recitals and master classes for various teacher organizations and schools. Frequent radio airings include two live interview/performances on NPR's "Eklektikos" program for KUT-Austin, TX - once to perform original jazz trio compositions, and a second appearance to perform and discuss the music of Chopin. His chamber music collaborations include performances with the Langroise Trio, Copley Chamber Players, and renowned soloists such as cellist Dennis Parker, whose Carnegie Recital Hall debut with Houle was critically acclaimed. Houle's "Chopin Nocturnes" CD features live performances with authentic variants, along with original variants as Chopin might have done. Other CDs feature lesser-known cello/piano repertory and the music of contemporary composers. Cowboy Jazz, Dr. Houle's collection of original piano solos for intermediate level students, was published in November, 2008 by the Hal Leonard Corporation, the largest sheet music publishers in the world. Houle was a frequent contributor to Piano & Keyboard and has also written for Clavier, Clavier Companion, Piano Quarterly, Piano Today, American Record Guide, The College Music Society Newsletter, The Piano Adventures Teacher FJH Pedagogy Newsletter, North Dakota Music Educator Journal, Arkansas Music Educator Journal ("Segue"), and the IMEA's Idaho Music Notes. Houle wrote a regular interview column for American Music Teacher from 2004 to 2007. Houle's principal piano teacher was Leonard Shure; chamber music coaches included Eugene Lehner, Colin Carr, Benjamin Zander and Victor Rosenbaum. A studio piano teacher since the age of 13, Houle has taught at the New England & Boston Conservatories, the Universities of Iowa, North Dakota & Texas-Austin, and, most recently, at Albertson College. For full vita download, please see www.pianofestival.org/arthoule.htm.
MPAC
970.241.3953
Philip Wyse was born and raised in Managua, Nicaragua. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Denison University and his Master of Music degree from Northwestern University. He has been a college music professor in Kentucky and in South Dakota. For over fifteen years he has been a member of the piano faculty of the International Music Camp in the Peace Gardens of North Dakota and Manitoba. Mr. Wyse is also a harpsichordist and has toured the Dakotas and Wyoming under the auspices of the South Dakota Arts Council. He recently performed with the Grand Junction Symphony Chamber Orchestra at the Avalon Theatre. Mr. Wyse teaches piano privately, accompanies voice students, and teaches Harpsichord at Mesa State College. He is organist at the First Presbyterian Church.
Laine Cross, piano, attended the University of Nebraska in Lincoln and San Diego State University (CA). She was instructor of piano at the University of Redlands (CA), where she also accompanied the University Singers. She has taught piano in Grand Junction for many years. Currently, she teaches private piano lessons and is a staff accompanist at Mesa State.
Misty Sothers received her BA degree in Piano Performance from Bethany College in Kansas, and her MM degree in Piano Pedagogy from Butler University in Indiana. She has been an adjunct faculty member at McPherson College, Bethany College, and Butler University, as well as an instructor for the Indianapolis Piano Academy and the world-renowned Indianapolis Children's Choir.
Ms. Sothers has collaborated with artists in the International Society of Bassists Symposium and the NATS Award Artist Competition Finals. Currently she accompanies the Schumann Singers and Messiah Choral Society along with guest artists, faculty, and students at Mesa State. In addition to accompanying, Misty also teaches piano at Mesa State and operates her own private studio.
Dr. Monte Atkinson also assists in the piano area. See his biography under the vocal area.
