Professor of Music Sound Recording Technology pbissell@delmar.edu 361-698-1618 FC 205
Paul Bissell earned his Bachelor Degree in Fine Arts from the University of South Florida and both Masters and Doctoral degrees from the University of Texas at Austin. He played guitar and piano through high school before finding percussion which was the main thrust of both his first and second college degrees. During his years in school, he also began composing works for soloists and ensembles and this interest culminated in his DMA in Composition award in 2001. At the age of 26, Dr. Bissell began teaching percussion and music technology at Louisiana Tech University. In 1997, he came to Del Mar College where his responsibilities were similar. Now Professor, Bissell is in charge of the Sound Recording Technology program at Del Mar. His percussion and technology related articles can be found in issues of Sound on Sound, Drumhead, and Percussive Notes among others. Dr. Bissell teaches all the music technology core components of the degree and is author of the Audio Engineering I text book.
Dr. Shao-Shan Chen
Professor of Music Piano schen@delmar.edu 361-698-1611 Music Building A 306
Taiwanese-born pianist Shao-Shan Chen began piano lessons at the age of five. She earned a diploma degree in piano performance from the National Conservatory of Music in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic; a master of music degree from The Boston Conservatory, and a doctorate from the College-Conservatory of Music of the University of Cincinnati. While in the Dominican Republic, she won numerous first prizes in national piano competitions, and at the age of eighteen, she made her debut as piano soloist with the National Symphony Orchestra of Santo Domingo performing Mozart's Piano Concerto K. 466. She has performed as piano soloist and chamber musician at the Carnegie Recital Hall and the Columbia Artists Management Inc. (CAMI) Hall in New York, as well as in Boston, Cincinnati, the Aspen Music Festival, Taiwan, Indonesia, Spain, Venezuela, and Australia. She also appears frequently with husband, pianist Dr. David Sutanto, playing piano duet in concerts. Dr. Chen has been invited as adjudicator for music festivals sponsored by the Corpus Christi Music Teachers Association, Texas Music Teachers Association, and the Singapore Music Teachers Association. Dr. Chen is currently a Professor of Piano at Del Mar College where she has been teaching since 2004.
Professor of Music Violin/Viola Director, Corpus Christi Chamber Orchestra tehle@delmar.edu 361-698-1223 Music Building B 205
Violinist R. Todd Ehle, Professor of Music at Del Mar College in Corpus Christi, Texas, has reached an international audience with his violin lessons posted on Youtube. These video lessons have a combined view-count in the multi-millions and have proven popular with students and professionals of all ages and abilities. International concert cellist and recording artist, Lynn Harrell, proclaimed Todd's Tone Production video #1 to be “Excellent! Beautifully explained.” Roy Sonne, a retired member of the Pittsburgh Symphony, called the videos “clear, concise demonstrations and explanations,” and goes on to say “I have found them most valuable in my own teaching.” Todd was featured in the Strad Magazine article ‘Stars of the Web’ (September, 2008), and the Chamber Music Magazine article ‘So You Want to Study with a Superstar...’ (September/October, 2011). He was also included in the book, ‘Youtube in Music Education,’ by Thomas Rudolph and James Frankel (Hal Leonard, publisher, 2009). Todd was interviewed by Strings magazine for the article, ‘Give it a Rest’ (August, 2021), discussing the Shoulder Rest, and ‘How to find the Perfect Shoulder Support.’ Mr. Ehle gave his New York City debut in 1995, performing a recital in Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall, and his European debut in 1997, performing at the Czech Academy of Music. His performance of Forests of the Night, written by father, Robert C. Ehle, performing as soloist with the Czech Radio Orchestra (Vladimir Valek, Director), was broadcast on NPR’s Performance Today on April 27, 1999. The same work is featured on MMC Records’ Orchestral Miniatures, Vol. 4. Todd’s Album, J.S. Bach’s Sonata #1 and Partita #1, is available on Apple Music, and his album, Traditional Irish Fiddle, is available on iTunes, Apple Music, Spotify and iHeart Radio.Todd received his education at the University of Northern Colorado, the University of Colorado and the Eastman School of Music. He also studied Suzuki pedagogy with William Starr and Margery Aber.
Guitarist Philip Hii has performed extensively in the United States, Mexico, Germany, and New Zealand. His Bach CD received rave reviews from critics in Germany, England, Japan and the US. It was chosen as one of Guitar Player Magazine's picks of the month which says, "His passionate rubato and penetrating tone contribute to a thrilling performance." The Washington Post calls the CD "exciting" and "dazzling." and Acoustic Guitar Magazine calls him "the Heifetz of the classical guitar." A native of Malaysia, Philip Hii started the guitar at age ten. After winning a national competition in Malaysia, he left for New Zealand to study law. Hii won the New Zealand National Cup and appeared on national television. He furthered his studies in England and Germany before coming to the United States in 1983. Philip Hii holds a B. Mus degree from Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand as well as a jazz arranging diploma from Berklee College of Music and a Master of Music degree from the University of North Texas. Philip Hii has published numerous articles inSoundboard, Guitar International, Gitarre und Laute, and American String Teacher and is a former Guitar Forum Editor for the AST. Six of his Bach transcriptions have been published by Guitar Solo Publications. His second CD, Stream of Consciousness, is a compilation of originals arranged for solo guitar and synthesizers. In 2004, he released his third CD, a compilation of eleven Chopin nocturnes transcribed for guitar. He is also a member of the New York City Classical Guitar Society Artistic Advisory Board. His most recent project is a series of books called The Art of Virtuosity.
Press Comments
"Nobody plays the guitar like Philip Hii; he's a Heifetz of the classical guitar. Hii's Allegro is the best I've ever heard and the Toccata and Fugue is downright scary. This is must listening for classical guitar buffs who want to blow a few fuses. ”
Diane Gordon Acoustic Guitar
"With impeccable technique and outstanding interpretative gifts, Hii succeeds in making these pieces - originally for violin or organ - sound joyfully at home on nylon-string guitar. His passionate rubato and penetrating tone contribute to a thrilling performance that adds a new dimension to the Bach repertoire."
James Rotondi Guitar Player
"An even more exciting disc - because it faces more serious challenges and meets them brilliantly - is J. S. Bach: New Transcriptions for Guitar. Hii makes it sound as if it had been composed for his own instrument - no small accomplishment."
Joseph McLellan Washington Post
"Fortunately for music lovers, there can never be a definitive Bach, but Philip Hii's New Transcriptions for Guitar must certainly join the ranks of the great performances and will undoubtedly give up-and-coming contenders an exciting goal to strive for."
Michael Wright Audio Magazine
"...astonishing technique, abundant ideation and liquid expression...elegant sense of timing, his genuine interpretation and superb phrasing, the result being a completely satisfying Bach recital that borders on revelation. Yes, two roads diverged in a wood and Hii - he took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference."
John Schneider Soundboard
"The affect of the Nocturnes selected for this disc are fully maintained in Hii's guitar versions, and he navigates the delicate lines with an ease achieved only through deep thought and reflection. Op.48, No.1 is the first piece to fully explore Hii's range of talents, challenging the guitarist with quick chromatic lines interwoven into a complex polyphony. Equally memorable is Hii's performance of Op.55, No.1, in which he captures the essence of the many beautiful moments in this composition."
Timothy Smith, Minor 7th
"This uncommonly beautiful solo guitar music - 11 of Chopin's 21 Nocturnes arranged and exquisitely performed by Hii’s a gift to the spirit. Without knowing otherwise, one might think Chopin wrote for guitar rather than piano."
Chris Dodge, Utne
"Hii often puts the music first, over bravura technical display, and the result can be remarkably affecting. He has a great sense for the introverted expressive world of these pieces; and his interpretations are carefully considered, tasteful, and even moving. His scale technique is as fast as anyone's, and he plays many of these runs with a lightness of touch that few could achieve."
Rings, American Record Guide
"In his all-new transcriptions of eleven 'Nocturnes', Philip Hii emerges as a forceful and engaging performer, whose penchant for surges of dynamic energy ensure no listener drifts in to a slumber, nocturnal or otherwise. ...the performances remain controlled and compelling, Hii's remarkable capacity to sustain a single-string trill against dauntingly intricate accompaniments coming into its own on several occasions."
Paul Fowles, Classical Guitar Magazine
"He has an exceptional feel for the romantic style, and his playing will win over the hardest of hearts. He gets inside the music, at once making you feel that he is speaking from his heart and that this music was written expressly for the guitar."
Tom Chandler, Rasputin Manifesto
Publications and Recordings
"Aaron Shearer: An Interview." American String Teacher 41-1(Winter 1991): 77-79
"Bach's Method of Transcription." Soundboard 17(Spring 1990): 28-33
"Bachs Transkriptionsmethode." Gitarre und Laute 14-2 (March/April): 40-44
"The Gran Sonata Eroica; the Case for Its Authenticity." American String Teacher 40-4 (Autumn 1990): 75-79
"Mauro Giulianis Gran Sonata Eroica-authentisch Oder Nicht?" Gitarre und Laute 13-2 (September/Oktober): 12-16
Guitar Basics. Self-published textbook for teaching beginning guitar. Revised, 1990
"Projection on the Guitar." American String Teacher 41-4(Autumn 1991): 71-73
"Slurring Practices in Baroque Guitar and Lute Music" Soundboard (1987-88: 252-255
"Teaching Classical Guitar at the College level." American String Teacher 42-1
Johann Sebastian Bach. New Transcriptions for Guitar, Compact disc. GSP 1012CD released 1995
David Irving (Retired)
Professor of Music Jazz Ensembles, Guitar, History of Rock and Roll
David Irving, a native of Corpus Christi, earned his bachelor's and master's degrees at North Texas State University (now the University of North Texas). A guitarist from the age of four, he went through high school and college disguised as a French horn player. He began his teaching career with a three-year stint as the school band director for the Central-Texas community of Mart. It was there that he started his first school jazz band, learning along with his students and staying slightly ahead of them by reading each lesson of the group's class method book the night before he introduced it to the band. Apparently it worked; during the band's first year of existence it placed at the then-prestigious Brownwood Stage Band Festival. In his six years as band director in Ingleside he regularly produced first-division concert, marching, and jazz bands. The jazz band he started there was the first public-school stage band in South Texas to rehearse on a daily basis. He came to Del Mar College in 1972. During his tenure at the school the jazz bands have performed with many of the greatest names in jazz. In 1987 the MWF Jazz Band toured Europe, appearing at Holland's North Sea Festival and Switzerland's Montreux Festival. In addition to his duties as jazz band director, Irving teaches jazz appreciation, the history of rock music, and beginning guitar. He has recently completed work on his guitar class method, titled Learn To Play the Guitar in Three Easy Lessons (and Twenty Hard Ones). Irving is a member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, the national fraternity for men in music, and is an honorary member of Phi Sigma local professional music sorority. He serves as chapter advisor for both organizations.
Jay Kacherski
Assistant Professor of Music Guitar jkacherski@delmar.edu 361-698-1603 Music Building B203
"Virtuosismo" and "technical dominance" are the words used by the press to describe American guitarist, Jay Kacherski. A native of New York, Kacherski has performed around the world as a soloist, in duo with piano, and as a member of the Grammy-nominated Texas Guitar Quartet. He has performed at distinguished music festivals and venues such as the Festival International de Guitarra de Taxco, Mexico, the Florida Guitar Foundation, the Brevard Music Center, Round Top, the New Orleans International Guitar Festival, the Austin Classical Guitar Society, the GuitUNAM guitar festival in Mexico City, Casa Sors in Barcelona, Spain, and the International Guitar Art Festival in Shenzhen, China. He has also collaborated with Grammy-winners and nominees such as the chamber choir Conspirare, Chilean flutist Viviana Guzman, the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet and renowned American composer Libby Larsen.
Jay Kacherski spent two years living in Mexico as a Fulbright Scholar and member of the guitar faculty at the Escuela Nacional de Música, the music conservatory for the National University of Mexico (UNAM) researching, performing, and promoting contemporary classical guitar music of Mexico. His guide and teacher for this work was the world-renowned Mexican guitarist Dr. Juan Carlos Laguna. Kacherski has since premiered and recorded many new works from Mexico and has created a complete catalog of Mexican guitar works with links to videos, audio, scores, and more that can be found at www.kacherskiguitar.com.
His debut solo album Synthesis: 20th & 21st Century Guitar Music from Mexico was the culmination of his Fulbright work. The recording, which is on the Frameworks Records label, has been hailed as a “…brilliant album” and “one of the finest guitar solo recordings of recent years” by Soundboard magazine. His latest recording Landscapes with Brazilian pianist Lina Morita, also on the Frameworks Records label, is an album of new works for piano and guitar duo by award winning composers such as Jefferson Todd Frazier, Olga Amelkina-Vera, Luciana Bigazzi and Maurizio Colonna among others. Soundboard magazine called it “an impressive album both in music and performances.” The duo has also commissioned a new work by the celebrated Brazilian American composer Clarice Asaad, as well as new works from American composer Jefferson Todd Frazier and Spanish composer José Galeote.
Jay Kacherski is currently Assistant Professor of Music at Del Mar College in Corpus Christi, Texas and was formerly on the guitar faculty at Loyola University of New Orleans, the University of New Orleans, and McNeese State University, as well as NOCCA, the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts. He has presented at music conventions and festivals throughout the U.S. and abroad and is often invited to adjudicate at national and international competitions. As a teacher, his students have been finalists and winners of international solo and chamber music competitions and recipients of scholarships for continued study.
Kacherski is the Artistic Director of the Gulf Coast Guitar Association and the Houston Classical Guitar Festival and Competition and the former director of the Loyola Guitar Festival in New Orleans and the Francis G. Bulber Youth Orchestra Guitar Program. His academic studies include a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Texas at Austin, a Master of Music degree in Guitar Performance and Literature from the Eastman School of Music, and undergraduate degrees from Florida Southern College where he graduated with honors.
Dr. Joy Kairies
Professor of Humanities and Music Flute, Humanities, Music Appreciation jkairies@delmar.edu 361-698-1610 Music Building A 302
Dr. Joy Kairies is Professor of Flute at Del Mar College. She conducts the Del Mar College Flute Ensemble and teaches Introduction to the Humanities and Music Appreciation on the Internet. Dr. Kairies earned her Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees in flute performance at the Juilliard School of Music. She holds a Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Fine Arts with a major in music performance from Texas Tech University. Dr. Kairies has performed as a recitalist, chamber musician and symphony musician in a wide range of venues throughout the United States. She has also served as an adjudicator for several area competitions including the Texas Community College Band Directors' Association All-State Band Auditions, Texas Music Educators' Association sponsored Region Band and Orchestra Auditions, the Association of Texas Small School Bands Region Band Auditions, and the Coastal Bend Flute Club Young Artist Competition. As an active clinician, she has organized and conducted workshops and master classes for flute students of all ages. In 1995, Dr. Kairies received a faculty grant to coordinate two multidisciplinary festivals devoted to women's creativity which were held in conjunction with National Women's History Month and International Women's Day. The events included competitions in the visual, performing and literary arts, a film festival, and more than 30 lectures, performances, demonstration and displays. Dr. Kairies is recognized as an expert in the field of distance learning. In particular, she is known for her innovative use of technology to deliver media intensive courses in the fine arts. She has twice appeared as a guest speaker and clinician at the Appalachian College Association Technology Summit. She has also given presentations on the development of media intensive arts courses at the Texas Music Educators' Association Convention and Clinic in San Antonio, and at the Syllabus Educational Technology Conference in Santa Clara, California. Dr. Kairies' other research interests include the application of advances in cognitive psychology and motor learning to musical practice and teaching. In 2004, she gave a presentation at the Texas Music Educators Association Convention and Clinic entitled Music and the Mind: What the Latest Brain Research Can Teach Us About Practice and Performance.
Karl Kemm
Professor of Music Horn, Humanities kkemm@delmar.edu 361-698-1601 Music Building A 316
Karl Kemm earned a bachelor's degree at the University of New Mexico. He studied music history and performance practice at the University of New Hampshire for a master's degree under the guidance of Keith Polk and the music iconography specialist Mary Rasmussen. In 1989 he joined the Air Force Band at Travis AFB, California and began freelancing in the San Francisco Bay Area while studying under Dave Krehbiel. After 1994 he remained associated with the Air Force through the Texas Air National Guard Band from which he retired in 2011. Studying with Bill Scharnberg as a University of North Texas teaching fellow starting in 1995, he then served as adjunct faculty at Texas Woman's University from 1998 to 2001 and as principal horn with the Abilene Philharmonic up until 2007.
Currently he freelances and clinics as an orchestral and early music natural horn player throughout Texas and the neighboring states. He actively participates with the Corpus Christi Symphony, the Corpus Christi Brass Quintet, the Del Mar Trio, and occasionally with the Austin Baroque Orchestra, La Folia, and Sonido Barroco. As the Del Mar College horn instructor since 2001, Karl Kemm also teaches Introduction to the Humanities for which he holds a Master of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies from the University of North Texas. In 2017 he took charge of Hornswoggle, a horn workshop in Jemez Springs, New Mexico, where horn players of all ages and playing levels congregate for masterclasses and a communal horn ensemble experience. He continues presenting The Story of the Horn which the Del Mar College's Radio and Television Program recently re-formatted for broadcast on the local public television station KEDT.
Dr. Mirae Lee
Director of Choral Activities Assistant Professor of Music mlee47@delmar.edu 361-698-1352 Music Building B 305
Dr. Mirae Lee is an accomplished conductor, composer, and educator, distinguished by her global experiences and unwavering dedication to music education. With a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Choral Conducting with a minor in Music Theory from the University of Arizona, and a Master of Music in Choral Conducting from the University of Alabama, Dr. Lee has honed her craft through rigorous academic training and practical experience.
Her teaching and conducting journey spans diverse settings, from university classrooms to K-12 schools and community choirs. As a Graduate Assistant at the University of Arizona and the University of Alabama, Dr. Lee served as Assistant Conductor for various choirs. Her commitment to music education extends beyond academia, as evidenced by her roles as Choir & General Music Teacher (5th-8th Grade) in Peoria Unified School District, AZ, and as Co-Founder and Co-Director of the Watoto Wangu Foundation in Kenya, which provides music and art education to underserved children.
Dr. Lee's expertise in conducting has been recognized through numerous honors and awards, including the Medici Award from the University of Arizona and multiple scholarships and fellowships. She has also presented research and participated in conducting masterclasses at prestigious institutions and conferences worldwide. Dr. Lee is a published author, with a forthcoming book, "Choral Repertoire by Women Composers," co-authored with Dr. Elizabeth Schauer, slated for release by GIA Publications. With a passion for fostering cultural understanding through music and a dedication to empowering the next generation of musicians, Dr. Mirae Lee continues to inspire and uplift communities through her artistry and leadership.
Driven by her education philosophy that "Education has the power to change lives," Dr. Lee is committed to instilling a love for learning and music in her students, believing that education has the power to transform lives and create opportunities for personal growth and fulfillment.
William Lipman
Professor of Music Clarinet and Saxophone wlipman@delmar.edu 361-698-1605 Music Building A 303
William Lipman started playing the clarinet at age nine. From eighth grade through high school, he studied clarinet and saxophone at The Hart School of Music with Stanley Aronson and William Goldstein. Professor Lipman received his Bachelor of Music degree from The Boston Conservatory of Music. At Boston Conservatory he served as Principal Clarinet with the orchestra, as well as being featured as a soloist. Mr. Lipman received his Master of Music degree and completed his Doctoral Studies from The Eastman School of Music. At Eastman he performed in the Eastman Musica Nova and as Principal Clarinet of the Eastman Wind Ensemble. He studied with Stanley Hasty, as well as Atilio Poto, Pete Hadcock, Kalman Opperman and Harold Wright.
William Lipman served as Principal Clarinet with the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Lukas Foss. He has also served as Co-Principal Clarinet of the Cape Town Symphony, under Erik Bergel. Mr. Lipman has been featured as a soloist with The Boston Pops in Symphony Hall, the Jerusalem Symphony, Cape Town Symphony, as well as other orchestras, chamber and wind ensembles. He has been an in-house performing artist with the Bacco e Bach Music Festival in Monferrato Italy. He is a founding member of Academia Musica chamber ensemble ( clarinet, violin & cello) and a frequent performing artist with the Binyamin String Quartet. Mr. Lipman will again be performing with the Binyamin Quartet this March, in Jerusalem Israel.
As a Clarinetist and Saxophonist, he has performed with a variety of orchestras, including the Rochester Philharmonic, the Schubert Theatre in Boston and with the Boston Pops Orchestra under the direction of Arthur Fiedler. Mr. Lipman has performed in a variety of venues throughout the United States, Canada, Europe and the Middle East, including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Mann Auditorium in Tel Aviv and the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. Mr. Lipman has performed in the U.S., Israel, Far East and South Africa. Mr. Lipman has a body of works commissioned for him by composers, such as Sydney Hodkinson, Warren Benson, Dennis Leclaire, Joseph Bardamashvilli (Ukraine/Israel), David Krivitsky (Moscow) and W.O. Smith, from the Dave Brubeck Quartet.
Professor Lipman, on the faculty of Del Mar College, lectures on Music Literature and has a private studio for clarinet and saxophone students. He also coaches and judges clarinet and saxophone quartets. He is an instructor and clinician in genres ranging from 'classical' literature to the swing/jazz style, to klezmer. While in Corpus Christi, Mr. Lipman has performed with Texas and local orchestras, ensembles and bands.
William Lipman has given master classes and recitals to faculty and students at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, the University of Vermont, the Ruben Academy of Music in Jerusalem Israel, Tel Aviv University, the St. Petersburg State Conservatory of Music in Russia and The Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory of Music in Moscow, Russia.
Cynthia Longoria
Professor of Music Department Chair Voice clongoria@delmar.edu 361-698-1212/698-1607 Music Building A 208/Music Building B 301
Cynthia Longoria earned a bachelor of music degree from the University of Texas at San Antonio, where she studied with Dr, Diana Allan. Under the private instruction of Dr. Richard Berry, she earned a master's degree in vocal performance from Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas. Cynthia has performed with various choral ensembles, including the Corpus Christi Chorale and the San Antonio Mastersingers. Her master teachers include William Warfield, Gilda Cruz-Romo, and Dr. David Jones. Her operatic roles include Rosalinda in Strauss' Die Fledermaus. Anna Maurrant in Weill's Street Scene, and The Secretary in Menotti's Consul. At Del Mar Cynthia teaches private voice, voice class, fundamentals of music, Singers' Theater, and music appreciation.
Dr. Daniel Miller
Associate Professor of Music Trumpet, Jazz Band, and Mariachi Ensemble dmiller29@delmar.edu 361-698-1602 Music Building A 315
Dr. Daniel Miller joined the Del Mar College Department of Music in Fall 2019 as Assistant Professor of Trumpet and Director of the Jazz Ensemble. He previously taught at Trinity University in San Antonio and the University of Colorado at Boulder, where he received his doctorate. He is also an alumnus of the Peabody Conservatory of Music and the University of Houston. As an orchestral musician, Dr. Miller has performed with the Houston Symphony, the Baltimore Symphony, the Cheyenne (WY) Symphony, the Symphony of Southeast Texas, the Boulder Chamber Orchestra, the Mid-Texas Symphony, and the Chamber Orchestra of the Springs in Colorado Springs. He has played under such conductors as Marin Alsop, Klauspeter Seibel, Gustav Meier, Marek Pijarowski, and Carl St. Clair. Dr. Miller has also toured as Principal Trumpet of the American Wind Symphony on their 50th anniversary tour in Louisiana. After living all over the United States, Dr. Miller is happy to be home in Texas and is excited to explore the Coastal Bend region with his wife and two pets.
Dr. Roger W. Petersen
Professor of Music Composition and Theory rpetersen@delmar.edu 361-698-1619 Music Building B 304
Roger W. Petersen (b. 1976) is currently an Associate Professor of Composition and Theory at Del Mar College. Prior to his appointment at Del Mar College in 2013, he spent two years teaching in a similar capacity at Mahidol University in Bangkok, Thailand. A San Francisco native, he holds degrees from Michigan State University (DMA/Composition and MM/Theory), San Francisco Conservatory of Music (MM/Composition), and Sonoma State University (BFA). He has studied composition with Ricardo Lorenz, Elinor Armer, and Will Johnson. His compositions have been recorded and commercially released on a number of albums.
In 2012, Where Her Lingering Smile Resides was recorded by conductor Gudni Emilsson and the Thailand Philharmonic Orchestra; it appears on their latest album Faces of Love. In 2010, Chasing the Silence (saxophone quartet) and In Dreams (saxophone ensemble) were recorded by the h2 quartet for their second album, Times and Spaces. Other recent recording projects includeIn Dreams (chorus), recorded by the Freudig Singers of Buffalo New York, and Raining Light(wind symphony), recorded by Christopher Hughes and the Mahidol University Wind Symphony for the album Winds of Salaya. Commissions have come from the Thailand Philharmonic Orchestra, Contemporary Enclave, Atlantic Harp Duo, h2 quartet, San Francisco International Music Festival, Southeastern Louisiana University, Schola Cantorum of San Francisco, Bay Area Composers' Circle, and MSU Wind Symphony. His music has been performed internationally and as part of numerous festivals, including the 2012 Thailand International Composition Festival, 2012 CMS Pacific Northwest Conference, 2012 CMS South Central Conference, 2012 CMS Pacific Southwest Conference, 2011 International Saxophone Symposium, 2010 CMS National Conference, 2010 San Francisco International Music Festival, 2008 World Saxophone Congress, and 2008 North American Saxophone Alliance.
Donald Pinson maintains a full schedule as both a performer and educator. His experience spans wide-ranging styles, from classical orchestral, solo, chamber, and early music concerts to jazz, rock, salsa, and more. A versatile instrumentalist, he performs regularly on alto, tenor, and bass trombone and euphonium.
As an orchestral musician, he performs regularly as principal trombonist in both the Victoria Symphony Orchestra and the Mid-Texas Symphony, and he has also performed with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, and the San Antonio Symphony, among others.
Active as a chamber musician, recitalist, and clinician, he has been a featured soloist with numerous ensembles in both classical and jazz idioms. He has taken a particular interest in performing the literature for solo trombone and organ, and his first solo recording, Fantasia, a collaboration with organist Damin Spritzer, is now available on the Raven CD label. He has performed concerts and educational programs throughout the South Texas region with the Del Mar Brass Trio and the Corpus Christi Brass Quintet. He has also performed and lectured at venues such as the International Trombone Festival, the Texas Music Educators Association Convention, the Big XII Trombone Conference, and the Texas Jazz Festival.
In 2009, Dr. Pinson joined the faculty at Del Mar College, where he is currently Associate Professor of Trombone/Low Brass. His teaching duties include: applied lessons in trombone, euphonium, and tuba; brass ensembles; and courses in Music Theory and the History of Rock and Roll. Previous teaching experience includes work with students at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, Brookhaven College, the University of Texas at Arlington, and the University of North Texas. An active member of the International Trombone Association, he is the Competitions Coordinator for the ITA, responsible for the implementation of fourteen annual competitions with an international pool of applicants and judges. Dr. Pinson holds degrees from Texas Christian University, Southern Methodist University, and the University of North Texas, and his mentors have included Vern Kagarice, John Kitzman, Dennis Bubert, Barney McCollum, and Ron Wilkins.
Donald Pinson is a performing artist for Michael Rath Trombones, England.
Dr. Raphael Ramiro S. Rada
Professor of Music Voice rrada@delmar.edu 361-698-1606 Music Building B 303
Raphael Rada is an active baritone soloist and has performed in opera, operetta, concert, oratorio, recital, chamber music, and musical theater. A native of Quezon City, Philippines, he received his undergraduate degrees in music education and vocal performance from the University of Santo Tomas in Manila, Philippines. Dr. Rada received a Masters degree in vocal performance from Winthrop University in Rock Hill, South Carolina and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in vocal performance from the University of South Carolina. His mentors include Salvacion Yñiguez, Jerry Helton and Dr. Donald Gray. Rada has sung the roles of Ben in Menotti's The Telephone, David in Barber's A Hand of Bridge, the Baritone in Johnson's Four Note Opera, Dulcamara in Donizetti's L'Elisir d'Amore, Enrico in Donizetti's Il Campanello di Notte, Guglielmo in Mozart's Cosi fan tutte, Colas in Mozart's Bastien und Bastienne, Melchior in Menotti's Amahl and the Night Visitors, Malatesta in Donizetti's Don Pasquale, Marcello in Puccini's La Boheme, Monsieur Choufleuri in Offenbach's Monsieur Choufleuri, the Judge in Gilbert and Sullivan's Trial by Jury, Mr. Ford in Nicolai's The Merry Wives of Windsor, Dr. Carrasco in Leigh's Man of La Mancha and Peter in Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel. Dr. Rada was a member of the vocal ensemble Philippines which had a concert tour in 1997 of Italy, Spain, Switzerland and Austria. He has also performed with the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra and the University of Santo Tomas Orchestra at the Cultural Center of the Philippines. He has also sung for the Augusta Opera in Augusta, Georgia. He was a two-time South Carolina winner and Regional Finalist in the Metropolitan Opera Auditions and was a finalist in the Palmetto Opera Competition. He has served as the Music director of Mt. Holly United Methodist Church and Cantor at the Oratory Catholic Church in Rock Hill, South Carolina. Prior to his work at Del Mar, he taught voice and Solfeggio at the University of Santo Tomas and was a Voice Instructor and Assistant Music librarian at Winthrop University. At Del Mar College, Dr. Rada teaches voice, Music Appreciation, Ear training and Sight singing, and directs the Singer's Theater.
Associate Professor of Music, Dr. Abel Saldivar Ramirez holds the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Conducting from UCLA. After serving as the Acting Director of Bands at the University Of Illinois School Of Music, the world's oldest and largest band program, in 2008/2009, he subsequently served as an Associate Professor of Music and Assistant Director of Bands. In 2012, Ramirez accepted a position as Assistant Professor of Music and Conductor of the Del Mar College Wind Ensemble. From 2003 to 2008, Dr. Ramirez was the Director of Bands, Head of the Conducting Division, and Chair of the Instrumental Area at California State University, Los Angeles where he raised the wind ensemble to a level of national prominence, receiving numerous invitations to perform at state and national conferences. Prior to accepting an invitation to begin graduate study at UCLA in 2000, Ramirez enjoyed a highly successful career as a Texas 5A high school music educator from 1993 to 2000. In May 2007, Dr. Ramirez made his Carnegie Hall conducting debut. Shortly afterwards, Dr. Ramirez was appointed Resident Guest Conductor for the International Honors Wind Symphony, which he founded in a collaborative effort with Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY). He conducted a performance of the International Honors Wind Symphony at the Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher Hall in May, 2009 in conjunction with the Lincoln Center's 50th anniversary celebration. He also served as the guest conductor for the 4A Texas All-State Band in February 2011. Dr. Ramirez' musical knowledge, teaching experience, and artistic conducting expertise is diverse. He has conducted countless wind ensembles and symphony orchestras, opera, and numerous musicals. In addition, Ramirez maintains a highly active schedule as a consultant, clinician, and adjudicator for wind bands, orchestras, marching bands, and jazz bands from across the United States and abroad.
Dr. Neil Sisauyhoat is a versatile performer and educator specializing in classical, contemporary, Afro-Cuban, and Brazilian percussion. He is currently Professor of Music at Del Mar College in Corpus Christi, TX, where he teaches studio lessons, directs the Percussion Ensemble, and coordinates the percussion program. Sisauyhoat previously served as a Percussion Instructor in the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music. He was an integral director of the UW-Madison World Percussion Ensemble, which won the Percussive Arts Society World Percussion Ensemble Competition and performed at the 2010 Percussive Arts Society International Convention (PASIC).
Sisauyhoat performs regularly with the Corpus Christi Symphony Orchestra and Victoria Symphony. He serves as extra percussionist and timpanist with the Madison Symphony Orchestra and has served as Principal Percussionist with the Beloit/Janesville Symphony. Sisauyhoat has performed at Carnegie Hall with the New England Symphonic Ensemble under the direction of John Rutter and performed at Lincoln Center and Symphony Space in New York City. Other performance credits include Current Evolution, Trio Ekatra, Rick Cortez Latin Jazz Project, Corpus Christi Brass Quintet, Clocks in Motion, New England Symphonic Ensemble, Michigan Chamber Players, Berkeley Opera, and San Francisco Lyric Opera.
Sisauyhoat has performed at the Texas Jazz Festival in Corpus Christi, and freelanced with bands led by Ric Cortez, Eddie Olivares, and Glynn Garcia. Sisauyhoat earned the Bachelor of Music degree from Lawrence University, the Master of Music degree from Mannes College of Music, and the Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Michigan. He is an Artist/Clinician for Remo, Latin Percussion, Vic Firth, Zildjian Cymbals, Prologix, and is a member of the Black Swamp Educator Network.
Professor of Music Cello, Double Bass ssturman@delmar.edu 361-698-1612 Music Building B 201
Susan Sturman is Professor of Cello and Double Bass at Del Mar College. Professor Sturman earned her Bachelor of Music from Baldwin-Wallace College Conservatory of Music and her Master of Music from Northwestern University. Her principal teachers include Regina Mushabac and Alan Harris. Additionally she has studied orchestral cello playing with Stephen Geber and Richard Weiss of the Cleveland Orchestra, as well as with Carter Enyeart and Gordon Epperson. She has performed extensively in Texas and beyond as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral player with groups such as the Ehle/Sturman Duo, the Aurora Piano Trio, the Islander String Quartet, the Islander Chamber Players, the Chanticleer String Quartet, the Ohio Chamber Orchestra, the Cleveland Ballet Orchestra, and the Corpus Christi Symphony Orchestra. She currently serves as principal cellist with the Corpus Christi Symphony Orchestra. A committed pedagogue, she is interested in the entire spectrum of cello teaching from the very beginning through advanced. Her studio at Del Mar College reflects that interest as it ranges from young Suzuki students to advanced college music majors. Professor Sturman is constantly exploring new ways to reach her students. She has studied Suzuki pedagogy with Carol Tarr, Susan Gagnon, and Tanya Carey, the Margaret Rowell approach with Irene Sharp at the Irene Sharp Cello Seminar, and other teaching approaches at the Madison Summer Cello Institute. Additionally she has experimented with alternative styles of music at the Eugene Friesen String Institute and at the New Directions Cello Festival and she has begun to explore Alexander Technique with Robyn Avalon. Professor Sturman frequently gives master classes and clinics throughout South Texas. Previous to her teaching at Del Mar College she taught at the Baldwin-Wallace College Conservatory, the Somerset Music Festival in Pennsylvania, and the III Campamento Musical Juvenil in Honduras. In addition to her busy performing and teaching schedule, Professor Sturman served for several years as the String Division Chair for the Corpus Christi International Competition.
Dr. David Sutanto
Professor of Music Piano dsutanto@delmar.edu 361-698-1614 Music Building A 309
Described as “possesses the utmost in technique, mature musicianship, and intellect” by the New York Concert Review and “simply incredible” by Corpus Christi’s Caller-Times, Indonesian-born pianist David Sutanto gained his international recognition when he won the 1997 Artists International Audition in New York, which resulted in his critically acclaimed New York recital debut at the Carnegie Recital Hall in 1998. Other awards include winner of the 1996 Chopin Foundation Piano Competition in NY, recipient of the Arthur B. Whitney Award and Alfred E. Lee Memorial Scholarship Award in Boston, and top prize winner of the National Yamaha Piano Competition in Indonesia.
Dr. Sutanto is an active performer as piano soloist and chamber musician including duo-piano with wife Dr. Shao-Shan Chen. He has performed throughout the United States: University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Loyola University in New Orleans, Aspen Music Festival, International Foundation for Art and Musical Excellence (FAME) in New Jersey, Bowdoin Music Festival in Maine, International Women’s Brass Conference and music festivals in Cincinnati, and Federal Reserve Bank of Boston among others. His performances in South Texas include recitals at the UT Rio Grande Valley, Fryderyk Chopin Society of Texas, Rockport Country Club, Corpus Christi Music Teachers Association meeting, TAMU-Kingsville, TAMU-CC, Coastal Bend Flute Club, and Thursday Music Club. Dr. Sutanto has also performed benefit recitals for the Corpus Christi International Competition for Piano and Strings, the Corpus Christi’s Philippine Society for the Performing Arts, as well as at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church and St. Mark’s Episcopal Church.
Internationally, he has performed recitals and presented master classes in France, Indonesia, Singapore, Dominican Republic, and Taiwan.
Orchestral appearances include soloist with Corpus Christi Symphony Orchestra, Corpus Christi Chamber Orchestra, Del Mar College Concert Band, The Boston Conservatory Orchestra, and College-Conservatory of Music Philharmonia Orchestra. His playing was also broadcast at KIII-TV and KEDT-FM stations in Corpus Christi, and the WAIF-FM in Cincinnati (Asian American Hour).
As a collaborative pianist, Dr. Sutanto has worked with artists such as Yo-Yo Ma, Sarah Chang, Julius Baker, Erick Friedman, Anthony Gigliotti, and Dorothy DeLay. He is also the principal pianist for the Corpus Christi Symphony Orchestra.
In addition to teaching and performing, he has served as a jury member at the Tuesday Music Club Competition in San Antonio, South Texas Piano Competition, 5th Singapore Performers’ Festival & Chamber Music Competition, US New Star Piano Competitions, and New Jersey MTA Piano Competition.
Dr. Sutanto has received Bachelor of Music degree from The Boston Conservatory (summa cum laude, Pi Kappa Lambda), MM from Manhattan School of Music, and DMA from College-Conservatory of Music, University of Cincinnati. He has studied with Frank Weinstock, Donn-Alexandre Feder, Jung-Ja Kim, Martin Canin, Gabriel Chodos, and Karminia Bungsu. He currently serves as Professor of Piano at Del Mar College. On weekends, he serves as pianist and organist at St. Mark's Episcopal Church and St. John the Baptist Catholic Church.
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