Contemporary Music - Faculty
The Contemporary Music Program's regular and adjunct faculty includes music educators who are professional performers, composers, conductors, audio engineers and producers, experts in music business and law, and recording artists in a wide range of styles.
Faculty
Peter Blackman
Recording Arts, Music Technology
Peter is an audio engineer, producer and musician. He has worked professionally in audio production since 1983. Before coming to the college of Santa Fe, Peter taught at the Academy of Art College in San Francisco, and at Ex'pression Center for New Media in Emeryville, CA. Peter holds a BA in Sociology (University of California--Santa Barbara), and an MS in Interdisciplinary Studies and Documentary Film (Univerisity of Oregon). He has earned a Certificate in Film Production from New York University, a Diploma in Recording Engineering from the University of Sound Arts, and received a scholarship from UCLA to study record production with George Massenberg.
Polly Tapia Ferber
World Music, Middle Eastern & Percussion
Director of the MidEast/Balkan Ensemble
Polly is a music educator, percussionist, performer, and recording artist who specializes in hand percussion from the Middle East, Turkey, North Africa, the Balkans, and Spanish Andalucia. She has traveled to Egypt, Greece, Spain, Morocco, and Israel to study and to perform with some of the world's most renowned musicians. Polly maintains an active performing and teaching schedule in the United States. For the past twenty five years she has been a regular instructor at the East European Folklife Center's annual east coast and west coast Balkan camps, and at the Middle Eastern Music and Dance Camp in Mendocino, California, and is in the process of organizing our own College of Santa Fe World Music Summer Institute. She is currently a member of several New York-based bands and ensembles, including ORKESTRA KEYIF, MERAK, EROS TAKSIMI and TRANSITION.
Steven M. Miller
Composition, Electroacoustic Music, World Music
Director of the Gamelan Ensemble
Steven is a performer, composer and audio engineer-producer with national and international performing, recording, and broadcast credits. In 1989-90 he was a Fulbright Scholar to Indonesia, where he has also lectured at the National College of Fine Arts (STSI-Surakarta).
Steven holds a BA from Evergreen State College and an MFA from Mills College. He was a visiting scholar at the Columbia University Computer Music Center, previously taught at Alabama State University, and was on the staff at Cornish College of the Arts. He is the founding director of CSF's annual Santa Fe International Festival of Electroacoustic Music, and a regular contributor of contemporary music CD and book reviews to national and international publications. Steven co-hosts KUNM Albuquerque’s weekly new music program, “Other Voices, Other Sounds.”
Steven Paxton
Composition, Theory & Musicianship
Contemporary Music Program Director
Steven Paxton is Associate Professor of Music and Director of the Contemporary Music Program. He previously served at Texas Tech University, where he taught composition, electronic music, and music theory, and directed the New Music Ensemble and the Studio for Experimental and Electronic Music. Paxton is active in collaborative inter-disciplinary projects, and has worked with dramatists, stage directors, choreographers, and visual artists to create unique interarts projects that have been seen and heard around the world. His opera BELLINI'S WAR was premiered at Texas Tech in 2002. Steve holds BM and MM degrees in composition from the University of North Texas, and the PhD in Fine Arts from Texas Tech University.
Oliver Prezant
Theory & Musicianship, Conducting
Oliver Prezant is a violist, conductor and lecturer, with a lifelong commitment to music education in a broad context. He has performed with ensembles in New York, Los Angeles and New Mexico, and regularly lectures for the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, the Santa Fe Opera, and other musical organizations. Prezant is Music Director of the Santa Fe Community Orchestra and a Program Director for the Houston-based American Festival for the Arts. He holds the B. Mus. in Viola Performance from Mannes College of Music, with additional studies at Princeton University, Pierre Monteux School, Ridgewood Orff Schulwerk Certification Program, as well as private conducting with Gurer Aykal and David Gilbert.
A distinguished adjunct and private lesson faculty provides instruction in a broad range of disciplines.
Technology and Recording Arts
Charles Feilding
Acoustics, Music Technology
B. A., Fordham University
Charles Feilding served for over 15 years as a Product Manager and Manager of the Sound Design Office for Yamaha Corporation of America, where he did pioneering work in synthesizer design, and developed new techniques for the management and processing of sample data. Prior to that he worked for Sequential Circuits, where he participated in the voicing and development of the Prophet 2000 and Prophet VS synthesizers.
World Music
Akeem Ayanniyi
West African Drumming
Akeem Ayanniyi is the ninth generation of his family to play the traditional Yoruba talking drum. He is from the Western Nigerian town of Erin Oshun near the historic art center of Oshogbo, and has been performing since the age of five, touring much of Africa as well as Germany, Brazil, Sweden and the United States as a performer and teacher. He settled in Santa Fe, New Mexico in 1993, and in 1998 founded the West African drum and dance troup Agalu. Agalu has given hundreds of performances in concert halls, schools, churches, libraries, theaters, cultural centers and outdoor venues throughout the United States, Europe, Canada and the Virgin Islands.
Ustad Roshan Jamal Bhartiya
Indian Music
Ustad Roshan Jamal Bhartiya has been touring, recording and teaching for 45 years and is recognized as one of India's finest musicians.
Roshan is descended from a family of illustrious classical Indian musicians. He is a disciple of his father, the great Jamaluddin Bhartiya, who was a student of Pandit Ravi Shankar.
Roshan has played extensively in India and abroad, including performances for All India Radio and Television.
Since moving to the US, he has taught in Boulder , Colorado at the Naropa Institute, and to the great fortune of the Contemporary Music Program, he has recently relocated to Santa Fe.
Gerry Carthy
Irish Flute
Gerry is from County Mayo, Ireland, a player and teacher of Irish traditional music on a variety of Instruments. He has lived in Santa Fe for 19 years playing Irish Traditional Music on a variety of instruments including tin whistle, flute, saxophone, guitar, tenor banjo, tenor guitar, concertina, and fiddle. He is an Artist in Residence with the New Mexico Folk Arts Division and has a long and distinguished record of presenting concerts and educational programs on Irish music and literature, as well as the Gaelic language, to audiences of all ages. B.A. in English, French and German from University College Galway.
Mario Febres
Flamenco Guitar
Mario is a current CMP student and student teaching associate in Flamenco Guitar. Mario is from York Pennsylvania, and after completing two years of study in residence at the College of Santa Fe, he spent the entire 2003/2004 school year in Spain as a part of the college’s Study-Abroad program. While living in Spain Mario studied Spanish language, music and civilization, with particular emphasis on Islamic influence in Spanish culture. He studied privately with Enrique Vargas, one of Spain’s most renowned masters of Flamenco Guitar, and is now back in residence at the College of Santa Fe as he completes his senior year. He has studied Flamenco guitar with Paul Villmoare, Chuscales, and Enrique Vargas, and has attended York College, University of Granada, and University of Sevilla in addition to CSF.
Peter Kasule
East African Percussion, Director of the African Drum & Dance Ensemble
Peter Kaule is from Kampala, Uganda, having moved to the United States in 1996. Peter is a student in the CMP and student teaching associate directing the African Drum & Dance Ensemble. Before enrolling at the College of Santa Fe as music major, Peter attended the prestigious Booker T. Washington High School for the Visual and Performing Arts in Dallas, and toured internationally in various African drum and dance ensembles. During the Spring 2004 term Peter served as intern with the International Tour of Light, under the sponsorship of the Ugandan Children’s Charity Foundation. In the Fall of 2005 he will return to Uganda for a full year’s internship and study-abroad program, having been appointed Artistic Director for the 2005 Tour of Light.
Brian Bennett
Theory & Musicianship, Jazz Studies
Brian Bennett is a pianist, composer, teacher, and bassist with performance and teaching credits throughout the United States and Europe. His compositions have been performed in Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles, and recorded on CD by members of the Paris-based contemporary music ensemble, 2E2M. He has also created a considerable catalog of jazz compositions, many of which have been performed and recorded by his group, Touch, based in Lyon. France. Dr. Bennett has held teaching posts at University of Maryland and UCLA, and for four years was professor of theory, composition, bass and piano at AIMRA, a private conservatory in Lyon, France. As a jazz musician, he has performed with Steve Swallow, John Taylor, Joe DiOrio, and John Scofield. He recently moved to Santa Fe to become Associate Music Director for the National Dance Institute of New Mexico. Ph.D. in Music, UCLA (studies with William Kraft, Lukas Foss, Elaine Barkin, Benjamin Boretz, Roger Bourland); M.M., B.M. in Composition, University of Maryland at College Park.
Barbara Monk Feldman
Aesthetics, 20th Century Theory
Barbara Monk Feldman has taught at Hochschule der Kunste (Berlin), California Institute of the Arts, and Northwestern University. Feldman’s compositions have been performed worldwide, and as a composer she has received awards and commissions from Stichting Nieuwe Muziek Zeeland, Stiftung Kunsterlerhaus Boswil, Banff School of Fine Arts, Ontario Arts Council, Canada Council, and many other institutions and organizations. She has been an active presenter and advocate for contemporary music, having founded Santa Fe’s Timeshards new music performance series. Ph.D. in Composition, SUNY Buffalo; M.M. in Composition, McGill University (Montreal); B.A. in Music, Acadia University (Nova Scotia); additional studies at Freiburg Hochschule fur Musik (Germany), University of Alberta (Canada), and University of Regina (Canada)
Applied Music
Mark Clark
Drums & Percussion, Director of the Funk/R&B and Percussion Ensembles
Mark Clark studied at Berklee College of Music and the LA Jazz Workshop, and played in the United States Air Force Band of the Golden West. Mark is a prodigiously talented and active percussionist/drummer, touring and recording internationally with artists such as Ottmar Liebert, Jono Manson, John Popper of Blues Traveler, and many others. He is a guest endorser/clinician for Zildjian, Vic Firth, Aquarian, and Latin Percussion, and is the College of Santa Fe’s primary percussion and drum instructor.
Brian DeLay
Classical Guitar, Music History, Music Business
Brian DeLay performs internationally as a soloist and chamber musician, and is regularly featured in performances of the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, Santa Fe Pro Musica, and the Santa Fe Opera. He has also been active as an arts administrator and music business consultant, serving the college as primary Classical Guitar Instructor and Music Business expert. Ph.D. in Musicology and Guitar, College-Conservatory, Univ. of Cincinnati (ABD); M.M. Classical Guitar, College-Conservatory, Univ. of Cincinnati; B.A. Music, Hunter College, CUNY; additional studies and masterclasses with Clare Callahan, Alice Artzt, Igor Kipnis, Pepe Romero, Christopher Parkening, Oscar Ghiglia, Robert Guthrie, and others.
Chris Jonas
Director of the Improvisation Ensemble
Chris Jonas has gained international attention for his work as an intermedia/video artist, composer and saxophone player, most recently leading/co-leading the ensembles amitosis, Bing, The Chris Jonas Cork Quartet and Sun Spits Cherries. He is well known for his ten year term as a saxophone player and side-man in various New York City projects led by Anthony Braxton, William Parker, Cecil Taylor, The Brooklyn Sax Quartet and in Butch Morris‘ conduction ensembles. As a composer, Jonas has been engaged in a wide series of recent works in Santa Fe and abroad, including pieces for various acoustic ensembles, silent films, circuses, theater, documentary soundtracks and art-world installations. Jonas is co-founder of LittleGlobe Productions, Inc.
Jan McDonald
Brass
Jan McDonald is an accomplished trumpet player and respected conductor and music educator, having directed student bands, orchestras and jazz ensembles in Los Alamos and Santa Fe since the 1960s, and performing with Orchestra of Santa Fe, Rio Grande Symphony, Santa Fe Opera Orchestra, Los Alamos Big Band, and many other classical and jazz ensembles. His trumpet teachers have included Armando Ghitalla, Roger Voisin, Robert Nagel, James Whitlow and Clark Terry. Jan currently serves as Director of the Santa Fe Youth Symphony. M.A. in Music, Eastern New Mexico University, B.A. in Music, Northeast Missouri State Teacher’s College, graduate study at Boston University, Indiana State University, and Berkshire Music Festival at Tanglewood.
Kelvin McNeal
Piano, Accompanying, Composition
Kelvin McNeal maintains a distinguished career as one of Santa Fe’s most in-demand pianists, active as a soloist, chamber musician, coach/accompanist, musical theater director and teacher. McNeal has held teaching posts at Dominican College and UW-Wisconsin, has worked with artists such as Helen Vanni, Phillip Officer, Kiurt Ollmann, David Parsons, and Janice Felty, and with performing arts institutions such as Santa Fe Opera, Sommersault Opera, Marin Ballet, and Aspen/Santa Fe Ballet. For seven years he has been staff accompanist for the college of Santa Fe’s Performing Arts Department. Active as a composer, his extensive catalog includes art songs, solo piano and chamber music works, and works for dance, opera, and musical theater. M.M. in Piano Performance, Dominican College (San Rafael CA), B.M. in Piano, St. Norbert College (DePere WI).
Melanie Monsour
Piano, Composition
Melanie Monsour is a performer, recording artist, teacher and accompanist working in a wide range of styles, including contemplative sacred music of all eras, blues, jazz, gospel, folk, classical, and world music. She has performed and recorded the piano works of Gurdjieff in the U.S., Australia, Europe and Chile, serves as Master Pianist for the National Dance Institute of New Mexico, and is pianist and arranger for the Nacha Mendez Quartet. Besides teaching piano and composition at the College of Santa Fe, Melanie coaches and performs with the CMP’s Balkan/Middle Eastern and Mediterranean Ensembles. B.M. in Piano, Theory and Composition, University of Massachusetts-Amherst; studies with Estela Olevsky, workshops and master classes with Max Roach, Oscar Peterson and Sarah Vaughn.
Mirabai Rothrock-Daniels
Contemporary Voice
Mirabai Rothrock-Daniels has merged her background in the performance of diverse musical styles with her experience in theatre and storytelling, and her years of training in both Eastern and Western vocal music traditions to develop a unique performance style. She has studied vocal performance and pedagogy with Ray Evans Harrell in New York City, North Indian vocal Music with Pandit Pran Nath and LaMonte Young, and overtone singing with David Hykes. Mirabai was a member of the American Festival of microtonal Music Ensemble in New York City, and adjunct member of the Magic Circle Opera Repertory Ensemble, NYC. She is a founding member of the Improvised Music Collective in NYC, Days of Creation Arts Program in Columbus, Ohio, and Imaginations Unlimited Theatre Company sponsored by the Harlem School of the Arts. She has performed as a professional singer of jazz, contemporary new music, and original works for over 20 years, appearing with artists such as Babatunde Olatunji and Glen Velez.
JoJo Sena-Tarnoff
Flute, Theory & Musicianship
JoJo Sena-Tarnoff is a native Santa Fean, active as a performing artist since the age of five. She has been playing flute professionally throughout the West and southwestern United States for over 30 years, her performances and original songs winning awards from the New Mexico Music Industry Coalition. She is flutist and composer for Melange, and an instructor and actor with the Southwest Children’s Theatre of Santa Fe.
Elena Sopoci
Violin & Viola
Elena Sopoci has performed chamber and orchestral music throughout the U.S. and Europe, and is a longtime performer on the northern New Mexico arts scene, active as a violinist and violist with the Santa Fe Symphony, New Mexico Symphony, Santa Fe New Music, Santa Fe Opera, Taos Chamber Players, and Caprice String Quartet. Each summer Elena plays with the Cabrillo Contemporary Music Festival in California, and in addition to her duties at the College of Santa Fe, teaches violin, viola and orchestra at United World College (Las Vegas NM) and at the Santa Fe Waldorf School. She is a strong advocate of contemporary music, and has been especially active in performing the violin works of Lou Harrison and organizing performances of contemporary chamber works. M.M. Violin Performance, Univ. of Wisconsin; B.M. Violin Performance, BGSU.
Jeff Sussmann
Percussion
Jeff Sussmann has been playing drums for over 35 years and teaching for over 25. He is co-founder and co-producer of The Drum is the Voice of the Trees drumming and percussion concerts, held in Santa Fe since 1992, and currently performs electro-world jazz with Ozmosis. Drum set is Jeff’s primary instrument, but he is also skilled as a teacher and performer on marimba, vibraphone, tablas, congas and other hand drums. His background includes work with many groups and solo artists, playing rock, jazz, fusion, folk, blues, country, R&B, flamenco, Latin, Brazilian, world beat, trance, MIDI percussion, modern dance and musical theater. He has recorded and performed with Michael Stearns, Steve Roach, Inlakesh, Krishna Dass, Ottmar Liebert, and ThaMuseMeant.
Shawn Woodyard
Woodwinds, Theory & Musicianship, World Music
Shawn Woodyard is a multi-instrumentalist, teacher, composer, writer and editor, with interests and experience ranging from classical composition and free experimental improvisation to jazz and world music. His teachers have included Thomas Axworthy, James Newton, Frank Morgan, Harihar Rao, and Polly Tapia Ferber, and he previoiusly taught at Wind College in Los Angeles (with James Newton, John Carter, Red Callender, and Charles Owens). His articles on classical music, jazz and world music appear in the Great Events from History series, The African American Encyclopedia, Windplayer, and in many other books and journals. His music education background is unique and intriguing, being one of fewer than thirty graduates of Lyle Murphy’s Equal Interval System of Composition, Arranging, and Orchestration (Los Angeles), as well as a student at the Dick Grove School of Music.
Jazz Studies
Kevin Hays
Piano, Jazz Studies
Pianist/Composer Kevin Hays has performed and recorded with some of the most prominent and influential musicians in Jazz. These include Sonny Rollins, John Scofield, Benny Golson, Roy Haynes, Joshua Redman, Freddie Hubbard, Al Foster, Joe Henderson, Buster Williams, Chris Potter and Art Farmer. Hays has recorded 8 CDs as a leader and is featured on dozens of recordings as a sideman. In 1994 he signed with Blue Note Records and made 3 critically acclaimed recordings for that label. His 'Seventh Sense' was praised by The New York Times and recognized as one of the 'Top 40 Jazz Releases of the Year' by Musician Magazine. His trio recording 'Andalucia', which featured bassist Ron Carter and drummer Jack DeJohnette was awarded 4 Stars by DownBeat Magazine.
Rob (Milo) Jaramillo
Acoustic & Electric Bass, Jazz Studies
Milo Jaramillo is a professional musician and teacher, specializing in jazz. He has been a featured performer at the Manly International Jazz Festival (with Yoboso), and at the Havana International Jazz Festival (with Ritmo Caliente). He is in demand as a studio musician and side-man throughout the southwestern United States, and resides at the Isleta Reservation near Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Lewis Winn
Electric Guitar & Bass, Jazz Studies, Director of the Jazz Ensemble
Lewis Winn is one of New Mexico’s most accomplished and in-demand solo jazz artists and side-men, equally renowned as both a bassist and guitarist. He has performed and recorded with Max Roach, Eddie Harris, Jack Walrath, Victor Mendoza, Richie Cole, Eddie Daniels, Steve Marsh, Paul McCandless, David Amram, Chris Calloway, Jon Gagan, and many others. In addition to his duties at College of Santa Fe, Lewis maintains an active private teaching studio in Albuquerque.
(800) 456-2673 or (505) 473-6133 * Fax: (505) 473-6127 * admissions@csf.edu