Music

Robert Adney Adjunct Instructor

Robert "Bob" Adney has been actively involved with the Twin Cities musical community for many years. As a freelance percussionist he performs with both the Minnesota Orchestra and the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra. He has toured (U.S., Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore) and recorded (16 CDs) between both ensembles. He is a founding member…   (continue reading)

Gregory Aune Associate Professor

Gregory J. Aune D.M.A. is the conductor of The Gustavus Choir. Dr. Aune came to Gustavus in 1995 from Bethany College in Lingsborg, Kansas. At Bethany, he was the Elmer F. Pierson Distinguished Professor of Music, conductor of the Bethany Choir, conductor of the Bethany College/Community Orchestra, and music director of the Messiah Festival of…   (continue reading)

Brian Buckstead Visiting Assistant Professor

Dr. Brian Buckstead has performed extensively as an orchestral, chamber, and solo musician. In addition to performing with the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra and Madison Symphony Orchestra, Brian was concertmaster of the Beloit Janesville Symphony. He is the featured soloist on their CD Baroque Masterworks, playing Vivaldi's Four Seasons and Bach's Brandenburg…   (continue reading)

Paul Budde Adjunct Instructor

Paul Budde graduated from the University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire in 1993 with a Bachelors Degree in Instrumental Music Education and from the University of Minnesota in 2004 with a Masters Degree in Tuba Performance, and is working on a PhD in Music Education from the University of Minnesota.  Paul is currently on faculty at Gustavus Adolphus College…   (continue reading)

Molly Clinefelter Adjunct Instructor

John Engebretson ’91 Adjunct Instructor

Rolf Erdahl Adjunct Assistant Professor

Rolf Erdahl, double bass,  performs widely as a chamber musician and subs for the Minnesota Orchestra, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, and Minnesota Opera.  He teaches bass at Gustavus Adolphus College and at the Lutheran Summer Music Festival.  Previously Principal Bass of the Duluth-Superior Symphony Orchestra, Winnipeg Symphony and Manitoba Chamber Orchestra…   (continue reading)

Sarah Erickson-Lume Visiting Instructor

Sarah Erickson Lume is a member of the Woodwind faculty at Gustavus Adolphus College and she maintains an active profile in the Twin Cities as a freelance oboist and teacher. She holds degrees from Sarah Lawrence College and Carnegie Mellon University, where she was a student of Cynthia Koledo DeAlmeida. She has participated in summer music festivals…   (continue reading)

Chad Fothergill ’06 Cantor at Christ Chapel and Visiting Instructor

Chad Fothergill joined the Gustavus faculty in the fall of 2009 as Cantor and Christ Chapel and Visiting Instructor. In addition to providing musical leadership for weekly and Sunday services in Christ Chapel, he also teaches organ and music theory. Mr. Fothergill holds a Master of Arts degree in Organ Performance from the University of Iowa where…   (continue reading)

Beverly Gustafson ’56 Adjunct Instructor

Gustavus alumna Beverly Gustafson holds a Master of Music degree from Northwestern University, where she was named to the national music honoraries Sigma Alpha Iota and Pi Kappa Lambda. She went on to teach music at public and parochial schools in Minnesota and Iowa and U.S. Army dependents’ schools in Germany and Japan. Since returning to Gustavus…   (continue reading)

Paul Hill Adjunct Instructor

Paul Hill graduated from the University of MN-Twin Cities in 2000 with a Masters Degree in Percussion Performance, as a student of Fernando Meza. Since then he has become an active freelance percussionist and teacher in the Twin Cities, and Twin Ports areas. He is currently Principal Percussionist & Assistant Principal Timpanist of the Duluth-Superior Symphony…   (continue reading)

Michael Jorgensen Professor

Dr. Michael Jorgensen's latest recital was an October, 2009 CD Release Concert at Gustavus with Bonnie Jorgensen, David Jorgensen, and Dr. David Klee. Recent solo performances include Brahms Reqiuem at the College of St. Catherine's in Cambridge, MN, Mozart's Requiem at Macalester College in St. Paul, and Bach's St. John's Passion at Normandale Lutheran…   (continue reading)

Patricia Kazarow Professor

Patricia A. Kazarow, Professor of Music, joined the music faculty of Gustavus Adolphus College in 1984. In addition to conducting the Choir of Christ Chapel, she teaches the Hisory of Western Music and Music of World Cultures courses as well as the First Term Seminar, "The Power of Music." She also serves as the Artistic Director and Conductor of the…   (continue reading)

Justin Knoepfel Adjunct Instructor

Mr. Justin Knoepfel joined the Gustavus faculty in the Fall of 2009 as Adjunct Viola Instructor. He graduated from Luther College with a degree in Violin Performance (2004). Two years later he received his Master of Music (2006) degree in viola from the University of Minnesota. Currently, Mr. Knoepfel is pursuing a Doctorate of Musical Arts degree…   (continue reading)

Barbara Leibundguth Adjunct Instructor

Barbara Leibundguth has performed as principal flutist with major orchestras in Boston, San Francisco, Atlanta, and Houston, and was a member of the Minnesota Orchestra for twenty years, including fourteen as co-principal. She was also principal flute with the Omaha Symphony and Opera/Omaha for eleven seasons. A Chicago native, Leibundguth graduated…   (continue reading)

Sharon Mautner-Rodgers Adjunct Instructor

Sharon Mautner-Rodgers is a California native and won numerous competitions both as a soloist and a member of the Trio Con Brio. Sharon was a awarded a full music scholarship to attend the Crossroads School for Arts and Sciences where she received the Herbert Zipper award for excellence.  Sharon attended the Aspen Music Festival, ENCORE school for…   (continue reading)

Rebecca McConnaughey Adjunct Assistant Professor

Rebecca Hiatt McConnaughey, received her Bachelor of Music degree, cum laude, from Salem College, her Master of Music from the University of Colorado, and her Doctor of Musical Arts from Boston University. Her teachers have included John Paton, Mac Morgan, Evelyn Reynolds and Sharon Daniels. She has been active both as a singer and director of…   (continue reading)

James McGuire Adjunct Instructor

Jim McGuire is a freelance guitarist who teaches classical guitar at Gustavus Adolphus College, St. Olaf College, the University of Minnesota, and Mankato State University. Mr. McGuire is very active as a performer with numerous concerts and recitals to his credit and is also a published composer.

D. Scott Moore Assistant Professor

Scott Moore maintains an active career as a teacher, soloist and orchestral musician. He frequently performs with many professional ensembles, including the Minnesota Orchestra, and was acting bass trombonist for their 100th Anniversary season. Scott has performed with countless artists, from Midori, Pavoratti and YoYo Ma, to Sarah Vaughn and David…   (continue reading)

Douglas Nimmo Professor

Douglas Nimmo is conductor of both the Gustavus Wind Orchestra and Vasa Wind Orchestra. Additionally, he teaches conducting, instrumental methods, and supervises student music teachers. Under his leadership, the Gustavus Wind Orchestra has toured throughout the United States, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Germany, Austria, the Czech and Slovak Republics…   (continue reading)

Timothy O'Brien ’99 Adjunct Instructor

A native of St. Peter, MN, Tim O'Brien teaches private voice at Gustavus. He is a 1999 graduate of the college, and he also holds an MA from the University of Minnesota. Tim has recently begun work on his PhD. Now in his seventh season singing with the Saint Paul-based Rose Ensemble, Tim plays a variety of medieval percussion instruments in addition…   (continue reading)

Rick Orpen Professor

Rick Orpen is a member of the Music Faculty at Gustavus Adolphus College where he teaches courses in music theory, composition, percussion, jazz improvisation and guitar. He earned his B.S., M.A. and Ph.D. in Music from the University of Minnesota. In addition to his work with the Gustavus Jazz Quartet, Dr. Orpen is an active performer on guitar, bass…   (continue reading)

Yumiko Oshima-Ryan Associate Professor

Yumiko Oshima-Ryan, Associate Professor of Music, joined the music faculty of Gustavus Adolphus College in 2004. In addition to teaching piano, she teaches theory and keyboard skills. Dr. Oshima-Ryan was born in Tokyo, Japan and started to play the piano at the age of four. On graduating from Toho Music Academy in Tokyo, one of Japan's most prestigious…   (continue reading)

Ann Pesavento Professor

A native of Appleton, Wisconsin, Ann Pesavento has taught at Gustavus since 1978, coordinating woodwind activities, teaching bassoon, music theory and music education courses and conducting/coaching woodwind ensembles. Her graduate degrees are from Butler University and the University of Northern Colorado. In the Twin Cities, Dr. Pesavento has played…   (continue reading)

Nancy Sanderson Administrative Assistant

Emily Sapa Adjunct Instructor

Flutist Emily Sapa is an active freelance musician and teacher in the Twin Cities and surrounding areas. A native of Bismarck, ND, her early experiences with ensemble music inspired her to begin studying the flute; she currently performs as the principal flutist of Allegro Sinfonia, Wayzata, MN, and is a founding member of Pavia Winds, a professional…   (continue reading)

Christina Smith Adjunct Instructor

Patricia Snapp Associate Professor

Patricia Snapp, mezzo-soprano, has been actively involved in both traditional and contemporary opera and musical theatre. She has been featured in a wide variety of roles such as "Dame Quickly" in Verdi's Falstaff, "Miss Pinkerton" in Menotti's The Old Maid and the Thief, and the "Mother" in Menotti's Amahl and the…   (continue reading)

Lauren Studt-Shoemaker Visiting Instructor

Lauren brings to Gustavus more than twenty years of experience teaching instrumental and classroom music as well as teacher training, working with students from grades K-12 through the college level. Ms. Studt-Shoemaker teaches Music Methods courses for both music majors and elementary education majors. Ms. Studt-Shoemaker holds a Masters of Arts in…   (continue reading)

Phala Tracy Adjunct Professor

Phala has been performing on the harp since she was four years old. A Suzuki trained harpist, she grew up studying with Mary Kay Waddington in Denver, CO. She moved to Ohio for college and studied with Alice Chalifoux and Yolanda Kondonassis at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, where she majored in Harp Performance and Music History. After graduating…   (continue reading)

Rodney Urtel Visiting Instructor

Esther Wang Associate Professor/Student Supervisor

Esther Wang, pianist, is an active soloist and collaborator throughout the United States and has appeared on numerous concert series, including the Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concerts in Chicago and the A. Mozart Fest Series in Austin, TX. The San Jose Mercury News has called Wang "a forceful, take-charge kind of artist with personality...spirited and…   (continue reading)

Nicholas Wayne Adjunct Assistant Professor

Richard Weber Adjunct Instructor

Richard Weber earned both his Bachelor's and Doctor's degrees from the University of Minnesota and his Master's degree from Mankato State University. He has been on the Gustavus faculty since 1971 and has performed with the Gustavus Faculty Woodwind Trio and done several solo recitals in addition to his work with Tre Kroner Kvintetten, the faculty…   (continue reading)

Lisa Westphal Manager of Music Tours

Matthew Wilson Adjunct Instructor

Matt Wilson is active as a freelance horn player in the Twin Cities.  He regularly plays with both the Minnesota Orchestra and The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra.  He has also been a sub for The Phantom of the Opera Broadway touring company.  Matt received his undergraduate degree from Northwestern College in Roseville, MN and his Masters of Music…   (continue reading)

Beth Winterfeldt Adjunct Instructor

Chad Winterfeldt Assistant Organist in Christ Chapel; Visiting Instructor of Handbells

Chad Winterfeldt is Associate Organist at Christ Chapel and Director of Handbells at Gustavus. He received a doctorate in organ performance from the University of Nebraska where he studied with George Ritchie and Quentin Faulkner. His doctoral document focused on the organ music of Pamela Decker, an American composer living in Arizona. His musical interests…   (continue reading)

Steve Wright Associate Professor

Dr. Steve Wright is a nationally known trumpeter, jazz arranger and composer. At Gustavus, he directs the Gustavus Jazz Lab Band and the Adolphus Jazz Ensemble, teaches Music Arranging and is the Trumpet Instructor. He also teaches January Term courses in Careers In Music, Music Software & Technology and Jazz History. Wright earned his BM degree…   (continue reading)