Woodwinds

Bio: Dr. Douglas Stotter is Director of Bands, Professor of Music and Coordinator of the Wind/Percussion Area in the UTA Music Department. He conducts the Wind Symphony and teaches undergraduate and graduate conducting and wind literature courses while overseeing all aspects of the band program. He is active as conductor, clinician and adjudicator throughout the United States and most recently in China, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore. Prior to his appointment at UTA, Dr. Stotter served for seven years as Assistant Director of Bands at Indiana University, where he conducted the Concert and Symphonic Bands and taught advanced undergraduate and graduate instrumental conducting courses in the IU School of Music. Previously, Dr. Stotter was Director of Bands and head of instrumental music education at Valdosta State University, where he conducted the Wind Ensemble, Concert Band, and Marching Band and taught courses in conducting, marching band techniques and secondary instrumental methods. Dr. Stotter has also served as Director of Bands at the University of Missouri-Rolla, Doane College in Nebraska and at Galesburg (Illinois) High School. Dr. Stotter's textbook, Methods and Materials for Conducting, was published in 2006 by GIA Publications and is now in use at numerous universities across the country. His other publications include contributions to the text Teaching Music Through Performance in Band (Volumes 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12), as well as research into the history of Edwin Franko Goldman and the Goldman Band published in the Journal of Band Research. His arrangement for concert band of songs by Ralph Vaughn Williams, Three Dorset Songs, was published in 2003 by Daehn Music and performed in 2004 at the Midwest Clinic. His latest arrangement, a setting of Percy Grainger's Sussex Mummer's Christmas Carol, was published in 2006 by Daehn Music. Dr. Stotter also served for 9 years as Editor of the College Band Directors National Association Report. Dr. Stotter received Bachelor's and Master's degrees in music education from The University of Michigan and the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in conducting from The University of Iowa. He is a member of the Conductors Guild, the Music Educators National Conference, the National Band Association, the Texas Bandmasters Association, the Texas Music Educators Association and is an active member of the College Band Directors National Association, serving on the National Executive Board as treasurer and President-Elect of the Southwest Division. He is an honorary member of Kappa Kappa Psi and Tau Beta Sigma chapters at Indiana University, the University of Missouri-Rolla, Valdosta State University and the University of Michigan.

Bio: Dr. Hannah Leffler Chiasson, a Miyazawa Performing Artist, serves as Senior Lecturer of Flute at the University of Texas at Arlington. Before transitioning into this position, she served in the music theory department at UTA and on the faculty of El Centro College. She has held collegiate teaching positions at Luther College, the University of Northern Iowa, and the University of North Texas. In addition, she has been a freelance flutist and private teacher in the DFW metroplex. Hannah has performed frequently with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra and the Oklahoma City Philharmonic. She received her DMA in Flute Performance from University of North Texas with a related field in Music Theory. She also holds degrees from the University of Northern Iowa and Oklahoma City University. Her primary teachers include Dr. James Scott, Terri Sundberg, Dr. Angeleita Floyd, and Parthena Owens. Hannah was a founding member of WoodWired, an electroacoustic duo. In 2018, Woodwired released their first album through UTA Records in 2018. She has been a prizewinner in the prestigious NFA Young Artist Competition, the NFA Orchestral Audition Competition, the Atlanta Young Artist Competition, and the Myrna Brown Artist Competition, among others.

Bio: Melissa Bosma is the newly appointed Adjunct Oboe Professor at the University of Texas at Arlington. Prior to this appointment, Ms. Bosma served as Lecturer of Oboe at Oklahoma State University, where she also served as Director of the OSU Summer Music Camp. She also served as Adjunct Instructor of Oboe at Heidelberg University, where she performed with the faculty woodwind quintet, regularly performed at the New Music Festival, and commissioned new solo works for oboe and piano. Ms. Bosma has taught extensively in Texas, Michigan, and Oklahoma through her studio and master classes at many local middle and high schools. Passionate about sharing oboe pedagogy with other educators, Ms. Bosma has given presentations at the Texas Music Educators Association Convention and the Midwest Clinic International Band and Orchestra Conference. Ms. Bosma is an active orchestral musician who has performed with groups such as the Fort Wayne Philharmonic, Michigan Philharmonic, Toledo Symphony, Tulsa Symphony, and Oklahoma City Philharmonic. Also an accomplished chamber musician, Ms. Bosma attended the Sarasota Music Festival and was a Fellow at Music Academy of the West where she was a featured soloist under the baton of Grammy-nominated conductor Nicholas McGegan. Melissa Bosma graduated with Master of Music degrees in both Oboe Performance and Chamber Music from the University of Michigan. She graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Music degree in Oboe Performance from Southern Methodist University. Her primary teachers include Erin Hannigan and Nancy Ambrose King.

Bio: Laura Bennett Cameron’s artistic and research activities in Europe and in the United States have established an international reputation for expressive playing, innovative collaborations, and expansion of the bassoon’s repertoire through her work with international composers Roger Boutry, Matteo Dal Maso, and others. Laura Bennett Cameron serves as Assistant Professor of Bassoon and Chamber Music at the University of Texas-Arlington, and as the Woodwind Area Coordinator. She also holds the principal bassoon position of the five-time Grammy-nominated Dallas Winds, and substitutes with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, among others. She appears frequently as a soloist, having given recent recital and concerto performances in the US and Europe. In January of 2020, she performed concertos by Rossini and Weber in San Marco and Turin, Italy, to enthusiastic audiences and critical acclaim from Italian media. She is also a sought-after chamber collaborator, and has given performances with the Fine Arts Chamber Players, Spectrum Series, The UTA Faculty Wind Quintet, and through other chamber music organizations. She also hosts the multimedia series #BassoonistsTalk with Dr. Cayla Bellamy of Colorado State University. Never far away from the instrument, Dr. Bennett Cameron is actively involved in research and publication. Her main research focus is the music of French composer Roger Boutry (1932-2019, Grand Prix de Rome 1954). This pioneering research on Boutry and his compositions represents the first major published resources on the composer in any language. Further, she is actively involved in the editing and publication of Boutry’s works for bassoon through TrevCo Music Publishing and other publishing houses. She is frequently invited to speak about Boutry and perform his works, thanks to her unique close relationship to the composer during his life, and her continued relationship with his family. Inspired by her work with Boutry, Laura is the founder of La Société pour la Promotion de la Musique de Roger Boutry, an American foundation devoted to the promotion and advancement of Boutry's compositions. She also serves as solo bassoonist in The Boutry Ensemble, a chamber ensemble dedicated to the education and engagement of American audiences with the composer's body of work. Her debut recording, "French Masterworks for Bassoon and Piano," (Indesens Classique, 2016) recorded with composer Roger Boutry at the piano, has been praised as "virtuosic, lyrical, and engagingly musical" by critics across the globe. Her second CD with Roger Boutry, “Encounters,” is expected out in 2021, and was recorded with Gina Ford (Dallas Opera principal oboe), Joanna Cox Pennington (Louisiana State University the late Eric Varner, and fellow Boutry scholar and pianist Mathilde Handelsman (University of New Hampshire). This thrilling album brings Boutry’s newer and lesser-known works for double reeds and piano into the spotlight. Dr. Bennett Cameron holds a Doctor of Music in Bassoon from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, with concentrations in Music Theory and Early Music. She holds a Master of Music degree from the New England Conservatory of Music, and a Bachelor of Music from West Texas A&M University (all degrees earned with highest honors). Her principal teachers were William Ludwig, Richard Svoboda, Dr. Tina Carpenter, and Michael McCraw. In addition to an active solo recital schedule and regular chamber performances, she maintains a small private bassoon studio in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. She serves on the Board of Directors Dallas’s Classical Radio Station, WRR 101.1, is a member of the Pi Kappa Lambda Music Honor Society, the International Double Reed Society, and the Texas Music Educators Association.

Bio: Dr. Cheyenne Cruz joined the faculty at the University of Texas at Arlington in 2016 as Lecturer of Clarinet. Previously, she held a position as Adjunct Clarinet Instructor at Stephen F. Austin State University, and was the Teaching Fellow in chamber music for the University of North Texas in 2015. In addition to her collegiate teaching, Cheyenne maintains a private clarinet studio in the DFW area including students from Hebron High School (winners of "Best Music" at BOA Grand Nationals in 2015) and Argyle High School (UIL 4A State Marching Band winner for 4 consecutive years). Cheyenne's high school students have been accepted into All-State bands and orchestras for both the TMEA and ATSSB organizations. Cheyenne completed her DMA in clarinet performance with a related field in music education at the University of North Texas in 2015. She also holds a Master's degree in clarinet performance from the Florida State University and Bachelor's degree in music education from McMurry University. As a performer, Cheyenne has appeared with the Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra, the San Angelo Symphony, the Longview Symphony Orchestra, and the Dallas Wind Symphony. She is presently a member of the Lone Star Wind Orchestra, conducted by Eugene Corporon. Cheyenne has also been the long-term substitute 2nd clarinetist with the Texarkana Symphony Orchestra for the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons. An active chamber musician, Cheyenne’s previous wind quintet, The Center Quintet, was invited to perform at both the Plowman and Fischoff chamber music competitions. Now Cheyenne is composing and arranging in addition to performing with her newest chamber music group, WoodWired, an electroacoustic duo with flutist Hannah Leffler. WoodWired has been actively performing original music for bass clarinet, flute, and electronics since 2015, and appeared at the National Flute Association convention in 2016. In addition to her performing ventures, Cheyenne has been published in The Clarinet Magazine, the monthly journal issued by the International Clarinet Association, with an article entitled "A Pedagogical Guide to Playing Bass Clarinet in a Wind Ensemble." Prior to that, she completed an undergraduate thesis entitled "Mickey Mousing Squared: Postmodernism in Cartoon Music" for which she graduated with special honors in Music History. Her major clarinet teachers include Dr. Kimberly Cole Luevano and Dr. Frank Kowalsky.

Bio: Tim Ishii has been Director of Jazz Studies at UT Arlington since 2004. Under his direction, the Jazz Orchestra has performed in Mexico City, Germany, Hawaii, Kansas, throughout Texas and the surrounding Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. In 2007 the Jazz Orchestra was selected to perform at the Texas Music Educators Conference in San Antonio, Texas and in 2009 the band was awarded the “Gene Hall” award as the Outstanding Collegiate Band at the University of North Texas/City of Addison Jazz Festival which included bands selected by taped audition from coast to coast. Tim is active as a clinician and has conducted numerous high school and college honor bands in Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Oregon. In December 2014, he appeared as guest artist with the Iolani High School Jazz Band (Honolulu, Hawaii) in Kobe, Japan performing at the Konan Boys High School Winter Jazz Festival and Konan Women’s University. He is Past President of the Texas Jazz Educators Association and is Co-Music Director for the Hawaii Jazz Institute, a joint collaboration between the University of Texas at Arlington and the Iolani School in Honolulu, Hawaii. As part of the 2015 Hawaii Jazz Institute, the UT Arlington Jazz Orchestra performed aboard the USS Missouri battleship that is now docked at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. In addition, Tim and the UT Arlington Jazz Faculty performed and provided educational enrichment at the 2015 Maui Jazz Festival. In May of 2016, Tim was invited to give big band clinics in Detmold, Germany at the Hochschule Fur Musik and also presented a master class to area saxophonists at the Haus Die Musik in Detmold. In October of 2016, Tim along with fellow UTA Jazz Faculty and students traveled to Stockholm, Sweden to finalize arrangements for a Study Abroad Exchange program with the Royal College of Music. The group also was invited to participate in the 2016 International Jazz Education Festival hosted by the Shanghai Conservatory of Music. In June of 2016, Tim, the UT Arlington Jazz Faculty, and Jazz Orchestra returned to Hawaii to work with students from the Honolulu area in the Hawaii Jazz Institute. Since 2016, the UT Arlington Jazz Area has continued outreach efforts in Hawaii, Sweden, Germany, and China. The UT Arlington Jazz Program is proud to sponsor the Eddie Gomez Trio in Residence each fall and spring semester. Tim maintains an active freelance and clinician schedule. Tim is an Artist/Clinician for Conn-Selmer and D’addario.

Bio: Saxophonist Prof. Chris McGuire is a member of the University of Texas-Arlington classical and jazz faculty, and an in-demand performer on saxophone, clarinet, and other woodwinds. He holds a Bachelor of Music and a Master of Music from the University of North Texas and, over a thirty plus year performance career, has performed and toured with many diverse musical acts from The Duke Ellington Orchestra to country star Jamey Johnson, from the Jim Cullum Jazz Band to the industrial rap of MC 900 ft. Jesus, numerous other jazz, pop, and rock acts, and movie and television soundtracks. At UT-Arlington, he has deployed his versatile musical and pedagogical skills for over ten years by teaching applied saxophone, coaching jazz combos and classical quartets, and directing the Jazz Lab. Outside of UT-Arlington, he maintains a full performance schedule playing for a range of ensembles and recording projects, including a recent worldwide collaboration for the Ryan Anthony Foundation’s Cancer Blows.

Bio: Michael Morrison was born in Dallas, Texas and grew up in Levelland, Texas. He holds a Bachelor of Music and Master of Music/Performance degree, both with an emphasis in Jazz Studies from the University of Texas at Arlington. He has performed in the UT Arlington Jazz Orchestra under the direction of Bill Snodgrass and Timothy Ishii, and has been a student of Mr. Timothy Ishii for many years. Also, he has performed in the UT Arlington Wind Ensemble as principle alto saxophone and as guest soloist with the UT Arlington Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Morrison has also served as a Graduate Teaching Assistant in the Jazz Studies program at UT Arlington. His duties included teaching jazz combos, jazz history, and jazz theory. In addition, he presented lectures and performed for the Saxophone Master Class under the direction of Mr. Timothy Ishii. During his time at UT Arlington, Mr. Morrison has performed with many renowned artists; such as, Arturo Sandoval, Jon Faddis, Terell Stafford, Bob Mintzer, Dave Pietro, Linda Oh, Peter Erskine, Mike Williams, Denis DiBlasio, Roger Ingram, and Dave Hagedorn. Michael Morrison is a Adjunct Professor of Saxophone at the University of Texas at Arlington in addition to maintaining an active performing schedule in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area. He is a member of the American Jazz Composers Orchestra, Mesquite Repertory Jazz Ensemble, Rebel Alliance Jazz Ensemble, and the Curtis Bradshaw Octet. Also, he performs with his jazz trio—Michael Morrison Trio—which has been the house jazz trio at Newport’s Restaurant for three years. They have also been the featured jazz group at the Mesquite Arts Center Summer Jazz Breaks in 2011. In addition to performing, he is an in demand private lesson instructor throughout the area, teaching classical saxophone repertoire as well as jazz saxophone, improvisation, theory, and beginning flute and clarinet.

Bio: Saxophonist Mike Nguyen is an active performer, chamber musician, and educator in the DFW Metroplex. Since 2017, he has served on the faculty of the University of Texas at Arlington as Adjunct Assistant Professor of Saxophone, where he teaches applied saxophone, chamber music, coordinates the saxophone studio class, and directs the UTA Saxophone Choir. Nguyen maintains a vibrant private studio in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, and actively encourages chamber music throughout the area by performing it himself, and by organizing engaging performances for his private and collegiate students in modern urban venues. Under his direction, the UTA Saxophone Choir was selected to perform at the Texas Music Educators Association Convention in 2020. In addition to an active teaching schedule, Nguyen is a committed performer. In 2020, he performed John Williams’ Escapades for saxophone and wind orchestra with the Dallas Asian Wind Ensemble, where he holds the position of principal saxophone. He is also principal saxophone of the Allen Philharmonic Orchestra and the Dallas Civic Wind Ensemble, and is a member of the Texas Dixieland Band. In 2019, Nguyen co-founded the Dallas Asian Wind Ensemble, a group dedicated to increasing diversity in classical music by showcasing the highest quality compositions and performances by Asian musicians. Nguyen continues to serve the ensemble as principal saxophone, and as a member of the Board of Directors. He also serves on the Board of Directors for the Dallas Civic Wind Ensemble. Nguyen holds a Bachelor of Music and Master of Music in Saxophone Performance from the University of Texas at Arlington, where he studied classical saxophone under professor Timothy Ishii. He is currently pursuing a Doctor of Music Arts in Saxophone Performance at the University of North Texas, in the studio of Dr. Eric Nestler. He is a member of the Texas Music Educators Association, the North American Saxophone Alliance, and the Young Saxophonists’ Institute.