Biographies

BASSOON:

 CLARINET:

BERKELEY PRICE:

FLUTE:

PAT MAKI received her MM degree in performance for the University of Southern California and is on the applied faculty at El Camino College.  Her performance credits include recording artist with the Los Angeles Camerata, John Tesh Enterprises and Guess Jeans. She has been a featured soloist with the Los Angeles Camerata, the El Camino College Symphony, the El Camino Faculty Orchestra, the Marina Del Rey-Culver City and Downey Symphonies.  She is currently principal flute with the Marina Del Rey-Culver City and Downey Symphonies.  She is co-founder of Campus Concerts, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting school music enrollment and is the coordinator of the Pat Maki Players, an ensemble of outstanding professional recording and orchestral musicians who perform throughout Los Angeles in chamber music recitals and background music for special events.  They can be heard on Miramax’s "Rhyme or Reason”, Polygram’s “Chameleon” and others.

FRENCH HORN:

TAWNEE LILLO:

GUITAR:

MATT GREIF: 

Matthew Greif specializes in jazz and classical guitar. He has performed worldwide, covering the stylistic spectrum, from Los Angeles jazz club Baked Potato to New York’s Carnegie Hall. He is a member of the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet. 

Matthew holds B.M. and M.M. degrees from USC where he studied jazz guitar with Joe Diorio and Frank Potenza, and classical guitar with William Kanengiser and James Smith.  www.matthewgreif.net

JONATHAN KLEINHANS:

Jonathan Kleinhans is a composer and guitarist based in Los Angeles. In 2015, Jon received his Doctorate in Musical Arts Degree from USC's Thornton School of Music with an emphasis in Studio Jazz Guitar. Over the years Jon has supplemented his academic training with private study in composition, counterpoint, and orchestration from some of the best in the industry such as Neal Desby, Vince Mendoza, Russell Ferrante, and Bob Mintzer. He holds minor fields in Music Theory and Music Recording/Technology from USC and is fluent in an assortment of popular music styles including jazz, rock, country, and bluegrass. Aside his career as an active educator, mentor, and freelance guitarist, Kleinhans specializes in film and commercial composition. His sound can further be explored at jonkleinhansmusic.com

JON MINEI: M.M., USC As a soloist and ensemble player, Jon has performed extensively locally and abroad. His principle instrument is a 7-string classical guitar with extended lower and upper registers. Jon has performed with the Brouwer Quartet, the Commonwealth Guitar Trio, as well as playing in the basso continuo section for various baroque performances throughout Southern California.  Jon Minei is currently a doctoral candidate at the University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music pursuing a DMA in classical guitar and has studied with renowned classical guitarists William Kanengiser, Scott Tennant, John Dearman, Brian Head, Pepe Romero, as well as lute and early music specialist John Schneiderman, flamenco guitarist/composer Adam Del Monte, and jazz guitarist Pat Kelley. His studies include minor fields in studio jazz guitar, music industry, and an academic minor in music education. Jon has also taken coursework on Arts Leadership and Entrepreneurship with former chair of the National Endowment of the Arts, renowned poet, Dana Gioia.

ORGAN:

JAMES HURD: USC.  Full-time professor of music.  Dr. James Hurd has taught organ at El Camino College since 1973. He received his Bachelor Degree in music from Washburn University, studying organ with Max Elsberry.  He received a Master Degree from the American Conservatory of Music in Chicago where D?r. Edward Eigenschenk was his instructor.  In 1973, he received a DMA degree from USC and was an organ student of Dr. Irene Robertson.  He is currently Organist/Director of Music at St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church in Redondo Beach, CA.  Dr. Hurd has performed across America and Europe as an organ soloist.  He and Dr. William Doyle were featured in performances for trumpet and organ in both California and Europe, the last being a performance at St. Stephans Cathedral in Vienna, Austria.  Dr. Hurd's organ concerts have showcased traditional organ literature as well as jazz and gospel arrangements for the pipe organ.

PIANO:

POLLI CHAMBERS-SALAZAR has performed across the United States and Canada. She recently presented “Ships and Skyscrapers: Lyonel Feininger and the Music of his Time” at the Norton Simon Museum; this performance was her sixteenth in a series of recitals at the museum focusing on the pairing of art and music. Other recent performances include concerts at Zipper Hall, the AT&T Center Theater, the Marsee Auditorium in Torrance, and Liberty Hall in Los Angeles. She is also a regular performer on the Music At Noon series in Pasadena, California.

Dr. Chambers-Salazar has been featured as the “Artist of the Morning” on KUSC (FM 91.5), and has received awards in many competitions, including the Simon-Fiset Competition, the New Orleans International Piano Competition, and the Seattle Young Artists Festival. Music from her recording “First Flight” may be heard on KUSC Classical Radio. In addition, Dr. Chambers-Salazar is the author of Essential Piano Techniques: A Guide to Practice and Performance, published by Kendall Hunt.

Dr. Chambers-Salazar received her Doctorate of Musical Arts degree in Piano Performance from the University of Southern California, and is currently the Director of Piano Studies at El Camino College. Previously she served on the keyboard faculty of the Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California.

You may hear more performances by Polli on her YouTube channel

RAFAEL LIEBICH:

Brazilian pianist Rafael Liebich has earned degrees from the State University of Campinas, the Federal University of the Rio Grande do Sul State, and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the USC Thornton School of Music, in the studio of Dr. Stewart Gordon. Beyond performing with various ensembles and concert series throughout California, Dr. Liebich teaches at University of La Verne, El Camino College, and Neighborhood Music School in Boyle Heights. He is a strong advocate of contemporary music, working as assistant director to “People Inside Electronics” concert series. Highlights of his career include a series of workshops with musicians of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, a presentation at the International Society of Music Education world conference in Beijing, and a publication on music interpretation and aesthetics for a journal in Brazil. From USC Thornton School of Music he received honors such as the Keyboard Ensemble Award, the Keyboard Studies Department Award, as well as induction into the Pi Kappa Lambda National Music Honors Society. More on http://rafaelliebich.wix.com/piano.

 

LOIS ROBERTS: Juilliard, Mannes College, CSULB. Specializing in Classical repertoire, solo, chamber and orchestral. Ms. Roberts entered The Juilliard School in the upper division at the age of 11 after her New York Town Hall debut. She studied with Josef Raieff, Albert Fuller, Guido Agosti, and Konrad Wolff. In addition to her degrees from Juilliard, she was awarded the Diploma di Merito at the Accademia Musicale Chigiana in Siena, Italy.  She has concertized in the U.S. and in Europe and has taught at American Boychoir and Westminster Choir College in Princeton, NJ. Ms. Roberts is also on the faculty at Santa Monica Community College. Her students are accepted into the finest schools of music including Juilliard, Mannes, and Manhattan.

JAZZ PIANO:

JAKE SILVERMAN: 

Jake Silverman is a GRAMMY-winning arranger, jazz pianist, jazz organist, electronic musician, composer, and educator. After an early history in classical and jazz piano and organ, Jake received a Bachelor of Music (BM) in Jazz Performance from Oberlin Conservatory of Music, a Master of Music (MM) in Jazz Performance from the Manhattan School of Music, and his Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) in Jazz Studies Performance from the University of Southern California.  He has had the distinct pleasure of studying and working with jazz legends such as Dan Wall, Billy Hart, Gary Bartz, Jay Ashby, Phil Markowitz, Jim McNealy, Dave Liebman, Alan Pasqua, Russell Ferrante, Bob Mintzer, Peter Erskine, and others. Jake performs a multi-media project called Button Masher that brings together video game music, jazz, and other genres. For Button Masher, Jake uses Ableton Live to recreate and utilize the sound design of retro video games. Button Masher has received widespread recognition on social media from general audiences, as well as from notable musicians.  Jake’s Button Masher project led to his first GRAMMY® with Charlie Rosen and the 8-Bit Big Band for their arrangement of Meta Knight’s Revenge from the video game Kirby Superstar.

 JAZZ TRUMPET:

DREW NINMER:  Drew Ninmer is a freelance composer, arranger, orchestrator, and trumpet player based in Los Angeles. He holds a Masters degree in jazz studies from California State University, Long Beach and a Bachelors degree in jazz studies from the University of Illinois-Champaign/Urbana. In addition to El Camino College, Drew works as an adjunct faculty member at Long Beach City College, teaching jazz and classical trumpet students and various classes.

 LOW BRASS:

ROBERT COOMBER:  Specializing in trombone, euphonium, tuba. Mr. Coomber received a Bachelor of Music Degree from California State University, Northridge, and a Master of Music Degree with an emphasis in Performance and Literature from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York. While in Rochester, he was a teaching assistant, and decided that teaching was going to be a part of his musical career. His teaching technique includes veiled threats and outright beatings, and his students have flourished under his reign of terror. While in school he toured with groups in Europe, Japan, and the U.S. He performs in many orchestras in Southern California, including The New West Symphony, Downey Symphony, San Bernardino Symphony, Antelope Valley Symphony, and West L A Symphony. He also has performed with the Long Beach Symphony, Desert Symphony, Torrance Symphony, Redlands and Riverside Symphonies. Aside from freelance work in jazz bands, and churches, he has also done many Broadway shows such as Damn Yankees with Jerry Lewis, Kiss Of The Spider Woman with Chita Rivera, Camelot with Robert Goulet, Cinderella with Sally Struthers, and Phantom of the Opera with Davis Gaines.

JON HATAMIYA (Jazz Trombone):

Trombonist, composer, and B.A.C. Endorsing Artist Jon Hatamiya is one of the most promising
trombonists to come out of the Sacramento area and has rapidly made a name for himself on both the
New York and California music scenes. He was recognized in the August 1st, 2011 edition of Jet
Magazine as the only trombonist on Wynton Marsalis’s list of “Who’s Got Next”, which highlighted the
next generation of emerging jazz artists. Jon released his debut album as a leader More Than Anything on
Orenda Records in early 2020, as well as an electronic EP Some Might Say (Revisited) in December 2020.
As a performer, Jon has established a wide-ranging reputation reflecting his diverse musical interests,
leading to performances, touring, and recording with artists such as Louis Cole, Michael Bublé, Kyle
Athayde Dance Party, Bob Mintzer Big Band, and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, among others.
Jon also leads his own big band, as well as several other ensembles under his own name ranging from trio
to nonet, and is a founding member of the New York jazz-rock fusion band XD 7.

Jon is an accomplished composer, being the recipient of ASCAP’s 2021 Johnny Mandel Award, as well
as the LA Jazz Society’s 2021 Jeff Clayton Memorial New Note Award. His arrangements have been
performed by such major artists as Michael McDonald, John Mayer, Jackson Browne, Jhene Aiko, and
others.

An alumnus of Manhattan School of Music, University of Southern California Thornton School of Music,
and the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Performance (now known as the Herbie Hancock Institute),
Jon is currently instructor of Jazz Trombone at Sacramento State University and El Camino College,
applied trombone instructor at Cosumnes River College, and jazz studies faculty at USC Thornton. 

www.jonhatamiya.com/

PERCUSSION:

JOSEPH MITCHELL:   B.A., California State University, Northridge; M.F.A., University of California, Los Angeles; Mr. Mitchell is active in southern California as a performer and teacher. He has worked with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, Pacific Symphony, Los Angeles Opera, and American Ballet Theater in addition to numerous other orchestras throughout the region and has twice toured internationally with the Los Angeles Philharmonic. As a soloist and chamber musician he has performed recitals as Artist-in-Residence at El Camino College in association with the South Bay Center for the Arts. Mr. Mitchell has recorded with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Fantasia, Mikki Howard, Adrianna Evans, and James Newton. His teaches keyboard percussion, timpani, snare drum, and accessory percussion instruments.

DEAN KOBA: BA, Percussion Performance, Northwestern University; MM, Jazz Studies, USC School of Music.  Performed with such jazz greats Benny Bailey, Bud Shank, the Clayton Brothers, Bill Cunliffe, Jeff Berlin, Gary Foster, Fareed Haque, Makoto Ozone, Roberta Gamborini, Jackie Ryan, and Tamir Hendelman, among others.  Currently freelances in the greater Los Angeles area and has specialized in jazz drum set instruction for 22 years.  www.deankoba.com

 SAXOPHONE/OBOE:

DAVID MOYER: D.M.A., USC. M.M., USC. B.A., UCLA. Dr. Moyer is a professional saxophonist, arranger/composer, educator, and producer based in his hometown of Los Angeles, CA. He is Director of Jazz Studies, Director of Instrumental Music, Applied Music Coordinator, and Assistant Professor of Music at El Camino College in Torrance, CA.

In addition to a well-rounded teaching practice, Dr. Moyer maintains a dynamic career as a performing and recording musician. He has performed, toured, and recorded with influential jazz musicians Gerald Wilson, Anthony Wilson, Kamasi Washington, and Karreim Riggins, along with hip hop and funk/soul luminaries: Guru, Big Daddy Kane, Chali 2na, DJ Premier, Dakah Hip Hop Orchestra, and singers/songwriters/rockers: Tears For Fears, Sara Bareilles, and Cage The Elephant. Dr. Moyer has performed internationally at venues such as: The Glastonbury Festival (UK), Coachella Music and Arts Festival (USA), The Istanbul Jazz Festival (Istanbul, Turkey), La Defense Jazz Festival (Paris, France), Billboard Live (Tokyo, Japan), the Walt Disney Concert Hall, and The Barbican Theatre (London, UK), throughout jazz venues in Southern California, and has performed on myriad television shows.  

Dr. Moyer co-leads contemporary jazz quintet DD Horns. Their self-titled debut recording DD Horns was released independently in March, 2017 to critical acclaim.  It was listed as Best New Jazz on Bandcamp: March 2017 and their version of Vampire Weekend’s “Obvious Bicycle” was included on Portland, Oregon Jazz Radio KMHD’s Top Singles of 2017.  DD Horns is releasing their second album Cali Shine in 2022. 

Dr. Moyer’s robust sound, creative arrangements, and unique approach to work in the studio can be heard on recordings including Jimmy  Cliff’s Grammy winning record ‘The Rebirth,’ Snoop Dogg’s ‘Snoop Lion’, Iggy Pop, Florence And The Machine arranged by Kamasi Washington, U2, Gary Clark Jr, Haim, Mavis Staples, Regina Spektor, and 21 Pilots, among many more. 

ANN PATTERSON is probably best known as the leader of the highly acclaimed all-female jazz big band Maiden Voyage, with major appearances at the Concord, Monterey, and Playboy Jazz Festivals, the Kennedy Center, the Tonight Show, the Hollywood Bowl, and throughout Japan.  A veteran Los Angeles  freelance saxophonist and woodwind player working in all areas of the music business, her oboe can be heard on the theme music for NBC's "Parks and Recreation".  She has performed and/or recorded with the big bands of Don Ellis, Bill Holman, Buddy Colette, Jack Sheldon, Buddy Childers, Frank Capp’s Juggernaut, Tim Davies, and James Newton’s Luckman Jazz Orchestra.  She has backed, toured or recorded with such artists as Louie Bellson, Joe Williams, Etta James, Sheena Easton, Amanda McBroom, Gloria Loring, Lou Rawls, Barry White, Melissa Manchester, The Temptations, John Mayall, Ray Charles, Dave Stewart, and k d lang. 

A graduate of the University of North Texas (B.M.) and the University of Illinois (M. M. and M. S.) as a classical oboist and music educator,  Ms. Patterson also has completed the coursework for the DMA in Jazz Studies at the University of Southern California.  Named Jazz Educator of the Year in 2000 by the Los Angeles Jazz Society, she has taught at the University of Wisconsin at Stevens Point, Cerritos College, California State University Dominguez Hills, and the Henry Mancini Institute.  She currently teaches jazz courses and saxophone at El Camino and Los Angeles Harbor College and is on the faculty of the Colburn School.  She was awarded the Friends of Jazz at UCLA Claudia Mitchell-Kernan Award for Contributions to Scholarship and Education in the Field of Jazz.  Ann and Maiden Voyage appear in the documentary film "The Girls in the Band", and in the following books: American Women in Jazz by Sally Placksin, Stormy Weather by Linda Dahl, and Madame Jazz by Leslie Gourse.

DAVID SILLS, jazz saxophone.  

Originally from the Los Angeles South Bay area, David Sills has established himself as one of the premier jazz saxophonists in Southern California. He began playing woodwinds during his formative teenage years, and has thereafter been devoted in continuing to hone and perfect his craft.

After graduating from high school, he received a Bachelor’s Degree in Saxophone Performance from California State University of Long Beach and a Master’s Degree in Jazz Studies from the prestigious Manhattan School of Music in New York City. David has since had the privilege of touring throughout the United States, Japan, Thailand, Hong Kong, Singapore, Indonesia, Italy, Spain and France with is band The David Sills Quartet and with ‘The Acoustic Jazz Quartet.’ David has released 10 critically acclaimed albums to date and can also be heard as a sideman on many recordings, most recently as a featured soloist on David Benoit’s new album “Conversations.” When David is not performing, he teaches private woodwinds and jazz improvisation at Pasadena City College and Cypress College as well as directing a big band at El Camino College.

“The playing of tenor saxophonist David Sills has been described as a meeting of Stan Getz and Joe Henderson, a style in which smooth reserve and technical ability combine in a single cool-to-the-bone sound.” – LA Times

“He produces a smooth velvety tone as Getz did and he often weaves long, serpentine, Marsh-like lines… Sills proves to be a warmly expressive player on ballads.” –Jazz Times

STRING BASS/ELECTRIC BASS GUITAR:

 TRUMPET:

WILLIAM DOYLE:  D.M.A., USC. Full-time professor of music at ECC (Music History, World Music, Music of the Beatles, Music Appreciation). Received his MM in Trumpet performance while studying trumpet with Charlie Schlueter (BSO) at the New England Conservatory. Has also studied with Edward Tarr (Baroque trumpet), George Kent (URI), Boyde Hood (USC), Vince Cichowicz (Northwestern), and Fred Sautter (Portland Symphony).   He has performed all over Europe, in Brazil and in Australia. In addition, he has performed and recorded in Europe with Dr. James Hurd (organist) and on live radio from St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna, Austria. His area of specialization is Baroque - Modern solo and ‘classical’ repertoire. He is also a composer and arranger for trumpet, winds, and orchestra and has worked extensively with Keali’i Reichel and 6-time GRAMMY winner Daniel Ho.

VOCAL JAZZ:

SARA LEIB: 

VOICE:

KEVIN BLICKFELDT is Director of Vocal Studies at El Camino College. On the concert stage, he has given recitals in Buenos Aires and Salto, Argentina, and last August, made his recital debut with the Orcas Island Chamber Music Festival. Kevin portrayed Fiorello in Pacific Opera Project’s Il Barbiere di Siviglia and collaborated on the original cast recording of Windy City, to be released on the Operetta Archives Foundation label in late 2017. Kevin made his debut with the Los Angeles Opera in 2013 under the baton of Music Director James Conlon in performances of Prodigal Son. Additional recent engagements include El General in Xavier Rodríguez’s La Curandera, and as Dr. Malatesta in Don Pasquale at the Oper im Park Festival in Austria. Kevin is a founding member of VOX, an operatic quartet who first premiering on TV’s America’s Got Talent. Since the show first aired, “opera’s boy band” has garnered over 4 million YouTube views and has presented performances across the United States and Canada. Dr. Blickfeldt is a graduate of The University of Utah, Florida State University, and the USC Thornton School of Music. In 2011 he was the recipient of the Citadelle Award from the Alltech Voice Competition in Lexington, Kentucky.

ANTHONY MORENO is currently pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts Degree at USC and studying with Rod Gilfry. He received his Master's Degree from USC and his Bachleor's Degree from CSU Long Beach. In 2012 Mr. Moreno received the California State Senate Certificate of Recognition in Performing Arts and was a regional finalist in the 2012 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. He has performed numerous operatic roles at CSU Long Beach, USC, Cantos de Taos, South Bay Camerata and LtD Opera including Pandolfe (Cendrillon), Count Almaviva and Antonio (Le nozze di Figaro), the title role in Don Giovanni, Ottone (L'incoronazione di Poppea), Don Alvaro (Il viaggio a Reims), Tom (The English Cat), Oreste (Iphigenie en Tauride), and Guglielmo (Cosi fan tutte).  Mr. Moreno has toured through Austria and Italy and premiered works by Liam Doyle and Daniel Ho. At El Camino College he teaches Applied Music voice as well as classroom voice.

VICKI MUTO: D.M.A., USC, vocal performance. Specializing in opera and musical theatre. As a soprano, she has received awards in vocal competitions such as McAllister Awards, Baltimore Opera, Liederkranz Competition and the Metropolitan Opera.  She has performed leading roles opposite Richard Leech and Debra Voigt and sung operatic roles with the tri-Cities Opera in upstate New York.  Her students have placed and won vocal competitions in Southern California and been awarded scholarships and professional engagements in Europe. She teaches private voice at ECC and Pasadena City College.

ERIN WOOD:  Erin Wood's portrayals of Verdi and Wagner heroines have received praise for her “soaring soprano” and "volcanic outpouring of sound". For Lyric Opera of Chicago, Ms. Wood has portrayed Sieglinde in Die Walküre, Lisa in Queen of Spades, Gutrune/Third Norn in Götterdämmerung as well as 9 other roles since her tenure with their Ryan Opera Center. She has been seen as Amelia in Un Ballo in Maschera with San Francisco Opera and Opera Colorado, and proudly joined the roster of the Metropolitan Opera in 2004. Ms. Wood is an alumna of UCLA.

 VIOLIN/VIOLA, CELLO, & BASS:

KAROLINE SOUZA-MENEZES (Violin & Viola): Multidisciplinary performing musician and arts advocate. Ms. Menezes work experiences involve collaborating with local and international organizations and initiatives to drive social change through the arts. She works in development to drive innovative strategies for engagement and connection, as well as consultation for teaching practices that impact the community through music.

Ms. Menezes works as an active violist in the recording and live industry. Her work has been featured on the Academy Awards, Jimmy Kimmel Live, The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon, and The Ellen Show. She has recorded for various music, television and film projects including Crazy Rich Asians, The Lego Movie 2, Bumblebee, Mulan, Largo, Creed, Just Mercy, Luminarias, Rent Live on Fox and many more. Artist collaborations include: Beyonce, Billie Eilish, Elton John, Eminem, Shawn Mendes, The Eagles The Weeknd, Mary J. Blidge, Andrea Bocelli, David Foster, Celeste, Jessie Reyes, Ashe, One Republic, Gabriels, Ali Shaheed and Adrian Younge, Jose Jose, Marco Antonio Solis, Chico César, Sivuca, Genival Lacerda, Detonautas and Alcione. 

YOOJUNG CHANG (Cello): 

Yoo-Jung Chang was featured as a soloist with the Antelope Valley Symphony Orchestra as the second prize winner of the Gail Newby Concerto Competition. She has won an array of awards in competitions around the world, including, the Nan-Pa Music Competition, Korean Brahms Association Competition, Seoul Baroque Chamber Orchestra Competition, Ewha Womans University Chamber Music Competitions, and Pasadena SAI Music Scholarship Competition.

As an active orchestral and chamber musician, Chang has performed with various ensembles such as the Chicago Civic Orchestra (IL), International Chamber Soloists Ensemble (NY), Ohio Light Opera Orchestra (OH), YMF Debut Orchestra (CA), and AIMS Festival Orchestra (Graz, Austria). She also has performed with many notable artists including Yo-Yo Ma, Joshua Bell, Lang Lang, Myung-Whun Chung, Bright Sheng and Cavani Quartet.

Chang was on the Grinnell College music faculty from 2011-2019 and served on the faculties of St. Ambrose University, Augustana College, Central College, Oskaloosa String Chamber Music Camp and the International Cello Institute. 

Yoo-Jung Chang has been a section cellist at the Quad City Symphony Orchestra since 2013 and faculty at El Camino College since 2021.