Our faculty are expert teacher-scholars in the fields of performance, music theory, musicology, ethnomusicology, composition, music journalism, and ensemble direction. They are active as practitioners, researchers, and freelance artists engaging in innovative and socially conscious work. The studio faculty are drawn from some of the top ensembles of the nation's capital such as the National Symphony Orchestra, Washington National Opera, and "The President's Own" US Marine Band. Through close mentorship with AU professors, students are immersed in a vibrant and inclusive world of music.
Dr. Ann T. Kang is Director of the Music Program. She teaches piano, chamber music, music theory and musicianship. She has been called a pianist of “admirable polish and sensitivity” by the Baltimore …
Please see faculty grouped by area, or further below for all faculty alphabetically:
Benjamin Albright, trumpet
Todd Baldwin, trombone and euphonium
Scott Cameron, tuba
Shawn Hagen, horn
Daniel Abraham, Chamber Singers
Joshua Bayer, Jazz Orchestra
Matthew Brown, Symphony Orchestra, Symphonic Band, Singer Songwriters' Hub
Casey Cook, Chorus
Ann Kang, Chamber Ensembles
Amadou Kouyate, West African Drumming
Sylstea Sledge, Gospel Choir
Jessica Powell Eig, bass
Sean Heely, fiddle
Kevin Jang, violin
Osman Kivrak, viola
Eric Sabatino, harp
Nancy Snider, cello
Noah Getz, saxophone
Jonathan Baumgarten, flute
Bill Wielgus, oboe
Eric Dircksen, bassoon
Chaz Sonoda, clarinet
Choral/orchestral conductor and musicologist; specialist in 17th- and 18th-century music. As a conductor and scholar, Abraham has often sought out works previously unknown to present-day audiences and…
Originally from Niagara Falls, New York, Benjamin recently moved to the DC metro area after winning a trumpet position with “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band. Dr. Albright completed his …
Todd Baldwin served with The U.S. Army Band “Pershing’s Own” from 1984-2016 and was most recently the Element Leader for The U.S. Army Ceremonial Band. Previous positions include Trombone Section Lead…
Jonathan Baumgarten is a flute instructor in the applied music program. He holds a MM from Juilliard where he was a scholarship student of Samuel Baron. He studied with Thomas Nyfenger on a National E…
Jazz guitarist, bassist, composer, and director Joshua Bayer has performed at The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, The Detroit Opera House, Blues Alley, The Harlem Renaissance Festival, The Wor…
I am a composer and music theorist originally from Buenos Aires. Currently I am working on a book about harmonic progressions and compositional process in Quiet Storm music. I have released two albums…
William Brent is a computer musician and Associate Professor of Audio Technology at American University in Washington DC. In collaboration with internationally recognized composers and performers, he …
Orchestra/Symphonic Band/Songwriters' Hub Matthew Brown has worked with musicians of all ages and levels ranging from elementary school string ensembles to professional orchestras. He currently is the…
A native of Ashton, Maryland, Mr. Cameron is a member of The United States Army Field Band, stationed at Ft. Meade Maryland, and has performed in all 50 states. As a freelance tubist, Mr. Cameron has …
Dr. Casey Cook is a dynamic choral musician and educator, moving fluently between the fields of conducting, composition, and vocal performance. He is increasingly sought after as an adjudicator, clini…
Susan Derry’s Broadway credits include Wonderful Town and 14 productions with City Center's Encores! series. She started her career as Christine in The Phantom of the Opera in Hamburg, Germany; her wi…
Artist and Educator Kristianna Pirrie Dilworth seeks to unearth artistic authenticity in her students, empower them to meet industry standards, and support them as they seek musical and spiritual trut…
Eric Dircksen is a bassoon instructor in the applied music program. Eric Dircksen studied saxophone and bassoon at Indiana University in Bloomington and at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. He …
Larry Ferguson is the drum set teacher in the applied music program. Mr Ferguson is a native of Kentucky and in addition to drum set, has a very diverse background in the areas of percussion including…
Dr. Noah Getz is a saxophone instructor in the applied music program. He made his Carnegie Hall debut as the recipient of the National Alliance for Excellence Grand Prize and has presented solo recita…
Mary Gottlieb, pianist, has performed at the National Cathedral, the White House, Chicago’s Civic Center, Lyric Opera House, and Orchestra Hall, the Lyceum, Strathmore Hall, and universities around th…
Shawn Hagen is a hornist in The United States Army Band, “Pershing’s Own”. When not in uniform, Hagen performs with the National Chamber Winds and has been a frequent substitute with The Kennedy Cente…
Jennifer Hamady is the author of The Art of Singing series, as well as a voice teacher, performance coach, and a board-certified therapist specializing in technical and emotional issues that interfere…
Multi-Genre violinist/fiddler Seán Heely is one of the most creatively versatile and captivating young artists of his generation. He is a US National Scottish Fiddle Champion as well as an award-winni…
Barbara Hollinshead is a voice instructor in the applied music program. A mezzo-soprano, she has studied in NY, Washington and with Max van Egmond in the Netherlands. Career highlights include singing…
Eric Jaeger “El Comanche” is an internationally renowned, and preeminent American flamenco guitarist, composer and producer. He's performed and recorded nationally and internationally for over 25 year…
Dr. Ann T. Kang is Director of the Music Program. She teaches piano, chamber music, music theory and musicianship. She has been called a pianist of “admirable polish and sensitivity” by the Baltimore …
Osman Kivrak, violist, was a winner of the National Scholarship Competition in Turkey, the Baltimore Chamber Music Awards, the Maryland State Arts Council Individual Artist Awards, the Culver (Califor…
Alicia Kopfstein, Ph.D., is an enthusiastic postmodernist who has taught musicianship, guitar, music history, and general education courses at American since 1998, and musicianship for the Washington …
Nobue, a native of Japan, moved from New Orleans in 2006 to become the Music/Performing Arts librarian at American University. As the head of the music library in Katzen, Nobue is responsible for the …
Marc Medwin received his undergraduate degree in English literature from Ithaca College in New York. He went on to earn a MA and PhD in musicology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill,…
Dr. JP Merz is a composer, sound artist, and educator. His work, both instrumental and electronic, interrogates the materiality of sound through experimental uses of technology—from networked algorith…
Jon has been working in and around the DC area for twenty years as a performer, producer, composer, and arranger. He has produced and arranged recordings by local jazz artists Imani, Maryann Redmond, …
Praised for her “natural expressiveness,” Jessica Powell Eig has crafted a dynamic and varied career performing on double bass, violone, and viola da gamba with Washington Bach Consort, American Bach …
Katherine is an award winning interpreter of musical theater and crossover repertoire, Katherine Riddle is making her mark with her “crystal clear soprano” and “strong acting chops”. Performing in the…
Kendra Salois received the Ph.D. in Music from the University of California, Berkeley, in 2013. Prior to joining the Department of Performing Arts at AU, she was a Visiting Assistant Professor at the …
Alex Salser is a guitarist, songwriter, and educator based in the DC area with a background in bluegrass, jazz, blues, R&B and soul music. He has toured extensively, performing in the last year at 9:3…
Rolando Sanz is a visionary performing arts executive who works at the crossroads of the industry, bridging arts administration, production, education, and performance. With over two decades of experi…
A composer/pianist and innovator, Sapieyevski brings a new approach to piano performance blending popular and classical styles. His commissions and performances include the Kennedy Center, Library of …
Sterling Scroggins, voice instructor, baritone, has performed, directed, and taught in the Washington, D.C. area since the mid-1980s. His favorite roles include Papageno (The Magic Flute) Mephistophel…
Choral director, arranger and composer and specialist in American Gospel Music Tradition. Vocal music instructor in public schools of Washington, D.C. and Prince George’s County Public School System.<…
Kelly Smith Jones has performed in a wide variety of musical styles. She has performed with Wolf Trap Opera Company, New York Gilbert and Sullivan Players, Washington Concert Opera, Summer Opera Theat…
Nancy Jo Snider, ‘cello (she/her/any)Cellist and educator Nancy Jo Snider is a member of the Opera Lafayette Orchestra and performs regularly in a variety of chamber and period instrument ensembles in…
A Southern California native, Chaz Sonoda began his clarinet studies at the age of 9. He has performed with the National Repertory Orchestra, Quartz Mountain Music Festival Orchestra, Alexandria Symph…
Hailed by the Baltimore Sun for his “spirited and polished playing,” Matthew Van Hoose has established himself as one of the most sought-after pianists in the Baltimore-Washington area. Dr. Van Hoose …
Ethan Watermeier is Musician-In-Residence and the Coordinator of Vocal Studies at American University. Professor Watermeier is an interdisciplinary teaching artist, voice and speech educator and pract…
Oboe professor William Wielgus was a member of the oboe section of the National Symphony Orchestra from 1990 to 2017 upon appointment by Mstislav Rostropovich. Prior to his appointment with the NSO he…