Dr. Shawn Purcell, originally hailing from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is a jazz guitarist, composer, arranger and educator based in the Washington DC region. Purcell has shared the stage, recorded with, and/or toured with Walt Weiskopf, Pat Bianchi, Regina Carter, Steve Fidyk, Chip McNeill, Sean Jones, Steve Allee, Brian Charette, Terell Stafford, Tim Warfield, Lucas Pino, Peter Erskine, The Chicago Jazz Ensemble, The Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra, Eddie Daniels, National Symphony Orchestra and many others.
Jesse Guessford received a BS in music education from West Chester University, a Master of Music in music composition from the Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam, and a DMA in music composition from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.Â
Dr. Mark Jenkins began his musical studies on the euphonium at the age of 11 in his home state of Nevada. During his early studies, he was awarded top honors at state, regional and international solo competitions, including the Nevada Governor’s Scholarship to attend the prestigious Interlochen Fine Arts Camp in Michigan and 1st prize at the 1996 Leonard Falcone International Tuba and Euphonium Competition.
Origin Records recording artist, Darden Purcell is a Washington DC based featured soloist with symphony orchestras, big bands and small ensembles and jazz educator. Ms. Purcell has shared the stage with top jazz artists including Maria Schneider, Christian McBride, Branford Marsalis, Terell Stafford, Joe Locke, Walt Weiskopf, Eric Alexander, Eddie Daniels, Alan Baylock, Byron Stripling, Bobby Floyd, The Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra, US Navy Band Commodores, Airmen of Note, US Army Blues, American Festival Pops Orchestra and National Symphony Orchestra, performing nationally and internationally, including Blues Alley, Club Bonafide (NYC), The Jazz Kitchen, Blue Wisp, Bop Stop, Chris’s Jazz Café, Blue Jazz+, Con Alma, JazzB (Sao Paulo, Brazil), Aalt Stadhaus (Luxembourg), Wolf Trap and The Kennedy Center (back-up vocals for Mr. George Benson, Caroline Shaw, Ben Folds, Sara Bareilles). Dr. Purcell is the Director of Jazz Studies, Jazz Voice Instructor and Director of the Downbeat Award-winning, Â鶹ÊÓƵ Jazz Vocal Ensemble at Â鶹ÊÓƵ.
Prof. June Huang is the Director of Strings and Associate Professor of Violin at the Dewberry School of Music. She teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in applied violin, chamber music, and string pedagogy.
Patricia Miller is an Internationally acclaimed operatic and concert mezzo-soprano. She is also a highly respected voice teacher and Music Educator. A University Professor, artist-teacher and master class clinician, her talent and commitment to opera education has taken her all over the world.
Dr. Gregory Joseph Robinson is Associate Professor of Music and Director of Ethnomusicology at Â鶹ÊÓƵ’s School of Music. He received the Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania and graduated summa cum laude from Colby College in Waterville, Maine.
Carole Rosenstein is Full Professor of Arts Management and affiliated Professor of Folklore at Â鶹ÊÓƵ in Virginia, USA. She studies cultural policy and the social life of the arts and culture with a focus on cultural democracy and cultural equity. Her most recent book is Understanding Cultural Policy (2e 2024).
Don Russell has been an active contemporary art curator and arts administrator since 1979. His research focuses on the exploration and development of new social contexts for art.
