People
Music Department Chair (2024-25) – Amy C. Beal – chair.music@ucsc.edu
Music Department Director of Graduate Studies (2024-25) – Nicol Hammond – musicdgs@ucsc.edu
Music Department Committees & Posts – Click Here
Music Department Faculty
Name | Title | Phone | Campus Email | Other Email | Office Location |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jay Afrisando | Assistant Professor of Music
| 831-459-2292
| jafrisan@ucsc.edu | 284
| |
Amy C Beal | Professor of Music; Music Department Chair
| 831-459-5585
| abeal@ucsc.edu | abeal@ucsc.edu | |
Benjamin L Carson | Professor, Music Department
| blc@ucsc.edu | 148
| ||
Nicol Claire Hammond | Associate Professor
| 8314592019
| nihammon@ucsc.edu | 290
| |
Yolande Constance Harris | Assitant Professor in Teaching
| yharris@ucsc.edu | 000#
| ||
Karlton E Hester | Director Of Jazz Studies
| 831-459-2575
| hesteria@ucsc.edu | hesteria@ucsc.edu | |
Bruce Anthony Kiesling | Associate Professor
| (831) 459-2292)
| bkieslin@ucsc.edu | bruce@ucsc.edu | |
Hi Kyung Kim | Professor
| 831-459-3191
| hkim@ucsc.edu | hkim@ucsc.edu | |
Tanya Heather Merchant | Associate Professor
| 831-459-5762
| merchant@ucsc.edu | 286
| |
Akua Naru | anaru@ucsc.edu | ||||
Dard A Neuman | Associate Professor of Music
| 831-459-2292
| dneuman@ucsc.edu | Music 287
| |
Russell C Rodriguez | Assistant Professor
| 831-459-3117
| rucrodri@ucsc.edu | ||
Matthew Thurman Schumaker | Assistant Professor
| mschumak@ucsc.edu | 333
| ||
Nina K Treadwell | Professor
| 831-459-4264
| treadwel@ucsc.edu | 289
| |
James Gordon Williams | Assistant Professor of Composition
| 000-000-0000
| jwilli46@ucsc.edu | jgwcomposer@ucsc.edu | 291
|
Affiliated Faculty
Name | Title | Department | Phone | Campus Email | Office Location |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Anna Friz | Associate Professor
| Film and Digital Media Department
| 831-459-4514
| afriz@ucsc.edu | 125
|
Eric C Porter | Professor
| History Department
| 831-459-5287 (office, voice mail checked infrequently)
| ecporter@ucsc.edu | 235
|
Music Department Lecturers
Name | Title | Phone | Campus Email | Other Email | Office Location |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Francis Kofi Akotuah | Lecturer
| 5165037291
| fakotuah@ucsc.edu | fkakotuah@gmail.com | 114
|
Ashwin K Batish | Mr.
| 8314231699
| asbatish@ucsc.edu | batishs@sbcglobal.net | 287
|
Brian James Baumbusch | Lecturer
| (571) 217-1640
| bbaumbus@ucsc.edu | bbaumbusch@gmail.com | Gamelan Building
|
Nathaniel Aaron Berman | Conductor, UCSC Concert Choir and Wind Ensemble
| 831-459-5106
| natb@ucsc.edu | natberman1@gmail.com | 145
|
Paul D Contos | Lecturer Saxophone
| 831-251-8576
| pcontos@ucsc.edu | pdcontos@gmail.com | 831-459-2292
|
William D Coulter | Senior Lecturer in Guitar
| 831-566-2081
| billski@ucsc.edu | billski@ucsc.edu | |
Maria V Ezerova | Lecturer Piano
| 831-459-2292
| mvezerov@ucsc.edu | mvezerov@ucsc.edu | |
Giacomo Fiore | Continuing Lecturer
| (831) 459-2164
| gfiore@ucsc.edu | 126
| |
Bruce Foster | brfoster@ucsc.edu | ||||
Ed Garcia | elgarcia@ucsc.edu | ||||
Viviana Guzman | Flute Faculty
| viguzman@ucsc.edu | |||
Charles R Hamilton | Big Band Ensemble/ Small Combo Director
| 5106105961
| chrhamil@ucsc.edu | flugelboneprod@aol.com | Room 114
|
Madison Erin Heying | Lecturer
| (858)7222709
| mheying@ucsc.edu | madisonhkant@gmail.com | N/A
|
Erin C Irvine | Lecturer in Music
| 8315294801
| eirvine@ucsc.edu | erin-irvine@hotmail.com | N/A
|
Faith S Lanam | Continuing Lecturer / Dr.
| flanam@ucsc.edu | Room 126
| ||
Scott C Makson | Media Systems Engineer
| (831)502-8488
| smakson@ucsc.edu | smakson@ucsc.edu | 47
|
Roy T Malan | Lecturer Violin/Viola
| 831-459-2292
| rmalan@ucsc.edu | rmalan@ucsc.edu | |
Christopher Boyd Mallett | Guitar Lecturer
| 6198405927
| cmallett@ucsc.edu | cbmgeetar@gmail.com | 277
|
George E Marsh | Lecturer Drum Set
| 831-459-2292
| gmarsh@ucsc.edu | marshdrum@icloud.com | |
Michael J Mcgushin | Staff Accompanist
| 831-459-5582
| mjmcg@ucsc.edu | mjmcg@ucsc.edu | |
Daniel L Munoz | Lecturer
| (714) 655-1079
| danielm@ucsc.edu | Remote work location
| |
Alexander James Nunes | anunes@ucsc.edu | N/A
| |||
Christopher J Pratorius | Continuing Lecturer
| (831) 459-2292 (Music Center)
| seixas@ucsc.edu | cpratorius@yahoo.com | 126
|
Richard S Roper | Continuing Lecturer Music- Trumpet
| (831) 459-2292
| rsroper@ucsc.edu | richardroper1@yahoo.com | 138
|
Vanessa Ruotolo | Applied Faculty
| 4153172147
| vruotolo@ucsc.edu | vanessa123@earthlink.net | 268
|
Emily Victoria Sinclair | Continuing Lecturer, Voice
| evsincla@ucsc.edu | evsinclair@gmail.com | 278
| |
David Olof Smith | Jazz Bass Lecturer
| 8313348688
| dsmith32@ucsc.edu | crookedtoemusic@gmail.com | Bass Studio
|
Avi Tchamni | Lecturer in Music
| 831-459-2019
| atchamni@ucsc.edu | avitc@yahoo.com | 126
|
Magdalena Vega | Lecturer
| (831) 459-2292
| msvega@ucsc.edu | n/a
| |
Susan C Vollmer | Lecturer Horn
| 6505751586
| svollmer@ucsc.edu | svollmer2001@yahoo.com | 271
|
Sheila Kay Willey | Lecturer
| 831-334-9700
| swilley@ucsc.edu | Sheilakwilley@gmail.com | |
William K Winant | Lecturer Percussion
| 831-459-2292
| wwinant@ucsc.edu | steakatto@hotmail.com | |
Chia-Lin Yang | Lecturer in Piano
| 415-518-8329
| cyang67@ucsc.edu | ||
Gabriel Wilcox Young | Lecturer in Music – Oboe
| 5413269045
| gyoung5@ucsc.edu | gabey07@gmail.com | 271
|
Music Department Staff
Name | Title | Phone | Campus Email | Office Location | Office Hours |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Weslynn Paige Cedeno | Graduate Programs Coordinator
| (831) 459-3199
| wcedeno@ucsc.edu | 244
| Monday – Friday, approx. 9AM – 5PM (hybrid)
|
William D Coulter | Senior Lecturer in Guitar
| 831-566-2081
| billski@ucsc.edu | ||
Susan A Gautieri | Music Center Facilities Manager
| 831-459-5475
| susang@ucsc.edu | Monday, through Thursday 8:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. (Wednesday remote) – Friday, 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.emails checked outside of these hours
| |
Adriana Gonzalez | Department Assistant
| (831) 459-2292
| agonz419@ucsc.edu | 244#
| |
Cory Michael Graves-Montalbano | Assistant Department Manager & Undergraduate Programs Coordinator
| 831-459-2804
| cgravesm@ucsc.edu | 246
| |
Colin Dahl Hannon | Staff Accompanist
| colinh@ucsc.edu | |||
Ricardo Lomelí Gómez | Department Manager
| (831) 459-2809
| rilomeli@ucsc.edu | 246
| Monday – Friday, approx. 9AM – 5PM (hybrid)
|
David C Morrison | Technical Director
| 831-459-4238
| davemorr@ucsc.edu | 152
| Variable
|
Luke Lawrence Shepherd | Senior Lead Staff Acompanist
| 8016809773
| llshephe@ucsc.edu | Music Center #125
| |
Andrew Zenczak | Electronic Music Studios Technician
| 831-588-7307
| azenczak@ucsc.edu | 188
| Mon – Thu 10AM-3PM
|
Music Department Graduate Students
Name | Title | Campus Email | Website |
---|---|---|---|
Ontario Ontario Alexander | loalexan@ucsc.edu | ||
Monica Francesca Ambalal | Phd candidate
| mambalal@ucsc.edu | https://www.merritt.edu/music/monica-ambalal/ Merritt College Faculty Page
|
Forrest Balman | | wbalman@ucsc.edu | |
Siamak Barghi | PhD Student in Ethnomusicology
| sbarghi@ucsc.edu | |
Lydia Wallace Barrett | lywbarre@ucsc.edu | ||
Nina Barzegar | DMA Candidate in Composition
| nbarzega@ucsc.edu | https://www.youtube.com/@ninabarzegar4169/null youtube channel
|
Keshav Ram Batish | DMA Candidate
| kbatish@ucsc.edu | http://www.keshavbatish.com Website
|
Vannah Bourne | smbourne@ucsc.edu | ||
Drew Michael Daniels-Rosenberg | dmdaniel@ucsc.edu | ||
Benjamin Neil Dorfan | DMA Student
| bdorfan@ucsc.edu | |
Rodrigo Díaz Barriga López | Graduate Student
| rdiazbar@ucsc.edu | https://rodrigobarriga.com/ Main Website
|
Pierre Eghdami | peghdami@ucsc.edu | ||
Christopher Everingham | Graduate Student Faculty
| cpeverin@ucsc.edu | |
Joseph Finkel | Graduate Candidate
| jofinkel@ucsc.edu | https://scalar.usc.edu/works/john-cages-mycology-collection/index “If I had my live to love over again, I would be a Botanist”: John Cage’s Mycology Collection
|
Michael John Fleming | mjflemin@ucsc.edu | ||
Seth Glickman | sglickma@ucsc.edu | ||
Vahid Jahandari | Doctoral Student (DMA)
| vjahanda@ucsc.edu | https://www.youtube.com/@vahidjahandari YouTube Channel
|
Dohyun Jeon | dojeon@ucsc.edu | ||
Sean Albert Keenan | PhD Candidate in Cross-Cultural Musicology
| sakeenan@ucsc.edu | |
Maisha Lani | mlani@ucsc.edu | ||
David Reeves Long | drlong@ucsc.edu | ||
Shireen Nabatian | PhD candidate
| snabatia@ucsc.edu | |
Balakrishnan Raghavan | Mr.
| braghava@ucsc.edu | |
Kolawole James Rasheed | Mr.
| krasheed@ucsc.edu | |
Savanna Lynn Solian | M.A.
| ssolian@ucsc.edu | |
Wesley Edward Somers | wsomers@ucsc.edu | ||
Vidula Sonagra | NA
| vsonagra@ucsc.edu | |
Grijda Spiri | gspiri@ucsc.edu | ||
Ashwin Suseendran | asuseend@ucsc.edu | ||
Arya Tavallaei | Graduate Student
| artavall@ucsc.edu | |
Tyler John Thom | Graduate Student
| tyjthom@ucsc.edu | |
Stephanie Francis Valadez | PhD Student
| sfvalade@ucsc.edu | https://www.xicameri.com Xicameri Productions
|
Alexander Michael Wand | awand@ucsc.edu |
Postdoctoral Scholars
Name | Title | Campus Email | Website |
---|---|---|---|
Jonathan B Myers | Assistant Researcher in Systematic Musicology
| jbmyers@ucsc.edu | https://swara.studio Swara.Studio: Interactive Digital Transcription and Analysis Platform
|
Music Department Emeriti
Name | Title | Department | Campus Email |
---|---|---|---|
David H Cope | Professor
| Music Department
| howell@ucsc.edu |
Walter S Dudley | sdudley@ucsc.edu | ||
David Dean Dunn | dddunn@ucsc.edu | ||
Edward F Houghton | houghtn@ucsc.edu | ||
David Evan Jones | Professor
| Music Department
| dej@ucsc.edu |
Anatole Leikin | Professor
| Music Department
| asl@ucsc.edu |
Leta E Miller | Professor
| Music Department
| leta@ucsc.edu |
Gordon Mumma | gmumma@ucsc.edu | ||
Nicole A Paiement | Professor
| Music Department
| ichi@ucsc.edu |
John M Schechter | jschech@ucsc.edu | ||
Undang Sumarna | Lecturer Gamelan
| Music Department
| kumis@ucsc.edu |
Music Department Alumni
Will McIntyre, B.M., ’07
(B.M., American Studies/Music -Percussion, ’07) is a composer for major network T.V. series, for which he has won two ASCAP awards. He plays with the Nublu Orchestra and The Lucky Cheng Orchestra and is composer for Shore and Tomboy.
~Alumni Will McIntrye’s duo Tomboy has been featured on Buzzfeed’s article “10 Queer Lady Musicians You Seriously Need In Your Life Right Now” Also, check out their Youtube Page!
Kendra Mckinley, ’12
Since graduating from the UCSC music department in 2012, Kendra McKinley has jumped headfirst into a life of songwriting and live performance. Beginning with a job performing on a river boat tour in Portugal, she spent ninety days traveling in eight European countries playing concerts, writing songs, and studying with the local musicians she met along the way.
Now residing in San Francisco’s Mission District, she continues to write and perform original music both as a solo act and with her full electric band, which features her older brother, and fellow UCSC music alum, A.J McKinley. She also works as a music teacher and is a committed member of the San Francisco music industry meet up called Balanced Breakfast: a weekly forum for music professionals of all trades to discuss the state of the music industry, plan events, and provide community for the local scene.
McKinley is currently recording her second album at Tiny Telephone Recording Studios (SF) to be released in 2016.
Highlights:
-Performing at The Fillmore (Jan. 2015) in the first all female line-up in the history of the venue.-SXSW (2015)
-Cover story in Santa Cruz Weekly:http://www.santacruz.com/news/kendra_mckinley_poised_for_big_things.html-Listed one of “Best New Bands”: http://www.bestnewbands.com/featured-artists/passion-psychedelic-pop-kendra-mckinley/
Nilu, B.A. ’11
Nilu has been performing her compositions and arrangements in the LA area. She is recording her first album with her music manager American Idol judge and Grammy winner, Randy Jackson. nilu’s arrangement of “How To Save A Life” by The Fray, was in the episode of the hit show “Grey’s Anatomy”. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwmVmz38ANg She also recently performed at His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s 80th birthday celebration.
Elliot Nguyễn, B.M., ’14
(B.M. Music – Voice ’14) is the Choral Director for St. Mary’s High School. Elliot holds a private teaching studio in Livermore, and made his debut with a few different opera companies in the Bay Area. He is also singing Count Ceprano in Rigoletto with Island City Opera in Jan.
Zachary Peletz, ’06
(Individual Major: Music Performance and Production, ’06). Zach is a lighting and video design programmer specialist. In this capacity he has worked for various productions including: 2008 Beijing Olympics, Red Hot Chili Peppers tour, Jennifer Lopez (J.Lo) tour and Miley Cyrus “Bangerz” tour.
Aura Riddell, ’05
Aura Ruddell graduated in ’05 with highest honors with piano as her primary instrument and was active in the world music ensembles during her time at UCSC. She has since been teaching a full private piano studio, in addition to recording and performing with various bands all over the Seattle area. She has recently released a highly anticipated debut solo album – a blend of folk, pop, and Japanese traditional music. Website: www.auraruddell.com
Website: http://auraruddell.com
Kent Nagano, B.A. ’74
(B.A., sociology/music, ’74) is an internationally renowned conductor, currently serving as music director of the Bavarian State Opera. He has won two recent Grammy Awards for Best Opera Recording and for Best Spoken Word Album for Children.
Dr. Jonathan C Hoefs, D.M.A ’17
Rubina Hovhannisyan, M.A. ’23
MA Student in Performance Practice (Voice)
Ryan Lambe, Ph.D. ’23
Ryan Lambe is a Ph.D. Candidate studying cross-cultural musicology at the University of California, Santa Cruz. His dissertation is an ethnographic study of performance and emotion in US queer open mics examined through queer and critical race lenses. Ryan earned his Bachelor of Music Education at Idaho State University before teaching general and vocal music to underserved populations in New Jersey public schools. His MA in Music from the UC, Santa Cruz examined queer musical hermeneutics in US pop and art musics. In his free time, Ryan enjoys cooperative games, cartoons, and playing early music. He teaches music history, theory, world music, and cultural studies using active and inclusive pedagogies derived from queer open mic practices.
Melodie Michel, Ph.D.
Early Music Performer, I travelled around the world to meet musician from different classical music cultures, creating discussions about common issues. Through my UCSC PhD I wish to create bridges between performance and research, early music and ethnomusicology, and between culturally informed performance practice and personal creativity.
Selected Performances:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQucfZACCCoWjzNomVcZ82g7eXjeyoBeI
Samuel Shalhoub, M.A. Performance Practice Alum ’16
Graduated from the University of California Santa Cruz in June, 2016, with his Master of Art degree in Music. His emphasis was renaissance lute and classical guitar performance practice, yet he cultivated many of his other talents as well, including conducting wind ensemble, composing for various experimental ensembles, and teaching theory and musicianship to undergraduates. Currently, Samuel performs regularly as a soloist, and with his early music ensemble Apostasy. He is active throughout the central coast, from San Luis Obispo to Santa Cruz, and is currently running for a Board of Trustees seat on the Coast Unified School District School Board. In the future, Samuel hopes to produce his opera, “Music, the Tormentor” which features a guitar orchestra, and open the Cambria Academy of Music in an effort to preserve and cultivate musical arts in his community. At present, Samuel is working as a Music Lecturer for Summer Session’s MUSC 6 Classical Guitar Ensemble.
Sudhu Tewari, Ph.D.
Research Interests:
Sound Art, experimental musical instruments, improvisation, recording technology and electronic music.
Website:
Are you a former Music Department student that would like to be featured in our alumni section? Let us know!
The Alumni page is created manually by department staff, and is an ongoing work in progress. If you don’t see your name listed above and would like to be listed, please provide the following:
- First/Last Name
- Year of Graduation
- Degree
- Brief one-paragraph bio
- Link to website/performance/etc (optional, limit 1 per alumni)