Faculty and Staff

The School of Music at Cleveland State is proud of its reputation for personal, individualized attention to the academic and musical needs of its students. Many of the more than fifty faculty members either perform or conduct with the region's most notable professional ensembles, including the Cleveland Orchestra, while the award-winning composition faculty guides one of the most complete programs of contemporary music study in the nation. The School of Music is also proud of its professional support staff of specialists, guiding and assisting students and faculty throughout the academic year. Along with musical opportunities that can only be found in a great artistic city, outstanding instruction and support by an engaged faculty and staff has provided Cleveland State students with the educational foundation needed to distinguish themselves as performers, composers, teachers and scholars throughout the world.

Administrative Brass Composition & Theory Jazz Studies Music Education Music History

Percussion Piano / Organ / Harpsichord Pop & Rock Strings & Guitar Voice / Choral / Opera Woodwind Emeritus & Emerita

Administrative Staff

• Kate Bill, Student Recruiter/Enrollment Administrator
• Valerie Mathis, Administrative Assistant
• John Powell, Audio Engineer, Coordinator of Audio Services
• Heather A. Russell, Director, School of Music, Associate Professor, Coordinator of Music Education

Brass

• Amanda Bekeny, Trumpet  
• David Brockett, French Horn
• Shachar Israel, Applied Faculty, Trombone
• Joe Miller, Applied Faculty, Jazz Trumpet
• J.C. Sherman, Applied Faculty, Trombone, Tuba and Euphonium

Composition & Theory

• Gregory D'Alessio, Professor, Composition
• Andrew Rindfleisch, Professor, Composition; Coordinator of Composition; Director, Cleveland Contemporary Players
• Corey K. Rubin, Lecturer, Composition & Music Theory
• Stephen Stanziano, Lecturer, Harmony

Click here to view the Music Composition webpage.

Jazz Studies

• Dan Bruce, Applied Faculty, Electric Guitar, Jazz
• Joe Miller, Applied Faculty, Jazz Trumpet
• Bill Ransom, Applied Faculty, Drum Set
• Dave Sterner, Applied Faculty, Saxophone
• Chris Vance, Applied Faculty – Jazz Bass, Bass Guitar, Electric Guitar - Pop & Rock, Pop & Rock Ensemble Director
• Jackie Warren, Applied Faculty, Jazz and Piano

Music Education

• LeslieAnne Bird, Part-time Instructor, Music Education
• Birch Browning, Professor, Music Education; Conductor of Cleveland Winds
• Heather A. Russell, Director, School of Music, Associate Professor, Coordinator of Music Education
• William G. Zurkey, Instructor, Music Education/Choral Methods

Music History / Ethnomusicology / Jazz History / Roots of Rock & Soul

• Michael Baumgartner, Professor of Musicology
• Leo Coach, Lecturer, Ethnomusicology
• Frank Vazzano, Lecturer, Roots of Rock & Soul

Percussion

• Katalin La Favre, Applied Faculty, Percussion
• Bill Ransom, Applied Faculty, Percussion
• Feza Zweifel, Applied Faculty, Percussion

Click here to enter the Percussion Department's website.

Piano/Organ/Jazz Piano

• Daniel Barber, Applied Faculty, Piano
• Angelin Chang, Professor, Piano; Coordinator of Keyboard Studies; Coordinator of Chamber Music
• Javier Gonzalez, Applied Faculty Piano, Collaborative Piano
• Christine Hill, Applied Faculty, Piano
• Jackie Warren, Applied Faculty, Jazz and Piano
• Todd Wilson, Applied Faculty, Organ

Pop and Rock

• Bill Ransom, Applied Faculty, Percussion
• Chris Vance, Applied Faculty – Jazz Bass, Bass Guitar, Electric Guitar - Pop & Rock, Pop & Rock Ensemble Director

Strings & Guitar

String

• William Bender, Applied Faculty, Viola
• Charles Bernard, Applied Faculty, Cello 
• Amos Fayette, Applied Faculty, Violin
• Victor Liva, Coordinator of String Studies, Conductor of Orchestras, Director of Graduate String Quartet, Professor, Violin
• Laura Shuster, Applied Faculty, Violin and Viola
• Amanda Tavani, Applied Faculty, String Bass 
• Stephen Tavani, Applied Faculty, Violin
• Elizabeth H. Zadinsky, Applied Faculty, Cello

Guitar

• Dan Bruce, Applied Faculty, Electric Guitar, Jazz
• John Karkosiak, Applied Faculty, Electric Guitar
• Brian Kozak, Applied Faculty, Guitar
• Chris Vance, Applied Faculty – Jazz Bass, Bass Guitar, Electric Guitar - Pop & Rock, Pop & Rock Ensemble Director

Voice / Choral / Opera

• Erin Alcorn, Applied Faculty, Voice
• Dominic Aragon, Applied Faculty, Voice
• Brian Bailey, Director of Choirs
• Nicholas Klein, Voice Area Coordinator, Assistant Professor of Music
• Stephanie Luzar, Applied Faculty, Voice
• Eileen Marie Moore, Applied Faculty, Voice
• Gabriela Martinez, Applied Faculty, Voice
• Elena Mullins, Applied Faculty, Voice

Woodwinds

• Stefanie Minter, Applied Faculty, Oboe
• Robert Davis, Applied Faculty, Clarinet
• Sean Gabriel, Applied Faculty, Flute
• Arleigh Savage, Applied Faculty, Bassoon
• Dave Sterner, Applied Faculty, Saxophone

Emeritus & Emerita

• J. Heywood Alexander, Professor Emeritus, Music History
• Albert Blaser, Professor Emeritus, Music Education
• Elizabeth Unis Chesko, Associate Professor Emerita, Voice
• Judith Eckelmeyer, Professor Emerita, Music History
• Ernest Hisey, Associate Professor Emeritus, Voice
• Edwin London, Professor Emeritus, Composition
• Howard Meeker, Professor Emeritus,  Director of Instrumental Music
• Howie Smith, Professor Emeritus, Jazz Studies, Composition, Woodwind Faculty
• Eric Ziolek, Professor Emeritus, Composition, Former Chair, Department of Music, Associate Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences