School of Music

School of Music Faculty

Administration | Staff | Faculty Emeriti

School of Music faculty exemplify superior teaching in classrooms, rehearsals halls, studios and performance venues. Faculty employ traditional practices, contemporary theories and emerging technologies to provide instruction to varied constituencies. Developing instructional competencies and a desire for further learning is an especially important component of our mission.

Band

Paul Popiel
Director, Bands
785-864-3367
124 B Murphy Hall
Matthew Smith
Associate Director, Bands, Director, Marching Jayhawks
785-864-3367
124 D Murphy Hall
Sharon Toulouse
Sharon Toulouse
Assistant Director, Bands
785-864-4460
124 C Murphy Hall

Applied Wind and Percussion Faculty

Margret Marco, oboe
Eric Stomberg, bassoon
Stephanie Zelnick, clarinet
Vince Gnojek, saxophone
Steve Leisring, trumpet
Paul Stevens, horn
Michael Davidson, trombone
Scott Watson, tuba and euphonium
Michael Compitello, percussion
Daniel Velasco, flute

Administrative Assistant
Leslie O'Neil, Administrative Associate Sr.

Brass & Percussion

Dylan Bassett
Lecturer, West African Drumming
785-864-3436
Michael Compitello
Assistant Professor, Percussion
785-864-4558
110 Murphy Hall
Michael Davidson
Associate Professor, Trombone
785-864-9699
320 Murphy Hall
Photo of Brandon Draper
Brandon Draper
Lecturer, jazz drums, world percussion, steel band and music enterprise
115 Murphy Hall
Steve Leisring
Steve Leisring
Professor, Trumpet
785-864-4457
128 Murphy Hall
Photo of Paul Stevens
Paul Stevens
Professor, Horn
785-864-4525
314 Murphy Hall
Photo of Scott Watson
Scott Watson
Professor, Tuba/Euphonium, Director, Division of Brass & Percussion
785-864-9738
120 Murphy Hall

Choral

Mariana Farah
Interim Director of Choral Activities (Academic Year: 2020-2021)
785-864-9723
326 Murphy Hall
Melissa Grady
Assistant Professor, Music Education and Music Therapy, Emphasis: Choral/Vocal Pedagogy Music Education , Director, University Singers
785-864-9637
Murphy Hall, Room 448 J
Photo of Paul Tucker
Paul Tucker
Director, Choral Activities
785-864-9739
336 Murphy Hall

Jazz

Photo of Dan Gailey
Dan Gailey
Professor, Director, Division of Jazz Studies
785-864-4389
122 Murphy Hall
Photo of Brandon Draper
Brandon Draper
Lecturer, jazz drums, world percussion, steel band and music enterprise
115 Murphy Hall
Photo of Jeff Harshbarger
Jeff Harshbarger
Lecturer, Jazz Studies
785-864-3436
115 Murphy Hall
mattotto.org
Matt Otto
Assistant Director, Jazz Studies
785-864-3436
115 Murphy Hall

Music Education & Music Therapy

Photo of Martin Bergee
Martin Bergee
Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Professor, Music Education and Music Therapy, Emphasis: Instrumental Music Education
785-864-9746
400 Murphy Hall
Photo of Cynthia Colwell
Cynthia Colwell
Professor, Music Education & Music Therapy, Director, Music Therapy
785-864-9635
432 Murphy Hall
Photo of Jacob Dakon
Jacob M. Dakon
Associate Professor, Emphasis: String Music Education
785-864-4518
408 Murphy Hall
Photo of Abbey Dvorak
Abbey Dvorak
Associate Professor
785.864.9636
Murphy Hall, 448C
Melissa Grady
Assistant Professor, Music Education and Music Therapy, Emphasis: Choral/Vocal Pedagogy Music Education , Director, University Singers
785-864-9637
Murphy Hall, Room 448 J
Photo of Deanna Hanson-Abromeit
Deanna Hanson-Abromeit
Associate Professor, Music Education & Music Therapy, Emphasis: Music Therapy
785-864-9632
448 A Murphy Hall
Christopher Johnson
Professor, Music Education & Music Therapy, Director, Division of Music Education & Music Therapy, Emphasis: Instrumental Music Education
785-864-9633
410 Murphy Hall
portrait of Julius Kyakuwa
Julius Kyakuwa
Assistant Professor, Music Education
Bill Matney
Assistant Professor: Division of Music Education and Music Therapy
(785)-864-9634
Murphy Hall, Room 448B

Music Theory & Music Composition

Photo of Bryan Haaheim
Bryan Haaheim
Professor, Music Composition, Director, Division of Music Theory & Music Composition
785-864-9743
424 Murphy Hall
Photo of Scott Murphy
Scott Murphy
Professor
785.864.2229
Murphy Hall, 220
Brad Osborn
Associate Professor
Murphy Hall, 332
Photo of Forrest Pierce
Forrest Pierce
Professor, Music Composition
785-864-9688
436 Murphy Hall
Ingrid Stölzel, photo credit: Cristian Fatu
Ingrid Stölzel
Assistant Professor, Music Composition
785-864-2819
226 Murphy Hall
Photo of David Alan Street
David Alan Street
Associate Professor, Music Theory
785-864-9748
222 Murphy Hall

Musicology

Photo of Roberta Freund Schwartz
Roberta Freund Schwartz
Associate Professor, Musicology
785-864-9737
434 Murphy Hall
Photo of Paul Laird
Paul Laird
Director, Division of Musicology, Professor, Musicology
785-864-9716
334 Murphy Hall
Martin Nedbal
Associate Professor
785.864.9578
Murphy Hall, 338
Colin Roust
Colin Roust
Associate Professor of Musicology,, Director of Graduate Studies in Music
785-864-3436
342 Murphy Hall
Photo of Ketty Wong-Cruz
Ketty Wong
Associate Professor, Ethnomusicology
785-864-9747
438 Murphy Hall

Orchestra

Carolyn Watson
Director of Orchestral Activities
785-864-6628
Murphy Hall, Room 126

Organ & Church Music

Photo of Michael Bauer
Michael Bauer
Professor, Organ & Church Music
785-864-9744
346 Murphy Hall
Photo of Elizabeth Egbert Berghout
Elizabeth Egbert Berghout
Associate Professor, Carillon and Organ, University Carillonneur
785-864-4464
344 Murphy Hall
Photo of James Higdon
James Higdon
Dane and Polly Bales Professor of Organ, Director, Division of Organ and Church Music
785-864-2797
Bales Recital Hall
Olivier Latry
Olivier Latry
William T. Kemper Artist-in-Residence

 

Photo of Kevin Vogt
Kevin Vogt
Lecturer, Organ & Church Music
785-864-3436

 

 

 

Piano

Michael Kirkendoll
Michael Kirkendoll
Associate Professor, Piano
785-864-9643
310 Murphy Hall
Photo of Scott McBride Smith
Scott McBride Smith
Cordelia Brown Murphy Professor of Piano Pedagogy
785-864-1470
304 Murphy Hall
Photo of Ellen Bottorff
Ellen Sommer
Lecturer, Collaborative Piano
785-864-9088
318 Murphy Hall
Steven Spooner
Steven Spooner
Professor, Piano
785-864-9707
312 Murphy Hall
Photo of Jack Winerock
Jack Winerock
Professor, Piano, Director, Division of Piano
785-864-9644
308 Murphy Hall

Strings

Purnaprajna Bangere
Courtesy Professor of Music, Indian Classical Music , New World Music, Art of Improvisation
Hannah Collins
Assistant Professor of Cello, Division Director
785-864-9659
Murphy Hall, Room 316
photo
David Colwell
Assistant Professor of Violin
785-864-6627
Murphy Hall, Room 422
Photo of Jacob Dakon
Jacob M. Dakon
Associate Professor, Emphasis: String Music Education
785-864-4518
408 Murphy Hall
Richard Ryan
Richard Ryan
Lecturer, Double Bass
Boris Vayner
Assistant Professor of Viola
785-864-6630
Murphy Hall, room 204
Carolyn Watson
Director of Orchestral Activities
785-864-6628
Murphy Hall, Room 126
Photo of Erin Wood
Erin Wood
Lecturer, Harp
785-760-2973
119 Murphy Hall

Voice & Opera

Julia Broxholm photo
Julia Broxholm
Professor, Voice, Director, Division of Voice
785-864-9447
414 Murphy Hall
Photo of Joyce Castle
Joyce Castle
University Distinguished Professor, Professor, Voice
785-864-9741
420 Murphy Hall
KU Placeholder card
Mark Ferrell
Associate Professor, Musical Director, KU Opera
785-864-9745
214 A Murphy Hall
Roberta Gumbel
Lecturer, voice and opera
Murphay Hall, Room 222
Photo of Genaro Mendez
Genaro Mendez
Associate Professor, Voice
785-864-9730
416 Murphy Hall
Photo of John Stephens
John Stephens
Professor, Voice
785-864-9617
306 Murphy Hall

Woodwinds

Vince Gnojek, saxophone
Vince Gnojek
Professor, Saxophone
785-864-4476
202 Murphy Hall
Margaret Marco
Margaret Marco
Professor, Oboe, Director, Division of Woodwinds
785-864-9719
340 Murphy Hall
Photo of Eric Stomberg
Eric Stomberg
Professor, Bassoon
785-864-9717
224 Murphy Hall
Daniel Velasco
Assistant Professor of Flute
785-864-6629
Murphy Hall, Room 218
Photo of Stephanie Zelnick
Stephanie Zelnick
Professor, Clarinet
785-864-9740
Murphy Hall, Room 418

Far Above

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Music students present hundreds of public concerts every year
Students perform in KU choirs, concert bands, pep bands, ensembles, symphony orchestra, and jazz combos
The school owns one of the greatest jazz record collections in the world
KU Wind Ensemble performed the world premiere of the symphony "In the Shadow of No Towers" at Carnegie Hall
One of 34 U.S. public institutions in the prestigious Association of American Universities
44 nationally ranked graduate programs.
—U.S. News & World Report
Top 50 nationwide for size of library collection.
—ALA