History of Western Ideas Certificate

<b>Ami Bouterse, SLP-CF</b> has been an Associate Professor of Music at the University of Wisconsin - Parkside for two decades. She serves as the Voice Area Coordinator and Contemporary Commercial Music - Voice Program Coordinator. Her main teaching responsibilities include applied voice and directing the contemporary a cappella group, Parkside Range along with other courses in the CCM and voice areas.

Ami has performed soprano favorites and premieres in opera and musical theater with such venues as Skylight Opera Theatre, Ash Lawn Opera Festival, Opera Theater of Pittsburgh, New York Japan Society, Operafestival di Roma, Dorian Opera Theater, Milwaukee Opera Theater, Theatre X, and locally with Music and More Concert Series, Belle Ensemble, Racine Symphony, Racine Theatre Guild, and Kenosha Symphony. Premieres have included works by composers Dr. Jorge Muniz, Ayesu Lartey, and Ruben Prieto. Former awards include those from Gerda Lissner International Vocal Competition, Metropolitan Opera District Auditions, National Association of Teachers of Singing, Kenosha Symphony, and Milwaukee Civic Music Foundation. Ms. Bouterse's solo performances have been praised as producing "sweetness and gentility," "fully-realized character," "exquisite mastery of pitch and nuance," and "the clarity of Purcell’s melodies."

Under the direction of Prof. Bouterse since 2016, Parkside Range has been the flagship ensemble of the Contemporary Commercial Music - Voice program. The group has appeared at SoJam’s A Cappella Festival, the National A Cappella Convention, Tall Tales Music Festival, A Cappella University, and on Acaville Radio. The group has worked with professional clinicians and vocal bands such as Tony Huerta, Edge Effect, Six Appeal, Freedom’s Boombox, and Christopher Diaz.

Prof. Bouterse received voice and opera theater performance degrees from the University of Wisconsin – Madison and Carnegie Mellon University respectively. In addition, Ami earned Level III Certification in Jeanne LoVetri’s <i>Somatic Voicework™</i>, which featured contemporary commercial music vocal pedagogical technique at Shenandoah University. On a recent sabbatical, Prof. Bouterse completed a Master of Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Emerson College for licensure as a speech language pathologist, which allowed her to specialize in habilitation and rehabilitation of vocal function, and learn effective teaching and learning strategies for motor planning, linguistic and cognitive skills required for singing.

Jamey Buencamino's extensive musical background includes studies at the Berklee College of Music, BA in Music from UW Parkside, and his Master of Music degree from Northwestern University. He has been teaching for over 20 years and has been performing in many regional area music projects. He teaches both at the collegiate level and within the K-12 community to help his students master and prepare for Classical Guitar, Jazz Ensemble, Solo & Ensemble Festivals and Jazz Band. He is also a staff member of The Kenosha Conservatory.

Education: University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee, Master of Music – Cello Performance; University of Cincinnati Bachelor of Music – Music Education/Cello Performance

Alvaro Garcia, native of Spain, studied conducting with Delta David Gier and Professors Lawrence Leighton Smith and Gustav Meier. He earned two Master of Music degrees from Yale University in viola and orchestral conducting in 1999 and 2001. Mr. Garcia has held positions as Assistant Conductor for the Yale Symphony Orchestra, the Norwalk Symphony Orchestra in Connecticut, and the Greater Bridgeport Symphony Orchestra. In addition, he has also collaborated with conductors Ransom Wilson, Jesse Levine, Dante Anzolini, Lawrence Leighton Smith, Gustav Meier and Shinik Hahm.<br>Mr. Garcia has conducted the Yale Philharmonia, Solisti New York orchestra, Norwalk Symphony, Racine Symphony, Kenosha Symphony (Feb 2012), Daejeon Philharmonic – South Korea, and Festival des Artes Orchestra – Brazil. In addition to his conducting, he also performs viola in solo recitals and in chamber groups. As an international musician, Mr. Garcia has performed in Spain, Italy, England, Portugal, South Korea, Brazil, and throughout the United States of America. <br>Mr. Garcia has been actively involved as a music educator in the Kenosha and Racine communities in Wisconsin. He works as a clinician and educator at the middle, high and college level and he has conducted in several occasions the Kenosha Unified Orchestra Festival and the Racine Unified Orchestra Festival.<br>At the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, he conducted many opera and musical productions. <br>Alvaro Garcia is a Professor of Music and Associate Dean of the College of Arts and Humanities at UW-Parkside. He is the music Director of the UW-Parkside Symphony and the UW-Parkside Community Orchestra, and teaches viola and chamber music.

Donna Hewitt serves as Chair of the Music Department and Coordinator of Music Education at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside. She has thirteen years of public-school teaching experience and currently teaches preservice educators through courses such as Music Teaching and Learning, General Music Methods, and Interdisciplinary Teaching and Learning. Her research interests center on popular music education and has publications in Music Educators Journal, Visions of Research in Music Education, and the Journal of Popular Music Education. She has also presented at conferences on the topics of social justice and activism in music.

Trombonist Mark Hoelscher is a member of the Chicago-based Millar Brass Ensemble and is an Edwards artist/clinician. He freelances with groups in the Chicago, Milwaukee, and Madison areas and is an active teacher and coach. Mark holds a Master's Degree in trombone performance from Kent State University and an undergraduate degree in trombone from Wichita State University. As a fellowship recipient at the Aspen Music Festival, he performed with the Festival Jazz Ensemble, Chamber Symphony and Festival Orchestra and studied chamber music with American Brass Quintet. He is an active studio musician and has toured nationally and internationally with classical and pops orchestras, as well as big bands and touring shows. Hoelscher has performed with the Hamilton Philharmonic and Symphony Hamilton (Hamilton Ontario, Canada), the Canton Symphony, and was a member of the Wichita Symphony. Since moving to Milwaukee in 1993, he has performed with such groups as the Chicago Sinfonietta, Milwaukee Symphony, Elgin Symphony, Chicago Civic Orchestra, Milwaukee Ballet Orchestra, Present Music, Madison Symphony Orchestra, and the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra.

Mezzo-soprano Allison Hull is presently a frequent and accomplished performer in opera, concert, and recital, known for her versatility as singer, actor, and teacher alike. Ms. Hull’s notable stage work includes; the title role in Ravel’s L’enfant at Milwaukee Opera Theater; Cherubino and Hilde Brun with Fresco Opera, Lady Angela in the Skylight Opera Theater’s production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s Patience, Papagena and Third Sprit in The Magic Flute with the Milwaukee Symphony, Dorabella in Cosi fan tutte with Intimate Opera of Chicago, Mad Margaret and Peep Bo with the Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Company of Chicago, Mercedes in Carmen with St. Petersburg Opera, Massenet’s Cendrillon and Hansel of Hansel and Gretel with Milwaukee Opera Theater, and the Alto soloist in the world premier of Kyong Mee Choi’s multimedia opera, The Eternal Tao, available on Ravello Records. In the concert repertoire Ms. Hull has performed solos from Schubert’s Mass in G, Vivaldi’s Gloria, John Rutter’s Requiem, Bach’s Magnificat, Mozart’s Requiem and Mass in C, Handel’s Messiah, Haydn’s Pauken Messe, and Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. She sang the first full US performance of Carl Jenkin’s Mass for the Armed Man at St. John’s Cathedral in Milwaukee and joined originator, baritone Kurt Ollman and tenor Bill Lavonis in selections from the AIDS Quilt Songbook last fall at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside. Ms. Hull is a graduate of Lawrence University in vocal performance. She then continued with graduate studies at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee while enjoying an apprenticeship with the Skylight Opera Theater. Ms. Hull has also served as a young artist for Glimmerglass Opera and Seattle Opera, where she received acclaim for her portrayal of Cherubino in Le Nozze di Figaro. Ms. Hull has won competitive awards from the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions including District Winner and Third Place at the Regional Level. She was a Junior Winner in the Palm Beach Opera Competition and was chosen to participate in the Thomas Hampson Masterclass Series for PBS.

Tim Ipsen is a Kenosha native, and began playing bass in 6th grade. After graduating from Tremper High School, he studied music at Columbia College of Chicago and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Music Performance - Jazz Studies. He has performed extensively throughout Chicago, Milwaukee, and the Midwest. Music has taken him all over the country, Europe and China. Performance opportunities have included great jazz artists such as Jon Faddis, Cedar Walton, Curtis Fuller, Von Freeman and Marquis Hill among others.

Trumpeter Russ Johnson is a recent Midwest transplant after spending 23 years as an important member of New York City’s jazz community. He has 7 recordings as a leader or co-leader and performed on more than 75 recordings as a sideman. Russ has worked alongside many of the legendary figures in jazz including Lee Konitz, Steve Swallow, Bill Frisell, and Joe Lovano. In addition, he has recorded and/or performed with a long list of the most prominent musicians currently on the international jazz scene, including Myra Melford, Ken Vandermark, and Tony Malaby. Russ has performed in more than 40 countries across the globe. His groups have recently performed at the Chicago, Winter Jazz Fest (NYC) Hyde Park, (Chicago) and Bergamo, (Italy) jazz festivals.

His most recent recordings, Meeting Point (Relay Recordings) and Still Out To Lunch! (Enja Records) received 4 1/2 & 4 stars respectively from Down Beat Magazine and appeared on many “Best Recordings of 2014/5” lists including Down Beat, the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Reader, NYC Jazz Record and Magnet magazine. Russ will be releasing a new recording by his “Headlands” Quartet in 2017.



Russ is also active as an educator/clinician, having taught at colleges and universities across the U.S. and Europe. He currently serves as Director of Jazz Studies at the University of Wisconsin Parkside where he won the university wide “Stella Gray” Teaching Excellence award in 2016 as well as the 2020 Research and Creative Activity Award.

“He’s the best!” "Dr. Kinchen is enthusiastic. His passion rubs off on you.” “The professor really makes you want to do your best.” “Knows his stuff!” “Encyclopedic knowledge!” “Knows his stuff!”<br>These are among the comments used to describe the man affectionately known to many students and former students as "Doctor K." He is Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities since 1989 and is driven by his passion for music and for people, and for bringing people together to experience excellence in the choral art. He has conducted on the stages of Carnegie Hall and Avery Fisher Hall in New York’s Lincoln Center. His choral travels have taken him to Germany, Italy, Poland, Sweden, the Czech Republic, Austria, Cuba, India, and China. He has served as President of Wisconsin Choral Directors Association and the North Central Division of American Choral Directors Association and is in frequently demand as a clinician, guest conductor, and adjudicator. He is a frequent presenter at choral and music conferences and conventions, presenting on interpretation of the “spiritual” and other topics of interest to choral teachers and artists. He is also a member of Chorus America, the International Federation for Choral Music, the National Association for Music Education, Center for Black Music Research, and National Collegiate Choral Organization. He is on the Executive Board of Wisconsin Music Educators Association. He has won teaching excellence, faculty service, and diversity awards. He is most recently recipient of the Morris D. Hayes Award, given to an outstanding Wisconsin choral director by Wisconsin Choral Directors Association. He directs the three university choirs: University Chorale, Voices of Parkside, and Master Singers. He also teaches courses in conducting, choral conducting, choral teaching materials and methods, music appreciation, and African American music. He is pretty active on campus, too, joining various search committees and elected faculty committees, including the University Committee and Faculty Senate, which he presently serves. James Benjamin Kinchen, Jr., is a Jacksonville native who has studied at Jacksonville University, Southern Illinois University, and the University of North Carolina Greensboro. Before coming to UW-Parkside, he has taught and conducted music in Florida, Illinois, Virginia, and North Carolina.

One of the foremost violinists and conductors of Brazil, Dr. Alexander Mandl maintains an active and diverse career as soloist, conductor, educator, chamber and orchestra musician. A versatile artist, Mandl appeared internationally at renowned halls, including Alice Tully, Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall, Carnegie Music Hall, Sprague Hall, the Mellon Institute, the Memorial of Latin America and Auditorio Manuel de Falla in Granada, Spain. Currently, Mandl holds conducting posts as Music Director/Conductor of the Lakeshore Youth Philharmonic, Conductor of the Chamber Ensemble at Wisconsin Lutheran College, Conductor of the Elm City ChamberFest Chamber Orchestra, guest conductor with the Paraiba Symphony Orchestra, Brazil. Recent engagements include the Kenosha Symphony, Lake Geneva Symphony, Timothy Dwight Chamber Orchestra, UFPB Chamber Orchestra and the Eleazar de Carvalho Festival Faculty Orchestra, among others. In 2004, Mandl conducted the South American premiere of Ezra Laderman's Nonete. Prior conducting posts include the Cardinal Stritch University Chamber Orchestra (2003-2005), and the Hopkins Chamber Ensemble (1997-2003). As a soloist and orchestra musician, he has collaborated with notable conductors, such as Eleazar de Carvalho, Gunther Herbig, Claudio Santoro, Lawrence Leighton Smith, Robert Shaw, Juan Pablo Izquierdo, Sidney Harth, and Krzysztof Penderecki, among others. Most recently, Mandl has appeared as soloist with the Kenosha Symphony Orchestra, Beloit-Janesville Symphony, University of Wisconsin-Madison Symphony, and Paraiba Symphony Orchestra. He is the Concertmaster of the Kenosha Symphony Orchestra, Concertmaster of the Racine Symphony Orchestra, Assistant Concertmaster of the Milwaukee Chamber Orchestra, and artist at the Sunflower Music Festival. A dedicated and passionate chamber musician, Mandl has collaborated with eminent artists, such as Yo-Yo Ma, Jian Wang, Humberto Lucarelli, Erick Friedman, Sidney Harth, Nai-Yuan Hu, Aldo Parisot, Frank Morelli, João Carlos Martins, Amit Peled and Todd Levy. He is a founding member of the Philomusica Quartet, Yale Piano Trio, and Quintessence Piano Quintet, which performs in the Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert Series, with live broadcast on WFMT, Chicago. Mandl has partaken in myriad projects throughout his career. Along with famed cellist Jian Wang, he participated in the famous Duke Ellington Concert Series performing throughout Northeastern United States along with the Mitchell-Ruff Duo. In 2002, he recorded for CD Baby's Heavenly Lullabies dedicated to the orphans of 9/11, produced in New York City. That same year, he recorded J.S. Bach's E major concerto with the UFPB Chamber Orchestra (Brazil) under the direction of maestro Sidney Harth. Mandl also appeared frequently as a featured guest at the Ted Sawyer program of WQED, Pittsburgh. A graduate of Carnegie Mellon University (B.F.A.), Yale University (M.M. and A.D.), and the University of Wisconsin (D.M.A.), Dr. Mandl has won several significant competitions as well as numerous honors and prizes, including the Andrew Carnegie Tradition Award, the Yale Alumni Award, the Milles Prize and the prestigious Ivan Galamian Award. Dr. Mandl serves on the violin faculties of the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, Wisconsin Lutheran College and the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music where the Philomusica String Quartet is resident. Mandl frequently serves as adjudicator at competitions, faculty at festivals, and clinician at workshops. His primary violin teachers were Sidney Harth, Erick Friedman, Vartan Manoogian, Robert McDuffie, and Erich Lehninger. He received conducting instruction from maestros Eleazar de Carvalho, David Stern, David Becker and James Smith.Major chamber music influences have been the Tokyo Quartet, Aldo Parisot, Peter Frankl and Felix Galamir. He performs on a Guarnerius violin from 1705 and has recently edited Leopoldo Miguez's Violin Sonata Op. 14.

Anne Morse-Hambrock has been active as a performer of both classical and jazz repertoire throughout the Midwest. She was featured as a soloist in a performance of Alberto Ginastera’s Concerto for Harp and Orchestra on PBS, with MSO concertmaster Frank Almond on the Bruch Scottish Fantasy for Violin, Harp and Orchestra, performing Maurice Ravel’s Introduction and Allegro and Handel’s Concerto in B flat with the Kenosha Symphony, Claude Debussy’s Danses Sacre et Profane for Harp and Strings with the Northbrook Sinfonietta, and alongside Garrison Keillor performing his Young Lutheran’s Guide to the Orchestra. Ms. Morse-Hambrock received her early training in Fort Wayne, Ind., as a student of her mother, reputed harpist Nancy Morse. She was a soloist with the Fort Wayne Youth Orchestra at 13, and at 16 was a finalist in the Fort Wayne Philharmonic Concerto Competition. At 17, while studying at the Interlochen National Music Camp, she won a full-tuition scholarship to the Peabody Conservatory of Music in Baltimore, Md., but elected instead to study with Marcel Grandjany protege Ruth Inglefield at Bowling Green State University in Ohio. She graduated from Bowling Green cum laude with a bachelor of music in harp performance. She also studied in Gargilesse, France, with world-renowned harpist Pierre Jamet of the Paris Conservatory, and is the only harpist ever accepted as an artist-in-residence by the Wisconsin Arts Board. Ms Morse-Hambrock’s playing style is a reflection of the input of several acclaimed harpists including Lilian Phillips and Arlene Wangler of the United States, Catherine Michel of France, Madame Aldrovandi of Italy, Marissa Robles of the United Kingdom, and Vera Dulova and Natalia Shameyeva of the former Soviet Union. She specializes in new and avante garde music with several world premiers to her credit and has given a demonstration of extended harp techniques and improvisation to youth at the World Harp Congress. Ms. Morse-Hambrock’s improvisational skills are evident on the recordings of several area artists including WAMI recipient guitarist Jack Grassel, and her debut recording of original jazz and world music has been heard on WLIP and WGTD Kenosha and WNIB Chicago. A collection of her Celtic-inspired original music is currently in production. In addition to her busy performing and recording schedule, Ms. Morse-Hambrock maintains a thriving private studio in Kenosha.

Fumi Nishikiori-Nakayama earned her Bachelor of Music in Piano and Harpsichord degree from the Chicago Musical College of Roosevelt University and Master of Music in Piano and Early Music/Harpsichord from Indiana University, where she was the recipient of numerous awards including the prestigious Rudolph Ganz Memorial Award, and Willi Apel Scholarship. She has studied piano with Ludmila Lazar, Shigeo Neriki, harpsichord with David Schrader, Elisabeth Wright, fortepiano with Elizabeth Wright and Kenneth Drake, chamber music with Rostislav Dubinsky, early chamber music with Stanley Ritchie, and conducting with Thomas Baldner and Imre Pallo. As a conductor, she has conducted Indiana University Symphony Orchestra, IU Ad-hoc Orchestra, IU Opera Workshops. Her love for vocal music and theater lead her to remain as one of the opera coaches for Indiana University Opera Theater for 6 years. Currently Ms. Nishikiori is an adjunct faculty member of the Carthage Music Department. She is a Juilliard School Dalcroze Institute certified instructor of Dalcroze Eurhythmics and often gives demonstrations and lectures to music teachers and students in the Midwest. She frequently performs as a member of Cecilia Trio, and also collaborates with greater Milwaukee and Chicago area artists.

Laura Rexroth joined the music faculty at the University of Wisconsin Parkside in 2014. In addition to her duties as conductor of the UW-Parkside Wind Ensemble and UW-Parkside Community Band, she teaches courses in world music, music education, music history, and conducting. Prior to her appointment at Parkside, Rexroth held conducting posts at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, Central College in Iowa, and The College of William and Mary in Virginia.

Her university bands have been selected to perform at several College Band Directors National Association and National Association for Music Education conferences. She has also led high school band programs in Massachusetts, Illinois, and Minnesota. Rexroth has guest conducted district, regional, and all-state bands in several states, as well as the Valley Festival Brass, the U.S. Army Field Band, the United States Military Academy Band, the Colorado Intercollegiate Band, the U.S. Army Band, the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command Band, the Tactical Air Command Band, the Wheaton College Conservatory of Music Symphonic Band, the National Band Association-Wisconsin Chapter Intercollegiate Honor Band, the Virginia Symphony, and the St. Olaf Band. She has also been on the conducting faculty of the Hooked On Bands/New Horizons Band Camp in Door County, WI.

Rexroth did her studies in music education and conducting at St. Olaf College, Northwestern University, Indiana University, the Aspen Music School in Colorado, and the International Conductors Workshop in Zlin, Czech Republic. Her conducting teachers include Miles Johnson, Steven Amundson, John Paynter, Ray Cramer, David Effron, and Paul Vermel.

An advocate for new music, Rexroth has commissioned and conducted works from numerous composers, most recently Jodie Blackshaw, Tim Mahr, Ryan George, James Crowley, Daron Hagen and Anthony O’Toole. She has taught conducting workshops in Missouri, New Hampshire, Virginia, Wisconsin, and Massachusetts.

Rexroth enjoys collaborating with colleagues and guest artists, including Gaudette Brass, Ed Shaughnessy, JoAnn Falletta, Paul Vermel, Steven Bryant, David Bayles, Russ Johnson, Ami Bouterse, and Jana Batty. In addition to regular concerts, Rexroth’s bands have performed for numerous special occasions and guests, including Jane Goodall, Warren Burger, Lady Margaret Thatcher, and HRH Prince Charles.

Pianist James Sodke earned the BFA in Music Education from UW-Milwaukee, and is Associate Lecturer at UW-Parkside. He is the co-director of Lakeshore Conservatory of Music, the Director of Music at St Michael’s Church in Racine Wisconsin, and is an editor, arranger, and engraver for Hal Leonard Publishing. He has appeared with the national tours of: Dancin’, Zorba, Camelot, Chorus Line, Stop the World, the Rockettes, SouthPacific, Grease, 42nd St., Lou Rawls, Gladys Knight, The Moody Blues, The Mills Brothers, The Temptations, The Drifters, Danny and the Jrs. and Little Anthony. He has accompanied jazz greats Stanley Jordan, The Dorsey Band, and Dianne Schuur, and performed with The Milwaukee, Racine, Kenosha, and Waukesha Symphony Orchestras, the Milwaukee Civic and Chamber Orchestras, and Present Music. He has been a clinician/guest artist for the Kenosha, Racine, Milwaukee, Cudahy, Wausau, and Bowler public schools, and the Rhythm section clinician for Wisconsin Honors Jazz Band.