2022-23 Graduates

Brad Allen

Brad Allen is a current graduate student working towards an M.M. in Choral Conducting at BCCM. Since earning his B.M. in Music Education from CSULB, Brad has taught high school choir in the Murrieta Valley Unified School District for the past 6 years, the last 4 of which have been spent at his alma mater, Murrieta Valley High School. The choirs at MVHS tour annually throughout the nation and pride themselves on their ability to perform diverse repertoire at a high level.

Before returning to his studies, Brad held the position of Music Director at Grace Presbyterian Church in Temecula for 3 years, directing the Chancel Choir and leading the praise team on vocals and guitar. As a vocalist, Brad performed with Riverside City College when they won the Mixed Choir Division at the Eisteddfod Choral Competition in Wales. While singing with the BCCM Chamber Choir, Brad sang at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, Segerstrom Hall, Staples Center, and PETCO Park, with highly acclaimed artists such as Eric Whitacre, The Rolling Stones, Kronos Quartet, and the Mark Morris Dance Group.

Brad was born in Long Beach, raised in Murrieta, and currently resides in Seal Beach with his wife, Jeannine.

Ethan Blankfeld

Growing up in Las Vegas, Nevada his entire life, Ethan Blankfeld earned his bachelor’s degree in Music Education at The University of Nevada, Las Vegas. There he studied clarinet under Dr. Marina Sturm as well as performed with the Grammy nominated UNLV Wind Orchestra under the direction of Thomas Leslie. During that time Ethan recorded 2 albums playing in the Wind Orchestra including 24 Karat Gould and Quaternity.

In his final year as an undergrad, Ethan became Drum Major of the UNLV Star of Nevada Marching Band where he directed the band throughout the course of the football season. Ethan’s ensemble playing has brought him all over the country as well as the world. His senior year of high school, Ethan traveled to Barcelona and Zaragoza, Spain where he soloed in world-class concert halls.

Ethan is currently a first-year master’s student studying Wind Band Conducting under Dr. Jermie Arnold and Professor John Carnahan. He hopes to get his DMA in Wind Band Conducting before becoming the Director of Bands at a University.

Martin Bui

Martin Bui is a first-year Master of Music student in Percussion Studies at the BCCM and is originally from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. He holds a Bachelor of Music in Percussion Performance from the University of Alberta where he studied with Brian Jones from the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra. In 2019, he began subbing with the ESO, and has also shared the stage with ensembles such as the Edmonton Youth Orchestra, Royal Canadian Artillery Band, and Concordia University of Edmonton Orchestra. That same year, he also won runner-up in the University of Alberta Concerto Competition, competing with William Kraft’s Concerto No. 1 for Timpani and Orchestra.

Martin has also enjoyed a storied 4-year career with his country-rock band, Heartland, and has played rodeos, dancehalls, bars, and farms throughout central Alberta.

Martin’s main academic interest is timpani—his senior recital featured Werner Thärichen’s timpani concerto, so he hopes to focus his project report on a timpani piece that will be featured on his recital. He has also greatly enjoyed playing drum kit for various punk, rock, metal, jazz, and aforementioned country bands.

Corey Highberg

Corey Highberg is from Thousand Oaks, CA and is currently pursuing his Master of Arts in Music History at the BCCM. Corey’s research is devoted to exploring the sociological connections of music history, including oral, written, and digital transmission of culture through sound. His recent thesis topics include the "social use value" and tactile experience of recorded music, specifically the vinyl record and its impact on modern economic and social environments. He maintains an online blog and performs regularly throughout Southern California singing, playing upright and electric bass, guitar, and piano. He teaches at Guitar Center in Westlake Village and tutors in upright bass for the Santa Barbara Youth Symphony.

Corey earned his B.S. in Musicology from UCSB with a focus on Eastern Mediterranean Music and Um Kulthum, though he has additional study experience in the Early Music of the Soviet Union. His current areas of interest include early written music of the late Middle Ages and the connection between evolutions of music transmission innovations and its impact on societal development.

Bennett Imai

Bennett Kai Imai (he/him), from Mission Viejo, is currently pursuing an M.M. in Oboe Performance. Bennett earned his B.M in Oboe from UCSC, studying with Kyle Bruckmann, with a Minor in Electronic Music. During his time, he served as Principal Oboist for UCSC’s University Orchestra and Wind Ensemble, as well as Chamber Ensembles. He has had the honor of performing Albinoni’s Concerto in D minor (Op. 2, No. 9) with the orchestra and is a winner of the Music Department’s Scholarship Competition.

His favorite type of music to play are 20th- and 21st-century works. He advocates for the creation and performance of contemporary pieces and especially for supporting living composers of classical music. He composed a piece for the University Woodwind Quintet and a Musical number which was performed by the student staff of the Cabrillo Contemporary Music Festival, under the direction of Octavio Más-Arocas. Bennett is interested in finding new ways to integrate modern genres and technology with classical instruments. As a fan of electronic music and production, he composed, filmed, and edited a piece for oboe and electronics for his Senior Recital.

Kimmie Levin

Kimmie Levin is a violinist from Rancho Santa Margarita, California. She is pursuing her Master of Music in violin performance at the Bob Cole Conservatory at CSULB, studying under Professor Henri Gronnier and Dr. Moni Simeonov. She is also a violin and viola teacher at a music school in Irvine where she works with students of a variety of ages, abilities, and learning styles.

Kimmie was Assistant to the Director of String Studies at Chapman University, where she studied with Professor William Fitzpatrick and received her Bachelor of Music in violin performance in 2016. She has since performed in string quartets, orchestras, operas, pop concerts, musicals, and film scores in southern California.

When she’s not practicing, she loves to play videogames on her Nintendo Switch with her puppies, Wilson and Morty.

John Garo Lonergan

John Garo Lonergan is a Canadian-American pianist raised near San Francisco, California. He began studying the piano at age 6 and completed his bachelor’s in Performance at the BCCM, where he is currently pursuing his master’s under the tutelage of Craig Richey.

John has participated in lessons and masterclasses with artists such as Yoheved Kaplinsky, Frederic Chiu, Suzanne Goyette, and Vitali Gavrouc. He has performed in Canada, Ireland, and extensively across the United States with renowned ensembles such as Santa Clara Vanguard. In early 2018, John composed a string quartet titled Nouveau Quatuor which was premiered by members of the San Francisco Symphony. More recently, John received 2nd Prize in the MTNA California Young Artist Performance Competition of October 2020. His musical influences include Vladimir Ashkenazy, Tigran Hamasyan, and Jacob Collier. In addition to music, John is passionate about fitness, food, travel, and languages; he speaks English, French, Spanish, and Armenian.

Michael McKenzie

Michael McKenzie is a national award-winning conductor, active social justice advocate, and music educator, whose work centers around the power that choral music has to affect social change. Michael, originally from Belchertown, Massachusetts, is pursuing their M.M. in Choral Conducting at the BCCM and is a teaching assistant for the University Choir.

Outside of school, he serves as Artistic Director for Voices for Social Justice, a nonprofit organization that combines social activism with artistic expression through performance, resources, and advocacy, and as Director of Music Ministries at North Hollywood First United Methodist Church.

Prior to coming to California, Michael was the founder and director of two social justice choirs at Gustavus Adolphus College. For their work as director of the Gustavus Social Justice Choir, Michael earned 2nd place in The American Prize for Choral Conducting’Community Division and an invitation to present a concert at the 2020 Nobel Conference. Michael graduated from Gustavus Adolphus College, summa cum laude, in 2019 with a B.A. in Music Education and certification in K-12 vocal, instrumental, and classroom music.

Michael Neufeld

Michael Neufeld is a master’s student at the BCCM studying jazz. He grew up in Fresno, California before moving to Southern California for music.

Michael graduated in Spring, 2021 from USC’s Thornton School of Music with a degree in Jazz Studies and a minor in Classics. His senior recital resulted in a blend of these two academic interests, as he wrote many of the songs he performed based on elements from ancient Athenian drama and mythology.

Michael has performed with the Bob Mintzer Big Band and has played lead trombone in the Thornton Jazz Orchestra while studying under teachers such as Andy Martin, Jason Goldman, and Michael Stever. He has also been a part of the Thornton Community Engagement Program, which seeks to bring music education access to Los Angeles public schools.

Outside of his jazz interests, Michael performs self-arranged trombone covers of songs from popular animes on YouTube. He also has achieved a level of success and popularity on TikTok.

Apostolia Nikouli

Apostolia Nikouli earned her diploma in choral conducting in her native Greece, receiving high honors. She completed her master’s in Musicology from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, where she conducted the Athens City Symphony Orchestra and the Thessaloniki City Symphony Orchestra premiering contemporary pieces in cooperation with Aristotle University’s contemporary music lab. In 2017 she was Principal Conductor of the children’s choir at the Catholic Church of Thessaloniki and from 2019-2020 she was assistant conductor for the Thessaloniki City Symphony Orchestra and North College Choir under the guidance of Athanasia Kyriakidou.

Apostolia’s great interest in research led her to complete her final master’s thesis, I. Stravinsky, Symphony in C, Analytical and aesthetic approach in the context of Neoclassicism, under the supervision of Dr. Konstantinos Chardas. She also contributed to a paper on behalf of the Hellenic Musicology Society, entitled Rephrase the tradition: The multifaceted role of symmetry in Symphony in C (1938-1940) of Igor Stravinsky.

Currently she conducts the Bob Cole Conservatory Symphony Orchestra while working toward her master’s in orchestral conducting at the BCCM under the guidance of Dr. Johannes Müller Stosch.

Maria Peñaloza

Maria Peñaloza is a master’s student pursuing her degree in violin performance. Maria completed her Bachelor of Music in Violin Performance in 2020 at the BCCM where she studied with Andrea Byers, a student of Ivan Galamian. She performed with the BCCM Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Dr. Johannes Müller Stosch, and the New Music Ensemble, directed by Alan Shockley.

Being a violin student at the Bob Cole Conservatory is an exhilarating and empowering experience. She loves the rigorous academic culture, musicianship, and fellowship that is cultivated here through the leadership of Dr. Stosch and violin studies director, Moni Simeonov.

She co-founded the Viva Learning Center in Lakewood, CA, where she teaches music classes. She also teaches privately and freelances in the Los Angeles and Orange county areas. Maria’s ultimate goal is to establish music studios for families in disadvantaged areas.

Maria knows the road to violin mastery continues to help her overcome limiting perspectives, to acquire higher thinking, and to obtain freedom, leading to a more enriching life for her and everyone she teaches.

Kris Rahamad

Kris Rahamad is a Los Angeles-based performer-composer attending CSULB for his M.M. in Composition. He performs and composes in new music ensembles, collaborating with artists such as Alvin Lucier and the Ever Present Orchestra, and Ulrich Krieger. During his undergraduate studies at California Institute of the Arts, Kris’s principal teachers were Nicholas Deyoe, Andrew McIntosh, Ulrich Krieger, Vinny Golia, and Mark Menzies.

Kris made his international debut as a co-composer and soloist for the theatrical production Pomegranate Jam, a feminist retelling of the Greek myth of Persephone, goddess of the underworld. The production premiered in the 2013 Edinburgh International Fringe Festival, receiving rave reviews: "a gorgeous, ghostly original score, from composer David Aguila and violinist Kris Rahamad, serves action better than any dialogue or narration ever could." (Fest Magazine, UK).

Kris returned to Edinburgh Fringe in 2017 where he was the musical arranger for Gunshot Medley, a theater production that follows the spirits of African American slaves as they face the racial oppressions from the civil war through the current BLM movement. His current projects include commissions from soloist/trumpeter Lucas Lipari-Mayer of Ensemble Intercontemporain in Paris, and local violinist Alisa Luera.

Kris’s compositions are inspired by Baroque forms and 20th-Century Classical styles. At CSULB, he is currently composing a multi-movement passacaglia for chamber orchestra and choir, where he is researching Alfred Schnittke’s polystylism and the Baroque passacaglia. Through these styles, he is exploring his Colombian heritage by including musical elements from Colombian music within the passacaglia.

Darita Seth

Master of Music in Choral Conducting candidate, Darita Seth, was born and raised in Columbus, Ohio. Darita is founder, president, and director of Choral Audacity, Director of Music at St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church, Associate Director of the Danville Girls Chorus, an Associate Director of the Cantabella Children’s Chorus, and a former Interim Director of the Grammy Award-winning Pacific Boychoir Academy. He concluded his tenure with Chanticleer, the Grammy Award-winning, San Francisco-based men’s vocal ensemble in 2016.

As a Sigma Alpha Iota distinguished member, he periodically appears as a guest soloist with the Bay Area Rainbow Symphony, sounding Light Chamber Choir, RSVP, and the Saringhimig Singers. Darita attended Capital University, where he received a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance. He is also a proud alumnus of the Interlochen Arts Academy and Camp, where he participated in the composition, opera, and choral programs.

Praised for his "technical deliciousness, power and precision of the connection between the colors of the voice, and beauty of delivery" (Aspen Music Festival), Darita has been featured in performances of masterworks including Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms, Durufle’s Requiem, and Handel’s Messiah. Additionally, he has recorded with AireBorn Studios, featuring his voice on premiere perusal recordings. He has performed in many notable international concert venues including Musikverein in Vienna, Endler Hall in South Africa, The National Concert Hall in Taipei, and The Esplanade in Singapore

He has been a guest speaker at conferences presenting topics such as: Nurturing and Embracing Ethnic Diversity Within the Choral Ensemble, Mysteries of the Countertenor Voice, and How to Change Your Church’s Singing Culture. Outside music and teaching, Darita enjoys cooking meals from his proud Cambodian American heritage, weightlifting, and being a dog-dad to his rescue, Remy Martin.

2021-22 Graduates

Cameron Johnston

Cameron Johnston, from Torrance, California, is a composer and musician specializing in electronic music and experimental performance practices. He earned his bachelor’s in Music Composition from CSULB where he studied composition, primarily with Dr. Martin Herman. He currently serves as Director of the CSULB New Music Ensemble and is the assistant director of the CSULB Laptop Ensemble. He is working towards his Master of Music in Composition with Interactive Media at CSULB.

Cameron often performs with his laptop ensemble, Pile of Wires, where he has performed original works in the Los Angeles area and in New York City. He enjoys collaborating and frequently composes and works for filmmakers and choreographers. Additionally, he performs with the SynthLab musician and composer collective based in Long Beach, recently having performed in virtual concerts. He is currently working on his second opera featuring only electronics for the accompaniment and an album with his group Pile of Wires.

Jacob Lythgoe

Trumpet player Jacob Lythgoe has been described by one of his mentors as having "a drive and tenacity that have been intense and relentless, yielding tremendous progress." Jacob has experienced success in a variety of performance settings including being a semifinalist at the National Trumpet Competition performing with the top six trumpet ensembles in the nation. He and participated in several summer music festivals including The Sewanee Summer Music Festival, the Montecito International Music Festival, and Ryan Darke’s Trumpet Forward. Most recently, Jacob accepted a position on the Tucson Symphony Orchestra substitute list.

Jacob first excelled in music in the marching arts, spending three summer tours with The Academy Drum and Bugle Corps. While there, he developed a strong work ethic and leadership abilities as a lead trumpet, soloist, and section leader. He was also a member of the 2016 All American Marching Band, a program that accepted best high school marching musicians in the country to perform at the US Army All American Bowl. He went on to march with the 2017 undefeated DCI World Champions the Blue Devils Drum and Bugle Corps.

While his marching days are over, Jacob dedicates much of his time to marching arts education. He was the visual caption head and trumpet teacher at Rincon University High School in Tucson, Arizona from 2016-2020. He enjoys watching his students improve both as performers and as people.

Jacob graduated from the Fred Fox School of Music at the University of Arizona in 2020 with his bachelor’s in Trumpet Performance. He studied with Ryan Darke, Principal Trumpet of the LA Opera, and Jason Carder, Yanni’s solo trumpeter. He is currently pursuing his master’s in Trumpet Performance with Ryan Darke at California State University Long Beach.

Jasmine Mangal

Soprano Jasmine Mangal is from Modesto, CA and has been noted for "performances with strong vocal range and stamina" by The Daily Titan. Her professionalism and compassion for music inspires creativity and welcomes life into her art.

Miss Mangal has a solid performance background with diverse appearances. Her most recent performances was with LA Opera’s Community and Education division as Pam in The Magic Dream, a children’s rendition of Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte. Several other roles include include Lucy in The Threepenny Opera, Madame Galwari in Lehar’s The Merry Wife, Adele in Strauss’ Die Fledermaus, Madame Silberkland in Mozart’s Die Schauspieldirektor, and Mabel in Pirates of Penzance.

Jasmine recently completed her bachelor’s degree in Vocal Performance at Cal State University Fullerton’s School of Music, where she studied with Janet Smith. She won 1st place in the American Soloist Competition and is a member of the international professional co-ed music fraternity Mu Phi Epsilon. Her mentor, Marty Stark, has greatly influenced her understanding and navigation of the innumerable aspects of professional opera. She is a student of Shigemi Matsumoto and is currently completing a M.M. with an emphasis in Opera Performance.

At the BCCM Jasmine hopes to continue to build a solid career in opera and the performing arts.

Angela Marvin

Angela Marvin is currently earning her master’s degree in Cello Performance at the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music. Originally from Moorpark, CA, she earned her B.M. in Cello Performance from both Moorpark College and the BCCM.

She currently performs as a member of American Youth Symphony and coaches middle school cellists around Los Angeles county through their community engagement program, Share-A-Stand.

Angela is currently under the tutelage of Dr. David Garrett; her past teachers include Joon Sung Joon, Dr. Yoshika Masuda, and Dr. Ashley Walters.

Maura Phelps

Maura Phelps is an M.M. candidate studying Cello Performance with Dr. David Garrett. Originally from Washington state, she pursued a B.M. in Instrumental Performance and Music Therapy at Western Michigan University as a Rhea Yeager Fetzer Scholar. While there, she served as the associate and assistant principal cellist in the Holland Symphony Orchestra working under BCCM’s own Johannes Müller Stosch. Additionally, she worked as the University Symphony librarian and played in the Advanced Jazz Ensemble, which performed at the 2020 Jazz Education Network conference in New Orleans. In 2018, she was awarded the William and Fiona Denny scholarship. The following year was voted by music faculty as the top senior and was named the Presidential Scholar for the School of Music, graduating summa cum laude.

In addition to performing and teaching, Maura completed music therapy clinical work in the Kalamazoo community. Following graduation, she completed her internship at the Kalamazoo Psychiatric Hospital where she worked as a full-time music therapist and treatment team member. In August 2020, she earned her MT-BC credential and is a board-certified music therapist.

Maura is passionate about her work as a cellist and music therapist and continues to explore how the two interact with and benefit one another. She has had the pleasure of working with many professors from DePaul University, Boston Conservatory, Cincinnati College Conservatory, and Juilliard, among others. She currently teaches privately and works to use her music therapy training to provide a learning environment which is accessible to any and all abilities.

Ashley Shahbazi

Ashley Shahbazi is currently pursuing her M.M. in Piano Performance at the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music, under the tutelage of Professor Craig Richey.

A native of Southern California, Ashley earned her B.F.A. in Film Production from Chapman University while studying piano with Dr. Janice Park. She has placed in competitions and festivals through MTAC and CAPMT, including first place in her district’s CAPMT Contemporary Competition.

Ashley is a recipient of the Keyboard Foundation scholarship at the BCCM and serves as Vice President for the collegiate chapter of the Music Teacher’s National Association at CSULB. Other notable past teachers include Professor Mona Wu DeCesare and Marlene Feldman.

Ashley currently teaches piano and violin privately in the LA and Orange County areas.

Rudy Silva

Rudy Silva is completing his M.M. in Music Education. Originally from Indio, CA, he earned both his B.M. in Clarinet Performance and Music Education degrees at the BCCM. In 2008, Mr. Silva was awarded the very first Bob Cole scholarship at his entrance audition. During his undergraduate studies, clarinetist Dr. Michael Grego was his private studio instructor. Rudy also performed with the BCCM Wind Symphony, under the direction of Mr. John Carnahan, and the BCCM Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Dr. Johannes Müller Stosch.

Mr. Silva is currently the band and orchestra director at Granada Middle School in Whittier, CA. During his second year of teaching, he was awarded the Teacher of the Year Award, and most recently, he was presented with the "Rising Star Award" at the 2020 Southern California School Band and Orchestra Association music conference. Mr. Silva’s ensembles have earned Unanimous Superior ratings for two years in a row at the annual Whittier Area SCSBOA music festival, held at Whittier High School. Mr. Silva has attended many music conferences to further develop his passion for teaching, including the American String Teachers Association conference, Midwest Clinic, SCSBOA conference, and the California All-State Music Education Conference.

After completion of his M.M. Arts degree in Music Education, Mr. Silva hopes to continue his career in public school music education and further inspire young musicians to pursue their passion for playing music.

Zachary Spiess

Zachary Spiess is a first-year Master of Music student in trumpet performance. Currently he is the graduate student assistant for the BCCM trumpet studio and studies trumpet with Professor Ryan Darke of the Los Angeles Opera. Zachary grew up in rural Casa Grande, Arizona and is very excited to move to Long Beach in the future.

He holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Trumpet Performance from Arizona State University where he studied with David Hickman, Josef Burgstaller, and Benny Nguyen of the Phoenix Symphony.

In addition to the numerous ensembles he performed with during his studies at Arizona State University, Zachary became a substitute trumpet player for the Tucson Symphony. He has also participated in the Oberlin Trumpet Workshop, the Rafael Mendez Brass Institute, Trumpet Forward, and the Eastern Music Festival.

When not diving into his orchestral studies, Zachary likes to go for hikes and produce his own music. He looks forward to making music with his colleagues when we have in-person instruction again!

Grace Stewart

Grace Stewart is a mezzo-soprano from Yucaipa, California pursuing her M.M. in Opera Performance at the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music. She studies with Shigemi Matsumoto, is a recipient of the Pritchard Scholarship, and is working as a student assistant for the Opera Institute and the Music and Film class.

Grace earned her B.A. in Environmental Analysis from Claremont McKenna College in 2017. During her tenure in Claremont, she studied voice with Dr. Anne Harley and sang in choirs directed by Dr. Charles Kamm. In the course of her undergraduate studies, Grace received a DAAD scholarship for a summer language course in Berlin, Germany, she presented a solo recital at the Marian Miner Cook Athenaeum, and she was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa.

Grace has also studied privately with Patricia Gee, and she is a member of the Inland Master Chorale under the direction of Dr. Joseph Modica. She has been featured as alto soloist for Haydn’s Paukenmesse and she has performed in choirs, backing up Josh Groban and Irish band The Chieftains. Grace has worked during the holidays for The Desert Carolers and she has served in various church choir section leader roles.

Passionate about a variety of performing arts, Grace grew up playing piano, dancing ballet, and performing in community musical theater productions and is excited to build her opera portfolio here at the BCCM. Upon completion of her degree, she hopes to perform opera, musical theater, and concert repertoire. Her long-term goal is to earn her DMA and work as a music educator.

Darya Voronina

Darya Voronina is pursuing her master’s degree in violin performance under the tutelage of Moni Simeonov at the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music. She earned her B.M. in violin performance from California State University, Sacramento in Spring 2020.

Darya enjoys teaching violin and music theory to children ages 5 and up, as well as playing violin and viola at weddings or symphony orchestras in North California. In June 2019, she was a member of a string quartet at the MIM Festival in Grass Valley, California. In February 2019, she won the Saturday Club Scholarship at the Sacramento State School of Music.

For the past five years, Darya has been teaching violin and music theory, as well as giving presentations at Strings’ summer festivals in local churches.

Born and raised in Saint-Petersburg, Russia, Darya enjoys visiting her hometown, as well as reading books and walking in nature.

2020-21 Graduates

Alyssa Miller

Alyssa Miller, flute and piccolo, is a M.M. candidate at the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music. Originally from San Jose, California, she is studying with John Barcellona and works for the department as a graduate assistant for the band program and the music appreciation classes. Alyssa teaches out of her own private studio and freelances throughout the Los Angeles area.

Alyssa received a B.M. in Performance from Biola University where she studied with Gary Woodward, former LA Opera’s principal flute, and graduated as a perpetual member of the Torrey Honors Institute. She won the Biola University Concerto Competition two times, first with The Ballade by Frank Martin and second with the Nielsen Flute Concerto. Other competition winnings include the Biola PRISM competition, which she won twice. Alyssa has been the recipient of multiple scholarships including the Missy Belton Service Award and Scholarship. She spends her summers attending various masterclasses and festivals. Most recently she attended Jim Walker’s Beyond the Masterclass in 2020.

Often appearing at anti-human trafficking fundraisers and events, Alyssa plays her own compositions to bring awareness about human trafficking. In 2018 she collaborated with anti-trafficking organizations Love Never Fails and the Bay Area Anti-Trafficking Coalition to write Circles, an original composition she premiered at the advocacy event Art for Justice. Alyssa’s research interests fall at the intersection of music and philosophy/theology as well as flute pedagogy.

Kyle Myers

Kyle Myers is an award-winning composer, arranger, and saxophonist based in Los Angeles, California. From orchestras to wind bands to small jazz groups, Kyle’s compositions are sought after by ensembles and individuals of all skill levels from across the nation and have been featured by the USAF Airmen of Note, the San Diego Symphony, and many others.

As a saxophonist, Kyle has studied with Charles McPherson, Brad Leali, and Sal Lozano and has performed with artists such as Kenny Werner, Arturo Sandoval, Melissa Aldana, and Gilbert Castellanos. He was also a part of the University of North Texas’ famous One O’Clock Lab Band where both his saxophone playing and compositions were featured.

Kyle is currently working towards a M.M. in performance, Jazz Studies at CSU Long Beach and continues to write, perform, and work as a clinician.

Sean J. O’Connell

Born in Massachusetts and raised in Long Beach, Sean J. O’Connell has been a passionate student of American popular music since his first piano lesson at the age of five.

He is a graduate of the Orange County High School of the Arts and holds a bachelor’s degree in Ethnomusicology from UCLA.

He has written extensively for DownBeat magazine, the Los Angeles Times, and more defunct alternative weeklies than he can remember.

His book, Los Angeles’s Central Avenue Jazz, embodies his passion for the rich history of jazz in Southern California through archival photos as well as his own extensive collection of swinging ephemera.

Tristan Perez

Tristan Perez earned his B.A. in music composition from the College of Creative Studies at UCSB in 2018, studying with Leslie Hogan and Jeremy Haladyna. During his undergraduate studies, Tristan primarily composed for band, orchestra, and silent theater, playing an active role in the community by arranging and composing for local schools and youth programs. He helped found and operate the UCSB Pops Orchestra, a student-run orchestra designed to allow students to get hands-on experience conducting, orchestrating, running rehearsals, and planning concerts for the community. Their performances were well-received, consistently drawing an audience of over 200 people.

In 2020 Tristan founded the Philanthropic Philharmonic, a virtual orchestra composed of members from around the country dedicated to recording cover songs to generate revenue for various charities. Tristan’s current focus involves writing music to help people cope with various forms of stress. He is currently researching Eastern philosophy, meditation practices and breathing exercises to inform his music.

Tristan believes that the most enjoyable aspect of music is the community that it creates and strives to encompass this value in his work. He has composed and arranged for various ensembles in the United States and abroad including the University of Nevada, Reno Contemporary Music Ensemble, Orchestre à Vents Péro-Phonique, Santa Barbara Youth Symphony, Menifee Valley Middle School, Cate School, the Ojai Pops Orchestra, and the Pops Orchestra at UCSB.

Andrew Wilcox

Andrew Robert Wilcox was born in 1990 into a non-musical family in Lakewood, but after joining a choir in elementary school, he discovered a love for the art of making music. He attended Long Beach City College where he performed in various choirs and musicals. He studied with Roger Przytulski and developed an interest in composition. He continued his education at California State University, Fullerton, where he studied music with Ken Walicki, Lloyd Rodgers, and Pamela Madsen. After graduating, he began a career as a composer and sound designer for theater, cartoons, and video games.

In 2019, Andrew was admitted to the Bob Cole Conservatory where he studied with Raymond Torres-Santos, Alan Shockley, and this year, with Martin Herman. Andrew will be graduating with a M.M. in Composition in 2021, after which he plans to prepare for his doctorate. He is currently researching musical theater through the lens of film noir, which he will explore in his master’s thesis.

Andrew’s compositions have been played by the Moscow Contemporary Music Ensemble, The CSUF New Music Ensemble, and the Newgate Ensemble. His music is frequently featured at the Long Beach Playhouse, STAGEStheatre, and All The World Wide Web’s A Stage, where he has written original scores for plays. He is currently working with the non-profit organization Philanthropic Philharmonic to produce orchestral covers of various songs.

Patrick Williams

Patrick Williams is a second-year master’s student studying horn with Dylan Hart. In his time at the BCCM, Patrick has been a member of the Conservatory Symphony, Wind Symphony, Brass Ensemble, and the University Woodwind Quintet. He especially enjoys performing and listening to atonal, new, and experimental music. To that end, he commissioned his fellow Amherst alumnus, Dan Langa, to write Existential Crisis, a horn quartet that he hopes to premiere at his graduate recital in 2021. In addition to his studies, Patrick also serves as the Graduate Assistant for Dr. Alicia Doyle, director of Graduate Studies at the BCCM.

Outside of music-making, Patrick also enjoys German exophonic literature and culture studies, 20th century expressionism, and German experimental music. In 2018, he presented a paper titled, "Reality and Time in Alban Berg’s Wozzeck" at the Five College German Studies Conference in Amherst, MA. A two-time alumnus of the Middlebury German School in Middlebury, VT, he returned in the summers of 2018 and 2019 to work as a Bilingual Assistant for the German School.

Patrick graduated magna cum laude from Amherst College in 2018 with a B.A. in Music and German. During his time at Amherst, his primary musical advisors included Jean Jeffries, David Schneider, and Klára Móricz. Since 2019, he has been a recipient of the Edward Poole Lay Fellowship.