Studios/Departments

About this Program

Bassoon students at Lamont study with internationally renowned bassoonist Martin Kuuskmann, who has performed on the world’s most prestigious stages and contributed to two Grammy-nominated albums. As a performer and educator, Kuuskmann constantly pushes the boundaries toward new artistic and technical possibilities. Our bassoon studio also takes full advantage of Lamont's diverse performance opportunities, participating in ensembles including symphony orchestra and opera, as well as chamber, world and contemporary groups.

The bassoon studio is part of the woodwinds department.

About this Program

Our carillon program is led by University Carillonist Joey Brink, who joined DU in 2022.  Prior to coming to Colorado, he was carillonist at the University of Chicago for seven years, where he built a robust teaching studio. He has given masterclasses and workshops at Yale, Cornell, Wellesley, Indiana University, and the University of Michigan. He began his carillon studies at Yale University with Ellen Dickinson in 2007; graduated with greatest distinction from the Royal Carillon School in Mechelen, Belgium in 2012; and studied further with Geert D’hollander at Bok Tower Gardens in 2015. 

The Williams Carillon was cast by the Royal Eijsbouts Bell Foundry at Asten, The Netherlands and was dedicated on the University of Denver campus on October 24, 1999. When the university is in session the carillon can usually be heard Monday through Friday from 11:45am to 12:15pm. The Summer Carillon Recital Series invites renowned carillonneurs from across the nation to perform on The Williams Carillon. A highlight of the holiday season on campus is the annual Holiday Carillon Recital presented the afternoon of the second Sunday in December.

The carillon studio is part of the keyboard department.

About this Program

The Lamont School of Music’s cello studio provides a collaborative and encouraging environment in which you'll have the opportunity to push your artistic and intellectual boundaries.

As a cellist at Lamont, you'll study with Professor Matthew Zalkind and benefit from the pedagogical expertise of Professor Heather Hadley. Zalkind has won top honors in multiple international competitions, including the International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow. A former member of the Harlem String Quartet, Zalkind maintains a career as an international soloist. His robust experience allows him to help his students work toward technical mastery while they nurture their artistic passion.

Hadley is a teacher trainer with the Suzuki Association of the Americas, has been published in the American Suzuki Journal, featured in SAA videos for parents and has served on the board of the Suzuki Association of Colorado.

The cello studio is part of the strings department.

About this Program

Clarinet students have countless performance opportunities in ensembles like symphony orchestra and opera, as well as chamber, world  and contemporary groups. They study with award-winning artist Jeremy Reynolds, DMA, who has performed as a soloist and chamber musician on six continents, and made his Carnegie Hall debut in 2015.

The clarinet studio is part of the woodwinds department.

About this Program

With so many opportunities for performance at Lamont, every composer has an opportunity to have their work performed publicly on a regular basis. The Lamont Symphony Orchestra and the student group Modern Hue Ensemble regularly rehearse and record student works. Additionally, we present new pieces by our composition students on the quarterly Lamont Composers Concert Series.

About this Program

In the conducting studio at the Lamont School of Music, students explore the complexities of conducting Western art music with the help of student-led ensembles and our world-class music faculty. Delving into choral, orchestral, and wind ensemble styles, students gain practical experience leading performers while learning to manage the non-musical responsibilities common to conducting roles. No matter which degree program you choose, you will receive a great deal of podium time with the Lamont Symphony Orchestra, Lamont Wind Ensemble, or one of our choirs.

Lamont's orchestral conducting program is led by Lawrence Golan, who currently serves as music director of the Yakima Symphony Orchestra, Denver Philharmonic, and York Symphony Orchestra. Dr. Joseph Martin, whose performance experience in brass instruments ranges from Denver Brass to the Aries Brass Quartet and beyond, directs wind ensemble studies. Catherine Sailer chairs the choral conducting program, bringing years of experience and accolades as a conductor with the Colorado Ballet Orchestra and other prestigious ensembles.

About this Program

Our double bass studio emphasizes rigorous practice, frequent performance opportunities, and the study of both standard and modern repertoire. As a result, students are prepared to thrive in a variety of professional contexts. As a bassist at Lamont, you will study with Colorado Symphony bassist Nick Recuber.

The double bass studio is part of the strings department.

About this Program

Join a focused, collaborative and encouraging flute studio whose instructors can help you apply your talent with intention and poise. Lamont flutists study with one of the most sought-after orchestral flute and piccolo players in the country, Professor Julie Duncan Thornton. Thornton currently performs with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra and has previously performed with the New York Philharmonic, the Saint Louis Symphony, the Oregon Symphony, the Minnesota Orchestra and the Houston Symphony.

The flute studio is part of the woodwinds department.

About this Program

Lamont’s guitar studio is invested in developing well-rounded musicians in a rigorous, encouraging environment.

Guitarists at Lamont study with award-winning artists, Jonathan Leathwood and Laura Husbands. Professor Leathwood is one of the few guitarists to perform on six-string and ten-string guitars, mixing modern and traditional works in his innovative programs. He is also a certificated teacher of the Alexander Technique. Professor Husbands has won top prizes in 11 international competitions and has quickly become a sought-after performer and teacher.

The guitar studio is part of the harp and guitar department.

About this Program

Lamont harpists study with Courtney Hershey Bress, who has served as Principal Harp of the Colorado Symphony since 2001. She has appeared with the orchestra as a soloist on numerous occasions. Before coming to Colorado, Ms. Bress enjoyed a wide and varied freelance career, including engagements with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. 

Our harp studio takes full advantage of Lamont's many performance opportunities, participating in symphony orchestra and opera, as well as chamber, world and contemporary groups. They graduate Lamont prepared for whatever opportunities may come their way, including professional symphony orchestra positions, teaching, and freelance performance.

The harp studio is part of the harp and guitar department.

About this Program

Horn players at Lamont study with some of the most prominent performers, conductors, educators and scholars, including a brass faculty with over six decades of combined experience.

The horn studio studies with Carolyn Kunicki,  member of the Colorado Symphony's horn section. Horn students also take full advantage of the multi-genre ensembles housed in the state-of-the-art Newman Center for the Performing Arts. Whether it’s a brass quintet, orchestra, wind ensemble, opera orchestra or a student-led group, our horn players never complain of not performing enough.

The horn studio is part of the brass and percussion department.

About this Program

With our world-class faculty, award-winning student ensembles, and state-of-the-art facilities, you’ll find everything you need here at Lamont to prepare you for a career in jazz and commercial music. Our faculty is made up of dedicated artist-teachers who will help you develop a strong jazz vocabulary and entrepreneurial spirit while you learn the basics of performing, writing and arranging.

As a jazz and commercial music major you’ll participate in at least two ensembles every quarter, including the Lamont Jazz Orchestra and Small Groups. We limit enrollment to 300 students, so you’ll enjoy small class sizes with plenty of personal attention. You’ll also learn from the amazing guest artists we bring in for master classes and performances; recent guests have included Pat Metheny, Maria Schneider and Branford Marsalis.

About this Program

The music theory department at the Lamont School of Music combines robust study of music's foundational principles with broad education in the language of music, including coursework in counterpoint, Schenkerian analysis, set theory, serialism, contour theory, neo-Riemannian techniques, and more.

Students reap the benefits of instruction from Lamont's top-tier music faculty, including Kristin Taavola, PhD, Chair of Music Theory. Taavola's writing and research on Eastern music styles has been widely published and reviewed, and she has taught at several undergraduate and graduate music programs across the country. 

About this Program

The musicology program at Lamont offers students the opportunity to explore historical, social and analytical perspectives on global music. Students take courses on a broad range of topics and, with the support of faculty mentorship, write a thesis that contributes to the field on a topic of their choosing. Musicology and ethnomusicology students serve as graduate teaching assistants for our undergraduate survey courses. Along with providing a scholarship and stipend, graduate teaching assistant positions allow degree candidates to immediately gain teaching experience.

The musicology department is chaired by Dr. Sarah Morelli, whose specialties lie in the musical and related cultural elements of North India. She leads the DU North Indian Classical Ensemble, and has studied among India's most noted musical scholars. She performs kathak nationally and internationally as a solo artist and member of the Leela Dance Collective.

About this Program

Our oboe studio is proud to offer dedicated support and robust performance opportunities across multi-genre ensembles, including orchestra, wind ensemble, chamber groups and the Modern Music ensemble. Students receive individualized feedback in both the instrument-specific studio class and combined woodwind performance class each quarter. Oboe students at Lamont study with award-winning artists Ian Wisekal and Sarah Mellander Bierhaus. Professor Wisekal is Principal Oboe of both the Greeley Philharmonic Orchestra and Crested Butte Music Festival and previously held the position of Associate Principal Oboe with the Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra. Professor Bierhaus is Principal Oboe of the Boulder Philharmonic and is a member of the Colorado Springs Philharmonic and the Colorado-based Antero Winds.

The oboe studio is part of the woodwinds department.

About this Program

Lamont is home to a freestanding 56-rank, 3,000-pipe Schuke Orgelbau Berlin organ. This instrument was built in Germany and now sits as the centerpiece of Hamilton Recital Hall, the space for which it was specifically constructed.

The organ studio is part of the keyboard department.

We look forward to announcing an exciting new organ faculty member soon.

About this Program

The percussion studio at Lamont is full of dedicated musicians who work hard and love what they do, all the while preparing for professional careers in music. Percussion students study with Michael Van Wirt, section percussionist of the Colorado Symphony. Professor Van Wirt has performed with the Houston Symphony, Indianapolis Symphony, Colorado Music Festival, and was a New World Symphony Fellow.

The percussion studio is part of the brass and percussion department.

About this Program

Piano students study with Stephanie Cheng or Steven Mayer, award-winning artist-teachers who enjoy international reputations as performers and pedagogues. Students enrolled in piano pedagogy will study with Emily Book McGree, a distinguished pianist, educator, clinician and teacher trainer.

We foster a vibrant collaborative music setting, including participation in duets, small chamber groups, and large ensembles. Students enjoy state-of-the-art facilities in the Newman Center for the Performing Arts, and Lamont holds the distinction of an All-Steinway School with 85 acoustic pianos from the Steinway Piano Company.

The piano studio is part of the keyboard department.

About this Program

The saxophone is one of the most versatile instruments in the history of Western music, and students at Lamont have the opportunity to explore a wealth of stylistic and genre traditions. Graduates of our saxophone studio leave DU with the skills, repertoire and historical understanding necessary to work at a professional level.

Lamont saxophone students study with Adam Gang, a saxophonist and music educator active in the Denver music scene. Adam holds a B.M. in Jazz Studies with an emphasis on saxophone performance from the University of Colorado, Boulder and a M.M. in Music Performance with an emphasis on jazz saxophone from the University of Denver.

As a leader, Professor Gang has released two albums, Many Returns (2023, Synergy Records) and his newest project, Where Does This Find You (2024, Ninjazz Records). He also recorded as a sideman on Paa Kow’s album Ask (2014).

The saxophone studio is part of the woodwinds department.

About this Program

The trombone and euphonium studio at Lamont is known for meeting high expectations of musical excellence within an encouraging and collegial environment. Trombone and euphonium students study with Richard Harris, whose eclectic musical career as a soloist, chamber musician, orchestral performer, educator and advocate has taken him across North & South America, Europe and Asia as a soloist and clinician.

The trombone and euphonium studio is part of the brass and percussion department.

About this Program

Our trumpet studio takes full advantage of Lamont's multi-genre curriculum and performance opportunities. From orchestra to opera to jazz bands, our trumpet players never lack performance opportunities.

Trumpet players study with award-winning faculty with over four decades of combined teaching experience, including lessons with David Artley.

The trumpet studio is part of the brass and percussion department.

About this Program

The tuba studio at Lamont is highly selective, providing students with an abundance of individual attention, rigorous training and performance opportunities.

Tubists at Lamont study with celebrated performer and pedagogue Stephen Dombrowski, the principal tuba of the Colorado Symphony.

The tuba studio is part of the brass and percussion department.

About this Program

Viola students at Lamont are part of a tight-knit and encouraging studio dedicated to the pursuit of musical excellence. They study with the principal violist of the Colorado Symphony, Professor Basil Vendryes. Previously, Professor Vendryes was a member of the San Francisco Symphony, the Rochester Philharmonic and the New York Philharmonic. He also performed as a soloist across the country and globe and recorded for Columbia, Phillips, Decca, RCA and Nonesuch as well as chamber music for the Ariel Music, Cadenza Music, Centaur, CRI and Naxos labels.

The Viola studio is part of the strings department.

About this Program

As part of Lamont’s violin studio, you will benefit from countless avenues to explore and develop your skills. Our diverse ensembles include symphony orchestra and opera, as well as chamber, world and contemporary groups. Violinists at Lamont study with international performers Linda Wang, Igor Pikayzen and Yumi Hwang-Williams and benefit from the pedagogical expertise of Laura Schleiger.

The violin studio is part of the strings department.

About this Program

Lamont’s voice studio prepares students to thrive in a professional environment while nurturing their creative instincts. You’ll rehearse and perform in the state-of-the-art Newman Center for Performing Arts, where our voice students explore opera, musical theatre, choir and jazz.

Vocalists at Lamont study with Catherine Kasch, Matthew Plenk, Cody Laun, and Heidi Melton, who have over five decades of combined experience in performance and teaching. Sahar Nouri is music director for Lamont Opera Theatre. Students also get to work on their foreign language diction with Beth Nielsen, who is equally versed in opera, art song, chamber music and musical theater.