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 Staff
- Kate Bill, Student Recruiter/Enrollment Administrator
- Katrina Keller, Administrative Secretary
- Heather A. Russell, Director, School of Music, Associate Professor, Coordinator of Music Education
- Michael R. Solema, Facilities Coordinator and Stage Production Specialist
- Judith D, Terrigno, Administrative Secretary
Brass
- David Brockett, French Horn
- Tren Cheshier, Applied Faculty – French Horn
- Shachar Israel, Applied Faculty, Trombone
- Joe Miller, Applied Faculty, Jazz Trumpet
- J.C. Sherman, Applied Faculty, Trombone, Tuba and Euphonium
- Jack Sutte, Applied Faculty, Trumpet
Chamber Music
- Angelin Chang, Professor, Piano; Coordinator of Keyboard Studies; Coordinator of Chamber Music
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
- Reginald Bowens, Applied Faculty, Jazz Voice
- Dan Bruce, Applied Faculty, Electric Guitar, Jazz
- Alfredo Guerrieri, Applied Faculty, Electric Guitar, Electric Bass - Pop & Rock and Jazz
- Joe Miller, Applied Faculty, Jazz Trumpet
- John Perrine, Associate Professor, Saxophone, Coordinator of Jazz Studies
- Bill Ransom, Applied Faculty, Drum Set
- Jackie Warren, Applied Faculty, Jazz and Piano
- Chris Vance, Applied Faculty – Jazz Bass, Bass Guitar, Electric Guitar - Pop & Rock, Pop & Rock Ensemble Director
Music Education
- LeslieAnne Bird, Part-time Instructor, Music Education
- Birch Browning, Professor Music Education; Conductor of Cleveland Winds
- Trevor K. Marcho, College Lecturer, Music Education
- 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, Associate Professor of Musicology
- Leo Coach, Lecturer, Ethnomusicology
- Kay Lipton, 2021-2022 Guest Lecturer
- Frank Vazzano, Lecturer, Roots of Rock & Soul
Music Therapy
- Deborah L. Layman, MM, MT-BC – Associate Professor, Coordinator of Music Therapy
- Carol Ann Olszewski, PhD, MT-BC, Assistant Professor, Music Therapy
- Erin Oselu, MA, MT-BC. Assistant Professor of Practice in Music Therapy
- Lori Lundeen-Smith, M.S., CCC-SLP, MT-BC, Assistant Professor of Practice and Clinical Manager, Music Therapy
- Emily Brill, MT-BC – Adjunct Supervisor, Music Therapy
- Brenda Calovini, MA, MT-BC – Adjunct Supervisor, Music Therapy
- Sarah Paczak Chappell, MT-BC – Adjunct Supervisor, Music Therapy
- Alison Deran, MT-BC - Adjunct Supervisor, Music Therapy
- Marcia Humpal, MEd, MT-BC – Adjunct Supervisor, Music Therapy
- Virginia Kallay, MT-BC - Adjunct Supervisor, Music Therapy
- Ronna Kaplan, MA, MT-BC - Adjunct Supervisor, Music Therapy
- Jessica Janaitis, MM, MT-BC - Adjunct Supervisor, Music Therapy
- Madeleine Landry, MT-BC - Adjunct Supervisor, Music Therapy
- Deforia Lane, PhD, MT-BC - Adjunct Supervisor, Music Therapy
- Jaclyn Bradley Palmer, MM, MT-BC - Adjunct Supervisor, Music Therapy
- Anthony Steward, MT-BC - Adjunct Supervisor, Music Therapy
Click here to view the Music Therapy webpage!
Percussion
- Bruce Golden, Lecturer, Percussion
- Bill Ransom, Applied Faculty, Percussion
- Luke Rinderknecht, Lecturer, Percussion Studies
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
- Joela Jones, Applied Faculty, Piano and Harpsichord, Coordinator of Collaborative Piano
- Jackie Warren, Applied Faculty, Jazz and Piano
- Todd Wilson, Applied Faculty, Organ (on leave 2021-2022)
Pop and Rock
- Alfredo Guerrieri, Applied Faculty, Electric Guitar, Electric Bass - Pop & Rock and Jazz
- Bill Ransom, Applied Faculty, Percussion
- Chris Vance, Applied Faculty – Jazz Bass, Bass Guitar, Electric Guitar - Pop & Rock, Pop & Rock Ensemble Director
Strings & Guitar
- George Bachmann, Applied Faculty, Classical Guitar
- Charles Bernard, Applied Faculty, Cello
- Dan Bruce, Applied Faculty, Electric Guitar, Jazz
- Alfredo Guerrieri, Applied Faculty, Electric Guitar, Electric Bass - Pop & Rock and Jazz
- Jody Guinn, Applied Faculty, Harp
- Alan Harrell, Applied Faculty, Cello
- Victor Liva, Coordinator of String Studies, Conductor of Orchestras, Director of Graduate String Quartet, Professor, Violin
- Peter Otto, Applied Faculty, Violin
- Odin Rathnam, Applied Faculty, Violin
- Laura Shuster, Applied Faculty, Violin and Viola
- Amanda Tavani, Applied Faculty, String Bass
- Chris Vance, Applied Faculty – Jazz Bass, Bass Guitar, Electric Guitar - Pop & Rock, Pop & Rock Ensemble Director
- Derek A. Zadinsky, Applied Faculty, String Bass
- Elizabeth H. Zadinsky, Applied Faculty, Cello
Voice / Choral / Opera
- Margaret Ahrens, Applied Faculty, Voice
- Brian Bailey, Director of Choirs
- Tyler Evatt-Young, Applied Faculty, Voice
- Eileen Marie Moore, Applied Faculty, Voice
- Gabriela Martinez, Applied Faculty, Voice
- Elena Mullins, Applied Faculty, Voice
- Amanda Powell, Applied Faculty, Voice
Woodwinds
- Stefanie Cohn, Applied Faculty, Oboe
- Robert Davis, Applied Faculty, Clarinet
- Mark DeMio, Applied Faculty, Bassoon
- Sean Gabriel, Applied Faculty, Flute
- Tom Lempner, Applied Faculty, Saxophone
- Ian Morin, Applied Faculty, Bassoon
- Gunnar Owen Hirthe, Applied Faculty, Clarinet
- John Perrine, Associate Professor, Saxophone, Coordinator of Jazz Studies
- Jacqueline Wood, Applied Faculty, Flute
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