Welcome to the Reed Division
We offer two different main tiers of classes. 1. Non-Competition, 2. Competition Classes (please read below for more detail). Select your grade in school/age below for 2025 class information.
Each class has a total time limit, which includes both your performance and the adjudication. We recommend using about half of your time for performing and leaving the other half for feedback from the adjudicator.
The Reed Division is open to reed musicians 4th Grade through Adult, offering a platform for performers to showcase their talents on the clarinet, saxophone, oboe, and bassoon. This division is designed to accommodate both beginner and advanced players, providing personalized feedback that helps every participant grow. Teachers can encourage their students to engage with fellow musicians in a collaborative setting, while parents will find this a valuable experience for their children to celebrate the beauty and versatility of reed instruments in a supportive environment.
Reed Division Fact Sheet
NON-COMPETITION CLASSES
- Introductory Masterclasses are for those who would like to perform and receive feedback, but not receive a numerical score. The relaxed and encouraging atmosphere of the masterclass is perfect for musicians of any age (studying privately or not), who are beginners or intermediates, or who just want to try out their pieces and get helpful suggestions from an outstanding adjudicator. Memory is optional, and pieces need not be completely polished. Any repertoire (in any style) that does not exceed 6 minutes may be chosen in order to allow for ample adjudication time on the piece. Piano accompaniment is optional. Introductory Masterclasses offer participants the opportunity to perform a piece of their choice and receive written and oral feedback from the adjudicator. The music may be from any era or genre of music.
- Adjudication-Only Classes are for those who wish to receive feedback and a numerical score. Memory is optional. Piano accompaniment is expected when appropriate. Adjudicator will offer written and oral feedback along with a numerical score. No medals are awarded. Participants may be chosen to play on the KPBX public radio at the discretion of the adjudicator.
COMPETITION CLASSES
- *Competition Classes (marked by an asterisk) are for those who wish to compete for medals. Memory is required unless otherwise stated. Piano accompaniment is expected when/where appropriate. Adjudicator will offer written and oral feedback, along with a numerical score. Gold/silver medals are awarded at the discretion of the adjudicator. Medal winners may be invited to perform live on the KPBX radio. Participants may be chosen to play on the KPBX public radio at the discretion of the adjudicator.
- **Adjudicators’ Choice Class (marked by a double asterisk) indicate a competition class where participants receive written and oral feedback, along with a numerical score. Gold/silver medals are awarded at the discretion of the adjudicator. The gold medal winner with the highest score in any 9th-12th grade Adjudicators choice, will be invited to perform a piece no longer than 5 minutes (this may mean there will be cuts in the piece) at the Festival Highlights concert at the Myrtle Woldson Performing Arts Center.The gold medal winner with the highest score in any College Adjudicators choice, will be invited to perform a piece no longer than 5 minutes (this may mean there will be cuts in the piece) at the Festival College Collage concert at the Myrtle Woldson Performing Arts Center. Participants may be chosen to play on the KPBX public radio at the discretion of the adjudicator.
- The Young Artist Competition is the highest level of competition and is reserved for those ages 16-29. The gold medal winner performs with the Spokane Symphony in the Young Artist Concert at the Fox Theater, and receives a cash prize. Ballet Young Artist performer performs in the Festival Highlights Concert at the Myrtle Woldson Performing Arts Center, and receives a cash prize. Memory is required unless otherwise stated. Piano accompaniment is required when appropriate. Participants may be chosen to play on the KPBX public radio at the discretion of the adjudicator.
REED CHAMBER MUSIC CLASS
Welcome to the Reed Chamber Music Class!
The Reeds Chamber is designed for any group from a Duo to an Octet either of mixed or same instrumentation. Please register within the division that most accurately reflects the representation of your ensemble. Your ensemble may register for one chamber music class within each division that accurately reflects the instrumentation of your ensemble (for example, a piano trio with violin, piano and saxophone may choose to register for chamber classes within the piano division, string division, and reed division). Note that while only one registration should be submitted per ensemble per division, ALL performers should be listed on the registration form.
* R110 Reed Chamber Music 9th-12th Grade / Entry Fee: 60.00 USD
Time Limit: 15 minutes
* R111 Reed Chamber Music College Level / Entry Fee: 60.00 USD
Time Limit: 15 minutes
R112 Reed Chamber Music Adult Open / Entry Fee: 60.00 USD
Time Limit: 15 minutes
Qualifies for adjudication
REED INTRODUCTORY MASTERCLASS
Welcome to the Reed Introductory Masterclass!
We invite you to prepare a piece of your choice that best displays your musical ability and artistry.
Note: There are no medals awarded in this Section, participants are adjudicated and graded only. Selections performed in this class may not be played in any other division classes.
R11 Reed Introductory Masterclass 4th-6th Grade / Entry Fee: 40.00 USD
Time Limit: 15 minutes
R12 Reed Introductory Masterclass 7th-8th Grades / Entry Fee: 40.00 USD
Time Limit: 15 minutes
R13 Reed Introductory Masterclass 9th-10th Grade / Entry Fee: 40.00 USD
Time Limit: 15 minutes
R14 Reed Introductory Masterclass 11th-12th Grade / Entry Fee: 40.00 USD
Time Limit: 15 minutes
R15 Reed Introductory Masterclass College/Adult / Entry Fee: 40.00 USD
Time Limit: 15 minutes
REED SOLO CLASS
Welcome to the Reed Solo Class!
We invite you to prepare any selected solo work that best displays your musical ability and artistry.
Note:. Selections performed in this class may not be played in any other division classes. Selections do not need to be memorized.
* R2 Reed Solo 5th-6th Grade / Entry Fee: 40.00 USD
Time Limit: 15 minutes
* R3 Reed Solo 6th-8th Grade / Entry Fee: 40.00 USD
Time Limit: 15 minutes
* R4 Reed Solo 9th-10th Grade / Entry Fee: 40.00 USD
Time Limit: 15 minutes
* R5 Reed Solo 11th-12th Grade / Entry Fee: 40.00 USD
Time Limit: 15 minutes
** R6 Reed Solo Class 6 College/Adult / Entry Fee: 40.00 USD.
The winner of the College/Adult Solo class, with a grade of 97 or above, will receive a Gold Medal and the opportunity to perform in our College Collage Concert on Thursday night, May 15th, in the Myrtle Woldson PAC.
To be eligible for an award, participants must be available to play at the First Annual College Collage on Thursday night. If the winner of the class cannot take advantage of an award, it may be offered to a qualified alternate, as determined by the adjudicator.
Participants may not enter the Reed Young Artist in the same year.
Time Limit: 15 minutes
REED ADJUDICATORS CHOICE CLASS
We invite you to prepare a piece that best displays your musical ability and artistry.
For Grades 11 & 12 only.
To be eligible for an award, participants must be available to play at the Festival Highlights Concert on Friday, May 16, 2025. If the winner of the class cannot take advantage of an award, it may be offered to a qualified alternate, as determined by the adjudicator.
The winners, with a grade of 97 or above, will receive a Gold Medal and must perform in the Festival Highlights Concert.
** R9A Reed Adjudicators Choice 11th-12th Grade /
Entry Fee: 40.00 USD
Time Limit: 15 minutes
REED CONCERTO CLASS
Welcome to the Reed Concerto Class!
We invite you to prepare a single movement of a concerto that best displays your musical ability and artistry.
Note: Memorization not required.
* R7 Reed Concerto 9th-12th Grade / Entry Fee: 40.00 USD
Time Limit: 15 minutes
* R8 Reed Concerto College/Adult / Entry Fee: 40.00 USD
Time Limit: 15 minutes
REED YOUNG ARTIST CLASS
We invited you to perform a selected piece(s) of your choice, as well as the required concerto movement for your respective instrument (listed below). This class requires participation in both sections.
- Entry Fee for Young Artist Class is $100
- The Young Artist Participant must be between the ages of 16 and 29, inclusive, on May 1st prior to the festival.
- Performance Requirements for this class are as follows: (see below for section details)
- R1A – Personal Choice Solo
- R1B – Required Repertoire
The winner, with a grade of at least 97, will receive an award of $500 and must be available to play with the Spokane Symphony Orchestra at the Young Artist Concert. The concert will be on Friday, October 10th, 2025 at 7:30 p.m. with a rehearsal on either October 8th or 9th.
- Gold Medal Prize – $500
Notes:
A teacher may not accompany their own student in this class.
Young Artist winners are not eligible to compete as a Young Artist in the same division in any subsequent festival.
Young Artist participants may not participate in multiple Young Artist divisions in the same festival year. Young Artist participants may participate in Adjudicator Choice classes, however they will not be eligible for an Adjudicator Choice Award if they have been selected as winner in their Young Artist class.
See Rules and Regulations on Festival home page.
* R1A Reed Young Artist Personal Choice Section
May include more than one piece, but may not exceed the time limit of 15 minutes.
Memorization not required.
Time Limit: 15 minutes
* R1B Reed Young Artist Required Repertoire Section
Time Limit: 15 minutes
Memory not required.
Required Concerto Repertoire:
- Bassoon – Concerto for Bassoon in F Major, Op. 75 Movement I- Allegro ma non troppo – Carl Maria von Weber
- Clarinet – Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra in A major, K. 622, III. Rondo: Allegro – W.A. Mozart
- Oboe – Oboe Concerto No. 1 in D Minor, I. Allegro – Ludwig August Lebrun
- Alto Sax – Tableaux de Provence (“Pictures of Provence”) – IV. Dis alyscamps l’amo souspire / Des alyscamps l’âme soupire (“A Sigh on the Soul for the Alyscamps) and V. Lou cabridan / Le cabridan(“The Southern Hornet”) – Paule Maurice
Please review all Festival Rules & Regulations prior to registration.
Lesley Rausch
David Turnbull
Jabarie Glass
Philip Aaberg
Daniel Velasco
Vern Sielert
Brent Edstrom
Eugene Jablonsky
Derek Munson
Silvan Negruţiu
Nancy Breth
Jee Wong
Pierce Emata
Todd Goranson
Sally Singer Tuttle
Margaret Baldridge
Dr. Louise Toppin
Danny Gurwin
Lesley Rausch
Lesley Rausch grew up in Columbus, Ohio, training at Columbus Youth Ballet under
Shir Lee Wu and later at Pacific Northwest Ballet School. She attended summer
intensives at the School of American Ballet, International Dance School, and PNBS.
Lesley joined Pacific Northwest Ballet in 2001, rising to soloist in 2007, and became a
principal in 2011 before retiring in 2023. She captivated audiences in principal roles
across full-length ballets by Kent Stowell, Alexei Ratmansky, Peter Boal, Ronald Hynd
and Jean-Christophe Maillot, as well as in original works by legendary choreographers
George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, William Forsythe, Twyla Tharp, Jiri Kylián, Nacho
Duato, Crystal Pite, David Dawson, Christopher Wheeldon, and many others. She also
originated roles in new works by Jessica Lang, Benjamin Millepied, Edwaard Liang, Val
Caniparoli, and Kiyon Gaines Ross.
A sought-after guest artist, she has performed at the Chicago Dancing Festival, Nevada
Ballet Theatre, Ballet Hawaii, and the Nantucket Atheneum Dance Festival, among
others, and has danced on renowned stages in New York City, Paris, London, Los
Angeles, Washington DC, Istanbul, and Hong Kong.
Beyond performing, Lesley has been a guest instructor at Central Pennsylvania Youth
Ballet, Ballet Hawaii, Evergreen City Ballet, and Montana Ballet Company, where she
also choreographed and staged excerpts of Swan Lake. She was on faculty at Pacific
Northwest Ballet School (2017–2023) and currently teaches at Adage Ballet Academy.
Lesley is a Stott-certified Pilates instructor and certified instructor in Tai Ji Quan: Moving
for Better Balance as well as Madeline Black Series One and Two, specializing in private
instruction for rehabilitation and dance training.
David Turnbull
Associate Director, Professor, Trumpet, Area Coordinator of Brass and Percussion
Dr. David Turnbull, professor of music, coordinates the Brass and Percussion Area in the School of Music at Washington State University. He plays trumpet with the WSU Faculty Brass Quintet and performs with Jazz Northwest (the WSU Faculty Jazz Ensemble).
Recently, Dr. Turnbull joined the Fountain City Brass Band as a cornet player. The Fountain City Brass Band, founded in 2002 (based in Kansas City) draws its membership from around the United States. Since their first competition in 2004, the Fountain City Brass Band has won seven U.S. Open Brass Band Championships and six North American Brass Band Championships.
Turnbull holds a Doctor of Musical Arts Degree in Trumpet Solo Performance from Arizona State University. He holds a Master of Music Degree in Trumpet Solo Performance from Arizona State University and a Bachelor of Music Degree in Education from Hastings College in Hastings, Nebraska. He also graduated from the Cooperative Urban Teacher Education Program at Rockhurst College in Kansas City, Missouri.
Turnbull adjudicates throughout the Northwest for marching band competitions and concert band and jazz festivals. His students compete in and win local, national and international competitions.
Philip Aaberg
Philip Aaberg, of Chester, Montana, is known worldwide for his compositions that evoke the spaciousness and beauty of the Western landscape. A Harvard graduate, courtesy of a Leonard Bernstein Scholarship, he has performed with the Boston Pops, Peter Gabriel, Elvin Bishop, and at the Marlboro Chamber Music Festival. He has toured solo in Europe and Japan and released thirteen solo albums… “Live From Montana” was nominated for a Grammy. He is also an Emmy nominee for “All-American Jazz” and for his score for “Class C:The Only Game in Town”. Recipient of a Montana Governor’s Award for the Arts, 2011 Artist’s Innovation Award, an honorary doctorate in music from Montana State University in 2013, and 2015 Montana Governor’s Humanities Award.
Daniel Velasco
Daniel Velasco is an award-winning flutist whose “standout” and “vibrant” performances (Miami Herald) have taken him around the world. He is the first-prize winner of the National Flute Association’s Young Artist Competition, WAMSO Minnesota Orchestra Competition, MTNA Young Artist Competition, Claude Monteux Flute Competition, among others. A Yamaha performing artist, his first solo album, Flauta Andina, with Ellen Sommer (piano), was released in 2022 under the Naxos label.
He has been featured as a guest performer at recital series and flute events across the United States as well as the Swedish Flute Association Convention, the Guadalajara-Mexico Vientos de Otoño Festival, the Festival Internacional de Flautistas en la Mitad del Mundo in Ecuador, the Milan Conservatory, and the Instituto Cervantes in Paris.
Velasco earned a doctoral degree from the University of Miami (Frost School of Music), and holds degrees from the University of Michigan, the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Northern Iowa. His main teachers include Angeleita Floyd, Marianne Gedigian, Amy Porter and Trudy Kane. He serves as Associate Professor of Flute at the University of Kansas.
Vern Sielert
Vern Sielert is Professor of Trumpet and Jazz Studies at the University of Idaho. He holds BM degrees in jazz studies and music education, and a MM degree in jazz studies from the University of North Texas, and a DMA in trumpet performance from the University of Illinois. His compositions and arrangements for jazz orchestra are performed by high school, college and professional groups around the world, including the C.U.G. Big Band (Japan), U.S. Army Jazz Ambassadors, U.S. Army Blues, and the Count Basie Orchestra. His playing can be heard on recent recordings by the Jim Knapp Orchestra, Unhinged Sextet, Palouse Jazz Project, Dan Gailey Jazz Orchestra, Greg Yasinitsky’s YAZZ Band, Bob Curnow Big Band, and Phil Kelly’s Northwest Prevailing Winds. Selected arrangements and compositions are published by Sierra Music.
Silvan Negruţiu
Hailed as “a startling and authentic pianist displaying rich imagination and brilliant vigor, whose precision and splendor of keyboard sound certainly inspire a transcendental reality” (The Musical News Journal), Silvan Negruţiu has performed on major international stages, from the Kennedy Center in Washington DC to Ireland’s National Concert Hall, the Romanian Athenaeum in Bucharest, the Xi’an Concert Hall in China, the Showa Recital Hall in Tokyo, and the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. His recent albums released by Centaur Records, “Bagatelles” (2021) and “Carl Roskott: Works for Violin” (2018) have garnered rave reviews and a Silver Medal from Global Music Awards. As an artist, a teacher, and a scholar, Silvan Negruțiu embraces the exploration of rare piano literature, along with the advancement of arts entrepreneurship in higher education. He holds degrees from Shenandoah Conservatory in Virginia, the Royal Irish Academy of Music and Dublin City University in Ireland, and the Romanian National University of Music in Bucharest. Silvan Negruțiu serves as the Kitt Endowed Professor in Piano and Director of Piano Studies in the Kitt School of Music at Northern Arizona University. Prior to this appointment, he taught at Millikin University, Shenandoah Conservatory, and the Royal Irish Academy of Music.
Nancy Breth
Nancy Breth grew up in Spokane, where as a student of Margaret Saunders Ott she played in the Greater Spokane Music Festival every year. So MusicFest Northwest occupies a special place in her heart; she is honored to return as an adjudicator.
Nancy teaches piano and chamber music to students of all ages in the Washington DC metro area. Her students have been winners or finalists in local, national and international piano and chamber music competitions. Several appeared on National Public Radio’s “From the Top;” four of her duet teams won MTNA’s national Duet Competition. She enjoys frequent speaking engagements at teachers’ conferences throughout the country, and has been chosen to present at MTNA’s national conference eight times.
Nancy created the Modern Piano Music List as a tool to bring more 20th and 21st century music into our studios. This unique resource for teachers and students of all levels provides links to video performances and purchase sources of over 200 modern piano pieces.
Breth publications (Hal Leonard Corp.) include several books on practicing and Six Songs from John Gay’s The Beggar’s Opera, a set of piano trios for beginners. Her YouTube channel Effective Practicing features short videos of her favorite practice tips.
Jee Wong
Jee Wong received his Master’s degree in Piano Performance and Piano Pedagogy from the University of Montana. He was a staff artist, workshop presenter and adjudicator for Yamaha Piano Company in Japan from 1995 – 1999. He has performed with the late pianist George Winston, choreographer Karen Kaufmann, and R&B artist Brian McKnight. He served as a studio musician for KA by Cirque du Soleil, Lionel Ritchie and Kane Brown.
In the 2024 season his concerts will showcase music by Carlos Chavez, Manuel Ponce and Miguel Jimenez in Mexico, Puerto Rico and South East Asia.
Mr. Wong is a Nationally Certified Teacher of Music (NCTM) and an adjudicator for Music Teachers National Association (MTNA). He is currently the President of the Las Vegas Federation of the Music Clubs. In 2024 he inaugurated the Las Vegas Sonata – Sonatina Festival. In 2022 he was awarded the Nevada Music Teacher Association’s Outstanding Music Teacher Award, then in 2023 he was given the Outstanding Service Award by Las Vegas Music Teachers Association.
Mr. Wong is passionate about bring performances to community and schools. His fundraising concerts have raised funds to benefit Corazon de Vida, an organization provide life changing support for abandoned and orphaned children in Baja, Mexico.
Pierce Emata
Across the United States and abroad, in addition to traditional solo concert and orchestral appearances, Bluthner Artist Pierce Kagari Emata is well known for his innovative and entertaining commentary-concerts, trademarked and titled Concerts & Conversation. These presentations bring audiences closer to the artist, his personal experiences, the music, and the personal lives of various composers by including commentaries at various levels with a solo concert. These performances have also been broadcast on National Public Radio affiliates in various states.
Todd Goranson
Todd Goranson, DMA, RN, is Professor of Saxophone and Bassoon at Messiah University (Pennsylvania), where he also teaches music entrepreneurship and jazz curriculum. He holds performance degrees from the University of Idaho and the Doctor of Musical Arts from West Virginia University. An advocate for musicians’ health, he is also a registered nurse who has authored health-related articles and presented at major music conferences and universities throughout the United States.
Dr. Goranson’s diverse saxophone performance credits include performances with Ray Charles, The Temptations, The Four Tops, Johnny Mathis, Utah Symphony, Dallas Winds, and Harrisburg Symphony. He has performed as bassoonist with over twenty professional orchestras in the US, Mexico, Sweden, and China. Goranson is the former principal bassoonist for the Plano Symphony and Irving Symphony, where he performed from 2002-2012. He is a founding member of Triforia Winds, Junction Saxophone Quartet, and Trio Atlantis.
A prolific performer and clinician, he has given concerts and clinics throughout the US and in the United Kingdom, China, Sweden, Mexico, Malaysia, Thailand, Canada, and Puerto Rico. Goranson is a Vandoren Paris Artist-Clinician and Yanagisawa Saxophones Artist. He adjudicates regularly for the ENKOR International Music Competition and for Music in the Parks Festivals.
Sally Singer Tuttle
British-born cellist Dr. Sally Singer Tuttle, noted by The Strad Magazine for her “transforming sweep of gossamer beauty”, has performed as a soloist with the Pleven Philharmonic, Bulgaria, the Stony Brook Symphony Orchestra, New York, the Danbury Symphony, Connecticut, the Washington-Idaho Symphony Orchestra, Wenatchee Valley Symphony Orchestra, Walla Walla Symphony Orchestra and the St. Petersburg Chamber Philharmonic, Russia, amongst others. Chamber performance highlights include the Tanglewood Music Center, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Alice Tully Hall in New York, first prize in the John Ireland Chamber Music Competition, British National Television appearances and the Australian and American Embassies in Ghana. Sally is a member of the Volta Piano Trio, (formerly the Icicle Creek Piano Trio), who released three highly acclaimed albums. Fanfare Magazine wrote of the recording of Schubert’s Piano Trio no. 2 in Eb major, “The performance by this trio comes as close to being “definitive” as any I expect to hear in my lifetime”. Sally attended the Royal Northern College of Music, UK, as an undergraduate and postgraduate student and went on to earn a Doctorate in Musical Arts from Stony Brook University, New York, where she studied with Timothy Eddy. She currently teaches cello at Whitman College.
Sally Singer Tuttle
British-born cellist Dr. Sally Singer Tuttle, noted by The Strad Magazine for her “transforming sweep of gossamer beauty”, has performed as a soloist with the Pleven Philharmonic, Bulgaria, the Stony Brook Symphony Orchestra, New York, the Danbury Symphony, Connecticut, the Washington-Idaho Symphony Orchestra, Wenatchee Valley Symphony Orchestra, Walla Walla Symphony Orchestra and the St. Petersburg Chamber Philharmonic, Russia, amongst others. Chamber performance highlights include the Tanglewood Music Center, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Alice Tully Hall in New York, first prize in the John Ireland Chamber Music Competition, British National Television appearances and the Australian and American Embassies in Ghana. Sally is a member of the Volta Piano Trio, (formerly the Icicle Creek Piano Trio), who released three highly acclaimed albums. Fanfare Magazine wrote of the recording of Schubert’s Piano Trio no. 2 in Eb major, “The performance by this trio comes as close to being “definitive” as any I expect to hear in my lifetime”. Sally attended the Royal Northern College of Music, UK, as an undergraduate and postgraduate student and went on to earn a Doctorate in Musical Arts from Stony Brook University, New York, where she studied with Timothy Eddy. She currently teaches cello at Whitman College.
Margaret Baldridge
Dr. Margaret Nichols Baldridge, combines an extensive and diverse performance calendar with an active teaching schedule both in the United States and abroad. Performances include concerts, master classes, festivals, and tours with The Sapphire Trio, The Montana Piano Trio, as Leader of the String Orchestra of the Rockies, as concertmaster of the Missoula Symphony and as professor of violin and viola at the University of Montana. Dr. Baldridge is a sought-after teacher and adjudicator. She maintains a large studio at the University and also at the pre-college level. Her former students are successful professional musicians and teachers. Recently her students have been MTNA state winners and National finalists. From 1997-2008 Dr. Baldridge was artist faculty at the Brevard Music Festival.
Jabarie Glass
Jabarie Glass is the Associate Director of Choral Studies at the University of South Carolina, where he conducts University Chorus and Gamecock Chorale and teaches courses in conducting and choral pedagogy. His varied conducting experience includes work with university, secondary, community, festival, and church ensembles. Choral organizations under his leadership have been selected to perform at the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) Southern Region Conference, the Mississippi-ACDA Conference, and the South Carolina Music Educators Association Conference.
He has led conducting masterclasses and presented interest sessions at state, regional, and national conferences of ACDA; has published in The Choral Journal; and serves as the Student Activities Coordinator for ACDA Southern Region.
Having led an accomplished high school and middle school choral program for nine years, he is in high demand as a clinician and conductor for festival choruses. Notable engagements include conducting the ACDA Southwestern Region 10-12 Mixed Choir and All-State choirs in Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, North Carolina, and Wisconsin.
Glass earned dual bachelor’s degrees in music education and business administration from the University of Mississippi, a master’s in music education from Florida State University, and a doctorate in conducting from the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance.
Louise Toppin
Dr. Louise Toppin has received critical acclaim for her operatic, orchestral, oratorio and recital performances world-wide. Represented by Joanne Rile Management, she toured “Gershwin on Broadway” with pianist Leon Bates. She has recorded more than eighteen commercial CDs including on Albany Records Ah love, but a day, and La Saison des fleurs. Since 2021 she has published 13 scores including An Anthology of African and African Diaspora Songs, and Rediscovering Margaret Bonds.
Recent performances include: world premiere of Julia Perry’s Frammenti dalla lettere di Santa Caterina with the Akron Symphony Orchestra, performances with Julia Bullock and the New World Symphony, co-curated and sang festival of Black Music in Hamburg, Germany with Thomas Hampson and Larry Brownlee, performance at the U.S. Capitol for Congress and President Obama, and for the opening of the Smithsonian’s African American Heritage Museum.
She has appeared on NPR’s All Things Considered; co-hosts the Minnesota Orchestra “Listening Project”concerts, and hosts her own show Conversations in African American music. She has been a guest on college campuses including Harvard, Yale, Duke, and many others. Co-founder and Director of the George Shirley Vocal Competition on repertoire by African American composers, and Director of Videmus (non-profit organization that promotes the concert repertoire of African American composers), she also founded the Africandiasporamusicproject.org research tool.
Previously, Dr. Toppin was the Distinguished University Professor of Music and Chair of the Department of Music at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. She is currently University Distinguished Professor of Diversity and Social Transformation and Professor of Music (Voice), at The University of Michigan. For more www.louisetoppin.com.
Danny Gurwin
DANNY GURWIN – Danny is a MAC, Elly, and Arty-Award winning director and a BroadwayWorld, Eddon, and Barrymore award-winning actor and singer. Broadway credits include Little Women, Urinetown, The Scarlet Pimpernel, The Full Monty, Kismet, A Little Night Music, and How The Grinch Stole Christmas. Off-Broadway, Danny has starred in Forbidden Broadway, A New Brain, The Thing About Men, R & J, and many, many others. Numerous television and regional shows, concert work, and cast recordings. As a renowned director, teacher, clinician & guest artist, Danny has taught at The University of Michigan, UCLA, Western Michigan University, Youngstown University, Clark College, AMDA – LA, both the prestigious Las Vegas and Orange County Schools of the Arts, ChiArts, the Professional School for the Arts, the Showchoir Camps of America, Making It On Broadway Intensives, 6 Days of Broadway at the Segerstrom Center for the Performing Arts, and is former Head of Acting/Musical Theatre at the University of Arizona. Danny is currently Head of Musical Theatre at Oakland University in Michigan. He holds a BFA in Musical Theatre from the University of Michigan.
Brent Edstrom
BRENT EDSTROM– Brent Edstrom’s performance credits include several years as a touring musical director, arranger, and pianist for recording artist, Freda Payne, as well as performances with well-known performers and conductors including Clark Terry, Carmen Bradford, John Clayton, Gunther Schuller, Victor Wooten, and many others. He recently recorded an album of original songs with jazz artists Tierney Sutton, Jeff Hamilton, and Jon Hamar.
Edstrom has published more than 100 note-for-note transcriptions of historically significant jazz musicians including Art Tatum, Bill Evans, Oscar Peterson, and Kenny Barron. He authored 65 volumes for Hal Leonard Corporation’s Jazz Piano Solos Series and his compositions have been performed throughout the US and Europe. In 2020, the orchestral version of his song cycle, Prairie Songs: Remembering Ántonia, was selected as a national finalist for the American Prize in composition.
Edstrom’s research explores the intersection of music, computer science, and electronics, and he just completed a third book for Oxford University Press titled Sound and Music Projects for Eurorack and Beyond. Edstrom has taught at Whitworth University since 2001 where he holds the Amy M. Ryan Endowed Professorship.
Derek Munson
DEREK MUNSON– Derek Munson is a dynamic and versatile drummer who has made his mark on the Pacific Northwest music scene. With over 30 years of experience, he is equally at home in jazz, funk, R&B, country, rock, and even progressive metal. His diverse career spans professional symphonies, theater pit orchestras, drum and bugle corps, big bands, small group jazz, percussion ensembles, and more.
Known primarily as a jazz player, Derek has performed alongside many of his musical heroes, including Bob Mintzer, Randy Brecker, Paquito D’Rivera, Bobby Shew, Jeff Clayton, John Clayton, John Fedchock, Andy Martin, Jeff Hamilton, and Peter Erskine. He has also backed internationally renowned artists such as Petula Clark, Marie Osmond, and Frank Sinatra Jr. His ability to blend technical precision with deep musicality has made him a sought-after player in many settings.
Beyond the stage, Derek has extensive touring and studio experience, including multiple national tours with Nashville-based singer/songwriter Aaron English and Denver rock powerhouse Xiren. His work in the studio spans multiple genres, where his adaptability and groove have contributed to numerous recordings.
Currently, Derek holds the drum chair for the Bob Curnow Big Band and the Spokane Jazz Orchestra while maintaining a busy performance schedule across the Pacific Northwest.
Eugene Jablonsky
EUGENE JABLONSKY– Diversity and innovation have been the guideposts for Eugene Jablonsky’s career as a performer and teacher. After graduating from the Curtis Institute of Music, he performed in the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra, freelanced in orchestras in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Ohio, and played in the Grand Teton Festival Orchestra. Eugene moved to Spokane in 1985 when he joined the Spokane Symphony. He performs in the Spokane Jazz Orchestra, and has performed with guest jazz artists including Doc Severinson, Marian McPartland, Byron Stripling, jazz violinists Darol Anger and Johnny Frigo, and Gunther Schuller’s Ragtime Ensemble. Eugene has taught jazz and classical bass, and directed small ensembles at Whitworth University, Gonzaga University and Eastern Washington University. He also earned a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Washington State University followed by a stint teaching music in the Central Valley School District. Eugene Jablonsky enjoys performing an eclectic mix of music with Tango Volcado, the Brent Edstrom Trio, klezmer music with The Kosher Red Hots and Celtic music with the Howling Gaels.
Meet our 2025 Adjudicators and clinicians
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