MUSICIANS

Christopher Koch, Music Director/Conductor
Carlyle Sharpe, Artistic Advisor/Piano
Stephen Bomgardner, Tenor
Kathleen Cowens, Flute
Angel McGlasson, Oboe
Suzann Brewer, Clarinet
Allison Storochuk, Clarinet
Lia Southern, Bassoon
Tina Claussen, Saxophone
Lisa Casey, Horn
Tijuana Julian, Trumpet
Kelly O’Bryant, Tuba
Pamela Davis, Violin
Cristi Clark Harris, Violin
Kirsten Weingartner, Violin
Darrel Barnes, Viola/Horn
Kathy Murray, Viola
Jacque Trtan, Cello
Riley Robison, Double Bass
Robin Hendry, Percussion
Melinda Smashey, Piano
Darice Auguston, Harp

Darrel Barnes (Viola/Horn) grew up in Detroit, Michigan in a family who knew and loved music. At the age of 5, he began his studies on the violin and switched to viola, at age 9, when his school music teacher wanted to start a string quartet. In 1954, he received a scholarship to attend the National Music Camp at Interlochen, Michigan. From that experience he decided to concentrate his studies on the viola. At approximately this time he also began his study on the French horn. His mother was a professional horn player with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra for several years, so it was a natural progression in his musical career. At 18, Mr. Barnes entered the National Federation of Music Clubs Competition taking the first prize for winds on French horn. With interests now in both horn and viola, he determined to accept the first symphony position offered. The Detroit Symphony’s first opening was for viola, so that was the direction his life took from 1962-1965. In 1965, he successfully auditioned for the Philadelphia Orchestra under Eugene Ormandy, and became the youngest member at age 22. He also doubled in the French horn section. He left Philadelphia to become the Principal Violist of the St Louis Symphony, and later would become Principal Violist of the Indianapolis Symphony. While in St Louis, he was a member of the St. Louis String Quartet and also recorded several chamber music works for Vox records. For several years, Mr. Barnes was a full-time faculty member at Florida State University and later at Ithaca College, where he was a member of the renowned Lenox Quartet. He has also held positions as adjunct professor at Washington (St. Louis), Butler (Indianapolis) and DePauw (Terre Haute) Universities.

In 1991, while living in Indianapolis, Mr. Barnes severely damaged his left hand in a lawnmower accident. After much reconstructive surgery, including a toe transplant to his ring finger, he began the long, arduous process of rehabilitation. Mr. Barnes now freelances, has played with the Springfield and North Arkansas Symphony and is presently Principal Violist of the Ft. Smith, Arkansas Symphony. He revived his French horn career in 2002, and performs in chamber music and solo recitals. He is presently Adjunct Professor of violin/viola and special instructor of French horn at Drury University.

Stephen Bomgardner (Tenor) combines an active singing career with a successful teaching career. Specializing in character and buffo tenor parts, he has performed twenty-six opera roles such as Basilio (The Marriage of Figaro), Vasek (The Bartered Bride), and the Major General (The Pirates of Penzance).

Equally at home on the concert stage, he has performed as tenor soloist in thirty-five oratorios and symphonic works by such composers as Bach, Handel, Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven, Schubert, Mendelssohn and Britten.

He has given nearly seventy recitals in Boston, Minneapolis, Seattle, Houston, San Antonio, and numerous other cities across the United States. Recent performances include recitals at the Weisman Art Gallery in Minneapolis, the Cathedral Church of Saint Paul in Boston, and Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge.

He is a strong advocate of performing the music of living composers and has performed with Syzygy in Houston, ALEA III in Boston, and the Warebrooke Contemporary Music Festival in Vermont. He currently sings with Ensemble 21, the new music ensemble at Drury University. He has performed music by Carlyle Sharpe, Robert Sirota, Julia Rogers, Julian Wachner, Jonathan Newman, Juliana Hall and Andrew Jackson.

He is Associate Professor of Music at Drury University where he teaches voice and directs the Drury Opera. Previously, he taught at Minnesota State University, Gustavus Adolphus College, Pittsburg State University and the University of Texas-Pan American. He also spent four summers teaching at the Boston University Tanglewood Institute (BUTI), the high school component of the Tanglewood Music Festival.

He holds the Doctor of Musical Arts in Voice Performance from Boston University's School of Music, the Master of Music from Rice University's Shepherd School of Music, and the Bachelor of Music from Fort Hays State University.

Lisa Casey (Horn) holds the Principal Horn chair in the Springfield Symphony and also performs regularly with the Springfield Regional Opera and the Missouri Chamber Players. Originally from Manhattan, Kansas, she earned the Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory. Casey is Associate Professor of Music at Missouri State University where she teaches applied horn and performs with the Faculty Brass Quintet and Faculty Woodwind Quintet. 

Allison Storuchuk (Clarinet) has performed extensively in Canada, the United States, Japan, England, Australia, Belgium, and Austria. She has received degrees from Northwestern University, Arizona State University, and the University of Alberta. Allison received a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Solo Performance at Arizona State University where she was a graduate teaching assistant teaching clarinet at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. From 1998-2000, Dr. Storochuk was Visiting Assistant Professor of Clarinet at the University of Alberta. From 1996-1997, she taught the Private Lesson Program at Northwestern University. Currently Dr. Storochuk is the Assistant Professor of Clarinet at Missouri State University. Her major teachers include Russell Dagon (Northwestern University/ former Principal Clarinet of Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra), Dennis Prime (former Professor of Clarinet at the University of Alberta and Northwestern University), and Robert Spring (Arizona State University). Allison has been the recipient of numerous scholarships and awards. As a winner of the 1998 Johann Strauss Scholarship Award for the Advanced Study of Music in Austria, she studied at the Mozarteum in Salzburg with Alfred Prinz (Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra/ University of Music in Vienna) and Alois Brandhofer (Mozarteum/ Solo clarinetist of the Vienna Symphonic Orchestra and the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra). Allison has received other coaching from Lawrie Bloom (Northwestern University/ Chicago Symphony Orchestra) and Wolfgang Meyer (The Domaine Forget Academy of Music and Dance/ Recording Artist). She performs frequently with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, Saint Crispin’s Chamber Ensemble, Eastwest Quartet, Meritage (Flute/Clarinet/Piano Trio), Schlagnet (Clarinet/Percussion Duo) and is a member of the Springfield Symphony Orchestra and the Springfield Symphony Orchestra Woodwind Quintet, as well as the Missouri State University Faculty Woodwind Quintet. Allison was invited to perform at the International ClarinetFest in Ostend, Belgium in July of 1999 and at the International ClarinetFest in Atlanta, Georgia in August of 2006. Allison is an endorser and clinician for the G. Leblanc Corporation. She can be heard on the compact discs: BASHAW with Saint Crispin’s Chamber Ensemble on the Arktos label, Glossa (an Edmonton Composers’ Concert Society recording), and with the Northwestern University Contemporary Music Ensemble, and is featured on several CBC National Broadcasts.

Lia Southern (Bassoon) is originally from Cali, Colombia, where she earned her Bachelors degree in Bassoon Performance from Universidad Nacional de Colombia where she studied with Austrian professor and soloist Siegfried Miklin. While in Colombia, she played with the most renowned national orchestras: Orquesta Filarmonica de Bogota, Orquesta Sinfonica de Colombia, Orquesta de la Opera de Colombia and Orquesta Sinfonica del Valle. She also taught bassoon at the Javeriana University. After graduation, she earned a scholarship to attend the Banff Centre for the Arts in Alberta, Canada. 

Lia Southern earned her Master of Music degree from the University of Arkansas, where she studied under the direction of national recognized bassoonist and educator Richard Ramey. She also studied with Keith Sweger at Ball State University where she started her doctoral studies, and with Christopher Millard, Gustavo Nuñez and Barry Stees among others. Lia has given recitals and attended festivals in Colombia, Canada, several cities in the USA, Costa Rica, Finland, Puerto Rico and Ecuador.

In Springfield Lia Southern is at the time the bassoon instructor for Missouri State University. She performs on regular basis with Springfield Symphony Orchestra, Springfield Symphony quintet, Springfield-Drury Civic Orchestra and Ensemble 21.

Tina Claussen (Saxophone) is the Director of Jazz Studies at Drury University, where she also directs the Drury Jazz Festival and Drury Jazz Camp. Prior to her appointment at Drury, Claussen was on the faculty at Casper College in Casper, Wyoming, where she taught woodwinds and jazz. As a teaching assistant at the University of Kansas, she directed Jazz Ensemble II, Combo III and was Assistant Director of both the KU Jazz Workshop and KU Jazz Festival. While living in Kansas, Dr. Claussen was active as a performer in the Kansas City area, performing with the New Vintage and Boulevard Big Bands. In Springfield, she is the lead tenor player with the Jazz Educator’s Big Band, and the alto saxophonist with Reflections, a ten-piece dance band. Dr. Claussen has written several original compositions and arrangements for big bands and small jazz combos. Her compositions have been performed by KU Jazz Ensemble I, the KU Jazz Workshop faculty band, the Jim Widner Band and the Boulevard Big Band in Kansas City. She is also active as a clinician and adjudicator in the midwest and across the country, and will be the clinician for the Missouri Southcentral High School Honors Jazz Band this fall. In addition, she has been on the faculty of the KU Jazz Workshop for the past nine years. Dr. Claussen holds a B.S. in Secondary Music Education from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, an M.M. in Saxophone Performance from the University of Northern Colorado and a D.M.A. in Saxophone Performance from the University of Kansas.

Pamela Davis (Violin), a graduate of Indiana University, is the Concertmaster of the Chamber Orchestra of the Ozarks and Assistant Concertmaster of the Springfield Symphony. Pam is the elementary music educator and Children’s Choir Director in Branson. A former member of the Las Vegas Symphony and the Nevada Chamber Symphony, Pam also accompanied entertainers such as Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis, Jr., and Johnny Mathis in Las Vegas for over 14 years. Pam has also played in symphonies in Michigan, Mexico, and Florida, and was adjunct instructor of strings at College of the Ozarks for four years. She has recently completed the Master of Science in Educational Administration at Missouri State University.

Cristi Clark Harris (Violin) graduated from Southwest Baptist University (SBU) with a Bachelor of Music Degree in Instrumental Music Education. At SBU, she held the concertmaster position in the university orchestra for 4 years. In 2003 she was inducted into Pi Kappa Lambda, the National Music Honor Society. She has taught privately for 7 years and looks forward to teaching music overseas with her husband. She has played with various ensembles including, The Chamber Orchestra of the Ozarks, the Clara Fuson String Quartet, and Joyful Sounds String Quartet.

Tijuana Julian (Trumpet) is currently the Dean of Students at Drury University. In addition, she is also Professor of Music, teaching trumpet and several other lecture courses in music. Prior to returning to Drury University, Dr. Julian was on the faculty of Truman State University in Kirksville, MO. She is active in the Springfield area as a trumpet player performing as principal trumpet of the Springfield symphony Orchestra and Springfield Regional Opera orchestra. She frequently serves as an adjudicator, clinician, and soloist throughout Southwest Missouri. She was the recipient of the Burlington Northern Award for Faculty Achievement at Drury University and was awarded the 1996 Distinguished Faculty Award by the Drury Alumni Association. She has served on the Festivals committee of the Missouri arts council and on the Board of Directors of the Springfield Area Arts council. She was a finalist in the 1997 solo competition at the International Women’s Brass Conference held on the campus of Washington University in St. Louis. She was selected as a finalist by the American Council on Education in Washington, D.C. for their fellowship program in developing leaders in higher education administration. Recently, the Springfield Business Journal named her as one of the 20 most influential women in Southwest Missouri.

Christopher Koch (Music Director/Conductor) is currently assistant professor of music and Director of Orchestra and Wind Symphony at Drury University, Music Director of the Springfield-Drury Civic Orchestra, and Music Director of Ensemble 21, Springfield’s professional contemporary music ensemble. Previously, he served as Director of Instrumental Music at Bethel College, where he conducted the orchestra, opera, and wind ensemble, and taught applied flute. He received his Bachelor of Music degrees in flute performance and music education from the Eastman School of Music, Master of Music degrees in flute and orchestral conducting from the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music, and the Doctor of Musical Arts in conducting from the University of Washington. Koch has been music director of the Kansas City Repertory Orchestra, the Saint Lawrence Ensemble, and the Sydney (Australia) Flute Choir; assistant conductor of the Colorado Mahlerfest Orchestra, the Rochester Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, the University of Rochester Symphony, and the Kansas City Conservatory Orchestra, Opera, and Musica Nova. Recently, he appeared as guest conductor with the Springfield Symphony, served as Associate Conductor of the Salina Symphony Orchestra and conducted performances with the Hutchinson, Newton Mid-Kansas, and Timberline Symphony Orchestras. While in Seattle, Koch served as Chair of Music at the Northwest School, faculty at the Seattle Conservatory of Music, and as an interim instructor at the University of Washington, where he conducted the Wind Ensemble and Concert Band. In 1996, he received the Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship to Australia, where he was an active conductor and adjudicator. He is also a contributing author for the book series A Composer’s Insight: Thoughts, Analysis, and Commentary on Comtemporary Masterpieces for Wind Band (Meredith Music Publications). 

Angel McGlasson (Oboe) currently serves as adjunct oboe instructor at Drury University. She attended Southwest Missouri State University where she graduated with a B.S. in Education with a Diploma in Music. 
Angel is certified to teach K-12 vocal and instrumental music. She has served in two public school districts and in one private school in both vocal and instrumental education and in elementary music. She has been teaching oboe for 25 years and currently maintains a large studio of private oboe students. Angel has also taught oboe at three private colleges in the area – Drury University, Southwest Baptist University, and Evangel University since 1985. Currently she serves as the music instructor for the Second Baptist Church Child Development Center. Angel has been a long time musician in the Springfield area. Currently she plays in the Springfield Symphony, Springfield Regional Opera, Springfield Little Theatre, Chamber Orchestra of the Ozarks and the Second Baptist Church Orchestra. Angel also plays numerous other freelance jobs both in the Springfield area and in Branson. 

Kathy Murray (Viola) has degrees from Loyola University of New Orleans and the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. She is a member of the Chamber Orchestra of the Ozarks, the Ft. Smith Symphony and the Springfield Symphony. Kathy teaches theory and ear-training at Missouri State University and also works as an arranger and music copyist.

Carlyle Sharpe (Piano/Artistic Advisor) is Associate Professor of Music in Theory and Composition at Drury University. His works have attracted numerous performances and prizes including those from the San Diego Symphony, the American Guild of Organists, ECS Publishing and the Holtkamp Organ Company. Various commissions include those from the Seraphim Singers (Boston), Providence Singers, and the Olympic Quartet for the 2002 Winter Olympics Festival Concerts celebrating the Cultural Olympiad. His works have been broadcast over WGBH Radio-Boston, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and in national broadcasts by the Mormon Tabernacle choir and have been performed throughout the United States and abroad. He is published by ECS Publishing, Hinshaw Music, Inc. and Colla Voce Music, Inc., and holds the BM summa cum laude and MM in composition from Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music and the DMA in composition from Boston University. 

Robin Hendry (Percussion) has been living and working as a performer and teacher in the Ozarks region since 1995. His performance credits include set and percussion work at the Shoji Tabuchi Theater for 9 seasons, Silver Dollar City, percussion with the Springfield Symphony, and numerous sets in Springfield area venues. He currently holds teaching positions at Evangel University, Central Bible College and Drury University. Prior to relocating to Springfield, Robin performed and taught with a variety of ensembles and educational institutions in the St. Louis area, including the St. Louis Symphony, Opera Theater of St. Louis, MUNY, Fox Theater, and St. Louis University.

Melinda Smashey (Piano) is currently an Associate Professor of Music at Southwest Baptist University where she teaches piano and music theory. An active piano soloist and accompanist, she obtained the Bachelor of Music from Southwest Baptist University and the Master and Doctor of Music degrees in Piano Performance from the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

Jacqueline Trtan (Cello) is a graduate of the Conservatory at UMKC with a Bachelor of Music in cello performance. She has been an adjunct faculty member at Drury University for 19 years and is principal cellist of the Chamber Orchestra of the Ozarks and the Springfield Regional Opera. She is also the assistant principal of the Springfield Symphony and Director/Owner of the Stanton Strings. Prior to moving to Springfield, she was a freelance cellist in the Chicago, Kansas City, and New York areas where she played with many chamber and orchestral ensembles.

Kirsten Weingartner (Violin) has been playing the violin since the age of four. She grew up in a large and well-known Suzuki program and studied privately with John Kendall, one of the most prominent figures ever in Suzuki violin, for 14 years. Kirsten continued her studies at Illinois Wesleyan University, earning a BM in violin performance and then at DePaul University where she did her graduate work in viola performance. Kirsten has performed extensively as a member of many orchestras including the Walt Disney World All-American College Orchestra, the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, the Illinois Symphony and Chamber Orchestra, the Omaha Symphony and the Cedar Rapids Symphony. In 1993, she moved to Branson, MO to perform in the Wayne Newton show for a season and then spent 10 seasons as the violinist, violist and violin soloist with the Lawrence Welk Show which ended its run in 2004.

Currently, Kirsten is an active solo, orchestral and chamber musician and is also the violin instructor at College of the Ozarks.