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FULL-TIME FACULTY
ADJUNCT FACULTY Nels Leonard, Jr.
Richard L. Brown rbrown@westliberty.edu Dr. Richard Brown is an Associate Professor of Music and is currently in his tenth year at West Liberty State College, where his duties include elementary and secondary teaching methods classes for music majors, music methods for elementary education majors, band instrument repair, and supervision of student teachers. He was also the master teacher of instrumental music at the 2001 and 2002 West Virginia Governors School for the Arts. He is currently president of West Virginia Music Educators Association, and is on the Executive Board of the Southern Division of MENC: The National Association for Music Education. Prior to his appointment at West Liberty, he was Chair of the Department of Music, Theatre, and Dance at Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre, PA where he taught a variety of music and music education classes. Dr. Brown also taught at Hanover College in Hanover, Indiana, where he directed the wind ensemble, the chamber orchestra, pep bands, and taught a variety of music and music education classes. He has 12 years experience in public school teaching, which includes K-3 general music, middle school vocal, general, and instrumental music, and high school band. He holds a Bachelor of Music Education Degree from Morehead State University, a Master of Music degree from Bowling Green State University, and a PhD in Music Education with a Cognate in Child Development from Michigan State University. He has presented numerous workshops on music for special learners and music teacher preparation in Pennsylvania and West Virginia, and served as a guest conductor of band and orchestra honours ensembles in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. Linda Cowan lcowan@westliberty.edu
Soprano Linda Cowan holds the Bachelor of Science in Music Education from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, the Master of Music in Vocal Performance from Indiana State University, and the Doctor of Musical Arts from Rutgers University’s Mason Gross School of the Arts, where she studied with Judith Nicosia and Faith Esham. She has had many opportunities to perform in the genres of opera, musical theater, theater, oratorio, and the concert hall. Some of her major roles have included the Countess/Marriage of Figaro, Micaela/Carmen, (Ariel in Shakespeare’s Tempest), Bellamy in The Fantasticks, M’lynn in Steel Magnolias, Baker’s Wife in Into the Woods, and Domina in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. (Her directing experience includes the musicals Mame and The ThreePenny Opera.) She served as vocal director for West Liberty productions of Scrooge, Godspell and A Little Night Music. (She held the dual roles of performer/music director for three summers at the ISU Summer Stage Cabaret, an Actors Equity company.) Dr. Cowan made her New York City debut singing the Brahms Requiem at the church of St. Luke’s in the Fields in Greenwich Village. Other oratorio performances include Mozart’s Coronation Mass, Haydn’s Creation, Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms, the Durufle and Mozart Requiem, Handel’s Messiah and Dubois’ Seven Last Words of Christ. She has concretized extensively in NJ, IN, PA and West Virginia. At West Liberty, Dr. Cowan teaches private and class voice, diction, and musical theater/opera workshop classes. She also maintains a small private voice studio consisting of some of the area’s top voice high school students. Alfred R. de Jaager dejaager@westliberty.edu
Alfred R. de Jaager is the Interim Dean of the School of Liberal Arts at West Liberty. He holds degrees from the Oberlin College Conservatory of Music (Bachelor of Music) and West Virginia University (Master of Music). He holds the ChoirMaster Certificate from the American Guild of Organists (1964) and has completed additional graduate studies at West Virginia University, Westminister Choir College, The University of Texas at Austin, North Texas State University, and the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. In addition to his duties as Dean, Professor de Jaager directs the All-College Chorus and the Chamber Choir. He also teaches conducting and music literature classes. Professor de Jaager was given the Award of Excellence by The American Choral Directors Association of West Virginia in 2002. And recently, he received the 2006 Professor of the Year award from the WLSC Student Government Association. back to top Matthew D. Harder mharder@westliberty.edu
Matthew D. Harder is Assistant Professor of percussion and music technology at West Liberty. Dr. Harder teaches Electronic Music, Recording Techniques, Music Appreciation, Fundamentals of Percussion and private lessons in Percussion and Composition. Dr. Harder has been employed at institutions of higher learning in Illinois, Ohio, Wisconsin and Florida. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Illinois Wesleyan University, two Masters degrees from Bowling Green State University (Percussion and Composition), and a Doctor of Music degree in Composition from Northwestern University. Dr. Harder is active as a performer, clinician and composer who has had his works performed in numerous cities around the country. Most recently, his piece Bagatudes for clarinet and piano was performed by the chamber group Juventas last Spring in Cambridge, MA. Dr. Harder has been commissioned to write music for a wide variety of instruments and electronic media. His compositions have received numerous awards, including the William T. Faricy award for creative composition from Northwestern University in 2000, and a performance of his orchestral piece Catharsis by the Cleveland Chamber Symphony in 1998.
Matthew Inkster minkster@westliberty.edu
Matthew Inkster is the Director of Bands at West Liberty State College where he conducts the Wind and Jazz Ensembles and coordinates the brass area. He recently served in a similar capacity at the D’Angelo School of Music, Mercyhurst College. Inkster is in demand as a guest conductor and clinician. He has specialized in conducting the music of our time, and he has led ensembles on several compact disc recordings of new music on American and European labels. His performances have been heard on national and regional NPR and worldwide on the BBC. Dr. Inkster is Artistic Co-Director of Winds on the Lake, a professional chamber ensemble of some of the finest musicians from the greater Tri-State Lake Region including Cleveland, Buffalo, Pittsburgh, and Erie. Reception of this ensemble has been warm and accolades have been numerous. The group is committed to the performance and promotion of seldom-heard compositions for chamber and orchestral winds by familiar composers, as well as works by contemporary composers. The ensemble plans to extend its season from its current three concerts per year to six or more by touring in an expanded geographic area. Inkster is also active as a trumpet soloist, recitalist, and clinician and has performed in 45 states and across Europe. He is Principal Trumpet of the Symphony of the Mountains (Tennessee/Virginia), and has held similar positions with the Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra, the Chapman and Redlands Symphony Orchestras (California). He is the recipient of numerous honors and awards, and he has competed in a number of the most prestigious trumpet competitions across the world: the Prague Spring International Music Competition, The International Trumpet Guild Solo Competition, the National Trumpet Competition, and the MTNA National Collegiate Artist Competition. Dr. Inkster is the WVMEA Research and Grants Chair and has recently served as the Composition Contest Chairman for the International Trumpet Guild. He has a number of research articles submitted for publication in the Journal of the International Trumpet Guild and in the Journal of Research in Music Education. He holds the degrees Doctor of Music (The Florida State University), Master of Music (University of Redlands), and Bachelor of Music Education (University of Wyoming). Dr. Inkster has taught in the public schools of Wyoming, California, and Florida. Gerald Lee glee@westliberty.edu
Harald Wiesner hwiesner@westliberty.edu Dr. Harald Wiesner is Professor of Music Theory, Ear Training, and Music Literature at West Liberty. Dr. Wiesner holds degrees from University of Richmond (B.A. 1961), Texas Christian University (M. Mus. 1965) and Northwestern University (D. Mus. 1968). Curtis Johnson creativemusic@comcast.net
Curtis Johnson, retired Associate Professor of Music at West Virginia University, had been on the WVU faculty for twenty years. He received his Master of Music degree in saxophone performance from West Virginia University and his Bachelor of Music Degree from West Liberty State College. Mr. Johnson's career continues to thrive as performer, soloist, clinician, adjudicator, and conductor. Classically, Mr. Johnson has performed on numerous North American Saxophone Conference programs, World Saxophone Congress programs, and national Saxophone Symposium programs. He has performed as soloist with the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra and worked as arranger and performer with the Wheeling Symphony Orchestra and substitute performer for the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Johnson is one of the founding members of The Traverser Saxophone Quartet. This quartet gives numerous performances each year, sponsors the annual Traverser Saxophone Symposium, and completed a tour of Central Europe in Spring 2005. Mr. Johnson is also a renowned R&B performer having played with Ray Charles, Little Anthony, Aretha Franklin, The Temptations, Isaac Hayes, Lou Rawls, The Spinners, B. J. Thomas, Tony Orlando and Dawn, Dionne Warwick, Martha Reeves, Cheryl Lynn, and numerous others. He is currently a member of the hugely popular Pittsburgh-based "No Bad JuJu" R&B band, which has released its' second CD. Mr. Johnson has been recorded on over 50 CD's including jazz, blues, rock, and R&B. He has also performed on, written, and produced numerous radio and television commercials, compact disc recordings, and film scores. In 1999, as Associate Artistic Director, The Real Silk Band released its first CD entitled Metamorphosis. The Real Silk Band was named the 1999 winner of the Harry S. Schwalb Award as Pittsburgh's best jazz band; the band also earned radio station WAMOÕs award for best jazz performance in both 2000 and 2001. Mr. JohnsonÕs current jazz group, The Phoenix Jazz Project, recently completed a successful tour of central Europe. As active as he has been in his performance career, Mr. Johnson has never left the classroom. Jazz education continues to be Mr. JohnsonÕs forte. He began his career as Director of Jazz Studies at West Virginia University, taking several large ensembles and small groups to regional conferences and national performances. He has conducted numerous all-star high school and college bands, including The 1996 Maryland All-State Jazz Ensemble. Mr. Johnson serves as Artistic Director for the Krakow (Poland) School for Jazz and Contemporary Music Summer Jazz Academy. Creative Music Solutions, an organization run by Mr. Johnson since 2001, has sponsored numerous tours to Europe with various performing groups since 2002 and began sponsoring High School and College Jazz Ensemble tours to Europe during the Summer 2006. Mr. Johnson is an Artist/Clinician for the Yamaha Corporation of America Band and Orchestra Division. back to top Wendy Kumer wwkflute@aol.com Wendy Webb Kumer attended Duquesne University with a major in Music Education then earned a masters degree in Flute Performance from Carnegie Mellon University. She has been on the faculties of Carnegie Mellon, Slippery Rock and Duquesne Universities, and most recently West Liberty State College and Mercyhurst College teaching Flute, Music Theory, Ear Training, Woodwind Methods, and Flute Choir. Ms. Kumer is the founder and director of The Flute Academy, a full service music school for more than 100 flutists in classes, lessons and ensembles who perform throughout western Pennsylvania. She is an Artist/Clinician for the Conn Selmer Corporation, Music For All, and Bands of America, former Secretary for The Marcel Moyse Society, Immediate Past President of the Pittsburgh Flute Club, and a guest artist at several universities. Her yearly performance schedule includes solo recitals, chamber music concerts, and regular church appearances. Wendy was invited to conduct the National High School Flute Choir at the 2002 NFA convention, served as Secretary for the NFA from 2003-05, served as Local Arrangements Chair for the 2006 NFA convention and assistant program chair for the 2007 NFA convention.
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