Full-time Faculty

JON O. CARLSON, conductor, is director of choral activities and professor of music. He also serves as director of music at Southside United Methodist Church. He has a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Illinois. His choral experience includes singing under the batons of Leonard Bernstein, Joseph Krips, and Eugene Ormandy, and preparing choirs for the Butler Symphony, Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra and Jacksonville Symphony. He was the artistic director of the St. John's Art Singers. Currently, he is the Choral Director of the Jacksonville Symphony Chorus.

ARTIE CLIFTON, associate professor of music, conducts the First Coast Wind Ensemble in Jacksonville. As a clarinetist, Mr. Clifton maintains a full performance schedule, including recitals, chamber music, and performances with the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra. He holds a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Stetson University, a Master of Music degree from the University of Cincinnati, and also studied at New York University and Brooklyn College. He was formerly director of instrumental ensembles at Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Pennsylvania.

JOSEPH HAYGOOD, associate professor of music, received a Bachelor of Music Business degree at Tennessee A and I University and Master of Music Education degree at the University of Colorado. He has performed with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Guild Opera Company of Los Angeles, NORAD Band, Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra and at the Aspen Music Festival.

EUGENE HUDSON, associate professor of music, has been a member of the piano faculty at JU since 1978. He holds a Master of Science degree from the Juilliard School of Music, where he studied with Irwin Freundlich; his bachelor’s degree is from Hunter College of the City University of New York. He has performed piano recitals and given piano workshops throughout much of the Midwest and Southeast. He has also performed as soloist with orchestras and chamber groups. His appearances have taken him to many college and university campuses throughout a twelve-state area.

WILLIAM McNEILAND, professor of music, is conductor of the Jacksonville University-Community Orchestra and the Jacksonville University Wind Ensemble. He was born in Texas and educated at the University of Illinois where he received Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees. Before joining the JU faculty in 1969, he taught in the public schools of Texas and Illinois. For many years he served as principal bass and associate conductor of the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra. An active member of state and national orchestra associations, he has frequently served as clinician, conductor and adjudicator throughout the southeast. He is past president of the Florida Orchestra Association and the Delius Association of Florida.

WILLIAM SCHIRMER, professor of music, earned a Bachelor of Music degree at Cleveland Institute of Music, a Master of Music degree at Eastman School of Music and a Doctor of Philosophy degree at the Ohio State University. He is co-chair of the Delius Composition Contest, teacher of second-year theory, counterpoint, form and analysis, and composition. His works include over 150 symphonies, 150 piano sonatas, 69 string quartets and many works in all genres.

DENNIS VINCENT, associate professor of music and chair of the music department, earned his Bachelor of Music Education from Evangel University in Springfield, Missouri, his Masters of Arts in Music Education from the University of Victoria, and his Doctor of Education at the University of British Columbia. Dennis is an avid teacher, researcher and musician who has performed in a wide variety of ensembles on an equally wide variety of instruments and voice.

PEGGY EZELL, voice, has a private studio in the Avondale area of Jacksonville. Her undergraduate work was at Greensboro College, and she holds a Master of Music degree in voice performance from Florida State University. While at Florida State University, she sang in the USA Chorus under Robert Shaw. She performed summer stock at Highfield Theatre, Cape Cod, and singing leads in several Gilbert and Sullivan operettas. She has taught voice at Florida Community College at Jacksonville and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. She is an active soloist in the Jacksonville area.

JOHN RICCI, director of jazz studies and saxophone instructor, holds a Bachelor of Music Degree from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and a Master of Music degree in performance from Florida State University. His previous experience includes teaching in the University of North Florida jazz program. Mr. Ricci is an active saxophonist with his own jazz trio and quartet.

STEVEN SMITH, electronic music, holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Jacksonville University. As a composer, he has been commissioned to write works for dance, theatre and local television. He has had several articles published and frequently serves as a lecturer covering a wide spectrum of topics within his field. Mr. Smith serves as director of electronic music studies at JU.

GARY STARLING, guitar, has attended Georgia State University and Florida Junior College. He began playing professionally in 1967 when he joined a jazz trio touring the United States. After years performing on the road, he returned to Jacksonville in the early 1980’s to become a member of the Bill Davis Trio. He has performed with the Jacksonville Symphony, River City Jazz, Diahann Carroll, Bob Hope, Rita Moreno, jazz great Eddie Harris, Joshua Breakstone and has made the most appearances of any performer at the Jacksonville Jazz Festival.

SCOTT WATKINS, piano, has appeared as recitalist and soloist with orchestra in more than thirty countries around the world. His performances include recitals in Vienna, Frankfurt, Buenos Aires, Santiago, Paris, Chicago, Washington, D.C., and New York. In 1999, his debut solo recording of music from his Carnegie Hall recital was released to high critical acclaim, and Folio Weekly called him "a polished player in his prime."

AARON KROSNICK, professor of music and Artist in Residence with the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra, graduated Magna Cum Laude from Yale College, with graduate training at the Juilliard School of Music and the Royal Conservatory of Music in Brussels, Belgium, as a Fulbright Scholar. He is a former semi-finalist in both the National Federation of Music Clubs Young Artist Auditions and the Paganini International Violin Competition. Solo appearances with orchestra include performances with the Jacksonville Symphony, Florida Symphony Orchestra, Sewanee Festival Orchestra, Rome Festival Orchestra and Springfield (Ohio) Symphony.

MARY LOU KROSNICK, professor of music, is a former winner of the International Recording Competition sponsored by the National Guild of Piano and has been soloist with the Boston Pops and the Jacksonville Symphony. She has performed extensively in the U.S. and Europe as solo recitalist, in duo recitals with her violinist-husband and in numerous solo appearances with orchestra. She received a Bachelor of Science degree at the Juilliard School of Music and her Master of Arts degree at the University of Wisconsin and Masters of Music degree at Yale University.

WILLIAM VESSELS, professor of music, graduated from Samford University with a Bachelor of Music degree in voice performance and earned both the Master of Music and Doctor of Music degrees in voice performance from Indiana University. He taught at colleges in Texas and Kentucky before coming to Jacksonville. An active singer, he has performed with regional opera companies and has appeared as soloist with the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra. He has served as membership Vice-President of the Florida State Music Teachers Association. He is also the executive director of the National Association of Teachers of Singing, Inc. In the spring of 1992, his colleagues at JU honored him with the designation of Professor of the Year for 1992-93.

RODNEY CLEVELAND, adjunct instructor in music (organ), holds a Bachelor's degree in piano performance and a Master's degree in organ studies. An active performer, Mr. Cleveland is also minister of music at Lakewood Presbyterian Church.

GEORGE DEMME, adjunct instructor in music (jazz), received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of New Orleans. An outstanding jazz pianist, his background includes working with traveling Broadway shows, a multitude of club appearances in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Ohio and the Midwest, plus appearances on radio and TV, including the Ed Sullivan show, and other network and local shows. He has worked in conjunction with such notables as Roger Williams, The Four Freshmen, The Vagabonds, The Hilltoppers, Jackie Vernon, Tony Bennett and many others.

AL DODDS, adjunct assistant professor of music (jazz), received his Bachelor of Music and Master of Music Education degrees at North Texas State University. He has appeared in the Jacksonville Jazz Festival and has performed on the string bass with such notables as Della Reese, Eddie Harris, Ira Sullivan, Rich Matteson, Fifth Dimension, Drifters and Ross Tompkins. He is also director of bands at St. Augustine High School.

PEGGE EALUM, adjunct instructor in music (flute), received a Bachelor of Music degree in flute performance from the University of Florida and a Master of Arts in Teaching degree from Jacksonville University. Ms. Ealum has helped many students develop into successful performers over the past 12 years. She has performed regularly with numerous musical groups, including the Gainesville Symphony Orchestra.

WARD GREEN, adjunct instructor in music (marching band techniques), received a Bachelor of Music and Master of Arts in Teaching degrees from Jacksonville University. He graduated from Terry Parker High School where he has been director of bands since June 1975.

VERNON HUMBERT, adjunct instructor in music (violoncello), is cellist with the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra. He graduated from Eastern Illinois University in 1977 and received a Master of Music degree from the University of Illinois in 1980. He taught junior high orchestra in Illinois for one year and played with the Nashville Symphony Orchestra. He moved to Jacksonville and has been playing here since 1982.

KAYO ISHIMARU, adjunct instructor in music (harp), received a Bachelor of Arts from Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music, Premier Prix from the Conservatoire National Superieur de Music de Paris and is Principal Harpist with the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra.

KARL KOPPENBERGER, adjunct instructor in music (trombone), was bass trombonist of the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra for over 20 years. He attended the Eastman School of Music and studied trombone with Emory Remington and Donald Knaub. Karl received a Bachelor of Music degree from JU in 1977. He has performed with the Eastman Wind Ensemble, Savannah Symphony, St. Johns River City Band, and the River City Brass Quintet.

JANE LINDBERG, adjunct associate professor of music (music history), received a Bachelor of Arts degree in history from Old Dominion College, a Master of Fine Arts in music history/literature from the University of Florida, and her Doctor of Musical Arts in composition from the University of South Carolina. She has taught at various schools, including Central Piedmont Community College in Charlotte, NC and the University of South Carolina at Lancaster, SC. She served on the Board of Directors for the South Carolina Arts Alliance and is affiliated with the International League of Women Composers.

JEANNIE ROSE, adjunct associate professor of music (piano pedagogy), received a Bachelor of Music degree at Converse College School of Music, Master of Music degree and Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the University of Southern Mississippi. She is currently working on an essay for the multi-volume anthology, Women Composers: An Historical Anthology (G.K. Hall, 1993-97). She has taught at the University of North Florida and at the University of Southern Mississippi.

WILLIAM SAUNDERS, adjunct assistant professor of music (organ, piano, theory), graduated Magna Cum Laude from Jacksonville University after beginning study at Elon College in North Carolina. He continued graduate studies in organ and composition at Florida State University. He has taught organ, piano and music theory at JU since 1976. He is a former dean of the Jacksonville Chapter of the American Guild of Organists and is active in music teacher associations.

TONY STEVE, adjunct instructor in music (percussion), received his Bachelor of Music degree from Jacksonville University, his Master of Music degree from Ithaca College, and is a Doctoral Candidate in Percussion Performance at the City University of New York. He has worked as both percussionist and composer in many areas, including New York, Israel, Korea, Europe, and numerous American cities. Mr. Steve has taught at Jacksonville University, Mount Vernon Music Academy, Ithaca College, and the University of North Florida.

SANDRA K. STEWART, adjunct assistant professor of music (piano), received a Master of Music degree from Norfolk State University (Virginia) and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of South Carolina. She has had several piano and choral articles published and several publications currently under consideration.

GAVIN TAYLOR, adjunct assistant professor of music (piano, music history), received a Bachelor of Music degree from Jacksonville University and his Master of Music degree from Hartt School of Music at the University of Hartford. In addition to solo performing, he has performed extensively as accompanist for numerous soloists and ensembles throughout the north and southeast. Mr. Taylor is the director of music at Ft. Caroline Presbyterian Church.

ELOUISE TRUETT, adjunct associate professor of music (voice), received a Bachelor of Music degree from Florida State University and did graduate work at New York University, Juilliard School of Music, and Manhattan School of Music. She sang in Broadway musicals, on television (both ABC and CBS), radio opera and concerts in New York City and other cities in the USA for twelve years. She is coordinator of Jacksonville University’s Continuing Education program.