In a career spanning 40 years, University of Miami School of Music 1992 Distinguished Alumnus Thomas Hilbish, B.M. ’41 has established himself as one of America’s leading conductors of choral music, widely recognized for fostering and interpreting 20th-century choral repertoire.
Hilbish attended the University of Miami on music and basketball scholarships, where he was captain of the basketball team, president of the Student Body, and president of Florida Student Government. After graduating, Hilbish served his country during WWII as a naval aviation pilot trainer stationed in Pensacola, Florida.
Hilbish’s legacy is among the world’s leading conductors of choral music. He earned his M.M. degree from Westminster Choir College and early in his career, Hilbish served a sixteen-year tenure as supervisor of music for the Princeton Public Schools, where he built the program into a nationally-recognized ensemble, subjects of an article in Time Magazine. He joined the faculty of The University of Michigan in 1965, serving as Chairman of the Conducting Department for nine years, and Director of Choirs until his retirement in 1987. He founded the University of Michigan Chamber Choir, whose notable accomplishments include performances at Menotti’s Festival of Two Worlds in Spoleto, Italy; State Department Cultural Exchange tours to the Soviet Union and Poland; the Canary Islands International Opera Festival in Las Palmas, Spain; a U.S. performance (chorus and orchestra) of Schonberg’s oratorio Die Jakobsleiter at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.; and participation as Associate Music Director in the 1982 Fifth International Choral Festival in Philadelphia in collaboration with Robert Shaw. Additionally, Hilbish made several recordings with the Chamber Choir including The Manticore, which received a 1981 Grammy nomination.
Hilbish is also an accomplished orchestral conductor. He conducted the Warsaw Symphony and the Szczecin Philharmonic in Poland, as well as the Harvard Philharmonic, the Princeton University Orchestra, and the University of Michigan’s Symphony, Philharmonic, and Faculty Orchestras. Hilbish currently serves as a visiting professor at several universities including the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, China, where he conducted the first performance of Bach’s Mass in B Minor.
Hilbish retired from the University of Michigan as professor emeritus of conducting in 1988, continuing to hold guest conductorships and visiting professorships at universities across the globe including New York University, Florida State University, UCLA, and the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing.
Hilbish passed away peacefully in February 2015, at the age of 96.
Matthew White, MM ‘06, D.M.A. ‘11, trumpeter and composer, is a freelance musician and educator.
Rodney Lancaster, D.M.A. ‘09, is the jazz trombone soloist in the Harlem Renaissance Orchestra in New York City. He is the instructor of music at La Salle Academy, New York City.
John Holt, B.M ’81, M.M. ’85, John Holt is the associate professor of trumpet and chair of the Division of Instrumental Studies at the University of North Texas. Holt is also principal trumpet with the Dallas Opera Orchestra, a position he has held since 1989.
University of Miami Frost School of Music 1996 Distinguished Alumnus Sam Pilafian, B.M. ’72 is a renowned tuba artist versatile in both classical and jazz realms. He has recorded and performed with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Duke Ellington Orchestra, Lionel Hampton, and Pink Floyd. As a solo jazz artist, Pilafian has recorded fifteen CDs. A member of the large brass ensemble Summit Brass, Pilafian is perhaps best known as a founding member of the internationally recognized classical ensemble Empire Brass Quintet. Solo recital and concerto performances during recent seasons have taken him to Canada, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Japan, Italy, Austria, Germany, and England.
Larry Leiby, B.M. ’65, has been a construction lawyer, author, mediator, arbitrator and law professor at Florida International University College of Law. His current concentration is in construction mediation and arbitration. He founded the Florida Bar Construction Law Committee in 1976, was awarded the lifetime achievement award from the Florida Bar Construction Law Committee in 2009, and was elected a Fellow in the College of Commercial Arbitrators in 2010. In addition, he authored the annually published Florida Construction Law Manual. He continues to play tuba in a polka group as an enjoyable part of his life.
Lauren Denney Wright, D.M.A. ‘10, is the Director of Wind Ensemble Activities at Berry College in Georgia.
Chung Park, D.M.A. ‘08, is the new Director of Orchestral Activities at Appalachian State University where he is the administrative head and conductor of four orchestras. This past year Park worked with many fine soloists including the Marcus Roberts Trio, violinist Yosuke Kawasaki and the Waitiki 7. Educational outreach activities coordinated by Park include a Dalcroze-Eurhythmics residency led by Stephen Neely, an all-day high school jazz invitational with the Marcus Roberts Trio and several school visits, improvisation and entrepreneurship workshops led by the Waitiki 7. Park also conducted the Hillsborough County, Tampa FL, All-County Orchestra and the 9/10 Florida All-State Orchestra. He majored in Instrumental Conducting at the Frost School of Music.
Bruce Kiesling, D.M.A. ‘06, recently conducted the Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles for 14,000 at the Hollywood Bowl, as they accompanied international Latin superstar, Juanes featuring his own arrangements for Juanes' hit songs. Kiesling also prepared the top YOLA orchestra for a joint performance and open rehearsal with Simon Rattle. He continues his side career as a film composer including the recently completed feature film "Desperate Acts of Magic" and the upcoming "Desires of the Heart," now shooting in India. Kiesling is Music Director of the Tulare County Symphony in California's Central Valley, which has twice featured Frost School of Music faculty member, Richard Todd. Kiesling majored in instrumental conducting at the Frost School of Music.
Cuban born conductor, and Frost School of Music 2008 Distinguished Alumna Lucy Arner, B.M. ’86, has an extraordinary list of musical accomplishments. She brings to the podium a special affinity for Italian and French opera, having worked in some of the world’s greatest opera houses including the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona and the Metropolitan Opera. She made her professional debut in 1996 conducting Puccini’s
André Raphel, B.M. ‘84, named Frost School of Music 2012 Distinguished Alumnus, has established a reputation as an exciting and versatile conductor through innovative programming, a commitment to new music, and fresh interpretations of the standard repertoire. Raphel is the Music Director of the Wheeling Symphony Orchestra. He also enjoys an active career as a guest conductor with the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Detroit Symphony, and Oregon Symphony. Additionally, he has served as Assistant Conductor at the New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, and the Saint Louis Symphony.
Conductor Willie Anthony Waters, B.M. ‘73, named University of Miami Frost School of Music 1985 Distinguished Alumnus, is a regular guest of opera companies and symphony orchestras in North America, Europe, and Africa. Waters served as General and Artistic Director of the Connecticut Opera for twelve years, conducting more than thirty productions, and as Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the Greater Miami Opera for seven seasons. During his tenure, Waters led a number of noteworthy productions, including Salome, Manon Lescaut, Die Walküre, Macbeth, Aida, Of Mice and Men, Falsfaff, Bianca e Falliero, Cristoforo Colombo, La Gioconda, Turandot, Tosca, Carmen, Trouble in Tahiti, and Lucia di Lammermoor.
University of Miami School of Music 1993 Distinguished Alumnus Bruce Ferden, B.M. ’71 gained international recognition as a conductor and musical director, leading orchestras throughout the United States, Europe, and Africa.
Federico Bonacossa holds degrees from the Conservatorio Statale Pierluigi da Palestrina in Cagliari, Italy, the Peabody Conservatory, and recently earned his D.M.A. in Guitar Performance at the Frost School of Music where he also studied composition. He has played at the EMMAS World Music Festival, as a soloist with the “International Orchestra of Sardinia” during the first international competition for composers in Q.S. Elena, Italy, and at the Miami International Guitar Festival.
Alan Nguyen attended the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami where he completed his Masters in guitar performance. Alan was the first prize recipient of the 2007 FCCAA Student Artist Competition at Stetson University, and 2007 SCF Concerto Competition. He has been featured as a solo artist for the Sarasota Guitar Society’s Mini Recital Series and the Miami International Guitar Festival Showcase Concert Series. He’s had the privilege of performing in master classes with world-renowned guitarist Manuel Barrueco as well as other artists such as Berta Rojas, Ana Vidovic, Thomas Muller-Pering, and Dr. Stephen Robinson. Alan is a guitar instructor in the South Florida area.
Rattanai Bampenyuo, a native of Thailand, completed both his Masters and Doctoral Degrees at the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami. He is currently on faculty at the College of Music, Mahidol University, in Thailand.
Barmey Ung is a Cambodian-American composer, guitarist, and mixed-media artist, currently on faculty at the New Music School in Chicago. He has traveled the world to explore genres, mediums, cultures, and philosophies of music. His collected influences have molded his creative work into a “truly unique,” (Jordan Brandes, 
Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Federico started playing guitar at the age of twelve. In 2001, he moved to Miami, Florida to pursue a career in music. He graduated from the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music where he completed his Bachelor’s Degree in Music performance in 2007. In 2011, Federico became the first student to earn a Master’s Degree in classical guitar performance from Florida International University, where he studied with Rafael Padrón. His most recent performances include solo recitals, appearances with the 
Douglas Lora, M.M. ’06, was born in Washington D.C. and grew up in Brazil where he studied guitar from an early age. He completed his Masters of Music in 2006 at the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music. Lora is a member of the 
Laurence Kaptain, M.M. ‘75 was named Dean of the LSU College of Music & Dramatic Arts in August 2014. He most recently served as the founding director of creative initiatives in the Office of Research and Economic Development at Louisiana State University, and prior to that was Dean of the College of Music and Dramatic Arts. Prior to joining LSU, Kaptain was the dean of the Shenandoah Conservatory of Shenandoah University in Kentucky. Prior to his appointment at Shenandoah, he was director of the Schwob School of Music in Georgia and vice-provost at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
Dean W. Anderson, B.M. ‘72 is a percussionist with the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra, Boston Pops Orchestra, Cantata Singers Orchestra, Boston Music Viva, and the Boston Lyric Opera. He is also a professor at Berklee College of Music. Anderson majored in instrumental performance at the Frost School of Music.
Carey Kleiman, B.M. ‘73, M.M. ‘75, is currently an adjunct professor of music business and clarinet at Broward College. He previously taught at Florida International University, Florida Atlantic University, and the University of Hawaii, and has performed with the Miami Philharmonic, the Honolulu Symphony, and the Ft. Lauderdale Symphony and on many recording dates in South Florida and Hawaii. In earlier years he performed with, and produced for numerous artists including Ray Charles, Frank Sinatra, Boyz to Men, Tony Bennett, Woody Herman, and The Bee Gees, to name a few. He also served as a music supervisor and contractor for syndicated television shows. In the 1980s he formed his own music production company and served as the music and entertainment director for the Diplomat Hotel. He later formed CK Entertainment, specializing in corporate & meeting entertainment. He was a performance major at the Frost School of Music.
Mark Colby, B.M. ‘72, M.M. ‘75 formerly with Maynard Ferguson, Bob James, Frank Sinatra, and Jaco Pastorius, has solo recordings on Columbia, Hallway, and Origin Records. He has toured Europe, Japan, Canada, Central America, China, and all 50 U.S. states. He has been an associate professor of jazz saxophone at DePaul University since 1983 and Elmhurst College since 1998, a Selmer saxophone clinician since 1987, and a Vandoren Reeds clinician since 2000. Colby received his B.M. in instrumental performance and his M.M. in studio music and jazz.
T. Geoffrey Hale, B.M. ‘69, M.M. ‘70 is presently principal bassoon of the Miami Symphony Orchestra (MISO) and the Miami City Ballet Orchestra. As an educator, he has been a Bassoon instructor at the New World School of the Arts in Miami for the past 11 years. He has taught privately for the past 43 years aiding his students to achieve scholarships at UM Frost School of Music, Cincinnati Conservatory, Julliard School of Music, New England Conservatory, and Florida State University. For the past 30 years, Hale has also been a member of, among others, the South Florida Symphony, Florida Chamber Orchestra, Miami Philharmonic, Miami Beach Symphony, and the Miami Chamber Orchestra. He was a performance major at the Frost School of Music.
Composer, conductor, and clarinetist Paul Martin Zonn, B.M. ’59 is the recipient of many professional awards, yet he was reportedly most pleased to have been named the University of Miami School of Music Distinguished Alumnus in 1998. Heralded as an innovator both in composition and clarinet performance, Zonn attended the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami on scholarship and later studied clarinet in Baltimore and New York, earning advanced degrees from the University of Iowa. He appeared on stage as a clarinet soloist at Carnegie Hall, Tanglewood, and Ravinia, and with many different styles of musical artists that include the Lenox String Quartet, country music great Vince Gill, the Miami Philharmonic, the Nashville Jug Band, and the New Orleans Eagle Band.
Victor Colmenares, violin, majored in Instrumental Performance at the University of Miami Frost School of Music where was a Stamps Distinguished Ensemble Scholar and a member of the Stamps String Quintet, Class of 2014. He studied privately with Glenn Basham. He participated in coaching sessions with musicians from The Cleveland Orchestra and Frost artist-in-residence Mark O’Connor and performed in the Frost Symphony Orchestra and the Frost School’s Henry Mancini Institute Orchestra.
Amanda Diaz, viola, majored in Instrumental Performance at the Frost School of Music where she was a Stamps Distinguished Ensemble Scholar and a member of the Stamps String Quintet, Class of 2014. She studied privately with Pamela A. McConnell.
Arianne Urban, violin, majored in Instrumental Performance at the Frost School of Music where she was a Stamps Distinguished Ensemble Scholar and a member of the Stamps String Quintet, Class of 2014. She studied privately with Scott Flavin and Glenn Basham and also performed in the Frost Symphony Orchestra, Frost Opera Theater, Henry Mancini Institute Orchestra, and other major Frost School ensembles. The Stamps String Quartet Class of 2014 performed classic and contemporary string quartet repertoire, tangos, jazz-inspired works, and more, while also collaborating on new chamber music with the Stamps Jazz Quintet.
Christopher Young, cello, majored in Instrumental Performance at the Frost School of Music where he was a Stamps Distinguished Ensemble Scholar and a member of the Stamps String Quintet, Class of 2014. The Stamps String Quartet performed classic and contemporary string quartet repertoire, tangos, jazz-inspired works, and more. Chris Young also performed in the Frost Symphony Orchestra, Frost Opera Theater, and the Frost School’s Henry Mancini Institute Orchestra, as well as chamber groups throughout the South Florida region. He studied privately with Ross Harbaugh.
After receiving his D.M.A. degree from the Frost School of Music, Tomas Cotik, violin, became involved in six commercial CD recording projects, including Mendelssohn Viola Quintets with James Dunham, and the first volume of the complete works of Franz Schubert for violin and piano. His latest Schubert duo album with pianist Tao Lin was nominated as 
Aaron Ludwig, D.M.A ‘11, cellist, is a member of the New World Symphony. He has performed solo, chamber, and orchestral music throughout the United States and Europe.
Award-winning violinist Daniel Andai has been named the new dean of music at Miami’s 
Ashley Garritson, D.M.A. ‘10, has a distinguished career as an international soloist, chamber and orchestral musician. She has collaborated with the Chicago Symphony, the Boston Symphony, the Del Sol Quartet, members of the Juilliard String Quartet, ICE (International Contemporary Ensemble) of Chicago, and the Vols Quartet as well. Recent solo engagements include appearances with the Miami Symphony, where she performed the South Florida premiere of the Marc O’Connor Double Concerto with another Frost School graduate Daniel Andai, as well as with the University of Miami’s Frost Symphony Wind Ensemble, the Kammergild Chamber Orchestra, the Jefferson Symphony, the St. Joseph Symphony Orchestra, and the Northwestern Symphony Orchestra. Additional activities include attending Tanglewood Music Center, the Kneisel Hall Chamber Festival, and the Yellow Barn Music Festival, where she performed and worked with artists such as Mstislav Rostropovich, Janos Starker, Lynn Harrell, the Paris Trio, the Vermeer and Ying Quartets. Ashley has served as principal cellist of the Chicago Civic Orchestra and is currently Principal Cello of the Miami Symphony. She performs worldwide as a founding member of both the Agam String Quartet and Sapphire Piano Trio. Ashley has also performed with artists such as Yo-Yo Ma, Charles Dutoit, Lorin Maazel, Seiji Ozawa, Pierre Boulez, Daniel Barenboim, Valery Gergiev, Bernard Haitink, Alan Gilbert, and others. Garritson majored in instrumental performance at the Frost School of Music.
Andres Vera, B.M. ‘10, cellist, is a member of Cello Street Quartet, a group of all classically trained musicians who blend a classical music tradition with modern pop tunes. Veras is also a graduate of the San Francisco Conservatory. He has been a member of the Miami Symphony Orchestra for six years.
David Bebe, D.M.A. ‘09, cellist, is a faculty member at the College of Saint Rose where he serves as the director of the Saint Rose String Program, conductor of the Saint Rose Orchestra, and cello Instructor. He recently received his D.M.A in Instrumental Performance from the University of Miami where he studied with Ross Harbaugh and performed with members of the Bergonzi Quartet. While in Miami, Mr. Bebe performed as a soloist with the Miami Bach Society Orchestra and gave the Florida premiere of Steve Reich’s “Cello Counterpoint” with the composer present. He performed with the chamber ensemble Project Copernicus and formed the Copernicus Duo with violinist Jamecyn Morey. This duo was a featured ensemble as part of Festival Miami and the National Foundation for the Advancement of Arts, premiering new and commissioned works. He received his B.M. and M.M. at Indiana University where he studied with Helga Winold and Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi and studied chamber music with Rostislav Dubinsky and members of the Cleveland Quartet.
April M. Liberty, B.M. ‘09, is the conductor of the Young Musicians’ Junior and Intermediate Orchestras within the Coral Gables Congregational United Church of Christ Community Arts Program where she is a violin and viola instructor.
Susan Moyer Bergeron D.M.A. ’09 , cellist, has been a member of the Naples Philharmonic Orchestra since 2006. She performed as a member of the Florida Philharmonic Orchestra for 10 years.
Claire Courchene, B.M. ’07, multi-instrumentalist, recently played on three seasons of American Idol (cello and trombone) and appeared with P. Diddy on the Jimmy Kimmel Show.
Before enrolling at the Frost School, Mei Mei Luo, M.M. ’07, held positions in the Philadelphia Concerto soloists and the Philadelphia Orchestra under Ricardo Muti. She served as assistant concertmaster and concertmaster of the Florida Philharmonic. After receiving her M.M. degree from Frost, she won positions with the Palm Beach Chamber Music Festival, the concertmaster post of the Miami Chamber Symphony, and has performed as associate concertmaster of the Florida Grand Opera. She is currently the first violinist of the Delray String Quartet.
Marie-Elaine Gagnon, D.M.A. ‘06, cellist, is an assistant professor of cello at the University of South Dakota, where she has played in the Rawlins Piano Trio since 2009. The Rawlins Piano Trio has distinguished itself as a leading American chamber music ensemble. Since its founding in 1987, it has given performances throughout the United States and abroad. Gagnon’s most recent international tours have included Taiwan and Panama. In January 2011, the trio traveled to New York City to perform on the prestigious Chamber Music America artist showcase.
Huifang Chen, M.M. ’05, violin, enjoys a dual career as a performer and educator. After receiving her B.M. from Curtis Institute and her M.M. degree from the Frost School of Music, she was named Director of Orchestra at Florida International University. She is currently serving on the violin faculty of the new World School of the Arts and, conductor of the Greater Miami Youth Symphony which performed in Carnegie Hall under her baton. She is also Concertmaster of the Ars Flores Symphony and a member of the Florida Grand Opera Orchestra.
Tara Hanish, M.M. ’04, cellist, is currently on faculty at the Cleveland Institute of Music Preparatory School and the Fairmount Center for the Arts. Hanish has been a member of the Akron Symphony Orchestra since she moved to Cleveland in 2004. She performs often with the Canton Symphony Orchestra, Erie Philharmonic, and Suburban Symphony.
After earning his Bachelor of Music degree at the Frost School, Nicolas Repetto, B.M.‘03, performed throughout the world, including the Luzerne Music Festival, Les Rasse, Switzerland, the Dante Alighieri Society, Rome, Italy, and in the Caribbean and South America. He moved to Los Angeles where he is pursuing his dream of scoring television shows, films, video games, and other multimedia.
Aurora Wells, M.M. ‘99, bass, has performed with the Naples Philharmonic Orchestra, the Palm Beach Pops, Ellington’s Jazz Club, Southwest Florida Symphony, and The Naples Players. Wells has enjoyed numerous engagements as musical director and conductor with theatre organizations in the Caribbean and Southwest Florida, where she calls home.
Tomasz Liebig, M.M. ’95, D.M.A. ’98, is concertmaster of the Bruckner Orchestra in Linz, Austria, and concertizes extensively in Europe as a soloist and chamber musician. He was the second violinist of the Bergonzi String Quartet after receiving his DMA from the Frost School of Music.
Wells Cunningham, B.M. ‘96, cellist, is the first cellist to win the University Miami’s concerto competition. Currently, he serves as faculty at the Frost School of Music Young Musicians’ Camp. Upon graduation from Frost in 1996, he was invited to tour Europe as principal cellist and soloist with a nationally assembled orchestra. While in France, he performed the Elgar Cello Concerto.
