With the retirement of over 150 years of experience comes the infusion of new blood! The School of Music at Wichita State University is excited to announce the addition of an outstanding set of musicians to our faculty this fall who will carry on the tradition of excellence in the center of Kansas.
Dr. Cristina Castaldi received her Bachelor Of Music in Vocal Performance from Kennesaw State University, her Master Of Music in Vocal Performance from the New England Conservatory of Music and her Doctor Of Musical Arts in Vocal Performance from Rutgers University. She, most recently, was teaching at Rowan University in Glassboro, New Jersey.
Professor Michael Sylvester received his Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance from Westminster Choir College and his Master of Music in Voice Performance from Indiana University. He has sung in most of the major opera venues of the world including the Metropolitan Opera, London’s Covent Garden, and Milan’s La Scala. He comes to us most recently from the faculty of DePaul University.
Dr. Betul Soykan received her Bachelor of Music in Violin Performance from Bilking University in Ankara-Turkey, her Master of Music in Violin Performance and Pedagogy from the Hochschule der Jünste in Bern-Switzerland. After 10 years of experience teaching in the public schools of Georgia and Florida, she received her Doctor of Musical Arts in Violin Performance from the University of Georgia and taught on the faculty of the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Texas.
Dr. Carmen Lemoine received her Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics from the University of Rochester, her Bachelor of Music in Flute Performance from the Eastman School of Music, her Master of Music in Flute Performance from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and her Doctor of Musical Arts in Flute Performance and Literature from the Eastman School of Music. She, for the past several years, has been freelancing in the San Francisco area.
Dr. Jeb Wallace received his Bachelor of Music degree in Horn Performance from Southern Methodist University, his Master of Music degree in Horn Performance from the Cleveland Institute of Music, an Artist Diploma from Yale School of Music and his Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the State University of New York at Stonybrook. For the past six years, he was the Horn Professor at Utah Valley University. He was actually in the Wichita Symphony Youth Orchestra while living in Oklahoma, and he attended WSU for his freshman year of college. He is currently performing as Principal Horn of the Wichita Symphony Orchestra.
Dr. Timothy Shade received his Bachelor of Music in Euphonium Performance from Youngstown State University, a Master of Music in Euphonium Performance (with a secondary major in Jazz Trombone) from the University of Miami and a Doctor of Musical Arts in Instrumental Conducting from the University of Miami. He spent five years teaching at Bethel College in Newton and received the 2012 Kansas Bandmasters Association “Outstanding Young Bandmaster” Award while teaching there.
Professor David Cook received his Bachelor of Music Education degree from Central Michigan University, Master of Music in Clarinet Performance and Chamber Music from the University of Michigan, and a Master of Music in Music Theory from Oklahoma University. He is currently working on a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Oklahoma, and he is currently performing as Principal Clarinetist of the Wichita Symphony Orchestra.
Professor Zachary Hague received his Bachelor of Music in Bassoon Performance from the Eastman School of Music and a Master of Music degree in Bassoon Performance from Louisiana State University. He earned a Performers Diploma in Bassoon Performance from Indiana University, and he is currently performing as Second Bassoonist of the Wichita Symphony Orchestra.
