2025 Faculty

Acting

Peter Flynn, Acting Instructor

New York, New York

Peter Flynn is a New York-based director and educator. He is an associate professor of Musical Theatre at Montclair State University. Recent directing credits include The Lehman Trilogy for the Maltz Jupiter Theatre, The Shark Is Broken for George Street Playhouse, and the world premiere of the new musical Calling Us Home by Alice Gillham in Cape Town, South Africa. The production is slated for an eight-country tour across the African continent this summer. Flynn’s other directing credits include Eyes of the World, a multimedia symphonic concert at Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center; Sweeney Todd starring Terrence Mann; Chess with Josh Groban; and the world premiere of Smart Blonde by Willy Holtzman, starring Andréa Burns. Flynn is the Board President for Live And In Color, a theatre organization that develops work by and for BIPOC artists. He is also an Associate Artist at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., and a graduate of Northwestern University.

peterflynndirector.com

Chorus

Jeffery Redding, Chorus Conductor

Winter Garden, Florida

Dr. Jeffery Redding, Director of Choral Activities at the University of Central Florida, is a passionate educator and conductor. He received the 2019 GRAMMY Music Educator Award, recognizing his dedication to inspiring future musicians. Dr. Redding has led choirs to numerous successes, performing at prestigious venues. He is a sought-after clinician and guest conductor, sharing his expertise nationally and internationally. He has conducted the Walt Disney World “Candlelight Processional” and “Harmonious Live!” Beyond UCF, Dr. Redding founded and directs the Winter Garden Community Choir and Orlando Choral Society. He serves as Worship Arts Leader at Tuskawilla United Methodist Church. He holds degrees from Florida State University and Florida A&M University and is an active member of several professional organizations. He currently serves as R&R Lifelong Coordinator (Community, Music and Worship) for Florida ACDA.

orlandochoralsociety.org

Dance

Fernando Carrillo, Dance Instructor

New York, New York

Fernando Carrillo (New York, NY) trained at The Ailey School in New York City and earned his M.F.A. in Dance from Hollins University. He performed with Ailey II, Ballet Hispánico of NY (AGMA), The Lion King (Actors' Equity), and Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines. Carrillo worked with Hinton Battle in Louis (SAG-AFTRA) and performed at Carnegie Hall with soprano Jessye Norman. He also performed the solo “Ready” from Alvin Ailey’s Revelations for Alicia Alonso in Cuba at the 40th Anniversary of Compañía de Ballet de Cuba. Carrillo is delighted to be a faculty member at UNCSA, School of Dance. He has taught at Butler University, Marymount Manhattan College, Adelphi University, the University of Iowa, NYU’s CAP21 Musical Theatre Department, The Ailey School, The Juilliard School, Kirov Academy of Ballet, JKO School at ABT, Joffrey Ballet School, Feijoo Ballet School, STEPS on Broadway, and Peridance Center. He is a proud member of AGMA, Actors' Equity Association, and SAG-AFTRA.

Victor Y. See Yuen, Collaborative Musician

New York, New York

Victor Y. See Yuen is from the Caribbean island of Trinidad and Tobago in the West Indies. He is currently an accompanist at The Ailey School and ABT in NYC. Yuen has recorded over 300 CDs with various artists and has performed or recorded with some of the greats, including Sonny Rollins, Ron Carter, Wynton Marsalis, The Mighty Sparrow, Mos Def, Luther Vandross, Phyllis Hyman, Kathleen Battle, Mongo Santamaría, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and the Paul Taylor Dance Company. He is the co-founder of the dynamic ensemble Heritage O.P. (Organic Percussion), which co-wrote and produced three original CDs: Heritage (Percussion Music for Dance, Exercise, and Aerobics), Universal Healing (a 2-CD set), and When I Start to Play, as well as the inspirational CD Come to the River. Heritage O.P. also wrote the soundtrack for the movie Brooklyn Babylon. Yuen wrote the poetry CD with music Raise Your Hand for Love.

Drawing & Painting

Erin Whitman, Drawing & Painting Instructor

San Diego, California

Erin Whitman was born in San Diego and grew up with a pencil in her hand. While studying art at Humboldt State University and Cranbrook Academy of Art, she became fascinated by the visual language of painting and has been using it to tell stories ever since. She has been awarded fellowships to participate in artist residencies across the United States, such as the Wassaic Project, Kimmel Harding Nelson Center for the Arts, Vermont Studio Center, and Ucross Foundation. She has been teaching painting and drawing for almost 20 years and continues to be inspired by her students. She currently teaches painting, design, and art history at Cuyamaca College and MiraCosta College in San Diego. Recently, her artwork has explored the impact of history on the American landscape.

erinwhitman.net

Orchestra

Kalena Bovell, Orchestra Conductor

Memphis, Tennessee

With her distinctive voice as a maestra, speaker, and poet, Panamanian-American conductor Kalena Bovell has earned acclaim as “one of the brightest stars in classical music” (Channel 3 News, Connecticut). Her dedication to musical excellence and community engagement has led to remarkable achievements, including receiving the prestigious 2024 Sphinx Medal of Excellence, the highest honor from the Sphinx Organization, and making history as the first Black woman to conduct an opera in Canada. The former Assistant Conductor of the Memphis Symphony, her guest conducting credits span the Minnesota Orchestra, Cincinnati Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, and Orchestre classique de Montréal. Additionally, she has collaborated on educational initiatives with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Oklahoma Summer Arts Institute. As a guest clinician, her residencies have included the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, New England Conservatory, and The Juilliard School Pre-College.

kalenabovell.com

Misha Galaganov, Viola Instructor

Fort Worth, Texas

Dr. Misha Galaganov, Professor of Viola and Chair of Strings at TCU, is a well-known artist and pedagogue. He has uncovered many unknown and forgotten works for viola and has premiered music written for him by many important composers. In addition to his teaching, performing, and coordinating duties, Galaganov is a researcher, arranger, and presenter, and he is engaged in summarizing his pedagogical ideas in articles, videos, and books. Many of his former students have gone on to have successful solo, teaching, and orchestral careers in the USA, Asia, Europe, and Latin America.

finearts.tcu.edu/faculty_staff/misha-galaganov/

Khari Joyner, Cello Instructor

Cleveland, Ohio

Khari Joyner has a following both nationally and internationally as a versatile concert cellist, chamber musician, and ambassador for the arts. He has made numerous guest appearances with orchestras and ensembles around the world, including a recent performance of Dvořák’s Cello Concerto in B Minor with the Akron Symphony Orchestra and Tchaikovsky’s Rococo Variations with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, both of which received rave reviews. Additionally, he has given many cello masterclasses and lectures at notable institutions, including the University of Tennessee, the University of Georgia, Duke University, and the International Cello Institute. He regularly performs as a substitute cellist with The Cleveland Orchestra and currently serves as Assistant Professor of Cello and head of the strings area at Baldwin Wallace University. In 2017, Joyner received a career grant from the Leonore Annenberg Fellowship Fund, which nominates and endows a select number of gifted artists with generous funding to further their careers.

Jack Unzicker, Double Bass Instructor

Arlington, Texas

Dr. Jack Unzicker is an Associate Professor of Double Bass at the University of Texas at Arlington. He is a highly sought-after performer and educator with extensive experience in various performance genres, including early music, contemporary, solo, chamber, orchestral, and jazz and electric bass. His students have been accepted into undergraduate, graduate, and summer programs at prestigious institutions such as the Colburn School, Rice University, Juilliard School, New England Conservatory, University of Southern California, New World Symphony, and the Aspen Music Festival and School. Dr. Unzicker is Principal Double Bass of the Dallas Chamber Symphony and Plano Symphony Orchestra, and performs regularly with the Dallas Opera, Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, and ROCO. He performs on instruments and bows made by Daniel Hachez, Reid Hudson, Albert Jakstadt, and Rodney Mohr.

Tyler Martin, Flute Instructor

Houston, Texas

Tyler Martin is the second flute/piccolo of the Houston Grand Opera Orchestra, Affiliate Artist of Flute at the University of Houston’s Moores School of Music, and Adjunct Instructor of Flute at Texas Southern University. He has performed with orchestras around the country, including appearances with the Houston, Seattle, Detroit, Milwaukee, Fort Worth, Phoenix, and Missouri Symphony Orchestras, as well as the Houston Ballet and the San Antonio Philharmonic. In 2022, he gave a nationally broadcast recital as a Young Artist in Residence for American Public Media’s Performance Today. He is a prizewinner in numerous national and international competitions, including the 20th International Friedrich Kuhlau Competition, Houston Flute Club, New York Flute Club, Austin Flute Society, Sphinx Organization’s SOPA Competition, and the National Flute Association’s Orchestral Audition Competition. Martin received a bachelor’s degree from DePaul University and master’s degrees from both the New England Conservatory of Music and Rice University.

Johanna Pennington, Oboe Instructor

More information coming soon!

Stephanie Zelnick, Clarinet Instructor

Lawrence, Kansas

Dr. Stephanie Zelnick is the Professor of Clarinet at the University of Kansas. Hailed as "simply sublime" (San Francisco Classical Voice) and lauded for her "crystal clear tone and beautifully shaped phrases" (The Clarinet Journal), she has performed extensively throughout North America, Europe, South America, and Asia as an orchestral, solo, and chamber musician. Her recordings can be heard on the Naxos, Innova, Accademia del Clarinetto labels, among others, and she has been featured on Performance Today and NPR on multiple occasions. She is a Buffet-Crampon Artist and Clinician, appearing at Carnegie Hall, Yale University, Eastman School of Music, University of Michigan, and many others. She performed for two decades as the principal clarinet of Central City Opera orchestra and the Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra. In the summers, Dr. Zelnick serves as artist faculty of the LA Philharmonic YOLA program. 

stephaniezelnick.com

Stephanie Patterson, Bassoon Instructor

Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Lifetime Californian Stephanie Patterson is the Associate Professor of Bassoon at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. She previously taught at the Schwob School of Music and served as Principal Bassoon of the Columbus Symphony (GA) and Acting Principal Bassoon with the Atlanta Opera. Patterson has commissioned many new works as a member of the Enid Trio and the Off Broadway Trio. She is the Education Coordinator for the Meg Quigley Vivaldi Bassoon Symposium and will be hosting the 2025 Symposium at UNCSA. Her performances often include staging, costumes, or other methods of connecting with audiences. She has performed around the world, including at the Belfast Sonorities Festival, the Lucerne Academy, and Pro Musica in Juiz de Fora, Brazil. Patterson’s book, An Introduction to Contemporary Music for Bassoon and 64 Etudes, is available through Trevco Varner Music.

Jeb Wallace, Horn Instructor

Wichita, Kansas

Jeb Wallace serves in the dual roles as Associate Professor of Horn at Wichita State University and as Principal Horn with the Wichita Symphony Orchestra. Dedicated to the promotion of works by living composers, Dr. Wallace has collaborated with new music groups such as Alarm Will Sound, TACTUS, Salty Cricket Composers’ Collective, New Music New Haven, The Mostly Modern Chamber Music Society, KnobFest, the Bang on a Can Marathon, and with the GRAMMY winning indie rock band, The National. His orchestral experience is extensive and includes hundreds of performances with the symphony orchestras of Utah, Colorado, North Carolina, Omaha, New Haven, Richmond, the American Symphony and the New World Symphony. He also appeared on national tours with Josh Groban, Mannheim Steamroller, and for musicals including WICKED and A Christmas Carol. He regularly appears at summer festivals across the country. Dr. Wallace earned degrees from Stony Brook, Yale, CIM, and SMU.

Alex Wilborn, Trumpet Instructor

Charlotte, North Carolina

Alex Wilborn was appointed Principal Trumpet of the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra by Christopher Warren-Green in 2018. Growing up in Cookeville, Tennessee, he began trumpet lessons with Dr. Charles Decker in the eighth grade and continued working with him through his undergraduate degree at Tennessee Technological University. He also studied with Chris McCormick and Dr. Raquel Rodriquez Samayoa. Wilborn continued his studies at The Juilliard School with Raymond Mase, Mark Gould, and John Thiessen. In addition to the Charlotte Symphony, Wilborn has also performed with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, NOVUS NY, Winston-Salem Symphony, and others. Wilborn currently serves on the faculty at the Eastern Music Festival, was Visiting Professor of Trumpet at UNC-Greensboro, and maintains his own private studio. When not performing with the orchestra, he enjoys bouldering, hiking in the North Carolina scenery, and keeping up with all things NBA. Wilborn currently lives in Charlotte, NC, with his fiancée Anne and their dog, Chonko.

Sarah Paradis, Low Brass Instructor

Boise, Idaho

Dr. Sarah Paradis is the Associate Professor of Trombone and Euphonium at Boise State University, where she is committed to shaping the next generation of musicians. Paradis earned her doctoral and master’s degrees from Indiana University, and her bachelor’s degree from Ithaca College. An avid orchestral trombonist, Paradis has played with the Hawai’i Symphony, Spokane Symphony, Aspen Music Festival, Boise Philharmonic, Opera Idaho, Sun Valley Music Festival Orchestra and West Virginia Symphony Orchestra. An active chamber musician, Paradis performs with the Mirari Brass Quintet. As a member since 2011, Paradis has performed in over 40 states and China, has been instrumental in several commission projects, and creates educational initiatives that support chamber music for young musicians. Paradis can be heard on Mirari’s two albums Spires and Renewed, Reused, Recycled, and on Last Lap. Her debut solo album, Portraits, released in 2024. Paradis is a Shires Performing Artist.

sarahparadis.org

Julie Hill, Percussion Instructor

Union City, Tennessee

Dr. Julie Hill is Co-President/CEO of Global Citizen Adventure Corps (GCAC), a non-profit whose mission is to cultivate global citizen leaders through education, travel, and service opportunities. Dr. Hill is the principal percussionist with the Paducah Symphony Orchestra and Co-Editorial Director for Percussive Notes, the scholarly journal of the International Percussive Arts Society, of which she serves as a Past-President. As a scholar/performer, she has presented hundreds of workshops, concerts, and lectures advocating for social mobility through music for Black women and underserved children in Northeastern Brazil. As both a soloist and a member of the award-winning Caixa Trio, Dr. Hill has performed in Peru, Poland, Mexico, Brazil, France, Puerto Rico, South Korea, Taiwan, and throughout the United States. She is an Artist and Educator for Zildjian Cymbals and a Performing Artist for Yamaha Corporation of America. She is also an artist and endorsee for Innovative Percussion, REMO, and Grover Pro Percussion.

juliehilleducator.com

Photography

Kaitlin Santoro, Photography Instructor

New York, New York

Kaitlin Santoro is an interdisciplinary artist who works across photography, sculpture, and printmaking to explore impermanence, loss, and memory. She is interested in who gets remembered, how we are remembered, how memory changes, and why certain things are forgotten, while also seeking to understand the brain's lucidity and memory triggers. She works with materials and processes that will slowly shift and transform over time, mimicking the act of remembering. Santoro’s work has been exhibited internationally, including shows at the International Center of Photography, UrbanGlass, and the Print Center of New York. She has been awarded residencies at the Manhattan Graphics Center, Pilchuck Glass School, DaVinci Art Alliance, Sculpture Space, and the Oxbow School of Art. Santoro has presented at the Glass Art Society annual conference, Pilchuck Glass School, the Tyler School of Art, and Queens College. She received her B.F.A. from the University of Connecticut and her M.F.A. from the Tyler School of Art and Architecture.

kaitlinsantoro.com

Ben Long

Ben Long, Digital Technician

San Francisco, California

Ben Long is a San Francisco-based photographer, writer, and teacher. The author of over two dozen books on digital photography and digital video, he is also the author of several best-selling LinkedInLearning.com photography courses. His photography clients have included 20th Century Fox, Blue Note Records, Global Business Network, the San Francisco Jazz Festival, the Pickle Family Circus, and Grammy-nominated jazz musicians Don Byron and Dafnis Prieto. He has taught and lectured on photography around the world, including workshops at the Santa Reparata International School of the Arts in Florence and a class for imaging engineers at Apple, Inc. He occasionally dabbles in computer programming and has written image editing utilities that are used by National Geographic, the British Museum, and the White House. Long was an OSAI acting student in 1985.

completedigitalphotography.com

Bethany Riley, Alternative Process & Darkroom Technician

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Bethany Riley is a lens-based artist, specializing in alternative and 19th century photo processes, located in Pennsylvania. She obtained her B.F.A. at Kutztown University and her M.F.A. from Tyler School of Art and Architecture. Being raised in a religious and military community has shaped major themes in her artwork, and their intersection with the body and grief. Riley teaches photography in institutions across Philadelphia and her photographic, time-based, and sculptural work has been featured in juried exhibitions nationally.

bethanyrileyart.com

Community Lab

Ajna Dance Company

Brooklyn, New York

Ajna Dance Company, a premier New York City-based dance company, brings the culture and color of South Asian dance to life. Founded by Minila Shah—a dancer, choreographer, and arts educator—Ajna celebrates the Indian diaspora through vibrant performances, workshops, and programs for schools, museums, and community organizations. As a woman- and minority-founded company, Ajna is deeply committed to representation, inclusion, and the power of the arts to connect communities. Their work has been featured at Lincoln Center, Brooklyn Public Library, and Brooklyn Children’s Museum. They specialize in Indian classical styles like Kathak and Bharatanatyam, folk dances such as Bhangra and Garba, and the versatile, cinematic expressions of Bollywood. Their company dancers, teaching artists and cultural ambassadors are passionate about sharing South Asian dance and culture. They engage audiences of all ages, fostering cultural appreciation and building bridges of understanding through visually stunning performances and interactive programs.

Tanya Chauhan, Community Lab Instructor

New York, New York

Tanya Chauhan is a dancer, performer, and choreographer born and raised in Delhi, India. She moved to New York City in 2021 to further enhance her artistic journey. Well-trained in ballet, jazz, theatre jazz, modern (Horton), Bollywood, commercial, and street dance styles, Chauhan is currently a performer and teaching artist with the Ajna Dance Company, as well as a performer and apprentice with The New Jack Cole Dancers. With over 10 years of experience in the industry, both as a performer and teacher, she has discovered that teaching comes naturally to her—perhaps even more so than performing. She is passionate about passing on her knowledge to her students.

Minila Shah, Community Lab Instructor

Brooklyn, New York

For over 25 years, Minila Shah has made her mark as a choreographer, performer, and arts educator, shaping the landscape of Indian dance. Her expertise spans Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Bollywood, semi-classical, Garba/Raas, and Bhangra, reflecting her deep knowledge of South Asian dance. Since founding Ajna Dance Company in 2013, Shah has been dedicated to sharing authentic Indian dance in ways that engage diverse audiences. Her vision focuses on creating innovative works while expanding Ajna’s reach to schools, communities, and cultural spaces, using dance and music to educate and connect. Shah’s choreography has been featured in film, TV, music videos, and theater in London and New York. She has appeared on Good Morning America, NBC, BBC, Sky1, and ITV’s Dancing on Ice. Beyond dance, she enjoys yoga, vegetarian food, and exploring Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn, with her husband and two daughters.

ajnadance.com

Ankita Siraswar, Community Lab Instructor

Union, New Jersey

Ankita Siraswar is an innovative Bharatnatyam educator and choreographer with over 20 years of teaching and performance experience. Based in New York City, she artfully blends classical Indian dance with contemporary methods to create engaging, dynamic curricula. Her classes integrate dance anatomy and injury prevention, ensuring a safe, supportive environment where students can explore both creativity and technical excellence. As a certified yoga instructor and fitness trainer, Siraswar emphasizes holistic wellness in every lesson. She has collaborated with leading cultural programs and schools, using the art of movement to inspire storytelling and cultural connection. Dedicated to nurturing discipline, passion, and artistic growth, Siraswar’s teaching philosophy is rooted in diversity, equity, and inclusion, empowering dancers at every level to reach their full potential while building vibrant, creative communities.

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