2023 Faculty

Fresno, California

Dan Bishop is the newly appointed Director of the Visual and Performing Arts for the Visalia Unified School District. Dan served the Clovis Unified School District for 24 years as the Visual and Performing Arts Administrator, Secondary Choral Resource Teacher, and founding Choral Director at the new Clovis East High School. Dan has served at Fresno Pacific University, CSU-Fresno, and Clovis Community College. Dan’s previous teaching/church jobs include Madera High School, Immanuel High School in Reedley, Washington Intermediate in Dinuba, Reedley Mennonite Brethren Church, University Presbyterian in Fresno, and the Kingsburg Community Church. Dan received his B.A. in vocal and instrumental music education from Tabor College, in Hillsboro, Kansas and his M.A. and M.M. degrees from the Conservatory of Music at the University of Missouri, at Kansas City, where he was a Graduate Teaching Assistant. He has a clear California Administrative Services Credential.

New York City, New York

JoLea Maffei is a master teacher of the Lester Horton modern dance technique and has been teaching Horton in New York City for over twenty-five years. She is currently on the faculty of the Ailey School, Ailey Fordham, Steps on Broadway, The Steps Conservatory and the Peridance Center. She has also been on the faculties of The Joffrey School, Hofstra University, Marymount Manhattan College, New York University, City College of New York and Ballet Arts at City Center. Ms. Maffei has had an extensive performing career dancing with the Maffei Dance Company, Milton Myers Dance Company, and numerous projects and independent choreographers. As a choreographer, JoLea Maffei has premiered work at the Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, the Theatre of The Riverside Church, the Wheeler Opera House in Aspen, Colorado, the Clark Studio Theater, The Tribeca Center for the Performing Arts, the Cunningham Studio, and Hofstra University and has participated in showcases throughout NYC.

Tallahassee, Florida

A native of Atlanta, Georgia, Lee Taylor enjoys a varied musical career involving performance, education, and administration. Lee is currently a member of the Atlanta Ballet and Tallahassee Symphony Orchestras and is a founding member of Amati Chamber Music. She has played with the Alabama Symphony, Columbus Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, and Colorado Music Festival. As a chamber musician, Lee has performed at the Cincinnati Young Artists Chamber Music Festival, Green Mountain Chamber Music Festival and Chamber Music Quad Cities in Davenport, Iowa. 

An avid educator, Lee maintains an active home studio and is on the music faculty of Perimeter College of Georgia State University. In 2020, Lee joined forces with Dr. Shannon Thomas to establish MusicBridges Tallahassee.

Taylor received her Bachelor’s in Violin Performance, Summa Cum Laude, at the University of Michigan as a student of Paul Kantor. She currently resides in Tallahassee with her husband, Greg Sauer, and their wonderful crew of teenagers.

musicbridgestallahassee.org

Morgantown, West Virginia

Dr. Gabrielle Padilla is a violist dedicated to teaching, performance, and chamber music. Gabrielle has served as interim viola faculty of Virginia Tech, West Virginia University, and as a member of the Quartet-in-Residence at the Interlochen Arts Camp. She has conducted masterclasses at the Puerto Rico Summer Music Festival, Longwood University, and West Virginia University’s Viola Bootcamp, with an upcoming appearance as a masterclass guest artist with the Nashville Symphony’s Accelerando Program.

Gabrielle has presented and performed at events such as the International Viola Congress, American Viola Society Festivals, National Flute Association Convention, and the American String Teachers Association National Conference.

As a native of Tulsa, Oklahoma, Gabrielle’s studies were at the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music and Dance, Ball State University with Dr. Katrin Meidell, and West Virginia University where she proudly served as the Graduate Teaching Assistant of Andrea Priester Houde. Gabrielle is a Board Member of the American Viola Society.

Iowa City, Iowa

Orhon was a finalist and prizewinner in the Concert Artists Guild Solo Competition in NYC and was the co-first-place winner of the ISB Solo Competition. Additionally, he distinguished himself as the first double bass player ever to win the grand prize overall and first prize for double bass at the ASTA Solo Competition. Orhon has performed with internationally recognized musicians, including Gary Karr, Fazil Say, JACK, Emerson, and Tokyo String Quartets, and has played solos with orchestras and recitals worldwide. He was one of the selected performers for the Pulitzer Winner composer John Harbison’s Concerto for Bass Viol and Orchestra. Recently, he recorded the Double Bass Concerto by David Gompper with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in London. Orhon has been an invited clinician to workshops across the U.S. and abroad, including Turkey, Germany, Brazil, Paris, the Czech Republic, as well the ISB. He is currently a professor of double bass at the University of Iowa.

volkanbass.com