Music Faculty

Ben Aldridge holds both Bachelors and Masters degrees from Yale University, and has been a member of the Binghamton Philharmonic since 1991.

Johana Arnold sings regularly as a soloist with the Folger Consort in Washington, D.C. For many years, she was a member of the Western Wind Vocal Ensemble in New York City, where she also performed with the Ensemble for Early Music, Concert Royal, and the New York Contemporary Chamber Ensemble. Ms. Arnold has sung with Western Opera and Michigan Opera Theaters and with ensembles including Philip Glass, Steve Reich, and Meredith Monk. She has concertized and sung in operas in Europe, Asia and South America.

Paul Blake received his Bachelor of Science degree in music education in 2001 at Hartwick College. He is recieved his master’s degree in trombone performance from Binghamton University in 2006.  

Fideliz Campbell has been an Artist in Residence in piano at Hartwick College since 2013. She is also an adjunct professor in Keyboard Techniques and Class Piano. She serves as accompanist for music students, performing for convocation, jury and recital. In spring of 2014, Fideliz was the music director for Carrie the Musical held at Slade Theater. 

M. W. Degan graduated from Hartwick College with a B. S. in Music Education in 2011 and will earn his M. M. in Music Education from Boston University in 2016.  Since 2011, he has taught orchestra and guitar at Delaware Academy Central School District at Delhi, as well as directed productions of The Wizard of Oz, The King and I, and Bye Bye Birdie.  M. W.’s educational philosophy centers upon bringing students’ musical identity into the classroom and into the community.  M. W. regularly chairs All-County and Area All-State orchestra festivals in Central New York since 2012.

A resident of Otego, Ms. Donaldson is the general music teacher at Greater Plains School, an artist-in-residence at Hartwick College, and serves as the Choir Director at the First Presbyterian Church in Oneonta. She attended the Crane School of Music for her Bachelors in Music Education and Indiana University at Bloomington for a Masters in Opera Performance where she studied with Gabriella Tucci and Nicola Rossi-Lemeni.

Dr. Ana Laura González serves as adjunct faculty in music theory department and Artist in Residence of Flute at Hartwick College since 2011. She is a native of Argentina and her repertoire spans from classical to contemporary music, with an emphasis on academic music from her home land. Her dissertation “European Cosmopolitanism to Folkloricism” analyzed elements of nationalistic language in earlier Argentinean academic music to the pure expression of traditional elements in flute music by Amancio Alcorta, Alberto Williams, and Angel Lasala. She has also been published in the Flutist Quarterly.

College, graduating in the inaugural class of the Bells Honors Program. While at Georgia Southern College, he studied bassoon with Constance Wells (Savannah Symphony). Prior to college he studied bassoon with Carl Nitchie (Atlanta Symphony). Mr. Hane also earned a Master of Music degree from the Manhattan School of Music, where he was a student of Leonard Hindell (New York Philharmonic). While at MSM, he also studied chamber music and bassoon breath technique with Stephen Maxym (Metropolitan Opera), and completed the coursework towards a minor in music theory.

Dr. Jeremy Kellett is a musician from Hattiesburg, Mississippi where he received his Bachelor’s Degree from William Carey University and his Master’s Degree and Ph.D. from The University of Southern Mississippi. He serves as adjunct faculty and artist in residence in guitar in the Department of Music at Hartwick College where he teaches aural skills, rock ensemble, guitar lessons, and jazz history.

Dr. Julie Licata, teaches ensembles and private lessons that span a wide range of percussion instruments and styles, including West African drumming, Indonesian Gamelan, Brazilian Samba, solo marimba, concert percussion and drum set. She teaches the World Percussion Ensemble, Classical Percussion Ensemble, and SUNY Oneonta Drum Line (a.k.a The Drag’n Rolls) among other classes as well as Music Cultures of the World, and Music for Listeners. 

Stephen Markuson’s musical career has been that of a stage actor and instructor. For the past 30+ years, he has performed throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe in opera, recital, oratorio, and musical theatre, seen locally with numerous productions by Orpheus Theatre and the Catskill Symphony. In addition, he holds a distinction of being in the first cast of the Glimmerglass Opera production of La Boheme.

Tenor Steven Nanni, “a world class tenor who has natural musicality, artistic instinct and vocal talent, sang the role of Nemorino in Donizetti’s L’elisir D’amore beautifully” (Irish Times) … “A particularly strong performance … Nanni sang beautifully” (Boston Globe). “Among Steven’s many talents are his natural musical instincts. He is a singer from the old school of bel canto and expressive line; a complete musical instrument and artist” –Nico Castel (Metropolitan Opera diction coach, Juilliard School professor).

Gregg Norris earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Music Education from Hartwick College (Oneonta, NY) in 1984, and his Master’s Degree in Social Sciences from Binghamton University in 1991.  He has been the senior high band director in the Sidney Central School District since 1985.  Among his responsibilities are directing the senior high concert band, stage band, jazz combo and marching band, as well as teaching classes in music theory and music appreciation.  He is chapter advisor to the Sidney High School Tri-M Music Honor Society.  

Diane Paige is a musicologist whose research focuses on music of the Czech lands, women and music, and music and war.  She teaches a broad range of courses at Hartwick such as Music of the Roma (Gypsies), Music of World Wars I and II, and Music of the African Diaspora.

Kim Paterson is an Artist-in-Residence in accompanying and piano at both SUNY Oneonta (since 1993) and Hartwick College (since 1994) He has served as Music Director for Theater productions by Mask and Hammer (SUCO), CAPP (Hartwick), Orpheus Theater, Catskill Theater Works, and Franklin Stage Company. He is a member of the Catskill Klezmorim, and a member of the Catskill Symphony.

Andrew D. Pease (Assistant Professor of Instrumental Music) directs Hartwick’s Wind Ensemble and Brass Ensemble and teaches conducting and orchestration.  He began his career in New York City, where he led the Columbia University Wind Ensemble and Columbia Summer Winds.  He has degrees from Dartmouth College, Columbia University, Hofstra University, and a DMA in wind conducting at Arizona State University, where his primary teachers were Gary Hill and Wayne Bailey.  While in Arizona, he conducted all levels of instrumental ensembles and founded the professional Sun Valley Chamber Winds.  Dr. Pease runs two websites dedicated to the music of the wind band.  Wind Band Literature delves deep into over 300 works. The Wind Band Symphony Archive is a living record of wind band symphonies.

Spencer Phillips is highly sought after as both an orchestral bassist and chamber musician throughout the United States and abroad. Recent performance engagements include a US tour with the Munich Symphoniker, performances with the Michigan Opera Theater, Solo Bassist with the International Chamber Orchestra led by violinist Dimitri Berlinsky, as well as recording the complete Beethoven Symphonies with Orchestre de la Francophonie Canadian, under Jean-Philippe Tremblay.

William Pomares holds a Master of Music in Saxophone Performance at the University of Northern Colorado and a Bachelor of Music in Music Education from the Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam. 

Oboist Allison Rubin received her Bachelor of Music degree from The Juilliard School (New York Philharmonic Scholarship recipient) and her Master of Music degree from Yale (Merit Scholarship recipient).

Robin Seletsky attended the New England Conservatory of Music, where she performed Debussy’s Premiere Rhapsodie with the Boston Pops as the first prize winner in the NEC graduating competition.

Meghan K. Sheehy received her B.M.Ed., M.M. in Music Education, and Ph.D. in Music Education from The University of Southern Mississippi. Her dissertation, A Quantitative Analysis of the Relationship Between K-12 Music Educators and Collegiate Music Education Researcher and Instructors: Is There a Disconnect? was supervised by Dr. Steven R. Moser, and focused on interpreting the relationship between music researchers and practitioners to determine if and where disconnect may exist.

A native of Germany, Uli Speth completed his undergraduate studies at the Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria as student of Harald Herzl. Uli participated in numerous performance classes given by Yfrah Neaman, Thomas Brandis, Jaap Schroeder, and Nicolaus Harnoncourt among others and, after moving to the US, earned his Master of Music degree from the Mannes College of Music. He was a student of Felix Galimir from whom he received both violin and string quartet training.

Joshua Thompson is currently on faculty at both Castleton University in Vermont and Hartwick College in New York. He is also the director of Gloversville Community Music, where he works in applied lessons, conducting ensembles and advocacy for the arts in the community. He completed graduate and post-graduate study at the Hartt School in Connecticut, where he studied horn with Daniel Grabois and David Wakefield, respectively. He also completed undergraduate study in music education from the College of Saint Rose, where he studied horn with Patrice Malatestinic. 

Dennis is an active performer and composer. He has written several compositions for guitar such as “Five Studies for guitar,” “Fugue in C Minor,” “Suite in G# Minor,” “Theme and Variations,” “Ten Tone Tune,” and “Etude for Five Guitars.” He is the founder and past president of the Classical Guitar Society for Upstate New York and has recorded two solo albums “Dennis Turechek Plays Dennis Turechek” and “Nine Views from the Bridge.”

Born and raised in the Boston area, Charles Vatalaro was a regular on the local club circuit by his mid teens. His first big break came as a member of the Greater Boston Youth Jazz Ensemble led by John LaPorta.

Ben Whittenburg graduated from Colgate University and continued his studies at Boston University. He has been an active freelancer in New York City since 1981 playing with such groups as the Orchestra of St. Ignatius and the Orchestra of St. Lukes.

Lee Wright endeavors to engage in and be a catalyst for the serious joy of music-making every day. The process of discovering, practicing, learning, and performing music reflects and supports our growth in all areas of life. The act of ensemble singing brings not only cultural richness to our community, but challenges the individual to discover greater self-awareness, vulnerability, and trust through collaborative engagement. In particular, Lee is fascinated with the role of communal song in the galvanizing of communities throughout history. His doctoral research focuses on the development of the concert spiritual in the late 19th century. Lee specifically looks to the Hampton Institute choir and Fisk University Jubilee Singers for clues about the development of a canon in the African-American concert spiritual repertoire…