Meet the Directors
Bands
Emily Threinen
[email protected]
612-625-3328
Emily Threinen is the Director of Bands at the University of Minnesota. She holds a doctor of musical arts degree in conducting from the University of Michigan, a master of music degree in conducting from Northwestern University, and a bachelor of music dual degree in clarinet performance and K-12 instrumental music education from the University of Minnesota.
Elizabeth (Betsy) McCann
[email protected]
612-625-7567
Elizabeth (Betsy) Kerns McCann is the Assistant Director of Bands and Director of Marching and Athletic Bands at the University of Minnesota. She holds a bachelor of music (flute performance and music education) from the University of Minnesota, a master of music (conducting) from Northwestern University, and a doctorate (conducting) from the University of Minnesota.
Emmanuel Rodriguez
Emmanuel Rodriguez is the Assistant Director of Athletic Bands at the University of Minnesota. Rodriguez has earned degrees from Louisiana State University, the University of Central Florida, and Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University.
Choral
Matthew Mehaffey
[email protected]
612-624-1511
Matthew Mehaffey is the Director of Choral Activities at the University of Minnesota. He also serves as artistic director of the Oratorio Society of Minnesota. Recent engagements include work with Washington National Opera, the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, Minnesota Orchestra, Carnegie Hall, VocalEssence, Minnesota Chorale, and Turner Network Television.
Adrian Davis
[email protected]
612-624-9557
Gospel Choir director Adrian Davis is a native of Memphis, Tennessee. He earned his Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Memphis, and his Master of Music degree from the University of Saint Thomas. He was nominated as a quarterfinalist for Grammy Music Educator of the Year in 2014 and 2016 and was featured on Classical MPR in January 2014 for excellence in music education. He was also selected as a top educator in the Celebration of Teachers for Minneapolis Public Schools in 2016. In 2017, he was nominated finalist for Minnesota Teacher of the Year.
Orchestra
Mark Russell Smith
Mark Russell Smith is the Artistic Director of Orchestral Studies at the University of Minnesota. He is a graduate in cello performance from the Juilliard School and a graduate from the Curtis Institute of Music, where he studied conducting with Max Rudolf and Otto-Werner Mueller. He also serves as music director and conductor for the Quad City Symphony Orchestra in addition to Artistic Director of the Greater Twin Cities Youth Symphonies.
Jazz
Dean Sorenson
[email protected]
612-624-2334
Dean Sorenson is the director of jazz studies, and he is a prolific and highly sought-after composer, arranger, trombonist, educator, and clinician. He received his bachelor’s degree in trombone performance from the University of Minnesota and his master’s degree in jazz arranging and composition from the Eastman School of Music.
Percussion
Fernando Meza
[email protected]
612-624-5846
Fernando Meza is an Associate Professor at the University of Minnesota School of Music, where he has been the Director of Percussion Studies since 1993. Meza holds a master's degree from the University of Michigan and a bachelor's degree from Baylor University and has studied with Stuart Marrs, John Soroka, Larry Vanlandingham, and Michael Udow. He was in charge of the percussion department at The Ohio State University in Columbus prior to his arrival in the Twin Cities and has also served on the faculties of the National Center of Music and the University of Costa Rica.
Opera
David Walsh
[email protected]
612-624-6596
David Walsh, associate professor of opera theatre and native of Toronto, has worked as a production stage manager with the Canadian Opera Company, Stratford Festival, and the Scottish Opera. He has also worked with the English Music Theatre, English National Opera, Frankfurt Opera, Nederlandse Opera, Brussels Opera, the Royal Opera House, Santa Fe Opera, and Vancouver Opera.
World Music
Scott Currie
[email protected]
612-624-7512
Scott Currie earned bachelor’s degrees at Swarthmore College (physics and political science) and the State University of New York College at Old Westbury (African-American music), master’s degrees at City University of New York (education) and New York University (ethnomusicology), and his PhD in ethnomusicology at New York University. His research to date has focused on ethnographic studies of avant-garde jazz practice in New York City and Berlin, as well as historical/ethnographic studies of Ornette Coleman’s collaborations with the Master Musicians of Jajouka, Morocco.
Alaba Ilesanmi
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Alaba Ilesanmi's research, teaching, and public engagement center on global Black music, expressive cultures, and cultural life, with a focus on their intellectual, historical, and social formations. His work explores the intersections of sound, music, history, and culture, paying particular attention to the broader contexts that shape musical meaning, including decoloniality, globalization, identity, indigenous knowledge systems, and postcolonial experience. His research interests also include musical biography, music and memory, music and spirituality, global music pedagogy, public and creative musicology, and sound studies. His interdisciplinary work connects (ethno)musicology with Africana studies, diaspora studies, ethnic studies, popular music studies, and sound studies.