Reed Gratz, D.M.A. University of Miami, Florida; M.M. New England Conservatory; A.B. Manchester College. Reed Gratz is a Professor of Music and department chair at the University of La Verne. He has taught at Washington State University, University of Miami, University of Innsbruck, Utrecht Conservatory and Leiden University in the Netherlands, and is a visiting professor of music in the history department at Claremont McKenna College. He is on the Advisory Board of the American Jazz Institute along with Mort Sahl and Lee Konitz. Reed has been awarded a jazz composition grant from the NEA; a research grant in African-American music by the NEH; two Senior Fulbright Lectureships, one at the University of Innsbruck, the other, the Walt Whitman Distinguished Chair of American Culture Studies at the Leiden University; and the Excellence in Teaching Award for undergraduate faculty at the University of La Verne. Reed has played with George Russell, Herb Alpert, Bruce Hornsby, John Patitucci, Barbara Morrison, Alex Acuna, and many others. He has composed music for a dozen plays. Four of his recent CDs are Below Sealevel and Piano, View From the South and The Reed Gratz Band featuring Michael O'Neill. Professor Gratz has received three Who's Who Among American Teachers awards since 2002.

tel: 909.593.3511 Ext. 4915

Email: gratzr@ulv.edu      Web site: www.reedgratz.com

Kathleen Lamkin, Professor of Music History, received the Ph. D. and Master of Music in Music History and Literature from Northwestern University and the Bachelor of Music Education from Baylor University. A member of the University of La Verne faculty since 1981, she received the university's Excellence in Teaching Award for undergraduate faculty in 2000. Her teaching areas include music history and literature, music history and appreciation and opera. As a member of the Honors Program faculty she teaches interdisciplinary courses with colleagues in disciplines outside the field of music. Dr. Lamkin has served as Chair of the Music Department and Chair of the Fine Arts Departments. In 1988-89 she was Director of the Brethren Colleges Abroad in Marburg, Germany, a study abroad program for the University of La Verne with additional colleges and universities in its consortium in conjunction with Philipps Universität in Marburg. With her specialty in late 18th-century and early 19th-century central European music, Dr. Lamkin has been the recipient of grants for musicological studies and research from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Mellon Foundation, the Internationale Joseph Haydn Privat Stiftung, and the University of La Verne. She worked for several summers as music librarian and member of the orchestra with the American Institute of Musical Studies in Graz, Austria. As Faculty in Musicology for the Classical Music Festival in Eisenstadt, Austria for over twenty years, where she lectures on the historical and social context of the repertoire performed each summer, she also works as the Festival Coordinator and performs in the Festival Orchestra. Following years of performance and research of the music of Joseph Haydn, her work on the Esterházy Musicians from 1790-1809 Considered from New Sources in the Castle Forchtenstein Archives was published in 2007 as Volume 6 of the Eisenstädter Haydn Berichte. Prof. Lamkin, co-founder of the Haydn Society of California, which held its inaugural meeting in 2003, is a charter member of the newly formed Haydn Society of North America. Currently President of The College Music Society she has also served as the Society's National Vice President and earlier as President of the Pacific Southern Chapter.

Todd J. Harper, D.M.A. University of Southern California. Director of Choral Activities. Todd J. Harper received the Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Southern California where he graduated with honors and studied with William Dehning, David Wilson, Magen Solomon, Nick Strimple and Giulio Ongaro. He received the Master of Arts in Choral Conducting from California State University, Northridge where he studied with Paul A. Smith and was the Assistant Conductor to the CSUN Northridge Singers. Dr. Harper received the Bachelor of Arts degree in Vocal Performance and Choral Conducting from California State University, Fresno where he studied Voice with Helene Joseph-Weil and Conducting with Gary L. Unruh.

At the USC Thornton School of Music, Dr. Harper taught graduate and undergraduate courses in Choral Conducting and conducted the USC Thornton Apollo Choir, the university's only men's chorus. He currently serves as the Director of Music Ministries for Burbank First United Methodist Church and is also the conductor and artistic director for Melodia Sinica, a Chinese-American community choir based in the San Fernando Valley. Dr. Harper has taught choral music in California public schools for six years and was honored for excellence in teaching in Who's Who Among America's Teachers.

Dr. Harper's dissertation entitled, Hugo Distler and the Renewal Movement in Nazi Germany focuses on the juxtaposition of Distler's personal beliefs as a musician and his political/professional obligations to the Nazi Party. Dr. Harper is also a contributing author to the recently published Engaging Diverse College Student Populations: Theoretical Perspectives and Practical Approaches (Routledge Publishers Inc., May 2008)

tel: 909.593.3511 Ext. 4918

Email: harper.tj@gmail.com

Steven Biondo, Music Department Coordinator. Steven Biondo is a professional musician, drummer/percussionist and and graphic designer. He maintains the music library and music office and is a music software expert. Mr. Biondo is the founder and director of the West African Drum Ensemble at University of La Verne, now in it's fifth year.

tel: 909.593.3511 Ext. 4917

Email: biondos@ulv.edu