Festival of Music Information at Carowinds

Robert Smith, internationally renowned conductor, composer, and music publisher, passed away September 21, 2023. Robert was a treasured member of the Festival of Music family and will be deeply missed. Thank you, Robert, for your many years of service and friendship.

A native of South Carolina, Michael L Dove served 33 years as a music educator in the Carolinas. Throughout his years as Choral Director at Fort Mill High School, his Choirs received international acclaim with performances at the Vatican, the Duomo, Notre Dame, St Paul’s Cathedral, Doges Palace, the Olympic Stadium and Pearl Harbor. Mr. Dove received his Bachelor of Arts degree with music certifications and his degree in educational administration from the University of South Carolina.

Elizabeth Hagen attended Winthrop University, where she earned a BA in Dance Education and went onto Columbia College to complete her Master of Education in Divergent Learning of the Arts. Since 2003, she has served as the dance educator at Fort Mill High School, having the privilege of collaborating with exceptional young talent in various capacities including classroom instruction, leadership of competitive dance team, contribution to school musical productions and support for the marching band.

For 18 years, Katie Meyer has been a vocal music instructor, influencing the growth of middle school performing arts for the Fort Mill District, directing and producing the first full-scale Broadway musical at the middle school level, along with leading tours and pioneering the first middle school show choir in 2008. Currently serving as Choral Director at Fort Mill High School, Ms. Meyer has been the music director for over 15 full-scale Broadway productions and is an active member of the American Choral Directors Association and the National Association of Music Education.

He is Emeritus Professor of Music and Director of Bands at Winthrop University, conducting the Wind Orchestra, for both undergraduate and graduate levels, and administered the annual Invitational Band Clinic. Currently, he serves as founder and emeritus Principal Conductor of the Carolinas Wind Orchestra.

A native of Charlotte, North Carolina, Dr. Susan Nicholson is the Chair of the Department of Music and Director of Instrumental Studies at King University in Bristol, Tennessee. Conductor, educator, performer, and adjudicator, Dr. Nicholson has served on the faculties of Winthrop University, Rhode Island College, Brevard College, St. Anne School (SC), and Pine Crest Preparatory School (FL).

American composer, James Curnow, was honored with the School of Music Arts Achievement Award and a Master of Music from Michigan State University. Awarded for his teachings and compositions, Mr. Curnow has been commissioned over four hundred works for concert band, brass band, orchestra, choir and various vocal and instrumental ensembles.

Dr. Lorrie S. Crochet is currently associate dean and director of graduate studies for the College of Visual and Performing Arts, director of bands, and professor of music, at Winthrop University. Dr. Crochet is the music director and conductor of the Carolinas Wind Orchestra and Wind Symphony. Other responsibilities include instructor for instrumental music education courses and conducting.

Larry Clark is the President of Excelcia Music Publishing, Wingert-Jones Publications, Kendor Music Publishing and RBC Publications, with 28 years of experience in music publications. As a composer, his music is some of the most popular and most performed by concert bands and string orchestras of all ability levels.

Dr. William Harbinson is a Professor Emeritus and former Dean of the Hayes School of Music at Appalachian State University. He has received nine Editor’s Choice Awards (Pepper Music Catalog) that identify “the very best of the new music available.” His works for band appear on the contest/festival literature lists of several states. 

Joseph Hermann is Emeritus Director of Bands and Professor of Music at Tennessee Tech University. He remains active as a conductor, adjudicator, author, and speaker throughout the nation. Hermann has been a proponent for all levels of music education and a champion for new music. He is a past President of the prestige American Bandmasters Association and a member of the NBA Hall of Fame. 

Dr. Gary Sousa is one of the most respected wind band conductors in the United States. Prior to his retirement, Dr. Sousa was Director of Bands and Endowed Professor of Music at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. He is an elected member of the prestigious American Bandmasters Association, and has conducted throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, and Australia.

A native of North Carolina, Dr. Wooten received the Bachelor of Music Education degree (cum laude) from East Carolina University. He received the Master of Music and the Doctor of Musical Arts Degrees, both in conducting, from Michigan State University, where he held a teaching assistantship and a competitive doctoral fellowship in the School of Music.

Hoefle has 30 years of experience as a music educator in Illinois, working as a band director in Chicago, Rockford, Byron, Harvey, Calumet City, Flossmoor, and at School District 153 in Homewood, Illinois. She is an award-winning composer with music published by the Neil A. Kjos Music Company and the RWS Music Company.

Dr. Catherine Rand, the Director of Bands at University of Southern Mississippi, conducts the Wind Ensemble, and teaches graduate conducting.  Prior to Southern Miss, Rand taught high school band and orchestra for 15 years in Florida. She is published in A Composer’s Insight and Teaching Music Through Performance series. And maintains an active schedule as a conductor, clinician, and adjudicator. 

Dr. Arris Golden is the Assistant Director of Bands and Associate Director of the Spartan Marching Band at Michigan State University. In this capacity, Dr. Golden teaches courses in conducting, marching band techniques, conducts the Spartan Youth Wind Symphony, is coordinator of the MSU Performing Arts Camps, and assists with all aspects of the athletic band program.

Dr. Stanley F. Michalski, Jr., Distinguished Emeritus Professor of Music and Conductor of Bands at Clarion University of Pennsylvania and Emeritus Conductor of the Winthrop University Carolina Wind Orchestra, forged a distinguished career spanning sixty-three years as a conductor, educator, performer and clinician-adjudicator and active member of national and international music associations.

Mr. Cole is the grandson of the late D.C. Cole, a bandmaster and musical pioneer from Rutherford County, North Carolina, and a member of the North Carolina Bandmasters Hall of Fame. He served as the Vice Chairman of the South-Central District Bandmasters Association and received their "Award of Excellence" in 1992. He was inducted into the North Carolina Bandmasters Hall of Fame in 2011.

Dr. Michael Golemo has been the Director of Bands and Professor of Music at Iowa State University since 1999. Under his direction as the Chair for the Department of Music & Theatre, the Iowa State University Wind Ensemble has performed five times for the Iowa Bandmasters Association conventions. In 2007, Dr. Golemo was inducted to the prestigious American Bandmasters Association.

During his military career, when he became the seventh commander of the Army’s premier musical organization, The United States Army Band. Colonel Lamb has led “Pershing’s Own” for both inaugural parades of President George W. Bush and for the State Funeral of President Reagan. In March 2001, Colonel Lamb was inducted into the prestigious American Bandmasters Association.

Christopher James Lees serves as Resident Conductor of the Charlotte Symphony, Principal Conductor of the Charlotte Symphony Youth Orchestras, and Music Director of the Rock Hill Symphony. He has guest conducted frequently across the country, from the Los Angeles Philharmonic to the New York Philharmonic, as well as several orchestras in both North and South Carolina.

Mr. Swearingen is the Professor of Music, Department Chair of Music Education and one of several resident composers at Capital University located in Columbus, Ohio. He also serves as a staff arranger for the famed Ohio State University Marching Band. Prior to his appointment at Capital in 1987, he spent eighteen years teaching instrumental music in the public schools of central Ohio.

Dr. Robert Holquist is Professor Emeritus of Music at Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, NC, where he served as Director of Choral Activities and Chair of the Voice Division.  Prior to that, he was Associate Professor of Music at Dakota Wesleyan University, Mitchell, SD and Choral Director at Merrill (WI) Sr. HS.  He remains active as a choral conductor/clinician and Bass-baritone soloist.

Dr. Katherine Kinsey, Professor of Music, Emeritus, served as the Director of Choral Activities at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, SC from 1997 to 2017. She served as the Artistic Director and Conductor of the York County Choral Society from 2012 to 2023 directing such works as Handel’s Messiah, Beethoven’s Mass in C, the Mozart Requiem, the Durufle Requiem, and Orff’s Carmina Burana.

After teaching at the middle school, high school, and university level for thirty years, Kenney Potter transitioned to a new role in music education as Editor of School and Concert music for ECS Publishing Group. For eighteen years, he taught choral music and music education courses at Wingate University. The past eight years, he has served as the Artistic Director of the Charlotte Master Chorale.

Dr. Stephen M. Hopkins was Director of Choral Activities in the Hayes School of Music at Appalachian State University from 1992 to 2023. He conducted the Chamber Singers, University Singers and taught choral conducting, choral techniques, and choral literature. An active composer and arranger, his compositions have been published by Hinshaw Music and Carl Fischer.

Dr. Larry Wyatt is Distinguished Professor Emeritus from the University of SC. He has taught at all levels from elementary through university. He received the Award of Excellence from the Southern Division of ACDA and Distinguished Alumnus in the Arts from Murray State University. 

Jabarie Glass is the Associate Director of Choral Studies at the University of South Carolina, where he conducts University Chorus and Gamecock Chorale and teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in conducting and choral pedagogy. He earned a doctoral degree in conducting from the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance.

In 1989, she joined Hal Leonard, becoming VP of Choral Publications in 2000, and retiring in 2017. She was founder and director of the Milwaukee Children’s Choir from 1994 to 2009 and named Director Emeritus in 2019 and was founder and director of the Vocal Arts Academy from 2009 to 2015.

Dr. Russell L. Robinson, Emeritus Professor of Music Education at the University of Florida, has over 600 publications in print and made over 300 appearances regionally, nationally and internationally.  His conducting venues have included Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center, Boston's Symphony Hall, the White House, and Washington's National Cathedral.

Tom T. Shelton, Jr. is Associate Professor in the Department of Performance Studies at Westminster Choir College of Rider University. He teaches classes in Sacred Music, Conducting, and serves as the conductor for the University Chorale. He has been active with the American Choral Directors Association, serving as National President (2017-2019).

Ginger Wyrick teaches music at UNC Charlotte. The author of numerous books, she lectures on music education, adjudicates competitions, conducts honor choirs and festivals, and performs internationally. She holds leadership positions in several professional organizations and is the former president of the NC ACDA. She received the Lara Hoggard Award for distinguished service in choral music.

Dr. Earlene Rentz is a full-time choral composer and arranger living in North Carolina, teaching choral music in public schools and higher education for over twelve years. She has conducted All-State Choirs in Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, and Alabama, and has published over seven hundred choral compositions with seventeen publishers.

Marc Setzer served as Director of Choral Music and Performing Arts Chair at South Mecklenburg High School in Charlotte, North Carolina from 1979 until his retirement in 2014. Serving as Adjunct Professor of Music at Wingate University, he remains active as a choral festival clinician and adjudicator, as well as a judge for the Blumenthal Performing Arts Musical Theatre Awards in Charlotte.

Frank Williams has served as Chair and Assistant Dean at CPCC, and Assistant Professor of Music, Director of Choral Activities and Chair of the Department of Music at North Carolina Central University.  He founded and conducted the Charlotte Contemporary Ensemble for over thirty years and served as Associate Conductor for the One Voice Chorus of Richmond, Va.  He is a past president of NCMEA.

Mary Lisa Knox is the Director of Performing Arts at Clinton College where she oversees the Clinton College Choir and Drumline while also teaching dance and piano. She is the founder of Vocal Movement, a non-profit organization that provides arts education to underserved communities. She serves as the Liturgical Dance Director at Freedom Temple Ministries.

Dr. Jeremy Mims is Associate Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities at Winthrop University. Mims has presented at regional and national conventions of the American Choral Directors Association, of which he served as President-Elect of the South Carolina chapter.