Faculty and Staff

Anderson is the author of a number of articles about early jazz and the analysis of wind music and is a member of the editorial board for Monographs and Bibliographies in American Music.  His book, The Original Hot Five Recordings of Louis Armstrong...

Charles Arthur is a multi-instrumentalist living in Richmond, Virginia, and has been an adjunct instructor and ensemble director at Richmond since 2001. 
 In 2005, he started the school's first Bluegrass Ensemble, and in 2008 he began the America...


Coordinator of piano studies at the University of Richmond, Richard Becker is a pianist, composer, and chamber musician whose playing has been acclaimed in Europe and America. Playing on college campuses, he has frequently toured the eastern Unite...

Paul Bedell has been adjunct faculty for double bass at the University of Richmond since 2005. Bedell obtained his Bachelor of Music Performance degree as a cellist at the University of Nebraska and his Master of Music Performance at the University o...

Dr. Mary Beth Bennett is a recognized performer, composer and improviser living in historic Richmond, Virginia. She serves on the adjunct music faculty of the University of Richmond where she is staff accompanist and teaches music courses when needed...

Benjamin Broening's acoustic and electroacoustic music has been recorded on the Centaur, Equilibrium, MIT Press, Everglade and SEAMUS labels.  Broening is founder and artistic director of Third Practice, an annual festival of electroacoustic music a...

Jennifer Cable has performed throughout the United States and Europe in solo repertoire ranging from the Renaissance to works of our time. In addition to opera and oratorio, Cable has sung with many chamber music ensembles, including Tragicomedia, Mu...

Distinguished trumpeter Dr. Michael Davison is a legendary performer, respected professor, published composer, and ethnomusicologist. Davison’s love of music has shaped his life and career. He is in demand across the country as a classical and jazz...

“Frank Zappa said to me: ‘You’re the one in the trenches. You’re doing the real work!’” For David Esleck, that work includes performing, composing, producing and educating. Appearing as a multi-instrumentalist early in his career, he soon...

Linda Fairtile is the liaison librarian for music, theatre, dance, and Italian studies, as well as a musicologist who specializes in Italian opera. She is the co-director of the American Institute for Verdi Studies at New York University and has appe...

Jessie Fillerup studies relationships between music, narrative, aesthetics, and philosophy through interdisciplinary methods of inquiry.  Her research focuses on the music of Maurice Ravel, fin-de-siècle French music, and the relationships between ...

Anne Guthmiller has taught on the voice faculty at the University of Richmond since 1997 and at Virginia Commonwealth University since coming to Richmond in 1988.  A North Carolina native, she received her undergraduate degree in vocal performance...

Pianist Paul Hanson has provided private piano instruction at the University of Richmond since 1998, also frequently serving as one of the department’s Chamber Ensembles coaches. He holds degrees from Washington State University, the University of ...

Guitarist and teacher Kevin Harding has a Master’s in Guitar Performance from Virginia Commonwealth University’s Jazz Studies program. Kevin has been an adjunct professor of music at the University of Richmond since 1996, Virginia Commonwealth Un...

Adjunct Music faculty for oboe instruction here at UofR since 2006, Gus is additionally Principal Oboist of the Richmond Symphony. 

He studied under the direction of Richard Woodhams at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. His major te...

Anastasia Jellison holds a Bachelor of Music Degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music, where she studied with Alice Chalifoux, Principal Harp of the Cleveland Orchestra for 47 years. In 1999, she completed her Master of Music Degree in Harp Perfo...

Brian Jones has been a fixture on the Richmond music scene for years, a frequent area performer, and adjunct instructor at the University of Richmond since 2004. As a session drummer, Jones has recorded with such artists as Jason Mraz (“Waiting for...

Recognized as an artist of exceptional versatility, pianist and harpsichordist Joanne Kong has received critical praise for her "great finesse and flexibility" (The Washington Post), "superb" playing (The Boston Globe), "utmost keyboard sensitivity a...

Alexander Kordzaia accepted the position of Music Director of the University of Richmond Orchestra in 2007. A conductor and pianist, he is a native of Tbilisi, Republic of Georgia. Born into a musical family, Mr. Kordzaia demonstrated great musical a...

Longtime UofR adjunct Music faculty (1998), Ms. Lawson is also on the faculty at the College of William & Mary, and maintains a private studio locally. She joined the Richmond Symphony in the fall of 1995, currently the Second Flutist; she held the p...

Jeremy McEntire obtained a degree in music from Virginia Commonwealth University, studying with Francile Bilyeu, and with Fenwick Smith at the New England Conservatory where he earned his M.M. in flute performance. An active performer on campus and t...

Andrew Clay McGraw received his Ph.D. in ethnomusicology from Wesleyan University in 2005.  Dr. McGraw has published several articles and reviews concerning gamelan and contemporary and traditional composition and performance practice in Southeast A...

Adjunct faculty at the University of Richmond since 2001, Charlie Moeser studied flamenco and classical guitar with Andy Merrill and flamenco guitar with Fernando Martin, Carlos Ramos and Fernando Sirvent. He has spent considerable time in Spain stud...

David Niethamer began his conducting career at Lebanon Valley College, where he conducted a run of "A Funny thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" and was student conductor of the college orchestra.   Appointed Principal Clarinetist of the Richmond...

David Pedersen is the director of the University of Richmond Women’s Chorale and serves as the interim conductor of Schola Cantorum during the spring semester of 2011. In 2009 Mr. Pedersen conducted Women’s Chorale on a concert tour of central Eu...

Randall Pharr is an adjunct professor of jazz bass at the University of Richmond and Virginia Commonwealth University.  He has performed or recorded with such acclaimed artists as Bruce Hornsby, Bill Mays, Marvin Stamm, John D’earth, Robert Jospe,...

A native of Spain, Marta graduated from the National School of Music in Caracas, Venezuela, and holds a Master’s Degree in Piano Performance from Virginia Commonwealth University. She frequently offers concerts in the Richmond area. Marta Puig has ...

Jeffrey Riehl is Associate Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities at the University of Richmond where he has taught since 1995. At UR, he conducts the highly-acclaimed Schola Cantorum and teaches voice and courses for both music majors ...

Emily Riggs, soprano, earned a B.A. in Music and Art History from the University of Richmond and a M.M. in Vocal Performance and Pedagogy from Westminster Choir College in Princeton, NJ.  She is currently a doctoral candidate at the University of Ma...

Mr. Sanchez has been a member of the Music Department’s adjunct Music faculty since fall of 2009.  He received his Bachelor of Music degree in Applied Percussion from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY. As a student of professor emeritus...

Jason is a professional musician and educator living in Richmond, Va.  A saxophone instructor at the University of Richmond since 2007, he also teaches woodwinds for Richmond Music Center, and is Director of Bands for Richmond Academy k-12 school. J...

With a M.M. in Voice Performance from the University of Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, Jim Smith-Parham has sung with Virginia Opera, Cincinnati Opera, Memphis Opera, and Connecticut Opera.  Operatic roles include Count Almaviva in Le Nozze di Fi...

In a recent review, Clarke Bustard described Charles Staples’ playing as “forceful…but unforced, as natural as breathing.” A native of Alabama and an honors graduate of the Alabama School of Fine Arts, Staples received his early training und...

Bruce Stevens is active as a recitalist across the United States and Europe. He frequently plays for the annual national conventions of the Organ Historical Society, and he has performed for regional conventions of the American Guild of Organists and...

Mr. Stevens holds a Bachelor of Music Degree in Viola Performance from the Manhattan School of Music, where he studied with Karen Ritscher and members of the American String Quartet. Thomas Stevens, violinist and violist, is a highly versatile musici...

Ms. Velvikis recently joined Richmond’s adjunct Music faculty for French horn instruction (fall 2009). She graduated from the Mannes College of Music in 2006, where she studied with David Jolley. 

 A native of Kenosha, WI, Rachel Velvikis has ...

A native of Detroit, baritone James Weaver is currently a member of the vocal faculties at the University of Richmond and the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, and resides in Williamsburg, where he is Music Director at Williamsburg Presbyter...

Russell Wilson is a native of Memphis, Tenn., and an outstanding classical and jazz pianist who received his Bachelor’s and Master’s of Music degrees from Memphis State University. Formerly a member of Virginia Union University’s faculty, he no...