I am excited about the faculty this year. For the first time in several years we have the opportunity to welcome new faculty members to the Department of Music.
Sari Gruber – Voice
Ms. Sari Gruber will be joining the faculty to instruct Applied Voice. Dr. Alviani has shouldered all of the voice teaching load in addition to his ensemble and classroom load admirably over the last two years. But as the largest single studio in the department, we needed another faculty member to teach Applied Voice.
Ms. Gruber comes to Clarion with an extraordinary performance resume. Her performances include major operatic roles throughout the United States and abroad with some of the finest opera companies in the world, including New York City Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Los Angeles Opera, Boston Lyric Opera, San Francisco Opera Center, and De Nederlandse Opera. She has recital performances at both Alice Tully Hall and Avery Fisher Hall of Lincoln Center and the Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall.
Ms. Gruber received the Bachelor of Arts in Music and Theatre Studies from Yale, and the Master of Music degree in Voice from The Julliard School. In addition, Ms. Gruber has trained at some of the most renowned musical institutions and festivals, including Julliard Opera Center, Tanglewood Music Center, and the Ravinia Festival Stearns Institute. Her principal teachers are Marlenna Malas, Cynthia Hoffman, and Lili Chookasian.
Russell Reefer – Clarinet, Saxophone
We are also very pleased to welcome an alumnus and long-time friend of Clarion’s Department of Music – Mr Russell Reefer – back to campus to teach Applied Clarinet and Saxophone beginning this fall.
Mr. Reefer graduated from Clarion with his Music Education degree, and received the Master of Arts in Music Education from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Presently, Mr. Reefer is a doctoral candidate at the Shenandoah Conservatory.
Mr. Reefer has nearly 30 years public school teaching experience, and over 30 years experience in applied woodwind studio instruction. His ensembles and his woodwind students are regularly recognized for superior performances at adjudication festivals throughout the state, and he is well known in the region for his remarkable performance skill and outstanding musicianship.
We are thrilled to have two such talented performers and gifted teachers joining our faculty ranks this fall, and we are excited that our students will have the opportunity to share with and learn from such outstanding musicians as Ms. Gruber and Mr. Reefer.
What a GREAT time to be a music student at Clarion!
