Sean Al-Jibouri
sda2004@utulsa.edu
Guitar
Sean Al-Jibouri is an experimental guitarist blending jazz, classical, and ambient styles, known for his unique sound and harmony. Al-Jibouri has released three albums: Daydream (original songs and collaborations), Meditation (solo guitar covers), and Euphoria (original compositions for string quintet). He teaches guitar at The University of Tulsa and Guitar House of Tulsa, with his evolving music reflecting his talent as both a player and composer.
Lorelei Barton
lkbe2014@gmail.com
Harp
Lorelei Kaiser Barton, a Pennsylvania native, has performed and taught in Oklahoma for over 40 years. She is the principal harpist with Tulsa’s Signature Symphony and Bartlesville Symphony, and plays the harp and piano in various local recitals and churches. Barton has performed under renowned conductors such as Aaron Copland and David Amram. She has worked with numerous orchestras including the Tulsa Philharmonic, Tulsa Opera, and Fort Smith Symphony. A private instructor at The University of Tulsa and Oral Roberts University, she has led students to win national competitions. She also founded and directed the internationally recognized Midwest Harp Festival for 19 years.
James Clanton
james-clanton@utulsa.edu
Percussion
James Clanton, Ph.D., is a Professor of Music at Pittsburg State University and has taught percussion at The University of Tulsa since 2023. He has performed with ensembles such as the Tulsa Symphony, Kansas City Symphony, and Springfield Symphony, and currently serves as Principal Timpanist for the Tulsa Signature Symphony. Clanton holds a Bachelor’s in music education from Oklahoma City University and a Master’s and Doctorate in percussion performance from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. He is a faculty member at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp and an educational endorser for Sabian, Pearl/Adams Percussion, and Innovative Percussion.
Dean Demerritt
ded4870@utulsa.edu
String & Electric bass
Dean DeMerritt, an adjunct professor of music at The University of Tulsa and NSU Tahlequah, holds a B.M.E. from TU. Specializing in double bass, electric bass, and jazz combo improvisation, he’s performed with Grammy winners “Asleep at the Wheel,” jazz greats like Geoffrey Keezer, and symphonies including the Ft. Worth Symphony and Tulsa Philharmonic. With two jazz albums, Red Dirt Improvisations (2017) and Compared to Now (2019), Dean is a prominent jazz performer in Tulsa and a sought-after session player across various ensembles.
Paulo Eskitch
paulo-eskitch@utulsa.edu
Violin
Paulo Eskitch is a violinist and educator who has taught at the University of Tulsa, TCC, University of Arkansas-Fayetteville, OSU, and Tulsa Public Schools. His students have won competitions and received scholarships to prestigious universities and summer music festivals. A founding member of Trio Aleszky, Paulo also performs with various Midwest orchestras. His teachers have included Ben Sayevich, Eric Rosenblith, and Naoko Tanaka. Upcoming projects include performances with Trio Aleszky, recording with contemporary composers, and debuting the period instrument ensemble If They Weren’t Baroque.
James Fellows
jmf950@utulsa.edu
Bassoon
James Fellows has taught bassoon at The University of Tulsa since 2012 and formerly at Tulsa Community College (2004-2023). A professional musician since 1973, he has played in orchestras and Broadway shows across Denver, Miami, Los Angeles, and Tulsa. Currently, he is the principal bassoonist for the Signature Symphony, where he also served as manager for 19 years. He has performed as principal bassoon with the Bartlesville Symphony and as a soloist with Oklahoma Sinfonia/Tulsa Pops, Bartlesville Symphony, and Ft. Collins Symphony. A University of Colorado graduate, his studies included work with Norman Herzberg and others.
James Gregory
james-gregory@utulsa.edu
Collaborative Pianist
James Gregory is the Collaborative Pianist at The University of Tulsa School of Music, where he accompanies voice lessons, the Cappella Chamber Singers, TU Concert Chorale, TU Opera Theatre, and various instrumentalists. A TU graduate in Piano Performance under Dr. Roger Price, he previously served as accompanist for the Modern Choir and TU Opera Theatre. With a 30-year tenure as Musical Theatre Specialist for TU’s Department of Theatre, James has directed music for numerous productions and collaborated with local theatre companies such as the Gilbert & Sullivan Society, Theatre Tulsa, and Light Opera Oklahoma.
Shelby Kifer
sak0522@utulsa.edu
Brass
Shelby Kifer has been an adjunct professor of low brass at The University of Tulsa since 2018. Outside of this role, he teaches low brass lessons in middle schools and high schools around the Tulsa area and is an active freelance bass trombonist. His students regularly achieve recognition in district and state honor bands, solo and ensemble competitions, and often earn scholarships to attend universities across the state and nationally. Shelby holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in trombone pedagogy and performance from the University of Iowa, as well as a Master of Music degree from Oklahoma State University and a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Arkansas. Dr. Kifer is a Michael Rath Trombones performing artist.
Benjamin Korzelius
bpk0512@utulsa.edu
Horn
Benjamin Korzelius, a Presser Scholar and Bachelor of Music Performance graduate from Oklahoma State University, is the 4th Horn in the Amarillo and Signature Symphonies and Principal Horn in the Bartlesville Symphony. He has held positions with the Memphis Symphony, Oklahoma City Philharmonic, and Symphony of Northwest Arkansas and frequently performs with the Tulsa Symphony, Tulsa Opera, Tulsa Ballet, and Arkansas Philharmonic. An active educator, Ben teaches brass students across Tulsa and leads masterclasses.
Joshua Lowery
jbl101@utulsa.edu
Composition
Joshua Lowery is a conductor and composer with degrees in Composition and Orchestral Conducting from the University of Tulsa and University of Louisville. He has composed internationally premiered works, won competitions, and created scores for film and video games. Joshua has also worked with the Tulsa and Louisville Ballets and teaches at TU, where he collaborates on game scoring classes. He produces music under the name Loriem, plays piano in a local quartet, and performs with Trio Ponticello, a TU alumni cello trio.
Dana Fitzgerald Maher
dana-maher@utulsa.edu
Piano
Dana Fitzgerald Maher, a multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, and composer, is a piano faculty member at The University of Tulsa, Director of Music Ministry at Christ Presbyterian Church, and collaborates with choirs at Cascia Hall Preparatory School. She holds a B.A. and M.M. in Piano Performance from TU and previously served as Principal Pianist for Tulsa’s Signature Symphony. Dana founded the Amadeus Piano Festival and TU Academy for Pianists. A passionate Celtic musician, she co-founded the award-winning folk trio Vintage Wildflowers, performing at venues like the Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall, and festivals nationwide.
Stephen Merrick
stephen-merrick@utulsa.edu
Jazz
Stephen Merrick is a professional musician and educator from Southern California, with a Masters in Jazz Education from Berklee College of Music and the Boston Conservatory. He specializes in Jazz Piano and Vocals but also teaches Big Band instruments, Guitar, Drums, and Bass. Stephen is the author of Music Fundamentals, A Guided Practice Approach, and has published works for orchestra, big band, and small ensembles since 1998. He now focuses on converting pop songs into jazz band arrangements and recording with artist Louis Brigham. Stephen also worked with orchestrator Jac Redford on film music for major productions like Avatar and Revolutionary Road.
Ron Pearson
ronald-pearson@utulsa.edu
Organ
Ron Pearson has served as Organist at First Presbyterian Church in Tulsa since September 1, 1974, and he assumed the position of Director of Music in August 1995. He graduated from Concordia College, Moorhead, Minnesota, with a Bachelor of Music degree in 1972, and received a Master of Music degree from the University of Michigan in 1974. He has also been Adjunct Instructor of Organ at The University of Tulsa since 1980. Ron was Dean of the Tulsa Chapter, American Guild of Organists, from 1979-81, and 2010-2012; he has performed at three Regional Conventions of the AGO.
Elizabeth Ann Potts
elizabeth-potts@utulsa.edu
Flute
Elizabeth Ann Potts, adjunct faculty at The University of Tulsa, teaches Applied Flute and Ear Training and performs regularly with regional orchestras such as the Tulsa Symphony. She holds a Doctor of Musical Arts in Flute Performance from the University of North Texas and degrees from the University of Oklahoma and Wheaton College. Dr. Potts also runs a private flute studio in the Tulsa area and enjoys family time with her husband, Congressman Eli Potts of the Osage Nation, and their daughters.
Ron Predl
ronald-predl@utulsa.edu
Trumpet
Ron Predl, Emeritus Professor and Adjunct Trumpet Professor at The University of Tulsa, has served as Director of the School of Music, Director of Bands, and creator of TU’s ACE degree. Honored with awards such as the Governor’s Arts Award and Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame induction, he also authored Trumpet Naturally. Predl was the Tulsa Symphony’s first Executive Director (2008-2019) and returned to the role in 2023. He remains active as a teacher, clinician, and consultant.
Sarah Maud Richardson
smr069@utulsa.edu
Jazz Voice
Sarah Maud Richardson, a jazz singer and songwriter from Tulsa, was inspired by artists like Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald. Studying jazz at The University of Tulsa with Vernon Howard, she has performed with notable musicians including Benny Golson and Jason Marsalis. Active in Tulsa and OKC’s jazz scenes, Maud also focuses on recording projects and appears on albums like Sing Me Back Home and Compared to Now. Many of her students have gone on to careers in music or attended schools like Berklee College of Music.
Matthew Schepers
matt-schepers@utulsa.edu
Director of Bands
Matthew Schepers is the Director of Bands and Director of Athletic Bands at The University of Tulsa. In that capacity, he conducts the TU Wind Ensemble and leads The Sound of the Golden Hurricane Marching Band and Basketball Bands. In addition to his responsibilities with TU’s band program, he also serves as the instructor for instrumental conducting and marching band methods. Prior to his time at TU, he taught fourteen years in Oklahoma’s public schools, where ensembles under his direction consistently earned superior ratings and finals placements.
Lisa Iottini-Wagner
lisa-iottini-wagner@utulsa.edu
Oboe, Music Education
Lisa Iottini-Wagner, originally from Southern California, earned her BM in Oboe Performance at USC and her MM at the University of Colorado, Boulder. She has performed with orchestras including the Pacific Symphony, Tulsa Philharmonic (as English Horn), Signature Symphony, and Bartlesville Symphony. A dedicated music educator, Lisa has taught K-8 music for 30 years, earned Orff-Schulwerk certification, and studied at the Orff Institute in Salzburg. She also directed Tulsa Children’s Chorus and served as Organist/Choirmaster at Church of the Good Shepherd. Currently, she teaches music education at The University of Tulsa and elementary music part-time.
Isaac Washam
isw6298@utulsa.edu
Trombone
Isaac Washam, a trombonist from Stillwater, OK, earned his BM from Oklahoma State University and MM from the University of North Texas, where he played lead trombone in the UNT One O’clock Lab Band. Isaac has won several prestigious music competitions, including the Eastern Music Festival Concerto Competition and the International Trombone Association Gilberto Gagliardi Solo Competition. He has also excelled as a chamber musician, winning multiple ensemble competitions. After freelancing in Dallas/Fort Worth for 10 years, Isaac now teaches trombone at The University of Tulsa and performs with the King Cabbage Brass Band. He enjoys Pokémon, foosball, and jogging.