Applied Instructors conduct specialized lessons with students accepted into Applied Music (MUIVI 410).
Cindy Behmer
Applied Lesson Instructor
Oboe and English Horn
Dr. Cindy Behmer teaches oboe and English horn at California State University, Sacramento. In addition to teaching, Dr. Behmer freelances with several groups in Northern California and Nevada, including Stockton Symphony, Reno Philharmonic, Sacramento Philharmonic and Opera, Sacramento Choral Society and Orchestra, Music in the Mountains Festival Orchestra, Zion Chamber Orchestra, Fresno Philharmonic, and Merced Symphony. She is also an oboe instructor with the Bocal Majority and Operation Oboe NorCal camp held at CSU, Sacramento (on hold since 2020).
Dr. Behmer maintains a large private studio serving the greater Sacramento area. Her students have achieved principal positions with the Sacramento Youth Symphony and Tucson Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, All-State Bands and Orchestra, and All-Northern Honor Band. In addition, former high school students have gone on to study oboe at the Curtis Institute of Music and other four-year universities. Dr. Behmer is available for online instruction.
Upon completion of her Doctor of Musical Arts degree (2011) at the University of Arizona with Dr. Neil Tatman, Dr. Behmer served as tenured oboist and English hornist with the Tucson Symphony Orchestra. She also held positions with the Tucson Chamber Artists Orchestra, the Tucson Pops Orchestra and concertized on several chamber music series including St. Philip’s Friends of Music and St. Andre’s Bach Society. Dr. Behmer has also pursued additional study with Thomas Stacy, Carolyn Hove, Dr. Lindabeth Binkley, and Paula Engerer.
In 2011, Dr. Behmer gave a lecture-recital at the College Music Society International Conference held in Seoul, South Korea. The lecture recital, titled Exploring the Sounds of Doubling Double Reeds: Demonstrating New Music for English horn and Contrabassoon, featured compositions that were commissioned by her duo, Kontra-Cor Duo. The Kontra-Cor Duo is a doubling double-reed duo that specializes in commissioning works for doubling double-reed artists. Dr. Behmer also had the honor of joining the Southern Arizona Symphony Orchestra for an exciting ten-day tour of China in 2009. The tour included six concerts given in five cities (including Beijing, Shenzhen, and Dalian). Both musical engagements were rich in cultural experiences.
Dr. Behmer taught Music in General Education courses at the University of Arizona between 2006-2010 as a Graduate Teaching Assistant, including Music in World Cultures and History of American Rock and Pop. Dr. Behmer also served as a sabbatical fill-in and taught Applied Oboe and Woodwind Techniques courses to undergraduate oboists. Dr. Behmer joined the Tucson-based Summer Thunder Chinese Music Ensemble as percussionist to complement her non-Western musical interests.
When not teaching, playing, or making reeds, Dr. Behmer enjoys quality time with her husband and young family at their home in rural Wilton where they spend outside-time together in the garden and with their animals.
Julian C. Dixon
Applied Lesson Instructor
Tuba and Euphonium
Julian C. Dixon shares his passion for the creative arts as a professional tuba player, a dedicated music educator, and an arts administrator. Mr. Dixon, a native San Franciscan, received his classical training at San Francisco State and Boston Universities. His performing experience includes playing with prestigious ensembles in venues all across North America and overseas, including Carnegie Hall and Tokyo Disneyland. Currently, Julian Dixon is Principal Tuba of the Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera, and Sacramento Choral Society and Orchestra. He also served eleven years in an administrative role at the Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera as Senior Director, Community Engagement & Education, bringing distinction to the region with neighborhood Cre8tive Concerts and the annual Link Up Education Concerts, a partnership with Carnegie Hall. Mr. Dixon is also a faculty member of Sacramento State’s School of Music, where he teaches the Applied Tuba/Euphonium studio, Chamber Brass, and the First Year Experience Seminar.
Kathleen Gallagher
Applied Lesson Instructor
Violin
Kathleen Gallagher started playing the violin within the Suzuki method at the age of five. She attended the prestigious Interlochen Arts Academy for her high school studies, where she had the honor of being concertmaster for the Interlochen Arts Academy Orchestra. Kathleen then went on to study violin performance at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, where she had the pleasure of studying with Frank Huang and participate in a quartet program coached by the highly talented Ying Quartet. She has also had the opportunity to travel and perform throughout Austria, Hungary, and most of the continental US.
Kathleen found her way to Oklahoma, where she focused on teaching violin. Kathleen has been trained in the Suzuki method and continues to attend various Suzuki teaching workshops to further develop her skills. She has taught for the Sarasota Suzuki Institute, the Sooner Strings program at the University of Oklahoma, McMichael's music, the Preparatory Program at Oklahoma Baptist University, Norman School for Strings, and out of her home. She has also performed with the Enid Symphony and was the Oklahoma Baptist University Shawnee Community Orchestra concertmaster.
Currently, Kathleen is building her private studio in Sacramento, California. She continues to commit to lifelong learning by attending the California State University Sacramento School of Music, where she studies with Anna Presler. She is also a participant in the Sacramento State String Project, where she receives guidance and valuable feedback from her Suzuki violin mentor Judy Bossuat-Gallic.
Trevor Hall
Applied Lesson Instructor
Percussion
Trevor Hall is a freelance percussionist and educator based in Sacramento. He currently serves as the percussion instructor for Jesuit High School, Cosumnes Oaks High School, and River City High School. Since 2014, Mr. Hall has been on the instructional staff for Cazadero Music Camp.
Mr. Hall received a Masters of Music in percussion performance from the University of Nevada, Reno and a Bachelor of Music in percussion performance and music education from California State University, Sacramento, graduating Magna Cum Laude. His primary teachers include Dr. Andrew Heglund, Dr. Daniel Kennedy, Chris Froh, Cody Remaklus, and Chance Utter. During his studies at UNR, Mr. Hall held a graduate assistantship working with the marching band, teaching applied lessons to undergraduate percussion students and assisting in the direction of the UNR Percussion Ensemble. While a student at CSU Sacramento, Mr. Hall received induction into the music honor’s society Pi Kappa Lambda.
As a percussionist, Mr. Hall performs in multiple fields from orchestral, wind band, chamber, new music, world music, and musicals. He performs regularly with the Sierra Nevada Winds and has performed with the Reno Chamber Orchestra, Opera Modesta, Music in the Mountains Orchestra, VITA Academy, Camerata California, and the Sacramento Master Singers. Mr. Hall has performed in festivals including the Zeltsman Marimba Festival and the Northwest Percussion Festival.
John Hatamiya
Applied Lesson Instructor
Trombone
Trombonist, composer, and B.A.C. Endorsing Artist Jon Hatamiya is one of the most promising trombonists to come out of the Sacramento area and is rapidly making a name for himself on both the New York and California music scenes. He was recognized in the August 1, 2011 edition of Jet Magazine as the only trombonist on Wynton Marsalis’s list of “Who’s Got Next”, which highlighted the next generation of emerging jazz artists. Jon recently released his debut album as a leader More Than Anything on Orenda Records in early 2020.
As a performer, Jon has established a wide-ranging reputation reflecting his diverse musical interests. In the big band world, Jon is known as a lead trombone specialist with a soulful and fiery resonance, as well as a supportive and responsive section player. This versatility and knowledge of the big band tradition has led him to performances and recordings as lead trombone with the Kyle Athayde Dance Party and the big band on Michael Bublé's 2018 release, Love, and as a member of the trombone sections of the Bob Mintzer Big Band, John Daversa Progressive Big Band, and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis, among others.
Jon is also widely regarded as an imaginative and receptive improviser, and a proponent of the trombone as a modern creative voice. He appears in numerous smaller group settings that emphasize improvisation, musical communication, and spontaneity, such as nopanda (Los Angeles based quartet), and SMILES (collective quintet with members based all over the US), and as a sideman and featured soloist in performance, touring, and recording with artists such as Louis Cole, David Binney, Luca Alemanno, Paul Cornish's BANNED, and Logan Kane's Flotation band and Nonet.
Jon is active as an educator, having been faculty at the Lafayette Summer Music Jazz Workshop, Stanford Jazz Workshop, guest clinician at the Sitka Jazz Festival and Stanislaus State Jazz Festival, and a traveling clinician for the Monterey Jazz Festival. He also works as a bandleader with the New York City based jazz-rock fusion band XD 7 (with two self-released recordings), and the Jon Hatamiya Big Band, as well as several other ensembles under his own name ranging from trio to nonet.
His work as a composer and arranger (beyond in his own groups) includes commissions from Los Angeles trombone quartet Skinny Lips and the Sound Malfunction, Oakwood Brass, SFJAZZ, Fernando Pullum Center, and numerous high school and college level big bands around the world. Jon also received a 2015 Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composer Award from ASCAP and a 2016 Downbeat Student Music Award for his merits as a composer and arranger. Most recently, Jon was asked to arrange Australian grade-school student-written melodies selected by Herbie Hancock into the theme song for International Jazz Day 2019.
Jon received his Bachelor of Music degree in jazz trombone performance from Manhattan School of Music (where he was given the John Clark award for excellence in brass performance) his Master of Music in jazz studies from University of Southern California, and an additional Master of Music from the prestigious Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Performance (now known as the Herbie Hancock Institute).
Maxwell Kiesner
Applied Lesson Instructor
Trumpet
Maxwell Kiesner is the Assistant Professor of Instrumental Music at Cosumnes River College, where he directs the CRC Concert Band and Jazz Band, teaches Applied Trumpet, and leads courses in Music History, Jazz History, and Musicianship.
Mr. Kiesner holds a B.M. in Music Education from Northern Illinois University with an emphasis in jazz studies and a M.M. in Orchestral Conducting from California State University, Sacramento. His primary teachers include legendary jazz educator Ronald Carter and Pulitzer Prize nominated composer-conductor Leo Eylar. He is a long-time member of the Sacramento Jazz Orchestra and an active freelance musician throughout Northern California.
From 2007–2019, Mr. Kiesner was co-director of the renowned Rio Americano High School band program, where he led concert bands, jazz bands, and piano courses. During his tenure, Rio Band students received numerous DownBeat awards, were selected to play in CMEA All-State ensembles, and participated in several prestigious national competitions. During the summers, he led performance tours of Japan, Australia, Ireland, Spain, Italy, and Argentina. Mr. Kiesner is dedicated to supporting school music programs and educating the next generation of music professionals at Cosumnes River College. He stays connected to the community through the outreach efforts of the New Hammer Concert Band, by serving as a clinician for the Sacramento Jazz Education Foundation, and through his work as an instructor at the Camp Winthers Summer Music Camp.
Maquette Kuper
Applied Lesson Instructor
Flute
Maquette Kuper performs as principal flute with the Auburn Symphony and has appeared several times with the orchestra as a soloist. Ms. Kuper is a founding member of MôD Artists. She is also a member of the Crocker Art Museum Music Board, helping to organize their Classical Concert Series. A longtime Davis resident, Ms. Kuper teaches flute privately and is the director and founder of the Davis Youth Flute Choir, which has toured to Japan, South Korea, China, and garnered several awards and recognitions throughout the United States.
Ms. Kuper is a graduate of the New England Conservatory of Music, spent two summers as a fellowship student at Tanglewood, and studied in Paris on a Fulbright fellowship. She has also studied with Lloyd Gowen, James Pappoutsakis, and Michel Debost, and performed in numerous master classes given by Julius Baker. Ms. Kuper is a winner of the Mu Phi Epsilon International Young Artist Competition and has appeared as soloist with the Boston Pops Orchestra. Her performances have taken her to Europe and throughout the United States, and she has been listed in Outstanding Young Women of America.
Carlos McCoy
Applied Lesson Instructor
Saxophone
Carlos McCoy received his Bachelors of Music and Masters degree from California State University Sacramento, as well as a performance studies certificate from the Berklee College of Music in Boston. Carlos has studied woodwinds with such prominent artists as Dale Wolford, Harry Skoler, Dan Zinn and Mike McMullen. He has served as faculty at Sacramento State University, directing the Sacramento State Latin Jazz Ensemble (2012-2018) as well as directed elementary and middle school band for NUSD.
While completing his undergraduate degree, Carlos received the Reno Jazz Festival's Outstanding Saxophonist award in 2007, toured Europe performing at the Vienne, Umbria and Montreux festivals, and was selected from a nationwide audition to play in the lead alto chair for the Disney All-American College Band. He also had the opportunity to back up many prominent performers including Bob Florence, Wayne Bergeron, Marcus Printup, Bobby Shew, Mike Vax, Ingrid Jensen, Rebecca Mauleon, Dann Higgins, Conrad Herwig, Pete Christlieb and others.
Professional appearances include performing with a variety of greats including Rock and Roll hall of fame artists The Dells, Jerry Martini (Sly and the Family Stone), Lee Shapiro from Frankie Valli and the Seasons, Frankie Avalon, Grammy winners Carlos Caro and Jamie Dubberly, Bobby Escovedo, Delbert Bump, Calito Madrano, David Bass, as well as world class salsa performers Abel Figueroa, NG2, Herman Olivera, and Willy Torres. Carlos is currently an in-demand sideman and woodwind instructor, and leads his own Latin jazz group which has performed at many prestigious events.
Sandra Moats McPherson
Applied Lesson Instructor
Clarinet
Sandra Moats McPherson is in wide demand as a clarinetist and educator. She is the professor of clarinet at the Sacramento State School of Music, Cosumnes River College, and American River College, and performs frequently as principal clarinetist and bass clarinetist in numerous Northern California orchestras, including the Sacramento Philharmonic and Opera, and Choral Society Orchestras. She has performed orchestral and chamber music in Eisenstadt and Vienna, Austria as part of the annual Classical Music Festival, as has been on the coaching and performing staff of the InterHarmony Festival in Arcidosso, Italy. Ms. McPherson has extensive experience as a chamber music performer and coach. She has performed with numerous chamber music ensembles at the Harris Center for the Arts, the Crocker Art Museum Sunday Series, Sacramento State’s Festival of New American Music, Chamber Music Alive!, and the Capital Chamber Players Series. Ms. McPherson acts as chamber music coach for the Sacramento, Cal Cap, and Sacramento Youth Symphony Chamber Music Workshops, and maintains an active private teaching studio. Ms. McPherson received degrees from California State University, Fresno and University of California, Santa Barbara in music education, clarinet performance, and musicology, and has published articles on early-American clarinet literature.
Narmina Sultanova
Applied Lesson Instructor
Piano
Narmina Sultanova has attracted attention as one of the most exciting and communicative pianists of today's generation. Her intense musicality, brilliant virtuosity and electrifying personality consistently thrill audiences at various concert venues. As a 14-year-old competition winner, she made her orchestral debut playing Rachmaninoff's Second Piano Concerto with the Azerbaijan State Symphony Orchestra.
Sultanova holds two Bachelor Degrees in Piano with Honor from the Baku Academy of Music in Azerbaijan and the Bilkent University – Music and Performing Arts in Ankara, Turkey and Doctorate of Musical Arts from the Baku Academy of Music. Sultanova has studied piano with well-known professors such as Lev Naumov (pupil of legendary Heinrich Neuhaus at Moscow State Conservatory), Namik Sultanov (Bilkent University, San Jose State University), Martin Berkofsky (Berkofsky Foundation).
Dr. Sultanova has performed in numerous concert halls worldwide including Rachmaninoff Hall in Moscow, Munich Marktoberdorf Hall, Stuttgart Music Hall, Presidential Symphony Orchestra Hall and Bilkent Concert Hall in Ankara, Cemal Resid Rey Concert Hall in Istanbul and in her hometown – Baku, at the Azerbaijan State Conservatory Hall, State Philharmonic Hall and in various venues of the Bay Area. Her wide spectrum of repertoire at these venues included pieces from Baroque to the contemporary era.
Currently, she is a faculty member at Cosumnes River College, performs in many chamber ensembles and actively teaches at her private studio in Davis. She is an active member of the Music Teachers Association of California. Her students successfully participate in various festivals and competitions.
Omari Tau
Applied Lesson Instructor
Voice
Omari Tau, baritone and Sacramento native, has degrees from Michigan State University and the Moores School of Music-University of Houston in Music Education and Vocal Music Performance, where he studied voice with mezzo-soprano, Katherine Ciesinski and opera direction with Buck Ross.
At home in the operatic and musical theatre worlds, as well as in jazz and pop genres, Professor Tau has proven a versatile performing artist, educator, and director. He served as the Director of Opera Theatre at Sacramento State University from 2012 to 2018 and has directed the Houston Grand Opera’s Education and Outreach Department touring opera program, Opera To Go! which prepared young professionals for the stage in performances dedicated to young audiences.
Tau is an active actor and singer of styles ranging from classical, jazz, and musical theatre to pop and R&B. His experiences as an artist intersect across broad spectrums, including composition, performance, conducting, and both musical and stage direction and has also been a private voice instructor for over twenty-five years, exploring vocal technique with students of all ages and in various styles of music from pop and Broadway to art song and opera.
As a performing artist, Professor Tau toured with Disney’s The Lion King for nearly nine years, performing the role of Banzai as well as roles at the Tony Award-winning Alley Theatre, Sacramento’s Broadway at Music Circus, the MUNY, TheatreWorks Palo Alto, and Theater Under The Stars. Tau appears on Albany Records in Roger Nelson’s operatic adaptation of A Room with a View and Disney’s A Lion King Christmas recordings.
As a composer, Tau’s operas A Night At the Algonquin, Lucky Hans and The Pre-Show Opera Lecture were all commissioned and premiered by Lone Star Lyric where they enjoyed successful runs. He has also composed for Houston Grand Opera’s Education and Outreach programming, Rogue Music Project as well as his own initiative entitled Lions in the Library. His arrangements for voice and woodwinds can be heard with MôD Artists, a consortium of new and inventive musical collaborations who are the recent recipients of the Sacramento Region Community Grant Foundation’s Creative Economy grant.
Professor Tau is Co-Founder of Rogue Arts and Media, Inc. where he is Artistic Director of Rogue Music Project, a new and innovative opera company based in Sacramento, California.
omaritau.com
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