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SGM
Christopher D. Jones Sergeant Major Christopher D. Jones, from Fairhope, Alabama, has been a clarinetist in the Military Academy Band since September of 1992. He has a Bachelor of Music degree in music education from the University of North Alabama, Florence; and a Master of Music degree in clarinet performance and conducting from New Mexico State University, Las Cruces. Sgt. Maj. Jones serves as the Marching Band Drum Major, the Publicity Division Chief and as a member of the West Point Clarinet Quartet. Jones performed the Copland Clarinet Concerto with the Northern Dutchess Symphony Orchestra in October of 2008, and he studied privately with Kalmen Opperman in New York City for more than ten years. SFC Diana Cassar-Uhl Sergeant First Class Diana Cassar-Uhl, from Monroe, New York, came to the Military Academy Band in September of 1995. She holds a Bachelor of Music in performance from the Ithaca College School of Music. SFC Cassar-Uhl has studied clarinet with Thomas Scott, Robert Schmidt, David Minelli and Michael Galvan. She performs in the Concert Band and is a member of the West Point Clarinet Quartet. SFC Cassar-Uhl also writes a regular column in The Clarinet, profiling clarinet sections in the special military bands. SFC Jeffrey Geller Sergeant First Class Jeff Geller grew up in Rome, NY and began studying the clarinet with his father, Herb Geller, a former member of the USMA Band. He continued his studies with Gerald Zampino, former principal clarinetist of the Syracuse Symphony. Jeff attended The Juilliard School of Music and was a student of David Weber. He joined the Army in 1988 and was a member of the U.S. Army Ground Forces Band at Fort McPherson, Atlanta, GA. He has been a member of the West Point Band since 1991 and is a member of the West Point Clarinet Quartet. SFC Sinclair Hackett Staff Sergeant Sinclair Hackett was raised in Wichita, Kansas. He attended Wichita State University where he studied under Dr. Jim Jones. SFC Hackett joined the U.S. Army in 1992 where he was assigned to the 62nd Army Band at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas. SFC Hackett arrived at the USMA Band in 1996 and is a member of the West Point Clarinet Quartet and performs on clarinet and harp in the Concert Band. SFC Shawn Herndon Sergeant First Class Shawn Herndon is an active recitalist, teacher and clinician. He has appeared as a soloist with the United States Military Academy Concert Band and has given recitals and master classes in the United States and Japan. He is a clarinetist with the Concert Band and member of the Academy Clarinet Quartet. He has premiered works by Paul Harvey and Collage by Hudson Valley composer Robert Baksa for clarinet quartet and band. Recently with the Academy Quartet he performed with Mitchell Estrin, former clarinetist of the New York Philharmonic. A native of Dallas, Texas, he earned a bachelor's degree in clarinet performance from Southern Methodist University in Dallas and a master's degree, also in performance, from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. His teachers have included Stephen Girko, former principal clarinetist of the Dallas Symphony, and Ron deKant at the University of Cincinnati. He has also performed with Albany Pro Musica and the Albany Symphony. SFC Sam
Kaestner
Sergeant First Class Sam Kaestner attended the
Peabody Conservatory of the Johns Hopkins University where he received
instruction from Baltimore Symphony bass clarinetist Edward Palanker and
Anthony Gigliotti, former Philadelphia Orchestra principal clarinetist.
After his 2000 Peabody graduation with honors, Kaestner went to
Northwestern University for graduate work. His Northwestern
experience included study with Chicago Symphony bass clarinetist, J.
Lawrie Bloom, where he also was a finalist in the graduate concerto
competition. In 2002, Kaestner received a masters degree with
honors. In addition to his strength as a classical clarinetist,
SFC Kaestner also plays jazz. While at Peabody, Kaestner studied
jazz with former Miles Davis saxophonist Gary Thomas. SFC Kaestner
is a founding member of the Academy Clarinet Quartet and a member of the
West Point Woodwind Quintet. He is currently studying with
Metropolitan Opera Orchestra bass clarinetist James Ognibene and with
John Manasse.
SFC John Parrette Sergeant First Class John Parrette, principal and section leader, received his Bachelor of Music degree with honors from the New England Conservatory of Music where he studied with Peter Hadcock. Originally from Kansas City, he began his studies with his father, who also served with the U.S. Military Academy Band. SFC Parrette has been with the Military Academy Band since 1987 and assumed the position of principal clarinetist in 1996. He has made over 50 solo appearances with the band, including the 2001 North American premiere of Martin Ellerby’s Clarinet Concerto. He has also performed many of his own arrangements with the band, including solo works by Mozart, Rossini, Ponchielli and Cahuzac. SFC Parrette is a founding member of the Academy Wind Quintet. SFC Jennifer Tibbs Sergeant First Class Jennifer Tibbs is originally from Hendersonville, North Carolina. She received her high school diploma in clarinet performance from the North Carolina School of the Arts in 1987, where she was a student of Robert Listokin. She went on to earn a Bachelor of Music degree from the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music in 1992, where she studied with Ronald DeKant. She has been a member of the clarinet section of the Military Academy Band since 1993, and has as appeared as a soloist with the Concert Band. She has served as the assistant principal clarinetist since 1996. SSG Erin Bubalo Staff Sergeant Erin Bubalo is originally from Cincinnati, Ohio. She arrived at West Point in early October of 2004 after completing basic training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. SSG Bubalo attended the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music where she received her Bachelor of Music and studied with clarinetist Ron deKant. SSG Kristen Mather Staff Sergeant Kristen Mather, clarinet, earned a Bachelor of Music from Youngstown State University in 2005. There she studied with Robert Fitzer. In 2006, she attended DePaul University in Chicago and studied with Chicago Symphony Orchestra principal clarinetist and former USMA Band clarinetist, Larry Combs. SSG Mather has a varied musical background, performing with the Warren Philharmonic, the American Wind Symphony Orchestra, the Ohio Light Opera Orchestra and with renowned jazz bassist Dave Holland. She joined the Academy Band in October of 2007. SSG Timothy Sutfin Staff Sergeant Timothy Sutfin received a Bachelor of Music Magna cum Laude from Northwestern University in 2004, and a Master of Music with High Honors from Oklahoma City University in 2007. Prior to joining the West Point Band in October of 2008, Staff Sgt. Sutfin performed with the Oklahoma City Philharmonic for three seasons. He has also appeared with the Winston-Salem Symphony, Texas Festival Orchestra, Quartz Mountain Music Festival Orchestra, and served on the faculty at Oklahoma City University from 2007 to 2008. His primary teachers include Russell Dagon, Jane Carl, Charlene Zimmerman, and Chad Burrow. |
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