Our faculty and staff are carefully selected professional educators, solo artists, composers and conductors. Guest soloists and clinicians are on campus for Master Classes, workshops, and concerts on dates to be announced.
KYLE ENGLISH | CAMP DIRECTOR; DIRECTOR OF CHORAL PROGRAMS
Kyle joined EUSMC as a camper in 2004. He holds a bachelor of music degree in Music Education from The Benjamin T. Rome School of Music at The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC. Kyle served as Band, Choir, & Music Ministry Director at St. Louis Catholic School in Alexandria,, VA and Musical Theater Director at The Catholic University of America. As a vocalist and conductor, Kyle has performed all over the Northeast US and internationally, most notably at The Kennedy Center, NJPAC, The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, The Rudolfinum’s Dvořák Hall in Prague, and The Hungarian State Opera House in Budapest. In 2008 & 2015 Kyle was selected to perform for Pope Benedict XVI & Pope Francis for their separate visits to our nation’s capital. He currently resides in upstate NY where he serves as Director of Music Ministries at The Church of the Immaculate Conception in Glenville, NY and vocalist and pianist throughout the Capitol Region.
KAREN DE ALMEIDA | DEPUTY CAMP DIRECTOR; STRING INSTRUCTOR
Karen holds a bachelor’s in music education, from the University of São Paulo in Brazil. It is a Kodály level III certified teacher and also an Orff Schulwerk Level III certified teacher of elementary music education. She has been teaching music in the classroom for the past 13 years. She loves bringing the joy of music and building creative opportunities for her students. Karen Began Music education during childhood with violin lessons and has since developed a substantial background through the
pursuance of performance and education opportunities. Has participated in several international music festivals as a Violin and Viola player.
MARGARET KETTELL | STAFFING AND PERSONNEL DIRECTOR; WINDS & T HEORY INSTRUCTOR
Margaret Kettell holds a Bachelor of Music Education degree from The Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam. Margaret currently teaches UPK-4 General Music at Norwood-Norfolk Central School. She teaches privately and performs often with Northern Symphonic Winds.
JULISSA MARTÍNEZ | DIRECTOR OF MARKETING; WINDS INSTRUCTOR
Julissa Martínez resides in Richmond, Virginia, where she received her BM in Music Education from the VCU School of Music. A passionate educator and musician, she is the current band director at G.W. Carver Middle, where she is especially passionate about the instrument start-off process. Under her direction, this year’s ensembles received a rating of Excellent – Superior at the 2024 Virginia District III Band Assessment. During the summer season, she serves as an administrative director for the Eastern U.S. Music Camp hosted at Colgate University. She has been with the camp since 2017. In her free time, Julissa loves to hike,collect rocks (she even has a pet rock: Sebastian!), paint, go down hours-long rabbit holes on youtube, sing karaoke, take scenic drives, and more.
GREGORY SISCO | ADMINISTRATIVE DIRECTOR; DIRECTOR OF BAND & WIND PROGRAMS
Gregory is a graduate of the Ithaca College School of Music and Queens College Aaron Copland School of Music with degrees in Music Education and Saxophone Performance. He is the Director of Bands at Manhasset High School. Prior to his appointment in Manhasset, Greg was the Assistant Band Director at East Meadow High School and the Associate Conductor for the Long Island Youth Orchestra. Greg spends his summers making music in such places as Eastern US Music Camp and Interlochen Arts Camp. As a performer, Greg has performed with top ensembles in the Ithaca area as well as on Long Island. In 2016 he was a featured soloist with the Baldwin High School Wind Symphony on the premiere of a new concerto for saxophone and wind ensemble. In recent years he has also played with the Long Island Wind Ensemble, Northwinds, South Shore Symphony, North Shore Symphony, and in local musical production pit orchestras. Greg maintains an active performing schedule and private studio on Long Island.
DAVID SOTO | DIRECTOR OF BAND & WIND PROGRAMS
David Soto serves as Director of Bands at Hofstra University, where he conducts the Wind Ensemble and the Symphonic Band. He formerly held the positions of Director of Bands at Hartwick College, Associate Director of the Hartwick College Summer Music Festival, and Brass Chair for the New York State School Music Association. For over 30 years, he was Director of Bands at North Shore High School in Long Island, NY, where he led the Wind Symphony, Pep Band, Jazz Ensemble, and Marching Band. Under David’s direction, the North Shore Wind Symphony consistently earned superior ratings at the annual NYSSMA Major Organization Festival, and from 2005 until 2020, they performed in Argentina, Austria, Canada, Cuba, the Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain and Uruguay. In 2018, David was honored as Band Director of the Year by the New York State Band Directors Association, and in 2020 he received the Teacher of the Year award from North Shore High School.
KENNETH JERNIGAN | DIRECTOR OF ORCHESTRAL & STRING PROGRAMS
Mr. Jernigan received his bachelor’s degree from the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College, N.Y., and his Master’s Degree from Lehman College, N.Y. Mr. Jernigan taught in the Hastings-on-Hudson, N.Y. UFSD where he served as the conductor
of the local and national award-winning High School Orchestra, Band and Jazz Ensemble, the Eighth and Seventh Grade Orchestra and Band. He also directed the district chamber music program and the newly formed steel drum ensemble in the high school and
middle school. From 1986 to 1999 he was the music director and conductor of the Camerata Chamber Orchestra of Long Island and has twice toured Europe with this ensemble. He has guest conducted numerous county, district, regional and all-state festivals
on all levels throughout the Northeast and Florida. As a professional double bassist, Mr. Jernigan is in demand as a freelance musician and has held the principal chairs of the Westchester Symphony, Queens Orchestral Society and is currently principal of
the Allegro Chamber Orchestra of New York, which has made several European tours. He is also currently a bassist with the Fishkill Baptist Church of N.Y. Praise and Worship Team. Mr. Jernigan is an active member of the Westchester County and New York State Music Educators Association.
KATHLEEN FELDMAN | DIRECTOR OF ORCHESTRAL & STRING PROGRAMS
Kathleen Feldman is the conductor of the GWYOA Youth Symphony and has been a music teacher in the Chappaqua Schools for 18 years. She is the orchestra director at Horace Greeley High School and the district chairperson for K-12 music. She holds degrees in violin performance from Purchase College (SUNY). music education from Manhattanville College (MAT), and a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies from Boston University. As a violinist, she performs regularly with local orchestras, and has served as guest conductor for The Chappaqua Orchestra’, Orchestra 914, and the Cortlandt Chamber Orchestra, A Past- President of the Westchester County School Music Association, she is currently an advisor to the Board of Directors. As a lifelong
student and educator of music, Kathleen strives to find the joy in music making and to pass this along to her students. She is thrilled to return to EUSMC for another summer of music!
TOM CHRISTENSEN | DIRECTOR OF JAZZ PROGRAMS
All Music Guide describes saxophonist and woodwind specialist Tom Christensen as having “the goods to be a major force within the global modern jazz arena.” A mainstay in the Toshiko Akiyoshi Jazz Orchestra since 1996, Tom has also recorded and performed with jazz masters Joe Lovano, Paquito D’rivera, Maria Schneider, Darcy James Argue, David Sanchez, Don Sebesky, John Hollenbeck and The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra. Tom’s solo project, New York School (Playscape) was named one of the Top Ten Albums of the year by All About Jazz. Tom can be heard with Cecile McLorin Salvant on her most recent project Ogresse, on Rufus Reid’s Grammy nominated CD Quiet Pride, David Liebman’s A Tribute to Wayne Shorter, and Ryan Truesdell’s
Grammy nominated The Gil Evans Project-Lines of Color. He is the author of several books on jazz pedagogy, co-founder of Sound Footing Records, co-leads the band Spin Cycle and teaches jazz at New York’s prestigious Fieldston School.
CHRISTIAN CRAWFORD |
DIRECTOR OF JAZZ PROGRAMS
Christian is a freelance Trumpet/ Flugelhorn Player and Music Educator based on Long Island, NY. He started playing the piano at 5 years old and progressed to the trumpet by 10 years old. He went to Brentwood High School where he participated in Band, Choir, Orchestra, Jazz Band, and Marching Band! He continued his studies at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY where he received his Bachelor’s Degree in Jazz Performance in 2017. Since then, Christian moved back to Long Island where he performs regularly both on the Island and NYC. He is currently in final year at Queens College to achieve his NYS Teaching Certification. His hobbies are cooking, bowling, frisbee, and of course jamming with his friends and family.
LEONARDO PASSARELLI |
DIRECTOR OF PIANO PROGRAMS
A prizewinning Brazilian pianist, Leonardo Passarelli has distinguished himself as an artistically thoughtful player.“Among all the candidates, Leonardo emerged and set the highest bar. The profound artistry that comes from him is truly something.” said pianist Luiz Senise. Leonardo was awarded First prize at both the Souza Lima Piano Competition and Linda Bustani International Piano Competition. It is because of this and his passion for chamber music and teaching that he been invited to serve as Piano Faculty at the Eastern US Music Camp, in Hamilton (NY), for a second year. Leonardo earned his Bachelor Degree in Piano Performance from the internationally acclaimed Universidade Júlio de Mesquita Filho – UNESP in Sao Paulo, Brazil and has worked with the most prestigious Brazilian and International pianists and professors of this age: Arnaldo Cohen, Ricardo Castro, Alexander Kobrin, Anna Fedorova, Michael Gurt.
JONATHAN BRUNETT |
DIRECTOR OF CHORAL PROGRAMS
Jonathan Burnett has been the choir director of the Norwood Norfolk Central School District for 15 years. He is a graduate of the Crane School of Music in Potsdam, NY, where he received his Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Music Education. Mr. Burnett has worked with church choirs in Puerto Rico and in Northern New York, and has been a guest conductor with the St. Lawrence County All County Chorus. He enjoys performing, and recently played lead roles in community productions of Once Upon a Mattress and The Addams Family. He has also been a guest soloist with the Potsdam Community chorus at the Crane School of Music. Mr. Burnett lives with his wife, Nichelle, and two children, Truman and Lydianna, in Winthrop, New York. He runs a small hobby farm with donkeys and horses, and serves as a volunteer firefighter and EMT.
THOMAS A. BROWN (1932-2016) | CAMP FOUNDER
An internationally known composer, author, educator, clinician, and arranger, Tom received ASCAP’s eight Popular Awards and his 39th Standard Award in recognition of internationally performed compositions and recordings and is credited with over 400
published works. He was the founder of the New York State School Music Association All-State Jazz Ensemble and has served on the faculties of Skidmore College, The College of St. Rose, Union College, SUNY College at Albany, and Schenectady County Community College. Tom founded and directed the Eastern U.S. Music Camp at Colgate University each summer and served as a guest conductor and adjudicator for the New York State School Music Association and numerous festivals throughout the country. He was a staff member with the Stan Kenton clinics and director of the National Stage Band Camps held at various universities throughout the country. He served as President of the New York State Chapter of the National Percussive Arts Society and was a member of the Executive Committee of the International Association for Jazz Education. He performed as a percussion artist for the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Schenectady Symphony Orchestra, the Utica, and Catskill Symphony Orchestras. Tom was the director of “Strike Force,” a professional percussion ensemble performing throughout the northeast.
— Faculty subject to change; additional Faculty pending —
