Faculty & Staff

Karen Bruestle

Karen Bruestle’s career in music has included performing in opera, oratorio, recital and concert works throughout the United States and Canada. She has taught vocal master classes on technique and interpretation throughout the United States, and has been a member of NATS since 1992. She received a doctor of musical arts degree from Arizona State University.×

Sam Bryson

Sam Bryson teaches a variety of percussion specialities, including applied percussion, percussion ensemble, percussion methods and music of world cultures. He received a bachelor’s degree in percussion performance from Utah State University and a master’s degree from Northern Arizona University. He is an active performer in various genres of music including jazz, country, rock, orchestra, musical theater, opera and various other types of music.×

Carey Campbell

Carey Campbell teaches classes in both popular and classical music history. Campbell’s expertise extends outside of music history to the art of making music, specifically composing electronic music for a variety of theater productions and other areas.×

Cindy Child

Cindy Child has performed as a freelance clarinetist with the Traverse Symphony Orchestra, Encore Winds, Utah Symphony, Ballet West, Utah Chamber Artists and the American Festival Chorus. Child holds a bachelor’s degree in music education from Brigham Young University and a master’s degree in clarinet performance from Arizona State University.×

Francisco de Galvez

Francisco de Gálvez is one of the leading Spanish conductors of his generation. He studied conducting, composition, orchestration and analysis in Canada and graduated with a master’s degree from McGill University, Montreal. He obtained his doctorate degree from Malaga University in Spain.×

Greg Duffin

Greg Duffin studied music composition and conducting, earning his BM and MM from Brigham Young University, as well as a doctorate in music from the University of Arizona. He has more than 20 years of experience teaching history, music, multimedia, religious philosophy and creative leadership.×

Dave Feller

David Feller is an accomplished performer and musician who now teaches clarinet and saxophone at Weber State. He is an active performer for numerous venues, performing with the likes of the Ballet West Orchestra and Utah Chamber Artists.×

Evelyn Harris

Evelyn Harris received her BA in music from Brigham Young University, as well as her MA. Harris is accomplished in a variety of vocal specializations including Broadway, country, pop and others. She received an Honorary Doctor of Humanities Degree from Weber State University in 2017 for her lifelong dedication and stewardship to the arts and music.×

Karen Hastings

Karen Hastings has played, taught and performed oboe for more than 20 years. She is a University of Utah graduate with a degree in woodwind performance. She is Principal Oboist with Chamber Orchestra Ogden and is adjunct faculty at Weber State.×

Cindy Henderson

Cindy Henderson is nationally recognized for her distinguished record of teaching excellence at every level, having taught students of all ages. Henderson is also a popular workshop clinician, speaker and adjudicator, and has twice presented at the National Convention of the National Flute Association.×

Steven Hendricks

Professor Steven Hendricks is director of the Symphonic and Marching Band. Prior to his appointment at Weber State he served as Director of Bands at Kaysville Junior High School, as a visiting professor at Brigham Young University-Idaho, as Director of Bands at Carbon High School in Price, Utah, and as Director of Bands at Davis High School in Kaysville, Utah.

During his 28 year tenure at Davis High School, Mr. Hendricks developed both the largest band program in Utah and one of the finest high school bands in the country. His Wind Ensemble is just one of two high school bands in Utah history to perform at the prestigious Midwest Clinic in Chicago (1998), and he is still the only director in Utah history to have three concert bands achieve straight superior ratings at the UMEA State Concert Band Festival — a feat that was achieved twice — first in 2015 and again in 2017. His marching band is one of only two from Utah to perform at both the Tournament of Roses Parade and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Mr. Hendricks was selected as the Davis School District Teacher of the Year in 2017, and was inducted into the Utah Music Educators Association Hall of Fame in February of 2021.

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Daniel Jonas

Daniel Jonas directs the Jazz Ensemble and the Wildcat Pep Band, in addition to teaching music theory, jazz history, rock history and trumpet. Jonas holds a doctorate degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder, a MM from DePaul University and a BM from the University of New Mexico.×

Elissa Krebs

Elissa Krebs holds a master’s degree from the University of Utah and a bachelor’s degree from Weber State University. She has performed throughout North America, Europe and China. Krebs has served as Weber State University String Project’s Master Teacher, and is a recipient of WSU’s Exemplary Collaboration award.×

Mike Palumbo

Michael Palumbo is a Professor Emeritus at Weber State University. He received his Bachelor of Music Education and Master of Arts degrees from the University of Denver. He completed his Doctor of Arts in Orchestral Conducting at Ball State University. His conducting credits include performances by the "Stars of the Soviet Ballet" and the "Bolshoi Ballet.”×

Thomas Priest

Thomas Priest teaches courses on music, education and bassoon, and supervises individuals completing student teaching internships. His work as a researcher, teacher, performer and composer continues to inform his professional practice. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Indiana University-Bloomington, a master’s degree from the University of Colorado-Boulder, and a doctorate degree from the University of Illinois-Champaign-Urbana.×

Sophie Stanley

Sophie Stanley graduated with her BA from Weber State University and her MM from the New England Conservatory. Sophie is currently adjunct faculty at Weber State University, faculty at the Gifted Music School in Salt Lake City and maintains her own private studio.×

Sean Steiner

Sean Steiner holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Eastman School. Steiner is a competition adjudicator and has performed as soloist throughout the United States and China, and collaboratively with the Kaye Starr Singers in Utah and Central America.×

Viktor Uzur

Viktor Uzur has appeared as a soloist, chamber musician in many countries of Europe, Asia, North America and South America. Uzur received his bachelor’s and master’s in cello performance from the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow He also holds a doctoral degree from Michigan State University.×

Shi Hwa

Shi-Hwa Wang is a professor of violin/viola, chamber music and string pedagogy. He is a world-renowned performer and teacher, known for his skilled work and dedication to success. Wang graduated from Soo-Chow University in Taiwan and received his MM and DMA degrees in Violin Performance from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.×

Yu-Jane Yang

Dr. Yu-Jane Yang is a Brady Presidential Distinguished Professor and the director of Keyboard Studies at Weber State. In great demand as a presenter, performing artist, competition adjudicator and master class teacher, she has performed in concert tours and given numerous piano master classes around the world, including Austria, Poland, Norway, Spain, Italy, Germany, Singapore, China, Taiwan, the Philippines, Canada and the United States. Dr. Yang’s many accolades include being awarded the most prestigious Music Teachers National Association Teacher of the Year in 2020, the Steinway Teacher Hall of Fame in 2021, and the Steinway Top Teacher Award in 2022.

 

Dr. Yang’s piano students have been top prizewinners in both collegiate and pre-college divisions in numerous state, national and international piano competitions, including the national first place winner of the 2010 MTNA Steinway Young Artist Piano Competition and the 2020 Gilmore Young Artist Award national winner. Her piano students at Weber State have received piano scholarships for graduate studies from world-renowned music schools such as the Juilliard School, Eastman School of Music, the University of Michigan and the Cleveland Institute of Music.×