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.
Colin Matthewson
Applied Lesson Instructor
Trumpet
Colin Matthewson has been in demand as a freelance musician and teacher for over a decade. He is a graduate of California State University Sacramento, where he studied under Steve Roach and Gary Dilworth. He has recorded and performed with a diverse range of classical ensembles, small groups, jazz bands, rock bands, and in an array of other settings, with groups including Opera Modesto, Fresno Grand Opera, Folsom Symphony, Merced Symphony, California Youth Symphony, Symphonia Phonotone, El Grupo Valle De Santiago, Placer Pops, Sierra Stages, Mesopotamian Symphony, InConcert Sierra, and Music in the Mountains.
Outside of music, Colin is an avid swimmer, photographer, and backpacker.
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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