Meet Alumni

Saxophonist Joseph Connor is active as a soloist, chamber musician, orchestral player, improviser, and educator. Keenly interested in expanding the solo and chamber repertoire for the saxophone, Joseph has worked closely with composers Joanne Metcalf, David Werfelmann, John Mayrose, Zachary Green, JP Merz, Ilan Blanck, and others to create new works for saxophone in various settings. Joseph was recently named the third place prizewinner in the 2018 North American Saxophone Alliance Solo Competition. As a soloist and orchestral player, Joseph has appeared with the Northwestern University, Lawrence University, La Crosse, Fox Valley, Manitowoc, Green Bay Civic, and Oshkosh Symphony Orchestras. In March 2018, Joseph traveled to China and Hong Kong to perform Leonard Bernstein’s Symphonic Dances from West Side Story with the Northwestern University Symphony Orchestra. Joseph traveled to Strasbourg, France to perform Silent Sounds: improvised soundtracks for silent films with the Lawrence University Saxophone Quartet and Sumner Truax at the 17th World Saxophone Congress in 2015.

Joseph is currently completing graduate studies in saxophone performance with Taimur Sullivan at Northwestern University, where he serves as a graduate assistant to the saxophone studio. In 2016, Joseph graduated from Lawrence University with a Bachelor of Music Degree in saxophone performance and instrumental music education. His primary teachers were Steven Jordheim, Sara Kind, and José Encarnación.

Watch Joseph Connor perform Jacob Ter Velduis's Tallahatchie Concerto with the Lawrence Symphony Orchestra: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRZj_qtQNa4

An active chamber musician, clinician, and conductor, Jesse Dochnahl has worked with young musicians across Montana, Wisconsin, and Illinois.  In the 2012-13 academic year, he served as Instructor of Saxophone and Freshman Studies at Lawrence University. He was awarded First Prize in the MTNA Woodwind Young Artist (2005) and Chamber Music (2012) National Competitions, and was the winner of the Lawrence Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition. He has performed as concert soloist with the Manitowoc Symphony Orchestra and the Lawrence Symphony Orchestra and in recitals at the NASA 2012 National Conference, SEAMUS 2012 National Conference, 13th World Saxophone Congress, the 2005 & 2012 MTNA National Conferences, and the U.S. Navy International Saxophone Symposium. Jesse has performed with Sinfonia da Camera Chamber Orchestra, Eugene Symphony, Green Bay Civic Orchestra, Sheboygan Symphony, and Helena Symphony.  A staunch advocate of new music, Jesse has presented world premieres of music by Joanne Metcalf, Asha Srinivasan, Scott Unrein, and Ming-Ching Chiu, among others. Jesse earned his Master of Music at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where he studied with Debra Richtmeyer and holds degrees in music education and saxophone performance from Lawrence University where he studied saxophone with Steven Jordheim.  

To hear and watch Jesse Dochnahl's performances and to learn about his teaching and performance activities, visit his website at:  jessedochnahl.com

Four-time Downbeat Award winner Javier Arau currently resides in New York City where he is a saxophonist, composer, arranger, teacher, and entrepreneur.  A double-degree student at Lawrence majoring in Theory/Composition and Economics, Javier later went on to earn his Master of Music degree in Jazz Composition from the New England Conservatory.  Javier has performed throughout the world and has appeared with artists such as Dizzy Gillespie, Clark Terry, Charlie Haden, and Maria Schneider.  Also an accomplished classical musician, he played tenor saxophone in the Lawrence University Saxophone Quartet that won first prize in the Music Teachers National Association’s national collegiate chamber music competition.  His compositions and arrangements, which span a great variety of genres, have earned him three Downbeat awards, an ASCAP Young Jazz Composer award, and an MENC Young Composers award and have been performed throughout the United States.  Javier is founder and director of  the New York Jazz Academy, a school with locations in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Long Island that employs about forty teachers and serves students of all ages.  To listen to Javier’s performances and to read more about his activities and his advice to students, visit his website at www.javierarau.com.

Watch: Javier Arau, New York Jazz Academy: Lady Bird

Jacob Teichroew is a saxophonist, woodwind player, composer, arranger, bandleader, and music educator based in Brooklyn, New York. He was raised in Silver Spring, Maryland, where he took up the saxophone at age ten, and was trained as a classical saxophonist.

Before pursuing a degree in classical saxophone under the tutelage of Steven Jordheim at Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin, Jacob fell in love with the music of Cannonball Adderley and Kenny Garrett, which inspired him to play jazz. He briefly got involved in the Washington, D.C. jazz scene, where he performed weekly as the lead alto player in the Thad Wilson Jazz Orchestra at H.R. 57.

While at Lawrence University, Jacob focused on classical saxophone and also earned a degree in philosophy. Unable to shake an obsession with improvisation, he moved to New York in 2007 to attend Queens College, where he earned an M.A. in jazz studies, and studied with Antonio Hart, David Berkman, and Michael Philip Mossman.

Upon first moving to New York, Jacob worked as a freelance music writer, contributed to jazz.com, and edited jazz.about.com. His experiences as a classical saxophonist, critic, sideman, and music teacher informed his approach to composing and performing music. His tone is clear and round, his solos include not a single extraneous note, and his compositions are intended to give the sense of movement and development.

“To me, things like style, technique, scene, and tradition are secondary. What’s important is the music itself: whether it goes somewhere, creates drama, establishes a mood, and does so in a way that can be clear to anyone.”

Aside from playing regularly with HasHaveHad, the Russ Flynn Ensemble, Le Zhang, Grupo Arcano, Tamela D’Amico, James Hall, Trevor Long, Loren Benjamin, and others, Jacob can be heard as a sideman in an array of projects varying in style and genre.

Jacob leads his own group, the Jacob Teichroew Quintet, and his debut album Tableaux is due for release in the Spring of 2013.

Aside from performing saxophones, clarinet, bass clarinet, and flute, jacob teaches privately, and in New York City Public Schools through various non-profit education programs.

To listen to performances and learn more about Jacob Teichroew, visit jacobteichroew.com.

Yiannis Miralis is Associate Professor of Music Education and Saxophone and Coordinator of the Music Program at the Department of Arts at European University Cyprus. He holds degrees from Michigan State University (PhD), Bowling Green State University (MM), and Lawrence University (BM), where he was a Fulbright scholar. His primary saxophone teachers were Joe Lulloff, John Sampen, and Steven Jordheim, respectively.

As the first Cypriot classical saxophonist, Miralis has given numerous solo and chamber performances in Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Switzerland, Spain, Canada, Sweden, and the USA. He was the first saxophone soloist with the Cyprus State Chamber Orchestra under the direction of Ayis Ioannides. He later performed with the Cyprus Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Spiros Pisinos, Miltos Logiades, and Sasha Mäkilä. He also appeared as soloist with the Macedonian Saxophone Quartet and the Ensemble Philharmonia. He was a member of the Macedonian Saxophone Quartet which performed at the Cultural Olympiad of Athens 2004 and on a five-concert tour of Switzerland with the Orchestre de Chambre de Neuchâtel. As a member of the acclaimed Transcontinental Saxophone Quartet (TSQ) he won a number of chamber music competitions in the USA. The Transcontinental Saxophone Quartet has given hundreds of performances in the USA and Europe. They have also performed at the renowned Ravenna Music Festival in Italy and appeared as soloists with the Royal Belgian Air Force Band in Minneapolis. Their first CD, “Mountain Roads,” (Albany Records) received outstanding reviews.

Miralis has a genuine interest in expanding the saxophone repertoire and has commissioned numerous saxophone works by such composers as J. Harbison, B. Rands, D. Maslanka, L. Bell, R. Borel, Ph. Dymiotis, G. Karvellos, C. Stylianou, H. Sofocleous, D. Constantinides, and C. Papageorgiou. He has given world premieres of a number of these works in the United States and Cyprus.

Yiannis has taught at the University of Cyprus, ARTE Music Academy, University of Windsor in Canada, Flint Institute of Music, and Michigan State University Community Music School. From 2001-2004 he served as Assistant Professor of Saxophone and Music Education at the Lionel Hampton School of Music at the University of Idaho. He is a founding member of the Hellenic Saxophone Association (HSA) and president of the Cypriot Saxophone Association Saxophonia.

Kim Reece is a woodwind performer with the United States Navy Band.  Formerly the instructor of saxophone at Portland State University in Portland, Oregon, she has performed as saxophonist with the Oregon Symphony and presented numerous solo and chamber music performances. An avid performer of new works, Kim recently premiered "Alborado" for soprano saxophone and electronics by Bei Zhang, which won the second prize at the Prix d’Ete at the Peabody Institute. Kim holds degrees from the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University, the University of Arizona (UA) and Lawrence University, Conservatory of Music (LU). Primary teachers include Steven Jordheim, Gary Louie, Timothy McAllister, and Joe Wimmer.

At Peabody, Kim was selected to perform Libby Larsen’s "Holy Roller" at the commencement ceremony. She also performed with the Black Box Quartet and was the soprano chair of the Catalina Saxophone Quartet while at the University of Arizona. Catalina Saxophone Quartet had an extensive performance schedule throughout the United States, Mexico and Canada, performing at numerous festivals, competitions, and outreach programs. Concluding their tenure together, they released their recording of Gavin Bryars’ "Alaric I or II" on Arizona University Recordings’ CD release, America’s Millennium Tribute to Adolphe Sax: Volume XIV.

Watch:  Kim Reece and Douglas Schneider (LU’95) perform Ned Rorem’s A Bend in the River

Watch:  Kim Reece and Douglas Schneider (LU’95) perform Ned Rorem’s Bal Musette

Dr. Matthew Ramón Arau is an Assistant Professor of Music, Chair of the Music Education Department and Associate Director of Bands at the Lawrence University Conservatory of Music. He conducts the Lawrence Symphonic Band and student and faculty chamber groups, guest conducts the Lawrence Wind Ensemble, supervises instrumental student teachers, and teaches Instrumental Methods and Rehearsal Techniques I & II.

Arau has presented clinics on student leadership at the International Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago, the Western International Band Clinic in Seattle, the Conn-Selmer Institute in Indiana, the Colorado Music Educators Association, Midwest Music Seminars, and universities and high schools around the country.  He teaches student leadership at the Metro-Capitol Leadership Academy in Sherwood, Oregon and the CSU Band Leadership Academy in Ft. Collins, Colorado. He guest conducts honor bands and honor jazz bands of all levels, is an active concert band, jazz band and marching band adjudicator, and has continued to be an active jazz and classical saxophonist throughout his teaching and academic career.

His clinic presentation schedule for this academic year includes the following: Fishers Marching Invitational, Fishers, IN; Wisconsin Music Educators Association, Madison, WI; Western International Band Clinic, Seattle, WA; Oregon Music Educators Association Convention, Portland, OR; Greek Band Educators Convention, Cyprus, Greece; American Band College of Sam Houston State University, Ashland, OR.

In 2012, Arau began his doctoral studies at the University of Colorado Boulder, and he graduated with a DMA in Instrumental Conducting and Literature in May 2015. His primary conducting teachers have included Allan McMurray and Don McKinney. As a graduate teaching assistant, Arau directed the University of Colorado Wind Symphony, Symphonic Band, Campus Band and Marching Band. His dissertation work was on the wind works of the Paul Taffanel Chamber Wind Society of Paris (1879-1893) and Leadership, Empowerment, and Engagement in the Instrumental Ensemble Rehearsal.

Prior to pursuing his doctoral degree, Arau was the Director of Bands at Loveland High School in Loveland, Colorado from 2005-2012 where he established the Leadership Symposium for the development of student leaders. The Loveland H.S. Wind Symphony was featured at the Western International Band Clinic (WIBC) in Seattle and two times at the Colorado Music Educators Association Convention. The Loveland Marching Band won the Colorado 4A State Marching Band Championship and the Class AA Championship at the Bands of America Super Regional in San Antonio, Texas. Arau began his teaching career in 1997 as the Director of Bands at Walt Clark Middle School. The Walt Clark Honor Band was featured at the Colorado Music Educators Association Convention in 2003.

Arau has served on the staff of WIBC since 2004 and was on the staff of the American Band College in Ashland, Oregon from 2004-2011. Arau received his Masters of Science in Music from the American Band College at Southern Oregon University in 2003. He graduated magna cum laude from Lawrence University in 1997 with a Bachelor of Music in K-12 Instrumental Music Education, Music Performance (Classical) and Music Performance with an emphasis in Jazz Studies and a Bachelor of Arts in Government with teaching certification in political science.

Mr. Arau’s professional affiliations include the College Band Directors National Association, the National Association for Music Education and the World Association of Symphonic Bands and Ensembles. He is a past Western Region Representative of the American School Band Directors Association and Instrumental Representative of the Colorado Music Educators Association. His writings on music and music education are published in Conn-Selmer Keynotes and Touchpoint, Bandworld Magazine, and The Saxophone Journal.

Contact by e-mail: matthew.r.arau@lawrence.edu

Paul Snyder completed majors in German and Music (Saxophone) at Lawrence University before attending Marquette Law School on a full tuition scholarship.  He was a member of the Lawrence University jazz bands, Lawrence University Wind Ensemble, and Lawrence University Common Council Saxophone Quartet, which advanced to the final round of the international Colman Chamber Music Competition and performed at multiple North American Saxophone Alliance national and regional conferences. Additionally, he interviewed composers David Maslanka and Rodney Rogers for articles published in the North American Saxophone Alliance’s Saxophone Journal and on the Lawrence University Saxophone Studio’s website.

He also was instrumental in the commission of works by Rodney Rogers, Javier Arau, and other composers for the saxophone, has made multiple recordings, and has toured across the United States and Italy, including as a featured performer with Professor Steve Jordheim at the Festival Internazionale del Sassofono in Faenza, Italy.

As a practicing attorney in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Paul was recognized six times, from 2007-2012, as a Rising Star SuperLawyers, a recognition of the top 2% of attorneys under the age of 40 in the State of Wisconsin.  After practicing law for nearly a decade, Paul joined an international investment banking firm as its President.  In 2014, he joined Capital Group, a $1.3 trillion investment company that has been recognized as the top asset management company in the country and the most powerful controlling shareholder in the global stock market, as Senior Vice President.

Paul also serves on the Lawrence University President’s Advisory Council and the Lawrence University Alumni Association Board of Directors.  He has been instrumental in the formation and development of the Lawrence Chicago Network and Lawrence Milwaukee Network, and has participated in the Lawrence Scholars in Law and Lawrence Scholars in Business programs.  He has served as President of the Lighthouse Academies of Wisconsin Board of Directors, Co-chair and Founder of the United Performing Arts Fund’s Next Gen Council, Co-chair of the UPAF Ride for the Arts, Vice President of Development for Present Music’s Board of Directors.  Paul also serves on multiple for-profit companies’ board of directors and advisory boards.  He has served as judge for both the Wisconsin State Music Association music competition and multiple law school and high school mock trial competitions.