Guest Brass Band Conductor:
Joseph Parisi is a Curator’s Professor at the UMKC Conservatory where he conducts the Conservatory Wind Ensemble and serves as a conducting and music education faculty member. Parisi is recognized globally for his work as a clinician, conductor, performing artist, pedagogue, and scholar. As Parisi embarks on his 20th year at the UMKC Conservatory, he continues collaborating with renowned artists, commissioning new pieces for wind ensemble, chamber winds, symphonic brass, and soloists. He has an extensive recording dossier as a performer and conductor and is recognized, as “a vibrant force on the podium, who inspires all of the musicians under his baton. He is a wonderfully collaborative person whose energy is infectious” – David Hickman, Summit Brass.
Parisi is the principal conductor of Summit Brass at the Rafael Méndez Brass Institute (www.mendezbrassinstitute.com) and the Fountain City Brass Band (www.fcbb.net), and it is through his work with these ensembles that Parisi is recognized as one of the country’s leading conductors. Fountain City Brass Band currently leads the United States as one of the world’s top brass bands and is currently ranked as the 15th best brass band in the world, the highest-ranked American Band in history. Fountain City has recorded many albums and their newest recording, Celtic Impressions, has received widespread praise for its ensemble precision, excitement, and musicality
Dr. Parisi completed a bachelor’s degree in music education at the State University of New York at Potsdam (Crane School of Music); a master’s degree in trumpet performance and a Ph.D. in instrumental conducting/music education, both from Florida State University. While at the UMKC Conservatory, Parisi has won numerous awards including, the Kauffman Excellence in Teaching Award, the Kauffman Award for Outstanding Research and Creative Activity, and the Kauffman Outstanding Service Award.
Percussion Course Directors:
Dr. Annie Stevens is the Assistant Professor of Percussion at the Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia where she teaches studio percussion and directs the Virginia Tech Percussion Ensemble. As an active soloist and chamber musician throughout the U.S. and internationally, Annie has been featured in performances at the International Computer Music Conference, the Society for Electro-Acoustic Music in the U.S., the Wintergreen Music Festival, the Garth Newell Music Center, the International Trumpet Guild, and music conservatories in Beijing, Guangzhou, and Xi’an, China.
She has performed with the festival orchestras of the Music Academy of the West, the National Orchestral Institute, the Aspen Music Festival, and performs regularly with the Roanoke Symphony. Her teachers include Michael Burritt, She-e Wu, Alan Abel, Chip Ross, Bill Cahn, James Ross, and Tom McGowan. She can be heard on the albums, Blue Earth County with the Kelly Rossum Quartet, and Escape Ten’s, Colours of a Groove.
Dr. Andrea Venet is a percussion artist, soloist, educator, and composer specializing in contemporary and classical genres. She is currently Assistant Professor of Percussion and head of the department at the University of North Florida. As an international soloist, chamber musician, and clinician, Andrea maintains an active performance schedule; select appearances include the Barnes Foundation (Philadelphia), WASBE & Àgora Actual Festivals (Spain), the Celebrate Marimba Festival, Kyoto City University of Arts, and with the Prairie Music Residency Brass Band (SK, Canada). She has also been a featured performer with SNL percussionist Valerie Naranjo, Ivan Trevino, the Lawson Ensemble, Project Trio, and the Eastman Percussion Ensemble.
Andrea’s creative activity includes performance, composition, and commissioning new works. Her compositions and arrangements can be found through various publishers via her website, in addition to articles published with Percussive Notes and Rhythm!Scene magazines. Andrea’s research involves pedagogy, with focus on college percussion education at various levels, classical improvisation and historically informed Baroque performance practice techniques for Bach on marimba. Andrea holds a DMA in Performance and Literature with a minor in Pedagogy, and the prestigious Performer’s Certificate from the Eastman School of Music. She currently serves as the Percussive Arts Society Florida Chapter President. Find out more at www.AndreaVenet.com.
Guest Soloist:
Raquel Samayoa leads a multi-faceted career as a teacher, chamber musician, and solo performer. She joined the University of North Texas College of Music in 2018, where she is currently Associate Professor of Trumpet, and Co-Director of the UNT Brass Band. Dr. Samayoa is a founding member of Lantana Trio, a brass trio comprised of UNT Brass Faculty. Dr. Samayoa was previously on faculty at Tennessee Tech University and Northern Kentucky University.
Raquel is principal trumpet with the Richardson Symphony Orchestra (TX) and a member of the award-winning Seraph Brass. As a member of Seraph Brass, she frequently tours the US and abroad performing concerts and engaging in educational outreach performances. Dr. Samayoa is a Yamaha Performing Artist and a Denis Wick Artist and Clinician.
As a pedagogue, clinician, and proponent of diversity in the arts, she is regularly invited to give masterclasses, recitals, and panel discussions at universities and professional conferences, most recently the College Music Society Southern Conference, Midwest Clinic, Historic Brass Society Symposium, International Women’s Brass Conference (IWBC) and the International Trumpet Guild (ITG) Conference. She has been a guest artist at the Brass Day of the Moscow Conservatory (RUS), Brass Day of the Melbourne Conservatorium (AU), South Texas Brass Symposium, 2019 Dallas Trumpet Workshop, 2021 Interlochen Trumpet Intensive and 2022 Oklahoma Summer Arts Institute at Quartz Mountain. She also recently served as a juror for the prestigious Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition. Dr. Samayoa will serve as an instructor at the PRIZM Music Camp & International Chamber Music Festival in the Summer of 2023.
Her articles have been published in The Instrumentalist, The Brass Herald and the ITG Journal. In January 2020, Dr. Samayoa released her first publication with Mountain Peak Music entitled Dueling Fundamentals for Two Trumpets. She released her 2nd solo album entitled, Trumpet Songs, with Summit Records in 2021. As a member of Lantana Trio, Raquel released Crossing Barriers with MSR Classics in the Fall of 2022. This album features works by women and BIPOC composers, including five new commissions. Raquel is a member of the IWBC Board of Directors and served as a co-host for the 2022 and 2014 IWBC.
Dr. Samayoa holds the DMA in Trumpet Performance from the University of North Texas where she studied with renowned trumpet pedagogue, Keith Johnson. She earned the MA and Bachelor’s degree in Music Education from West Texas A&M University where she studied trumpet with Mr. David Ritter and Wind Conducting with Dr. Gary Garner.
Guest Tutors:
More guest to be announced soon!