
Meet Our Faculty
Voice, Women's Choir:
Porter, Beth (Chair)Flute
Akins, LoriKeyboard Pedagogy:
Anderson, ConnieConducting, Theory, Concert Chorale, Men's Glee Club:
Anderson, LylePiano:
Clevenger, CharlesTheory, Clarinet:
Curlette, BruceViola
Currie, SheridanHarp
Davis, JacquelynMusic Education, Bands, Low Brass:
DiCuirci, MichaelTuba
DiCuirci, MichaelOrgan
Faber, OliveVoice:
Ferranti, TaylorCello
Fetherston, Mary
Sculpture / Ceramics
Grimes, BruceOboe
Grove, LisaSaxophone
Jenkins, ChesterViolin, Orchestra:
Kim, JunPercussion
LaMattina, MichaelMusic History & Humanities:
Matson, DavidTrombone
Millat, AndrewPiano:
Mortensen, JohnChurch Music Programs:
O'Neel, RogerTrumpet, Orchestra, Brass Choir:
Pagnard, CharlesGuitar
Pitzer, LawrencePiano
Sachs, DanielVoice:
Spencer, MarkComposition:
Winteregg, Steven
Beth Porter (Chair)
Beth Cram Porter has been appointed chair of the Department of Music, Art, and Worship after serving as interim chair of the department since July of 2007. Beth Cram Porter teaches studio voice and directs the Women's Choir at Cedarville. An accomplished soprano soloist with a distinguished career on the stage, Porter was recently invited to be the featured soloist at the White House Day of Prayer ceremony where she sang for President George W. Bush and his invited guests. She has toured abroad as a soloist with the Robert Shaw Festival Singers, and since 2003 has been a member of the Oregon Bach Festival Choir under the direction of Maestro Helmuth Rilling. Mrs. Porter received her M.A. degree from Western Carolina University and has been at Cedarville since 1997.
Lori Akins
Education: B.M.E. - The Ohio State University; M.M. - The Ohio State University
Professional Experience: Springfield Symphony; Ohio Valley Symphony; sub for Columbus Symphony and ProMusica Chamber Orchestra
Connie Anderson
Mrs. Connie Anderson serves as the director of the Keyboard Pedagogy Program. She maintains an active presence in both the World and International Piano Pedagogy Conferences and writes for Keyboard Companion. Mrs. Anderson maintains a large private piano studio. She received her M.M. from Wright State University in 1994 and has been at Cedarville full time since 1999.
Lyle Anderson
Dr. Anderson serves as coordinator of choral studies and conducts the Concert Chorale and Men's Glee Club. He is an authority on choral conducting and theory pedagogy and is active as a choral clinician and guest conductor throughout the Midwest. He earned his Ph.D. in music theory from The Ohio State University in 1977 and has been at Cedarville since 1970.
Charles Clevenger
Dr. Clevenger teaches studio piano to music majors and the core course on the arts, Introduction to the Humanities, which all students of the University take. In addition to his teaching, he maintains a full concert schedule that takes him around the country. Dr. C is also a painter and has taught elective courses in the art program. You may view his work on his commercial web site: www.clevengerstudios.com. He received his D.M.A. from the University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music in 1985 and has been at Cedarville since 1982.
Bruce Curlette
Dr. Curlette serves as a member of the music theory faculty and is an accomplished clarinetist. Prior to his tenure here at Cedarville, he was a member of the Grand Rapids Symphony and the Pittsburgh Ballet Orchestra. He received his M.M. degree in clarinet performance from Eastman School of Music in 1981 and his D.M.A. degree in clarinet performance from The Ohio State University in 1991. Dr. Curlette has studied with James M. Pyne, D. Stanley Hasty, Gervase de Peyer, and Carl H.C. Anderson and has been on the Cedarville University music faculty since 2001.
Sheridan Currie
Education: B.M. - Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University; M.M. - College-Conservatory of Music / University of Cincinnati
Professional Experience: Principal Viola, Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra; sub for Columbus Symphony
Jacquelyn Davis
Education: B.M. - University of Florida
Professional Experience: Cincinnati Ballet Orchestra
Michael DiCuirci
Mr. DiCuirci serves as the director of the Symphonic Band and founder of the Jackets Pep Band. He also serves as coordinator of instrumental ensembles for the music department. He is an experienced music educator, author of two beginning band method books, and a trombone and euphonium artist. Currently, he is serving as the part-time minister of music at Faircreek Church in Fairborn, Ohio. He received his M.M. from the University of Michigan and has been at Cedarville since 1979.
Olive Faber
Education: B.A. - Calvin College; Study at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto; M.A. - Smith College
Laura Ferranti
Mrs. Laura Ferranti received her B.M.E. and M.M. degrees from Louisiana State University. Her elementary music teaching experience includes five years as a music specialist, K-5, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Miamisburg, Ohio. She received her Orff-Schulwerk Level I Certification Training from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. Mrs. Ferranti serves as assistant professor of music where her responsibilities include teaching courses in elementary music education, aural skills, supervising student teachers, and serving as the faculty advisor for the collegiate chapter of the National Association for Music Education (MENC). Mrs. Ferranti joined the Cedarville University music faculty in 2006.
Taylor Ferranti
Dr. Ferranti, who earned his D.M.A. degree from Louisiana State University in 2004, is one of our newest faculty members and teaches voice, voice class, opera workshop, and vocal pedagogy. An accomplished tenor, he also has a strong interest in voice science and pedagogy.
Mary Fetherston
Education: B.M. - Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University; MM - College-Conservatory of Music / University of Cincinnati
Professional Experience: Principal Cellist; Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra, Associate Cellist; Columbus Bach Ensemble, Associate Cellist; Columbus Symphony Orchestra
Lisa Grove
Education: B.M.E. and B.M. - The Ohio State University; M.M. - Carnegie Mellon University
Professional Experience: Principal Oboe, Springfield Symphony; sub for Columbus Symphony Orchestra
Jun Kim
Professor Kim serves as assistant professor in violin and conductor of the University Orchestra and has played numerous recitals and concerts throughout the United States and Canada. He has also played in masterclasses of Cho-liang Lin, Pamela Frank, Federico Agostini, and Sergiu Schwartz. He has won prizes and awards including the Starling Competition, the CCM Concerto Competition, and the Tuesday Musical Competition of Akron. Professor Kim is also the recipient of the Aspen Music Festival Fellowship, British Columbia Cultural Scholarship, and the Peabody Merit Scholarship, among others. Professor Kim earned a bachelor of music in violin performance from Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University, a master of music from Indiana University, and an artist diploma in violin from the University of Cincinnati's College-Conservatory of Music (CCM). He is currently completing his doctor of musical arts in violin performance with an orchestral conducting cognate at CCM. Professor Kim has served as violin teaching assistant to Dr. Won-Bin Yim at CCM and the Aspen Music Festival, and he has served as violin faculty in CCM's preparatory department. His teachers include Won-Bin Yim, Miriam Fried, Victor Danchenko, and Ik-hwan Bae.
Michael LaMattina
Education: B.M. - Oberlin Conservatory of Music; M.M. - Cleveland State University
Professional Experience: Principal Percussion, Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra; Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra; Principal Timpani, ProMusica Chamber Orchestra
David Matson
Dr. Matson is a musicologist, experienced choral director, minister of music, lecturer on the humanities, and reviewer of University textbooks. He received his Ph.D. from The Ohio State University in 1978 and has been at Cedarville since 1965.
Andrew Millat
Education: B.M. - College-Conservatory of Music / University of Cincinnati; M.M. - University of Northern Colorado
Professional Experience: Principal Trombone, Columbus Symphony Orchestra; Founding Member of Brasso Profundo
John Mortensen
Dr. John Mortensen received his D.M.A. from the University of Maryland and has served at Cedarville since 1995. He specializes in performing piano literature of the Romantic era as well as Bach transcriptions. His students learn a natural and coordinated approach to piano technique which prevents injury and allows for unprecedented freedom and facility at the keyboard.
Roger O'Neel
Dr. O'Neel is the director of church music and worship programs. He has served for 11 years as a full-time minister for worship and has a wealth of experience and knowledge in all aspects of traditional and contemporary worship. He received his Ph.D. in music theory from the University of Texas at Austin in 1996 and has been at Cedarville University since 2002
Charles Pagnard
Mr. Pagnard serves as the conductor of the Brass Choir and teaches studio trumpet. He is also the principal trumpet of the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra, section trumpet in the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra's summer pops series, and a member of the Carillon Brass Quintet. He received his M.M. degree from the Eastman School of Music and has been at Cedarville since 1977.
Lawrence Pitzer
Education: B.F.A. - Miami University
Professional Experience: Wind in the Woods early music ensemble
Daniel Sachs
Education: Konzertexamen - Musikhochschule Lubeck, Germany; D.M.A. - College-Conservatory of Music / University of Cincinnati
Mark Spencer
Dr. Spencer teaches private voice and brings a wide range of vocal experience, including oratorio, opera, and musical theater, to the department. He is an experienced minister of music and concert artist. He received his D.M.A. degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and has been at Cedarville since 1993.
Steven Winteregg
Dr. Winteregg, who earned his D.M.A. degree from The Ohio State University in 1987, serves as professor of composition. Dr. Winteregg is an award-winning composer and has had many of his compositions performed around the world. He has also served as principal tuba in the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra. He joined the Cedarville University faculty in 2004.
Terry Chamberlain
Mr. Chamberlain is a highly respected member of the Ohio art community and oversees the art program. Cedarville now offers two visual art majors: graphic design and studio art. In addition, minors in graphic design and studio art are also available. Mr. Chamberlain received his M.A. degree from Bob Jones University in 1972 and has been at Cedarville since 1996.
Timothy Frame
Tim Frame has more than 18 years of experience in graphic design and visual communication. His broad range of experience includes the design of corporate identity systems, retail graphic programs, environmental graphics, as well as advertising, packaging, and publication design. He received his bachelor of arts from Morehead State University and has done graduate work at Western Carolina University. He has been at Cedarville since 2003.
Aaron Gosser
Aaron Gosser is a painter whose work leverages the inherent historical context of the medium to confront issues of online social interactivity and digital simulacra. Employing techniques of collage and oil painting to splice and to weld, Gosser's compositions present a world at once both familiar and disconcerting. Fragments of discarded media find their place alongside canonical works of art, emblematic of a landscape flattened by the Google search query. Aaron holds a B.A. in Art with a concentration in Painting from Goshen College, and received his M.F.A. in Visual Art from the Art Institute of Boston at Lesley University. He has been at Cedarville since 2005.
James Mellick
James Mellick joined the Cedarville studio art faculty in 2008 and currently teaches 3D design, sculpture, printmaking, and drawing. He previously taught at Houghton College, where he founded the art program, and Calvin College. For most of his professional career, he worked as a full-time artist, winning national and regional awards. His internationally collected sculpture is featured in textbooks and is in several museum and university collections in the United States. He earned his M.F.A. from Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville in 1973. He has performed as a storyteller, musician, and songwriter. He is a member of Ohio Designer Craftsmen, The Furniture Society, and Christians in the Visual Arts.
Daniel Sternsher
Professor Sternsher serves as assistant professor of design and digital imaging. More than 20 years of experience in commercial photography, graphic design, instructional design, and technical writing have allowed him to work for a variety of corporate clients. In addition to designing various printed marketing pieces and several B2B websites, Professor Sternsher has developed training programs and conducted usability analysis and testing for corporate intranets. He co-advises the Cedarville Photography Club, is a member of the National Association of Photoshop Professionals, and enjoys digital photography in his spare time. Professor Sternsher received his M.Ed. in career and technology Eeducation and his B.S. of technology in design from Bowling Green State University. He has completed additional professional education courses at the Rochester Institute of Technology. He has taught teaching at Cedarville since 2001.
Roger O'Neel
Dr. O'Neel is the director of church music and worship programs. He has served for 11 years as a full-time minister for worship and has a wealth of experience and knowledge in all aspects of traditional and contemporary worship. He received his Ph.D. in music theory from the University of Texas at Austin in 1996 and has been at Cedarville University since 2002