Meet the Faculty

Your commercial music major features the following outstanding faculty.

Interim Dean

• John E. Simons, DMA

  Interim Dean, College of the Arts; Professor, School of Music

  • Phone: (626) 387-5728
  • Email: jesimons@apu.edu
  • Office Location: Warren Music Center, Room 100

Interim Associate Dean

• Zachary Cheney, PhD

  Interim Associate Dean of Graduate Studies, College of the Arts; Interim Associate Academic Chair and Assistant Professor of Screen Studies, Department of Cinematic Arts

  • Phone: (626) 815-6000, Ext. 5125
  • Email: zcheney@apu.edu
  • Office Location: Darling Hallway Art Gallery, Darling 169, West Campus

Professors

• Joel Clifft, DMA

  Professor; Director of Keyboard Studies

  • Phone: (626) 815-6000, Ext. 3592
  • Email: jclifft@apu.edu
  • Office Location: Warren Music Center, Room 217
• Claire Fedoruk, DMA

  Professor of Musicology

  • Phone: (626) 815-6000, Ext. 3573
  • Email: cfedoruk@apu.edu
  • Office Location: Warren Music Center, Room 219
• Alexander Koops, DMA

  Professor; Director of Undergraduate Music Education; Conductor of Symphonic Band; Director of Azusa Conservatory of Music Community Music School

  • Phone: (626) 815-6000, Ext. 3583
  • Email: akoops@apu.edu
  • Office Location: Ronald Building, Room 136B
• Michael Lee, MM

  Professor; Director of Music Technology

  • Phone: (626) 815-6000, Ext. 3860
  • Email: mlee@apu.edu
  • Office Location: Warren Music Center, Room 231
• Phil Shackleton, DMA

  Professor, Department of Music Studies; Director of Music Theory & Composition

  • Phone: (626) 815-6000, Ext. 3577
  • Email: pshackleton@apu.edu
  • Office Location: Warren Music Center
• John Sutton, DMA

  Professor; Director of Choral Activities; Conductor of Choral Scholars; Conductor of University Choir; Choral Conducting

  • Phone: (626) 815-6000, Ext. 3581
  • Email: jsutton@apu.edu
  • Office Location: Warren Music Center, Room 201

Associate Professors

• David Beatty, MM, MBA

  Chair, Department of Commercial Music; Director, Jazz Ensemble

  • Phone: (626) 815-6000, Ext. 3580
  • Email: dbeatty@apu.edu
  • Office Location: Warren Music Center, Room 229
• Stephen Martin, DCM

  Associate Professor; Director of Worship Studies; Director of the Angeles Worship Initiative

  • Phone: (626) 815-6000, Ext. 3109
  • Email: smartin@apu.edu
  • Office Location: Ronald Building, Room 105
• Christopher Russell, MM

  Chair and Associate Professor, Department of Music Performance; Conductor, Symphony Orchestra; Instrumental Conducting

  • Phone: (626) 815-6000, Ext. 2003
  • Email: cprussell@apu.edu
  • Office Location: Warren Music Center, Room 233

Assistant Professors

• Henry Alonzo, MBA

  Director, MA in Music Entrepreneurial Studies, and Assistant Professor, School of Music

  • Phone: (626) 815-6000, Ext. 3575
  • Email: halonzo@apu.edu
  • Office Location: Ronald Building, Room 105
• John Burdett, EdD

  Assistant Professor; Director of Instrumental Studies; Director of Bands

  • Phone: (626) 815-6000, Ext. 2029
  • Email: jburdett@apu.edu
  • Office Location: Warren Music Center, Room 211
• Patricia Edwards, DMA

  Assistant Professor, Vocal Studies

  • Phone: (626) 815-6000, Ext. 3588
  • Email: pedwards@apu.edu
  • Office Location: Warren Music Center, Room 225
• David Hughes, DMA

  Assistant Professor; Conductor of Bel Canto Women's Choir; Choral Conducting; Vocal Studies

  • Phone: (626) 815-6000, Ext. 3108
  • Email: dhughes@apu.edu
  • Office Location: Warren Music Center, Room 205
• Thomas Hynes, MA

  Director of Guitar Studies and Jazz Combos; Assistant Professor

  • Phone: (626) 815-6000, Ext. 3209
  • Email: thynes@apu.edu
  • Office Location: Warren Music Center, Room 209
• Michelle Jensen, MM

  Assistant Professor; Conductor of Chamber Singers; Music Education

  • Phone: (626) 815-6000, Ext. 3202
  • Email: mjensen@apu.edu
  • Office Location: Warren Music Center, Room 118
• Andrew Park, DMA

  Assistant Professor, Piano Studies

  • Phone: (323) 810-3777
  • Email: uscpianoart@hotmail.com
  • Office Location: Warren Music Center, Room 215
• Éva Polgár, DMA

  Assistant Professor, Piano Studies

  • Phone: (626) 815-6000, Ext. 3204
  • Email: epolgar@apu.edu
  • Office Location: Warren Music Center, Room 215
• Alex Russell, DMA

  Assistant Professor, Violin Studies

  • Phone: (626) 815-6000, Ext. 3198
  • Email: arussell@apu.edu
  • Office Location: Warren Music Center, Room 227
• Marek Szpakiewicz, DMA

  Assistant Professor; Cello Studies; Director of String Studies and Chamber Music

  • Phone: (626) 815-6000, Ext. 3206
  • Email: marek@apu.edu
  • Office Location: Warren Music Center, Room 227

Coaching Faculty

• Kyungmi Kim, MMA

  Staff Accompanist, Department of Music Performance

  • Phone: (626) 815-6000, Ext. 4600
  • Email: kykim@apu.edu
  • Office Location: East Campus
• Melody Kuo, DMA

  Staff Accompanist

  • Phone: (626) 815-6000, Ext. 4600
  • Email: mkuo@apu.edu

Lecturer

• Eniko St. Clair, DMA

  Lecturer, Practical Musicianship

  • Phone: (626) 815-6000, Ext. 3574
  • Email: eastclair@apu.edu
  • Office Location: Warren Music Center, Room 241

Applied Instructors

• Allison Allport, DMA

  Applied Instructor, Harp

  • Phone: (818) 613-7550
  • Email: allisonallport@me.com
  • Office Location: East Campus
• Brian Barany, DMA

  Applied Instructor, Classical Guitar Studies

  • Phone: (805) 218-3589
  • Email: bbarany@apu.edu
• Richard Bullock

  Applied Instructor, Bass Trombone

  • Phone: (310) 569-6782
  • Email: rich@bassbonevoice.com
• William Cantos

  Applied Instructor

  • Phone: (626) 815-4600
  • Email: gicprod@aol.com
• David Chang, MM

  Applied Faculty, Clarinet

  • Phone: (626) 815-3834
  • Email: woongjodavidc@gmail.com
• Ingrid Chun, MM

  Applied Instructor: Violin

  • Phone: (626) 815-3848
  • Email: violink@ingridchun.com
• Mark Converse, B.M.

  Applied Instructor, Drumset

  • Phone: (661) 297-5670
  • Email: mconverse@apu.edu
  • Office Location: Warren Music Center, Room 121
• Paul Curtis, MM

  Applied Instructor, Bassoon and Contrabassoon

  • Phone: (626) 815-3834
  • Email: pacurtis07@gmail.com
• Nathan Farrington, BM

  Applied Instructor: Double Bass

  • Email: nate.students@gmail.com
  • Office Location: Warren Music Center
• David B. “Rusty” Higgins

  Applied Instructor, Saxophone Studies; Director of Jazz Workshop

  • Phone: (562) 547-7717
  • Email: rustyhiggins@aol.com
• Fung Ho, MM

  Applied Instructor: Violin and Viola

  • Phone: (626) 815-3848
  • Email: fungho1vln@sbcglobal.net
• Yuri Inoo, DMA

  Applied Instructor: Percussion

  • Phone: (626) 815-3848
  • Email: yuri.inoo@gmail.com
  • Office Location: East Campus
• David Joyce, MA

  Applied Instructor, Commercial Voice

  • Phone: (818) 522-3530
  • Email: david@rejoycemusic.com
  • Office Location: Warren Music Center
• Sara Leib, MM

  Applied Instructor: Commercial Voice

  • Phone: (310) 869-6509
  • Email: saraleib@yahoo.com
• Hui Liu

  Applied Faculty, Viola

  • Phone: (626) 815-3834
  • Email: chjin_99@yahoo.com
• Yuki Mori, BM

  Applied Instructor: Violin

  • Phone: (818) 484-8402
  • Email: moriparkviolin@gmail.com
• Min Jung Park, BM

  Applied Instructor: Violin

  • Phone: (818) 484-8402
  • Email: moriparkviolin@gmail.com
• Michele Patzakis, DMA

  Applied Instructor, Voice

  • Phone: (626) 812-3058
  • Email: mpatzakis@apu.edu
  • Office Location: Warren Music Center
• Robert Slack, M.M.

  Applied Instructor, Trumpet

  • Email: robertslack6@gmail.com
  • Office Location: Warren Music Center
• Ted Sugata, DMA

  Applied Instructor, Oboe

  • Email: tcsugata@gmail.com
  • Office Location: Warren Music Center
• Pin Fei Tang, MM

  Applied Instructor: Cello

  • Phone: (626) 815-3834
  • Email: tangcello@gmail.com
• Stephanie J. Thomas, BM

  Applied Instructor: French Horn

  • Phone: (626) 664-3330
  • Email: sstetson@apu.edu
  • Office Location: School of Music
• David Washburn, MM

  Applied Instructor, Trumpet

  • Phone: (626) 815-3848
• Scott Whitfield, M.M.

  Applied Instructor, Trombone

  • Phone: (818) 577-8676
  • Email: scott@bicoastalmusic.net
• Gary Woodward, MM

  Applied Instructor, Flute

  • Phone: (818) 371-6678
  • Email: garyw@usc.edu
  • Office Location: Warren Music Center
• Suli Xue

  Artist in Residence, Violin

  • Phone: (626) 815-3848
  • Email: suliviolin@gmail.com
• Michele Zukovsky

  Applied Instructor, Clarinet

  • Email: michelezukovsky@gmail.com
  • Office Location: Warren Music Center

Adjunct Professors

• Sean Barrett, MM

  Adjunct Professor, Commercial Music

  • Phone: (909) 223-9773
  • Email: sbarrett@apu.edu
• Steven Brooks, DWS

  Adjunct Professor, Music and Worship

  • Email: sdbrooks@apu.edu
• Natalie Buickians, DMA

  Adjunct Professor, Department of Music Studies

  • Phone: (626) 815-6000, Ext. 4600
  • Email: lbuickians@apu.edu
  • Office Location: East Campus
• Mari Falcone Cantos, M.M.

  Adjunct Professor

  • Phone: (626) 815-6000
  • Email: mcantos@apu.edu
  • Office Location: East Campus
• Sharon Cathey, M.A.Ed.

  Adjunct Professor, Music Education

  • Phone: (626) 222-5829
  • Email: sscathey@apu.edu
• Gabriel Dávila-Luciano, M.B.A.

  Adjunct Professor, Commercial Music

  • Phone: (626) 815-4600
  • Email: gluciano@apu.edu
  • Office Location: College of the Arts
• Michael Thomas Geiger, MFA

  Adjunct Professor, Voice, and Introductory and Advanced Vocal Pedagogy

  • Phone: (714) 658-6888
  • Email: mgeiger@apu.edu
• Maurice Limon, M.A.

  Adjunct Professor

  • Phone: (626) 815-6000
  • Email: mlimon@apu.edu
  • Office Location: East Campus
• Matthew Limones, M.M.

  Adjunct Professor, Department of Commercial Music

  • Phone: (626) 387-5725
  • Email: mlimones@apu.edu
• Huston Pullen

  Adjunct Professor, Commercial Music

  • Phone: (626) 815-3848
  • Email: hpullen@apu.edu
  • Office Location: Warren Music Center
• Crystal Rivette, MM

  Director, Artist Certificate Program; Adjunct Professor of Piano Studies

  • Phone: (626) 812-3022
  • Email: crivette@apu.edu
  • Office Location: Warren Music Center, Room 205
• William Schlitt, BA

  Adjunct Professor, Percussion

  • Phone: (626) 533-0565
  • Email: wschlitt@apu.edu
  • Office Location: Warren Music Center, Percussion Studio, Room 119
• Aretha Scruggs, M.A.

  Adjunct Professor, Department of Commercial Music

  • Email: ascruggs@apu.edu
• Douglas Shabe, DMA

  Adjunct Professor, Department of Music Studies

  • Phone: (562) 212-8062
  • Email: dshabe@apu.edu
  • Office Location: East Campus
• Jonli Tunstall, PhD

  Adjunct Professor

  • Phone: (626) 815-3848
  • Email: jtunstall@apu.edu
• Kristof Van Grysperre, DMA

  Adjunct Professor, Area Director of Vocal Studies

  • Phone: (626) 815-3848
  • Email: kvangrysperre@apu.edu
  • Office Location: Warren Music Center, Room 225
• Jose Hernandez Vicente, MM

  Adjunct Professor, Guitar Studies

  • Phone: (626) 815-6000, Ext. 3209
  • Email: jhernandezvicente@apu.edu
  • Office Location: Warren Music Center, Room 209
• Sam Wei-Chih Sun, M.M.

  Adjunct Professor, Piano Studies

  • Phone: (626) 991-5109
  • Email: wsun@apu.edu

Professors Emeriti

• Michael Kozubek, MM

  Professor Emeritus

  • Email: mkozubek@apu.edu
• Donald Neufeld, MA

  Professor Emeritus, Department of Music Studies

  • Email: dneufeld@apu.edu
• Dennis Royse, PhD

  Professor Emeritus

  • Email: droyse@apu.edu