Furman Music

Alumni Listing

Furman music alumni have gone far and wide, performing, teaching, composing. Here are just a few of the outstanding alumni representing Furman in musical enterprises throughout the world...

Andres, Hoyt, '94
Trombone professor at North Carolina A&T University

Barbee, G. Allen, '84
Principal Oboe, Gwinnett Orchestra; founder, New School of Music - Atlanta, Georgia; Director, Georgia Perimeter College Wind Ensemble and Marietta First United Methodist Church Orchestra.

Belcher, David, '79
Pianist; Vice Chancellor and Provost at the University of Arkansas, Little Rock; former Academic Dean for the College of Arts and Letters, Southwest Missouri State University

Bishop, Elizabeth, '89
Merola Opera Program; has appeared at the Metropolitan Opera and San Francisco Opera (she was featured in the national telecast of Dangerous Liaisons).

Blocker, Robert, '68
Concert Pianist, Dean of the School of Music, Yale University, Former Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX.

Brown, Michael, '84
Staff arranger for the U.S. Army Band, stationed in Washington, D.C., and arranger for Hal Leonard Corporation; former staff arranger for the United States Military Academy Band at West Point, New York.

Cass, Richard, '53
Concert Pianist and Professor at the Conservatory of the University of Missouri, Kansas City.

Castleberry, David, '78
Director of Choral Activities, Marshall University.

Chandler, Nat, '80
Played Raoul on national tour of Phantom of the Opera and is currently performing on and off Broadway..

Clanton, Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) John C., '82
Former Deputy Commander, The U.S. Army Field Band; Conductor/O.I.C., The U.S. Soldiers' Chorus, Washington D.C.

Cordell, Myra, '71
Soprano, Opera Nice, Hong Kong Opera, Santa Fe Opera, Budapest Staatstheater, and Wiesbaden Staatstheater.

Crawford, Elizabeth, '82
Clarinet performance major, MM at U. of Michigan, former bass clarinetist with the BBC in London and the Royal Philharmonia; former Assistant Principal, 2nd clarinet, Eb Clarinet with the Jacksonville Symphony, (FL) . Current clarinet professor, Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana.

Dunbar, Kerrin, '95
Winner - Metropolitan Opera regional auditions 2003, Glimmerglass Opera, Indiana University Opera Theater.

Dubose, Lt. Col. Benny, '71
Commander/Conductor of the Army Ground Forces Band, Fort McPherson in Atlanta.

Everhart, Jennifer Bailey, '02
Recently won a position as clarinetist with the Army Field Band. She completed a master's degree in Clarinet Performance and is just completing a new degree called Artists Diploma in Clarinet Performance.

Floyd, Hugh, '84
Director of Choral Activities, Oberlin College.

Hix, Michael, '98
Baritone, Michael Hix's recent performances have included solo performances with the Boston Pops at Tanglewood Music Center, the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra, Ohio Light Opera, Tupelo Symphony Orchestra, and Opera Birmingham. Dr. Hix is currently Assistant Professor of Voice and Coordinator of Choral/Vocal Studies at Troy University in Alabama.

Holley, David, '81
Has sung with regional opera companies, including Brevard Music Center. Director of Opera, UNC-Greensboro.

Horton, Amanda, '99
Soprano: 2007 Young Artist Program for Opera Santa Barbara

Jameson, Keith Richards, '90
Tenor: Metropolitan Opera

Johnson, Stephanie Dawn, '94
Soprano: Glimmerglass Opera, Cincinnati Opera, San Francisco Opera, Indiana University Opera Theater, Indianapolis Opera

Johnson, Edie, '96
Organist, doctoral candidate, performer, competition winner. Finalist in the 2001-2002 AGO Competition for Young Artists.

Kerstetter, Tod, '85
Professor of Clarinet, Kansas State University; Principal Clarinetist, Bowling Green Western Symphony (KY), Principal Clarinetist, Nashville Chamber Orchestra.

Knauer, Andrew, '05
Works for the Milliken Corporation in their business management division. He also successfully won a spot on the roster of the Greenville Symphony Orchestra.

Lockhart, Keith, '81
Conductor, Boston Pops Orchestra; Music Director, Utah Symphony Orchestra; Artistic Advisor, Brevard Music Center

Matthews, Kyle, '86
Contemporary Christian composer and recording artist.

McIntyre, C. Phillip, '77
Band Director, James F. Byrnes High School: 7 S.C. State marching titles; 45 grand champion awards, inducted into S.C. Band Director Association's Hall of Fame

Moody, Robert, '89
Music Director, Winston Salem Symphony, North Carolina; past conductor, Phoenix Symphony.

Painter, Noel, '91
Professor of Music Theory at Stetson University, named "Outstanding Teaching Assistant in Music" at Eastman and Best Teaching Assistant at the University of Rochester.

Parks, John W., IV, '94
Percussion Professor, Florida State University; Former Professor of Percussion, University of Kansas; DMA, Eastman School of Music where he was the Principal Percussionist on the 2000 Eastman Wind Ensemble tour of Japan and Taiwan, and also Principal Timpanist of the Heidelberg Schlossfestspiele Orchestra.

Parks, Karen, '83
Soprano, international opera singer, Fulbright Scholarship in Voice.

Reese, Sarah, '71
Soprano: Metropolitan Opera, Boston Opera Company, Public School Choral Director.

Smith, Nancy Lyons, '71
Vocal coach and theory professor, South Carolina Governor's School for the Arts and Humanities; composer/arranger of piano, organ and choral literature for Genevox Press; contributing arranger for Pedalpoint Magazine, organist: Westminster Presbyterian; accompanist.

Smith, Timothy, '84
Organist and Director of Music at Riverside Church in New York City.

Stevenson, Tony, '87
Tenor: Winner, Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. Young Artist Program, Metropolitan Opera. Now sings regularly at the Met.

Washington, Daniel, '76
Baritone, Assistant Dean for Minority Services, University of Michigan; Lucerne Opera, Berlin Opera, Covent Garden, University of Michigan.

Watts, Chris, '97
Director of Music Technology at St. Lawrence University in Canton, N.Y. after earning a doctorate from University of Cincinnati and master's from LSU.

Will, Chris, '79
Metropolitan Opera and Zurich Opera.

Williams, Michael, '76
Professor of Percussion at Winthrop University, S.C.; named Winthrop University's Distinguished Professor of 2004; composer, clinician, published writer

Womack, Donald, '88
Professor of Music Theory and Composition at the University of Hawaii. A recipient of more than 30 grants, many of his works have been premiered by the Honolulu Symphony.

Wooten, James, '73
Director, Yamaha Artist Services, New York; former Head Piano Technician, NY Metropolitan Opera.