Mike Vermillion, Piano and Guitar Instructor and Chairman of the Con Brio Music Festival and Competition. Former Pesident of the Park City Chapter of Utah Music Teachers Association. Mike joined the Utah Conservatory staff in 2001 as a teaching apprentice and was accepted as an instructor in 2003, and currently studies piano and piano pedagogy with Dr. Bryan Stanley. He also studied music at Salt Lake Community College and served for 6 years as the Music Minister for the Tooele Christian Fellowship. He is also an accomplished solo and ensemble player and composer for the English Hand Bells, and has performed as a keyboardist and guitarist in several bands.
John Wright, Piano Faculty. Associate Degree in Electronics, New Hampshire Technical College. Studied music with a piano and jazz emphasis at Brigham Young University for three years, studying under Ray Smith and serving in their internationally acclaimed jazz combos. In continuing part-time studies with the University Of Utah School Of Music (1993-2002), Mr. Wright studied with Henry Walking and Dan Waldis. Other teachers and mentors include Oscar Peterson, Bill Evans, and Thomas Gallant. Wright has released 7 jazz CD’s, and formed several jazz bands, included Nevertheless and Cerulean Blue. He has been featured at the Utah Arts Festival, and can been seen playing at many local venues.
Janet White, Voice Faculty. Bachelors of Music Degree, Brigham Young University, with an emphasis in voice, where she was a member of the concert choir. Later, she served in the Washington, D.C. Mormon Choir as a chorister and soloist. Ms. White served as a music teacher for Middle School youths at Pinewood School in Los Altos, California, where she also directed choirs and collaborated in their full scale productions. Schooled in classical and contemporary singing techniques, Janet has taught musical theatre to her private voice students over the past 10 years, as well as presenting at local venues. Also trained in piano, guitar and violin, she enjoys accompany her students on the piano.
Douglas T. Erekson, Guitar and Percussion Faculty. Masters Degree from USC in Professional Writing in Screenwriting, with additional Doctoral Studies. Graduate with a Bachelor’s of Arts Degree with Brigham Young University in Motion Picture Production, with a Music Minor. Mr. Erekson is skilled in many instruments, including the guitar, dobro, bass, and drums. He has performed in many groups with various instruments, including The Mr. Lucky Band, Back Porch Believers, Billings Symphony, and the BYU Jazz Ensemble. Recently he released a gospel bluegrass CD titled Back Porch Believer. Douglas is currently working on his next CD, a collection of the songs written for the Bountiful Community Church.
Zac Polhamus, Guitar, Bass, Harmonica, and Percussion Faculty. Mr. Polhamus is a multi style guitarist, specializing in acoustic blue grass, rock, blues, jazz, alternative, folk, Dave Mathews and Jack Johnson playing styles. Also skilled in the harmonica and drums, he is an accomplished pianist of ten years. A fine vocalist, Mr. Polhamus has performed in many venues, including the Salt Lake County and Utah County Fairs, farmers markets, the Circuit, and various local venues. He is currently studying music theory and performance.
David McCallister, Brass & Woodwinds Faculty. Graduate with a Masters and Bachelors Degree from the University of Utah, where he is currently doing doctoral studies in music education. Mr. McCallister plays and teaches variety of instruments, including Trumpet, Flute, Trombone, Tuba, Clarinet, and Saxophone. Over his career, he has performed in numerous ensembles, taught in several public schools, and currently teaches school band in the Salt Lake Valley. David is also fluent in Spanish.
Natalie Cope, Voice Faculty. Graduate of Brigham Young University with a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance. Ms. Cope was recently selected for the American Institute of Musical Studies program in Graz, Austria where she participated in Master classes with the famed Walter Moore, Barbara Bonney, Gabriele Lechner and Harold Heiberg. She has performed leading roles in operas and opera scenes, including Barbarina in Le Nozze di Figaro, Gilda in Rigoletto, Sister Constance in Dialogues des Carmélites, and Nella in Gianni Schicchi. Natalie is currently a member of the Utah Symphony Chorus and has also performed with the BYU Concert Choir. She also serves on the music faculty of Salt Lake Performing Arts Charter School at the Highland high Campus. She adores sharing her love of music with students of all ages and capabilities.
Marco Blackmore, Saxophone/Jazz Faculty including improvization for Adv. Flute/Clarinet. Master of Music in Saxophone Performance and Jazz from Western Michigan University. (2006) Bachelor of Music from University of Utah in Saxophone Performance. (2004) Mr. Blackmore was recently accepted in the Doctoral Program at the University of Utah’s School of Music. Studied under Trent Kynaston, Dr. Scott Cowan, Dr. Mark Ely, and Henry Wolking. He assisted in teaching Music Theory, Freshman Saxophone, and Intro to Jazz History while pursuing a Masters Degree at Western Michigan University. He has been teaching private saxophone since 2000. He has performed with many groups such as the South Bend Symphony, University of Utah and Western Michigan University top jazz and wind ensembles, Western Michigan Universities premiere small jazz ensemble “The Octet.” In addition to these groups Marco is an active freelance musician in the Salt lake area and performs in a large number of venues with various groups.
Korky Ollerton, Percussion / Guitar Faculty and School of Rock Show Director. A Performance Major from the Southern Utah University, Mr. Ollerton also attended the Musicians Institute of Technology, focusing on studio drumming, Latin, jazz, funk, rock fusion and swing with emphasize on live performance. As a Music major of El Camino College, Mr Ollerton also studied voice, music theory, guitar, bass, and piano. Mr. Ollerton has been a private drum instructor since 1982 and previously owned and operated a music school in St. George, Utah. He’s had over 670 performances with the Tuacahn Center for the Arts, including Cabaret, The Music Man, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat, Sound of Music, The King and I, Peter Pan, Fiddler on the Roof, Cinderella, South Pacific, and much more. Mr. Ollerton has studied from Ron Benson and Dr. Darin Wadley.
Dave Salmon, Guitar & Beg. Bass Faculty. Mr. Salmon is an accomplished Jazz musician currently studying at the University of Utah. He has awards and honors from the Lionell Hampton Jazz Festival and the UNC/Greeley Jazz Festival. Mr. Salmon has performed at various venues, including the University of Utah and the Egyptian Theater, and has been teaching private lessons since 2003.
Cami Jackson, violin faculty. Ms. Jackson started violin lessons at age 5 and recently completed her Bachelor of Arts degree at BYU and her Master of Music Degree at the University of Northern Colorado. She is part of a musical family (all nine play musical instruments). Seen as a leader and soloist with several Utah orchestras in previous years, she loves to perform! Her favorite jobs include playing professionally for David Glen Hatch and Rob Gardener, for wedding receptions with the Avonlea String Quartet, and at a Busch Gardens Theme Park in Williamsburg, VA (2004) as a strolling violinist in their “Holiday in Roma“ show. Her music has sent her across the world, including Carnegie Hall and Europe. As a member of the Orchestra at Temple Square since its installment in 1999, Miss Jackson has recorded over 10 CD's and two movie soundtracks with the Momron Tabernacle Choir. A Suzuki certified violin teacher, Cami is grateful to the many teachers who have gone before her. She hopes to carry on the tradition, leading and inspiring future musicians for years to come.
Matt Mortensen, Piano faculty and Vocal Coach/Accompanist. Mr. Mortensen has a Master of Music from the University of Utah in Collaborative Piano and a Bachelor of Arts from Southern Utah University in Piano Performance. Previous instructors include Massimiliano Frani, Don Massengale, Bonnie Gritton and Jeffrey Price. He has accompanied numerous degree recitals, musicals, operas, and vocal and instrumental studio master classes at Southern Utah University and the University of Utah, where he also taught courses in Keyboarding Skills as part of his U. of U. Teaching Assistantship. He has performed concertos with the Summer Arts Orchestra and the S.U.U. Symphony Orchestra. He was also a winner
of the Roy L. Halverson Young Artist Concerto Competition. He is currently pianist for Mount Olympus Presbyterian Church.
Mark Severance, bass & guitar instructor. Bass player of 13 years, and performer for 11 years. Mr. Severance plays bass for 3 local funk, rock, and blues bands. Graduated Salt Lake Community College in 2006 with an A.S. in Communications. Toured with blues artists John Lee Hook Jr. in 2005, playing bass. Currently teaching at the Paul Green School of Rock and attending Salt Lake Community College for a criminal justice degree.
Caitlin Bardsley, String Faculty (violin). Ms. Bardsley recently graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Utah School of Music, where she studies with Hasse Borup. She also studied at the University of California Thorton School of Music, wherein she played with the USC Symphony and Chamber Orchestra. She has studies with Eudice Shapiro (USC) and Gerald Elias (assoc. concertmaster, Utah symphony), and played professionally in the Ohio Light Opera Orchestra. She has taught for the University of Utah String Pedagogy Program and has tutored private violin students for several years.
Gretchen Windt, Voice Instructor. Originally from Chicago, mezzo-soprano Gretchen Windt received her Master of Music degree from the University of Cincinnati-College Conservatory of Music. While studying at CCM, she performed in Cosi fan tutte (Dorabella), Dangerous Liaisons (Victoire), and A Childhood Miracle Chicago, IL). Operatic highlights there included a full production of Le Nozze di Figaro (Cherubino) and selected scenes from Der Rosenkavalier (Octavian) and Cosi fan tutte (Dorabella). Ms. Windt has performed leading and supporting roles with regional Chicago companies including Bowen Park Opera, OperaModa, and DuPage Opera Theatre. She also sang professionally with the Chicago Symphony Chorus and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s Musicians’ Residency Program. She was an Apprentice Artist with Sarosota Opera (FL) including mainstage performances of Die Fledermaus (Ida) and an Apprentice Artist with the Utah Opera and Symphony including mainstage performances of Le Nozze di Figaro (A Bridesmaid) and an upcoming role in MacBeth (Lady-in-Waiting).
Valerie Hart, Voice, Cello, & Beg. Piano. Nelson received her Masters degree in vocal performance from Florida State University where she studied with Dr. Wanda Brister and was also 2008 winner of the Hannah Beaulieu Career Development Award at Florida State University. Valerie is at home in both operatic and concert repertoire and has been a featured soloist in such works as Handel’s Messiah, with Murray Symphony and Chipola Jr. College, and Verdi’s Requiem, Beethoven 9th, Berlioz Strophes, and Elgar’s Tower of Magdala with the Utah Lyric Opera Ensemble. Valerie has also performed a variety of operatic and musical theater roles and spent two seasons with Ohio Light Opera where she performed the roles of Aldonza in Man of La Mancha, Ida in Die Fledermaus, The Dutchess in The Gondoliers, and the Nanny in the world premier of Robert Ward’s A Friend of Napoleon. Most recently she has performed the roles of Quickly in Falstaff, Katisha in The Mikado, the Witch in Hansel and Gretel, Baba in The Medium, and Oberon in Midsummer Night’s Dream, with Florida State Opera.
Debra Lynn Cook, Managing Director of Utah Conservatory, Head of Voice Department and member of piano faculty. Served 10 years as Adjunct Assistant Professor for the University of Utah's Actor Training Program ,also developing the Department of Theatre’s Musical Theatre studio courses, as well as a year for the U’s Music Department. Served 11 years on the music faculty at Brigham Young University, teaching voice, group voice and diction. Graduate from Brigham Young University with a Masters Degree in Music Performance. Studied with Rita Patané, Seth Riggs, William Schuman, David Triestram, Ray Arbizu, Joan Kreugar, and was past president of the Southern Utah Chapter of the National Association of Teachers of Singing. Current member of UTMA and NATS. Founder of Utah Vocal Arts and Metropolitan Vocal Arts Institute, and principal of Beachwood Arts Management. Founding Board Member of Opera West. A winner of the American Opera Auditions, U.S.A. World Showcase, and a regional finalist for the Metropolitan Opera Auditions. Cook has done opera and concert work throughout the United States, including solo performances with the National Choral Society at Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher Hall,
Utah Symphony, and several seasons in repertory with Utah Opera Company. She performed off-Broadway, is featured as Roxanne in Stuart Crane's cast recording of Cyrano, and has served as a professional choral conductor and competition adjudicator.
Fredric William Cook, PhD, Founder and Executive Director, Director of Drama and Performance Programs, and Vocal Coach. Graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Drama and Film. Received a Master's Degree from Hunter College in New York City with an emphasis in Directing. Received a Post-Graduate Certificate from the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, and studied Education in the University of Utah’s Department of Education Doctoral Program. Received a Doctoral Degree in Educational Studies from Rochville University. Studied with Uta Hagen, Bobby Lewis, Mira Rostova, Harold Clureman, Arthur Miller, and Cecily Berry. Taught at Hunter College in New York City as an Associate Professor in Theatre and Film where he developed a series of film production workshops and curriculum between the Theatre and Film Departments for students to learn the differences between acting for film and for the stage. Served as Adjunct Faculty at Utah Valley State College. Founded and directed the Los Angeles Academy of Dramatic Art, and formed the Alexander Repertory Company, which performed in three theatres in Hollywood, often having five plays in repertory. Some of Dr. Cook’s former students include Delta Burke, Christopher McDonald, and Joe Pantalione. Dr. Cook received a Los Angeles Dramalogue Critics Award for his performance in Walking to Waldheim at Theatre Geo in Hollywood and the Best Actor Award from Louisburg College in Louisburg, NC. He is a founding member of the Berkeley Repertory Company; and, as a playwright, he has had five plays produced at regional theatres across the country. As an actor, he has performed over one hundred and fifty roles in drama and musical theatres in the US and London, and has been seen in over two dozen movies for television, as well as several dozen TV series. In 1969, he was the first "McMurphy" in the San Francisco production of One Flew Over the Cookoo’s Nest, and joined the Off-Broadway production in 1970. Other classic stage roles include the title role in King Lear and Woyzeck, and Mark Antony in Julius Caesar. He has directed over 55 plays coast to coast. He produced commercials in New York, and worked as a unit production manager and publicity director of Future Films. Cook is a member of Actor’s Equity, Screen Actor’s Guild, and American Federation of TV and Radio Artists.
