Richard Adams joined the brass faculty of TWU in Fall 2015. He has performed with the Dallas Opera, the Dallas Winds, the Lone Star Wind Orchestra, the Lyric Stage (Irving), Odysseus Chamber Orchestra, La Crosse Symphony Orchestra, Metropolitan Symphony (Minneapolis), Enid Symphony, as well as other freelance performances in the Dallas/Fort Worth and Minneapolis/St. Paul metro areas.  He has performed as guest artist for the Great Plains Regional Tuba Euphonium Conference (with the Impact Brass Quintet), Texas Clarinet Colloquium (2011 on the Jacob Double Concerto for Clarinet and Trumpet), II Internacional de Musica Erudita de Piracicaba (2011 with the Impact Brass Quintet), and Music From Greer (2004-2005 brass quintet).  Richard recorded with the University of North Texas Wind Symphony for several volumes of the Teaching Music Though Performance series by GIA Publications. He also recorded for the Standard of Excellence Jazz in Concert series published by the Neil A. Kjos Music Company.

Prior teaching experience includes The Dallas Trumpet Workshop (2015), Adjunct Trumpet Instructor at Abilene Christian University, and McMurry University (Fall 2014), Denton ISD private lesson teacher, trumpet Teaching Fellow at the University of North Texas, group lesson instructor for the MacPhail Center for Music (Minneapolis), and trumpet instructor and assistant band director for the Mt. Olivet School of Music (Minneapolis).  Richard was also an ITG Conference Scholarship Winner in 2006.  Richard's former teachers include Keith Johnson, David Baldwin, Gary Bordner, Karen Gustafson, James Klages and Stephen Goforth.  He is a member of the Texas Music Educator's Association, and the International Trumpet Guild. In addition to teaching at Texas Woman's University, Richard currently maintains a private studio in Frisco and Richardson, and he continues to be an active freelancer in the area.

Dr. Kurt Bonnett is a freelance trumpet player in the DF-W area. He has taught private lessons in Allen, Frisco, and Lewisville ISDs.  He has also music held faculty positions at Texas Wesleyan University and the University of Texas at Tyler.  Dr. Bonnett received his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in trumpet performance and wind conducting from the University of North Texas, where he studied trumpet with Keith Johnson.  He received his Master’s degree in trumpet performance from the University of Louisville, and his Bachelors of Science in Music Education from Western Carolina University. 

While at The University of North Texas, Dr. Bonnett performed with the UNT Wind Symphony and appears on the GIA Publications Teaching Music through Performance, Vol. 8, Encryptions, and Ciphers.  As a freelance musician, he has performed with the Irving Lyric Stage in Irving, Texas, the Allen Philharmonic, and most recently as the assistant principal trumpet of the Fort Smith Symphony.  Prior to attending the University of Louisville, he performed as a member of the Crossmen Drum and Bugle Corps (2000, 2002) and The Blue Devils Drum and Bugle Corps (2003, 2004).  In 2006, he participated in the Orvieto Musica chamber music festival in Orvieto Italy with the University of Louisville Trumpet Ensemble.  Dr. Bonnett also worked as a band director at Dorman High School and Fairforest Middle School in Spartanburg, South Carolina.  

Kurt currently resides in Little Elm, Texas with his wife Anne, 3 year old son Henry, and dog Mingus.

Trumpeter and Composer EDDIE JIMÉNEZ is a graduate of Manhattan School of Music where he received a Masters Degree in Orchestral Trumpet Performance and was awarded The Cecil Collins Award for Excellence in Brass Performance.

Jiménez also received a Bachelor's degree in Instrumental Performance and Composition from the University of Miami, where he was awarded Most Outstanding Music Student.

Jiménez is a busy and versatile free-lance trumpeter frequently performing with The Plano Symphony, Irving Symphony, Allen Philharmonic, Imperial Brass, The Lone Star Wind Orchestra, The Dallas Wind Symphony, and multiple Brass Ensembles and Quintets. Jimenez is a former member of The Blue Devils Drum and Bugle Corp. and is currently a member of The Blue Devils Hall of Fame.

Jiménez often performs with some of the country’s greatest instrumentalists and singers and is often a featured soloist. Influenced as a child by the classical music his grandfather played every afternoon on his old 1950’s radio, the desire to make music has led Jiménez on a very exciting journey.

This journey includes performances in some of the world’s most prestigious concert halls such as Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center to name a few. Jiménez has toured Europe and North America on various occasions with various musical ensembles. He often performs with various Grammy Nominated and Grammy Award winning musicians. On multiple occasions Jiménez has performed for former President of The United States, George W. Bush and his wife Laura Bush.

A native of Havana Cuba, Eddie Jiménez is currently a private trumpet professor, masterclass instructor, and teaching artist in Dallas Texas. Jiménez began teaching trumpet at the age of 18 and received coaching from many great educators, including world renown cellist Yo-Yo Ma.

His principal teachers include Mark Gould (former Principal Trumpet of The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra), Tom Smith (Fourth Trumpet of The New York Philharmonic), Vincent Penzarella (former Second Trumpet of The New York Philharmonic), and Craig Morris (International Trumpet Soloist and former Principal Trumpet of The Chicago Symphony Orchestra). 

Originally hailing from Oklahoma, Eric came to the DFW for college, earning a bachelor's degree in music performance from UNT and a master’s in the same from SMU, studying primarily with William Scharnberg and Greg Hustis, respectively. He now teaches private horn lessons to middle and high schoolers and freelances with various performing ensembles in the area. Additionally, he is active as a church pianist and frequently accompanies for instrumental and vocal contests and concerts throughout the year. In his free time, Eric is engaged in a perhaps futile effort to make a dent in his ever-expanding book collection.

A native of Rochester Hills, Michigan, Megan DeRubeis has been playing Horn since age 12. Her interest in music stemmed from her father’s influential career as a band director and growing up listening to classical music.

She received her Bachelor of Music degree with honors from Western Michigan University, double majoring in Music Education and Horn Performance, and completed her Master of Music in Horn Performance at Southern Methodist University. Ms. DeRubeis has been fortunate to study with several influential teachers including Gregory Hustis (Dallas Symphony Orchestra- Retired), Lin Foulk (Western Michigan University), Richard Deane (New York Philharmonic), and David Everson (Detroit Symphony Orchestra). She has performed with numerous ensembles including the Allen Philharmonic, Center Stage Brass, The Dallas Winds, Dallas POPS, Lone Star Wind Orchestra, Richardson Symphony Orchestra, Rockwall Symphony, Sherman Symphony, San Angelo Symphony and Stonebriar Community Orchestra.

Ms. DeRubeis is an active horn teacher and maintains a full studio in the Dallas-Fort Worth area where her students consistently place in All-Region and All-State ensembles. In her free time, Ms. DeRubeis enjoys swing dancing and hanging out with her cat Tallulah.  

Dr. Joyce Hsu (Shoo) is an in-demand freelance trombonist and educator in the DFW, Texas area and abroad. A native of Taiwan, she holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the oldest and most prestigious art college in her country, National Taiwan University of Arts. After moving to the U.S. in 2010, she earned a Master’s degree in Trombone Performance and Pedagogy from Oklahoma State University and a Doctor of Musical Arts from Texas Tech University. She holds the Principal Trombone chair with the Dallas Asian Winds and is a member of Center Stage Brass. You can also find her on YouTube collaborating with a variety of artists including Final Fantasy Trombones & Drums, Jennifer Wharton, Cancer Blows, the Trombone Discord Ensemble, and more.

In addition to a regular performing schedule, Dr. Hsu maintains a full low brass/piano studio in Dallas. Her students are consistently ranked among the most proficient of their peers; they are All-State musicians, performance scholarship recipients, and active participants in the TMEA/ATSSB All-Region audition process and UIL Texas State Solo- Ensemble Contest. While living and teaching in El Paso Texas, she led The University of Texas at El Paso Trombone Ensemble to notable performances at the 2020 Texas Music Educator’s Convention and 2019 Big 12 Trombone Conference. During the Summer season, Joyce serves regularly on the faculty of El Paso Jazz Girls and North Texas Low Brass Camp.

Outside of teaching and playing, Joyce is a member and promoter of the Alessi Music Studios Website, an organizer for ITA Lecture Series – Role Model for ALL, Online Journal Manager of ITA, and the Chinese Language Ambassador for the ITF 2021. As an advocate for music education and a promoter of collaborative trombone playing, she acts as a voice for Asian music, empowering minority musicians, and supporting musician’s mental health; Dr. Hsu is proud to have represented these topics with research and lectures on various platforms in the U.S, Taiwan, Thailand, and China.

www.joycehsutrombone.com

A passionate trombonist and dedicated music educator, Amanda Kana maintains an active schedule in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex and abroad. As a member of Center Stage Brass and the Coal Hill Quartet, she has appeared in recitals and performances throughout the state of Texas, including showcase performances at conferences of the Texas Music Educators Association, the International Trombone Festival, and the International Trumpet Guild. She has performed with a variety of ensembles such as the Irving Symphony Orchestra, the Plano Symphony Orchestra, the Dallas Asian Wind Ensemble, and the Jazz Monsters of Fort Worth. In the summers, she frequently tours Germany with Eurobrass, a 12-person ensemble comprised of music professionals from Germany and the United States. Her recent performance highlights include featured solo performances with the Northeast Orchestra and Eurobrass.     

Ms. Kana maintains a successful private studio in the metroplex that boasts over seventy students who consistently earn top placement in region honor and all-state bands and regularly win awards at solo competitions. She frequently leads low brass masterclasses in the area and serves as Camp Director for the annual Center Stage Brass Summer Camp. 

Amanda has participated in numerous orchestral and chamber music festivals including those of the Brevard Music Center, the Symphony Orchestra Academy of the Pacific, and the Bayview Music Festival’s Spectrum Brass Seminar. She received a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics from Baylor University, where she graduated summa cum laude, and a Master of Music in Trombone Performance from Texas Christian University. Amanda’s primary teachers include David Begnoche, Brent Phillips, and Bart Plumb, and she pursued additional studies with Gordon Cherry, Bill Zehfuss, Dan Satterwhite, and John Rutherford.

Jason Oliver is a professional trombonist and pedagogue in the DFW Metroplex. He holds a Doctorate of Music Performance from the University of North Texas. Besides playing with InVersion Band he is also a freelance musician as well as the founding trombonist of the Center Stage Brass and Bass Trombonist of the Dallas Pops Orchestra.

Jung Moo Lee is a tuba player of Center Stage Brass, a music director of Dallas Asian Wind Ensemble, and a tuba instructor of Coppell ISD and Prosper ISD, where he maintains a studio of over 90 tuba students weekly. His students are selected consistently and placed in the region, area, and state and have received superior ratings at solo and ensemble festivals.  He has presented master classes and summer camps with college and high school students in Seoul, Daegu, Daejeon, Jeju in South Korea, and the DFW metroplex. As a teaching fellow at UNT, he taught private lessons at the undergraduate and graduate level as well as coaching brass quintets and taught an undergraduate conducting class.

Mr. Lee has performed with Daegu Symphony Orchestra, Dallas Civic Wind Ensemble, Dallas Pops, North Texas Wind Symphony, North Texas Symphony Orchestra, and Meadows Wind Ensemble. He was the 3rd place winner of the Pusan MBC Music Competition and finalist of UNT Concerto Competition. He also played as a tuba player with large and small ensembles at international music conferences and festivals, such as PASIC, ITEC, TMEA, WASBE, and Crested Butte Music Festival. Currently, he is a very active performer as a tuba player of the Center Stage Brass. Mr. Lee has been an adjudicator for International Tuba Euphonium Association VTEC 2021, TMEA All-Region Audition, and many others.

Mr. Lee has achieved a BM in Tuba Performance from Kei-Myung University in South Korea, a MM in Instrumental Conducting from Southern Methodist University and a MM and a DMA (ABD) in Tuba Performance (Minor: band conducting) from the University of North Texas.