Jared Chase
A Colorado native, Jared Chase is in his third year of a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Wind Conducting from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. He is the conductor of the Cincinnati Youth Wind Ensemble. Jared has conducted on numerous concerts with the CCM Chamber Players, Wind Symphony, Symphony Band, Chamber Winds and Brass Choir. Recently Jared was invited to conduct at the 14th International WASBE (World Association of Symphonic Bands and Ensembles) Conference. He has also taught and lectured for courses in instrumental conducting, beginning conducting, and wind literature as well as serving as the wind studies librarian. Jared is currently serving in his fourth year as the adjunct professor of trumpet at Sinclair Community College, and his sixth year as the music director of First Presbyterian Church of Ft. Thomas, KY, and actively performs as a member of the Cincinnati Brass Quintet (http://www.cincinnatibrass.com).
Jared studied music education and trumpet performance at the University of Colorado, Boulder. Equally, at home in both commericial and classical idioms, Jared performed for the Boulder Broadway Company, Colorado Light Opera, and the Boulder Dinner Theatre before coming to Cincinnati in 2003 to pursue a Master of Music degree from CCM in trumpet performance. Jared has studied trumpet with Phil Collins (former Princinpal Trumpet, Cincinnati Symphony), Alan Siebert and Terry Sawchuck. While at CCM he performed as principal trumpet in Chamber Players, Wind Symphony, Philharmonia, and Concert orchestras. He founded the Seven Hills Brass, a large professional brass ensemble, which performs the highest quality literature for brass choir, and served as the assistant conductor of the CCM Prep Department Brass Choir.
Jared continues to be an active freelance performer in the Cincinnati and Dayton areas and has performed with the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra, Dayton Philharmonic Concert Band, Springfield Symphony, Blue Ash Symphony, Kentucky Symphony, Lima Symphony Orchestra, Richmond Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Vocal Arts Ensemble, the salsa band Grupo Fuego and as a member of the Cincinnati Brass Quintet. His primary conducting teachers include Allan McMurray, Terence Milligan and Rodney Winther. Jared served as interim director of bands for Central State University and has taught grades 4-12 band and choir in the public schools of Greeneview Local School District (Ohio) and Jefferson County Public Schools (Colorado).
Lauren Heller
Originally from Burke, Virginia, a suburb of Washington, D.C., Lauren Heller is in her first year of a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in wind conducting from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music where, among other duties, she teaches undergraduate conducting.
Prior to coming to CCM Lauren earned a Bachelor of Music degree in instrumental music education, magna cum laude, from the University of Delaware (UD). She continued studies at the University of Delaware and earned a Master of Music degree in wind conducting. While at UD, Lauren conducted the Symphonic Band and Wind Ensemble, as well as the flute choir, chamber ensembles, and student composition premieres. She also served as graduate assistant to the 300+ member Fightin’ Blue Hen Marching Band.
Upon leaving Delaware, Lauren taught public high school for three years in southern Maryland. There she was responsible for two large concert ensembles, the jazz ensemble, percussion ensemble, marching band, pep band, and pit orchestra. She also served as guest conductor for both the middle and high school honor bands in the area.
In addition, Lauren has been a staff member for the George N. Parks Drum Major Academy for ten years, and currently serves as a lead clinician at workshops throughout the country.
Keith Phillips
Originally from Mobile, Alabama, Keith Phillips is currently pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in wind conducting from the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM). As a doctoral conducting associate at CCM, Phillips teaches undergraduate conducting and serves as conductor to the Cincinnati Youth Wind Ensemble.
Prior to his appointment at CCM, Phillips received a Bachelor of Instrumental Music Education degree, summa cum laude with special honors in music, from Jacksonville State University. He recently earned the Master of Music Performance degree in instrumental conducting from East Carolina University where he conducted the ECU Concert Band and served as Director of the ECU ‘Sixth Man’ Basketball Pep Bands. Additionally, Phillips served as a graduate conducting associate to the ECU Symphonic Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, and Marching Pirates, and was a teaching assistant in undergraduate conducting and applied trumpet. While a graduate student at ECU, he regularly performed with the ECU Wind Ensemble and Symphony Orchestra, and was a member of the ECU Chamber Singers, performing with the group on the compact disc recording, Greater Love (Gothic Records), as well as at the national convention of the American Choral Directors Association in Miami, FL. Furthermore, he served as conductor of the Tar River Community Band for two seasons and is a former Instructor of Music at Craven Community College in New Bern, NC. His professional affiliations include the World Association of Symphonic Bands and Ensembles, College Band Directors National Association, Conductor’s Guild, Ohio Music Educators Association, MENC: The National Association for Music Education, Omicron Delta Kappa, and Kappa Delta Pi. Of late, he was inducted into the Pi Kappa Lambda National Music Honor Society and was awarded honorary membership into the Kappa Sigma chapter of Kappa Kappa Psi, National Honorary Band Fraternity.
Additionally, Phillips was awarded the Master of Divinity with specialization in Worship Leadership and a concentration in music from the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary in May of 2004. Subsequently, he has served as associate pastor of music in various local churches throughout Alabama, Mississippi and Ohio. He and his wife, Stephanie, reside in Mason, Ohio.
Simon Tillier
Simon Tillier was born in Middlesex, England, near London, and studied clarinet before going on to complete his degree at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester. It was there that he played in one of Britain's finest conservatoire wind and symphony orchestras, working with many noted conductors including Timothy Reynish and Clark Rundell. Following a period of freelance work playing, conducting and teaching, Mr. Tillier moved to the county of Hertfordshire where he conducted wind ensembles and orchestras as well as directing a program of chamber music for students. Until recently he held posts of Assistant Woodwind Coordinator and Deputy Head of the Mid-Herts Centre for Music and Arts in Hatfield.
In September of 2006 Mr. Tillier relocated to Canada to commence an advanced course in conducting with Dr. Gleen D. Price at the University of Calgary. As the recipient of the Norman J. Kennedy Graduate Scholarship, Donald R. Hayes Memorial Scholarship, the Allan Gordon Bell Distinguished Faculty Graduate Achievement Award from the Faculty of Fine Arts, U. of C., he has also had the opportunity to study with Morihiro Okabe, Wayne Toews, and Timothy Reynish. This September he commenced doctoral studies in conducting at the College Conservatory of Music, Cincinnati under Professor Rodney Winther. Mr. Tillier has taught courses in the U.K., U.S.A., and Canada, in addition to serving as Conductor of the Israeli Youth Wind Orchestra.
This page last updated 10/13/2008 Please send comments to Keith N. Phillips