The People
The band
Carrie Asai, flute
Carrie Asai (Turlock, CA) is a senior Music Education major at the University of the Pacific. She has been playing flute for 12 years and piccolo for 9 years. Carrie performs with the University Symphony Orchestra and Symphonic Wind Ensemble, and in past years has participated in the University Concert Band and Oriana Choir. She is an active member of the Eta Omega chapter of Sigma Alpha Iota, having previously served as Social Chair and President, and is currently the Vice President, Ritual. Prior to attending Pacific, Carrie was involved in the Modesto Symphony Youth Orchestra, Stanislaus County Honor Orchestra, Stanislaus County Honor Band, California Central Region Honor Choir, and multiple chamber ensembles. She also has performed with and conducted the Pacific Flute Choir and the Central California [Youth] Wind Ensemble.
Molly Westlake, clarinet
Molly Westlake (Sacramento, CA) is a sophomore Music Education major with a focus on clarinet.
Mitchell Beck, Saxophone
Mitchell Beck (Turlock, CA) is a senior Music Education student and saxophone player.
Thomas Hubel, trumpet
Thomas Hubel (Mountain View, CA) is a senior Music Education major. He has been playing the trumpet for over 10 years, and has performed in masterclasses with Mark Inouye and David Turnbull. An avid supporter of the marching arts, Thomas has spent five years with the Santa Clara Vanguard Drum & Bugle Corps. He is very excited to cultivate a new community of contemporary music at Pacific!
Rebecca Growcott, trombone
Rebecca Growcott (Fresno, CA) is a sophomore Music Education major with a focus on trombone. She likes to keep herself busy, and you can see her performing in the University Orchestra and Wind Ensemble, as well as the groups 209 Brass, and the UOP a cappella group Stocktones. She has a passion for all art forms, and her designs can be seen scattered around the conservatory throughout the year. Rebecca hopes to work to inspire kids in the future, showing them how multi-faceted music is as a hobby or profession.
Diego Bustamante, piano
Diego Bustamante (Chico, CA) is a junior Piano Performance major at University of the Pacific. He has been an active performer throughout California, appearing as a solo artist, chamber musician, collaborative pianist, and concerto soloist. In addition to being a classical musician, he is also an active ragtime pianist, and is a regular performer at the Sutter Creek and West Coast Ragtime Festivals. Aside from his passion for music, Diego is also an avid birder and overall nature enthusiast.
Trinitie Wood, electric/upright bass
Trinitie Wood (Visalia, CA) is a sophomore Music Education major. Trinitie has played bass for over 10 years. At University of the Pacific, Trinitie is apart of Pacific Heavy Ensemble, University Choir, and University Symphony Orchestra. Trinitie is also a member of the Eta Omega chapter of Sigma Alpha Iota at University of the Pacific. Before attending Pacific, Trinitie attended a performing arts academy where she had the opportunity to perform around California and New York for 4 years.
Maya Balachandran, violin
Maya Balachandran (Pleasanton, CA) is a sophomore Music Performance and Composition major. She has played violin for 14 years and has participated in various ensembles, classical or otherwise.
Emily Criss, violin
Emily Criss (Yuba City, California) is a senior Music Management major at University of the Pacific where she is privileged to study under Dr. Ann Miller. In addition to playing in the University Symphony Orchestra, she has performed regularly in the pit for musicals throughout central California and Pacific Opera Theatre. In addition to her work as a performer, she also teaches privately throughout the San Joaquin area.
Marissa Staffero, viola
Marissa Staffero (Turlock, CA) is a sophomore Music Education major. At the University of the Pacific, she primarily plays viola, and is also a part of the University’s Choir. She is a member of the Eta Omega chapter of Sigma Alpha Iota at Pacific. Prior to joining Pacific, she was in many ensembles including: Pitman Chamber Orchestra, Pitman Madrigals, Modesto Junior College Community Orchestra, Modesto Symphony Youth Orchestra, Stanislaus County Honor Orchestra, and many chamber ensembles. She has performed in the CODA and All State orchestras for three years as well as two years with YES company in Modesto, CA. Under Igor Veligan’s guidance at Pacific, Marissa will continue to refine her musicianship skills as well as continue to develop a love for music and teaching.
Malcolm King, violoncello
Malcolm King is a sophomore Cello Performance Major.
Braydon ross, conductor
Braydon Ross (Mountain View, CA) is a sophomore Music Education major. He plays horn in the Symphonic Wind Ensemble, University Symphony Orchestra, 28/78 New Music Ensemble and 209 Brass. Before arriving at Pacific, he served as the Drum Major for three years at Mountain View High School and conducted the 2018 Santa Clara Vanguard Cadets. Braydon also conducted the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music Student Staff Ensemble, and is now conducting for 28/78 NME and the Pacific Heavy Ensemble.
founding members
Laila Mameesh, flute
Scott Pastor, clarinet
Thomas Hubel, trumpet
Joshua Dunsford, trombone
Diego Bustamante, keyboards
Peter Altamura, electric bass
Fernando Lozano, percussion
Micah Vogel, violin
Sabrina Boggs, violin
Anne Plescia, viola
Laura Robb Martín, violoncello
Tristen Collinsworth, electronics/bassoon
Andrew Lu, conductor
Scott Pastor, clarinet
Thomas Hubel, trumpet
Joshua Dunsford, trombone
Diego Bustamante, keyboards
Peter Altamura, electric bass
Fernando Lozano, percussion
Micah Vogel, violin
Sabrina Boggs, violin
Anne Plescia, viola
Laura Robb Martín, violoncello
Tristen Collinsworth, electronics/bassoon
Andrew Lu, conductor
28/78 extended family
Jenna Diebert, vocals; Nico Peruzzi, conductor; Tyler Golding, percussion; Ryan Clark, drums; Zachary Zumstein, viola; Jonathan Ivy, violoncello; Yuki Nagase, bass; William Peralta, bass
Behind the scenes
Emily Criss, executive director
Emily Criss is the Executive Director of 28/78 New Music Ensemble. A new face to the ensemble for the 2019-2020 season, she has experience in audience experience design from the perspective of a manager as well as a musician and hopes to reinvigorate the audience experience during the second full season of the ensemble.
In her senior year at the Conservatory, she is eagerly looking forward to presenting the 2020 New Music Festival and collaborations with other student-run groups on campus such as the Pacific Stocktones, Pacific Heavy Ensemble and outside ensembles throughout the season.
In her senior year at the Conservatory, she is eagerly looking forward to presenting the 2020 New Music Festival and collaborations with other student-run groups on campus such as the Pacific Stocktones, Pacific Heavy Ensemble and outside ensembles throughout the season.
Braydon Ross, artistic director
Braydon Ross is the Artistic Director and conductor of the 28/78 New Music Ensemble. Upon joining the ensemble in Fall 2018, Braydon played horn and served as Education and Development Coordinator, developing Open 78 workshops and educational engagement programs. He is very excited to be a part of the team leading 28/78 NME into its second full season, and eagerly looks forward to presenting the second New Music Festival in January 2020.
In his second year at Pacific, Braydon is excited to be taking on new conducting and educational roles throughout the Conservatory, including conducting the 28/78 NME and the Pacific Heavy Ensemble, and working as the Brass Instructor for the Central Valley Youth Symphony and horn faculty for the Pacific Community Music School. He is also a member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Beta Pi Chapter, Pacific’s NAfME chapter, the National Society for Leadership and Success, and the 209 Brass.
In his second year at Pacific, Braydon is excited to be taking on new conducting and educational roles throughout the Conservatory, including conducting the 28/78 NME and the Pacific Heavy Ensemble, and working as the Brass Instructor for the Central Valley Youth Symphony and horn faculty for the Pacific Community Music School. He is also a member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Beta Pi Chapter, Pacific’s NAfME chapter, the National Society for Leadership and Success, and the 209 Brass.
Andrew Conklin, Faculty Advisor
Andrew Conklin is a composer, songwriter, singer, and multi-instrumentalist who makes music that engages both with American vernacular idioms and contemporary classical practices. He has appeared as a composer or performer throughout the United States and Europe, and his music has garnered recognition from diverse voices spanning the worlds of popular and classical music.
Andrew's work has received critical acclaim in blogs such as Pitchfork and The Line of Best Fit, and has been supported by grants from sources that include the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation, the New York Foundation for the Arts, and Vox Novus. His first full-length album, If I Were More Like You, was praised by the indie rock musician Merrill Garbus as "one of the best collections of songs I've had the pleasure of being exposed to, ever" (Filter Magazine). Andrew's string quartet was a finalist for the 2017 Lake George Composition Competition and received performances at the 2017 Florida State University Biennial New Music Festival and the 2017 Society of Composers National Conference in Kalamazoo, MI. As a 2018 Millay Colony Fellow, Andrew will continue to work on Song Collector, a cycle of large-scale compositions that exist in dialog with Sidney Robertson Cowell's field recordings of California folk songs from the late 1930s.
A versatile musical collaborator, Andrew earned a 2017 Grammy nomination for Best Bluegrass Recording for his bass playing on The Hazel and Alice Sessions by Laurie Lewis & The Right Hands. His playing can be heard on record labels including Six Degrees, Spruce and Maple, Plug Research, City Slang, and Arhoolie, and he has recently contributed as a guitarist to recordings by Ben Goldberg, Meklit Hadero, and Michael Rocketship. He has also toured extensively in the United States and Europe as a guitarist and bassist with indie rock bands (Chris Cohen), bluegrass groups (Laurie Lewis & The Right Hands), and improvising combos (Timosaurus). As a composer, Andrew has enjoyed fruitful partnerships with musicians from some of today's most inquisitive new music ensembles, including the International Contemporary Ensemble, Yarn/Wire, Ensemble Mise-En, Spektral Quartet, Ensemble Connect, Tala Rasa Percussion, and the Calidore String Quartet.
Andrew majored in jazz studies at Oberlin Conservatory and received his PhD in composition at Stony Brook University. A dedicated educator, he has held teaching positions at West Chester University of Pennsylvania and Stony Brook University, where he won the President's Award for Teaching by a Graduate Student in 2016. In August 2018, Andrew will join the Conservatory of Music at University of the Pacific as Assistant Professor of Composition and Music Theory.
Andrew's work has received critical acclaim in blogs such as Pitchfork and The Line of Best Fit, and has been supported by grants from sources that include the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation, the New York Foundation for the Arts, and Vox Novus. His first full-length album, If I Were More Like You, was praised by the indie rock musician Merrill Garbus as "one of the best collections of songs I've had the pleasure of being exposed to, ever" (Filter Magazine). Andrew's string quartet was a finalist for the 2017 Lake George Composition Competition and received performances at the 2017 Florida State University Biennial New Music Festival and the 2017 Society of Composers National Conference in Kalamazoo, MI. As a 2018 Millay Colony Fellow, Andrew will continue to work on Song Collector, a cycle of large-scale compositions that exist in dialog with Sidney Robertson Cowell's field recordings of California folk songs from the late 1930s.
A versatile musical collaborator, Andrew earned a 2017 Grammy nomination for Best Bluegrass Recording for his bass playing on The Hazel and Alice Sessions by Laurie Lewis & The Right Hands. His playing can be heard on record labels including Six Degrees, Spruce and Maple, Plug Research, City Slang, and Arhoolie, and he has recently contributed as a guitarist to recordings by Ben Goldberg, Meklit Hadero, and Michael Rocketship. He has also toured extensively in the United States and Europe as a guitarist and bassist with indie rock bands (Chris Cohen), bluegrass groups (Laurie Lewis & The Right Hands), and improvising combos (Timosaurus). As a composer, Andrew has enjoyed fruitful partnerships with musicians from some of today's most inquisitive new music ensembles, including the International Contemporary Ensemble, Yarn/Wire, Ensemble Mise-En, Spektral Quartet, Ensemble Connect, Tala Rasa Percussion, and the Calidore String Quartet.
Andrew majored in jazz studies at Oberlin Conservatory and received his PhD in composition at Stony Brook University. A dedicated educator, he has held teaching positions at West Chester University of Pennsylvania and Stony Brook University, where he won the President's Award for Teaching by a Graduate Student in 2016. In August 2018, Andrew will join the Conservatory of Music at University of the Pacific as Assistant Professor of Composition and Music Theory.
Peter Witte, dean of the conservatory
Peter Witte serves as dean of the Conservatory of Music and professor of music at the University of the Pacific, a position he began on July 1, 2017.
From 2008-2017, Mr. Witte served as dean of the Conservatory of Music and Dance at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
During his tenure in Kansas City, UMKC's Conservatory raised $63M in pledges and gifts, increased the enrollment of students of color and international students by 45% over nine years, saw the number of degrees awarded rise 23% over the previous 8-year period, and launched its first professional degree in jazz, housed in a newly crafted jazz studies area.
By establishing and reenergizing partnerships with a broad range of artistic, educational, and civic organizations, Mr. Witte helped place students on stage at (le) poisson rouge in New York City, in rehearsal halls in Kansas City's K-12 schools, and in galleries at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City. He helped to establish annual performances at the iconic Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts and the historic Folly Theater in Kansas City, and aided students and faculty in establishing international relationships in Japan and China.
Prior to his appointment in Missouri, Mr. Witte served as chair of the Department of Music at Kennesaw State University in metropolitan Atlanta for nine years. At KSU, Mr. Witte helped plan and open the Bailey Performance Center, hailed as "a beaut" by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and now home to annual residencies of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.
An alumnus of University of Michigan, Witte serves on the boards of the PRISM Quartet, the California Symphony, the San Francisco Contemporary Music Players, and the National Association of Schools of Music.
From 2008-2017, Mr. Witte served as dean of the Conservatory of Music and Dance at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
During his tenure in Kansas City, UMKC's Conservatory raised $63M in pledges and gifts, increased the enrollment of students of color and international students by 45% over nine years, saw the number of degrees awarded rise 23% over the previous 8-year period, and launched its first professional degree in jazz, housed in a newly crafted jazz studies area.
By establishing and reenergizing partnerships with a broad range of artistic, educational, and civic organizations, Mr. Witte helped place students on stage at (le) poisson rouge in New York City, in rehearsal halls in Kansas City's K-12 schools, and in galleries at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City. He helped to establish annual performances at the iconic Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts and the historic Folly Theater in Kansas City, and aided students and faculty in establishing international relationships in Japan and China.
Prior to his appointment in Missouri, Mr. Witte served as chair of the Department of Music at Kennesaw State University in metropolitan Atlanta for nine years. At KSU, Mr. Witte helped plan and open the Bailey Performance Center, hailed as "a beaut" by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and now home to annual residencies of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.
An alumnus of University of Michigan, Witte serves on the boards of the PRISM Quartet, the California Symphony, the San Francisco Contemporary Music Players, and the National Association of Schools of Music.
SPECIAL THANKS: Andrew Lu, James Gonzalez + Stage Crew, Jeff Crawford + Owen Hall Recording Studio, Dr. Nicolas Waldvogel, Dr. Yejee Choi, Dr. Eric Hammer, Keith Hatschek, Igor Veligan, Eric Dudley, Zach Manzi, Briana Bacon, Ray Cleverly, Melissa Riley, Yvette Khan, Kim Girardi, Splinter Reeds Quintet.