Music Faculty and Staff Bios

LISA DiTIBERIO (Flute)

RÈKHA DRÀVINA (Accompanist) graduated from the Biysk Music College and Krasnoyarsk State Art Institute (Russia) as a pianist, specialized as an opera coach at the Krasnoyarsk State Opera (Russia) and as a ballet accompanist at the Latvian Nationala Opera Theatre (Latvia). She also has accompanied string, wind instruments, choral and symphony conducting classes at the Krasnoyarsk State Art Institute and Music College. Special honors include awards from several music competitions (for Haydn sonatas, Prokofiev sonata, modern music and as a violin accompanist). In 1987 she received a special diploma for the best achievement in All-Russian music competitions as an accompanist for such opera stars as Dmitriy Hvorostovskiy.

After immigrating to the U.S. in 1995, Rekha played for Washington University, Webster University, Ballet Midwest, State Ballet of Missouri, Alexandra Ballet, St. Louis Opera Theatre, coached singers, performed as a vocal and string accompanist, played at Channel 4 on TV, etc. She has worked as a vocal accompanist at St. Charles Community College since 2001.

FARIGA DRAYTON (Cello)

MATT FREDERICKSON (Low Brass)

KIRK HANSER (Classical Guitar, Music Audio Recording) received his Bachelor of Music Degree from Millikin University in Decatur, Ill. in 1990 and his Master of Music degree from Shenandoah Conservatory in Winchester, Va. in 1992. He has taught for several colleges and universities including Shenandoah University (Winchester, Va.), Silver Lake College (Manitowoc, WI) and the University of Wisconsin system. He moved to St. Louis in January of 1996 to assume the position of director (and instructor) with the St. Louis branch of the Childbloom Guitar Program, with the hopes of reaching more and more young people.

Kirk was presented with Childbloom's National Teacher of the Year award for 1996 and received 1998's Outstanding National Program award. In addition, he currently teaches for the St. Louis & St. Charles Community College systems, and serves as the president for the St. Louis Guitar Consortium, Inc. Kirk has also appeared on several recordings for the DCV DDI and JKG labels and has performed as a soloist, ensemble member, and as featured soloist with orchestras throughout the U.S., Europe, and Japan.

ERIN HAUPT (Voice)

ALAN HOECKELMAN (Piano Technician)

DOLLY JY-YU HSU (Accompanist)

TOLKIN ISAKOV (Percussion) graduated from Tashkent State Conservatory with a Master degree in Music, and a post-graduate degree at the Moscow State Conservatory, equivalent to a PhD. He has been a timpanist and percussionist for 13 years with the National Symphonic Orchestra of the Republic of Uzbekistan. He was a senior teacher of percussion at Tashkent State Conservatory in Uzbekistan for 12 years. Diploma winner, All-USSR competition; former soloist; toured from 1982 to present as a concert performer with various groups in the United States, Germany, France, Switzerland, Austria, Greece, Bahrain, Turkey, and countries of central Asia and Russia.

STEVEN KENISTON (Piano), a D.M.A. graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, is an active teacher and performer. He currently teaches Music Appreciation, Piano Proficiency, Class Piano, and Applied Piano at St. Charles Community College. Previously he has taught for Austin Lyric Opera's Armstrong Community Music School and Continuing Education for the University of Texas at Austin. An active performer Dr. Keniston has been soloist with  the Charleston Symphony Orchestra, the College of Charleston Community Orchestra, and the International Piano Series, and is currently a member of the award winning Argo Duo, which focuses on twentieth century women composers.  Other Awards include first place in the South Carolina Music Teachers Competition, Liberace Foundation Scholarships, Edwin Peacock Awards, and Graduate Assistantships. Dr. Keniston has been selected to perform for such notables as Leon Fleisher, Ian Hobson, Barry Douglas, and Maria Curcio Diamond.

CATHY MURRAY (Voice)

JAN PARKER (Voice) is a member of the SCC Music Faculty. She did her undergraduate work at Southeast Missouri State University and her graduate work at Washington University. She has sung with various opera companies throughout the United States and England. Jan has had a varied career and has taught at Florissant Valley Junior College, University of Missouri St. Louis, and now at SCC. She is married and has one son.

PAM ROUSSIN (Accompanist)

LYNNE SNYDER (Choreographer) was an associate professor of theater and dance at Millikin University in Decatur, Illinois for eight years, prior to moving to St. Peters. Since then she has choreographed several productions for Webster University including Nine, Merrily We Roll Along, Dames at Sea, and Colette Collage, as well as the Mid American Theater Company productions of Broadway at 42nd Street and Peter Pan (which she also directed.) She most recently directed and choreographed Once Upon a Mattress, She Loves Me, Anything Goes, The Music Man, and directed The Dining Room, Rumors, and What I Did Last Summer for the SCC Center Stage. Lynne received her MFA in dance from Case Western Reserve University, her MA in theater from Bowling Green State University, and BFA in theater from Texas Christian University. She currently teaches dance, musical theater, theater classes, and choreographs for Show Choir at SCC.

BECKY SWETT (Single Reeds, Appreciation courses) is a clarinet and saxophone instructor, has been teaching privately since 1996. She received her Master of Music degree from Northern Illinois University and her Bachelor of Music degree from Southeast Missouri State University. She plays professionally through the Union, with the Chinquapin Trio, and as principal clarinet with the St. Louis Philharmonic Orchestra. Other performances include Paducah Symphony Orchestra, Union Avenue Opera, A Fifth Above Woodwind Quintet, and the St. Louis Wind Symphony. She has been accepted to the extra list for St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and the Memphis Symphony Orchestra. In addition to teaching at St. Charles Community College, she is on the adjunct faculty at Southwestern Illinois College and teaches at the Granite City and Belleville campuses. She enjoys her balance of teaching and performing.

MARY SWEETIN (Orchestra Director, Violin) is a classically trained violinist, earning a Bachelors and Masters in Music from SIUE. Having studied with the well-known pedagogue, John D. Kendall, Mrs. Sweetin has a strong background in the "Suzuki Method." She relied heavily on her pedagogical training when she began teaching orchestra in the Hazelwood School District for 8 years. Her orchestras received the highest ratings at the District and State levels. In addition to conducting the Orchestra concert, she likewise conducted the annual solo concert, the annual musical, and collaborated with the vocal department to present Handel's "Messiah." Among vocal soloists featured on this work was internationally known soprano, Christine Brewer. Mrs. Sweetin plays with various orchestras around St. Louis, including The University City Symphony, but her main musical venue is the Landolfi String Quartet. Landolfi is a working quartet, performing for many local functions as well as in recital.

A member of Landolfi for 15 years, Mrs. Sweetin has become a prolific arranger of popular music for quartet. Many of the arrangements performed by Landolfi are her creations. Achieving notoriety in this regard, Ms. Sweetin has been commissioned to write and arrange music for the Collage String Quartet, the Equinox Chamber Players, the St. Louis All Suburban Orchestra, Fort Zumwalt South High School Orchestra, and Marquette High School Orchestra. Mrs. Sweetin has served as concertmaster of the Kirkwood Symphony Orchestra and has soloed with the Gateway Festival Orchestra.

A member of the Bach Society and the St. Louis Ballet Orchestras for the last 10 years, Mrs. Sweetin also performs in many local shows at the Fox Theatre and at Riverport. Some of those headliners include the Moody Blues, Smokie Robinson, Rod Stewart, the TransSiberian Orchestra, and the Irish Tenors. Mrs. Sweetin had the honor of performing at Jay Nixon's fund raising dinner, which President Clinton attended, in 1996. Mrs. Sweetin had the great honor to play in the orchestra at the TWA Dome when His Holiness, Pope John Paul II, celebrated mass there in 1999. Mrs. Sweetin lives in Defiance Mo., with her two sons, Justin and Spencer, and husband, Shawn.

JOHN THOMAS (French Horn) a native St. Louisan, began his musical studies on trumpet at the age of nine. By age 10, he and some classmates formed a combo called the Tijuana Taxis. By age 15 he was playing baritone, piano, and electric bass in a variety of school ensembles. Also at this time John was playing regular dates as trumpeter in a wedding reception band, as well as arranging and composing for this group. After graduation, he continued his studies at the University of Missouri - St. Louis. Here he studied French horn with members of the St. Louis Symphony.

John received his Bachelor of Music Education in 1991, and then taught in public schools for four years. In 1996, he went to the University Of Missouri – Columbia to study composition with Dr. John Cheetham and Dr. Thomas McKenney, and to study horn with Dr. Marcia Spence. In 1998 he received his Master of Music in both Composition and Horn Performance. Currently John is Principal Horn with the St. Louis Philharmonic Orchestra, Solo Tenor Horn with the St. Louis Brass Band, and a member of the Clarion Brass. He teaches Horn, Theory, and Composition at the St. Louis Symphony Community Music School. John's compositions and arrangements have been performed across the United States. His future plans include being the first horn player on Mars.

BECKY THORN (Voice, SCC Singers) received her BA with Honors in Music Education and Vocal Performance from Missouri Baptist College. While there, she worked as the Teacher's Assistant in Music History and was selected as the Outstanding Music Graduate by the music faculty. She was given leading roles on the MBC musical theatre and operatic stage and appeared numerous times as a soloist at choral concerts.

After several years working as choir director at New Life Baptist Church and briefly teaching music (pre K through 8th grade) at Tower Grove Christian School, Becky went on to establish a voice and piano studio through the Harvester Fine Arts Academy, Noteworthy, Parkway Music, and SCC. Awarded a Theory Assistantship by Webster University, she was given the opportunity to teach Fundamentals of Music and Music Appreciation courses. She also performed with the Webster Opera Studio and Choral Society, and received Honors when she graduated with her MA in Music. Becky returned to Webster University to teach Music Appreciation and continues to teach voice and piano at SCC. She currently enjoys directing a small vocal ensemble and serving in both musical and dramatic venues at First Baptist Church of Harvester.

JOHN L. WALKER (Associate Professor of Double Reeds, Concert Band, Instrumental Music Coordinator) has enjoyed a distinguished career as a performer, teacher and musicologist. A native of Iowa, in 1979 he received a Bachelor's degree in music from Drake University, where he was a student of noted oboist Jay Light. He continued his musical studies at Temple University in Philadelphia, as a student of Philadelphia Orchestra member Louis Rosenblatt. In 1995 he graduated with a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln after completing a dissertation on Latin American chamber music for the oboe.

Walker has held many professional positions, including principal oboe of the Orquesta Sinfónica de Guadalajara, the USAF Heritage of America Band in Virginia and the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional del Ecuador. While in Ecuador, he was recognized as an "American Cultural Specialist" by the United States Embassy in Quito. He was also on the faculty of the National Conservatory, where he taught oboe, music theory and music appreciation. As a musicologist, he has published articles in both English and Spanish about Ecuadorian and Latin American music in a number of well-known music journals, such as Pauta, Latin American Music Review and the Journal of the International Double Reed Society. Walker has been profiled in the two latest editions of Who's Who in America. In his spare time, he and his wife, Catalina, enjoy watching old movies and walking their lazy beagle, Benjhi.

ERIC WARREN (Bass Guitar, Jazz Studies)
Eric Warren received a B.A. in Jazz Studies from the University of Oregon in 1998. After completing his degree, he joined the director of Jazz Studies at the Paris Conservatory of Music, Francois Theberge, and played bass on his second album, Francois Theberge and the medium band. After recording the album, the jazz sextet went on tour in the United States and Europe. While in Paris, the group recorded a piece for Orchestra and Jazz Band with the Radio France Studio Orchestra, and played a live performance for a Radio France broadcast on the FIP European radio network. After living in France, he moved to New York City where he worked and toured with the After Quartet, a group dedicated to music for silent films.

Eric has gone on to work with many Jazz, Rock-n-Roll, R&B, and Broadway legends and played on over a dozen albums. He has performed with: Bernadette Peters, Michael Feinstein, Michael Amante, Frankie Avalon, Fabian, Bobby Rydell, Julian Priester, Tim Reese, Ralph Towner, Glenn Moore, Ron Miles, Dave Pietro, Bob Mover, Dave Frishberg, Francois Theberge, Andy Martin, Bill Liston, Darrel Grant, Pete Christlieb, Alex Cline, Al Wilson, Jeff Trot, Bobby Vinton, The Guy Lombardo Orchestra, and the Lawrence Welk Orchestra. He has played many international jazz festivals including: The Vancouver B. C. International Jazz Festival, La Villette Jazz Festival, Paris France, Bud Shank Jazz Festival, Port Townsand, W.A, Modern Trumpet Series at Tonic N.Y.C., St. Louis Jazz Festival, St. Louis, U.S. Bank Jazz Festival, and the Webster Groves Jazz Festival. He now lives in St. Louis where he works as a freelance Jazz/R&B bassist, session musician, and music educator.