Josh Goering was born and raised in Kansas City, Kansas. In 2021 he graduated from the University of Kansas with a B.F.A. in ceramics and a B.A. in environmental studies. Following this he did a year-long internship at Starworks Ceramics, an artist in residence studio with a local clay making facility within its walls. Afterwards he went back to his alma mater for post-bacc study, continuing a research project into Kansas ceramic materials.

Goering’s work hinges on his environmental disposition, an inquisitive nature surrounding materials, and an inherent love of process. His current work involves a dialogue with the regional landscape using local clays and rocks as well as hand building forms that reference objects involved in his processes. 

He is pursuing his Master of Fine Arts in ceramics.

P.K. Woo is a visual artist from Homer, Alaska. She holds a Bachelor of Liberal Arts in studio art and a certificate in outdoor skills and leadership from the University of Alaska Southeast in Juneau. She most recently spent the last two years as a post-baccalaureate student in ceramics at UAS, where she focused on further developing her skills as a functional potter. Through her work she intends to explore the relationship between her own identity and the natural environment through the relationship of form and surface. She is pursuing a Master of Fine Arts in ceramics.

Angeli was born in Corfu, Greece. She is a DMA student in wind band conducting, an Othmer Fellow and graduate teaching assistant in wind band conducting with related areas of studies in music education in the Glenn Korff School of Music. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in music from Ionian University (Greece) and a masters in orchestra conducting from Fontys Hogeschool voor de Kunsten (Netherlands) and Conservatoire Royal de Mons (BE).

She has graduated with a masters in wind band conducting from the University of Northern Iowa. From 2016-2020, she was the musical director and conductor in Corfu Municipal Band of Thinali and assistant orchestra conductor for Philharmonic Society of Corfu. In 2017-2018, she was assistant orchestra conductor for Thessaloniki City Symphony Orchestra.

She has conducted orchestras and wind bands in many European countries, including Berlin Symponieta, Orchestre Royal de Lierge, Orchestre Royal de Chambre de Wallonie, Athens City Orchestra, Athens Philharmonic and Orchestre de Bauge.

Julia Beck is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in piano pedagogy at Nebraska, where her research is centered in developing approaches for teaching students with hearing loss, with a focus on vibrotactile learning and adaptive musical instruction. A native of Minot, North Dakota, she received her undergraduate education at Minot State University, graduating with music performance degrees in violin and piano. She most recently completed her Master of Music degree in piano pedagogy and performance at UNL where she studied with Dr. Brenda Wristen and Dr. Paul Barnes.

Beck has a personal interest in teaching students with hearing loss, vision loss, and other disabilities, and is passionate about fostering creative, diverse, and accessible teaching approaches in small groups and private lessons. Her most recent presentation, “Teaching Piano Students with Hearing Loss,” was presented at the National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy (NCKP) in 2023 and was selected as best in its category. She is also one of the cofounders of Dakota Piano Camp, an immersive piano experience for elementary age children in small towns throughout North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska and Kansas.

In the future, Beck hopes to use her experiences as a performer, researcher, and educator to not only advance teaching for music students with hearing loss, but also advocate for more inclusive and accessible approaches to learning in music curriculums and programs.

Ray Brown is attending the University of Nebraska–Lincoln as a master’s GTA in trombone performance. He works with Dr. Ian Rutherford in the History of Rock class and teaches the trombone section of brass skills.

Brown finished his Bachelor of Music Education at Drake University in Des Moines, under the direction of Robert Parker and Matthew Halbert. There he performed in numerous ensembles on and off campus, notably with the campus Wind Ensemble, Orchestra and Jazz I groups. During his time at Drake, he has played in master classes for Mark Cantrell, Kyle Gordon and Jason Hausbach. In November, Brown won a spot in Drake’s Honors Recital competition.

Caden Hirsch is pursuing a Master of Music in music theory. He has been involved in music his whole life, participating in several choirs and other ensembles and playing multiple instruments. Hirsch graduated from Metropolitan State University of Denver in December 2022 with a bachelor’s in music composition and a bachelor’s in music theory. His compositional style and theoretical interests overlap in many areas. Hirsch’s theory interests sprout from many disciplines of music as well. His focuses currently surround theory pedagogy studies, but he also has interests in film scores and symphonic works, as well as music therapy and overtone/frequency-based concepts.

After completing his master’s, Hirsch plans to pursue a doctorate degree in music theory as well, and hopes to teach as well as research music theory and other related areas at the collegiate level in the future.

Elizabeth (Ellie) Johnson has been a music educator in Nebraska since 2015. She received her B.A. in vocal music education from Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota, where she toured and recorded as an alto with The Concordia Choir under the direction of Dr. Rene Clausen and Michael Smith. She received her M.M. in music education from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. Ellie has her Orff Level 1 and 2 certifications through UNL and is eager to pursue further certification to complete Orff and Kodaly training through Nebraska universities. 

In her time teaching in the public school system, Ellie has worked primarily with middle school students in both general music and choral settings. She has directed youth musical theater productions, provided small group and solo instruction, and directed and choreographed competitive show choir. Ellie has been a staff member at SNJ Studios in Millard, and sings as a mezzo with Omaha's professional chorus, Resonance, under the direction of Barron Breland and in frequent collaboration with the Omaha Symphony. She previously served as soprano/alto section leader and librarian for Resonance. 

Ellie is excited to continue her work at UNL as a Ph.D. student focusing on music education and is grateful for opportunities like the Hixson-Lied Fellowship that allow her to pursue a doctoral degree while supporting her family in Omaha.

John Kosch is a composer and arranger currently working in Lincoln, Nebraska, where he is pursuing a D.M.A. in composition from the Glenn Korff School of Music. ​His music often uses colorful sonorities, tuneful melodies, and visceral grooves to reflect on his experience with depression and anxiety and ponder timeless questions about human existence, purpose, and struggle.

Kosch has received several honors for his compositions, including: The Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composer Award, a Student Downbeat Award, first place in the NAfME Young Composers Competition, a merit award from the Tribeca New Music Young Composer Competition, and an honorable mention from Austin Classical Guitar.

He is a two-time finalist for the American Prize, and his works have been selected for performances at regional and national Society of Composers conferences, as well as the São Paulo Contemporary Composers Festival, Brevard Music Festival, Charlotte New Music Festival, and the Cortona Sessions for New Music. He currently teaches applied composition at Concordia University in Seward, Nebraska.

JoAnne Lundahl is a clarinetist from Wakefield, Nebraska, currently pursuing a D.M.A. at the Glenn Korff School of Music, where she is studying with Dr. Diane Barger. Lundahl received her undergraduate education at Wayne State College in Wayne, Nebraska, where she studied with Dr. Karl Kolbeck and graduated with degrees in Pre-K-12 music education and music performance. 

Lundahl completed her Master of Music degree at the University of South Dakota, where she studied with Dr. Luis Víquez. While studying at USD, she assisted with the clarinet studio, The SOUND of USD Marching Band, the wind bands and the orchestra program as a graduate assistant, and had the opportunity to serve as the clarinet faculty member for the University of South Dakota Summer Music Camp from the years 2021-2023. 

Performance opportunities include being selected to represent Wayne State College at the Nebraska Music Educators Association Showcase Recital in 2018, principal clarinet for the Nebraska and South Dakota Intercollegiate Bands, two-time winner of the Cherokee Iowa Symphony Orchestra’s Young Artist Concerto Competition, two honorable mentions in the University of South Dakota’s Concerto Competition and winner of the South Dakota MTNA Young Artist Woodwind Competition in 2022.

Born in Costa Rica, Ruth Moreno Calderon recently graduated from her Master’s degree in oboe performance from The University of Southern Mississippi with Dr. Galit Kaunitz. Prior coming to the United States, Moreno Calderon studied music performance at The University of Costa Rica with M.M. Jose Angel Abrego. Moreno Calederon is currently pursuing her DMA degree at The University of Nebraska-Lincoln with Dr. William McMullen.

She has performed with several ensembles such as the Young Orchestra of Costa Rica, Mahler Ensemble, The University of Costa Rica Wind Ensemble, The University of Southern Mississippi Symphony Orchestra, William Carey Orchestra, The Mississippi Symphony Orchestra, Meridian Symphony Orchestra, among others.

While she was an undergraduate student at The University of Costa Rica, Moreno Calderon received an Academic Excellence Award for the 2019 Academic period. She was also a recipient of the University of Southern Mississippi Dean’s List in the same year.

Javier Barreto Olava is a double bass player born in Honda, Colombia. He earned a bachelor's in music education from the Conservatorio del Tolima (Colombia) studying with Edgar Alarcón, and his master's in music performance degree from the University of Southern Mississippi under Dr. Marcos Machado. Currently, he is pursuing a D.M.A. degree at the University of Nebraska with Dr. Hans Sturm, where he is recipient of a GTA and fellowship.

He has participated in different music festivals in Colombia, Brazil and the United States, receiving master classes with Catalin Rotaru, Thierry Barbé, Gabriele Ragghianti, Alex Hanna, Jeremy McCoy.

Also, he was part of the OAcademy 2022, in the studio of Dominic Seldis, awarded with a graduate certificate in music performance and digital creation. 

Mason Nicks is pursuing a Master of Fine Arts in lighting design at the Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film. Nicks completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts in theatre at Emporia State University in Emporia, Kansas, where he designed the lighting for many productions including “Urinetown” and “Endgame.” Nicks is working towards the Master of Fine Arts to be able to teach lighting design at the collegiate level. 

Breeanna Pierce is a second-year Master of Fine Arts candidate in costume design at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Her time spent in the U.S. Army as a public affairs specialist provided training and experience in communications, photography and graphic design — skills she later used to serve her home communities in Northwest Iowa working as a journalist and volunteering at community theaters.

In 2023, she earned her Bachelors of Science in arts administration, emphasizing in music, and Bachelors of Arts in theatrical design and production from Morningside University in Sioux City, Iowa. Her theatrical experience has ranged the gamut from design and dramaturgy to directing and performing, while pursuing research interests like the analysis of the relationship between audience and performer, the dialectical cross-section between psychological therapy and the theatrical arts, and the performing arts as a community builder.

Hannah Schoen is in her second year in the Master of Fine Arts program for costume design here at Nebraska. Before coming here , she got her Bachelor of Arts degree in musical theatre at Heidelberg University in Ohio where she designed 5 shows (“Puffs,” “Midsummer Night’s Dreams,” “Wendy and Peter,” “Top Girls” and “Dangerous Liaisons”).

She has also worked at The Tuacahn Amphitheatre in Ivins, Utah, with wardrobe and stitching positions the past three summers. Currently she is working on the fall play “POTUS” coming to the Nebraska Repertory Theatre in November. She has learned to refine her design and building skills to pursue a career as a costume designer or teach costume design to other students.

Stephen Venditti is a first-year student pursuing a Master of Fine Arts in technical direction in the Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film. While studying for his undergraduate degree in business management at Cedarville University, Venditti fell in love with the art of theatre and began to invest many hours of personal time into learning more about technical production and scenic construction. Before graduating with his undergraduate degree, Venditti had been a key part of 14 productions learning principles in lighting, audio, technical direction, carpentry, stage management, and design.

Seeking to combine his degree in management with his experiences in theatre, Venditti has chosen to focus on technical direction as the intersection of classroom understanding and practical experience. He hopes to deepen his understanding of theatre at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln to one day serve his community in a professional capacity bringing new stories to life on the stage.