The Department of Music presents a Faculty & Friends concert with brass faculty Jeremy Marks, Eric Millard, and Joe Skillen. They will be joined by guest artist Katelyn Halbert, Visiting Assistant Professor of Horn at the University of Arkansas.
Dr. Jeremy Marks started his position as Assistant Professor of Trombone at UNC Charlotte in the fall of 2018. Prior to his appointment, he held faculty positions at the University of Louisiana at Monroe, Southeastern Oklahoma State University, Blinn College (TX), and was the Teaching Assistant for the trombone studio at The University of Texas at Austin. Dr. Marks is the 2nd trombonist with Opera Carolina and the North Carolina Brass Band, bass trombonist of the Asheville Symphony Orchestra, and interim principal trombonist with the Western Piedmont Symphony Orchestra. In addition, he has performed with several other symphony orchestras, including Charlotte, Virginia, Baton Rouge, Austin (TX), and Canton (OH).
Dr. Eric Millard is the Assistant Professor of Trumpet at UNC Charlotte. Millard regularly performs with the Charlotte Symphony and was formerly the Third/Associate Principal trumpet with the Tallahassee Symphony. Millard has also performed with the Charlotte Ballet, Opera Carolina, Boise Philharmonic, Ballet Idaho, Pensacola Symphony, Sinfonia Gulf Coast, Northwest Florida Symphony, and Albany Symphony. Millard’s fond interest in chamber music has led him to cofound both the Bluegrass Brass and Garnet and Brass quintets. In addition, Millard has won prizes at the National Trumpet Competition (NTC) and performed at the International Trumpet Guild Conference with multiple trumpet ensembles. Playing in a wide range of styles, Millard has also performed in numerous shows, including most recently, the national tour of “Aladdin the Musical.”
Chair of the Music Department and Professor of Tuba Dr. Joseph Skillen joined UNC Charlotte after 22 years at Louisiana State University (LSU), where he served in numerous capacities, most recently as the Galante Endowed Professor and associate dean for graduate studies in music and theatre in the College of Music and Dramatic Arts. Skillen is a respected performer, teacher, and scholar. His scholarly work includes more than 40 publications, three book chapters, 12 professional recordings, musical transcriptions, and multiple solo performances on four continents.
Hornist Katey J. Halbert’s vibrant personality and passion for music inspire both as a teacher and performer. Residing in Northwest Arkansas, she is currently the Visiting Assistant Professor of Horn at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. At home on the concert stage, she has performed as a soloist, orchestral musician, and chamber musician throughout the world. In the past year she has performed in Bangkok, Thailand with the Lyrique Quintette, as principal horn in the Symphony of Northwest Arkansas, and as a soloist for the International Women’s Brass Conference. As a chamber musician, she is currently the horn player and Executive Director of the 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, the Wild Prairie Winds, which was internationally recognized in 2020 when awarded the top prize in the Gates of Hope Chamber Competition based in Israel. An advocate for female equality in the music community, Dr. Halbert is the Treasurer for the International Alliance for Women in Music and has been a professional mentor for the International Women in Brass. Dr. Halbert received her Doctorate in Musical Arts in Performance and Pedagogy from the University of Iowa under the direction of Jeffrey Agrell. Her previous schools include Ohio State University, Bowling Green State University, and the University of Michigan.
Tickets are $10 and $8. CoAA Faculty, Staff, and Students are eligible for free tickets to this performance. Please log into your Niner account in the ticketing system to redeem.