The Ensemble
Constance
Steuer, Executive and Musical Director of Gaudemua s
earned a Bachelor’s
Of Music in Piano Performance from the University of the Arts and
a Master’s Degree in Liberal Arts from Temple University.
She taught music at Gwynedd Mercy Academy High School for
25 years and has served at Epiphany of Our Lord Church as pianist
and Director of Music for 39 years.
Sarah
Agnew performs classical, commercial, sacred and Irish
music in the Philadelphia area. She sings sacred music with
Gaudeamus, sang the national anthem at a Philadelphia Eagles game
and sings Irish music at St. Patrick's Day events and festivals.
The Old Man is her first Irish music CD and contains various
childhood favorites. She is currently associated with many
organizations and charities. Sarah was born and lives in the
suburbs of Philadelphia, Pa. She has been singing and performing
Irish music since the age of ten. She has studied voice at the
Bryn Mawr Conservatory of Music and has studied privately in New
York City. She is a graduate of Temple University.
Kelly Jones, Soprano , is
a graduate of West Chester University with Master’s in Vocal
Performance and Pedgagogy and a Bachelor in Music Education.
Kelly is a vocal music teacher at the Salford Hills
Elementary School in the Souderton School District as well as a
frequent vocalist at several area churches.
Thomas
Rudolph, Ed. D. is an adjunct instructor for the
Berklee online school. He has authored two online courses for
Berklee and teaches several other courses. He also teaches summer
workshops in music technology at Villanova University and Central
Connecticut State. Dr. Rudolph is one of the seminal people in
music technology. He began his work as a clinician and workshop
leader in the field in 1982. In addition to his work in teaching
and music technology, Dr. Rudolph is a busy trumpet performer in
the Philadelphia area and performs with the group Gaudeamus. His
compositions and arrangements have been published by Neil Kjos and
Northeastern Music Publications, Inc.
Anthony
Pirollo, Cellist, attended the Philadelphia Musical
Academy where he studied with William DePasquale. He has toured
internationally with various ensembles including "The Spring Piano
Trio". Mr. Pirollo was a solo cellist for the world premiere of
Meredith Monk's opera "Atlas". He is Assistant Musical Director
for the Bel Canto Opera Company and is a frequent performer of
classical music. Mr. Pirollo is also a composer and arranger.
Michael
Simmons studied with John Leonard and Peter Segal and
performed in master classes for Benjamin Verdery, Sharon Isbin,
Eliot Fisk, Carlos Barbosa-Lima and Oscar Ghiglia. He was the
winner of the 1993 Philadelphia Classical Guitar Society
Competition and a finalist at the 1995 National Guitar Summer
Workshop Concerto Competition. As a member of the Philadelphia
Classical Guitar Trio, Dr. Simmons has performed nationally and
internationally, including the 1999 Festival Internacional de
Guitarra de Puerto Rico and the Third Encuentro Internacional de
Guitarra Panamá 1999. He is an active solo and ensemble guitarist
and performs regularly with flautist Thomas Meany. Dr. Simmons is
a Kodály certified general music specialist and serves as the Fine
Arts Department Chair at the Woodlynde School in Strafford,
Pennsylvania. He is an Adjunct Instructor at Montgomery County
Community College where he teaches courses in guitar and music
history. Dr. Simmons holds a B.M. in Guitar Performance from The
University of the Arts, M.M. in Guitar Performance and Music
History from Temple University, and a D.M.A. in Music Education
from Boston University.
Gaudeamus also includes a renowned
String Quartet which includes Anthony Pirollo, Cellist, Robert
Viera and Gabriella Mandescu, Violin and Susan Aquila, Viola.
Each instrumentalist brings a plethora of experience
spanning the world of music from classical music to Broadway. Their
unique
sound and musical arrangements add a lush and beautiful sound to
the Gaudeamus ensemble.
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