Meet the Instructors
The Elmhurst University Summer Music Camp is instructed by the University’s outstanding music faculty. Read more about them below.
Conductors
- James Hile is Department Chair at Elmhurst University, where his responsibilities include conducting the Wind Ensemble, teaching classes in music education, and administering all aspects of the band program. Hile has served as Director of Bands at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and as Assistant Director of Bands at the University of Illinois and Eastern Illinois University, and as a high school teacher for 25 years. Hile has a national reputation as a band arranger with performances by high school, collegiate and military bands, the Interlochen Music Academy Bands, the Dallas Wind Symphony and the Israel Philharmonic Winds. Hile has received numerous awards for teaching excellence at both the public school and collegiate levels. He maintains an active schedule as a guest conductor, arranger, clinician and adjudicator.
- Dr. Adam Kehl serves as Director of Bands and Assistant Professor of Music where he conducts the wind ensemble and teaches courses in conducting. He previously served as Associate Director of Bands at the University of Hawai’i at Manoa and as Director of Bands at Elon University in Elon, NC. Originally from the Pacific Northwest, Dr. Kehl holds Bachelor of Music degrees in Music Education and Percussion Performance from the University of Oregon, a Master of Music in Conducting from the University of New Mexico, and a Doctor of Musical Arts in Conducting from the University of South Carolina. He previously served as a high school band director in the public schools of California and is highly active as a clinician, adjudicator, guest conductor and music arranger for concert and marching bands around the United States. He maintains an active research agenda in two areas; his primary research focuses on the creation of historically accurate critical editions of wind music from the French Revolution (1789-1799), and his secondary research interest: Laban Movement Analysis and its usage in conducting pedagogy, score study and ensemble rehearsals. Dr. Kehl is a keen advocate for new music, media integration, creative programming and inter-arts collaboration. Dr. Kehl is actively involved in bringing new works to life through commissioning and conducting premieres. Dr. Kehl holds memberships in the College Band Directors National Association, National Band Association, and NAfME.
- As the recipient of the 2021 Conductor of the Year granted by the Illinois Council of Orchestras as well as the third-place winner of the 2020 and 2021 American Prize in Orchestral Conducting, Taka Matsunaga is currently the Director of Orchestras and Assistant Professor of Music at Elmhurst University, where he conducts the University Orchestra. He is also a Founder and Music Director of the Midwest Philharmonic Orchestra in Schaumburg, Illinois and is on the faculty at Birch Creek Music Performance Center in Door County, Wisconsin, where he serves as a Symphony Conductor. Matsunaga’s musical journey in the United States began in 1998 to pursue his violin studies with David Taylor, Joseph Golan and Robert Chen while attending Roosevelt University and Northeastern Illinois University, where he received his master’s degree in music. Between 1999 and 2001, Matsunaga’s skills as a violinist were honed during his time as a regular member of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, a training orchestra of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Notably, he had the privilege of performing at Carnegie Hall in March 2000, conducted by the esteemed Maestro Daniel Barenboim. While playing in the Civic Orchestra, Matsunaga has played with world-renowned conductors including Neeme Järvi, Christoph Eschenbach, Osmo Vänskä, Pierre Boulez and Pinchas Zukerman, to name just a few. To further enrich his musical abilities, Matsunaga also participated in the National Orchestral Institute at the University of Maryland. Matsunaga then went on to join the Illinois Symphony Orchestra, South Bend Symphony Orchestra, and Southwest Michigan Symphony Orchestra, where he served as an Acting Assistant Concertmaster.As a conductor, Matsunaga has led numerous concerts at renowned venues of global acclaim, including Carnegie Hall in New York, Symphony Center in Chicago, and Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, among others. Matsunaga shared his valuable expertise in conducting workshops for young conductors at Illinois Music Education Conference in both 2021 and 2022. Moreover, in November 2022, Matsunaga served as a guest conductor for ILMEA’s District 1 Senior Orchestra, showcasing his remarkable talent and leadership.
In the summer of 2024, Matsunaga received an invitation from Sistema de Coros y Orquestas Juveniles de San Salvador (San Salvador Youth Choirs and Orchestras System), overseen by the El Salvador Ministry of Culture, to teach and conduct their inaugural summer orchestral festival. At the concluding concert, Ambassador Yoshitaka Hoshino from the Embassy of Japan in El Salvador attended and praised Matsunaga for his exemplary leadership in strengthening cultural ties between Japan and El Salvador.
Matsunaga actively participates in workshops and festivals of national and international prominence, enriching music education and fostering the development of aspiring musicians worldwide. Matsunaga is a member of the College Orchestra Directors Association (CODA), National Association for Music Education (NAfME), Illinois Music Education Association (ILMEA), and American String Teachers Association (ASTA).
Flute
- Marie Bennett is professor of flute at Elmhurst University and is a professional musician in the Chicago area performing as a soloist, chamber ensemble musician, and as an orchestral musician. She is the Artistic Director for the Naperville Chamber Players and is an active teacher and clinician.
Oboe
- Julie Popplewell is professor of oboe at Elmhurst University and has studied with many renowned oboists. She is an active freelance oboist and teacher in the Chicago area and performs regularly with the Northbrook Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Chamber Orchestra and the Chicago Camerata.
Bassoon
- Andrew Marlin
Clarinet
- Andrea R. DiOrio is professor of clarinet at Elmhurst University and is among Chicago’s most sought-after clarinetists. DiOrio has performed in more than 15 operas with the Lyric Opera of Chicago. Additionally, she has performed with numerous local orchestras, including the Grant Park, Elgin, Quad Cities, Illinois Philharmonic, Elmhurst and South Bend Symphony Orchestras. As a chamber musician, she is the Director of Operations and clarinetist of Picosa, a Chicago-based chamber ensemble a group committed to performing virtuosic chamber music while showcasing Chicago composers and rising musicians.
Saxophone
- Mathew Beck is professor of saxophone at Elmhurst University and is a Chicago-based multi-instrumentalist and educator. He has performed in Bulgaria, Croatia, Germany, Serbia, and throughout the United States. Specializing in classical saxophone, Beck has played with the Fort Wayne Philharmonic, and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. He has appeared in theater productions with such renown companies as Music Theater Works, The Mercury Theater, Porchlight Theater, and Theater at the Center. Active in Chicago’s jazz scene, he has performed with bands such as Heisenberg Uncertainty Players, the Blueshift Big Band, and the Jon Rarick Nonet. As a studio musician he can be heard on TMZ and Cartoon Network.
Trumpet
- Chris O’Hara is an internationally renowned trumpet soloist, chamber musician, and educator. His playing is described as “virtuosic and impressive in every way” (Chicago Music Examiner), and “a treat beyond measure” (Arlington Advocate), and the International Trumpet Guild Journal hails him as a “true master of [the] instrument.” Already in his young career, Chris has performed over 3,000 featured artist events covering 48 states and 12 countries across North America, Europe, Great Britain, and Asia. His performance schedule has taken him to notable venues such as the Italian Brass Week, Ravinia Music Festival, the Tanglewood Music Festival, the Bethlehem Musikfest, the Festival de Camara de Musica in Aguascalientes Mexico, the Nagoya Conservatory of Music, the Newport Music Festival and Millennium Hall in Japan.
Horn
- Emma Sepmeier is a Chicago-based horn player and teacher. As a performer, Emma has appeared with the Chicago Sinfonietta, the Lyric Opera of Chicago, the Elgin Symphony Orchestra, the Illinois Symphony Orchestra, the South Bend Symphony Orchestra and the Chicago Jazz Philharmonic. She is the current horn faculty for Carthage College, the Merit School of Music and the Music Institute of Chicago. Emma has taught for the youth symphonies of Chicago, Boston and Milwaukee, as well as for ChiArts High School and The Peoples Music School.
Trombone
- Thomas Stark is professor of trombone at Elmhurst University. He is principal trombonist with the Northwest Indiana Symphony, New Philharmonic, Camerata di Chicago, Elmhurst Symphony, and trombonist with the Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra. Mr. Stark is a member of the Chicago Trombone Quartet, Chicago Trombone Consort, Lincoln Park Brass, the Windy City Brass and has performed with prominent US orchestras such as Lyric Opera of Chicago, Milwaukee Symphony, Chicago Philharmonic, Chicago Opera Theater, Kansas City Symphony and Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, Elgin Symphony, Lake Forest Symphony, Colorado Springs Philharmonic, Boulder Philharmonic, Colorado Symphony (Denver), and the symphonies of Madison (WI), Rockford, and Peoria. He was recently the featured soloist with the Festival Orchestra at the Birch Creek Music Performance Center.
Euphonium/Tuba
- Josh Wirt is professor of tuba and euphonium at Elmhurst University and has maintained an active professional career on the tuba, euphonium and bass trombone over the past 25 years. He is currently Principal Tuba with the Elmhurst Symphony and regularly performs as an extra/sub with the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Milwaukee Symphony, Illinois Philharmonic, Rockford Symphony, and New Philharmonic orchestras as well as being tubist with the New Chicago Brass. Before moving to Chicago in 2009, Josh held Acting Principal Tuba positions with the Roanoke Symphony and Opera Roanoke as well as extensive chamber work with the Roanoke Chamber Brass, the Roanoke Jazz Orchestra, and Opera-on-the-James. He maintains a large private studio of students from around the Chicagoland area.
Percussion
- Bob Rummage is director of percussion at Elmhurst and one of the busiest musicians in Chicago. He maintains a versatile schedule of performances with a variety of Chicago ensembles ranging from Rob Parton’s Jazz Tech Big Band to the Mark Colby Quartet to the eclectic styles of Howard Levy. He has performed with many internationally known musicians such as Dizzy Gillespie, Nat Adderly, Benny Golson, Buddy DeFranco and Bela Fleck. A highly sought-after clinician, Rummage has made appearances at high schools and colleges throughout the Midwest.