The Dixie State College music faculty is a collection of accomplished musicians and dynamic teachers. Each of them has developed a substantial body of work in both their professional training and on the concert stage.
Dr. Paul Abegg
abegg@dixie.edu
435-652-7904
Dr. Paul Abegg, is Assistant Professor of Violin at Dixie State College where he is directs the orchestras and coordinates string activities. Previous positions include Brigham Young University and Olivet College(MI) He holds degrees from Michigan State and Brigham Young Universities. Dr. Abegg has presented master classes at Eastern Washington University, Whitworth College, Western Kentucky University, Utah Valley State College, and Brigham Young University Idaho and served as an adjudicator at numerous competitions and festivals in Arizona, Maine, Michigan, Utah, and Washington. His students have won awards and have graduated to attend prestigious music schools. As concertmaster of the Southwest Symphony he brings the experience of playing with Lansing, Utah, Ballet West, Kalamazoo, Phoenix, and Spokane Symphonies. Additionally, he has performed with the Northwest Bach Festival under the direction of Gunther Schuller. Dr. Abegg continues to perform frequently with the Orchestra at Temple Square. His summers are spent teaching at the New England Music Camp(ME).
Dr. Nancy Allred
allred@dixie.edu
435-652-7995
Dr. Nancy Allred is Assistant Professor of Music at Dixie State College. She leads the piano faculty and has developed a piano pedagogy program at Dixie State College. She teaches classes in piano pedagogy, piano literature, piano skills, private piano, and group piano.
An accomplished soloist and chamber musician, Dr. Allred is a very busy accompanist! Previously, she was the accompanist for the BYU Singers, with whom she toured Eastern and Western Europe. She was also an accompanist/coach for the BYU opera program, and a staff accompanist for the BYU music department. She has been the accompanist for the Southwest Symphonic Chorale, and, currently, she is the associate conductor and accompanist for the Heritage Choir. She has toured with the Heritage Choir to England, Scotland, Washington, D. C., and the Midwest.
Dr. Allred received her bachelor's and master's degree in piano performance from Brigham Young University, where she was a student of Paul Pollei and Robert Smith. She received her doctorate in piano performance from the University of Missouri-Kansas City where she was a student of Joanne Baker. While at UMKC, she received the Graduate Achievement Award in Piano, and the Outstanding Doctoral Student Award. Dr. Allred is the mother of four children.
James Brickey brickey@dixie.edu
435-652-7790
Jim was born in San Diego. He received his bachelor’s degree from San Diego State University and his master’s degree from Utah State University. He retired from teaching music in 2006 after receiving many awards, including “Educator of the Year” by the St. George Area Chamber of Commerce in 1997. He played the tuba for the San Diego Youth Symphony, the San Diego Symphony, and has reached the quarter-century mark with the Southwest Symphony. He and his wife Elaine, a Southwest Symphony horn player, have eight children and fourteen grandchildren.
Dr. Robert Briggs
briggs@dixie.edu
435-652-7922
Dr. Briggs received his D. A. from the University of Northern Colorado. He also holds a MMA from Bowling Green University and a BA from the University of Idaho. Prior to coming to Dixie State he was director of choral activities and professor of voice and music history at Southwestern Michigan College and Dodge City Community College. Dr. Briggs has been a tenor soloist with many symphony orchestras and choirs, and was a chorister in the Utah Symphony Chorus and Mormon Tabernacle Choir.
Gary Caldwell
caldwell@dixie.edu
435-652-7997
Gary Caldwell is in his thirtieth year directing bands at Dixie State College in St. George, Utah. He currently conducts the Symphony Band and the Southwest Symphony Orchestra, a position he has held since 1989. He also has extensive experience leading jazz ensemble and theater orchestra. He frequently is a guest conductor. He has studied with prominent conductors and trumpet teachers and holds degrees from prestigious universities.
As an educator, Mr. Caldwell is involved in the development of music in the St. George public schools by frequently lending his expertise as clinician, adjudicator and guest conductor. He has adjudicated in Utah, Arizona and Nevada at the region and state levels.
Dr. Amy Leung
leung@dixie.edu
435-652-7996 Cellist Amy Leung graduated from the New England Conservatory and earned her Doctorate at the University of Maryland.Prior to coming to Dixie State College she was Associate Clinical Professor at the George Washington University and has taught at the University of Virginia and the University of Utah.Dr. Leung has given master classes and lecture/demonstrations at Beijing Central Conservatory, Georgetown University, Hong Kong University, Hong Kong Urban Council, ASTA/ESTA International Workshops in Graz and the Duke Ellington School for the Arts (Washington, DC).She has performed chamber music throughout the US and in Europe, Israel, Hong Kong, China, Australia and Guatemala, and has appeared in concert with the Emerson and Guarneri Quartets, the Kennedy Center Theatre Chamber Players, Washington Bach Consort and Washington Musica Viva.She was winner of the Kranichsteiner Musikpreis für Interpretation at the Internationales Musikinstitut Darmstadt.During the summer she performs as a member of the Grand Teton Music Festival in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
Joseph Patrick jpatrick@dixie.edu
435-652-7790
Originally from Milwaukee, Joseph T. Patrick is on faculty at Dixie State College. He is in the final stages of his Ph.D. at Louisiana State University in Music Composition with a secondary specialization in Conducting. At LSU, he studies under Stephen David Beck and is a member of the Laboratory for Creative Arts & Technology. He has also been a student of John Downey, Arthur Gottschalk, Richard Lavenda, and Anthony Brandt. Mr. Patrick has a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee and a Master of Music from the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University. His works have been performed throughout the United States.
Dr. Ken Peterson
petersonk@dixie.edu
435-652-7802
Dr. Ken Peterson directs of vocal activities at Dixie State College in St. George, Utah. He received his Bachelor of Music degree in voice performance from Utah State University, his Master of Music degree in voice performance from Illinois State University, and his Doctor of Arts in voice performance and pedagogy from the University of Northern Colorado.
A sought after choral conductor and an awarded music director of the musical stage, Dr. Peterson is also a published researcher in the field of vocal pedagogy and was invited in June 2002 to present his original research in respiration at the Voice Foundation's annual symposium in Philadelphia.
As a singer, tenor Ken Peterson has performed throughout the United States in recitals, concerts, music theatre and opera. Dr. Peterson has been an active member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing since 1990.
Glenn Webb
webbg@dixie.edu
435-652-7969
Glenn Webb is the Chairman of the Music Department. He directs the Jazz Band and Percussion Ensemble at Dixie State College. In April of 2009 Webb performed the American premiere of Lee Actor's Concerto for Timpani and Band with the Dixie State College Symphony Band.
Professor Webb received his Bachelor of Music Education degree from Weber State University and his Master of Music in Percussion Performance from the University of Utah.
Webb has instructed bands and orchestras in Utah public schools for 14 years and has served as Conductor and Music Director for Sandy City summer musicals for nine years. He has adjudicated and presented clinics throughout the West and has presented the UMEA conference.
As a performer, Webb is solo percussionist with the Canyonlands New Music Ensemble and Principal Percussion with the Utah Chamber Ensemble and Ballet West. In addition, Webb freelances at Tuacahn and with the Utah Symphony and Opera. During the 2002 Winter Olympic Games he was a featured performer in the 2002 Cultural Olympiad with the Jose Limon Dance Company and Repertory Dance Theater. He recently premiered Eldad Shiloah's Nievedes, 4th Marimba Prelude on a faculty recital.
Merrilee Webb received her Bachelor's and Master's degrees from Brigham Young University Provo and was named BYU's "Most Outstanding Musician" in 1983. Miss Webb taught at Brigham Young University Hawaii from 2002-2005 where she served as the director for the Men’s and Women’s choirs, taught theory, music education courses, piano and voice. She taught choral music for twelve years in both junior and senior high schools in Sandy, Kearns and Bountiful, Utah. While teaching at Bountiful High School, Miss Webb maintained an average of 700 students in her choral program. Merrilee currently directs “We Also Sing!,” a women’s choir of 364 voices and “Because We Sing!” a men’s choir of 364 voices.
Merrilee has worked in several theatres in Utah including Robert Redford's Sundance Summer and Winter Theatres, Opera West, The Triad and Rodgers Memorial Theatre. She also directed theatre while at Brigham Young University Hawaii. Merrilee directed two shows for the opening season of Playmill Theatre in Jackson Hole, Wyoming and served as the musical director for the LDS Nauvoo Pageant in the summer of 2008.
Miss Webb has been the president of Infinity Business Ventures since 1996 and owns a successful recording studio. The studio is also responsible for building orchestral minus tracks for musicals as well as producing rehearsal CDs for All State choirs across the country.
Merrilee has been touring internationally with The Young Americans as an Associate Director since 1994.
Miss Webb owns Reading Keyboard Music, LLC the piano method designed by C. W. Reid. Reading Keyboard Music just released a 16 week course on DVD that has been used worldwide including the USA, Germany, Philippines, Singapore, Uganda, New Zealand, Thailand and Brazil.
Merrilee has had the opportunity to conduct 6 General Young Women choirs and 5 General Relief Society Choirs for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
Emeritus faculty:
Dr. Ron Garner
garner@dixie.edu
Dr. Ron Garner taught at Dixie State College for 54 years. He completed his Master's degree at the University of Utah. He earned his doctorate degree from the University of Oregon in1963. He formerly directed the DSC bands, orchestras and pit orchestras for the DSC music theatre productions.
Here's an update an what the music faculty has done during their summer to unwind and prepare for the coming year:
Dr. Paul Abegg…
As far as what I am doing this summer, I am teaching at the New England Music Camp in Maine. I teach violin and string chamber music as well as perform on faculty recitals. Hope you are staying warm… Maine is a lot colder than St. George!
Dr. Nancy Allred spent the summer teaching at Dixie. Her student, Morgan Dewey, performed the first senior recital for our newly approved bachelor's degree in music! As associate director and accompanist for the Southern Utah Heritage Choir, Dr. Allred is busy preparing for their tour to China in October! They will be performing at the Shanghai International Arts Festival. Dr. Allred just finished arranging "Same Song" (a popular Chinese song) that the Heritage Choir will sing as part of the China tour.
Dr. Bob Briggs stayed busy performing around southern Utah and
leading the DSC Concert Choir in performances on campus and in the community. He also spent considerable time preparing to teach music history courses.
Gary Caldwell has been conducting at Tuacahn all summer. I’ve also been camping, fishing and ATV riding and loved every minute of it. I am also preparing for the fall semester and really look forward to working with the new class of students.
Dr. Amy Leung premiered chamber and orchestral works for the Utah Arts Festival and coached chamber music at the University of Utah Summer Chamber Music Workshop. As a member of the Grand Teton Music Festival, she performed chamber music and orchestral works under such noted conductors as Osmo Vanska and Donald Runnicles, and hiked the snow-capped mountains with her scottie dog, Oskar.
Joseph Patrick wrote several movements of his dissertation composition, "Concerto for Tenor Saxophone and Wind Ensemble." He also developed some ideas and programming for a digital media composition when taking breaks from his dissertation.
Dr. Ken Peterson taught singing all summer long and instituted a men's chorus for Mohave Community College. Also attended some fun singles' activities but has yet to find true love.
Merrilee Webb served on the Temple Celebration Committee for the LDS church for the Draper and Oquirrh Mountain temples. Two concerts were presented in the Conference Center on Temple Square with two different casts of almost 7000 kids each night. Merrilee also directed a choir of 250 men called Because We Sing! in the Salt Lake Tabernacle. The rest of the summer has been spent in the recording studio and continuing to work on Reading Keyboard Music, LLC.
Glenn Webb moved into an office with a view, watched enrollment numbers rise in the music department, and bought a house in St. George. He also performed at Tuacahn, did several premieres at the Utah Arts Festival and performed with Patrick Williams and Chuck Findley at the Salt Lake City International Jazz Festival. That puts Glenn about 2-3 degrees of separation away from… everybody in jazz history!
.jpg)
leung@dixie.edu
Merrilee Webb received her Bachelor's and Master's degrees from Brigham Young University Provo and was named BYU's "Most Outstanding Musician" in 1983. Miss Webb taught at Brigham Young University Hawaii from 2002-2005 where she served as the director for the Men’s and Women’s choirs, taught theory, music education courses, piano and voice. She taught choral music for twelve years in both junior and senior high schools in Sandy, Kearns and Bountiful, Utah. While teaching at Bountiful High School, Miss Webb maintained an average of 700 students in her choral program. Merrilee currently directs “We Also Sing!,” a women’s choir of 364 voices and “Because We Sing!” a men’s choir of 364 voices.
