2025–26 Dr. Edward R. Sims ’53 Distinguished Visiting Artist/Scholar for Music
Seraph Brass
Tuesday, October 14, 2025
2:20 p.m. – Master Class, Cogswell 121
6:00 p.m. – Concert, Gorell Recital Hall
In its eleventh season, Seraph Brass was founded by trumpet soloist Mary Elizabeth Bowden with a mission to showcase the excellence of women brass players and highlight musicians from marginalized groups, both in personnel and in programming. Winners of the American Prize in Chamber Music, the group has been praised for its “beautiful sounds” (American Record Guide), “fine playing” (Gramophone), and “staggeringly high caliber of performance” (Textura).
The ensemble tours nationally and globally, and the 2024–25 season highlights include performances in Peru, Mexico, South Korea, and across the US, as well as residencies at universities such as Yale University School of Music and the Frost School of Music in Miami. Members of Seraph Brass are passionate about music education and hold teaching positions at the University of North Texas, Shenandoah Conservatory, Texas State University, and Texas Lutheran University. In each of their tours, the group works to provide educational outreach to local schools.
Seraph Brass performs a diverse body of repertoire, ranging from original transcriptions to newly commissioned works and core classics. Seraph is passionate about commissioning and premiering new works, and will be releasing a new album in March of 2025 through Tower Grove Records, featuring new works for brass quintet and compositions by Jeff Scott, Reena Esmail, Kevin Day, and Kevin McKee.
Seraph Brass is a Yamaha Performing Group.
Tom Rarick
Thursday, October 30, 2025
7:30 p.m. – IUP Percussion Ensemble Concert with Tom Rarick, Fisher Auditorium
Tom Rarick is the director of percussion and a designer for the Bluecoats Drum & Bugle Corps. He previously held the position of front ensemble designer (2002–08) and assumed the role of percussion designer/composer in 2009. During his tenure, the Bluecoats have positioned themselves as one of the premier organizations in Drum Corps International, highlighted by winning the 2016 and 2024 DCI World Championship and the 2022 Fred Sanford Best Percussion Award.
For more than two decades, Tom served as a percussionist with the United States Air Force Band Ceremonial Brass in Washington, DC. He was honored to perform at Super Bowl XLIX and LIV and six Presidential Inaugurations and contributed to thousands of other ceremonies ranging from White House arrivals to full-honor funeral services at Arlington National Cemetery.
In addition to his work for the Bluecoats, Tom is a designer and consultant for several bands, drum corps, and pageantry organizations. He has also been a percussion adjudicator for Winter Guard International since 2007.
Tom is a signature artist for Innovative Percussion Inc. and assisted in the development of the FS-TR drumstick as well as a seven-model line of marimba/vibraphone mallets. He is also proud to endorse Tama I Bergerault marching and concert percussion, Evans drumheads, and Zildjian cymbals.
Doreen Ketchens
Saturday, November 15, 2025
7:30 p.m. – University Band and Jazz Ensemble with Doreen Ketchens
Doreen Ketchens has been called Lady Louie, Miss Satchmo, and the Female Louis Armstrong, to name a few. On May 26, 2022, Doreen was honored with a doctorate degree in music from Five Towns College in Long Island, New York. Now she is Dr. Doreen J. Ketchens! Doreen has changed the way scholars view their clarinets. She has successfully created her own style that blends her classical training with the soul of jazz.
Her intense passion gets under your skin and brings you to a new place, be it gospel, blues, R&B, classical, or jazz. Doreen Ketchens can rock her clarinet on many levels, then sing like a songbird on a sunny day. Doreen has been called many names because she plays like Charlie “Bird” Parker, sings like Mahalia Jackson, and has the chops and personality of Louis Armstrong. Doreen can be found in numerous radio and television shows, including Treme on HBO and Drunk History, and in music videos and movies, including Out of Blue, Come On, Come On, Tyler Perry’s Temptation, and recently on Jimmy Kimmel Live and CBS Sunday Morning.
For a listing of event times and locations, visit the Events Calendar.
The IUP Department of Music, Theatre, and Dance is honored to host the Dr. Edward R. Sims ’53 Distinguished Visiting Artist/Scholar for Music on an annual basis.
Thanks to a generous gift by alumnus Edward Sims, the department hosts an internationally renowned artist for a residency each academic year. Sims Distinguished Artists regularly perform concerts, conduct IUP ensembles, give lectures, and teach master classes to IUP students.
In addition to naming a Distinguished Artist, the department is also able to host several Sims Fellows for smaller events throughout the year. Sims Fellows are regionally or nationally recognized musicians and scholars who perform and teach during short residencies on the IUP campus.
Previous Distinguished Artists/Scholars
2024–25
William Chapman Nyaho, piano, and Aaron Tan, piano
2023–24
Michael Borowitz and Janet Galvan
2022–23
Leonard Slatkin and Cindy McTee
2021–22
Mark and Maggie O’Connor, fiddlers
2019–20
Project Trio, string chamber ensemble
Previous Fellows
2025–26
Alejandra Urrutia, conductor
2024–25
Patrick Chiu, conductor
Kevin Day, composer
Amy Guffey, clarinet
Kevin Lee Sun, piano
2023–24
Geoffrey Burleson, piano
Ray Cramer, conductor
Hilerie Klein Rensi, voice
Andrea Tofanelli, trumpet
Carina Voly, cello
Janet Yieh, organ
2022–23
Roxy Coss, saxophone
Eric Fung, piano
Billie Jo Miller, piano
Joseph Parisi, conductor
Jeff Ray and Alban Bridges, voice and accompanist
Tess Remy-Schumacher, cellist
2021–22
Nyela Basney, piano and conductor
Chris Bowen, luthier
Galan Piano Trio
Corey Henderson, wellness in performance
Kevin Holzman, conductor
James Iman, piano
Alexander Jimenez, conductor
Art Lipner, percussion
Adam Luebke, conductor
Mark Lusk, trombone
Jim Self, tuba
Alex Shuhan, horn
Peter Vopel, voice
Bruce Yurko, composer
2020–21
Mary Saunders Barton, musical theater
Pascale Beaudin, voice
Randall Campora, trombone
Cello Fury
Frank Diaz, educator
Daniel Ewart, voice
John Fedchock, trombone
Nancy Galbraith, composer
Todd Goodman, composer
James Iman, piano
Rachel Laurin, organ
Doug Levine, conductor and composer
Jeannie Little, trombone
SSgt Jeremy Marks, percussion
Brandon Mock, organ
James Naigus, composer
James Nova, trombone
Anthony O’Toole, composer
Bob Reynolds, saxophone
SSG Mike Sera, percussion
Laurie Scott, String Project
Shu-Yi Scott, cello
Jesse Sieff, percussion
Marcus Stevens, musical theater
Corinne Stillwell, violinist
Tim Sullivan, theorist
Tracey Thomas, doctor
Benjamin Whitcomb, cellist
Samantha Wood, voice
David Young, voice