2024 Musicians

Samuel Magrill, D.M.A., coordinator of graduate studies, professor of music and composer-in-residence in the School of Music at the University of Central Oklahoma, where he has taught music theory and composition since 1988. Previously, he taught at the University of Wyoming and California State University, Long Beach. He obtained his Bachelor of Music in composition from Oberlin Conservatory and his Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees in composition from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana.

Magrill has written more than one hundred compositions for a variety of instruments, from solo piano and chamber music to choir, wind ensemble and symphony orchestra. His works have been performed throughout the United States and abroad and at many regional and national conferences including the Society of Composers, Inc., the National Flute Association, the North American Saxophone Alliance and the College Music Society. His CDs include electro-acoustic music ("The Electric Collection"), his four operas (“Gorgon’s Head,” “Paradise of Children,” “Showdown on Two Street,” and “Circe’s Palace”), wind symphony compositions (“Oklahoma Bandscapes”), and collections of music for cello and other instruments, many of which he wrote specifically for his colleague Dr. Tess Remy-Schumacher and the UCO Cello Ensemble. He has received numerous awards and commissions, including ones from the National Endowment for the Arts, the American Music Center, the Mid-America Arts Alliance, the Illinois Arts Council, ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers), the Oklahoma Music Teachers’ Association, the American Composers' Forum’s Continental Harmony Program and faculty research grants and merit credit awards from the University of Central Oklahoma. In the spring of 2000, he was inducted into SAI as an Arts Associate and won the AAUP-UCO Distinguished Creativity Award. Other memberships include ASCAP, Phi Kappa Phi and Pi Kappa Lambda. Dr. Magrill is also an active collaborative pianist. In the fall of 2023, he received a “Modeling the Way” award from the University of Central Oklahoma.

His interest in World Music led him to collaborate with M.V. Narasimhachari. Together they produced two volumes of The Music of India: An Introduction (1996-2003). His work with Indian music came to fruition when he presented his “East-West Duo” for violin, cello and mridangam in a concert of his music in Chennai, India on January 1, 2005.

Recent compositions and performances include “Cello Dance”, performed by Linda Jennings, cello and Chindarat Charoenwongse, piano, on their Thailand tour (June 2013), “The Winding Way”, performed at the V Festival Internacional de Musica de Campina Grande in Brazil by the UCO Concert Chorale, Karl Nelson, D.M.A., director (July 2014), and “Stone Poems”, performed by Natalie Syring, flute and the composer at the piano, at the National Flute Association Conference in Chicago (August 2014).

“Concerto fantastique” for flute and orchestra was premiered 4/21/17 by Mira Magrill, flute and the Chelsea Symphony at St. Paul’s Church in New York City. “Five Bagatelles” (2018), for flute, violin, cello and piano was performed 4/17/18 by Mira Magrill, flute; Gregory Lee, violin; Jonathan Ruck, cello; Samuel Magrill, piano, at Saint Paul’s Cathedral, Oklahoma City on a brightmusic concert entitled “Old and New." “Out of Thyme” for one piano six hands was premiered 2/4/20 on a concert celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Oklahoma City Pianists’ Club at the UCO Jazz Lab. “Celloklavier: Beethoven Deconstructed” was written especially for cellist Dr. Tess Remy-Schumacher to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Beethoven’s death and was premiered 8/30/22 on the Faculty Artists Concert Series at the UCO Jazz Lab.

Mira Magrill is an active freelance flutist and teacher in the greater New York City area. She currently holds the chair of Principal Flute with the New Haven Symphony Orchestra, as well as Principal Flute of the Sarasota Opera. She performs frequently with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and various Broadway shows. Previous positions include 3rd Flute/Piccolo with the Hawaii Symphony Orchestra and playing flute, piccolo, and bamboo flutes with the Broadway US National Tour of Miss Saigon. She recently completed her Doctorate in Flute Performance from Stony Brook University studying with Carol Wincenc. Previous studies include a BFA from Carnegie Mellon with Jeanne Baxtresser and Alberto Almarza, MM in Flute Performance and Chamber Music from the University of Michigan with Amy Porter, and a Graduate Certificate from the University of Southern California with Jim Walker. 

Dr. Danielle L Herrington is an artist-scholar, researching, teaching, and performing in Oklahoma City. She is the Assistant Professor of Musicology and Brisch Center Academic Coordinator at the University of Central Oklahoma. Her scholarship approaches music as embodied and lived experience, with specific investigations in eighteenth-century and twenty-first century opera, culture, and philosophy. As a performative musicologist, Danielle has presented on these topics internationally and nationally with the National Opera Association, American Musicological Society (Southwest), Centro Studi Opera Omnia Luigi Boccherini, College Music Society, National Association of Teachers of Singing, and the Rousseau Association. Recent publications include a book review for Cambridge Core’s Nineteenth-Century Music Review, “Two Schemata for Embodied Cognition in Student Singers,” “Musical Moral Sense in Rousseau’s Essai,” “Cultivating Connections in 21st-century American Opera,” and “Sensibilité, Self-Sacrifice, and the Sentimental.” As a lyric coloratura soprano, Danielle has interpreted a range of roles. Some of her favorites include Handel’s Rodelinda, Belinda (Dido and Aeneas), Serpina (La serva padrona), Donna Anna (Don Giovanni), and Adele (Die Fledermaus). She is also an avid concert soloist, from Bach and Vivaldi to Beethoven and Verdi. Danielle helped found the OKC chapter of Opera on Tap, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, to provide performing opportunities to local professional singers. She holds a Doctorate of Musical Arts from the University of Oklahoma as well as two Masters of Music (Opera Performance; Music History/Literature) both from Wichita State University. 

Joe Harris is a passionate musician renowned for his expertise and dedication to reviving forgotten masterpieces of the Baroque period. His musical journey began with studies on the violin, and eventually he discovered the lute, inspiring him to pursue formal music education with a Bachelor of Music degree from the Wanda Bass School of Music at Oklahoma City University, where he graduated summa cum laude, a testament to his commitment to scholarship and musical excellence. Building upon this foundation, he pursued higher level studies at the prestigious Eastman School of Music, attaining a Master of Music degree with a specialization in Early Music, focusing on historical plucked instruments.

At Eastman, Joe had the privilege of studying under the tutelage of world-renowned Grammy-winning lutenist and artistic co-director of the Boston Early Music Festival, Paul O'Dette, and chamber music coach Christel Thielmann, among other esteemed faculty members. Here, he honed his skills in instrumental performance, music theory, composition, and music history, cultivating a deep understanding of the intricacies of interpreting Baroque music.

Joe's musical journey encompasses a rich tapestry of performances across various ensembles and solo endeavors. From serving as a continuo player in the Eastman Collegium Ensemble to captivating audiences as a soloist in notable works such as the Johann Ludwig Krebs Lute Concerto and entire suites of solo lute music of Sylvius Leopold Weiss, his performances consistently showcase his virtuosity and passionate artistry. Joe has also lent his talents to multiple Baroque opera productions, including Monteverdi's L'incoronazione di Poppea, André Campra’s Le Carnaval de Venise, and Luigi Rossi's Orfeo, among others, leaving an indelible mark on each production with his exceptional musical interpretations.

In addition to his performances, Joe is an accomplished researcher, recognized for his insightful exploration of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's connection to 18th-century Baroque lute music. His scholarly endeavors have garnered him prestigious awards, including the Oklahoma City University Undergraduate Research Award, highlighting his contribution to the field of musicology.

Beyond the stage, Joe is deeply committed to sharing his knowledge and passion for music through teaching and outreach. As an educator, he mentors aspiring musicians in theorbo and Baroque lute, imparting his expertise with dedication and enthusiasm. Joe's commitment to musical education extends to his engagements as a lecturer, where he shares his profound understanding and love for the instrument and Baroque music history, inspiring audiences with his insights. This dedication to teaching and outreach complements his performance engagements, allowing him to nurture the next generation of musicians and pass on the newly resurrected tradition of lute playing.

In addition to his musical pursuits, Joe has demonstrated exceptional leadership, having served as an assistant director for the Oklahoma City University Early Music Ensemble, Vice President of the Lute Society of America, and assistant to the Early Music department at the Eastman School of Music. In these capacities, he played a pivotal role in organizing performances, transcribing scores from primary sources, facilitating communication within the organizations, providing artistic direction, and spearheading initiatives to promote the appreciation of the lute and of Baroque music on a national scale.

Apart from his distinguished music career, Joe has also made significant contributions to his community and excelled in various artistic endeavors over the course of his life. In 1989, Joe was honored by the State of Oklahoma when he won the Martin Luther King Day Art Contest, recognizing his commitment to equality, justice, and social change. This prestigious award, presented publicly at the state capitol by then Governor Henry Bellmon, underscores Joe's multifaceted talents and his dedication to making a positive impact both in and beyond the realm of music.

Find more information about Joe Harris at www.theluteplayer.com

Carey Morrow is an accomplished musician who specializes in historical plucked string instruments including theorbo and lute as well as classical guitar. His musical studies began at Oklahoma City University, where he initially focused on classical guitar. He then pursued studying theorbo and lute at Indiana University's historical performance institute, successfully earning his master's degree in 2019 studying under the renowned lutenist Nigel North. He also shares a passion for teaching and presently, holds the position of guitar instructor at Southwestern Oklahoma State University. He has performed with prestigious ensembles such as Santa Fe Desert Chorale, Nashville Baroque, Kansas City Baroque Consortium, and Oklahoma Baroque.

Savannah Gordon is a mezzo-soprano and Oklahoma native. She received her Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from the University of Central Oklahoma in 2022. Savannah is in her second year singing with Canterbury Voices and Canterbury Chamber Voices in Oklahoma City. She serves as the Music Intern at All Souls Episcopal Church in Nichols Hills, where she assists two youth choruses in addition to singing in the choir. Savannah also travels Oklahoma City as an Education Outreach Artist with Painted Sky Opera. Currently studying under the tutelage of Dr. Danielle L Herrington, Savannah enjoys performing a wide variety of musical genres on stage.

Natalie Syring is the instructor of flute at Oklahoma Christian University. She is also on the faculty of the University of Central Oklahoma, teaching class piano, and at Herbert Armstrong College, teaching flute. Ms. Syring was principal flutist of The Woodlands Symphony Orchestra in the Houston area for many years and is now a member of the Oklahoma Community Orchestra. She is the flutist of the chamber music group Eclipse, a quartet made up of OC faculty musicians on flute, oboe, clarinet and piano. Ms. Syring performs and teaches the baroque flute with the Brisch Center for Historical Performance. In the spring of 2004, Ms. Syring initiated the Oklahoma Flute Society’s Honor Flute Choirs for students in grades 7-12, and she continues to conduct these groups today, as well as the Oklahoma Adult Flute Choir. Ms. Syring is a member of the National Flute Association and has performed at several of their national conferences including Chicago, New York, Dallas, Los Angeles, San Diego, Kansas City. She holds a Bachelor of Music Education degree (University of S.D) and a Master of Flute Performance degree (Sam Houston State University).

Theodora Morris is an adjunct instructor of violin, recorder and Chamber Music at The University of Central Oklahoma (UCO) and Rose State College. A native of Vienna, Austria, she completed her education at the Hochschule fur Musik in Vienna with diplomas in violin (1973) and recorder (1976), studying with Günter Pichler, Edith Bertschinger, Rene Clemencic and Elisabet Schaftlein. She also studied historical performance practices with Eduard Melkus. In 1984, Ms. Morris moved to Arizona, studying violin with Eugene Lombardi and string pedagogy with William Magers at Arizona State University.

Ms. Morris taught strings and recorder in the Vienna public schools for ten years and performed regularly with the Capella Academica Wien, the Stadtmusik Wien, the orchestras of the Wiener Volksoper and Theater an der Wien and the Mozart Oper Salzburg.

Since moving to the United States in 1984, she has been a member of the Sun City Symphony (in AZ), the Lawton Philharmonic, the Enid Symphony and has served as concertmaster of the Oklahoma City Community Orchestra.  She is a founding member and serves as concertmaster of the Edmond Chamber Orchestra.

As a member of the UCO Faculty String Quartet, she has performed chamber music throughout Oklahoma, Southwestern United States, China, Thailand and Germany. She has been a featured soloist with the Lawton Philharmonic Orchestra, the Oklahoma City Community Orchestra, the Jubilee Community Orchestra of Ashville, NC, the UCO Symphony, the UCO Chamber Orchestra and the Thai National Symphony in Bangkok, Thailand.

Ms. Morris is an active member of the UCO Brisch Center for Historical Performance and is a founding member of Trio Antiqua, a chamber music group founded in 2014 dedicated to the performance of early music on period instruments.

Khalil S. Cabrera-Tosado is a 3rd year graduate student completing his double masters in Vocal Pedagogy, under the direction of Dr. Barbara DeMaio and also Choral Conducting, under the direction of Dr. Karl Nelson. During his academic career at the University of Central Oklahoma, Cabrera-Tosado has participated in various ensembles such as Concert Chorale and Street Street Singers. He also has performed in various operas and opera workshops such as, One Cup of Sin, Die Fledermaus, and The Dangers of Singing. He owes tremendous gratitude to not only his teachers, but to Dr. Robert Glaubitz who has introduced Cabrera-Tosado’s operatic debut as “Nikolas Magadoff” in the production of The Consul, which has recently won the American Prize in Opera. For this current production, he thanks Dr. Herrington for this outstanding opportunity to be introduced into the world of Baroque by having the honor of performing with her as “Le Jeu."

Dr. Ralph Morris joined the faculty of the University of Central Oklahoma in 1991. He is the Director of the UCO Symphony Orchestra and teaches viola and chamber music. He is the former Director of the UCO School of Music. He holds a BM from Texas Christian University and a MM and PhD in Musical Arts from Arizona State University. In addition, Dr. Morris studied violin, viola and historical performance practice with Eduard Melkus at the Hochschule fur Musik in Vienna. His teachers have also included William Magers and Kenneth Schanewerk.

A native of Fort Worth, Texas, Dr. Morris is a former member of the Fort Worth Symphony.  He currently serves as principal violist of the Enid Symphony. 

While living in Austria for over eight years, he specialized in the performance of Baroque and Classical music, performing with the Capella Academica Wien and the Wiener Barock Solisten in Austria, Germany, Switzerland and Italy. He also performed throughout Europe and Japan as a member of the orchestras of the Wiener Volksoper, the Theater an der Wien and the Mozart Oper Salzburg.

 As a conductor, he has led the UCO Chamber Orchestra in performances at Merkin Hall in New York City, the Eroica Hall in Vienna, Austria, the Central University of Finance and Economics and the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, China.

As a member of the UCO Faculty String Quartet, Dr. Morris has performed chamber music throughout Oklahoma, the  United States, China, Thailand and Germany. He has been a featured soloist with the Lawton Philharmonic Orchestra, the Oklahoma City Community Orchestra, the Jubilee Community Orchestra of Ashville, NC, the UCO Symphony, the UCO Chamber Orchestra and the Thai Symphony in Bangkok, Thailand.

Dr. Morris is an active member of the University of Central Oklahoma Center for Historical Performance and is a founding member of Trio Antiqua, a chamber music group founded in 2014 dedicated to the performance of early music on period instruments.

In 2016 Dr. Morris was named Outstanding Teacher of the Year by the Oklahoma Chapter of the American String Teachers Association.

Meryl Geib, cellist and pedagogue, has maintained an active and varied career as a musician in central Oklahoma since 2009. She earned her Bachelors of Music degree with distinction from the School of Music at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, with previous studies at the University of Texas-Arlington and the University of Central Oklahoma. Her primary teachers include Dr. Tess Remy-Schumacher, Dr. Karen Becker, and Dr. Elizabeth Morrow.

As a performer, Mrs. Geib has played in orchestras and chamber groups in Arkansas, California, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Texas. She is a former member of the Garland Symphony, Las Colinas Symphony, ION Trio, Red Rock Chamber Orchestra, and Symphony Arlington. Currently, she is principal of the Covenant Chamber Orchestra, a founding member the Edmond Chamber Orchestra, and also performs with the Enid Symphony Orchestra. She has performed at venues nationally and abroad, including the prestigious Carnegie Hall in New York City. During her career, music tour opportunities have taken her to Australia with a cello ensemble and to Nuremberg, Germany for the premiere of “Concerto for Guitar and Orchestra, op. 170” with guitarist Stefan Grasse. To further expand her understanding of music throughout time, Mrs. Geib has begun the study and performance of baroque cello and viola da gamba. She regularly performs with Trio Antiqua and at various events held in conjunction with the Brisch Center for Historical Performance.

As an educator, Mrs. Geib is committed to expanding cello and chamber music education in the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. She is an active member of the American String Teachers Association, and currently maintains a large private studio. Her students have participated in various Oklahoma ensembles, including the North Central Honors Orchestra, All-OMEA, Oklahoma Youth Orchestras and the Oklahoma City Philharmonic's Society of Strings. She also co-founded the student-musician scholarship program at Covenant Presbyterian in The Village, Oklahoma in order to help young musicians learn how they can benefit the community. To further improve the education of young cellists Mrs. Geib has teamed with other local teachers to form the OKC Cello Project, a group dedicated to creating unique educational experiences for young cellists in central Oklahoma.

With an eye toward the future, Mrs. Geib hopes to inspire entrepreneurship in the field of music. She is available to mentor young musicians in how to start and manage new businesses. She has been a guest speaker for UCO music business courses and the UCO cello studio. Ultimately, Mrs. Geib hopes to help young musicians redefine the role of music in the twenty-first century and have fun doing so.

In 2019 Meryl Geib was honored by her fellow string teachers and received the American String Teachers Association-Oklahoma Chapter 2019 Teacher of the Year Award.

Hayden Turner is a Baritone in the Oklahoma City area. He is from the small town of Kingfisher Oklahoma and is finishing a degree in music at the University of Central Oklahoma. This young artist has worked with Painted Sky Opera on Productions that include Rigoletto, Carmen, La Bohème and the 2022 Summer Outreach Program the Enchanted Forest.