CURRENT STUDENTS
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Emma Selmon is pursuing her doctor of musical arts degree at the University of Maryland, College Park School of Music, where she is serving as the clarinet studio graduate assistant. She earned her master of music degree in clarinet performance from the University of Maryland in May 2023.
At the University of Maryland, Selmon serves as instructor for undergraduate minor clarinet students and coordinates the Maryland Clarinet Society Clarinet Choir. As a performer, she has been active with the Wind Orchestra, the Symphony Orchestra and the Maryland Opera Studio as well as a number of student-led chamber ensembles. With the University of Maryland Wind Orchestra, she served as principal and E-flat clarinetist at their 2023 College Band Directors National Association (CBDNA) convention performance in Athens, Georgia, which featured the world premiere of Clarice Assad's Multiverse: Another Rite of Spring. In the summer of 2022, she was a contemporary performance fellow at the Atlantic Music Festival, playing clarinet and bass clarinet on the premieres of 15 new chamber ensemble works. Selmon’s clarinet and bass clarinet playing can be heard on “Uproot: Greek Refugee Songs from Asia Minor,” a June 2024 album released by the Kombos Collective (formerly the Greek Chamber Music Project). An active freelancer, recent engagements include performances with Annapolis Opera and the Allentown Symphony Orchestra and at venues including the Kennedy Center. Selmon holds a bachelor of music degree in clarinet performance from the Baldwin Wallace Conservatory of Music, where she also served as editor of the university’s award-winning student newspaper, The Exponent. Upon her graduation from Baldwin Wallace, she worked as a reporter and news editor for the Gratiot County Herald, an Ithaca, Michigan newspaper reaching nearly 11,000 readers per week. During that time, she performed with the Alma Symphony Orchestra in Alma, Michigan and maintained a private clarinet studio. Selmon is a student of Professor Robert DiLutis. Her previous instructors include Dr. Wesley Warnhoff, Dr. Dennis Nygren and Dr. George Stoffan. |
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Alexander Dudkin is a clarinetist based in the D.C./Maryland metropolitan area. He is a first-year master’s student and a member of the fellowship wind quintet at the University of Maryland, College Park, where he studies with Professor Robert DiLutis. His other mentors include Sidney Forrest, Lawrence Bocaner, Laura Grantier, E. Michael Richards and David Drosinos. Alex earned his bachelor’s degree in clarinet performance from the University of Maryland in 2022.
At Maryland, Alex is a member of the Symphony Orchestra and Wind Orchestra. An active freelancer, he has performed around various local venues including the Kennedy Center, Strathmore and Capitol One Arena. He has also played under the baton of well-respected conductors such as Jason Fetig, H. Robert Reynolds, Michael Votta, Andrea Brown, David Neely and Steve Hackman. In his free time, Alex loves being active by playing basketball and going on hikes. |
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Ashley Hsu is a musical artist specializing in classical and jazz clarinet. She is a second-year master’s student at the University of Maryland, College Park studying clarinet under Robert DiLutis and jazz improvisation under Tim Powell.
As a musical artist, she was a member of the 2020 and 2022 CBNDA Intercollegiate Band, won 2nd place in the 2021 Sidney Forrest Clarinet Competition, and participated in Honors Performance Series’s Virtual Music Summit and National Symphony Orchestra’s Summer Music Institute. In addition, she has performed in multiple ensembles and performances in and outside of the University of Maryland community. This past summer, she performed as member of the Maryland Clarinet Choir at the International Clarinet Association's Clarinetfest in Dublin, Ireland. She graduated with her bachelor’s degree in clarinet performance from the University of Maryland in 2022. As a musical educator, Hsu has completed her student teaching experience under UMD's music education degree program. She served as a junior faculty member of the 2022 Terrapin Music Camp, and she is currently an assistant at Paul Carr's Jazz Academy of Music. She served as a guest clarinet and saxophone teacher under Talbot County’s lesson program at Easton Middle School in 2023, and she was a resident assistant for 2023 and 2024's National Symphony Orchestra Summer Music Institute. Currently, she performs with Capital Focus Jazz Band as the clarinetist and vocalist. She has a growing studio of music students through her private studio as well as the Kentlands Music and International School of Music studios, and she also works in the Special Collections in the Michelle Smith Performing Arts Library at UMD. Other than performing and teaching music, Ashley enjoys biking, folding origami, and photography. |
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Jackson Lasher is a second-year graduate student studying with Professor Robert DiLutis at University of Maryland, College Park, pursuing a master of music degree and currently serving as a studio graduate assistant.
At the University of Maryland, Jackson has been a member of the University of Maryland Symphony Orchestra and Wind Orchestra under Professor David Neely and Dr. Michael Votta. An avid chamber musician, Jackson has been involved in both wind quartets and quintets as well as numerous other student ensembles. Jackson is also a clarinet instructor for the newly-established Terrapin Community Music School, a program serving middle and high school students looking for affordable and accessible music lessons. This past summer, Jackson participated in the National Music Festival in Chestertown, Maryland as an arts administration apprentice, assisting the staff and musicians in numerous roles throughout their festival season. Jackson completed his bachelor of music degree in clarinet performance at the State University of New York (SUNY) at Fredonia. At Fredonia, Jackson was involved in many instrumental ensembles, serving as the principal clarinetist for the College Symphony Orchestra and Chamber Orchestra under Dr. David Rudge and Maestro Jaman Dunn, the Hillman Opera Orchestra under Maestro Andrew Bisantz, and the Wind Ensemble under Dr. Paula Holcomb. Jackson was a ubiquitous presence among numerous chamber ensembles on and off campus, including programming at the Fredonia 1891 Opera House. He was also an active member of the Fredonia Clarinet Ensemble and the Fredonia Clarinet Association. Jackson has participated in masterclasses in New York and Maryland with Anthony McGill (New York Philharmonic), David Drosinos (Baltimore School for the Arts), Dr. Kimberly Cole Luevano (University of North Texas) and William Amsel (Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra), among others. As a conductor, he participated in a masterclass with Jason Fetting (United States Marine Band) as well as numerous other seminars and workshops. Jackson is a native of Lockport, New York, and has studied with Sean Crawford (Community Music School of Buffalo), Dr. Andrew Seigel, Professor Elizabeth Hanlon and Professor I-Fei Chen (SUNY Fredonia). |
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Nick Lopez is a second-year masters student at the University of Maryland, College Park School of Music. He is currently a member of the Wind Orchestra and Symphony Orchestra and performs in several chamber ensembles.
Prior to his graduate studies, Lopez completed his bachelor of music in clarinet performance and an artist diploma at Texas Christian University (TCU) in Fort Worth, Texas. During his time at TCU, Lopez played in the TCU Wind Symphony as principal and E-flat clarinetist, performing at the Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA) music convention in San Antonio and at the College Band Directors National Association (CBDNA) convention in Tempe, Arizona. He was principal clarinetist in the TCU Symphony Orchestra, participating in their Argentina Tour and performing at TMEA as well. After completing studies at TCU, Lopez performed in the Mesquite Symphony Orchestra as 2nd and E-flat clarinetist, and was a section member of the Mansfield Wind Symphony, which performed at the 75th annual Midwest Clinic as an invited ensemble. He was also the principal and E-flat clarinetist in the Oak Lawn Band. He kept a private clarinet studio and was a contracted musician for various public performances. Lopez is currently a student of Professor Robert DiLutis. He has previously studied with Gary Whitman (TCU Emeritus), and the late Andy Crisanti (Fort Worth Symphony). |
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Lillian Smith is a first-year master’s student pursuing her degree in clarinet performance at the University of Maryland, College Park. She currently serves as a graduate assistant in the admissions department at the UMD School of Music.
Smith earned her bachelor’s degree in clarinet performance from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville (UTK) in 2024. During her time there, Smith performed with a variety of ensembles, such as the UTK Symphony Orchestra, Wind Ensemble, Opera Orchestra and Clarinet Choir. With the Wind Ensemble, she recently had the privilege of performing at the 2024 Tennessee Music Education Association (TMEA) conference in Nashville, Tennessee as well as the 2024 College Band Directors National Association (CBDNA) conference in Memphis, Tennessee. Throughout her undergraduate studies, Smith participated in numerous masterclasses with renowned clarinetists such as Dr. Vanguel Tangarov (Texas State University), Dr. Sarunas Jankauskas (James Madison University) and Dr. Andrea Vos-Rochefort (Texas A&M University-Kingsville), among others. As a private teacher, she maintained a small studio of intermediate clarinetists while also volunteering at a local non-profit school to provide free music lessons for economically disadvantaged students. She also served as an ambassador for the UTK College of Music, where she aided in the recruitment of new students while acting as a mentor within the college. Smith is currently a student of Professor Robert Dilutis, having previously studied under the tutelage of Dr. Victor Chávez at The University of Tennessee. |
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Steven Toth is a first-year master’s student pursuing a master of music degree at the University of Maryland, College Park, where he is currently a member of the Wind Orchestra.
Toth completed his bachelor of music degree in clarinet performance at Towson University (TU). Most notably during his time at TU, he served as the first Hispanic concertmaster of the wind ensemble, as well as the principal clarinetist of the symphony orchestra and the opera orchestra. He also performed as a substitute musician with the Columbia Orchestra. After completing his studies at TU, Toth became a substitute clarinetist for the Naptown Philharmonic Orchestra (formerly the Londontowne Symphony Orchestra) and performed with the Towson Wind Symphony as an alumnus. Outside of playing in ensembles, Toth won first place in the 2023–24 COSMIC symphony young artist competition season. Moreover, he continues to expand upon his pedagogical skills as a private clarinet teacher at Northwestern High School. Toth is a native of Mount Rainier, Maryland, and is currently a student of Professor Robert DiLutis. He has previously studied under the instruction of Robert Durie, Dr. Jay Niepoetter, Dr. Erik Franklin and Dr. Lynda Dembowski. |
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Lexi Deifallah is a current senior at the University of Maryland pursuing her bachelor of music degree in clarinet performance. Along with her passion for music she has cultivated a love of writing. She will graduate with a minor in creative writing, and has been an active employee in the University of Maryland Undergraduate Writing Center for several years as a staff tutor. In the School of Music, Lexi is a member of the Wind Orchestra and Symphony Orchestra as well as an active student in the woodwind chamber music sphere. Lexi also admits a pleasant surprise since starting at the School of Music was discovering her kinship with the bass clarinet, having been afforded the opportunity to play the instrument on several concert programs with the University of Maryland Wind Ensemble.
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Gracie Morgan is a junior clarinet performance major and arts leadership minor studying under Professor Robert DiLutis. At the University of Maryland, Gracie has been a part of the Symphony Orchestra, Wind Orchestra, Wind Ensemble and multiple chamber ensembles. She has a passion for combining music and business and is currently the assistant manager for the Mighty Sound of Maryland marketing team. Throughout her high school career, she has been selected for numerous honor bands such as the Maryland All-State Band as well as the All-County Band and Orchestra. Gracie graduated from Liberty High School, where she was the principal clarinet in the Wind Ensemble, Orchestra and Jazz Band. She also played bass clarinet in the Symphonic Band and participated in the Percussion Ensemble. Gracie was the clarinet section leader for the two-time Atlantic Coast Championship-winning Lion’s Pride Marching Band and is currently serving as the clarinet section leader for the Mighty Sound of Maryland. (Go Terps!)
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Marli Banner is a sophomore music education student studying clarinet under Robert DiLutis. Throughout her high school career, she served as the principal clarinetist of the Symphonic Band, first trumpet of the Jazz Band, and Captain of the Trojan Marching Band at Gaithersburg High School. Outside of her school, she played with the Browningsville Community Band and various gigs around the D.C.-Baltimore area. Currently, she plays with the University of Maryland Wind Ensemble and continues to play Trumpet with The Mighty Sound of Maryland Marching Band.
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Jennifer Dennison is a current sophomore at the University of Maryland, College Park majoring in clarinet performance under Professor Robert DiLutis. She has played clarinet for nine years and has studied clarinet performance for the past three years under Lynda Dembowski, principal clarinetist of the U.S. Naval Academy Band. She has performed on clarinet and saxophone in the Anne Arundel County All-County Band, Orchestra, and Jazz bands throughout her middle and high school career, performing as prinicipal clarinetist and lead saxophonist each year. She was also selected to perform with the Maryland All-State Senior Band in 2021 and 2022. In addition, she has played with the Severna Park and Broadneck High Schools marching bands and concert bands serving as section leader and solo clarinetist in the band. Recently, Jennifer has performed with the Londontowne Symphony Orchestra, Bay Winds Band of Annapolis, and the 2024 Maryland All-State Community Band. She has been a member of the Anne Arundel Community College Concert Band and Clarinet Choir for three years, where she performed several lead solo parts and was a featured soloist. She is currently performing with the University of Maryland Wind Ensemble, Maryland Clarinet Society Choir, Pep Band and the Mighty Sound of Maryland. During her free time, Jennifer enjoys performing musical gigs around the Annapolis area and playing tennis, running and skateboarding.
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Leeza Frank is a sophomore studying clarinet performance under Professor Ashley Booher. A graduate of Sherwood High School in Olney, Maryland, Leeza served as principal clarinet of the school's Symphonic Band, lead tenor saxophone of the Big Band, and assistant conductor of the Concert Band. Also before attending the University of Maryland, Leeza played in Montgomery County Honor Bands, Maryland All-State Orchestra, Potomac Valley Youth Orchestra's Wind Ensemble and Philharmonia, and the Maryland Band Director's Band. In her senior year, Leeza was honored to be a part of the Young Artists of America Orchestra, where she doubled on clarinet and tenor saxophone for the Maryland Public Television premiere of Hal Prince's Broadway. Leeza currently plays in the University of Maryland Wind Ensemble and chamber ensembles. She previously studied with UMD alumna Kristi Licare for five years.
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Annie Gruman is a second-year clarinet performance student studying with Robert DiLutis. She is currently a member of the University of Maryland Wind Ensemble. In high school, Annie was a participant in the Tampa Metropolitan Youth Orchestra, the Patel Conservatory Tampa repertory and pit orchestra, and the Bay Area Winds symphonic band. Throughout her high school career, she was selected to play at the annual Festival of Winds hosted at the University of South Florida, as well as the World Youth Wind Symphony at the Interlochen Center for the Arts. This past summer, Annie played in the Pierrot Chamber Music Festival as a fellowship participant.
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Michael Ortiz is a sophomore at the University of Maryland, College Park studying with Professor Robert DiLutis and pursuing a bachelor of music education degree. Currently, he is a member of the University of Maryland Wind Ensemble. Throughout his high school career, Michael served as principal clarinet for numerous ensembles: the Rochester Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, the Nazareth Honor Band, and the 2023 NYSSMA Conference All-State Band, among others. He won runner-up in the Rochester Philharmonic League’s Instrumental Category and was awarded first prize in the David Hochstein Recital Competition. He was also the student founder of his school’s chapter of Tri-M, where he worked to promote music within his small community. Michael has served as an interim conductor throughout high school and currently works as a teaching assistant at a special education school in NY. He hopes to pursue teaching in a public school, bringing music education into the lives of students.
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Cerys Freer is a freshman member of the clarinet studio of Professor Robert DiLutis at the University of Maryland, College Park. She is pursuing a bachelor of music degree in clarinet performance. Cerys hails from Austin, TX. During high school, she was a member of several music ensembles, playing multiple instruments including clarinet, flute, percussion and bass clarinet. She achieved a gold medal for her clarinet solo at UIL Solo and Ensemble state competition in 2023. Cerys was honored to be one of six students in the Austin area selected as a Draylen Mason Fellow for 2023-24; this intense, collaborative fellowship afforded her many unique music performance and conducting opportunities. Summer 2024 found Cerys in Los Angeles performing as a member of the LA Philharmonic’s YOLA National Festival Symphony Orchestra under Gustavo Dudamel and José Angel Salazar. Cerys is also a singer, and was a member of the Austin Children’s Choir for 8 years. Her favorite performance with ACC was the centennial performance of Leonard Bernstein’s Mass with the Austin Symphony Orchestra and Peter Bay.
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Jordan Hershaft is a freshman majoring in music composition and aerospace engineering. He studies clarinet with Robert DiLutis. Jordan went to C. G. Woodson High School and studied clarinet for four years under Marine Staff Sgt. Jacob Moyer. Jordan was chosen to participate in All-District Band all four years of high school and participated in the All-VA Symphonic Band in 2023. Last year, he was the principal clarinetist in his school’s Wind Ensemble. In his junior year of high school, he was clarinet section leader for his school’s Marching Cavaliers. He served as drum major in his senior year, notably performing at the BOA Mid-Atlantic Regional Competition held at UMD last fall. Jordan has also participated in AYPO and in his school’s Tri-M chapter. As a composer, he writes primarily for large ensembles, notably having his concert band piece, Underwater Kingdom, recorded by the Woodson Wind Ensemble. Jordan also studied voice under Laurie Nelson during his high school career, notably performing as Seymour in his high school’s production of Little Shop of Horrors as well as performing in the All-VA Senior Honors Choir. Jordan looks forward to finding where his passions for music and STEM unite during his time at UMD!
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Alden Newsome is a freshman at the University of Maryland College Park pursuing a bachelor’s degree in clarinet performance under the instruction of Professor Robert DiLutis. His performance experience includes playing with the Montgomery County Youth Orchestra, Potomac Valley Youth Orchestra and the Young Artists of America Orchestra. Additionally, he attended the Interlochen Center for the Arts summer program for two years, and was principal of the Montgomery Blair High School Wind Ensemble. Currently, Alden is a member of the University of Maryland Wind Ensemble.
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Lino Romero is a freshman at the University of Maryland, currently pursuing his bachelor of music degree in clarinet performance under Professor Robert DiLutis.
Lino is an alumnus of Northwestern High School's Visual and Performing Arts magnet program, where he served as concertmaster of the wind ensemble and principal clarinetist of the orchestra, and played tenor saxophone in the Jazz Ensemble. He also represented Northwestern High School as principal clarinetist of the All-County Honor Band, received four consecutive superior ratings at the county level, and a superior rating at state his last year. Outside of school, he was a part of the Maryland Classic Youth Orchestras (MCYO at Strathmore), where he served as principal clarinetist of the chamber music program and soloist of the clarinet choir. He also received an honorable mention at a Cosmic state-wide competition. Currently, Lino is a member of the University of Maryland Wind Ensemble. |
