Faculty Biographies

Steven Jordheim

Steven Jordheim, Professor of Music, was a winner of two major international performance competitions: the International Competition for Musical Performers in Geneva, Switzerland in 1983 and the Concert Artists Guild International Competition in New York in 1984. He presented his New York debut recital at Carnegie Recital Hall in 1985 and has performed as a recitalist and soloist with orchestras in Italy, China, Switzerland, France, Canada, Taiwan, and the United States. Jordheim holds degrees in music performance from Northwestern University and the University of North Dakota and has studied with Frederick Hemke and Jean-Marie Londeix.

Since joining the faculty of the Conservatory of Music at Lawrence University in 1981, Jordheim has taught courses in saxophone, chamber music, music education, instrumental pedagogy, and Freshman Studies. In 2012, Jordheim received the Freshman Studies Teaching Award, and he was awarded the Lawrence University Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2001. He has been an artist-teacher of saxophone at the Xi'an Conservatory of Music in China, the International Saxophone Chamber Music Festival in Faenza, Italy, the Hsing Tien Kong Festival in Taiwan, and the National Music Camp at Interlochen, Michigan. He has served as adjudicator for the Concert Artists Guild International Competition, the North American Saxophone Alliance Classical Saxophone Performance Competitions, the Music Teachers National Association regional and national competitions, and the Hsing Tien Kong Competition in Taiwan. Steven Jordheim's recording of David Maslanka's "Song Book" for alto saxophone and marimba, and "Sonata" for alto saxophone and piano is available on compact disc on the Albany Records label. His performance as conductor of Rodney Rogers’ "Two Views" for saxophone ensemble, percussion, piano, and double bass with the Lawrence University Saxophone Ensemble is available on the Albany Records label, and his performance of James Chaudoir’s "Pentragrams" was released on the Capstone label.

Works composed for Steven Jordheim include:

The Valley of Fire for saxophone quartet and organ -- William Albright
We Fall . . . We Rise for saxophone ensemble -- Javier Arau
Duo Concertante for saxophone and piano -- Leslie Bassett
Consilience for saxophone quartet -- Philippe Bodin
Ballade for saxophone and chamber orchestra -- Michael Halstenson
Trio for flute, saxophone, and piano -- Michael Halstenson
Songbook for alto saxophone and marimba -- David Maslanka
Light (con una luce superna) -- Joanne Metcalf
Dialogue Symphonique for saxophone and chamber orchestra -- Lucie Robert
The Nature of this Whirling Wheel for saxophone and piano -- Rodney Rogers
Two Views for Saxophone Ensemble, Percussion, Piano, and Double Bass -- Rodney Rogers
Hydra for saxophone quartet -- Kenneth Schaphorst

Jordheim’s research interests include endoscopic study of the vocal tract in standard and extended saxophone techniques.

Contact by e-mail: steven.jordheim@lawrence.edu

José Encarnación

José L. Encarnación, Instructor of Jazz Saxophone, leads the jazz improvisation classes, coaches jazz small groups, teaches applied jazz saxophone, and coordinates the jazz performance program at the Lawrence University Conservatory of Music. He studied saxophone, flute and clarinet at the Free School of Music in San Juan, Puerto Rico, completed his Bachelor of Music degree at the Berklee College of Music in Boston where he graduated magna cum laude, and received his Master of Music degree from the Eastman School of Music (including the 2002 Schirmer Prize in Jazz Performance). He previously served as Assistant Professor of Jazz Saxophone at the Eastman School of Music, Instructor of Saxophone, Latin Jazz Performance Workshop, and Youth Saxology for the Eastman Community School, and as Jazz Ensemble Conductor at the Rochester (NY) School of the Arts.

He has performed jazz, salsa, and Latin music with the Bob Mintzer Big Band, the Dave Rivello Ensemble, Gilberto Santarosa, Roberto Rohena, Bobby Valentin, Domingo Quinones, Israel “Cachao" Lopez, Tito Puente, Danilo Perez, Dave Valentin, Giovanni Hidalgo, Batacumbele, Humberto Ramirez, and David Sanchez. His pops performances include appearances with the Temptations, Dianne Reeves, Natalie Cole, Doc Severinsen, Lou Rawls, New York Voices, Brasilia, Ann Hampton Calloway, and the symphony orchestras of Milwaukee, Rochester, and Green Bay.

Contact by e-mail: jose.l.encarncion@lawrence.edu

Sara Kind

Sara Kind serves as Instructor of Saxophone and Music Theory at Lawrence University. She has appeared as soloist with numerous ensembles including the Concord Chamber Orchestra, the NEW Wind Ensemble, the Lawrence University Wind Ensemble, the Lawrence University Chamber Orchestra, the Oshkosh Symphony Orchestra, the J.W. Packard Band, the Youngstown State University Percussion Ensemble, the Youngstown State University Chamber Orchestra, and the Youngstown State University Wind Ensemble. Also sought after as a collaborative musician, she has performed with the Youngstown Symphony Orchestra, the Fox Valley Symphony Orchestra, and the Oshkosh Symphony Orchestra.

Ms. Kind was a prizewinner at the North American Saxophone Alliance Classical Performance Competition, University of Arizona Recordings’ Classical Saxophone Competition, and the regional rounds of the Music Teachers National Association Young Artist and Chamber Music competitions. She also appeared live on Wisconsin Public Radio after twice winning their Neale-Silva Competition. She distinguished herself as a student at Lawrence University’s Conservatory of Music by winning their highly competitive Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition in addition to the Wind Ensemble Concerto Competition.

An avid proponent of new music, Ms. Kind recently premiered a work by John Hollenbeck entitled "Ziggurat" (Exterior) at NYC’s Whitney Art Museum. She was heard in multiple performances at the 2012 conference of the Society for Electro-Acoustic Music in the United States, including the premiere of a new duo by Asha Srinivasan entitled "Keerthanata." She has also premiered works by composers Dave Morgan and David Werfelmann, among others.

Ms. Kind holds degrees from Lawrence University and Youngstown State University and has studied with Steven Jordheim and James Umble.

Contact by email: sara.a.kind@lawrence.edu