FACULTY

  • VIOLIN

    extensively worldwide as soloist, concertmaster, and chamber musician. His debut album Brazil x Argentina—described as “a superb performance” (Fanfare Magazine, 2020) —was awarded several prizes, including a silver medal at the Global Music Awards. Additionally, Dr. Candido is a prizewinner of several international competitions—among them the American Prize and the colORCHESTRA competition. In 2021 Dr. Candido made his solo debut at Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall. His solo performances with the Western New York Chamber Orchestra, Orquestra Filarmônica do Rio de Janeiro, Orquestra Sinfônica da Bahia, Orquestra de Câmara da UNIRIO, Orquestra Filarmônica Adventista do Brasil, New England Repertory Orchestra, Southern Adventist Symphony Orchestra, and the Anchorage Bowl Chamber Orchestra were very well received. As an orchestral musician, he led the Boston University Symphony Orchestra, Boston Civic Symphony, Longy Chamber Orchestra, Jamaica National Orchestra, Orquestra Filarmônica Adventista do Brasil and Orquestra de Câmara da UNIRIO. Dr. Candido studied with Brazilian violinist Paulo Bosisio at the Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where he received his Bachelor degree. In the United States, he studied with pedagogue Eric Rosenblith at the Longy School of Music of Bard College, where he received his Master of Music degree and was a recipient of a special scholarship to study with legendary violinist Roman Totenberg. Dr. Candido also sought private mentorship from Kazuko Matsusaka and Julie Rosenfeld. He concluded his training with Peter Zazofsky at Boston University, where he received his Doctor of Musical Arts degree. Furthermore, he was elected as a member of the Society of Pi Kappa Lambda in April, 2016. Dr. Candido held a teaching assistant position at Boston University from 2014-2017

  • CELLO

    Cellist and musicologist John Lutterman is Professor of Music at the University of Alaska, Anchorage, where he teaches cello, chamber music and music theory, and where he directs America’s Northernmost period-instrument orchestra and viol consort.

    Prior to joining the Music faculty at UAA, Dr. Lutterman served on the faculty of Whitman College, Lawrence University, the University of the Pacific, Stony Brook University. the University of California at Davis, and the San Francisco Conservatory.

    A dedicated teacher, Dr. Lutterman’s cello students have been accepted into prestigious programs at Juilliard, Eastman, Peabody, Indiana University, the Basel Academy of Music, and the Royal Conservatory in the Hague. His theory and music history students have gone on to earn doctoral degrees at Yale, Stanford, UC Davis, and the University of Texas, and several of them now hold tenured positions at important American colleges and conservatories.

  • FLUTE

    Laura Koenig teaches flute and music history at UAA. She received her Doctorate of Musical Arts from the University of Iowa as the first performer ever awarded the prestigious Iowa Fellowship. Laura’s performance expertise encompasses orchestral, contemporary, and jazz idioms as well as facility on both the modern and baroque, one-keyed flute. She has performed in CrossSound, as guest soloist with the Kenai Peninsula Orchestra and the UAA Wind Ensemble, and is principal flute of the Anchorage Opera Orchestra. In addition to serving as Artistic Director for the Anchorage Festival of Music, Laura directs Fair Weather Flutes, coaches and coordinates chamber music for the Alaska Youth Orchestras, and is a founding member of Jomala, an ensemble devoted to new jazz compositions. Laura was a guest soloist at the 2012 National Flute Association annual convention and was a nominee for the 2013 UAA Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching.

  • VIOLA & VIOLIN

    Dr. Miriam English Ward has performed chamber music and as a viola soloist throughout the United States and internationally including Canada, Japan, Singapore, Mexico, Spain, and Norway.

    In addition to numerous groups dedicated to performance of work by living composers, she has played in baroque ensembles at the University of North Texas, Portland's Amadeus Chamber Orchestra and as a member of the Madison Bach Musicians (Wisconsin).

    As an educator, Dr. Ward has taught and coached for the Preparatory Divisions of the Juilliard School and the Peabody Conservatory of Johns Hopkins University, Chiba Prefecture (Japan) Youth Symphony, Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestras, the Eugene-Springfield (Oregon) Youth Orchestras, Portland Youth Philharmonic, and Metropolitan Youth Symphony (Oregon). She has taught at various colleges and universities, including Ripon College (Wisconsin), Lewis & Clark College, Multnomah University and Corban University (Oregon).

    Dr. Ward teaches both violin and viola and welcomes students of all levels. She strives to inform her teaching with knowledge of the best practices recommended by neurology including the psychology of building a strong practice habit in daily life. She enjoys working with students to "learn how we learn", to strengthen performance skills, and to prioritize enjoyment of consistent focused work.

  • VIOLA

    Koree Guzman is an active performer in Anchorage and throughout Alaska. He began studying the viola in the ASD 6th grade Orchestra Program. He is currently a tenured member of the viola section in the Anchorage Symphony Orchestra and also performs with the Anchorage Concert Chorus. Koree has performed with the Kenai Peninsula Orchestra and as a member of the AKamerata Quartet along the Kenai Peninsula. He has performed Hindemith's Trauermusik for solo viola and orchestra with the Anchorage Civic Orchestra. Koree is finishing a music performance degree with Dr. Miriam English Ward at UAA. He coaches chamber music students for Alaska Resounding and the Alaska Youth Orchestras.