BRASS | WINDS

ARTIE BLACK, saxophone

Artie Black is a saxophonist, composer, and educator based in Chicago. Originally from Butler, Pennsylvania, he was first inspired to pursue a career in music through lessons with Dr. Terry Steele, professor of saxophone at Slippery Rock University. Artie graduated with a degree in music education from Messiah College in 2010.  

After graduating from Messiah, he continued his studies at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana, earning a Master's degree in Jazz Studies in 2012. At Indiana, Artie studied saxophone with Tom Walsh and worked as an Associate Instructor with legendary jazz educator David Baker. 

Artie moved to Chicago in 2012, where he quickly established himself as an important part of the creative music scene. He has appeared at the Hyde Park Jazz Festival and as a part of the Next Gen Jazz Series, and has played as a leader and sideman at The Green Mill, Andy's Jazz Club, Constellation, and dozens of other Chicago venues. Recent highlights include a weeklong tour and recording with his group Living Bridge, and a series of performances and workshops with Steve Coleman's Five Elements. 

In addition to his passion for performance, Artie is fascinated by the learning and teaching process. He maintains a busy schedule of private saxophone instruction, and also joined the faculty of Wheaton College as an adjunct professor in Spring 2014. His goal as a teacher is to inspire his students to find joy through learning for themselves.

KATELYN ACKLAND, clarinet/piano/voice

Katelyn has a passion for sharing her love of music with others and is dedicated to their success. Currently, she is pursuing her bachelor's degree in music education and clarinet performance at NIU. While she completed her associate's degree at Kishwaukee College, she was a part of the Performing Arts Club and studied keyboard, voice and guitar during her time there. Previously she studied piano with Professor Choi and Jeong Soo Kim, violin with Marie Wang, guitar with Eric Schroeder and voice with Professor Rakes. She studies clarinet with Gregory Barrett and Elizabeth Kapitaniuk. 

Katelyn has numerous experiences in performance settings including the NIU Philharmonic, Kishwaukee Symphony Orchestra, NIU Sinfonia, DeKalb Municipal Band, NIU Huskie Marching Band, NIU Wind Ensemble, Kishwaukee Concert Band, DeKalb, Dixon and Rochelle Municipal Summer Bandshell and was principal clarinetist and ringer for the Illinois Valley Youth Symphony Orchestra. She is currently serving as the pianist at the Esmond and Lighthouse United Methodist Church and has served in numerous musical capacities for the Rochelle United Methodist Church in their handbell choir, regular choir, as well as playing  violin and clarinet in small ensembles during their church services. She previously worked as a teacher's assistant for band, choir and strings classes in the Greater Rochelle Area Christian Education School and served as the camp counselor and clarinet sectional leader in the Maranatha Baptist College Band Camp. Mentoring music students brings her so much joy!

RACHEL THOMPSON, clarinet and piano

Rachel Thompson is a clarinetist and pianist originally from Rochester, NY. Rachel was exposed to music at a young age, starting piano lessons at the age of 5 and clarinet in the third grade. She found her love for music partly because of her musical family that fostered her interest and sang four-part harmony in the car with her.

In addition to Bb and A clarinet, she has experience playing both Eb and bass clarinet as auxiliary instruments. She has performed in venues from the Chicago Symphony Center to Kodak Hall at the Eastman Theater to the Crystal Cathedral in California to Carnegie Hall. She attended Wheaton College for her undergraduate studies, where she studied under Trevor O'Riordan of the Elgin Symphony and Illinois Philharmonic. She is a graduate from Roosevelt University's Chicago College of Performing Arts with a Master’s in Music Performance, and has studied privately with John Bruce Yeh of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Charlene Zimmerman of the Lyric Opera Orchestra. She studied classical piano for 10 years primarily under the chair of the Piano, Keyboard, and Organ program at Eastman Community School of Music, Alla Kuznetsov, but she also studied with Donna Lascell (beginning piano) and Paul Hofmann (jazz and classical piano).

Passionate about sharing her knowledge with others, she enjoys encouraging students to reach their full potential through development of both critical thinking and personal musical expression. Her studio is a relaxed environment where it is okay to make mistakes and a safe place for technical exploration. She hopes to share not only the instruction and experience she has received in her studies and performances, but also the enthusiasm and joy that comes from music-making.

In her spare time, she enjoys water-coloring, crocheting, and spending lots of time with her husband and rambunctious gray cat.

Dr. DEVIN STARR, clarinet and piano

Dr. Devin Starr is a professional clarinetist and collaborative/solo pianist who performs and teaches throughout the Chicagoland area. He earned his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in 2016 from the University of Oklahoma, where he studied with Dr. Suzanne Tirk and served as an adjunct professor. During his four years at OU, Devin also worked as the woodwind department and opera accompanist while teaching clarinet and filling a maternity-leave position. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Music Performance from Grand Valley State University, where he studied with Dr. Arthur Campbell, and a Master’s degree in Music Performance from Bowling Green State University under Mr. Kevin Schempf.

Devin performed as principal clarinetist with the Wheaton Municipal Band at the 2023 Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago and has appeared in numerous competitions, including as a finalist in the 2015 Naftzger Young Artist Competition. He has served as principal clarinet with the Wheaton Municipal Band for three years and performed with the West Wind Chamber Players of Oklahoma City. He was also a finalist in both the University of Oklahoma Concerto Competition and BGSU’s Chamber Music Competition. Devin has presented masterclasses and sectionals at the University of Central Oklahoma, the University of Oklahoma, the Tulsa Youth Orchestra, and several high schools.

In addition to his work as a clarinetist, Devin is an active pianist, performing in both solo and collaborative settings. He premiered Kenn McSperitt’s Triple Concerto for Saxophone, Piano, and Strings in 2015 and has worked as a piano accompanist for multiple stage productions over the past two decades. His piano performances have included Stravinsky’s Symphony in Three Movements with orchestra and a touring production of John Davies’ opera The Three Little Pigs (based on themes by Mozart). He has performed in venues across the country, including solo recitals at the University of Michigan with the principal clarinetist of the Hong Kong Philharmonic and in recitals with the principal bassoonist of the Oklahoma City Philharmonic. Devin has collaborated in hundreds of solo recitals, student recitals, chamber groups, orchestras, bands, and new music ensembles.

Devin has performed and taught throughout the United States, Germany, and France, appearing with ensembles such as the Blue Lake Symphony Orchestra, Toledo Symphony Orchestra, Wheaton Municipal Band, and GVSU New Music Ensemble. Over the past decade, he has presented more than 1,400 solo recitals for retirement communities, performing on both piano and clarinet.

Devin lives in the Chicago suburbs and is grateful every day for the time he shares with his wife and four children.