Adjunct Faculty in the School of Music

Houston Christian University

The School of Fine Arts at Houston Christian University is home to renowned musicians who are masters of their craft. Our adjunct faculty have spent decades honing their skill and are committed to sharing their wealth of knowledge with our talented students, developing their professional careers, and serving their community. Take a look at our faculty accomplishments. See someone you want to study with? Get started on your HCU application today and join us in the upcoming term.

Apply to HCU Audition for the School of Music

Mrs. Elizabeth De Trejo, Adjunct Professor of Music (Voice)
edetrejo@hc.edu

• BM, Loyola University
• M.M., Yale University

Executive Director and Founder of the International School of the Voice, Soprano, former President of the Executive Board of Directors of Joy In Singing, the Art Song Institute, and a Voice Faculty member of The Curtis Institute in Philadelphia, Elizabeth De Trejo is trailblazing a new path in the sphere of classical voice, and through the International School of the Voice, is revolutionizing the way the art form is taught.

Elizabeth is a consummate soprano and recitalist, having sung extensively in Europe, Asia and the Americas. She has worked with leading conductors and has appeared as a guest soloist with many orchestras in halls such as Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center, with distinguished ensembles like the Marinsky Orchestra, the Orchestra Verdi, the Orchestra Now, the Oratorio Society of NY, the National Chorale, and more; some of these works include the Verdi Requiem, Carmina Burana, the U.S. premiere of Raff’s Te Deum, the De Profundis of Lili Boulanger, Mahler’s Symphonies, No. 4 and 8, Beethoven 9th Symphony and Mass in C, Bach, Brahms, Fauré and Mozart Requiems, and numerous Rutter works conducted by the composer himself.

Ms. De Trejo made her Metropolitan Opera debut in Berg’s Lulu; and her career has given her the opportunity to perform the roles of Norma, Violetta, Lucia di Lammermoor, Donna Anna, Gilda, Marguerite, Fiordiligi, Die Königin die Nacht, Adina, Poppea, Juliette, Musetta, Giulietta, and Cleopatra, and the role of Rosina in Anton Coppola’s epic opera, Sacco and Vanzetti; for which an aria was composed for her.

Elizabeth attended Loyola University where she received a Bachelor of Music degree in Performance, and Yale University, earning her Master of Music. Post graduation, Elizabeth De Trejo joined the International Opera Studio of the Opernhaus Zürich. Elizabeth can be seen on the EMI Classics DVD of Der Rosenkavalier under the direction of Franz Welser-Möst, and directed by Sven-Erich Bechtolf, live from Opernhaus Zürich.

• MM Organ Performance, University of Houston
• BM Music, Capital University

From a young age, music was a large part of John’s life—music was always playing at home and in the car, a year of obligatory piano lessons, singing in musicals and choir in high school, playing double bass in jazz band, playing in a band throughout high school and college, and vibrant congregational singing in the Lutheran church in which he grew up.

John attended Capital University, studying both religion and double bass. He started taking organ lessons and soon found himself spending more and more time at the organ console and less time behind the bass, and so he added yet another musical interest.

After college, John moved to Houston through Teach for America and eventually began studying organ, voice, and church music with Robert Brewer and assisting in the music program at the Episcopal Church of the Epiphany as a Choir/Organ Scholar. In church music, John found the energy and conviction of rock music combined with the craftsmanship and interest of classical music, all within a context that focused on something bigger than music itself.

Following his work at Epiphany, John was Music Director of Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in Dickinson, Texas and Organ Intern at St. Philip Presbyterian in Houston, Texas. He earned a master’s degree in Organ Performance from the University of Houston’s Moores School of Music, where he studied with Robert Bates, Matthew Dirst, and Sigurd Øgaard. Presently, he is Director of Music & Organist of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Houston, where he oversees a graded choral program comprised of 4 choirs.

In August 2021, John was appointed University Organist of Houston Christian University. He is husband to Sally and father of Fiona, Joni, & Llewyn.

• DMA Candidate – Boston University
• M. Ed. Voice Performance, Texas Tech University
• BM Music Education, Houston Christian University

Mrs. Sally Kirk is a newly appointed adjunct professor of music education at Houston Christian University. Mrs. Kirk has been an active orchestra director for 16 years and is currently the assistant orchestra director at Clements High School. Mrs. Kirk’s orchestras have consistently earned UIL Sweepstakes awards and numerous “best in class” festival awards. In 2017, 2020, 2021, 2022,  and 2024, Mrs. Kirk’s orchestras were named National Winners of the Mark of Excellence Foundation for Music Education nationwide competition. Additionally during her tenure at Dulles Middle School, the string Honors Orchestra was invited to perform at the Midwest Clinic in 2009 and 2016 in Chicago. The DMS Symphony Full Orchestra had the honor of performing at TMEA in San Antonio in 2022.

Sally Kirk is a graduate of the Houston Christian University, where she received her B.M. in music education, Texas Tech, where she received an M.Ed. and is currently a doctoral candidate at Boston University.

Sally Kirk has been an invited guest conductor for several Region Orchestras around Texas and serves as an instructor with AFA, a Houston based music conservatory. She is proud member of Texas Orchestra Directors Association, Texas Music Educators Association, Texas Music Adjudicators Association and Mu Omicron. She resides in Houston, TX with her husband, John, and three children: Fiona, Joni, & Llewyn.

• DMA Piano Performance/Collaborative Piano, University of Houston
• MM Piano Performance, Rice University
• MM Piano Performance, Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music, Poland

Dr. Alina Klimaszewska is Adjunct Professor of Piano and Collaborative Piano Division at the Houston Christian University Music Department. She teaches classes and courses including Applied Piano for Piano Majors, Piano for Music Majors, Group-Piano-Class (level I-IV), Collaborative Piano Accompaniment and Keyboard Literature I and II. In addition to her pedagogical activities Dr. Klimaszewska serves as vocal coach for Vocal Department.

Aside from her academic duties, Dr. Klimaszewska enjoys a versatile performing career as a soloist and collaborative pianist appearing in variety of ensemble-settings. She has performed in numerous European and American concert venues and received awards and outstanding accolades for her performances from international and domestic contests and festivals. She is a recipient of the prestigious Frédéric Chopin Society Award in Warsaw, the All-Polish Piano Festival and the International Chopin Festival in El Paso, TX. Parallelly to her solo concerts and recitals she takes on an active role appearing as partnering pianist with instrumentalists and vocalists. Her professional collaborative-engagements have seen her performed for Ada Sari Vocal Competition (Poland), Adam Didur Vocal Competition (Poland), Lois Alba Aria Competition, the Kosciuszko Foundation Chamber Music Series, NY and the Lenten Art Series at the Saint John Presbyterian Church, Houston, TX. Along with Ms. Dominika Dancewicz Alina Klimaszewska is a co-founder and co-artist of the Polish Duo which performs a broad selection from the Baroque, Classical, Romantic, Post-Romantic and Contemporary repertoire for violin and piano.

Prior to joining the Houston Christian University Dr. Klimaszewska served as répétiteur at the Silesian Opera House in Poland, as collaborative pianist at the University of Houston and Rice University working with instrumental, vocal and choral departments, as staff accompanist of the Houston Grand Opera High School Voice Studio, and taught all-piano-levels at the Lee College Music School in Baytown, TX.

• BM, Grand Valley State University
• MM, University of Oklahoma

Cameron Miller is a Michigan native and earned his Bachelor of Music degree in 2015 at Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Michigan. While at GVSU, Cameron performed with the GVSU New Music Ensemble under Dr. Bill Ryan as part of their inaugural 2014 National Parks Project tour and also performed with the GVSU Symphonic Wind Ensemble. After his undergraduate work Cameron earned his Master of Music degree in 2018 at the University of Oklahoma. As a graduate student he performed with the OU Wind Symphony at the 2016 Oklahoma Music Educators Association conference in Tulsa. In the same year, Cameron was named 2nd place winner as a member of the Copperhead Quartet at the 3rd Annual Coltman Competition hosted by the Austin Chamber Music Center.

Cameron has lived in Houston for six years with his wife whom he met at OU during a graduate seminar course about Native American music. Currently he is completing his doctoral work at the University of Houston Moores School of Music. He has presented performances as a member of the North American Saxophone Alliance at their biennial national conferences in Lubbock, Cincinnati, and most recently Phoenix. In addition Cameron has performed at the regional NASA conferences held in Stillwater, Champaign-Urbana, and Bowling Green, OH. As adjunct faculty at Houston Christian University, Cameron teaches applied lessons in Flute, Clarinet, and Saxophone as well as Music Appreciation.

• DMA Violin Performance, University of Houston
• Graduate Artist Certificate Violin Performance, University of North Texas
• MM Violin Performance and Music Theory, Texas Christian University
• BM Violin Performance, Conservatorio Antonio Maria Valencia

Colombian violinist Dr. Mauricio Oliveros is an active recitalist, chamber musician, arranger and educator. He is currently the Concertmaster of the Symphony of Southeast Texas and holds faculty positions at Houston Christian University, The Kinkaid School, and the Tallowood Academy of Fine Arts.

Dr. Oliveros performs regularly throughout the American Continent, and has appeared as soloist with the Symphony of Southeast Texas, the University of Houston Concerto Orchestra, the Magnolia Chamber Orchestra and in Colombia with the Sinfonica del Valle and the Ensamble Filarmonico Bacata. He appears regularly as a guest-artist in Houston for various Latin American music productions with distinguished Venezuelan Grammy artists such as Eddy Marcano, Baden Goyo, and Hector Molina, among others. He has been a member of the Sinfonica del Valle (Colombia), San Angelo Symphony Orchestra, Irving Symphony Orchestra, Midland-Odessa Symphony Orchestra, Opera Vista, and the Houston Latin Philharmonic. He has given numerous recitals in the USA, Mexico, and Colombia, and regularly performs faculty recitals at the Houston Christian University.

Dr. Oliveros future projects include the recording of a CD with his newly formed ensemble Ossia Trio – consisting of piano, violin, and keyboard percussion. The trio performs their own original arrangements of traditional music. He also plans to continue writing violin solo caprices inspired by the music of his country. Dr. Oliveros enjoys traveling with his wife, playing golf and pickleball, as well as going to the gym. He also enjoys cooking and watching Netflix shows and history documentaries.

• DMA  Piano Performance, University of Oklahoma
• MM Piano Performance, Hayang University, Korea
• BA French Literature & Piano Performance, Hayang University, Korea

• MM  Vocal Performance, Yale University
• BM  Vocal Performance, Houston Christian University

After his first successes in the United States, Angel Romero has attracted great attention with his international debut at the Vienna State Opera as a singer in Der Rosenkavalier and his debut at the Nederlandse Opera Amsterdam in this role. Both the Vienna State Opera and the Dutch Opera have invited the young tenor to return to the house in 2023/24 and 2024/25 respectively.

As Pirelli in Sweeney Todd at Austin Opera and as Ferrando in Cosi fan tutte at St. Louis Opera last season, he was able to further establish himself in the USA.

Angel Romero was previously a member of the Pittsburgh Opera, where he was known as Ferrando in Cosi fan tutte and Oronte in Alcina as an exceptional vocal talent. In Pittsburgh, he also expanded his repertoire to include roles such as Arcadio in Florencia en el Amazonas and Jupiter in Semele. This was preceded by engagements at the Central City Opera and the Santa Fe Opera. In 2021, Angelo Romero was a semi-finalist of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Competition and a Winner of the Eleonor MacCollum Competition. Under the baton of Marin Alsop, he sang the tenor solo in Beethoven’s 9th Symphony and with the Eastern Connecticut Symphony Governor and Vanderdendur in Candide. Originally from Houston, Angel Romero studied at Yale University and Houston Baptist University and took on roles such as Tamino in The Magic Flute and the Fisherman in Le Rossignol during his studies.

• DMA Bassoon Performance, University of Houston
• MM Music Performance, University of Houston
• BM Music Performance, University of Houston

Dr. Dima Savitski is a bassoonist and an educator based in the Houston area. His passion is to share knowledge about music with the younger generation and to instill a love for art. He leads by example, inspiring and helping his students discover and develop their talents through hard work, patience, and perseverance.

Dima is an adjunct bassoon professor at Houston Christian University and holds a Doctorate of Musical Arts in Bassoon Performance from the University of Houston. He actively plays in orchestras around Houston, including the Houston Repertoire Ballet Orchestra and Brazosport Symphony Orchestra. Dima is also an experienced solo performer and chamber musician, having several commissions under his belt. A lifelong admirer of all styles and genres, Dima has always been especially fond of Baroque bassoon music, the topic of his doctoral thesis. He is very passionate about learning and is currently pursuing a degree in Business Administration. In his free time, Dima enjoys bonding with his two kids, Amelia and Niko, spending time outside, editing and arranging music, and practicing piano.

Mr. Ben Sieben – Adjunct Professor of Music
bsieben@hc.edu

• BM, Houston Christian University
• MM Piano Performance, University of Utah
• MM Collaborative Piano, University of Colorado Boulder