Mark Adamo is currently composer-in-residence with New York City Opera. His first opera, Little Women, based on Louisa May Alcott's novel, was a tremendous success after its premiere by Houston Grand Opera, and has since enjoyed dozens of productions. His newest opera, Lysistrata, based on the ancient Greek comedy by Aristophanes, was premiered by Houston Grand Opera in 2005 and produced by NYCO in early 2006. Mr. Adamo returned to CUA as a guest on its Visiting Composers Series in 2004.

Joao Guilherme Ripper was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He studied Composition and Conducting with Henrique Morelenbaum, Ronaldo Miranda e Roberto Duarte at the School of Music of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, where he also got his Master degree. In 1994, he moved to the US to pursue his doctoral studies under Helmut Braunlich and Emma Garmendia at the Catholic University of America, in Washington, D.C. Ripper served as Assistant Teacher of the Orchestration class at the CUA, and created a music program at the Adult Education Program at the Connecticut Park Center, in Montgomery County, where he taught for three years. With his Composition students, he founded the Composers Society of Montgomery County. Additional studies in orchestral conducting were held in Argentina, under Guillermo Scarabino. In 1997, he returned to Brazil and resumed his duties at the School of Music of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, where he served as Dean from 1999 to 2003.

Ripper has guest-conducted important Brazilian orchestras as the National Theater Symphony Orchestra (Brasília), Cuyo Symphony Orchestra (Mendoza-Argentina), National Symphony Orchestra (Rio de Janeiro), Sinfonia Cultura Orchestra (São Paulo) and Symphony Orchestra of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (Rio). Currently, Ripper is Music Director and Principal Conductor of the Pantanal Chamber Orchestra, in Mato Grosso do Sul. The orchestra is the leading ensemble in the region featuring a varied repertoire that ranges from the classics into popular and new Brazilian music. In December 2005, The Pantanal Chamber Orchestra toured in other Brazilian states.

Ripper's works have been performed in many concerts hall of Brazil and abroad. He wrote "Chamber Symphony for Winds" for the Catholic University Wind Ensemble in 1996. The last movement, "Brasiliana," has been featured in the repertoire of many wind ensembles . In 1999, he was commissioned by the Akron Symphony to write a symphonic work for the celebration of Brazil's 500th anniversary -- Abertura Concertante -- which was premiered in March 2000 at E.J.Thomas Hall, in Akron (OH). His chamber opera "Domitila" was awarded the best chamber work of 2000 by the National Critics Association of Brazil. His symphonic works are in the repertoire of important Brazilian orchestras. The cantata "Passio" was performed in a series of four concerts in one of the leading halls in Rio. In July 2003, his third opera "The Dark Angel" received 16 performances in São Paulo. In December 2005, the performances of "The Dark Angel" were listed in the top works of the last eight years.

Ripper is currently Director of Cecília Meireles Concert Hall in Rio and member of the Brazilian Academy of Music: an institution that gathers outstanding Brazilian composers, conductors and musicologists.

Dr. Anthony W. Randolph, DMA, The Catholic University of America 2006, MM, Howard University 1988, BM, Howard University 1982, is a composer, pianist, and music historian with extensive teaching experience at the university and primary levels. Dr. Randolph has served on the music faculty of the Benjamin T. Rome School of Music at The Catholic University of America, and is currently Associate Professor of Music at Howard University.

Recent compositions by Dr. Randolph include Requiem Mass for the African-American Slave for orchestra, chorus, and soloists, Baghdad, the Day After, for orchestra, muezzin, and audio CD, How Long, O Lord, an electronic composition and video compilation chronicling the struggles of African-Americans from the slave trade to the present, as well as multiple chamber works.

A 2005 commissioned composition, titled Songs of the Forgotten War, was a group commission inspired by the Korean War Memorial in Washington, DC. Dr. Randolph was on of the nineteen composers commissioned to reflect upon, and compose a one-minute composition on one of the nineteen bronze soldiers of the memorial. Songs of the Forgotten War had its world premiere at The Catholic University of America in spring 2005 as the third of the four-part President's Concert, "Waging Peace: Making Music in Time of War." Songs of the Forgotten War was a feature piece on WAMU radio's "Metro Connection" in summer 2005, and received a second performance at the Kennedy Center's Millennium Stage, August, 2005, with both performances favorably reviewed by the Washington Post. Other commissions include To Do Battle in the Land, The John Brown Story, a documentary film on the life of abolitionist John Brown for the United States Parks Department, Harper's Ferry National Park, Harper's Ferry, WV. To Do Battle in the Land was recorded by the Howard University Concert Choir and instrumentalists under the direction of J. Weldon Norris.

Fanfare, a composition for orchestra and chorus by Dr. Randolph, was premiered by the Catholic University Symphony Orchestra and Chorus at the Annual Christmas Concert under the direction of Leo Nestor, at The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Washington, DC, December, 2003. The concert was broadcast on The Eternal World Television Network and on Howard University Television, WHUT.

Dr. Randolph is a member of The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP),  He served as Interim Chair of the Deparment of Music for the 2014-2015 Academic Year, and was appointed Chair in August 2015.

Kyle GullingsMM Stage Music, 2007. DMA Composition, 2011. Kyle Gullings is a versatile, collaborative composer of stage, vocal, and chamber works whose projects have traversed diverse social topics including space travel, nuclear weaponry, mortality, mental illness, and the American Dream. He has been recognized through the National Opera Association's Chamber Opera Composition Competition (1 of 3 National Finalists, 2010-2012) and the SCI/ASCAP Student Composition Competition (two-time Regional Winner), and has been performed across the country through the Kennedy Center’s Page to Stage Festival, John Duffy Composers Institute, Capital Fringe Festival, College Music Society, and Society of Composers, Inc.

Dr. Gullings joined the faculty of The University of Texas at Tyler in 2011, where he is currently an associate professor committed to improving and increasing access to undergraduate instruction in music theory and composition nationally. Chief among these efforts is his development of Open Educational Resources for Undergraduate Music Theory, a free and editable collection of over 100 assignments, projects, and other materials for the lower-division Music Theory sequence, published by the Journal of Music Theory Pedagogy.

Dr. Gullings completed his D.M.A. in Composition at The Catholic University of America, where he was also the first recipient of their unique Stage Music Emphasis master's degree. He holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Theory/Composition from Concordia College in Moorhead, MN. He enjoys homebrewing, playing Ultimate frisbee, and spending time with his wife Terra and their dogs Ollie and Buddy.

Roberto Abel Martinez, born in New Mexico and raised in Texas, completed his MM in composition at The Catholic University of America. Under the tutelage of Dr. Andrew Earle Simpson, Roberto received the New Old American Songs commission, which premiered on April 5, 2006, as part of CUA's Copland Festival, as well as the annual Christmas Fanfare commission, which premieres December 1st, 2006. Roberto's teachers and mentors include Dr. James T. Bingham, Dr. Leo Nestor, and Medea Namoradze (voice). Roberto also holds a bachelor's degree in vocal performance from Columbia Union College in Takoma Park, Maryland. Click here to listen to an mp3 file of "La Cucaracha," commissioned by the Benjamin T. Rome School of Music as part of a set of the New Old American Songs project (commissions for 10 folk song settings by 10 composers), premiered at CUA in April, 2006.

Candy Emberley began making music at the age of three by banging on the piano when her mother wasn't looking. Her official studies started on piano at the age of seven and moved to viola at the age of ten. Ms. Emberley is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Music degree in composition and continues her viola studies with Ms. Jennifer Mondie. In her spare time, Ms. Emberley enjoys singing, speaking French, writing poetry, and swing and ballroom dancing.

Gabriel DiMarco is a founding member of DiMensaje, an ensemble formed with his brother Matthew in the fall of 2007. He is currently is principal cellist of the Londontowne Symphony Orchestra in Maryland, a newly developed orchestra which he co-founded.

Nicolás Suárez Eyzaguirre is Professor at the Conservatorio Nacional de Música and Universidad Católica Boliviana in La Paz, Bolivia.

Alan Bonde, pianist and composer, is Professor of Music at Mt. Holyoke College in Massachusetts.

David Heinick is Professor of Music at the Crane School of Music, State University of New York College at Potsdam.