Career Paths

The following list provides information on the post-graduation career paths of many of our students.

If you are an alum and would like to update your information, please email duke-music@duke.edu. 

Ph.D. Name Location Position
2023 Cody Black Duke University Instructor, Department of Music
2023 James Chu   Composer
2023 Stephen Downing   Composer
2023 Nicholas Smolenski Bowdoin International Music Festival Development Manager
2022 James Budinich Binghamton University (SUNY) Composer,  Lecturer of Composition and Music Creation Technologies
2022 Joanna Chang College of New Jersey Visiting Professor
2022 Ka Man Misty Choi Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts Senior Project Manager, Centre for Education and Research
2022 Jon Churchill    
2021 Maximiliano Amici Duke Kunshan University Composer, Assistant Professor of Composition and Music Theory
2021 Meredith Graham National Humanities Center Digital Projects Coordinator
2021 Jonathan Henderson College of the Atlantic, Bar Harbor, ME Music Faculty
2021 Dayton Kinney Texas Woman’s University Composer and Adjunct Instructor of Music
2021 Maxwell Ramage    
2021 Harrison Russin St Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary, Yonkers, NY Assistant Professor of Liturgical Music
2020 Elizabeth Crisenbery Chapel Hill, NC Bandwidth, Inc.
2020 Sarah Curzi   Independent composer, business owner at cafephd.com
2020 Benjamin Daniels Exton, PA Senior Software Engineer, Edge Case Research; Composer and Percussionist
2020 Eren Gümrükçüoğlu Florida State University Assistant Professor of Composition
2020 Karen Messina University of North Carolina, Greensboro Lecturer in Music Theory
2020 Yuxin Ouyang Boise State University, Idaho Composer and Adjunct Professor
2020 Matthew Zeller Phoenix, AZ Curator for Europe, Musical Instrument Museum
2019 Yahn Wagner Ferreira de Mello Pinto Escola de Música da Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro Professor of Composition
2019 Imani Mosley University of Florida School of Music Assistant Professor of Music (Musicology)
2018 Samantha Arten St. Louis University, St. Louis, MO Faculty affiliate/freelance editor & teacher, Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies
2018 Scott Lee University of Florida School of Music Assistant Professor of Composition
2018 Sid Richardson Tufts University, Boston, MA Lecturer in Music
2018 Kirsten Santos Rutschman Webster University, St. Louis, MO Adjunct Instructor of Music
2017 Andrew Pester Charlotte, NC Associate Director of Music, Providence United Methodist Church
2017 Sarah Bereza Webster Groves, MO Minister of Music and producer of the podcast "Music and the Church," First Congregational Church of St. Louis
2017 Jung-Min Lee Durham, NC Instructor, Asian & Middle Eastern Studies, Duke University
2017 Paul Sommerfeld Washington, DC Librarian and Reference Specialist, Music Division, Library of Congress
2017 Justin Tierney Wake Forest, NC Composer, time-lapse filmmaker and aerial photographer. Research Analyst at TruStory.
2016 D. Edward Davis University of New Haven, New Haven, CT Senior Lecturer
2016 Jamie Keesecker Durham, NC Students and Stacks Manager, Music Library, Duke University, Independent Composer
2016 Vladimir Smirnov   Independent composer
2016 Kenneth David Stewart Durham, NC Instructor of Cello, Guitar, Ukulele, and Composition at High Strung Violins & Guitars
2015 Amy Scurria Durham, NC Independent opera composer
2015 Bryan Christian Vienna, VA Predictive Modeler, Navy Federal Credit Union, and Independent Composer/Scholar
2015 Darren Mueller Eastman School of Music, University of Rochester Assistant Professor of Musicology (tenure-track)
2015 Rebecca Geoffroy-Schwinden University of North Texas  Assistant Professor of Music (tenure-track)
2014 David Kirkland Garner School of Music, University of South Carolina Assistant Professor of Composition (tenure-track)
2014 Gavin Lee Soochow University School of Music, China Assistant Professor of Music (tenure-track)
2014 Sarah Elaine Neill    
2014 Katharina Uhde Valparaiso University, Valparaiso, IN Associate Professor for Violin and Musicology
2014 Matthew Somoroff Durham, NC Freelance Editor
2014 Stephen Pysnik Durham, NC Development Associate, KidzNotes
2014 Yana Lowry Durham, NC Assistant Director, Duke University FOCUS Program
2013 Alex Kotch Durham, NC Research Associate, Institute for Southern Studies
2013 Angela Mace Shenandoah Conservatory Adjunct Assistant Professor
2013 Dan Ruccia Duke University Press Advertising, Design, and Production Coordinator, Journals Marketing
2013 Elizabeth Joyner Chapel Hill, NC Audience Development for Carolina Performing Arts
2013 Kelley Tatro University of Chicago, Chicago, IL Development Writer, Alumni Relations and Development;
Independent Academic & Nonfiction Writer and Editor
2013 Paul Swartzel Asheville, NC Teacher, Asheville Music School
2013 Timothy Hambourger Durham, NC  
2012 Janet Jieru Chen Taipei, Taiwan Co-Director, Asian Young Musicians Collective
2012 Karen Cook University of Hartford, CT Associate Professor of Music History, The Hartt School
2011 Ben Crawford Durham, NC  
2011 George Lam Hong Kong Baptist University Associate Professor of Music
2011 Michael Trinastic Russell Lacy Music, Durham, NC Piano, Music Theory, and Composition Teacher
Visiting Professor in Music Theory (UNC-Chapel Hill, 2012)
2011 Paul Leary SUNY-Oswego Associate Professor of Music
2011 Tania Gutnik Chapel Hill, NC  
2011 Youngmi Cho Seoul, Korea Music Lecturer
2010 Kathleen Bader Tucson, AZ Development and Design Coordinator at Archaeology Southwest
2010 Michael Kennedy Los Angeles, CA Freelance Composer
2010 Thom Limbert Sonoma State University Associate Professor of Music; Director, Walford Studio/Composition
2010 Jessica Wood New York Public Library Assistant Curator, Music Division / Rodgers & Hammerstein Archives of Recorded Sound
2009 Chia-yu Hsu Univ. of Wisconsin- Eau Claire Assistant Professor of Music Composition
2009 Jason S. Heilman Tulsa, OK Public Radio Tulsa - host and producer
2009 Jennifer Woodruff Savannah Music Festival Education Director
2009 Joyce Kurpiers Durham, NC Market Research Consultant
2008 Carl Schimmel Illinois State University Associate Professor of Theory and Composition
2008 Jeffrey Palenik WI Independent scholar
2008 Jeremy Smith East Tennessee State University Director, Archives of Appalachia, Sherrod Library
2008 Quyen Tran WI changed profession
2008 Todd Herschberger Durham, NC Freelance composer/performer
2007 John E. Bower Ohio State University Instructor of Music Theory
2007 Kasey Mattia Adult School of Montclair, NJ Instructor
2007 Samuel Breene Rhode Island College Associate Professor
2006 Aristides Llaneza Sandoval Chapel Hill, NC Freelance composer and artistic advisor
2006 Caroline Mallonée Buffalo, NY Freelance Composer and Director, The Walden School Creative Musicians Retreat (Dublin, New Hampshire)
2006 John Mayrose University of Wisconsin Oshkosh Assistant Professor of Composition and Theory
2006 Lily Hirsch Cleveland State University Assistant Professor
2006 Ryan Malone Bucknell University Assistant Professor of Music
2005 Jennifer Fitzgerald Lawrence University (deceased 2007) Instructor
2005 Marcel Pusey    
2005 Mikhail Krishtal Zenph Studios Director of Music Research and Production
2004 Christina Gier University of Alberta Assistant Professor
2004 Craig DeAlmeida Lincoln Financial Group Actuary
2004 Jonathan Gibson James Madison University Associate Professor
2003 marc faris eCornell Instructional designer for custom programs; independent composer
2003 Nathaniel Stookey San Francisco, CA Freelance composer
2003 Timothy Dickey Ohio Wesleyan University Adjunct Professor
2002 Antony John St. Louis, MO Young adult author
2002 Georgiary Bledsoe Durham, NC Founder and Executive Director, BUMP: The Triangle
2002 Janet Pollack Colorado State University Assistant Professor
2001 Andrew Sauerwein Belhaven College Associate Professor
2001 Andrew Unsworth Salt Lake City, UT Tabernacle Organist, Mormon Tabernacle Choir
2001 Colleen Baade Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska Assistant Professor of Spanish
2001 Giuseppe Gerbino Columbia University Chair, Department of Music, Professor
2001 Graham Hunt University of Texas, Arlington Professor of Music Theory
Associate Chair, Department of Music
Member, Academy of Distinguished Teachers, University of Texas System
2001 James Harkins Xinghai Conservatory in  Guangzhou, China Associate Professor
2001 Tushaar Power Columbus State University Instructor
2000 James Carlson University of the South Visiting Assistant Professor
2000 Richard Townley Memphis Boys Choir Music Director
1999 Akira Ishii Keio University, Japan Professor
1999 Christopher Adler University of San Diego Professor
1999 Christopher Anderson Southern Methodist University Associate Professor
1999 Joanne Metcalf Lawrence University Associate Professor
1999 Joy Calico Vanderbilt University Professor
1999 Oleg Timofeyev University of Iowa Visiting Assistant Professor, International Programs
1999 Sidney Boquiren Adelphi University Professor, Department of Music and African, Black, and Caribbean Studies Program
1998 David Lipten Tallahassee, FL Freelance composer and President/Consultant for GrantWorks
1998 Mary Oleskiewicz University of Massachusetts, Boston Associate Professor
1997 Camille Crittenden University of California (Berkeley) Executive Director, Human Rights Center
1997 Charlotte Leonard Laurentian University (Ontario) Associate Professor
1997 Kathryn Lowerre   Independent scholar
1997 Mark Kuss Southern Connecticut State University Professor, Orchestra New England Composer in Residence
1997 Neil Lerner Davidson College Professor
1997 Penka Kouneva Los Angeles, CA Composer for film and video games
1997 Thomas Garcia Miami University Associate Professor
1997 Timothy Burris Portland, ME Technical Education Developer; Lute and early plucked strings Instructor, Colby College and the Portland Conservatory of Music
1996 Anna Harwell Celenza Georgetown University Thomas E. Caestecker Professor of Music
1996 Charles Youmans Pennsylvania State University (University Park) Associate Professor
1996 Stephen Zank    
1995 Drue Fergison Houston, MN Translator (French to English) and Writer
1995 Gary Boye Appalachian State University Professor/Music Librarian
1994 Claire Fontijn Wellesley College Professor, Music Department Chair
1994 Jean-Paul C. Montagnier Université de Lorraine, France Professor
1994 John Michael Cooper Southwestern University Associate Professor/Margarett Root Brown Chair in Fine Arts
1993 Jane Flynn    
1993 Janet Page University of Memphis Associate Professor
1992 Candace Bailey North Carolina Central University Professor
1992 Donna Lee Portland, Oregon Attorney (medical malpractice defense)
1992 Tatsuhiko Itoh International Christian University, Tokyo Professor, Director of Sacred Music Center
1991 Janet Pyatt   Research and family responsibilities
1990 Kenneth Kreitner University of Memphis Benjamin W. Rawlins Professor / Director of Graduate Studies
1989 Daniel Katz Germany Adjunct faculty, Abraham Geiger College (liberal rabbinical and cantorial seminary in Berlin) and University of Potsdam
1989 Stephen Keyl    
1987 David Gramit University of Alberta Department of Music Chair, Professor of Musicology
1987 Raymond Knapp UCLA Professor of Musicology (also Adjunct Professor -- McGill University, Montreal)