Described as “…one of his generation’s finest guitarists (Fingerstyle Guitar Magazine), Zane Forshee seamlessly bridges the traditions of the past with works of living composers to engage and challenge audiences.

The work of composer and pianist Judah Adashi is guided by a belief that the creation and performance of new music can bear witness to injustice, create space for empathy, and serve as a call to action. Based in his hometown of Baltimore, he is the founder and artistic director of the Evolution Contemporary Music Series and Rise Bmore, and has been a member of the Peabody faculty since 2002.

Brad Balliett enjoys being a musical omnivore, focusing equal parts of his career on composing, playing bassoon, and teaching artistry. In addition to the Professional Studies department, Brad is on the bassoon faculty at The Peabody Institute, and teaches music history and appreciation at The Juilliard School.

Amanda Cook is the Editor of I CARE IF YOU LISTEN, an award-winning online platform for new music. A digital editor and music critic, her background in flute performance, higher education, and nonprofit administration coupled with her work in music journalism provides a unique perspective from which to view the current state of classical music.

Whether singing the soaring chants of Hildegard of Bingen or crafting arrangements of ancient music for historical harps, Alix Evans is dedicated to breathing life back into ancient music. Evans' passion is inspiring people through performance of this unique repertoire, and drawing them into the world of early music through teaching and performance opportunities.

Don Franzen’s legal practice focuses on the entertainment industry, including recordings, live entertainment (concerts and stage), film and television, celebrity rights, business formation, and copyright and trademark. In addition to his legal work, he has acted as a producer on video and audio recording projects involving major performing artists.

Jeannie Howe is executive director of the Greater Baltimore Cultural Alliance, a leading nonprofit provider of services to artists and cultural organizations in the region. She has an eclectic background including in professional theater, as well as in the fields of adult literacy, statewide childcare advocacy, and stem cell transplantation.

Megan Ihnen is a “new music force of nature.” The act of live performance is integral to Ihnen’s work and her performances thrive on elaborate sound worlds and fully-developed dramatic interpretations.

With thirty years of experience leading arts organizations, Andrew T. Kipe has a breadth of expertise that encompasses navigating the dynamic landscape of the 21st-century arts environment, seamlessly integrating innovation with tradition in fostering creativity and community engagement.

Alysia receives national recognition for advancing access, equity, and decolonization with leaders, organizations, and communities. Her methods center on youth leadership, anti-racism, creativity, and justice. She is the inaugural President of the Baltimore Children & Youth Fund and Founder and Artistic Director of Sister Cities Girlchoir, the El Sistema-inspired, girl empowerment choral academy.

Christina Manceor is a percussionist, educator, and arts administrator with diverse musical interests. Currently based in the Baltimore area, she serves as adjunct faculty for the Professional Studies department at Peabody Conservatory, teaching courses for the innovative Breakthrough Curriculum.

Robin McGinness is an operatic baritone and career coach whose current interests include finding ways to use theater and games to facilitate professional development, self-management for performers, art song house concerts, and modernizing the operatic repertoire.

Wendel Patrick is a professor, composer, producer, beatmaker, pianist, sonic architect, photographer, and videographer. He is the host of “Artworks” on Maryland Public Television/PBS and a visiting non-resident Fellow at Harvard University’s Hutchins Center for African and African American Research.

CJay Philip is Artistic Director of Dance & Bmore, a Baltimore-based ensemble with a dynamic and unique fusion of movement, original music, and spoken-word. CJay's work in the community has been recognized and awarded a Baltimore Social Innovators Award, an Arts Advocate Award and a Champion of Courage Award. CJay has been a Robert W. Deutsch Fellow and was part of the first cohort of Kennedy Center Citizen Artist Fellows.

Chicago-based percussionist and performer Adam Rosenblatt has a penchant for finding interesting and uncommon ways to present and perform contemporary music. He is Artistic Co-Director of Beyond This Point, a percussion-based collaborative ensemble that combines artistic mediums to create unique and immersive performance experiences.

I grew up in New York, fell in love with opera when I was nine, and with rock & roll at 11. Studied singing, went to Harvard, where I majored in government. Decided I’d compose, and, having written just two pieces, got by a miracle into the Yale School of Music, where I got a master’s degree.

Jessica Satava is a passionate advocate for the power of symphonic music to activate and unite communities. She serves as the Executive Director of the Greenville Symphony Orchestra, now celebrating its 75th year of service to South Carolina’s upstate through music.

Khandeya Sheppard is a member of the LAUNCHPad team and serves as the Manager of Community Partnerships at Peabody. Sheppard is a steelpan musician, educator, and arts administrator with a wide range of solo and ensemble performance experiences in the United States and Trinidad and Tobago.

Violinist Sarah Thomas is a performer, educator, and founding member of the Bergamot Quartet, a string quartet based in NYC that is fueled by a passion for exploring and advocating for the music of living composers. She is also on staff at Peabody’s LAUNCHPad office, where she supports students and recent alumni in their career pursuits.

Claire Galloway Weber has an active performance career that encompasses operatic roles, art song, contemporary compositions, and vocal chamber music. In addition to teaching in the Professional Studies Department, she is a diction professor at Peabody and has taught voice students of all ages and voice types.

Passionately inspired by the unique and powerful ability of the arts to deepen societal and personal development while building stronger, healthier communities, Aubree Weiley has spent 25 years championing artistic engagement.