Chair • Music Department

Praised for her “Gleaming tone and Hollywood glamour” (Chicago Classical Review), Rachel Brown is a Chicago-based chamber musician, soloist, orchestral performer, educator, and arts administrator.

New Music Ensemble Director

Jesse Langen is a guitarist who specializes in new music. He works with living composers regularly and premieres dozens of pieces every season. He has taught at The Academy since 2002.

Director of Jazz Combos, Jazz Saxophone Instructor

Saxophonist and composer Gregory Dudzienski lives a life of constant motion. After years of travel, he has become a member of Chicago’s strong community of musicians and improvisers.

Director of Recording Arts and Commercial Music

A native of Naperville, Illinois, Jack Murray began training in classical piano at the age of four. After falling in love with music at a young age, Jack has since led an impressive career in the audio industry.

Vocal Jazz Ensemble Co-Director, Jazz Voice Instructor

Callandra (Cal) Youngleson is a South African jazz vocalist, composer, and educator who, after earning her Master’s in Jazz Studies from the University of North Texas.

Classical Harp Instructor

Nichole is a sought-after harpist and passionate educator in the Chicago area, known for her versatile performances—from classical and jazz to pop—and her commitment to guiding aspiring musicians as a faculty member at the Chicago Academy for the Arts and other institutions.

Drum Set Instructor

Jonah Lazarus is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, and educator from Oak Park, IL who, inspired by his Jewish family’s artistic roots and studies in African and Brazilian music, now focuses on teaching, composing, performing, and recording with his family band, Family Junket in Chicago.

Classical Vocal Workshop Director, Classical Voice Instructor

Alyssa Bennett has enjoyed a varied performing career in Chicago and also internationally as featured soprano soloist and United States cultural emissary.

Vocal Jazz Ensemble Co-Director, Jazz Piano Instructor

Nicholas Olynciw is a rising Chicago-based jazz pianist and educator—winner of multiple piano competitions, a graduate of the University of North Texas and Western Michigan University.

Jazz Bass Instructor

A Decatur, IL native, Christopher Nolte received degrees in music from Millikin University and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he studied with Jeff Grubbs, Larry Gray, Chip Stephens, Chip McNeil, and Jim Pugh.

Classical Saxophone Instructor

An acclaimed saxophonist, Richard Brasseale has played with numerous ensembles, including the Milwaukee Symphony, Madison Symphony, Fulcrum Point New Music Ensemble, Camerata Chicago, Civic Orchestra of Chicago, and others.