Director of Enrollment Management

Faculty • English Literature

Natalie Staples earned her Bachelor of Arts in English with a concentration in Creative Writing from Kenyon College and a Master of Fine Arts in Poetry from the University of Oregon, where she also taught Poetry and Composition before coming to the Academy.

Chief of Staff / Theatre Faculty

Emily Luhrs is a collaborative leader and educator with more than a decade of experience spanning arts education, school operations, and professional performance. She began her work at The Chicago Academy for the Arts in 2017 as a guest teaching artist and director of special programs for Middle School Programs.

Faculty • Theatre

Buck has been working as the Technical Director/Production Manager for The Chicago Academy for the Arts since 2004.  He is a Member of the Illinois Theatre Association and the CAA representative to the USITT.

Faculty • Theatre

Kelli Harrington, a Jeff Award-winning vocalist with both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Vocal Performance from Northwestern University, is a seasoned performer in plays, musicals, and operas, and has been teaching voice at the Chicago Academy for the Arts since 2000.

Director of Middle School Programs / Faculty • Theatre

Sarah Grant has been a faculty member at the Academy since 2019, where she directs and teaches in the Theatre and Musical Theatre Departments. She holds a master’s degree in the Humanities from the University of Chicago.

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.

Faculty • Media Arts

Jake Hinkson is the author of several books, including the novels Hell On Church Street, The Posthumous Man, and No Tomorrow, the short story collection The Deepening Shade, and the essay collection The Blind Alley: Exploring Film Noir’s Forgotten Corners. He was a a guest lecturer at The Academy in early 2016 and later joined the faculty. 

Faculty • Media Arts

Jeremy Marder is a filmmaker and a manager/programmer at the historic Music Box Theatre. He is a graduate of the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana with a degree in Global Studies and Media and Cinema Studies.

Faculty • Media Arts & Visual Arts

Pablo Monterrubio-Benet is a Mexican-American artist and filmmaker currently based in Chicago. He earned his MFA from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2016, focusing on filmmaking and interactive media art.