Senior Airman Kathleen Keese
Oboe
Senior Airman Kathleen Keese is an oboist with the United States Air Force Band of the West, where she is assigned to the Concert Band and Spectrum. A native of Bridgewater, VA, she graduated from Turner Ashby High School in 2004. SrA Keese went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in music performance, summa cum laude, from James Madison University in 2008. In 2010 she earned a master’s degree in music performance from the University of Minnesota as a Berneking Fellow.
SrA Kathleen Keese joined the USAF in 2011. Her assignments include the USAF Band of Liberty, Hanscom AFB, MA from 2011-2013, and the USAF Band of the West, JBSA-Lackland, TX from June 2013.
SrA Keese has studied with John Snow and Dr. Michele Kirkdorffer, and has performed in masterclasses for Robert Atherholt, Allan Vogel, Neil Black, Mark Ostoich, Ray Still, and Nancy Ambrose King. She has performed with the Sarasota Music Festival, Shenandoah Valley Bach Festival, Shenandoah Symphony, West Virginia Symphony, St. Cloud Symphony, Mankato Symphony, the Opera Theatre and Music Festival of Lucca, Italy, and the Montpelier Winds. She is also an active member of the San Antonio Chamber Winds.
SrA Keese has been awarded the USAF Achievement Medal, the National Defense Medal and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal. She was also a basic military training honor graduate.
Senior Airman Emily Matter
Bassoon
Senior Airman (SrA) Emily Matter is a bassoonist with the USAF Band of the West and is currently assigned to the Woodwind Quintet and Concert Band. She is from St. Cloud, MN and joined the Air Force in June of 2011.
SrA Matter graduated from Technical High School in 2007 and went on to continue her education at Concordia College in Moorhead, MN. There she performed in the Concordia College Band and Orchestra under the direction of Dr. Scott Jones and Professor Bruce Houglum. In November of 2010 she was a featured contrabassoon soloist during the music department's annual PRISM concert and in February 2011 she was a soloist in the piece "Three's Company" for orchestra. In May of 2011 she graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education.
SrA Matter has studied bassoon with Russell Peterson, Norbert Nielubowski, Chuck Ullery, Kyle McCallum, and Kaori Uno. She has earned the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award, the National Defense Service Medal, and the Global War on Terrorism Medal.
SrA Matter currently resides in San Antonio, Texas. Aside from music she enjoys spending time with friends, hiking, rock climbing, and being in the mountains.
Airman First Class Randolph Palada
Clarinet
Airman First Class Randolph Palada is a clarinetist with the United States Air Force Band of the West in San Antonio, TX where he performs with the Concert Band, the Ceremonial Marching Band, and the Spectrum Winds woodwind quintet. A native of Sacramento, CA, he graduated from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music in 2010 with a Bachelor of Music in Clarinet Performance and subsequently completed a Master of Music degree with honors in Clarinet Performance in 2012 at the New England Conservatory of Music.
A1C Palada has studied with clarinetists Michael Wayne (Boston Symphony Orchestra), Luis Baez (San Francisco Symphony), and Ben Freimuth (San Francisco Symphony). In 2011 he was both a finalist in the International Clarinet Association Artist Competition and the runner up of the New England Conservatory Concerto Competition. He was also awarded an honorable mention in the 2010 San Francisco Conservatory Concerto Competition. He has performed under the baton of Kurt Masur, Michael Tilson Thomas and Simon Rattle and performed in Davies Symphony Hall, Disney Concert Hall, The Kennedy Center, Smetana Hall, and Berliner Philharmonie.
Prior to joining the USAF Band of the West in 2014 A1C Palada held the position of Principal Clarinet with the New Bedford Symphony Orchestra (MA) and was a member of both the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra and the Discovery Chamber Ensemble. No stranger to San Antonio, A1C Palada played his first concerts there in 2013 in the ‘Q Chamber Music Series’ performing with members of the San Antonio and St. Louis Symphonies.
Master Sergeant Hughey Hancock
French Horn
MSgt Hughey Hancock plays French horn with the United States Air Force Band of the West where he is assigned to the Concert Band, Ceremonial Marching Band, and is the Non-commissioned Officer in Charge of Brass in Blue. Hailing from Charleston, SC he earned a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Furman University in 1989. In 1992 he earned a Masters degree in Music Performance from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.
MSgt Hancock joined the USAF in 1996. His assignments include: the USAF Band of Flight, WPAFB, OH from 1996 to 2004, the USAF in Europe Band, Sembach AB, Germany from 2004 to 2007, and the USAF Heartland of America Band, OAFB, NE from 2007 to 2013. He joined the USAF Band of the West, Lackland AFB, TX September 2013.
MSgt Hancock studied with Robert Pruzin, Gayle Chesebro, Michael Hatfield and Steven Gross. He has taught at schools in South Carolina, Ohio and Indiana including Earlham College and Wright State University and performed with the Omaha Symphony, Omaha Opera Orchestra, and Dayton Philharmonic.
MSgt Hancock’s military awards include two Meritorious Service Medals, four USAF Commendation Medals, the National Defense Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary and Service Medals and the USAF Recognition Ribbon.
Source: www.bandofthewest.af.mil |