Matthew Herman holds a Doctorate of Musical Arts in composition from Temple University. Previous degrees were earned at Bowling Green State University and The College of Wooster. His teachers have included Samuel Adler, Burton Beerman, Richard Brodhead, Wallace DePue, Jack Gallagher, Matthew Greenbaum, Marilyn Shrude and Maurice Wright. He has
also participated in masterclasses with Claude Baker, Don Freund, Karel Husa, Gunther Schuller, and Jan van der Roost.

Dr. Herman's first orchestral composition, “The War
Prayer,” was featured on a 1998 concert of “Young and Emerging Composers” by the Cleveland Chamber Symphony. Since then, his compositions have been performed throughout the United States and in Europe. Recent performances include the premiere of his Bassoon Sonata at the International Double Reed Conference, the premiere of his oboe sonata at Carnegie Hall, a performance of his choral anthem “A Field Afar” on a WVIA television special and a premiere of two commissioned works for the University of Scranton’s Wind Ensemble and Choir.

Dr. Herman has earned numerous accolades for his teaching of music theory and composition, including the prestigious Stimson Carrow Tribute Award at Temple University. West Chester University named him an Outstanding Educator of the
Year three times in five years. He is currently on the faculty of Temple University and Montgomery County Community College.

Gene Koshinski has received international acclaim as a percussionist, extended success as a published composer (ASCAP), and is currently instructor of percussion at the University of Minnesota Duluth. He performs and teaches in an array of musical mediums including solo, chamber, orchestral, jazz (drum set and vibraphone), studio recording, African drumming, Brazilian percussion, Cuban and Haitian drumming, Caribbean steelband, and other types of world music. He has studied percussion with Benjamin Toth, David Samuels, Chris Hanning, Alexander Lepak, Rogerio Boccato, Shane Shanahan, Joe Galeota, and John Amira.

In 2002, Koshinski won the National MTNA Collegiate Artist Percussion Competition in Cincinnati, OH and in August 2004 finished 3rd in the prestigious Universal Marimba Duo Competition in Sint-Truiden, Belgium. He is active as a performer and freelance percussionist having worked with numerous performing organizations and artists including NFL (National Football League) Films, Late Show with David Letterman, NASCAR, Mary Wilson (the Supremes), David Samuels, Wycliffe Gordon, Nebojsa Zivkovic, Philadelphia Boys Choir, Lehigh Valley Choral Arts, Brandywine Ballet, Pottstown Symphony, and the Waterbury Symphony to name a few. For his work with NFL Films, he can be heard on the Emmy award winning soundtrack "A Century of NFL."

Koshinski is a member of the Quey Percussion Duo, a project established to generate new works for percussion while also bringing standard repertoire to a broad audience. Koshinski has commissioned and premiered works by renowned composers including Stuart Saunders Smith, David Macbride, Dave Hollinden, Alejandro Vinao, Robert Maggio, Bruce Reiprich, Mathew Herman, and Alphonse Izzo. Gene holds degrees from West Chester University (BA), The Hartt School (MM) and is currently a Doctoral candidate (DMA) at the Hartt School. Koshinski is endorsed by Sabian Cymbals, Innovative Percussion, and HoneyRock Publications.

He teaches music theory and is director of percussion at PAI.

Perry Orfanella graduated from the Hartt School of Music, where he was a double bass student of Gary Karr and went on to receive his Masters of Music at the University of South Florida. He currently is Director of Orchestras at the Osceola County School for the Arts in Kissimmee Florida, a free-lance bass player and studio musician.

Bringing fourteen years of experience with him from the Encore Music Camp of Pennsylvania, he has served as the director of jazz activities, Jazz Band conductor, jazz combos coach and string bass teacher.

Peter Povey received his undergraduate degree from the Royal College of Music (England) in 2004. Before moving to the United States he had a large violin studio and was an active free-lance violinist in London, playing in regional orchestras and chamber ensembles. He is currently a master of music degree candidate at Yale School of Music and freelances throughout Connecticut, Pennsylvania and New York.

Bruce Reiprich, PAI composer in residence, received his undergraduate and master’s degrees from the Eastman School of Music and a Ph.D. in music composition from the University of Iowa. Formerly a faculty member of Oberlin College Conservatory of Music and Wilkes University, Reiprich is currently the head of music theory and composition at Northern Arizona University’s School of Performing Arts. His compositions have been performed throughout the United States and around the world including here at PAI, where the world premier of “In the Eyes of a Child” for symphonic orchestra was performed in the 2004 season.