Meet the Directors
Learn more about the people directing our ensembles and the work they do.
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College of Liberal Arts
Matthew Mehaffey

mehaffey@umn.edu

612-624-1511

Matthew Mehaffey is a professor of choral music. He also serves as artistic director of the Oratorio Society of Minnesota. Recent engagements include work with Washington National Opera, the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, Minnesota Orchestra, Carnegie Hall, VocalEssence, Minnesota Chorale, and Turner Network Television.

Brian A. Schmidt

schm0909@umn.edu

612-624-5740

Brian A. Schmidt is a GRAMMY©️-nominated conductor with a twenty-year career focused on developing meaningful musical experiences for audiences and artists alike. Schmidt currently serves as artistic director on the team of Gateway Music Festivals & Tours, helping design life-changing performance tours for bands and choirs nationally and internationally.

Adrian Davis

davi1452@umn.edu

612-624-9557

Gospel Choir director Adrian Davis is a native of Memphis, Tennessee. He earned his Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Memphis, and his Master of Music degree from the University of Saint Thomas. He was nominated as a quarterfinalist for Grammy Music Educator of the Year in 2014 and 2016 and was featured on Classical MPR in January 2014 for excellence in music education. He was also selected as a top educator in the Celebration of Teachers for Minneapolis Public Schools in 2016. In 2017, he was nominated finalist for Minnesota Teacher of the Year.

Fernando Meza

mezax001@umn.edu

612-624-5846

Fernando Meza is an Associate Professor at the University of Minnesota School of Music, where he has been the Director of Percussion Studies since 1993. Meza holds a master's degree from the University of Michigan and a bachelor's degree from Baylor University and has studied with Stuart Marrs, John Soroka, Larry Vanlandingham, and Michael Udow. He was in charge of the percussion department at The Ohio State University in Columbus prior to his arrival in the Twin Cities and has also served on the faculties of the National Center of Music and the University of Costa Rica.

Scott Currie

scurrie@umn.edu

612-624-7512

Scott Currie earned bachelor’s degrees at Swarthmore College (physics and political science) and the State University of New York College at Old Westbury (African-American music), master’s degrees at City University of New York (education) and New York University (ethnomusicology), and his PhD in ethnomusicology at New York University. His research to date has focused on ethnographic studies of avant-garde jazz practice in New York City and Berlin, as well as historical/ethnographic studies of Ornette Coleman’s collaborations with the Master Musicians of Jajouka, Morocco.

Sowah Mensah

mensa001@umn.edu

612-624-5740

Sowah Mensah is an ethnomusicologist, composer, and a “Master Drummer" from Ghana, West Africa. Sowah has taught music in both Ghana and Nigeria. He is currently a music professor at both Macalester College and the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul where he also directs each school’s African Music Ensemble. He is currently a James Marsh Professor at Large at the University of Vermont, Burlington, VT. In addition, he also directs the African Music Ensemble at the University of Minnesota.