Music Theory Faculty

 Megan Grace Beugger received her PhD in music composition from SUNY University at Buffalo, where she was a Presidential Fellow. She is interested in finding situations that highlight the physicality of making sound, and the physical nature of the performers’ bodies themself, often creating art that sits on the borderline between music, dance, visual art, and performance art. 
Her music has been performed at festivals such as June in Buffalo, Qubit Noise Festival in NYC, the Munich Philharmonic Gasteig new music series, Schloss Solitude in Stuttgart, SICPP in Boston, and the MATA festival in New York. She has worked with musicians such as the JACK quartet, Lucas Fels, Dal Niente, Ensemble SurPlus, saxophonist Ryan Muncy, ICE, cellist Katinka Kleijn, and dancer/choreographer Melanie Aceto. She has taken lessons and presented her music in master classes with composers including Jo Kondo, Chaya Czernowin, Steven Takasugi, Amnon Wolman, Kaija Saariaho, Rand Steiger, Lei Liang, Oliver Knussen, Augusta Read Thomas, John Harbison, Brian Ferneyhough, and Pauline Oliveros. 
In 2010, she graduated cum laude from Northwestern University with departmental honors. Her principal teachers have been Robert Ian Winstin, Aaron Travers, Aaron Cassidy, Lee Hyla, Chris Mercer, Marcos Balter, Jay Alan Yim, and David Felder. Megan has taught and designed courses in theory, musicology, and composition at the University at Buffalo, the Walden School in New Hampshire, and is currently teaching theory and composition at Midwest Young Artists Conservatory.

Emily Kuhn is a jazz trumpet player based in Chicago, IL, described by the Chicago Jazz Magazine as having “a charismatic style and a sophistication that belies her youth.” Originally from Charlottesville, VA, Emily has made a name for herself as an active bandleader, sidewoman, composer, and educator. She released two albums via BACE Records, "Sky Stories" (2020) and "Ghosts of Us" (2023), to numerous accolades. She was named a Luminarts Fellow in Jazz in 2020.

Emily leads two bands: a jazz quintet and a nine-piece chamber jazz ensemble, Helios. Outside of these projects, Emily plays regularly with a wide variety of ensembles across the jazz and Latin scenes in Chicago, including Latin fusion band Son Monarcas, Kitt Lyles’ Real Talk Collective, Gustavo Cortiñas’ Kind Regards, Sam Pilnick’s Nonet Project, Erik Skov’s Liminality, John Dorhauer’s Heisenberg Uncertainty Players, and Christy Bennett's Fumée. She has brought her original music to festivals including Hey Nonny’s Women’s Jazz Festival, the Festival of New Trumpet Music, the MCA's Tuesdays on the Terrace, and the Chicago Park District's Night Out in the Parks series, and she has performed at the Chicago Jazz Festival and Stanford Jazz Festival among others. Emily is currently the Jazz Combo Director and Improv Instructor at Hersey High School, and she has taught throughout Chicago and nationwide through MUSIC Inc., Chicago Jazz Philharmonic, Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras, and Stanford Jazz Workshop. Emily has a BM and BA in Jazz Trumpet Performance and Environmental Studies from Oberlin. She studied with renowned trumpet players Eddie Henderson, Sean Jones, John D’earth, and John Henes.

Brent Griffin Jr.