Introducing 2 new visiting professors
Jeffrey Allardyce, Visiting Assistant Professor of Saxophone and Music Theory
I'm excited to build connections with the faculty and students in both the performance and academic areas. As someone with a teaching load in both camps, I'm looking forward to meeting new people, learning about and experiencing the culture at the U, and guiding my students to be their best musical selves! This will be a great new adventure for me and I can't wait to live and teach in such a beautiful place.
Jeffrey Allardyce is a saxophone performer, music theorist, and educator from West Michigan. He currently serves as Visiting Assistant Professor of Saxophone and Music Theory at the University of Utah. On the stage, in the classroom, and beyond, he connects with his audiences through his musical passion, welcoming personality, and desire to make a meaningful impact in his community.
As a soloist, Allardyce competed in the 8th International Adolphe Sax Competition in Dinant, Belgium in addition to being named a finalist in the North American Saxophone Alliance (NASA) Collegiate Solo Competition and Music Teacher’s National Association (MTNA) Young Artist Competition. As a chamber musician, he holds the tenor chair in Sound Session, an award-winning saxophone quartet that received first place in the Fischoff “Lift Every Voice” Competition, NASA Quartet Competition, MTNA Chamber Music Competition, Barbara Wagner Chamber Music Competition, and NOLA Chamber Fest. As an ensemble musician, he has performed with the Lansing Symphony Orchestra and internationally with saxophone ensembles at the 17th and 18th World Saxophone Congresses in Strasbourg, France and Zagreb, Croatia, respectively.
Allardyce holds a Doctor of Musical Arts in Saxophone Performance and Master of Music in Music Theory Pedagogy from Michigan State University (2024), a Master of Music in Saxophone Performance and Literature from the Eastman School of Music (2021), and two Bachelor’s degrees in Music Education and Performance from Central Michigan University (2019). His previous teachers include Joseph Lulloff, Chien-Kwan Lin, John Nichol, and Jonathan Nichol.
Eric Schmidt, Visiting Assistant Professor in Choral Studies
I am thrilled to return to the fantastic choir program at the U and cannot wait to get to know to my new students and colleagues!
Eric Schmidt comes to the U from the DePauw University School of Music, where he is Assistant Professor and Director of Choirs. Outside of DePauw, he is the Chorusmaster for the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra and frequently prepares choirs for Sir Donald Runnicles at the Grand Teton Music Festival. In his native country Germany, Eric is Artistic Director for a choir camp at the Internationaler Arbeitskreis für Musik. He serves on the executive board of the Indiana Choral Directors Association and works as clinician and adjudicator in the Midwest.