Ensemble Faculty

2013-14 Conductors and Ensemble Program Heads

While ensembles are core to the study of music at Roosevelt, we do not offer any degrees in conducting.  Courses in conducting are available to music conservatory students as part of their degree plan. Music students should consult their advisors for more information.

Non-CCPA Roosevelt students seeking to perform with the CCPA major ensembles should contact Linda Berna, Associate Dean for Music and Director of the Music Conservatory, at lberna@roosevelt.edu.

Cheryl Frazes Hill has served as Head of Music Education and Director of Choral Activities at Chicago College of Performing Arts since 2002. Dr. Frazes conducts the Conservatory Chorus, an 80 voice choir featured in recent performances of major works including Verdi’s Requiem, Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, and Orff’s Carmina Burana, along with numerous concert performances and guest appearances. As Head of Music Education, Dr. Frazes teaches, advises and manages the preparation of music education students in coursework for certification in instrumental, choral and general music education grades K-12.

Dr. Frazes holds the position of Associate Conductor of the Chicago Symphony Chorus. She served as associate to Margaret Hillis and now assists Chorus Music Director Duain Wolfe.  Dr. Frazes Hill has prepared the CSC for Maestros Boulez, Barenboim, Levine, Mehta, Tilson Thomas and many others, as well as conducting the Chicago Symphony Chorus in concert at Orchestra Hall.

Dr. Frazes Hill received her Doctorate in Conducting and her Master of Music degree from Northwestern University and two undergraduate degrees from the University of Illinois. An accomplished vocalist, she is a featured soloist, nominated for a Grammy Award in the CBS Masterworks release Mozart, Music for Basset Horns. During her 15 years of public school teaching, Dr. Frazes Hill received numerous awards, including the Illinois Governor's Award in 1993, the Northwestern University Alumni Merit Award in 1997, the Commendation of Excellence in Teaching from the Golden Apple Foundation in 1987, the Outstanding Teaching Award from the University of Chicago in 1988, and the Outstanding Music Educator Award in 1991. 

Dr. Frazes Hill is a frequent clinician, guest conductor and guest speaker throughout the country. She has written numerous articles for national journals on topics of her research in music education and choral conducting.

Stefan Hersh enjoys a varied career, equally at home as a chamber musician, soloist, orchestral musician and pedagogue. He performs nationally as a guest artist, teacher and lecturer both as a guest performer, and as a member of the Rembrandt Chamber Players. Mr. Hersh moved to Chicago in 1995 from Minneapolis, where he was Principal Second Violin with the Minnesota Orchestra. He was the Second Violinist of the Chicago String Quartet, and a member of the Chicago Chamber Musicians until 2000.

Mr. Hersh began his career in his native San Francisco Bay Area where he studied at the San Francisco Conservatory with Isidore Tinkleman, David Abel and Camilla Wicks. As a student, Mr. Hersh attended the Aspen and Tanglewood festivals. After completing his training Hersh became Concertmaster of the San Francisco Chamber Orchestra and Sinfonia San Francisco, and founded several chamber music series’ in the San Francisco area. In 1989 Mr. Hersh joined the Vancouver Symphony as Assistant Concertmaster where he remained until joining the Minnesota Orchestra in 1991.

Mr. Hersh has been heard as a chamber musician nationwide in venues including the Bard, Ravinia, Olympic, Skaneatles, Moab, Taos, Colorado College, Roycroft and Chamber Music West festivals. In 1993, Mr. Hersh performed Mozart’s Concertone for Two Violins with Violinist Joseph Silverstein and the Minnesota Orchestra. Mr. Hersh’s 1995 solo performance of Max Bruch’s Scottish Fantasy with the Minnesota Orchestra drew critical praise from the press and was featured on national radio broadcasts through Public Radio International.

Mr. Hersh comes from a musical family. His paternal grandparents were both professional musicians, and recital collaborations between Hersh and his father, pianist Paul Hersh, have included complete Beethoven and Brahms Sonata Cycles across the U.S. as well as lecture/performance residencies at a number of American Universities. In 2002, Stefan and Paul Hersh released a set of recordings of the complete Beethoven Sonatas for Violin and Piano.

Stephen Squires is Professor of Conducting in the Music Conservatory at Chicago College of Performing Arts, Roosevelt University. At CCPA, Mr. Squires conducts the Wind Ensemble. As a professional conductor, Mr. Squires has worked with many exceptional artists, including Janos Starker, Pinchas Zukerman, Shmuel Ashkenasi, John Browning, Leon Bates, Ani Kavafian, Wendy Warner, James Tocco, Richard Stoltzman, and most of the principal players of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Lyric Opera Orchestra.

Mr. Squires received his musical training at the Preparatory School of the Eastman School of Music and the Crane School of Music, in his home state of New York. He earned his Master's degree in Instrumental Conducting/Trumpet Performance at California State University, Northridge. He continued conducting study in seminars with Helmuth Rilling, Maurice Abravanel, Daniel Lewis, Tsung Yeh, and the Aspen School.

A conductor active in orchestral, wind, operatic and ballet music, Mr. Squires' current professional appointments include Associate Conductor of the Elgin Symphony Orchestra, Music Director of the Mendelssohn Chamber Orchestra (Rockford, IL), Principal Guest Conductor of the Millar Brass (Evanston, IL), and Conductor of the Salt Creek Ballet Orchestra (Hinsdale, IL). He recently made his debut conducting the Syracuse Symphony. He is the former Music Director of the Illinois Chamber Symphony. In addition, Mr. Squires is an accomplished recital accompanist and freelance trumpeter. He joined the faculty of CCPA in 2001