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Music Faculty and Staff


Sarita Kwok

Sarita Kwok

Chair, Department of Music
Professor of Music
Adams Endowed Chair in Music

Sarita Kwok has distinguished herself as one of the most captivating and sophisticated performers to emerge from the ranks of Australia’s classical musicians. She has been enthralling audiences across the globe since she debuted with the Sydney Symphony at the age of fifteen and was named Symphony Australia Young Performer of the Year (Strings) shortly after. 

Born in Australia to Chinese parents, and raised in both Australia ... more ➔


Sandra Doneski

Sandra Doneski

Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs
Professor of Music
Director, Graduate Program in Music Education
Director of Undergraduate Program in Music Education

Dr. Sandra Doneski has taught in the Department of Music at Gordon College since 1999. She has been a teacher of music to students in kindergarten through graduate school. She teaches courses in music education methods, learning theory, assessment, curriculum development. She also supervises student teachers and conducts the Gordon College Children’s Choir. Dr. Doneski founded the Children’s Choir in 2000 to give children in the community ... more ➔

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Gerald Dolan

Gerald Dolan

Music Education Practicum and Pre-Practicum Supervisor
Instructor Instrumental Methods
Brass Methods and Advanced Conducting

Gerald J. Dolan, Jr. is the Director of the Gordon College Jazz Ensemble and Music Education Practicum and Pre Practicum Coordinator. He also teaches instrumental conducting in the Graduate Summer Music Education Program. Mr. Dolan recently retired Director of Fine Arts for the Ipswich Public Schools and as Director of Bands having conducted the high school Concert Band, Wind Ensemble, Pep Band, and Jazz Ensemble.  The Ipswich High School ... more ➔

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Minji Kim

Minji Kim

Assistant Professor of Music
Conductor of Women’s Choir and College Choir
Choral Methods and Conducting

Choral conductor, Dr. Minji Kim, joins Gordon College as Assistant Professor of Music. She has served as Visiting Assistant Professor and Assistant Director of Choral Studies at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where she directed the University Chorale and Chamber Consort, and taught Undergraduate Choral Literature, Advanced Choral Conducting, and Choral Methods classes. During her doctoral studies at the University of Maryland (UMD), she ... more ➔

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Jessica Modaff

Jessica Modaff

Assistant Professor in Music
Collaborative Pianist
Vocal and Instrumental Coach

Jessica Modaff, Assistant Professor of Music, is a collaborative pianist, music theorist, music director, and vocal/instrumental coach. Dr. Modaff has held professional collaborative pianist and coaching positions for numerous choirs and individual performers throughout the United States, England, France, Russia, Slovenia and Austria. She has been a collaborative pianist at contests and events for ACDA, NATS, IMEA, IHSA, ... more ➔

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Mary Montgomery Koppel

Mary Montgomery Koppel

Assistant Professor of Music

With music described by the Boston Globe as "hypnotic" and "haunting and hopeful," Mary Montgomery Koppel is a sought-after composer of choral, vocal, chamber, and orchestral works. Praised for her “luxuriant choral writing” and “myriad coloristic sonorities,” she writes in a compositional language that is both richly complex and contrapuntally refined, while remaining both aurally accessible and challenging. ... more ➔

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Roboert Southard

Robert (Gabe) Southard

Associate Teaching Professor of Music
Conductor, Gordon Symphony Orchestra
Conductor, Gordon Symphonic Band

Dr. Robert “Gabe" Southard joined Gordon College in the Fall 2022 as Associate Teaching Professor of Music and conductor of the Gordon Symphony Orchestra and Symphonic Band

Immediately prior to joining Gordon’s music faculty, Dr. Southard was serving as Associate Professor of Music and Director of Bands at Hope College, MI. At Hope College, he was also the Head of the Winds and Brass area and Head of the Instrumental ... more ➔

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