Acclaimed Musicians Join Faculty

The Division of Music at SMU Meadows School of the Arts has announced the addition of four more prominent musicians to its faculty. Three are members of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra (DSO): David Buck, principal flute; Emily Levin, principal harp; and Ted Soluri, principal bassoon. The fourth is concert organist Scott Dettra. Beginning in January 2019, all four will teach private lessons, master classes, studio classes and workshops for undergraduate and graduate students at Meadows.

David Buck was appointed principal flute of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra in 2017. He was previously principal flute for the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, and has also held positions with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Oregon Symphony. Guest principal appearances have included the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and the Baltimore Symphony. As adjunct associate professor of flute, Buck joins Meadows flute faculty members Deborah Baron, Kara Kirkendoll Welch and Jean Larson Garver.

Scott Dettra is an in-demand concert organist and recording artist who has performed across the U.S. and in Barbados, Canada and Germany. Dettra was the organist at the Washington National Cathedral for five years before taking the position of director of music and organist at the Church of the Incarnation in Dallas, one of the country’s largest Episcopal parishes, in 2012. As adjunct associate professor of organ, Dettra joins the Meadows organ department, led by Stefan Engels, Leah Young Fullinwider Centennial Chair in Music Performance and Professor of Organ.

Harpist Emily Levin joins Meadows harp faculty member Naoko Nakamur. (Photo by David Acosta)

Harpist Emily Levin (pictured at top), named principal harp for the DSO in 2016, garnered praise from critics at The New York Times, Philadelphia Inquirer and Jerusalem Post for her “haunting vocalization,” “nuanced timbres and textures” and “emotionally intense expression.” She has performed at Festspiele Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, the World Harp Congress and with the Jerusalem and Colorado Symphony orchestras, the Louisiana Philharmonic, the Colorado Chamber Players and the Indiana University Festival Orchestra, among others. As adjunct associate professor of harp, the prize winning performer—the youngest principal harpist of a major American orchestra—joins Meadows harp faculty member Naoko Nakamura.

Photo: Dallas Symphony Orchestra/Sylvia Elzafon

Ted Soluri became the principal bassoonist of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra in 2015, after holding positions as principal bassoonist for the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra for 11 years and the Santa Fe Opera for nine. Soluri has performed with the Cleveland Orchestra, the Grant Park Music Festival Orchestra, the Columbus Symphony Orchestra and the Alabama Symphony Orchestra, and toured with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra to Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and New York City’s Carnegie Hall. As adjunct associate professor of bassoon, he joins Meadows bassoon faculty members Wilfred Roberts and Pawel Wnuk.

“We in the Division of Music are excited to be welcoming these distinguished performers and teachers. All of our students will benefit from the expertise these artists will bring to our division,” says David Mancini, director of SMU Meadows Division of Music and associate professor of music theory.

Read more about SMU Meadows Division of Music.

Read more about David Buck, Scott Dettra, Emily Levin and Ted Soluri.

Interested in applying to SMU Meadows School of the Arts as a music student? Contact Susanna Yatsko, associate director of music admissions.