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Current Graduate Students

Tyler Berg

Portrait of Tyler Berg.
Tyler Berg.

Tyler Berg is a proud graduate of the Challey School of Music at North Dakota State University, where he studied Vocal Music Education. In his time at NDSU, Tyler studied conducting with Jo Ann Miller and Michael Weber, and composition with Jocelyn Hagen. He is currently pursuing his Master of Music degree in Choral Conducting at the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music where he studies conducting with Jonathan Talberg and directs both the ConChord and Bel Canto ensembles. Tyler also serves as assistant director of the award-winning Bob Cole Chamber Choir.

As a tenor, Tyler has lent his voice to acclaimed ensembles such as The Singers-Minnesota Choral Artists, BorderCrosSing, and Bach Roots Festival, and served as a tenor staff singer at the House of Hope Presbyterian Church in Saint Paul, MN. Additionally, Tyler has sung under the direction of renowned artists such as Paul McCreesh, Mar&iiacute;a Guinand, and Eric Whitacre. He is a regular singer at recording sessions for MorningStar/ECS publishing, where he, along with members of The Singers-MCA, can be heard on over 100 recordings of new church music octavos. In 2018, Tyler presented a lecture recital on the art songs of Morten Lauridsen at the College Music Society Great Lakes Regional Conference.

Prior to relocating to California, Tyler served as the choir director at Cretin-Derham Hall High School in Saint Paul, Minnesota for four years. Under his direction, the Cretin-Derham Hall Choir toured nationally to San Antonio and routinely received superior regards at state contest performances. His students were consistently selected to participate in both state and national honor choirs.

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Álvaro Cáceres-Muñoz

Portrait of Alvaro Caceres-Munoz.
Álvaro Cáceres-Muñoz.

Álvaro Cáceres-Muñoz is a composition student from Pinto, Madrid (Spain). He previously studied classical piano at Getafe Conservatory of Music, received a BSc in computer science at Carlos III University, and an MSc in computer science at the University of Nottingham (UK). Álvaro specializes in interactive media, piano, and live coding (improvising music with code).

In 2019-2021, Cáceres-Muñoz worked as an associate lecturer in interactive media at the University of York (UK), presented and published a paper about a music programming language, BachTracking, at the International Conferences in Live Coding 2020, and showcased Cathedral Treasures, an immersive audio game, at the 2020 European Researchers Night.

This year he has presented at ICLC 2023 and co-directed CSULB Laptop Ensemble. Other performances include Sounds of Sanity Fest, A/V Club San Francisco, Creative Urban Wax Studio, and Hot Java Coffee (featured artist). He also received a Paul C. Lindsey III Endowed Scholarship for his composition and piano work.

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Javier Castillo

Portrait of Javier Castillo.
Javier Castillo.

Javier Castillo is a second-year graduate student at BCCM where he is currently pursuing a MM in Music Composition. A native of Los Angeles, Javier began his musical collegiate studies at Cerritos College in 2010. In 2018 he earned a BM in Guitar Performance from Vanguard University, graduating cum laude.

Javier has performed for a variety of groups, with styles ranging from Latin, Jazz, Classical, Blues, and Rock across the Los Angeles area. He has also taught privately, working for Yamaha Music School at both their Cerritos and Irvine locations.

Since starting his master’s degree, Javier has studied privately with Dr. Raymond Torres-Santos, Dr. Sarah Gibson, and is currently a student of Dr. Alexander Miller.

Javier’s compositions are influenced by his many years performing, as well as the Jazz and Classical music he has studied over the years with teachers such as guitarist Duane Allen and composer John Marr. His musical and artistic influences range from Johann Sebastian Bach, David Lynch, Frank Wallace, and Eddie Van Halen.

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Oliver Chan

Portrait of Oliver Chan.
Oliver Chan.

Oliver Chan earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music, where he studied under the tutelage of internationally acclaimed pianist Walter Ponce. Oliver has been a featured pianist, conductor, and music educator throughout the Greater Los Angeles Area.

Oliver is the music director of Opera Italia, an opera company based in Los Angeles, and a staff accompanist at the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music, where he works closely with renowned baritone Vladimir Chernov.

He has also worked as the assistant conductor at La Sierra University Opera Theatre, an accompanist at Santa Monica College, and the chorusmaster at Numi Opera.

At the BCCM, Oliver teaches group piano classes and coaches Opera students while pursuing his master’s degree in orchestral conducting. He currently studies with Dr. Johannes Müller Stosch, and has previously studied with Dr. Jacob Sustaita and Dr. Dean Anderson.

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Hayoung Jeong

Portrait of Hayoung Jeong.
Hayoung Jeong.

Hayoung Jeong is a current graduate student in orchestral conducting under Johannes Müller Stosch. She has a bachelor’s degree in cello performance and studied choral conducting in South Korea.

Hayoung has won prizes in various competitions, including 4th place in the overall category at the International Virtuoso Competition, 1st place at the Korean Music Ensemble Competition, and a concert for new artists invited by a music education newspaper. She has performed many works, including the third movement of Dvořák’s Cello Concerto. Also, as a choral conductor, she was selected as one of ten finalists at the Seoul Oratorio Festival, where she conducted Puccini’s Messa di Gloria and was a conductor in church and children’s choirs. Recently she performed with the Voce Aurum Choir.

Her favorite composers are Brahms, Bach, and Mahler. She really enjoys studying various forms of music, especially large-scale orchestral pieces. Particularly, she is interested in orchestral pieces with a chorus, such as Mahler’s Symphony No. 2.

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Tzipora Khodzhayev

Portrait of Tzipora Khodzhayev.
Tzipora Khodzhayev.

Tzipora Khodzhayev, originally from Queens, NY, is a current MM Choral Conducting student at the BCCM. She completed her undergraduate degree at California State University Fullerton with a BA in Music Education—Vocal Emphasis and currently works at the Garden Grove Unified School District directing ensembles and teaching piano classes.

Tzipora’s focus is on creating independent musicians as well as providing extraordinary experiences for all her students.

In addition to her work at Santiago High School, Tzipora has also directed multiple district-wide Honor Choirs. Prior to her time at BCCM, she performed with the CSUF University Singers in Carnegie Hall as well as several performances at the Hollywood Bowl with Andrea Bocceli, John Williams, and the LA Phil under the direction of Gustavo Dudamel.

Tzipora currently resides in Anaheim, CA and spends her free time with her wonderful pets, Luca and Pierre.

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Tanner Olivas

Portrait of Tanner Olivas.
Tanner Olivas.

Tanner Olivas is a saxophonist, arranger, composer, and multi-instrumentalist originally from the small city of Hanford in California’s Central Valley. He received his Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies from CSULB in 2018 where he studied saxophone with Sal Lozano and James Barrera, and was mentored by Dr. Raymond Torres-Santos. During his undergraduate studies, he performed in the Concert Jazz Orchestra, Wind Symphony, Saxophone Ensemble, Clarinet Choir, and Jazz Combos.

Before beginning his graduate studies, Tanner was freelancing and teaching woodwinds in the greater Los Angeles area with a studio of over 35 students. In early 2020 he was hired to play alto saxophone and tour the US with The Glenn Miller Orchestra. After performing in just nine of the States the tour was cut short by the pandemic.

Tanner is currently the lead alto saxophonist in the Concert Jazz Orchestra, a member of the Vanguard Jazz Combo, University Saxophone Quartet, Saxophone Octet, and Saxophone Ensemble. He is the Graduate Assistant for the Jazz Studies Department, a KJZZ Scholarship recipient, and Beau and Jo France Graduate Jazz Studies Scholarship recipient pursuing his Master of Music degree with a concentration in Jazz Studies.

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Daniel M. Ramon

Portrait of Daniel M. Ramon.
Daniel M. Ramon.

Daniel M. Ramon, a tenor and Master of Music student in Vocal Performance was born in Guadalajara, Mexico and raised in southern California. Daniel has performed throughout southern California as a professional musician. He regularly sings with Pacific Chorale under the direction of Dr. Robert Istad, Long Beach Camerata Singers with Dr. James Bass, and recently joined the prestigious Los Angeles Master Chorale under the direction of Grant Gershon, where he will perform the music of Ravel and Esa-Pekka Salonen with the LA Phil in Fall 2023.

He holds a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from California State University San Bernardino. During this time, he performed as Pedrito in Monkey See, Monkey Do, was the lead in Tango, a one-act opera for tenor and chamber ensemble, and performed Missy Mazzoli’s Song from the Uproar. He studied with Dr. Lesley Leighton and Dr. Stacey Fraser.

As a Teaching Associate at BCCM, Daniel taught his first college level course M122-A Voice Class. He is eager to teach vocal pedagogy and spread the joy and mystery of this art form to many students in the future. In the Opera Department, he performed as the school master in Janáček’s The Cunning Little Vixen under the direction of Andreas Mitisek, Susan Hanson, and Dr. David Anglin. He studies with Dr. Katharin Rundus.

Outside of music, Daniel enjoys spending time with his dogs, J. Sebastian B. (a 5-year-old Husky) and Duke "Ellington" (a 7-year-old Chihuahua). He is also a fan of sushi, yoga, and Stephen King novels.

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Nathan Swift

Portrait of Nathan Swift.
Nathan Swift.

Nathan Swift, from Fairfield, California, is a graduate student pursuing a degree in Music Performance with an emphasis is in tuba performance, studying under Gabe Sears. Nathan attended Grand Canyon University for his undergraduate program, where he studied under Kevin Bock.

At GCU, Nathan was the principal tuba player in the Black Canyon Chamber and the Wind Ensemble, and played bass trombone in the Thunder Big Band. He also spent a year touring with the professional brass band of the Phoenix metropolitan area, Bad Cactus Brass.

Swift’s interests include weight lifting and the evolution of modern popular music.

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