Cormont Music and KBHC Leadership
Cormont Music Corporate Officers
- J.G. Miller, President
- Allen Fogle, Vice President
- Susan Zollers, Treasurer
- Lin Baird, Secretary
Cormont Music Board of Directors
- Mary Alred
- Lin Baird
- Steve Eddins
- John Ericson, Director Ex Officio
- Allen Fogle
- Jesse McCormick
- J.G. Miller
- Peggy Moran, Director Ex Officio
- Janet Oliver
- Bernhard Scully
- Susan Zollers
- Gretchen Zook, Vice Chair, Interim Chair
Kendall Betts Horn Camp Leadership Team
- Peggy Moran, Executive Director
- Bernhard Scully, Artistic Director
- Jesse McCormick, Associate Artistic Director
- Nikolette LaBonte, Associate Artistic Director
- Allen Fogle, Associate Artistic Director
- Julie Bryant-Gerhardt, Director of Operations
- Christine Pelletier, Director of Development and Digital Initiatives
- Aliyah Qualls, Director of Social Media
- Mikayla McCommas, Associate Operations Director
- Natalie Douglass Grana, Assistant Executive Director
- Steve Eddins, Technology Advisor
Leadership Bios
listed alphabetically
Lin Baird
Director, Cormont Music
Lin Baird is Professor of Music at Western Michigan University, where she teaches horn, classical music improvisation, and is a member of the Western Brass Quintet and Western Wind Quintet. International performing invitations have taken her to Spain, Russia, China, the Netherlands, Thailand, Colombia, Honduras, and Canada. In Michigan, she often performs with the Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestras. During the summer, she regularly teaches horn at WMU’s High School Summer Music Camp (Seminar) and the Kendall Betts Horn Camp in Lyman, New Hampshire. She has also taught at the Interlochen Arts Camp.
Baird has served as Principal Horn with the Oshkosh and Manitowoc Symphony Orchestras, Second Horn with the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, and was a member of the Wisconsin Wind Orchestra. She has also frequently performed with the Milwaukee and Madison Symphony Orchestras.
Baird received the Doctor of Musical Arts and Master of Music degrees in horn performance from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and a Bachelor of Music degree in horn performance from the University of Missouri–Kansas City. Her final project for the DMA degree includes a full-length professional recording and an annotated guide to works for horn and piano by female composers and a Web site at www.linfoulk.org, which lists over 1,000 works with horn by female composers. Her principal teachers include Douglas Hill, Nancy Cochran, Laurence Lowe, and Bruce Heim.
Steve Eddins
Director and Technology Advisor, Cormont Music
Steve is an amateur musician and French horn enthusiast. He is principal horn with the Melrose Symphony and 2nd horn with the Concord Orchestra, two volunteer community orchestras in the Boston area. He has also performed with several other orchestras in the region, including Claflin Hill Symphony Orchestra, Symphony by the Sea, Boston Civic Symphony, Carlisle Chamber Orchestra, Wellesley Symphony Orchestra, Symphony Pro Musica, and the New England Film Orchestra. He currently studies horn with Hazel Dean Davis and Natalie Douglass Grana, and he has studied previously with Kathleen Hughes, Ruth Gross, and Wendell Rider.
Steve retired from MathWorks in 2024, after 30 years in MATLAB and image processing software development. He developed algorithms for the Image Processing Toolbox, especially in linear and nonlinear filtering, morphology, geometric transformations, image registration, and color science. He made key contributions to MATLAB product features, including the profiler, FFT functions, multidimensional array processing, color scales, and data structures. Steve led several teams for MATLAB and toolbox development. He was a senior MATLAB designer and created design standards for MATLAB programming interfaces.
Steve is co-author of Digital Image Processing Using MATLAB and previously wrote the Steve on Image Processing blog on MATLAB Central for 18 years.
Earlier in his career, Steve was on the engineering faculty at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He received his bachelor’s and doctoral degrees in electrical engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology.
John Ericson
Director Ex Officio, Cormont Music
John Ericson has wide-ranging experience as an orchestral player, soloist, and teacher. Ericson began his professional career with serving for six seasons as Third Horn in the Nashville Symphony. From there, he turned to teaching, first at the Crane School of Music (SUNY Potsdam) and, since 2001, at Arizona State University. Ericson holds degrees from Indiana University (where he served as teaching assistant to Michael Hatfield for three years), the Eastman School of Music (where he studied with Verne Reynolds), and Emporia State University, his hometown university. He has also performed and taught on the summer faculties of the Interlochen Center for the Arts and the Brevard Music Center and is proud to currently serve as an ex officio board member of the Kendall Betts Horn Camp.
His three solo CDs on the Summit label received critical acclaim. The Horn Call hailed Les Adeiux for “Fantastic playing…. The level of musicality, nuance and artistry is not to be missed” and called Canto a “Terrific collaboration between horn and piano.” Among many other orchestral, chamber music, and studio recording projects, a highlight was performance on the Grammy Award nominated Fourth World of Native American flutist R. Carlos Nakai.
Co-founder of the online magazine Horn Matters, his publications are a reflection of his teaching and interest in problem solving and in improving the pedagogy of the horn. With his additional interest in all instruments of the middle brass and in the history of the horn, Ericson has print and online publications on topics as diverse as the mellophone and the Wagner tuba. Ericson is a recipient of the Harold Meek Memorial Award and the Punto Award from the International Horn Society. He has performed and presented sessions at seven international horn symposiums and numerous regional events.
Allen Fogle
Vice President and Director, Cormont Music
Equally at home on stage and in the recording studio, hornist Allen Fogle is an active freelance musician and educator in the Los Angeles area. He currently serves as Associate Principal Horn of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra has performed as Guest Principal with many ensembles in Southern California, including the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra and San Diego Symphony. He has also performed with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Los Angeles Opera Orchestra, Pacific Symphony, Minnesota Orchestra, Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, and Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra.
As an active studio recording musician since 2008, he has performed for hundreds of films, television shows, and albums, including projects for John Williams, James Horner, Danny Elfman, Thomas Newman, Jeff Russo, Nami Melumad, John Debney, Lady Gaga, Neil Young, Elton John, and many others.
An advocate for new music, Allen is founding member of the Los Angeles-based contemporary music ensemble Wild Up, which regularly commissions and performs new works by living composers.
As well as maintaining a studio of private students, he served as Adjunct Faculty at the California Institute of the Arts and has presented masterclasses at the Eastman School of Music, University of Southern California, University of California Los Angeles, and University of California Santa Barbara. He also served on the teaching staff of Kendall Betts Horn Camp, served as brass coach for Harvard-Westlake Middle School, and frequently teaches as a guest artist at Harmony Project Los Angeles and Youth Orchestra Los Angeles.
Julie Bryant-Gerhardt
Director of Operations, Kendall Betts Horn Camp
A native Atlantan, Julie Bryant-Gerhardt’s musical endeavors include both performance and teaching.
Julie is the fourth hornist of the Columbus (GA) Symphony Orchestra and an active freelancer in the Atlanta area. She has served as a substitute or extra hornist with orchestras throughout the Southeast, including the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, LexPhil, Knoxville Symphony Orchestra, and the Charleston Symphony Orchestra among others. With the Cobb (GA) Wind Symphony, Julie performed at the Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic in 2003 and 2018. Additionally, Julie has been a finalist for positions in the United States Army Field Band, the Atlanta Ballet Orchestra, the Asheville Symphony Orchestra, LexPhil, the Chattanooga Symphony Orchestra, and the Huntsville Symphony Orchestra.
Since earning her undergraduate degree in instrumental music education from Indiana University in 2001, Julie, a self-proclaimed horn evangelist, has served as a middle school band director, marching band technician, horn instructor, and music theory professor. Currently, she teaches band and general music at The GLOBE Academy, a K-8 charter school in Dekalb County, Georgia.
Performance experience during college with both Star of Indiana Brass Theater and the Cadets Drum and Bugle Corps gave Julie the foundation for an ongoing relationship with music in motion. In 2006, Julie was an inaugural member of Star United, helping to begin their championship reign on the mini-corps stage of Drum Corps Associates. Julie was highlighted in 2007 as SU’s mellophone soloist but has since retired from mellophone performance, limiting herself to rare renditions of Kopprasch’s first etude, exclusively in the key of E-flat.
Julie’s graduate study took her to the University of Georgia, the University of New Hampshire, and back to her undergraduate alma mater, Indiana University. Julie earned the Master of Arts in Music: Music Studies at UNH in 2010 and the Performer Diploma at IU in 2012.
Julie attended Kendall Betts Horn Camp in 2006 and 2007. Her first year on KBHC staff was 2009, she was the camp’s associate operations director in 2017, and has been the operations director since 2018.
Julie’s primary teachers include Michael Hatfield, Myron Bloom, Dr. Jean Martin-Williams, Richard Deane, Kendall Betts, Rick Seraphinoff, Dale Clevenger, and Jeff Nelsen.
Nikolette LaBonte
Associate Artistic Director, Kendall Betts Horn Camp
Nikolette LaBonte is the newly appointed Principal Horn of the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra and is an accomplished orchestral player having had the opportunity to perform with orchestras across North America including guest principal engagements with the New York Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, Vancouver Symphony, Tucson Symphony, and an extended engagement with the Baltimore Symphony as Visiting Guest Principal Horn. In addition to her regular performances in Calgary, she also serves as principal horn of the Music in the Mountains summer festival and comes to Calgary from the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra where she served as Associate Principal Horn. Nikolette has also held positions with the Fort Worth Symphony as Acting Principal Horn and the Hawaii Symphony as Acting Assistant Principal Horn.
Active as an educator, Ms. LaBonte was the Instructor of Natural Horn at the Eastman School of Music, served on the faculties of the Eastman Horn Institute and Carnegie Hall’s NYO-USA, and has been a guest lecturer at institutions including Oberlin Conservatory, SUNY Potsdam, the University of Maryland, and the University of Texas at Austin. Nikolette is also an award-winning soloist and was a participant in the prestigious ARD International Competition in 2021, the only American horn player invited.
Originally from South Florida, Ms. LaBonte received both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the Eastman School of Music under the tutelage of W. Peter Kurau. Outside the concert hall, Ms. LaBonte is active in promoting classical music throughout the community. She serves as the Assistant Artistic Director of the Kendall Betts Horn Camp, is on the Horn Call Editorial Board of the International Horn Society, and has presented performances and lectures as a member of the International Horn Society and the International Women’s Brass Conference. Away from the horn, she enjoys hiking, bicycling, and scuba diving, although she must reserve the latter for her visits to more tropical destinations.
Jesse McCormick
Associate Artistic Director, Kendall Betts Horn Camp; Director, Cormont Music
Jesse McCormick was appointed to the horn section of The Cleveland Orchestra in 2006. He previously served three seasons with the Colorado Symphony, and two seasons as a member of the Denver Brass. On New Year’s Eve 2013, Mr. McCormick appeared on the nationally-televised PBS series Live from Lincoln Center, performing as guest associate principal horn with the New York Philharmonic. In 2005, he took top prize in the Professional Division at the International Horn Competition of America. He has also made solo appearances with the Denver Brass, Windworks Ensemble in Capetown (South Africa), and the Chamber Orchestra of Colorado Springs. In 2015, Mr. McCormick performed the Haydn Double Horn Concerto with Richard King and The Cleveland Orchestra. Mr. McCormick is currently a member of the “Factory Seconds Brass Trio,” an ensemble comprised with fellow Cleveland Orchestra members Richard Stout and Jack Sutte.
Jesse has been a member of the faculty at Baldwin Wallace University since 2007. He has also lectured at the Cleveland Institute of Music and with Case Western Reserve University. In recent years, Mr. McCormick has appeared as a clinician at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, University of Denver, University of Florida, Florida State University, and University of Miami. He has also taught masterclasses in South Korea, South Africa, and Colombia.
Jesse began his studies with Sally Ann Wilson of Colorado Springs and completed his studies with Jerome Ashby at the Juilliard School. He currently resides in Shaker Heights with his husband, attorney Landon Paul, and their three cats.
J.G. Miller
President and Director, Cormont Music
An active educator, performer, and composer, J.G. Miller has been involved with Kendall Betts Horn Camp and Cormont Music since 2000.
He can be heard as principal horn on the GRAMMY™ winning album, Soundtrack of the American Soldier as a current member of The United States Army Field Band. Additionally, he was the brass leader for The Who’s Quadrophenia and More Tour, along with time in the Los Angeles studio orchestras on major motion picture soundtracks. He has performed with ensembles in Maryland, Virgina, California, Arizona, New York, and Pennsylvania with tours throughout North America, Europe and Australia.
As a composer, J.G.’s works have been performed from elementary schools to the clandestine halls of the National Security Agency. He serves as Vice President of Veritas Musica Publishing.
He received a doctorate from The University of Southern California, a master’s from The University of Arizona, and degrees in both Performance and Education from The Eastman School of Music, where he received Performer’s Certificate honors.
His horn teachers include Peter Kurau, James Thatcher, Daniel Katzen, and Kendall Betts. He also studied horn construction, tooling, and acoustical engineering under Walter and Bruce Lawson – winning his current position on a horn built by himself.
With as much time as he spends on the road, there’s no place quite like home – he enjoys spending time at home with his spouse and three children in Maryland. Hobbies include motorcycling, St. Louis baseball, eSports, and visiting national parks.
Peggy Moran
Executive Director, Kendall Betts Horn Camp; Director Ex Officio, Cormont Music
Peggy Moran is the Associate Professor of Horn at the University of Central Oklahoma, and Executive Director and faculty member of the Kendall Betts Horn Camp. Peggy maintains an active performance career, having performed with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, the Oklahoma City Philharmonic, the Tulsa Symphony, the Dayton Philharmonic, and the Louisville Orchestra.
She has performed guest recitals and masterclasses throughout the country and regularly worked in the recording studios in Indianapolis. Peggy has performed at the International Horn Society Symposiums and the International Women’s Brass Conferences. An advocate for new music, she has commissioned and performed new works at each of these performances, including commissions for horn and piano; horn, violin, and piano; horn quartet; and horn, flute, and narrator. She performs chamber music with the Akouo Trio, Corna Cattiva Horn Quartet, and with the Brightmusic Society of Oklahoma.
Jo Oliver
Director, Cormont Music
Jo Oliver first schooled in English, but the advent of personal computers lured her into a cybercareer. She is now a retired information technology specialist who volunteers throughout the year doing free income tax return preparation for low- and middle-income earners in the Austin, TX, area. She has attended KBHC since 1998 and, as a lifelong amateur horn player, has chalked up decades of experience in community bands, orchestras, and chamber ensembles. She has served on the Cormont Music Board of Directors since Kendall Betts invited her to join in 2003. She is committed to furthering the unique contribution KBHC makes to the global horn community.
Bernhard Scully
Artistic Director, Kendall Betts Horn Camp; Director, Cormont Music
Bernhard was a student of Kendall Betts and has been integrally involved with the camp since its inception in 1995. He is formerly the horn player for the Canadian Brass and horn professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He was formerly Principal Horn of the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra and has worked with many symphony orchestras across North America including the Chicago Symphony, New York Philharmonic, and Philadelphia Orchestra. He is in demand as a soloist and has numerous solo recordings to his credit. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree with honors from Northwestern University, and his Master’s Degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison where he attended on the Paul Collins Distinguished Fellowship. In 2009, he was the first classical brass player to receive a McKnight Fellowship, and in 2010 the University of Wisconsin-Madison awarded him the distinguished alumni award for excellence in artistry. For more information on Bernhard, please see the following sites:
Susan Zollers
Director, Cormont Music
Originally a northeast Ohio native, Susan ended up in the Houston, TX area after a series of relocations. Thanks to degrees in chemistry from SUNY Potsdam and a Ph. D. from Texas A&M University, she currently works in the petrochemical industry. However, music and horn playing have always been an integral part of her life. She studied music at the Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam, and several years later, continued studies in Le Havre, France, where she earned “Niveau Fin d’Etudes” at the Conservatoire Arthur Honegger.
Susan plays 3rd horn with the Brazosport Symphony Orchestra, in addition to being a member on its board of directors. Formerly, she was President of the Susquehanna Symphony Orchestra and played 2nd horn.
She is an adult KBHC veteran since 2005, and was invited by Kendall Betts to be a board member of Cormont Music in 2013. Susan is a strong advocate for KBHC and the unique opportunities it offers to players of all ages.
Gretchen Zook
Vice Chair and Interim Chair of the Board of Directors, Cormont Music
Gretchen Burne Zook serves on the Board of Directors and is Treasurer of Cormont Music. Her professional career since 1976 has been with The Northern Trust Company, Chicago where she is a Senior Vice President. In this capacity, she provides expertise on the legal, accounting and regulatory aspects of the bank’s business related to cash flows, liquidity, and balance sheet recognition. During her tenure with The Northern Trust Company, she has acted in a variety of roles including cash management, operational management, product management, expansion activities, and balance sheet risk and control.
Gretchen is a native Philadelphian and studied French Horn at Temple University and the Philadelphia Musical Academy with John Simonelli. After a lapse in playing of many years, Gretchen began attending Kendall Betts Horn Camp in 2002. Her friendship with Kendall Betts, however, began in Philadelphia in the very early 70s. She presently plays in the Chicago Bar Association Symphony Orchestra. Gretchen also serves as a member of the Board of Directors and Treasurer for The Solti Foundation U.S. and as a member of the Board of Directors for Rush Hour Concerts.