Ramone Owens is an educator, artistic leader, and institutional collaborator whose work centers on developing durable, student-centered training environments in higher education. He serves as an Assistant Professor in the Theater Division at Boston Conservatory at Berklee, where he contributes to curriculum design, faculty governance, student recruitment, and divisional strategy alongside his teaching and creative practice.

Grounded in a professional background spanning Broadway, national tours, and regional theater—including Beetlejuice, The Musical (Original Broadway Cast), Motown: The Musical (Broadway/1st national tour), and regional work at Papermill Playhouse—Ramone brings an industry-informed perspective to pedagogical practice, institutional culture, and curricular alignment. His directing and choreographic work across academic and professional contexts reflects a commitment to clear artistic vision, collaborative process, and a holistic approach to artistry that supports both creative excellence and long-term development. He is currently an Ed.M. candidate in Education Leadership at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, where he examines how institutional governance, policy, and program design operate within complex arts institutions and organizations, with a focus on building equitable, sustainable, and student-centered pathways.

David Pepin joined the Wicked orchestra on Broadway in January 2017 after a three-year appointment at Baldwin Wallace University in Ohio where he was associate professor of music theatre. Prior to teaching, he was an active member of the Broadway community as music director/conductor of Bring It On The Musical, as well as conductor, pianist or sub on such shows as Kinky Boots, Wicked, The Addams Family, Shrek The Musical and RENT. From 2001-2009, he toured with the National Tours of Wicked, Bring It On and RENT . He maintains an active role in education and academia, keeping close ties with Baldwin Wallace and other major music theatre programs around the country, as well as many summer intensive music theatre camps. He is a vocal coach, audition and rehearsal pianist, and a music director for new shows in development.

Born in New York, Soprano Gabriella Sam has studied at the University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music under the guidance of Dr. Gwendolyn Detwiler. Currently, Ms. Sam has had the honor to teach at Penn State University in Musical Theater voice.

Opera roles performed include: Lily in Porgy and Bess, Ann Putnam in Robert Ward’s The Crucible, Mayme 
in Ricky Ian Gordon’s Intimate Apparel, Fox in Janacek’s The Cunning Little Vixen, Mother
in Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel, Suor Angelica in Puccini’s Suor Angelica, New Prioress in Poulenc’s Dialogues of the Carmelites, Musetta
in Puccini’s La Bohème, Mrs. Ford in Nicolai’s Die Lustigen Weiber von Windsor, and Despina in Mozart’s Così fan tutte. Ms. Sam has also covered the roles of Bess in Porgy and Bess and the Glimmerglass Festival as well as the Foreign Princess in Rusalka at the Des Moines Metro Opera. At Cincinnati opera she has also had the honor of covering the roles of Ariadne in Ariadne auf Naxos and Serena in Porgy and Bess.

John Simpkins has recently directed the World premieres of Legendale (Denmark’s Fredericia Teater) and Raging Skillet (Theaterworks Hartford – starring Dana Smith-Croll, Marilyn Sokol, George Salazar).  He directed the three-time Drama Desk nominated Off-Broadway production of Bloodsong of Love:  The Rock and Roll Spaghetti Western (by Joe Iconis) at Ars Nova.  He also directed Iconis’ The Black Suits at LA’s Center Theatre Group (Kirk Douglas Theatre – starring Annie Golden, Will Roland, Veronica Dunne).  New York credits include the Off-Broadway productions of The Bus(59E59 Theatre); ReWrite (Urban Stages); The Plant That Ate Dirty Socks (Theatreworks, USA- Lucille Lortel Theatre); Things to Ruin (which he co-conceived and directed productions of at Second Stage, Le Poisson Rouge, Zipper Factory, Joe’s Pub, Ars Nova, NYMF) and The Black Suits (SPF at the Public Theatre – starring Annie Golden, Jason Tam, and Krysta Rodriguez). Regional productions include Legendale (Human Race Theatre Company – starring Max Crumm); Quartet (starring Elizabeth Franz); The Black Suits (Barrington Stage – starring Ben Platt); Hairspray(North Carolina Theatre – starring Dale Hensley, Dirk Lumbard); Damn Yankees (Engeman Theatre – starring Andre De Sheilds, Felicia Finley); A Wonderful Life (Engeman Theatre); Annie (Sacramento Music Circus- starring Mark Zimmerman, Jim Walton, Adinah Alexander); Cabaret (Sacramento Music Circus- starring Teri Ralston, Jacquelyn Piro, Max von Essen); Evita (Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma- starring Kate Chapman, Eric Michael Gillet, Dan Cooney). John is the former Artistic Director at Sharon Playhouse – where his direction included Merrily We Roll Along (starring Jason Tam, A.J. Shively, Lauren Marcus); Big River; Falsettos (starring Kyle Barisich); Les Miserables; Judge Jackie (starring Klea Blackhurst); They’re Playing Our Song.  A strong supporter of the development of new work, he has directed workshops/ readings/ productions of Georgie:  The Life and Death of George Rose (starring Ed Dixon); True Love (Sarah Schlesinger/ David Evans); Adam Lives (Goodspeed Opera House); Hellraisers (Barrington Stage); Fantasy Football, the Musical; All the Kids Are Doing It; When the World Ends (Nick Blaemire- Ars Nova); Ripper (NAMT); Party Come Here (David Kirshenbaum/ Daniel Goldfarb); Go-Go Beach (NYMF – 37 Arts); Pool Boy(Tsakalakos/ Allard); Next Thing You Know (Berkshire Theatre Festival); Queen Esther (Merkin Hall); Half Married (Cunningham/ Antin); Plastic! (Maddock/ Iconis/ Jacobs - York Theatre), 29 (Alter/ Newman), Lyrical Langston Hughes (New Triad- Lincoln Center), Blood Drive (Rachel Sheinkin), Beasts and Saints (Mindi Dickstein) and Like You Like It (Buck/ Acquisto). Prior to joining Penn State, John was a member of the music theatre faculty at New York University - where he directed Sweet Smell of Success, Floyd Collins, A Man of No Importance, The Fix, Kiss of the Spider Woman, Violet, Urinetown, Merrily We Roll Along, Parade, Fiorello! and A New Brain.  His production of Parade was preserved and is on reserve at Lincoln Center’s Theatre on Film and Tape Archive.  He holds a Bachelor of Music from Miami University and a Master of Arts from NYU.

Stricklen is an actor, director and educator. He holds an MFA in Acting from the University of California San Diego and a BFA in Drama (now known as Acting) from CCM where he was awarded the Dolly Award for sustained excellence in achievement and performance by a senior. As a professional actor, some of Stricklen's theater credits include: Superior Donuts (Broadway Music Box Theater), Creation: A Clown Show (Off-Broadway), Six Degrees of Separation (The Old Globe), Clybourne Park (Premiere Stages) and Current Nobody (La Jolla Playhouse). Stricklen's television and film credits include: Marlon, Six Degrees, The Mysteries of Laura, Law & Order, As the World Turns, The Good Wife, Bosch, Mozart in the Jungle, High Maintenance, Astronomy Club: The Sketch Show and The Visit. Stricklen is an Emeritus Artist of SITI Company, an ensemble-based theater company whose mission was the creation of new work, the training of theater artists and a commitment to crossing boundaries. He was first introduced to the training and the work of SITI Company through CCM Professor Emeritus of Acting and Directing Richard Hess, who retired in 2022 after 32 years of teaching at CCM. Stricklen's national and international production credits with SITI Company, under the direction of Anne Bogart, include: The Bacchae (The Getty Villa/Brooklyn Academy of Music), bobrauschenbergamerica (The Dublin Theater Festival/New York Live Arts), Under Construction (Actor Theatre of Louisville), the theater is a blank page (Wexner Center for the Arts), Radio Macbeth (Tbilisi International Theatre Festival), and Lost in the Stars (CAP UCLA). Stricklen is a proud member of the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists and Actors’ Equity. He has led workshops in both the Viewpoints and Suzuki methods of actor training with SITI Company, in conjunction with Skidmore College, Ohio State University and Spelman College. He has also served as a drama instructor at the Cobb County Center for Excellence in the Performing Arts at Pebblebrook High School and the University of California San Diego.

Catherine A. Walker is an associate professor of music in the Department of Musical Theatre and has worked extensively as a music director, conductor, vocal coach, pianist, educator, and clinician for over 35 years. Walker serves annually as a mentor and judge for the national Michael Feinstein Great American Songbook Vocal Academy. Other music direction credits include: The 5th Avenue Theatre, Seattle; The Augusta Barn Theatre’s production of Shenandoah starring Robert Newman; Island Center Productions, St. Croix, USVI; Three-D Productions National Touring Company; Derby Dinner Playhouse, Louisville; Red Barn Playhouse, Saugatuck, Michigan; and Farmers Alley Theatre, Kalamazoo, Michigan. Walker was the featured pianist for “Wicked Divas” with the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra and “Family Night at the Movies” with the Saginaw Symphony Orchestra. She has also served as the music director and pianist for various cabaret performances including “An Evening with Lauren Kennedy” and “An Evening with Scott Coulter.”

Kevin Wilson joins the Wanda Bass School of Music in the Fall of 2024. A native of Oklahoma, he comes to Oklahoma City University after spending 16 years as a Professor of Voice and Director of Vocal Pedagogy at the Boston Conservatory. While at the conservatory, he established the Master of Music degree in Vocal Pedagogy, the Master of Fine Arts degree in Musical Theatre Vocal Pedagogy, and the annual Vocal Pedagogy Professional Workshop.   His students have appeared in over 40 Broadway productions, originating six roles, as well as in numerous national tours, regional theaters, and prestigious venues such as the Metropolitan Opera, Boston Lyric, Chicago Lyric, Handel and Haydn Society, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Boston Baroque, and the Oregon and Carmel Bach Festivals. His students have been finalists and winners in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, Tafelmusik Baroque Competition, NATS Boston and National Voice Competitions, and the Classical Singer Competition. They have also received multiple nominations and awards, including Tony, Grammy, and Daytime Emmy awards.   Mr. Wilson travels the world as a clinician, adjudicator, and lecturer, giving masterclasses on vocal health, musical theater, and classical pedagogies. He often presents Securing Belt, Mix, and Legit for Musical Theatre, Foundations of Voice Teaching, and Navigating the Filter, which all teach how to prepare students to make vocal adjustments for a variety of singing opportunities from Classical Voice to Contemporary Musical Theater. He has conducted masterclasses and guest lectures at several prestigious institutions, including the San Francisco Conservatory, New York University, New England Conservatory, Mannes, Columbia University, University of Miami, Arizona State University, University of Southern California, Brown University, and Harvard University. He has presented at the National Association for Teachers of Singing (NATS), the Voice Foundation, the Pan-European Voice Conference, and the Southwest American Choral Directors Association. In addition to his teaching activities, Mr. Wilson serves as the Vice President for Workshops with the NATS National Board of Directors.   In 2009, he was recognized as a Master Teacher by NATS for the prestigious intern program, and in 2023, he was deemed a Recognized Vocologist by the Pan-American Vocology Association. He serves as a peer editor for various trade journals in voice and pedagogy and has published in The Oxford Handbook of Vocal Pedagogy (Oxford 2025), the NATS Journal of Singing (JOS Nov. 2023), Performing in Contemporary Musicals (Routledge 2022), and Training Commercial Contemporary Singers (Compton 2019).   Mr. Wilson holds a Master of Music in Vocal Pedagogy from the New England Conservatory and a Bachelor of Music in Voice from the University of Central Oklahoma. He has pursued additional studies in voice at the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory and in vocal anatomy and physiology at Boston University Sargent School of Health. He has studied voice and speech with Kristin Linklater and Catherine Fitzmaurice. He maintains private voice studios in Oklahoma City and New York City.