Director, Dr. Dennis Cox | Accompanist, Dr. Laura Artesani Director, Dr. Dennis Cox Dr. Cox is a frequent guest clinician, who has conducted festival choruses in 26 states, Canada, and Europe. The University Singers, un Accompanist, Dr. Laura Artesani Dr.Artesani graduated summa cum laude from Barrington College in Rhode Island with a B.M. in Music Education, and received a M.M. in Piano Performance from the University of Maine. She earned a D.M.A. in Piano Performance from West Virginia University, where she was the recipient of the Swiger Teaching Fellowship for four years. She has completed Level I-III of Orff Schulwerk Training, and is the recipient of a research grant from the American Orff Schulwerk Association. Articles that Dr. Artesani has written or co-authored have appeared in the Journal for Music Teacher Education, The Orff Echo and General Music Today. In addition to her duties at the University of Maine, Dr. Artesani is also the organist/pianist at the Church of Universal Fellowship in Orono. She has taught at the Lincoln School in Providence, RI; North Orrington and Center Drive schools in Orrington, ME; and the Stillwater Montessori School in Stillwater, ME.
Dr. Dennis K. Cox holds the D.M.A. in Choral Conducting from the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music, the M.A. in Education from West Virginia University, the M.M. in Choral Conducting from the University of Colorado, and the B.M.E. in Vocal Music from the University of Nebraska. Prior to assuming his present position as Director of Choral Activities and Graduate Coordinator at the University of Maine, Dr. Cox was Assistant Professor of Music at Salem International University in West Virginia, and taught voice in Colorado and Nebraska.
der his direction, tour the Northeast United States for one week every Spring and abroad every four years. The ensemble completed a European tour in May of 2004, making stops in Verona, San Remo, St. Gallen, Milan, Como, the Italian and French Riviera. In 2000, Dr. Cox was the recipient of the second annual Vincent Hartgen Award, presented by the Patrons of the Arts, for his contributions to the artistic community at the University of Maine. In 2001, Dr. Cox was presented the Black Bear Award for his contributions to the University of Maine Alumni Association. University of Maine choirs, under Dr. Cox’s direction, annually perform major choral-orchestral works with the Bangor Symphony Orchestra. Dr. Cox is a past President of the Maine Chapter of the American Choral Directors Association.
Dr. Laura Artesani is an Associate Professor in the School of Performing Arts at the University of Maine, where she teaches music education and music history courses and supervises student teachers. She serves as piano accompanist for two choral ensembles at the School of Performing Arts: the University Singers and the Athena Consort, and performs frequently in faculty and student recitals. She is the faculty advisor for the UMaine Collegiate Chapter of NAfME, and is a member of the Executive Board of the Maine Music Educators Association.
