Laura Greenwald is the Music Department Chair and Director of Vocal Studies at Caldwell University where she teaches voice, Women in Music, Music and the Arts, and directs the University Chorale and Opera/Music Theatre Workshop. She directed the Caldwell University Concert Series for twenty years, presenting professional concerts and recitals to the community, and prepared the University Chorale as the chorus for the Garden State Opera for seven seasons.
The Chorale performs at all University masses and has performed in concerts with other choirs at Carnegie Hall, Princeton University Chapel, and on campus. In 2011, Dr. Greenwald was honored to receive the Caldwell College Excellence in Teaching Award.
Dr. Greenwald sang with Ember, the Schola Repertory Singers, and the select Schola Sing Solo! of Schola Cantorum on Hudson for over 10 years including performances in the chorus with the NY Philharmonic and the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra. She has performed in concerts and recitals in Ohio, Vermont, and the New York Metropolitan area specializing in the music of women composers.
Dr. Greenwald earned her DMA from the Manhattan School of Music, her BME from Baldwin-Wallace College, and an MM in Voice Pedagogy from Westminster Choir College. She is the choir director at the Church of the Holy Innocents in West Orange and the proud mother of trumpeter, Andrew Strom.

Professor Rebecca Vega is an Associate Professor in the Music Department, and serves as the music recruitment advisor. This is her 20th year at Caldwell where she directs the CU Marching Band, Wind Ensemble, Flute Ensemble and Reed Ensemble. She teaches Conducting, Instrumental Rehearsal Techniques and Music Education courses. She is an active flutist and performs regularly with the UpTown Flutes and the trio Terzetta.

B.M. (Music Education) California State University, Long Beach
M.A. (Flute Performance) Eastern Michigan University

Office Hours: 

Monday: 4:00 PM – 5:30 PM
Tuesday: 4:00 PM – 4:30 PM
Thursday: 11:00 PM – 11:30 PM and 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM

B.M. William Paterson University

M.A.T. Montclair State University

Joe Bergen is a musician, educator, composer, and arts administrator who focuses on creating and developing diverse and equitable music communities. Joe is best known as a founding member, and Co-Artistic Director of Mantra Percussion, Inc., a future-focusing arts organization dedicated to a lasting influence on percussion performance and percussion education. Joe is the Director of Percussion Studies, adjunct music education professor, and marching band instructor at Caldwell University. Joe is also an adjunct music instructor at Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, NJ, and the state chapter president of the Percussive Arts Society.

Meredyth Coleman – originally from Kansas City has been the oboist and harpist for City Winds Trio since 2001. Mrs. Coleman started her music career first on the violin starting Suzuki violin at 22 months old. While ages four and five Coleman performed violin on Kansas City Local Television and a concert with Dr. Suzuki. Meredyth continued violin until the age of 11 and started oboe at age 10. At the age of 15 Meredyth was appointed Associate Principle Oboe of the Northland Symphony, her first professional orchestral position. Mrs. Coleman has performed with ensembles such as: the Emerson String Quartet, Bangor Symphony Orchestra, Illini Symphony Orchestra, Arcady Music Festival Orchestra, Gold Coast Opera Company and many more Symphonies throughout the East Coast. Mrs. Coleman can also be heard as the oboist for Lidia’s Italy Television show which aired on PBS for 6 seasons. In 2000 Ms. Coleman fell in love with chamber music while performing the Mozart Oboe Quartet with the Emerson String Quartet. From this love of chamber music City Winds Trio was formed. Ms. Coleman is oboist for City Winds Trio which performed its first concert December 2000. Each year City Winds Trio performs 250-300 performances on major chamber series each year. Some notable series the trio has played: Cathedral St John the Devine, St. Pails Chapel and Trinity Church, The Interchurch Center, Riverside Church, Ramapo College, St. Mary’s of South Amboy and Musikfest in PA just to name a few.

In the fall of 2008 Meredyth performed the Marcello Oboe Concert with the Chamber Orchestra of Christ Church of Pelham. In 2008 Mrs. Coleman toured Florida to performed Principle Oboe with the Gold Coast Operas production of Madame Butterfly. Also in 2008 Mrs. Coleman was the Oboist for the new musical Midnight Madness, with the part specifically written for her by composer Jack Bender. Midnight Madness premiered in NYC as part of the New York Musical Theater Festival in September of 2008 at the Alvin Ailey Theater.

Ms. Coleman is a member of St. Peter’s by the Sea and performs regularly with the Riverside Symphonia, St Mary’s Chamber Orchestra, Christ Church Symphonia, Teatro Lirico D’Europa, Mid Atlantic Productions on a regular basis. In addition to her symphonic and solo work she is also the oboist for many choirs including: Riverside Church, NJYC, Morris Choral Society, Masterworks Choral Society to name a few. Ms. Coleman has also won numerous awards including: Emerson String Quartet Top Prize and Best of Chamber Music Award from the Hartt School of Music. In her Symphonic Performances Meredyth has worked under such conductors as: Kurt Masur, Maxim Shostakovich, Jo Ann Falletta. Mrs. Coleman has a BA (Univ. of Illinois Urbana-Champaign) and Masters Degree (Hartt School of Music) in Music Performance on Oboe. She also has a Professional Studies Performance Diploma (Mannes College of Music) on English horn. Ms. Coleman teachers include Marion Arthur Kuszyk, Humbert Lucarelli, Nancy King and Ronald Roseman on oboe and Thomas Stacy on English horn.

In addition to her performing Ms. Coleman has been teaching privately and coaching for the past 30 years. Her private oboe studio in New Jersey has a constant wait list because Meredyth is in high demand. Her students performing with all the areas youth symphonies including New York Youth Symphony and New Jersey Symphony’s academy orchestra. Meredyth is the oboe instructor for Newark Academy in Livingston NJ. Ms.Coleman has been an orchestral and chamber coach for the New Jersey Intergenerational Orchestra working with musician ranging from 10 years old to 89 years old. In her private studio her students range from 6 to well into their 80’s. Teaching is something Meredyth is very passionate about and will always continue to do in addition to her busy performing schedule.

M.A., William Paterson University
B.A. in Philosophy, Kean University

B.A. Montclair State University

M.A. Montclair State University

MICHAEL MAHADEEN is an orchestrator/arranger, conductor, composer, educator, multiple-woodwind instrumentalist, and music engraver in the NY/NJ metropolitan area.  Select Broadway/NYC credits: On the Twentieth Century (Roundabout); The Christmas Spectacular Starring The Radio City Rockettes (Radio City); Show Boat (NY Philharmonic).  Off-Broadway/Regional: Pamela’s First Musical (Two River Theatre); Hadestown (NYTW); Sweeney Todd (Barrow).  Select orchestrations: Jarrod Spector; Kelli Barrett; Eric Petersen; Carolina Philharmonic Orchestra; Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra; Czech Radio Orchestra.  He is known internationally for his scores to video games in the Wing Commander series.  At its launch in 2022, Michael joined the team at Full Circle Artists as a collaborator, actively orchestrating and arranging shows and concerts for their performing artists.

Michael is a graduate of Montclair State University, recipient of the NJ Distinguished Student Teacher Award, and studied at the New York Conducting Studio under Dr. Gary Fagin.  He serves on the music faculty at Caldwell University, Montclair State University, Mendham Township School District, and is the music director for Pascack Valley High School Theatre.  Affiliations: AFM 802, ASCAP, NAfME, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, Eagle Scout.  His music is published by Bandworks Publications.

MAX MORDEN

Trumpet, Cornet, Flugelhorn, Piccolo Trumpet, Guitar, Keyboard, Vocal
Max has been heard in a variety of groups from New Jersey Symphony Orchestra and
broadway, to performances with artists such as Dave Brubeck, Wycliffe Gordon, Joe
Locke, Glen Burtnik, Rob Paparozzi, Max Weinberg, Pat Guadagno, John Tropea, The
Weeklings, and Cherish the Ladies.
He can also be found as principal soloist for numerous churches and serves as principal
solo cornet and arranger for Gramercy Brass Orchestra of New York. His work with
GBO of NY can be found on five recordings – American Anthems, Christmas Time Is
Here, Brubeck: Bold & Brassy, and two new Christmas albums to be released in 2022.
In a series of concerts performing the music of Duke Ellington and Count Basie, Max
has had the great fortune of conducting an all-star big band comprised of members of
the Lincoln Center, Duke Ellington, and Count Basie jazz orchestras.
He holds a Bachelor of Music Education from Eastern Michigan University, a Masters in
Jazz/Commercial Music Performance from Manhattan School of Music, and Doctoral
studies in classical performance from Rutgers University.

​After graduating Berklee College of Music in 1987, Joshua Rubin embarked on a career as a performing guitarist and teaching.  He performed with such artists as George Coleman, David Grisman, Claudio Roditi, Grady Tate and Martha Reevesand the Vandellas in venues including Carnegie Hall, The Knitting Factory, Village Gate, Pier 16, Avery Fisher Hall, and Alice Tully Hall.  Josh has recorded a number of CDs as sideman and as featured soloist.  Education is a large part of Josh’s musical life, he currently teaches privately in Montclair and Clifton and is also an adjunct faculty member at Caldwell University .

Dan Yates is a professional theatre performer, director, and producer and has been teaching and directing at Caldwell College since 2004.

Dan toured the country for two years with the National Players and was a member of the Round House Theatre Company in Washington DC. Along with extensive professional, regional and local theatre credits, Dan is the Producing Director of the Yates Musical Theatre for Children which has appeared at such venues as Paper Mill Playhouse, Capital One Bank Theatre at Westbury, North Shore Music Theatre, PNC Arts Center, Oakdale Music Theatre, Cape Playhouse, and many more.

Dan directs for the Garden State Opera Company and holds a Master of Arts Degree in Communication from Seton Hall University