Our graduates follow a variety of paths after leaving the University of Pittsburgh. Below is a sampling of career outcomes from those who have graduated from our program.

Alumni Careers

Selected recent PhD student positions: 

Colter Harper (2011), Ethnomusicology/Jazz Studies
Assistant Teaching Professor of Ethnomusicology, Sound Recording and Production, University at Buffalo

Yoko Suzuki (2011), Ethnomusicology/Jazz
Teaching Associate Professor, University of Pittsburgh

James Moore (2012), Jazz Studies
Dean of the Faculty and Chief Academic Officer, West Virginia Wesleyan College

Mark Fromm (2012), Composition/Theory
Music Teacher, Pittsburgh CAPA High School

Kerrith Livengood (2012), Composition/Theory
Managing Director of Point/Counterpoint and New Music On The Point Festival

Matthew Heap (2012), Composition/Theory
Data Scientist and Software Engineer, Dell Technologies

Elizabeth Hoover (2012), Musicology
Teaching Professor, Miami University of Ohio

Christopher Ruth (2013), Musicology
Associate Professor of Music History, Shenandoah University

Indra Ridwan (2014), Ethnomusicology
Assistant Professor, Institute of Arts and Culture, Bandung (Indonesia)

Jeremy Woodruff (2014), Composition/Theory
Senior Scientist in Artistic Research at the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz (Austria)

Jonghee Kang (2015), Composition/Theory
Visiting Professor of Music, Yonsei University (Korea)

Lee Martin (2016), Jazz Studies
Assistant Professor, Coastal Carolina University

Sara Gulgas (2017), Musicology, 
Associate Professor of the Practice, University of Arizona

Michael Mackey (2018), Jazz Studies
Director of Music and Liturgy, Duquesne University

Juan Velasquez Ospina (2018), Musicology
Assistant Professor of Ethnomusicology, University of Houston

Chris Capizzi (2018), Jazz Studies
Artist Lecturer in Jazz Piano, Carnegie Mellon University

Aaron Myers-Brooks (2018), Composition/Theory
Teaching Assistant Professor, University of Pittsburgh

Men Ran (2019), Ethnomusicology 
Leverhulme Early Career Fellow, Newcastle University (UK)

Charles Lwanga (2020), Ethnomusicology and Composition/Theory
Assistant Professor of Ethnomusicology, University of Michigan

Benjamin Barson (2020), Jazz Studies
Assistant Professor, Bucknell University

Jeff Weston (2020), Composition/Theory
Director of Music, Environmental Charter School

Marco Giusto (2021), Composition/Theory
Professor of Music, Universidad de Guadalajara (Mexico)

Steven Moon (2021), Ethnomusicology
Director of Special Academic Opportunities, Clark University

Xinyang Wang (2022), Composition/Theory
John S. Guggenheim Foundation Composition Fellow (2025-2026)

Larissa Irizarry (2022), Musicology 
Visiting Assistant Professor of Music, Gettysburg College

Brian Riordan (2023), Composition/Theory
Artist Lecturer in Electronic Music. Carnegie Mellon University, Technical Director of New Music On The Point Festival

Cullyn Murphy (2023), Composition/Theory 
Assistant Professor of Music and Media Studies and Director of the School of Media & the Arts, Beloit College

Ryan McMasters (2023), Composition/Theory 
Production Manager. Point Park University

Shuo Yang (2023), Ethnomusicology
Assistant Professor, China Conservatory of Music, Beijing 

Mark Micchelli (2024) Composition/Theory and Jazz Studies
Assistant Professor of Music Theory and Composition, Temple University

Hannah Standiford (2024), Ethnomusicology
Assistant Professor, Allegheny College