Horowitz Center Playbills and Programs

4th HCC Music Alumni Concert

Sunday, October 5, 2025

4 p.m.

Monteabaro Recital Hall

FEATURING

Benjamin Sheeley, Jazz Piano

Nathan Dufresne, Percussion

Sangmi Yoon, Piano

PROGRAM

ARTIST BIOS

Benjamin Sheeley graduated from Howard Community College in spring 2020. He went on to earn both a Bachelor’s degree in Jazz/Commercial Composition and a Master’s degree in Jazz/Commercial Piano Performance from Towson University, where he studied with Dave Ballou.

At Towson, Ben performed in master classes and concerts with renowned artists including Joe Lovano, Wadada Leo Smith, Angelica Sanchez, Drew Gress, and Oliver Lake. He composed for and performed with the TU Jazz Orchestra, notably preparing and conducting the ensemble in six of his original works for his senior recital, as well as presenting a suite of four pieces for his Master’s recital. His compositions reflect an interest in diverse genres, complex harmonies, intricate rhythms, and unconventional time signatures.

Ben’s influences span a wide musical spectrum: the jazz innovations of Thelonious Monk and Dave Brubeck, Béla Fleck’s genre-blending fusion, the experimental sounds of The Beatles and The Beach Boys, the rhythmic drive of Snarky Puppy and Dave Matthews Band, the lyricism of Taylor Swift, Sting, and Brandi Carlile, and the distinctive vocal harmonies of Billie Eilish.

In addition to his work with the Jazz Orchestra, Ben has appeared twice as a guest performer with the TU Wind Ensemble. Beyond school, he has performed with the pop-funk band Jacob Sellner and the Optimists—contributing to two tracks on their self-titled EP—and is now active on the Maryland music scene, currently collaborating with bassist Lillie Bridgers.

Nathan Dufresne is a percussionist, composer, and music educator from Columbia, MD. An alumnus of Howard Community College, he is currently completing a BA in Music Education at Towson University and plans to teach in the Baltimore County Public School system.

As a composer, Nathan has published several works for solo vibraphone, along with duets designed for teacher and student. He performs as a percussionist with both the Towson University Marching Band and the Columbia Orchestra.

Beyond music, Nathan is an avid rock climber, a jigsaw puzzle enthusiast, and an amateur aquarist.

Pianist Sangmi Yoon started learning the piano at age seven in Korea. By age ten, she won second place in both the State Arts Festival Competition and the Seoul Competition. This marked the true beginning of her musical life. After moving to the United States, she continued her studies with Ji Eun Lee, building a career that led to numerous awards and performance opportunities.

Sangmi began her studies with Dr. Hsiu-Hui Wang at Howard Community College, and finished her BA at Goucher College, also studying with Dr. Wang. During her college years, Sangmi won competitions such as the E.R. Davis Collegiate Piano Competition in Maryland, and the third prize and Best Required Piece in the 14th International Young Artists Piano Competition, in Washington D.C. The Washington Competition resulted in an invitation to perform at the State of the Arts Cultural Series and the U.S. State Department. She also premiered a composition by Li-Ly Chang, Capriccio for piano solo at the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage.  

While in college, Sangmi was the recipient of the HCC Rose Buck-Lew Family Piano Endowment Scholarship at HCC and the Fine and Art Performing Arts (FAPA) Scholarship at Goucher. She earned her Master of Music degree and Graduate Performance Diploma in Piano Performance from Longy School of Music, where she studied with the Conservatory’s Dean, Wayman Chin, and was selected to perform in the master classes of Peter Serkin.  

Sangmi has collaborated and performed in numerous chamber groups. She is also active in accompanying various types of solo instruments and for choirs. She started to expand her teaching experiences while she was in graduate school in Boston. After a long journey, Sangmi returned- now as a faculty member- to Howard Community College, her ‘home school’ to share her story and passion for music with her students and community through her teaching and performances. She also teaches students at Mighty Worshipers Academy, a Christian Homeschool Co-op in Columbia, and actively maintains a private studio in Howard County, Maryland, where she resides.

HCC CONCERT SERIES
Hsien-Ann Meng, Director, HCC Concert Series
Bill Gillett, Chair, Performing Arts

HOROWITZ CENTER STAFF 
Janelle Broderick - Director
Jessica Chaney - Content Coordinator
A Lorraine Robinson - Production Manager
John Elder - Technical Director
Darius McKeiver - Business Associate
Linwood Milan – Technical Coordinator
Eric Moore - Production Electrician
Mark Smedley - Associate Technical Director
Julie Via - Audience Services Manager
Bill Watson – Gallery Manager and Curator

SPECIAL THANKS

This performance is made possible through generous support from the Galbraith-Winer Family Trust Fund and the Maryland State Arts Council.