With immersive new tools like Unreal Engine and a state-of-the-art animation studio, UNCG visual arts faculty and students are pushing creative boundaries – and creating a launchpad for exciting, next-gen careers. Innovate UNCG – the university incubator for entrepreneurship – is helping lay the groundwork for tech-forward growth in the College of Visual and Performing Arts, or CVPA.
A December collaboration between Dr. Ryan Reynolds, Assistant Professor of Bassoon and Chamber Music at UNCG, and the C.E. Jordan High School Bands in Durham, N.C., transformed a winter concert... Continue reading...
Saxophonist Franco Romero is charting a remarkable musical journey at UNCG. After beginning his training in Cuba’s conservatory system, a pivotal mentorship at UNCG helped him refine his artistic path. Today, supported by scholarships from the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation, Romero continues to grow as a forward‑thinking artist in the UNCG Jazz Studies program—embracing new opportunities, deepening his craft, and living out his dream in jazz.
Alumnus Brings World of Experience to His students
Posted on August 07, 2025
Leonardo Rosario '18 DMA conducting the KWU orchestra
Dr. Leonardo Ottoni Do Rosario (’18 DMA Conducting) has accepted the position of Director of Orchestra and Assistant Professor of violin at Lee University in Cleveland, Tenn.
Previous to his appointment, Rosario served as Conductor of String Orchestra, Director of strings, and Assistant Professor of Music at Kansas Wesleyan University.
Before teaching at the collegiate level, Rosario spent a combined 10 years performing and traveling internationally, touring South America with the Youth Orchestra of the Americas and the Minas Gerais Philharmonic Orchestra.
Reflecting on a master class in Berlin with the Berlin Sinfonietta and to Cremona, Italy—birthplace of the Stradivarius and home to the Museum of the Violin—he remarked, “The growth in artistry on my part is something that I can bring back home.” He fulfilled that sentiment by returning to KWU with a determination to expand the String Orchestra into a full symphony orchestra. Through his facilitation, KWU has bridged gaps and fostered relationships between the university and the musical arts community; Rosario has performed with the Salina Symphony and conducted its Youth Strings Ensemble since 2022.
During his doctoral studies at the UNCG School of Music, Rosario served as concertmaster of the UNCG Symphony Orchestra, led violin sectionals, taught private violin lessons, and had the opportunity to conduct the Sinfonia. He credits his wide range of experiences at UNCG with shaping who he is today as both a musician and educator.
“I truly couldn’t have followed this path without UNCG. The mentorship, training, and experiences I had there continue to shape the way I teach, perform, and lead. I carry those lessons with me into every rehearsal, classroom, and concert—and I’m proud to be part of the UNCG community.
Now, as I begin a new chapter at Lee University, I’m excited to keep growing and expanding on what I learned at UNCG. It’s an opportunity to share that legacy with a new generation of students and continue the journey that began in Greensboro.”
A December collaboration between Dr. Ryan Reynolds, Assistant Professor of Bassoon and Chamber Music at UNCG, and the C.E. Jordan High School Bands in Durham, N.C., transformed a winter concert... Continue reading...
Saxophonist Franco Romero is charting a remarkable musical journey at UNCG. After beginning his training in Cuba’s conservatory system, a pivotal mentorship at UNCG helped him refine his artistic path. Today, supported by scholarships from the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation, Romero continues to grow as a forward‑thinking artist in the UNCG Jazz Studies program—embracing new opportunities, deepening his craft, and living out his dream in jazz.
College of Visual and Performing Arts Dean bruce d. mcclung has announced the appointment of Bryan McAdams as Visiting Assistant Professor of Musical Theatre.
Bryan McAdams is a music director, keyboardist, pop/rock producer, composer, vocal coach, and professor. His professional credits include Rock Of Ages Las Vegas (Original Music Director/Keyboardist), Rock Of Ages National Tour (Music Director/Keyboardist), Tenors of Rock at Harrah’s on the Las Vegas strip (Original Music Director/Keyboardist), the Broadway National Tours of Grease with Taylor Hicks and Lauren Ashley Zakrin (Associate Conductor/Keys) and Billy Elliot, three separate International Tours of Grease,and most recently the NYC National Tour Workshop of Nikki Sixx’s The Heroin Diaries (Original Music Director/ Keys). He is currently music directing the upcoming production of Million Dollar Quartet at Shenandoah Summer Theatre.
McAdams has performed in forty-nine states as well as in Austria, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Lebanon, Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland. Additionally, he has music directed over thirty off-Broadway, regional, and university productions and has had original music premiered at Lincoln Center (NYC), Harvard University, Dixon Place (NYC), The Theatre Building (Chicago), and Festival56 (Princeton, Illinois). McAdams has music directed rock bands in iconic New York venues such as CBGB, Arlene’s Grocery, The Triad, and Le Bar Bat and has worked as a session keyboardist and independent producer in Midtown Manhattan.
As a professor of musical theatre, McAdams has been on faculty at Western Carolina University as well as the University of Mississippi where he was the recipient of the Cora Lee Graham Award for Outstanding Teaching of Freshmen.
McAdams is a classically trained pianist and holds a Batchelor of Music (BM) from Berklee College of Music. He also studied drama at The Boston Conservatory.
A December collaboration between Dr. Ryan Reynolds, Assistant Professor of Bassoon and Chamber Music at UNCG, and the C.E. Jordan High School Bands in Durham, N.C., transformed a winter concert... Continue reading...
Saxophonist Franco Romero is charting a remarkable musical journey at UNCG. After beginning his training in Cuba’s conservatory system, a pivotal mentorship at UNCG helped him refine his artistic path. Today, supported by scholarships from the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation, Romero continues to grow as a forward‑thinking artist in the UNCG Jazz Studies program—embracing new opportunities, deepening his craft, and living out his dream in jazz.
Recent Grad leading Tour of Broadway’s “Some Like It Hot”
Posted on June 23, 2025
“It feels absolutely amazing to be back in Greensboro. I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m back home.’ I had a couple of cast mates with me in the car as I drove into town, and I took them on a little guided ride through campus. This feels so good, and I know it’s just going to feel even better as I go throughout the week seeing family and former professors and performing the show here.”
Tavis Kordell Cunningham (’23 BFA Musical Theatre) is performing at the Steven Tanger Center for the Performing Arts this week, in the first national tour of the Broadway musical, “Some Like It Hot,” an updated stage adaptation of the 1950s Billy Wilder film starring Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis, and Jack Lemmon. In it, two musician brothers, Joe and Jerry, who are down on their luck and in a bit of trouble, decide to disguise as women and hide out in an all-female band. Joe falls in love with the lead singer, while Jerry winds up on a journey to his true self.
Kordell plays Jerry/Daphne.
Tavis Kordell (’23 BFA Musical Theatre) as Jerry/Daphne in the national tour of “Some Like It Hot” Photo credit: Matthew Murphy
“I just find that to be ironic, you know, coming from a university whose tagline is ‘find your way here.’ I have found so much of myself at UNCG, which has helped me to honestly tell this story of someone finding themselves—to go on that stage and spread the story of love and respect of someone finding their own true selves.”
Kordell says that’s exactly what you can expect at the UNCG School of Theatre.
“I feel my education was individualized. I was able to really hone my craft and become the best me that I’m able to become. That’s one reason I take such pride in this program. Professors make sure that you are being the best you possible—in your art and talent, but also in being the best human being.”
It was here on the UNC Greensboro campus where Kordell’s theatre career began, even though they hadn’t always been looking for one. They were on an Animal Science track, with plans to be a veterinarian, but during a high school band trip to New York, the theatre bug bit. They began auditioning for colleges and were accepted into UNCG’s Musical Theatre program.
Then, one day, during their sophomore year, Kordell met two students who would become a part of their career journey—Christoff Hairston and Julian Kennedy. The three of them wound up in the national spotlight with the group they formed called 1 aChord.
Julian Kennedy, Tavis Kordell, and Christoff Hairston. Photo courtesy of “America’s Got Talent”
“”America’s Got Talent” was amazing. It was such a great experience. Having met Julian and Christoff randomly in the caf, and then singing together and making a video that went viral, which led to us being on the show. We ended up being semi-finalists on season 16 of “America’s Got Talent.” It shocked my world because I felt like I was just starting. I essentially was, you know? And to see how quickly things grew in that amount of time, it gave me so much hope and faith about the future and my own career. It was one of many dominoes that led me to where I am now.”
Just a few short years later, Kordell auditioned for and landed their role in “Some Like It Hot.”
“I booked the show while I was still in college. I literally walked from graduation right into the tour. That’s another thing about UNCG’s Musical Theatre program. It really prepares you for the industry. Especially in our senior year, professors train us for auditions. We’ll walk into class, and they’ll say sing from your book or ask us to do something from the audition packet. It really keeps you on your toes, so when you go into the audition room nothing takes you by surprise because you’ve done it before.”
Now that they’ve successfully navigated a very big, real-world audition, what is Tavis Kordell’s advice to current and future theatre students?
“Definitely strive to be the best version of yourself that you can be but allow yourself some grace. I feel like in the musical theatre industry there’s a tendency to compare ourselves, to look at what everyone else is doing when we need to just focus on the things we do best. I also think it’s important to be able to ride things out, because sometimes you’re going to want to give up. But often it’s that moment that you want to give up that is the very moment you’re going to find that breakthrough.
“I’m so grateful to have these successes so early in my career—from “America’s Got Talent” to the original cast of this Broadway tour. Sometimes I still can’t believe it, it’s so surreal.
“So, that’s my advice. Be grateful, be great, give yourself grace. Be kind to yourself but give yourself that extra push, put the work in, and you’ll get there.”
“Some Like It Hot” runs at the Tanger Center June 25th through the 29th.
A December collaboration between Dr. Ryan Reynolds, Assistant Professor of Bassoon and Chamber Music at UNCG, and the C.E. Jordan High School Bands in Durham, N.C., transformed a winter concert... Continue reading...
Saxophonist Franco Romero is charting a remarkable musical journey at UNCG. After beginning his training in Cuba’s conservatory system, a pivotal mentorship at UNCG helped him refine his artistic path. Today, supported by scholarships from the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation, Romero continues to grow as a forward‑thinking artist in the UNCG Jazz Studies program—embracing new opportunities, deepening his craft, and living out his dream in jazz.
The actor went from UNCG’s College of Visual and Performing Arts to the Yale School of Drama before getting his big break on the HBO Max series “The Pitt.”
A December collaboration between Dr. Ryan Reynolds, Assistant Professor of Bassoon and Chamber Music at UNCG, and the C.E. Jordan High School Bands in Durham, N.C., transformed a winter concert... Continue reading...
Saxophonist Franco Romero is charting a remarkable musical journey at UNCG. After beginning his training in Cuba’s conservatory system, a pivotal mentorship at UNCG helped him refine his artistic path. Today, supported by scholarships from the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation, Romero continues to grow as a forward‑thinking artist in the UNCG Jazz Studies program—embracing new opportunities, deepening his craft, and living out his dream in jazz.
Gaurang Doshi is a recipient of the 2025 North Carolina Heritage Award, presented by the North Carolina Arts Council, the highest honor given to a traditional artist in the state. Doshi teaches Indian classical music at UNCG, the only university in the state that offers Indian classical music.
A December collaboration between Dr. Ryan Reynolds, Assistant Professor of Bassoon and Chamber Music at UNCG, and the C.E. Jordan High School Bands in Durham, N.C., transformed a winter concert... Continue reading...
Saxophonist Franco Romero is charting a remarkable musical journey at UNCG. After beginning his training in Cuba’s conservatory system, a pivotal mentorship at UNCG helped him refine his artistic path. Today, supported by scholarships from the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation, Romero continues to grow as a forward‑thinking artist in the UNCG Jazz Studies program—embracing new opportunities, deepening his craft, and living out his dream in jazz.
UNC Greensboro conferred an honorary degree on Constance “Connie” Hughes Kotis during the university’s Doctoral and Master’s Commencement Ceremony at the First Horizon Coliseum May 8. Kotis received a Doctor of Letters honorary degree for her contributions to the creative and performing arts.
A December collaboration between Dr. Ryan Reynolds, Assistant Professor of Bassoon and Chamber Music at UNCG, and the C.E. Jordan High School Bands in Durham, N.C., transformed a winter concert... Continue reading...
Saxophonist Franco Romero is charting a remarkable musical journey at UNCG. After beginning his training in Cuba’s conservatory system, a pivotal mentorship at UNCG helped him refine his artistic path. Today, supported by scholarships from the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation, Romero continues to grow as a forward‑thinking artist in the UNCG Jazz Studies program—embracing new opportunities, deepening his craft, and living out his dream in jazz.
College of Visual and Performing Arts Dean bruce d. mcclung has announced the appointment of David Furr as Assistant Professor of Acting for the Camera.
David Furr is a Tony-, Drama Desk-, and SAG Award-nominated actor with over 25 years of professional experience across Broadway, Off Broadway, television, film, regional theatre, voiceover, and audiobook narration. His frequent appearances on Broadway include Tony-nominated revivals such as King Lear, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, The Importance of Being Earnest, Noises Off,and Burn This, as well as The Rivals, Accent on Youth,and Cymbeline. David has performed in well over half the Shakespearean canon at major theatres nationwide and received The Falstaff Award and Actors’ Equity Association’s St. Clair Bayfield Award for his performances at The Public Theater’s Shakespeare in the Park.
In addition to his stage work, Furr is known for portraying Dashiell Montgomery on HBO’s The Gilded Age (SAG Award Nomination), as well as for significant recurring roles in such popular series as The Man in the High Castle, Bull, TURN: Washington’s Spies, Mr. Mercedes, and Odd MomOut. His film work includes notable appearances in Evening, 13 Hours, TheHighwaymen, The Sounding, and more. Furr is also a seasoned voice actor, lending his voice to a wide range of dramatic, commercial, and narration projects, including audiobooks for Our Enemies Will Vanish and Chernobyl Roulette.
Alongside his performance career, Furr has spent more than 15 years coaching, mentoring, and conducting workshops for actors as they navigate the professional industry. He holds a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Acting from the Alabama Shakespeare Festival/University of Alabama and brings a collaborative and industry-informed approach to actor training with a focus on cultivating authentic human connection.
A December collaboration between Dr. Ryan Reynolds, Assistant Professor of Bassoon and Chamber Music at UNCG, and the C.E. Jordan High School Bands in Durham, N.C., transformed a winter concert... Continue reading...
Saxophonist Franco Romero is charting a remarkable musical journey at UNCG. After beginning his training in Cuba’s conservatory system, a pivotal mentorship at UNCG helped him refine his artistic path. Today, supported by scholarships from the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation, Romero continues to grow as a forward‑thinking artist in the UNCG Jazz Studies program—embracing new opportunities, deepening his craft, and living out his dream in jazz.
As a child, Erin Lambertson had her sights set on a gymnastic career, but an injury changed her course. Read about how she “stuck the landing” with her pivot to theatre.
What has been your journey in the arts and how did you find your way to UNCG’s College of Visual and Performing Arts?
I grew up in the boondocks, on a crop farm in rural Maryland, so I really didn’t have any theatrical plans. My hometown, Stockton, has a population of about 70 people. I was doing gymnastics and other sports. I wanted to make it to the Olympics in gymnastics, but I had a knee injury when I was 12. That put an end to the gymnastics, and my mom put me in a theatre troupe which was doing a production of Annie. I auditioned, and that was my first show.
I stayed with that children’s theatre group through middle school, and by then I was really hooked. My need to understand myself and others just took over all my other interests.
I auditioned for colleges during COVID, so everything was online. There’s already a barrier to doing things over the internet, and I was having a hard time connecting to any of the schools. But when I “walked in” to the Zoom room for UNC Greensboro, it was like all the walls had dropped. It felt like the professors really wanted to get to know me as a person.
I had not experienced a school that was interested in me both as a performer and as a person. I think you see a lot of other programs that try to fit performers into these consumer boxes of how they can be marketable. But during the UNCG audition, I felt like the focus was on who I am and the stories I want to tell, and that has been the truth ever since I’ve been here. I have felt like my artistic voice comes first, and that the classes highlight that and have trained my storytelling abilities.
How has the UNCG School of Theatre been a good fit for you?
Because we are such small cohorts, we get a lot of individualized training with the professors. The professors are young and still working in the industry, so we get to see their pursuit of their careers, which inspires us in our own work. I also feel like there’s just not as much competitiveness as in some other programs. Everyone at UNCG Theatre is so supportive of each other.
What has been your best experience here at UNCG?
It’s hard to pick just one, but working with Jim Wren (Professor Emeritus of Theatre) on Wild Party was great. I was in the ensemble, and it was the first time I’d had a director that really encouraged us to physicalize our characters, which I feel has been informative for my personal growth. Playing Carrie this fall was really fun. That role taught me a lot about stamina and self-care. It’s a super demanding role, emotionally.
Godspell last spring was also very fulfilling, the way we ebbed and flowed off each other’s creativity.
What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned while at UNCG?
I think I’m still learning it. I think I’ll be learning it for a while, but just to trust myself and my creative vision and knowing that what I have to offer should be offered unapologetically. That really came to light for me during Side Show. I was Assistant Director with Tug Watson (Assistant Professor of Musical Theatre Choreography/Directing) as Director. Sometimes when Tug asked my opinion I would say ‘I don’t know, you’re the director.’ But he allowed such an open space that I began to feel comfortable speaking my mind.
What are your future plans? I’d like to move to New York, maybe book a cruise or tour, something that will allow me to travel. But for now, the plan is just to get to New York. I can definitely see myself directing some more, in addition to acting. Even when I’m on stage, I have a sense of what’s going on at all times, just not with my role. I found when I was behind the director’s table, I was easily tracking everything and seeing the whole picture, so my brain works for directing, and I found a new joy in it.
What is your advice for incoming students?
Start figuring out what your interests are and take your creative process from there. I think I spent too much time in my earlier years as a student trying to figure out what everyone else was interested in so that I could adapt and become that. But in the last two years, I’ve started learning more about what parts of theatre I’m drawn to and why I’m drawn to create and that has helped me become a better artist. So, my advice, in a word, is self-discovery.
A December collaboration between Dr. Ryan Reynolds, Assistant Professor of Bassoon and Chamber Music at UNCG, and the C.E. Jordan High School Bands in Durham, N.C., transformed a winter concert... Continue reading...
Saxophonist Franco Romero is charting a remarkable musical journey at UNCG. After beginning his training in Cuba’s conservatory system, a pivotal mentorship at UNCG helped him refine his artistic path. Today, supported by scholarships from the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation, Romero continues to grow as a forward‑thinking artist in the UNCG Jazz Studies program—embracing new opportunities, deepening his craft, and living out his dream in jazz.
Angelic Kankam’s journey to UNCG’s School of Dance started half a world away. Learn more about she found her way from Ghana to Greensboro in this Commencement Interview.
What has been your journey in the arts and how did you find your way to UNCG’s College of Visual and Performing Arts?
I grew up in a performing arts family. My mom sings. My dad sings. We all play instruments, so we’ve always had that performance artistry in the family. I danced in high school, mostly just for the fun of it, but when I went to the University of Ghana, I enrolled in the performing arts program—music, dance, and theatre. I would say that is where my academic journey in the arts began and where I received my Bachelor of Fine Arts.
After that four-year program, I did my required national service at the University as a teaching assistant. All during that time, I was looking for ways to learn new dance techniques. I watched YouTube videos and took every workshop I could, and then an opportunity came up for me to teach with a dance company as a ballet instructor for three-to-six-year-olds. I was also doing some choreographing for some artists and at some corporate events.
I had decided I wanted to go back to school and to do that in the United States. I did some searching online and asking friends who had gone to the United States for graduate school, and one of them mentioned UNC Greensboro. I checked the UNCG School of Dance website and looked at the faculty and what they were working on. I had read about BJ Sullivan and her Safety Release Technique, and I read about Robin Gee’s work, too. I also looked at information about graduates and what they were doing and checked out all the opportunities that students had here.
How has the UNCG School of Dance been a good fit for you?
As an international student, funding is important, so having the opportunity to be a graduate assistant helped me make the decision to come—that and knowing that I’d be able to teach because pedagogy is an important aspect of choreography. For your choreography to be performed, you must be able to teach it.
One of the things that I think really stands out for me at the CVPA School of Dance is the sense of community. You feel it in the classroom and in the halls. The laughter in these spaces is just amazing.
What has been your best experience here at UNCG?
I found myself in a School of Dance graduate program not knowing anyone. Everything was new. The support I received from everyone was massive, and I’m extremely grateful for that. It feels like a foundation that this program has been built on—so it wasn’t hard for them to, you know, bring me in, pull me in. The support and the push you get in classes is a highlight for me.
What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned while at UNCG?
I’ve learned that it is important to ask for help when you need it. There are times when you feel that you’re self-sufficient, that you can figure this out myself. But know that the help is there and give yourself the grace to find it. I hardly ever asked for help back home in Ghana, and it’s a great lesson that I’ve learned here. If I’m overwhelmed, I know that I can speak with someone and receive guidance. I want my students to know that too. Sometimes I just sit in a circle with my students and ask how their week is going. Just having that circle moment is really helpful in relieving stress for all of us.
What are your future plans?
I can stay in the United States for a year of optional practical training in the field that I’ve studied, so I want to take advantage of that opportunity. But in my bigger plans, I see myself going back to Ghana and working in the performing arts there. I’m happy that my country is more open and appreciative of the arts lately, but there is still work to be done, and I know that it’s definitely in my life plan. I’d like to start a project in Ghana—start a movement in Ghana—to build a performing arts space. It would be a place to share our culture and to give children easy access to the arts.
What is your advice for incoming students?
Enjoy the process.
You might think of the end goal as the important thing, but I believe everything that’s happening to get you to that finish line is in a way more important.
Also, believe in yourself and go for it. You are here for a reason. You weren’t accepted into this School by chance. There’s something unique about you that the world needs, and the world is eager to see. This is this moment.
Photo from Angelica’s thesis production “Agoro: A Day in the 90’s” which draws inspiration from childhood games
A December collaboration between Dr. Ryan Reynolds, Assistant Professor of Bassoon and Chamber Music at UNCG, and the C.E. Jordan High School Bands in Durham, N.C., transformed a winter concert... Continue reading...
Saxophonist Franco Romero is charting a remarkable musical journey at UNCG. After beginning his training in Cuba’s conservatory system, a pivotal mentorship at UNCG helped him refine his artistic path. Today, supported by scholarships from the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation, Romero continues to grow as a forward‑thinking artist in the UNCG Jazz Studies program—embracing new opportunities, deepening his craft, and living out his dream in jazz.
A December collaboration between Dr. Ryan Reynolds, Assistant Professor of Bassoon and Chamber Music at UNCG, and the C.E. Jordan High School Bands in Durham, N.C., transformed a winter concert... Continue reading...
Saxophonist Franco Romero is charting a remarkable musical journey at UNCG. After beginning his training in Cuba’s conservatory system, a pivotal mentorship at UNCG helped him refine his artistic path. Today, supported by scholarships from the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation, Romero continues to grow as a forward‑thinking artist in the UNCG Jazz Studies program—embracing new opportunities, deepening his craft, and living out his dream in jazz.
