Dr. Roosevelt Griffin III

Walter Dyett Chair for Jazz Studies, Diversity and Inclusion

Co-Artistic Director of One City Jazz

  Dr. Griffin teaches at the Chicago Jazz Philharmonic’s Jazz Academy, the Griffin Institute, and is a frequent guest artist and clinician across the country. 2022, John LaPorta Jazz Educator of the Year. “Think Big” Educator Award by Chicago Jazz Philharmonic Men of Excellence Award by Chicago Defender/Real Times Media 2017, Grammy Award for Best Music Educator Outstanding Almni from Northern Illinois University

Professor Anthony Kidonakis

Director of Collegiate Jazz Studies

Co-Artistic Director of One City Jazz

   Anthony Kidonakis joined the faculty of VanderCook College of Music in 2009. He earned a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Northern Illinois University, a Master of Music Education degree from VanderCook College of Music, and a Master of Music degree in wind performance and literature from Northwestern University.  Kidonakis currently serves as the Director of Jazz Studies and an Associate Professor at VanderCook College of Music

Lucinda Ali-Landing

Co-Artistic Director of One City Strings

   Lucinda E. Ali-Landing is a violinist and the Founding Director of the Hyde Park Suzuki Institute, a member of the first violin section of the Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra, the Sphynx Orchestra, and the Chicago Sinfoniett, where she is in the Joffrey Ballet Orchestra and has performed Cinderella, Romeo and Juliet, Midsummer Night's Dream and more. She is a freelance artist who has performed with artists such as Ray Charles, Brian McKnight, Oprah Winfrey and many more

Dr. Yvonne Davila-Cortes

Director of Collegiate Strings

Co-Artistic Director of One City Strings

   Dr. Davila-Cortes holds a Doctorate in Music and Human Learning from the University of Texas at Austin with an emphasis on parental involvement and on incorporating multicultural repertoire into the Suzuki curriculum, a Masters in Music in violin performance from UW-Madisonand a Bachelor of Music from DePaul UniversityShe is currently the Director of String Activities in the collegiate division at VanderCook College of Music.

Dr. Leah Schuman

Associate Professor of Trumpet

Executive Director of One City

   Dr. Schuman has served on the faculty of VanderCook College of Music since 2002, where she teaches trumpet and brass classes. She  also took on the role of Executive Director of One City in June of 2018. She was the Director of the Preparatory Program at the Merit School of Music in Chicago. She holds a Doctorate of Musical Arts from the Eastman School of Music, a Masters in Music from the Eastman School of Music