"It's a Rhythm Thang!"

Travis J. Cross (he/him) serves as professor of music and director of bands at UCLA, where he conducts the Wind Ensemble and leads the graduate wind conducting program. He chaired the music department from 2018–2023 and was associate dean for academic mentoring and opportunity during the initial years of the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music. He previously taught at Virginia Tech and Edina (Minn.) High School. Cross earned doctor and master of music degrees in conducting from Northwestern University and the bachelor of music degree cum laude in vocal and instrumental music education from St. Olaf College. His principal teachers were Mallory Thompson and Timothy Mahr. Cross has appeared as a guest conductor, composer, and clinician in nearly 40 states; Australia, Canada, China, Germany, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Spain, Thailand, and the United Arab Emirates; as featured band clinician at the Texas Music Educators Association Clinic/Convention; and on several occasions at the Music for All National Festival and Midwest Clinic. Cross is a member of the Council of Korean Americans and a Yamaha Master Educator.

Originally from Phoenix, Arizona, Theresa Dimond began her percussion studies with Mervin Britton at age 8. Upon moving to Los Angeles, she attended the University of Southern California where she studied with Ken Watson, earning a B.M., M.M. and D.M.A. in Music Performance. As a student, she also attended the Interlochen National Music Camp, the Aspen Music Festival, the Music Academy of the West and the Los Angeles Philharmonic Institute. She has studied with the late Mitchell Peters (Los Angeles Philharmonic), Neil De Ponte (Oregon Symphony), F. Michael Combs (formerly of the University of Tennessee) and the late Charlie Owens (Philadelphia Orchestra).

Dimond is currently the principal percussionist of the Los Angeles Opera Orchestra. She has been a member of the orchestra since its inception in 1985. The LA Opera Orchestra has recently won four Grammy Awards for its recordings of Kurt Weill’s The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny, and John Corigliano’s The Ghosts of Versaille.

As a free-lance musician in Los Angeles, Dimond has worked with every orchestral ensemble in the city, including the LA Philharmonic and Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra. As well as her duties at LA Opera, she is currently Principal Percussion of the Pasadena Symphony and Pops and Principal Timpanist of Muse/ique, the Los Angeles Master Chorale and the California Philharmonic. She has worked with many preeminent conductors including Leonard Bernstein, Michael Tilson Thomas, Jeffrey Kahane, Placido Domingo, Herbert Blomstedt, Kent Nagano, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Gustavo Dudamel and James Conlon. A highlight of her career has been performing with soprano Dawn Upshaw, and members of the Boston Symphony, on a contemporary music tour. Dr. Dimond has also appeared as soloist at the Aspen, Sun Valley and Tanglewood Summer Music Festivals.

Dimond serves on the faculties of UCLA, UC, Irvine, Pomona College, Whittier College and Cerritos College. She has previously taught at her alma mater, USC. In 1998, she founded TouchDown Publications, a music publishing company which edits and publishes opera percussion parts.

One of a handful of experts on the cimbalom, a Hungarian hammered dulcimer, she has performed with Pierre Boulez, Lalo Schifrin, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Kurt Masur, Dawn Upshaw, and Grant Gershon on that specialty instrument. Her recording credits include The Curious Case of Benjamin Buttons, Far from Heaven, The Dewey Cox Story, Rush Hour 3, Rocky 5, andEdward Scissorhands, to name but a few.

Dimond makes her home in the Mt. Washington area of Los Angeles, with her husband, Jim, their dog, Monte, and their two cats, Tiggy and Widget.

Terence Molloy is an 18-year-old bassist from San Rafael, California. He has been playing the bass for nine years, and has been a member of the Marin Symphony Youth Orchestra and the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra. Outside of playing the bass, Terence loves nature, interesting stories, and PARTYNEXTDOOR’s entire discography.

Movses Pogossian is a celebrated prize-winning violinist, Distinguished Professor of Violin at the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music, and Founder/Advisor of the UCLA Armenian Music Program. He participates in the Music for Food project, which fights hunger in local communities and gives the opportunity to experience the powerful role music plays as a catalyst for change. His recent CD releases include Con Anima, Hommage à Kurtág, Modulation Necklace, and Serenade with a Dandelion: Armenian Chamber Music, Old and New.