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Faculty Name
Ezra Haugabrooks
Title
Director of AUC Orchestra
Department
Music
Phone
321-693-5704
Education
B.M., Andrews University
Graduate Studies, GA State University
Biography
Ezra Haugabrooks is an American-born conductor and composer of African-American and Jamaican descent. He began playing piano at the age of three and performing piano accompaniment with his father, Charles Haugabrooks, at the age of seven.
At age 10, after begging his mother for an instrument, Haugabrooks began to take violin lessons and playing in the school orchestra. He graduated with a Bachelor of Music in viola performance from Andrews University in 2008. He has studied with Igor Fedotov and Nokuthula Ngwenyama, among other notable instructors and is continuing graduate studies at Georgia State University with Tania Maxwell-Clements. Haugabrooks has performed with members of the St Paul Chamber Orchestra, Rachel Barton Pine, and others in private chamber series in Minnesota as well as in numerous private chamber recitals. His participation at these delightful events has been in a variety of roles as a violist, counter-tenor, tenor, conductor, and pianist.
Education should have a significant function in a child’s formative years, and the Haugabrooks family consistently provided this support for him. This resulted in connecting a profound personal responsibility to education and robust performances. A passionate pedagogue, Haugabrooks has taught as a viola instructor, general music, substitute teacher in a general classroom, orchestra at all levels, middle school band, elementary and middle school chorus.
In 2017, Haugabrooks founded the Ballet and Dance Orchestra. With the intent to perform music for companies, his vision was to offer an alternative for organizations to be able to use live performances of both original and well-beloved orchestral selections, respecting and recognizing the musicianship of local professional artists while still making it accessible to the public. The Ballet and Dance Orchestra, Inc. seeks to be the first of its kind to pursue this vision and perform for major shows. Peter London Dance Company and the Ballet and Dance Orchestra collaborated this past December in an exciting new work called “Black Men Crossing”. Haugabrooks composed and conducted the score with ten company dancers at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in Miami. In addition to performing and directing the Atlanta University Center Orchestra, Haugabrooks has been re-engaged for three more performances with Peter London in 2020. He is also a board member of the American Viola Society.
Outside of the world of music, Haugabrooks is a single father to his beautiful son, Noah Haugabrooks. He enjoys spending free time discovering springs and exploring nature with his son.
Courses Taught
Atlanta University Center-Wide Symphony Orchestra
Applied Viola Lessons