Our People
Nathan Halvorson
Chief Executive Officer
Bio
Nathan Halvorson’s work has been seen at Lincoln Center Theatre, NY Theatre Workshop, Circle in the Square, Mountain Rep, Theatreworks USA, Theatreworks Colorado Springs, Expanded Arts, The NY International Fringe Festival, The Mint Theatre, Carousel Music Theatre, Iowa Summer Rep and many others. He was a founding member and Artistic Director of The Key Theatre (a theatre that focused on the stories of the LGBTQ+ communities) in NYC and the former Resident Director and Interim Artistic Director at The Penobscot Theatre in Bangor, Maine.
He has taught theatre at several universities including The University of Notre Dame, The University of Iowa, and The University of Colorado – Colorado Springs and has been a teaching artist for many school systems and theatre companies for nearly twenty years. He is a proud member of Actor’s Equity and The Lincoln Center Director’s Lab and received his MFA in Theatre Directing from The University of Iowa.
Before joining The Colorado Springs Conservatory, he was the Associate Director of Performing Arts and Director of the Theatre School at The Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College. As an actor, choreographer, and director, he has been involved in over 100 professional theatrical productions in NYC, regionally and on tour.
He has been nominated for ten individual Henry Awards (Won: Best Director of a Musical 2020 for The Bridges of Madison County) and directed four shows to best production nominations (Won: Best Production of a Play 2019 for Church & State and Outstanding Production of a Musical 2020 for The Bridges of Madison County).
He is also the recipient of the Arts in Education Award from the Pikes Peak Arts Council and a True West Award.
Dr. Adam Haas
Program Director
Bio
Pianist Adam Haas has been teaching at the Colorado Springs Conservatory since August 2017 and taught previously at Ouachita Baptist University and the University of Colorado, Boulder.
He completed his DMA in piano performance at the University of Colorado where he was a graduate teaching assistant for three years.
Dr. Haas has performed with the New York Concerti Sinfonietta, the Loveland Orchestra, and the Colorado State University Orchestra, and has presented lectures at numerous national and state conferences.
He has performed throughout the United States both as a soloist and chamber pianist, having collaborated with trombonists Tom Burge and Justin Isenhour, flutists Tadeu Coelho, John Barcellona, and Kristin Grant, the Anasazi String Quartet, and the Chinook Winds, among others.
Dr. Haas has also received degrees from Indiana University and Colorado State University, and he has studied and performed at the Aspen Music Festival and the New Orleans Piano Institute.
His teachers include Andrew Cooperstock, Edward Auer, Janet Landreth, Anton Nel, and Alan Chow.
In addition to teaching and playing the piano, Dr. Haas enjoys playing the organ, being in the great Colorado outdoors, and spending time with family.
“There are so many things I love about working at the Conservatory, but I would say getting to work with young students every day has to be up there at the top. It is such a joy to witness a student’s aha moment, or see them grow in confidence, or celebrate their successes with them. My job as a mentor at the Conservatory is much more than just teaching my students how to be a good musician; I get to help them grow in confidence, learn the importance of hard work, and discover the wonderful world of musical expression and how it can feed the soul. At the Conservatory we have the opportunity to impact these young lives in such a positive way and I count it as a privilege and joy to be a part of that.” -Dr. Adam Haas
Dr. John Rot
Music Production and Composition
Bio
John Rot is a composer, teacher, conductor and pianist based in Colorado Springs. His music has been performed and commissioned by a diverse group of ensembles and performers including the International Contemporary Ensemble, Talea Ensemble, JACK Quartet, Mivos Quartet, and TAK Ensemble, as well as music festivals in the United States and Europe. As a pianist and conductor, John has also competed and performed nationally and internationally.
Beyond composition and performance, teaching is a fundamental facet of John’s artistic life. In addition to being an enthusiastic purveyor of progressive and non-traditional pedagogy, he is fundamentally committed to the study of composition as a crucial element of music education, particularly at the pre-college level.
John has degrees in Music Composition from Columbia University and Oberlin Conservatory. In addition to his work at the Colorado Springs Conservatory, he has previously taught at The University of Denver and Montclair State University, and is currently a Lecturer at University of Colorado Colorado Springs, where he teaches composition, music theory, and computer music.
Jack Branning
Voice Department Lead