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Join us at Laurier
Becoming a Golden Hawk means more than just cheering on our (really good) varsity teams – it means being a student who cares about your community, who works hard in the classroom, and who takes advantage of all the learning opportunities that can happen outside the classroom, too.
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Born in Russia, raised in Israel, and educated in the United States, I hold a BM degree in composition from the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University, and MA and PhD degrees in composition from The University of Iowa. From 2014-2019, I taught composition, music theory, history, analysis, and orchestration at Florida Southern College, where I was also a music technology consultant and directed the electronic recording studio. Previously, I taught music theory and composition at The University of Tampa and piano at Patel Conservatory at David A. Straz Center in Tampa, Florida.
As an active composer and arranger, I have been commissioned by and have worked with many notable ensembles, performers, and institutions nationally and internationally, among which are universities of Eastern Kentucky, South Texas, St. Ambrose, Loma Linda Academy, Iowa and Tampa; orchestra members of Kitchener-Waterloo, Great Falls, Springfield, Waterloo-Cedar Falls, and Valley symphonies and new music groups such as University of Iowa Center for New Music, Tampa Brass Quintet, FSC Brass Quintet, and NUMUS (Canada), among others.
As an educator, I have mentored many students over the years, to help launch their professional careers in music and music education. My students have been accepted to acclaimed music programs such as universities of Harvard, Yale, Miami, Redlands, Rice, Michigan, and York University (UK). In addition, numerous students of mine have landed roles performing with professional ensembles for companies such as Disney World, Universal Studios, and Bush Gardens (Tampa), while others have gone to pursue teaching careers as K-12 educators in Florida and nationwide.
As a scholar, I have appeared as guest composer, presenter and speaker at Eastern Kentucky, Tampa, Florida Southern and Aveiro (Portugal) universities, among others. I have served as an adjudicator with the Florida Orchestra Association and am a member of College Music Society, ASCAP, Society of Composers, and American Composers Forum and am an honorary member of Pi Kappa Lambada and Franklin Honor Society (Chicago). I currently serve as board member at NUMUS, Inc. in Waterloo, Ontario. For more information, please visit somelchenko.com.
- Call for scores winner, University of Kentucky Faculty Brass Quintet (2020)
- Call for scores winner, West Fork Music Festival, Fairmont State University (2019)
- Awarded Commission, Eastern Kentucky University String Orchestra (2017)
- Finalist, call for scores competition, Tampa Bay Symphony Orchestra (2017)
- Honorary membership, Pi Kappa Lambda (2014)
- Professional development grant, The University of Iowa (2012)
- Awarded Commission, The St. Ambrose University Symphony Orchestra (2012)
- Call for scores winner, Midwest Composer Symposium, Indiana University (2011)
- Numerous teaching assistantships, The University of Iowa (2008-2010)
- Honorary membership, Franklin Honor Society (2006)
- Competition winner, Virginia LaRock competition, Roosevelt University (2005)
- Sharett grant, America-Israel Cultural Foundation (2002)
I always strive to be an inspiring mentor and role model to my students. By creating a welcoming, respectful, and professional learning environment, I aim to help students become well-rounded musicians. I tailor my instruction to the individual needs of each student, to best serve their musical needs and to maximize their learning experience.
“I have never had a better understanding of music theory as I do now, and is all thanks to Dr. O. He is always available for us, he is supportive, he explains in many different ways so that we understand the subject and he makes sure we do! Thank you for your hard work, it is very appreciated!”
“Dr. Omelchenko is a phenomenal teacher! His teaching style is such that even a three-year-old could understand music theory if he taught it. He’s very passionate about the topic!”
“Dr. Omelchenko is one of the best music professors I have ever worked with. He is very individualized and helps tailor the course to my interests while also challenging me to do self-study. He's an inspiring teacher!”
“This is my first semester taking theory with Dr. O, and he has been amazing. Such great teacher, I feel like I have learned so much and have a better understanding of the subject. I look forward to having him as a professor again next semester!”
“Dr. Omelchenko is great about working to make sure that his students understand a concept clearly prior to moving on to anew topic. He is by far the best music theory teacher I have had and I appreciate the fact that he is patient and willing to work to make sure that we understand the course content.”
“Dr. Omelchenko teaches in such a way that everyone understands it. He's a fun loving, brilliant, caring and extremely talented teacher and truly is a great asset to all of Florida Southern College.”
- 36 lessons per academic year (September to June)
- $34 per 30-minute lesson
- $51 per 45-minute lesson
- $68 per 60-minute lesson
Contact Info:
E: LAMA@wlu.ca