CMS Administration

Stephen Fischer, Director of the UGA Community Music School, graduate of the University of Georgia, he earned a Bachelor of Music degree in music education and a Masters degree and DMA in saxophone performance.

As a performer, Dr. Fischer is an active member of the North American Saxophone Alliance, and has been invited to perform at the organization's national and regional conferences in Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Texas. He has also performed as a soloist and chamber musician at meetings of the World Saxophone Congress in Minneapolis, Minnesota (2003), Ljubljana, Slovenia (2006), St. Andrews, Scotland (2012), Strasbourg, France (2015), and most recently in Zagreb, Croatia (2018).

An avid supporter of new music, he regularly participates in the commissioning of new works through various consortiums. Commissions include pieces by Shih-Hui Chen, Halim El-Dabh, and Marc Mellits. Dr. Fischer has recently premiered new works by composers Dave Deason, Roger Vogel, Natalie Williams, Ashley Floyd, and Douglas Bassett.

Dr. Fischer maintains an active schedule as a soloist, chamber musician, and teacher. He has served on the music faculties of Georgia College, Clemson University, the University of Georgia, and the University of West Georgia.

Cassidy Brown (she/her) serves as the Outreach Administrative Assistant for the University of Georgia Hugh Hodgson School of Music. She assists with the Community Music School, String Project, and Summer Music Camps. She is an alumnus of the University of Georgia oboe studio, graduating in 2018 with a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education. She doubled on alto saxophone in high school jazz band and marching band and marched mellophone in the Redcoat Band. She also received her Master of Music Education degree from Florida State University in 2023. 

As an oboist, Cassidy has performed in several community bands and local performances. Most notably, she performed at the 2021 Midwest Clinic in Chicago with the Atlanta Wind Symphony. She was a middle school band director for six years before joining the University of Georgia Community Music School. 

In addition to playing a variety of instruments as a hobby, Cassidy loves attending concerts of all genres, watching movies, gaming, and spending time with her family and friends (including her two cats, Mika and Murphy). She is very active in the Athens community and loves helping and serving others.