Landscapes & Legends

Dr. Jacob Craig is the Director of Music and Arts at First Presbyterian Church of Vero Beach, where he leads an active and wide-ranging music program. Since moving to Vero Beach in 2012, he has become a vibrant presence in the local arts community as a pianist, organist, conductor, educator, and community music leader.

At First Presbyterian, Dr. Craig directs the Chancel Choir, Youth String Orchestra, and other church music ensembles. In the community, he works with numerous vocal ensembles, including the Silver Tones, ACTS Choir, Sea Oaks Chorus, John’s Island Singers, and the Vero Beach Choral Society. He also maintains an active performing career and supports many local arts organizations, including the Space Coast Symphony Orchestra.

Dr. Craig holds degrees in music education, piano performance, choral conducting, and sacred music. In addition to his work at the keyboard, he is a professional-level bagpiper and founder of the Vero Beach Pipes and Drums.

Beyond the concert hall and studio, Bond’s professional identity is remarkably multifaceted. He is a published composer through industry leaders such as J.W. Pepper and Barnhouse, providing original repertoire for educational and professional ensembles. Furthermore, he has successfully expanded his career into the performing arts as a professional magician and an actor, appearing in television productions such as the Amazon Prime series Guns For Hire.  Today, Julian Bond continues to be a prolific force in the arts, balancing his roles as a digital content creator, educator, and world-class performer. His career serves as a modern blueprint for the versatile musician, blending traditional British training with the dynamic demands of the American entertainment industry.

Patrick Phillips is a respected music educator, conductor, and performer with deep roots in the Brevard County arts community. He most recently served as Director of Instrumental Music at Satellite High School from 2013–2023, where his ensembles earned state and national recognition and consistently received Superior ratings at District and State Music Performance Assessments.

Before his work at Satellite High, Phillips served as Director of Instrumental Music at St. Petersburg High School, where he established a successful orchestra program. His ensembles and teaching have been featured at major events and conferences, including the Music for All National Festival, the National Band Association, and the American School Band Director’s Association.

A dedicated brass specialist, Phillips studied horn at Florida State University and has worked extensively in brass pedagogy, jazz styles, and improvisation. He has also taught with Drum Corps International organizations including Phantom Regiment and Spirit of Atlanta. His students have earned All-County and All-State honors, won DCI World Championships, and continued their studies at leading conservatories and music programs across the country.

Kenneth Fuchs is the first living American composer recorded by the virtuoso Sinfonia of London and its brilliant conductor, John Wilson. In July 2023, Chandos Records released Cloud Slant, Orchestral Works, Volume 1, which includes two works for full orchestra, an exuberant composition for strings, and a concerto for C and alto flute, performed by the extraordinary Adam Walker.  Fuchs recorded for Naxos five albums with the London Symphony Orchestra conducted by JoAnn Falletta, the last of which won the 2018 GRAMMY^® Award for “Best Classical Compendium.” In August 2020, Naxos released Point of Tranquility (Seven Works for Symphonic Winds), recorded by the United States Coast Guard Band. Naxos also published an album of chamber music including Falling Canons, Falling Trio and String Quartet No. 5 “American.” Albany Records published String Quartets 2, 3, 4 in definitive performances by the American String Quartet.  Fuchs has composed music for orchestra, band, voice, chorus, soloists, and various chamber ensembles. With Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Lanford Wilson,

Fuchs created three chamber musicals. The National September 11 Memorial & Museum presented Fuchs’s operatic monodrama Falling Man (text by Don DeLillo, adapted by J. D. McClatchy) in commemoration of the 15th anniversary of 9/11. His music has achieved significant global recognition through performances, media exposure, and digital streaming and downloading.

Fuchs serves as Professor of Music Composition at the University of Connecticut. He is a graduate of the University of Miami and received master of music and doctor of musical arts degrees from The Juilliard School. His composition teachers include Milton Babbitt, David Diamond, and Vincent Persichetti. His music is published by Bill Holab Music, Hal Leonard LLC, Edward B. Marks Music Company, and Theodore Presser Company, and it has been recorded by Albany, Chandos, and Naxos.