Meet the Team

Meet the dedicated team behind the Cincinnati Jazz Academy—passionate educators, musicians, and leaders committed to empowering the next generation through the transformative power of jazz.


  • Executive Director | Kennedy Heights Arts Center

    Ellen Muse became Kennedy Heights Arts Center’s first Executive Director in January, 2008. To Ms. Muse, the position was her dream job, bringing together her love of the arts and her passion for building community. With more than 25 years experience in nonprofit leadership, she holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Theatre from the College of Wooster (Ohio) and a Master’s of Social Work Administration from the University of Cincinnati. In 2021, Ms. Muse received the Cincinnati Woman of the Year Award.

    In 2018, Ms. Muse collaborated with Dr. Isidore Rudnick of Cincinnati Public Schools to start the Cincinnati Jazz Academy, an after-school, barrier-free music education program for CPS students.

  • Dr. Isidore Rudnick is a nationally respected and award winning arts administrator, music educator, jazz trombonist, composer and arranger. He earned a Bachelor of Music in jazz studies and a Master of Music in composition from the University of North Texas. He earned his Doctor of Musical Arts Degree in jazz performance from the University of Miami (Florida). Dr. Rudnick has previously served as the Music Department Coordinator at the University of Maine at Augusta, Director of Instrumental Music at Yakima Valley Community College in Washington State and Artistic Director at the School for Creative and Performing Arts in Cincinnati. Dr. Rudnick is currently the Fine & Performing Arts Curriculum Manager for Cincinnati Public Schools and is the co-founder and director of the Cincinnati After School Jazz Academy at the Kennedy Heights Arts Center in Cincinnati.

    As a music educator, Dr. Rudnick has organized and directed elementary school, secondary school and college ensembles in performances in the United States and several countries in Europe. Dr. Rudnick’s music ensembles have performed for the Jazz Education Network Conference and have won awards at the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival at the University of Idaho.

    As a performer, Dr. Rudnick has shared the stage with past jazz greats Slide Hampton, Jimmy Heath and David “Fathead” Newman and has performed at jazz festivals in the United States and Europe.

    As an arts administrator, Dr. Rudnick has worked collaboratively to research, write, develop, implement and evaluate arts curriculum across several disciplines. He is a passionate advocate of supporting teachers with the classroom resources they need to ensure their students reach their academic and artistic potential. Under Dr. Rudnick’s leadership, Cincinnati Public Schools’ teachers have annual professional development opportunities to work with respected artists, arts leaders and community arts organizations to enhance their teaching and learning strategies.

    Dr. Rudnick is the recipient of the 2024 CreativeOhio Arts Educator Champion Award, the 2024 Cincinnati Jazz Hall of Fame Special Recognition Award, the 2017 Distinguished Art Educator of Ohio Award.


  • Quentin Coleman has been the Music Manager at the Cincinnati Jazz Academy since 2021. He assists Dr. Rudnick and the academy teachers in inspiring Cincinnati Public Schools students to reach their artistic potential. He firmly believes in the power of music to strengthen Cincinnati communities and is passionate about giving back to the communities that have served him so well.

    Mr. Coleman graduated from Clark Montessori High School in 2016 and attended The University of Cincinnati Blue Ash for Broadcast Journalism. While in high school, he played flute and transitioned into playing the guitar during his sophomore year. Reconnecting with his high school community, Mr. Coleman is now the Director of Alumni Affairs at Clark Montessori High School. His duties there include reaching out to Clark Montessori music alumni and making them aware of the thriving music program activities at the school. He also leads the Clark Montessori Alumni Band where recent and past graduates come together to play classic jazz repertoire.

  • Madeleine Case is a curious, introspective, and community-minded French horn player, who is currently working towards her Doctorate of Music Arts in Horn Performance at the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. Previously, she worked for Kids’ Orchestra, a non-profit in Baton Rouge, LA, which seeks to bring Louisiana communities together through music. She She completed her Masters Degree in Horn Performance at Louisiana State University in May of 2023, where she was a graduate assistant in the horn studio.

    In her spare time, she loves honing in her recipes (specifically Cajun and Creole inspired dishes) and spending time in her community.