Shawna Pennock is “rich and powerful, yet lightly effervescent” (Classical Voice of North Carolina) and “towering” (Textura). Pennock serves as Associate Director of the School of Music and Assistant Professor in Residence at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. At UNLV, she teaches saxophone lessons, instrumental pedagogy, and chamber music.
Her solo album Riparian (2024) is a collection of works utilizing the expressive capabilities of extended techniques, but in an approachable way for first time explorers of said techniques. “In Riparian, Dr. Shawna Pennock not only makes a virtuosic and artistic statement in her performance, but also bridges a commonly overlooked gap in saxophone pedagogy. This is far beyond technical demonstration.” -Nick Zoulek.
Pennock has been teaching collegiate saxophone for 8 years at UNLV where her students have gone on to become music educators, continue to graduate studies, and develop a love for making music. She also loves to work with high school and middle school saxophonists. Her high school students have made Nevada All-State, gone on to study saxophone at large state universities such as University of Texas at Austin, Colorado Boulder, University of South Carolina, Arizona State University, and University of North Carolina School of the Arts; join regional military bands; and be invited to prestigious competitions such as Fischoff National Chamber Music.