School of Music Faculty

Charlotte Mabrey

Professor Emerita, Percussion

Charlotte Mabrey was Professor Emerita of Music and a longtime member of the University of North Florida School of Music faculty. A percussionist and educator, Mabrey joined UNF in 1983 as professor of percussion and played an important role in developing the university’s percussion curriculum and percussion program. She was named a Gerson Yessin Professor, received UNF’s Undergraduate Teaching Award in 1991, was named Distinguished Professor in 2001, and became Professor Emerita of Music in 2016.

Mabrey received her Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees from the University of Illinois in 1977. After completing her degrees, she came to Jacksonville for what was initially expected to be a one-year position as principal percussionist with the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra. The position developed into a 27-year career with the JSO. During her tenure, Mabrey also appeared as a featured soloist with the orchestra, performing works including Ney Rosauro’s Marimba Concerto No. 1, John Mackey’s Percussion Concerto, and Robert Bennett’s Percussion Concerto. She also worked with the JSO percussion section on educational and family concerts that showcased percussion.

At UNF, Mabrey was tasked with developing the percussion curriculum as the university’s music program expanded. She researched and developed courses pertaining to the percussion degree and taught applied percussion at all levels, Percussion Ensemble, Percussion Literature, Percussion Pedagogy, and Percussion Techniques. She also created a rhythm course open to music majors that addressed rhythmic challenges faced by young performers. As the program grew, the UNF percussion studio expanded from one major to more than 16.

Mabrey also directed the UNF Percussion Ensemble, whose performances took place both on and off campus, including appearances at area colleges, performances with guest artists of the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra, and participation in the Percussive Arts Society International Convention.

Her work as both a performer and educator also contributed to a relationship between UNF and the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra. An outgrowth of that relationship was the Contemporary Music Series, which featured Jacksonville Symphony members performing contemporary works at UNF. The series continued for three years and presented contemporary repertoire.

For many years, Mabrey presented an annual percussion-oriented recital at UNF, An Evening of 20th Century Music. The series began in a small campus space known as The Boathouse and later moved to larger performance venues as its audience grew, including a 600-seat theater and the Lazzara Performance Hall. The concerts featured contemporary music for solo marimba, multiple percussion, and chamber ensembles, as well as collaborations with area musicians and UNF percussion students. Performances incorporated contemporary music, poetry, lighting, and movement. Mabrey also collaborated with fellow artist Robert Arleigh White on original works.

In 1997, Mabrey established the Evening of 20th Century Music Scholarship Program. The annual performances provided opportunities for students and musicians to engage with contemporary percussion repertoire and performance.

Mabrey's students went on to careers as performers, university professors, and music teachers at the elementary, secondary, and university levels, as well as positions in military bands and The President's Own Drum and Fife Corps. Her career as both an active performer and educator connected professional performance with her teaching and work with students at UNF.

Mabrey was the principal percussionist of the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra for more than two decades and continued to perform with the orchestra on an as-needed basis after stepping aside from the principal position. She remained active in music throughout her career as a performer, teacher, and mentor.

Charlotte Mabrey died on September 7, 2025. The University of North Florida School of Music honors her contributions to percussion performance and education, her work in developing the UNF percussion program and curriculum, and the opportunities she created for students through performance, teaching, and her long-running Evening of 20th Century Music series.