Jason Vanselow (D.M.A. candidate, student of Jeffrey Van), Timothy Budge (B.M. candidate, student of James Flegel), and Eric Raisler (B.M. candidate, student of James Flegel). Performing for the Turkish-NY based guitarist Gem Duruoz were Timothy Budge and Cassius Stein (B.M. candidate, student of James Flegel). The University of Minnesota Percussion Ensemble, under the direction of Fernando Meza, visited Costa Rica in May 2009 as part of the 1st International Festival of Percussion Ensembles. Bojan Hoover (B.M. candidate, Percussion), Adam Rappel (M.M. candidate, Percussion), Hans Fredrickson (B.M. candidate, Percussion), Scotty Horey (M.M. candidate, Percussion), and Joe Millea (B.M. candidate, Percussion) attended the Festival. The sextet performed live on the television show “Buen Día” and performed in a Festival concert at the National Theater in San José, which was broadcast national television. The Percussion Ensemble performed Lou Harrison’s Concerto for Organ and Percussion Orchestra with organ soloist John Walker on October 24, 2008 at St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church in Mahtomedi. The concert also included Craig Kirchhoff (Bands) conducting the University of Minnesota Wind Ensemble and Dean Billmeyer (Organ), as well as U of M alumnus and music director at St. Andrew’s Bill Chouinard (B.M., 1987, Organ, student of Dean Billmeyer). The concert was part of Minnesota Public Radio’s celebration of Michael Barone’s program Pipedreams and of the International Year of the Organ as promoted by the American Guild of Organists. The University of Minnesota Marching Band was spotlighted on TPT in Pride of Minnesota: Backstage. The program was a behind-the-scenes look at the Big Ten band as they prepared for a half-time show. The program aired on February 14 and 15. First place in the SOM Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition was awarded to Nick
Donatelle (B.M. candidate, Cello, student of Tanya Remenikova), Natalia Moiseeva (D.M.A. candidate, Violin, student of Sally O’Reilly), and Ivan Konev (D.M.A. candidate, Piano, student of Alex Braginsky) who performed Beethoven’s Concerto for Violin, Cello, and Piano. Second place went to Woobin Park (D.M.A. candidate, Piano, student of Lydia Artymiw) who performed Edvard Grieg’s Piano Concerto Op. 16. Jiye Kim (D.M.A. candidate, Piano, student of Lydia Artymiw) received an honorable mention for a performance of W.A. Mozart’s Piano Concerto in A Major. Members of The Juliet Quartet, Lindsey Bordner (B.M. candidate, Violin, student of Sally O’Reilly), Hannah Murray (B.M. candidate, Violin, student of Sally O’Reilly), Tim Brock (B.M. candidate, Viola, student of Korey Konkol and Annalee Wolf), and Geoff Anderson (B.A. candidate, Cello, student of Tanya Remenikova), were featured in the Southern Theatre’s The Juliet Letters, a Theatrical Music Company production. This production was a fully staged version of Elvis Costello’s The Juliet Letters. Current guitar students Ian Hodges (D.M.A. candidate, student of Jeffrey Van), Anthony Titus (D.M.A. candidate, student of Jeffrey Van), and Wade Oden (D.M.A. candidate, student of Jeffrey Van) and alumni Evan Everist (M.M., 2009, student of Jeffrey Van), Steve Newbrough (M.M., 2008, student of Jeffrey Van), and Joseph Spoelstra (B.M., 2006, student of Jeffrey Van) performed in the May 23, 2009 Minnesota Guitar Society’s annual Guitarathon—a gala concert showcasing the some of the finest guitarists in the state. Four University of Minnesota vocal students/ alumni participated in the Classical Singer University Vocal Competition held in Chicago in May. Julia Engel (B.M., 2009, Voice, student of Jean del Santo), Cassie Koob (B.M., 2009, Voice, student of Jane De Haan), and Janalyn Bump (M.M. candidate, Voice, student of John De Haan) made the semi-final round. Allison
Buivid (M.M., 2009, Voice, student of John De Haan and Cynthia Lawrence) was named first place winner in the University division. Buivid was awarded $2,000 and a full scholarship to the AIMS summer music program in Graz Austria. Mary Beth Huttlin (D.M.A. candidate, Clarinet, student of John Anderson) earned first prize in the Graduate Student category of the 2009 ArtSounds Contest. In the Undergraduate category, Kyle Frost (B.M. candidate, Trumpet, student of David Baldwin and Gary Bordner) won first prize, Adam Berndt (B.M. candidate, Trumpet, student of David Baldwin) earned second prize, and David Krezenski was awarded third prize. The award ceremony was held in April 2009 at the Weisman Art Museum, where audience members could hear the winning works and view the artworks that inspired them.
Alumni News
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Larry McDonough (B.S., Music Education), attorney and jazz pianist, was selected to receive the Minnesota Justice Foundation Distinguished Service Award. McDonough also released the Larry McDonough Quartet CD, Simple Gifts, for national and international airplay and review.
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Reid Blickenstaff (B.M., 1985, M.M., 1991, Viola, student of Richard Massmann) was appointed music director of the Bainbridge Island Youth Orchestra on Bainbridge Island, Kitsap County, Washington in May 2009.
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Steve Heitzeg’s (Ph.D., Composition, student of Dominick Argento) works were featured on February 15, 2009 with the Chamber Music Society. The SOM New Music Ensemble, Young-Nam Kim (Violin), and Tim Lovelace (Piano) were the participating artists. The program included the premiere of While We Breathe, We Hope (Fanfare for Obama)—a setting of a portion of Barack
Staff News Michael Duffy (Music Technology, Media Lab, and Studios Specialist), Phillip O’Toole (Technical Coordinator and Audio Engineer), Schuyler Tsuda (Information Technology Fellow), Jeremy Wagner (Information Technology Fellow) and School of Music faculty members Doug Geers and Scott Lipscomb received $50,000 from the Office of Vice President of Research to augment and enhance the presentation and research capabilities in rooms 280 and 225 of Ferguson Hall.
28 University of Minnesota School of Music
Stanley H. Rothrock, II (Graduate Student Services Assistant) received a D.M.A. in Conducting with a Choral Emphasis from the University of Minnesota School of Music in May 2009. Rothrock was a student of Kathy Saltzman Romey, director of choral activities. He is currently adjunct faculty teaching Rock History and Chorus at Inver Hills Community College in Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota. He will also teach Class Piano in the spring.