The study of music has many rewards, but will only appeal to those who have a true passion for it. There are many universities offering music subjects, but few have extended their influence to the educational community. This article discusses the california college of music alumni.
A CollegeLearners account shows the features details. This includes california college of music acceptance rate, music colleges in california los angeles, california college of music scholarship, california college of music reviews, and california college of music requirements.
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Kelan Huang
Certificate in Songwriting & Music Production
Solo Artist
Kelan began her music-making journey in 2014 in Cardiff. She released her 2016 debut single, “Flower,” through an independent record label and has since released a folk album (Lovers in Winter, 2018), a concept EP (Till the Sun Goes Down, 2020), and a Christmas EP with lyricist Chris Meredith (This Christmas, 2020). Most recently she wrote and produced much of the music for one of the most popular reality shows in China, MGTV’s A Journey For Love.
Kelan strives “to make music and tell the truth” and “to document the way I see the world and make the best art I possibly can.” She finds songwriting to be “a remedy” and “a place for me to stay close and true to myself, to know who I was, finding out who I am.”
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Beatrice Dummer
Certificate in Music Performance
Voice
Bea Dummer is a neo-soul and R&B singer and songwriter from Brazil. She has over half a million streams on Spotify and has appeared on TV programs and in festivals around the world.
Besides her artist career, she developed her own method of teaching voice called “Intuitive Singing”. Her method uses singing as a tool of self-knowledge and expression, helping singers as well as non-musicians to communicate their truth. She is currently working with many artists and entrepreneurs back in her home country
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Kostas Siozos
Certificate in Performance
Bass
Kostas toured nationally throughout Greece many times with his former band Heritage, where they played both as headliners, and supported names like Gus G (Ozzy, Firewind), Mats Leven, Holocaust, Septic Flesh.
Kostas is endorsed by Spector Basses, Providence LTD, Hipshot Products, Jam Pedals, Richter Straps, Earthquaker Devices & Nordstrand Audio. Currently, Kostas is the bass player of Electric Revival & working on his solo project Black Kaiser.
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Tiffany Galaviz
Associate in Music Performance
Voice
Tiffany Galaviz is a Latin pop singer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist based in Los Angeles. Her past mariachi experience and her love of contemporary pop genres influence her music. In 2020 she made several appearances on La Voz, the televised Spanish-language singing competition that is part of The Voice franchise, and received glowing feedback from the judges. Her debut single, “Noche Y Dia,” is now available on all major music platforms.
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Bruno Cunha
Certificate in Music Performance
Guitar
A talented multi-instrumentalist, producer, and composer, Bruno shines brightest on the electric guitar, his primary instrument. Bruno has worked with many artists in the U.S. and Brazil like Gabriel Chadan, Ana Terra Blanco, Fulanos e Ciclanos, MV Bill, Mahmundi, MMAK, and Bea Dummer. Bruno has also done solo work, recorded for other artists, performed live, and produced music for a Netflix show. Currently he is working to release his own album.
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Jason Lee
Certificate in Songwriting & Music Production
Solo Artist
Jason Lee AKA westside_elliot completed the Certificate in Songwriting & Music Production program in 2019. He recently released his rap EP “What’s the Next Channel”.
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Luis Garcia
Associate in Music Performance
Voice / Solo Artist
Luisโs first national TV appearance took place in 2013 when he was a contestant on the โEl Factor Xโ (The X Factor) and was followed by an appearance on โLa Voz Kids (The Voice) the following year in 2014. He just released his first single called, โSi tu fueras mi noviaโ on all digital platforms.
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Nana Kikuya
Certificate in Songwriting & Music Production
Solo Artist
Nana is a prolific singer-songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist from Japan who strives to touch people’s hearts with her music. She began writing songs at 8 years old and has since created both acoustic and electronic music, continually pushing her aesthetic boundaries. She is currently performing live in Japan and working on new material
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Bwejua Fachano
Certificate in Performance
Voice
Bwejua Fachano, a.k.a. โBwej,โ is a singer-songwriter from Nigeria with a rich, powerful baritone voice and a distinctive vibrato. He experiments with blending genres to create his own sound and does not conform to musical structure. He cites Frank Ocean as one of his influences and has vocally been likened to Nat King Cole, John Legend, and Barry White. After his year at CCM, he released his first EP titled F1, a collaborative effort with Andrรฉ Carvalho, another CCM alumni. He is currently working on his second EP.
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Carson Lipham
Associate in Music Performance
Drums
Carson graduated from California College of Music in 2019. During his final quarter, a chance encounter outside CCM with two area musicians led to an audition and Carson securing the spot behind the drum kit for LA-based rock band Temple Monarc. In 2019 they released their first EP, Against the Night, and played regularly across the LA area. In the Fall of 2020 they began writing and recording the follow-up to their EP at Fame Recording Studios in Muscle Shoals, AL. They are currently putting the finishing touches on this upcoming release and filming their first video, out Summer 2021.
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Andre Eliazar
Certificate in Music Performance
Bass
Andre is a Brazilian musician and music producer based in Los Angeles, CA. As a bass player, Andre played hundreds of live shows in Brazil and the US, performing in venues such as House of Blues, The Hotel Cafe, The Viper Room, The Mint, and the global event Sofar Sounds.
As a composer and music producer, Andre is currently working with various music libraries. His latest placements include the British TV show Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway, and the American soap opera The Oval.
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Andy The Crocodile
Certificate in Songwriting & Music Production
Solo Artist
Andy completed his Certificate in Songwriting & Music Production in 2018. Andy is a cold-blooded composer, producer, and performer, ready to bring his unique blend of indie, rock, jazz, and folk music to the world.
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Konstantin Silich
Associate in Music Performance
Guitar
Konstantin graduated with his Associate Degree in Guitar Performance from California College of Music in 2014. Shortly thereafter, Konstantin served as an instructor at CCM in music technology and audio engineering. He currently performs across Los Angeles area with his group, Chapman Woods, whose debut EP โChapman Woodsโ is currently available on all digital platforms.
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Jayme Claire
Associate in Music Performance
Voice / Solo Artist
Jayme Claire has gained a strong reputation for belting gritty blues, crooning jazz, and writing soulful original pop songs. She has been a featured artist on Davi Davenportโs LIVE TV and headlined Tacoma, Washingtonโs historic Jazz Bones venue on many occasions, including a stunning 2-1/2 hour concert for their Memorial Weekend festivities.
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Ma Nala
Associate in Music Performance
Voice / Solo Artist
Exposed to many different types of music, Ma Nala gravitated towards R&B and soul, which she studied extensively during her time at CCM, graduating with her Associate Degree in Voice Performance in 2014. Since returning to South Africa she release her single โTryna Find Loveโ on Apple Music, Spotify, and Amazon, receiving strong reviews.
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Martha Ayvazyan
Associate in Music Performance
Voice / Solo Artist
Originally hailing from Yerevan, Armenia, Martha received her Associate Degree in Voice Performance from California College of Music in 2015. Martha’s youtube cover of of Rihannaโs โMan Downโ has racked up more than 60,000 views!
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Soichiro Tanabe
Certificate in Music Performance
Drums
Soichiro Tanabe was lauded by drum department chair Craig Pilo as one of the best drum students ever to walk the halls of California College of Music. After completing his Certificate Program in Drum Performance in 2015, Soichiro pursued his optional practical training, which enabled him to gain work experience throughout the Los Angeles area.
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Gabriel Felix
Certificate in Music Performance
Guitar
Creator of the music school ”Meio Musical” Located in the city of Rio de Janeiro. Meio Musical offers several online courses and training, which has helped more than 28,178 people to learn music.
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Marco Bohler
Associate in Music Performance
Bass
โAfter graduation, I immediately got a pro gig playing bass for a funk rock band called Atomic Walrus,โ says CCM associate degree holder, Marco Bohler. โThe enthusiastic CCM alumnus believes he would not have been able to achieve his dreams if it were not for CCM, based in the worldโs entertainment capital, just minutes from the Hollywood music scene.
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Riki Putra
Certificate in Songwriting & Music Production
Solo Artist
After completing his Certificate Program in Voice Performance at CCM, Riki returned to his home country of Indonesia, where he quickly found success combining American pop-rock with traditional Indonesian gamelan music. In April 2017, Riki performed with the Yogyakarta Symphony Orchestra in the โGamelan Rules: Rock Gamelan Orchestraโ concert of his own design, conducted by respected Indonesian maestro Guntur Nur Puspito.
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Alumni
John Luther Adams (BFA 73), composer โ Pulitzer Prize in Music
Ralph Alessi (MFA 90, BFA 87), jazz trumpeter
Meira Asher (BFA 90), sound artist-performer
Matt Barbier (MFA 10), trombonist, euphonist, member of Gnarwhallaby and Wild Up
Timur Bekbosunov (MFA 08), tenor, experimental opera and glam punk artist, Timur and the Dime Museum
Amino Belyamani (08), pianist, member of Dawn of Midi
Michael Cain (MFA 90, BFA 88), jazz pianist
Mario Calire (93), jazz drummer, member of Ozomatli
Archie Carey (MFA 11), bassoonist, composer, member of wild Up
James Carney (BFA 90), jazz pianist, composer
Gary Chang (MFA 77), film composer
Eric KM Clark (MFA 06), violinist, co-director of Southland Ensemble
Scott Colley (BFA 88), jazz bassist
Ravi Coltrane (BFA 90), jazz saxophonist, composer, bandleader
Mark Coniglio (BFA 89), composer, digital artist, co-founder of Troika Ranch
Daniel Corral (MFA 07), composer, multi-instrumentalist, music director
John Debney (BFA 78), film composer
Dean Drummond (MFA 73), composer, conductor, instrument inventor
Benjamรญn Juรกrez Echenique (MFA 73), conductor, educator
Peter Epstein (BFA 92), saxophonist, composer, educator
Pedro Eustache (MFA 91), flutist, composer
Adam Fong (MFA 06), performer-composer, founder of Center for New Music
Peter Garland (BFA 73), composer, author
April Guthrie (MFA 06), cellist
Danny Holt (MFA 06), pianist
Julia Holter (MFA 09), singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, chamber pop artist
Anna Huff (MFA 08), aka Anna Oxygen, multimedia artist, composer, performer, member of Cloud Eye Control
Aakaash Israni (08), bassist, member of Dawn of Midi
Chris Kallmyer (MFA 09), composer, multi-instrumentalist, sound artist, curator, member of wild Up
John King (BFA 76), composer, guitarist and violist
Kai Kurosawa (MFA 05), guitarist
Jodie Landau (BFA 14), percussionist, composer, member of wild Up
Thomas Leeb (BFA 03), guitarist
Todd Lerew (MFA 14), composer
James Brandon Lewis (MFA 10), jazz saxophonist, composer
Ani Maldjian (BFA 04), soprano
John Maus (BFA 03), composer, keyboardist
Devin Maxwell (MFA 02), wireless media content developer, founder of LoudLouderLoudest
Andrew McIntosh (MFA 08), violinist, composer, member of Formalist Quartet and wild Up
Dylan McKenzie (BFA 08), jazz guitarist, member of Derde Verde
Sam Minaie (MFA 08), jazz bassist
Qasim Naqvi (MFA 08), drummer, member of Dawn of Midi
Randall Packer (MFA 81), composer, author
Marรญa Del Pilar (MFA 00), alt-Latin vocalist
Katie Porter (MFA 02), wireless media content developer, founder of LoudLouderLoudest
Ellen Reid (MFA 11), composer โ Pulitzer Prize in Music
Melinda Rice (MFA 06), violinist, violist, member of wild Up
Curtis Roads (BFA 74), composer, author
Daniel Rosenboom (MFA 07), trumpeter, composer, co-founder of Orenda Records
Marina Rosenfeld (Music-Art MFA 94), composer, sound and installation artist
Jonathan Schwarz (BFA 09), jazz bassist, member of Derde Verde
Asdrubal Sierra (94), jazz trumpeter, member of Ozomatli
Rand Steiger (MFA 82), composer, conductor, educator
Derek Stein (MFA 10), cellist, member of Gnarwhallaby and wild Up
Carl Stone (BFA 75), composer, computer music artist
Robin Sukhadia (MFA 07), tabla player, educator
Christine Tavolacci (BFA 06), flutist, co-founder of Southland Ensemble
Gavin Templeton (MFA 08), jazz saxophonist
Yunior Terry (BFA 02), jazz bassist, violinist, composer, bandleader & educator
Mia (Amelia) Theodoratus (MFA 94), harpist, composer and improvisor
Andrew Tholl (DMA 12), multi-instrumentalist, composer, member of Formalist Quartet and wild Up
Kubilay รner (MFA 91), film composer, instrument inventor
Vahagni (MFA 11), guitarist, composer
Richard Valitutto (MFA 11), pianist, member of Gnarwhallaby and wild Up
Libby Van Cleve (MFA 84), oboist, author
Jack Vees (MFA 86), composer, bassist
Lois V. Vierk (MFA 78), composer
Matthias Wagner (BFA 10), jazz drummer, member of Derde Verde
Brian Walsh (MFA 08, BFA 06), clarinetist, saxophonist, member of Gnarwhallaby and wild Up
Ashley Walters (MFA 07), cellist, member of Formalist Quartet
Nedra Wheeler (BFA 87, MFA 89), bassist, educator
Mike Winter (MFA 05), composer
Jiro Yamaguchi (BFA 92), multi-percussionist and tabla player, member of Ozomatli
Philip Yampolsky (MFA 72), ethnomusicologist
Marcelo Zarvos (BFA 92), pianist, composer
Alumni Accomplishments
The USC Thornton School of Music is proud to share the accomplishments of our outstanding alumni. These achievements represent only a small sampling of the great work our alumni are doing around the world.
The list below includes accomplishments submitted since December 2020. To submit your own accomplishments, please complete our handy web submission form.
Jump to the accomplishments by division:
Classical Performance & Composition
Contemporary Music
Research and Scholarly Studies
Classical Performance & Composition
Irene Apanovitch-leites DMA โ19, Choral Music
2/2/21 โ Choral & Sacred Music alumni Irene Apanovitch-Leites and Scott Rieker co-authored an article in the February issue of Choral Journal, which focuses on vocal pedagogy. Apanovitch-Leites and Riekerโs article, titled โCOVID and the Choral Educator: Preparedness, Perceptions, Attitudes, and a Way Forward,โ is a study that details the impact of COVID-19 on choral music educators.
Jerry Blackstone DMA โ86, Choral Music
1/13/21 โ Choral alum Dr. Jerry Blackstone is the Artistic Director of a new film about choral singing in the U.S, titled Choral Singing in America: Nurturing the Human Soul โ and is a reaction to the pandemic.
Alexander Blake DMA โ19, Choral Music
2/16/21 โ Choral & Sacred Music alum Alexander Lloyd Blake was recently featured in an article in The New York Times discussing Tonality, the Los Angeles-based choral ensemble he founded.
Coreen Duffy DMA โ14, Choral Music
2/2/21 โ Choral alum Correen Duffy was featured in the February issue of the Choral Journals as an interviewee for a featured article, entitled โPerspectives on Programming Pedagogy.โ
Dylan Hart โ06, French Horn
2/17/21 โ Hollywood studio musician and french horn alumnus Dylan Skye Hart recently recorded J.S. Bachโs Partita No. 1 in B-flat major in a dynamic collaboration with guitarist Andrew Synowiec at Sony Studios.
Marilyn Horne, Vocal Arts
1/5/21 โ Marilyn Horne was recently announced as one of the Recording Academyโs 2021 Lifetime Achievement Award honorees. Horne is widely celebrated as one of the worldโs most renowned opera singers. Her decades-spanning career has earned her four GRAMMY Awards and 15 nominations, as well as a 1992 National Medal of Arts and numerous other honors.
Tomas Janzon MM โ00, Guitar
2/22/21 โ Tomas Janzonโs recent album 130th & Lenox was ranked among the โBest Albums of 2020โ by Downbeat.
Thomas Kotcheff, MM โ12, DMA โ19, Composition
12/7/20 โ Thomas spoke with The New York Times about his newest album release, the first commercial recording of Frederic Rzewskiโs Songs of Insurrection, which received glowing remarks from the composer himself. Kotcheff describes his personal highlights from the recording and the significant role improvisation takes in the work.
Megan Kwait โ09, Vocal Arts
3/10/21 โ Megan has won second place in the 2020 Jeopardy! Teachers Tournament. The tournament took place over 2 days in June, with Kwait taking home a prize of $50,000.
Morten Lauridsen โ66, MA โ68, DMA โ74, Composition
Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Composition and Thornton alumnus Morten Lauridsen has been named as one of the Honorary Advisory Board Members of the Oscar Hammerstein Museum and Theatre Education Center and will serve as a core member of the Honorary Board of Directors.
James Lentini DMA โ90, Composition
2/3/21 โ Composer James Lentiniโs album โThrough Time and Placeโ was recently named one of the best classical recordings of 2020 by the Chicago Tribune.
Iris Levine DMA โ90, Choral Music
3/25/21 โ Thornton alum and current Cal Poly Pomona Dean of the College of Arts and Letters and Conductor of Vox Femina, Iris Levine, was recently featured in Cal Poly Pomonaโs digital magazine. It goes into detail about her journey into music, accomplishments, and impacts she has made.
Ryan Lindveit โ16, Composition
1/11/21 โ Time to Kill Productions debuted their new series titled Honor Guard on Amazon Prime Video. The new four-part, Sam Elliot-narrated docu-series was scored by composer and Thornton alumnus, Ryan Lindveit. Lindveit was USCโs Salutatorian and a Thornton Outstanding Graduate in 2016. The original score, also released as a soundtrack album, is available on Spotify, Apple Music, and other streaming platforms.
Gina Luciani MM โ13, Flute Performance
Gina was recently featured in a campaign for Avid, a company that supplies the tools and technology for creators and media enterprises to thrive in the digital media era. Luciani was featured in a video spotlight for Avidโs new โI Am Avidโ initiative highlighting artists and content creators.
David Allen Moore โ94, Double Bass
1/26/21 โ In a new blog post, professor of double bass, LA Phil member, and Thornton alum David Allen Moore shares how his early experiences as a Thornton student helped him find both his strengths as a musician, and his passion in music.
David Newman โ76, MM โ82, Violin Performance
3/17/21 โ The Hollywood Studio Symphony at The Newman Scoring Stage at Fox Studies returned earlier this month. The workshop was co-founded by Thorntonโs Angel Velez and David Newman. This 37-member ensemble recorded the scores of 10 film composers as part of the Los Angeles Film Conducting Intensiveโs annual workshop under the guidance of faculty members William Ross, Conrad Pope, and co-founder Angel Velez. Additional faculty for this workshop include Booker White, Emilie Bernstein, and Jorge Mester, along with special guests Leonard Slatkin and Robert Townson.
Gretchen Parlato GCRT โ03, Jazz Studies
Jazz vocalist Gretchen Parlato released a new album on March 5, titled Flor. The album features several special guests, including fellow Thornton alum, pianist Gerald Clayton (BM โ07).
Chris OโBrien GRCT โ20, Trumpet
1/15/21 โ Chris OโBrien (GCRT โ20), a trumpeter and alum of USC Thorntonโs Winds & Percussion program, has won a position with the U.S. Navy Band. He is one of many Thornton alumni to join the prestigious band.
Scott Rieker DMA โ19, Choral Music
2/2/21 โ Choral & Sacred Music alumni Irene Apanovitch-Leites and Scott Rieker co-authored an article in the February issue of Choral Journal, which focuses on vocal pedagogy. Apanovitch-Leites and Riekerโs article, titled โCOVID and the Choral Educator: Preparedness, Perceptions, Attitudes, and a Way Forward,โ is a study that details the impact of COVID-19 on choral music educators.
Carlos Rafael Rivera MM โ04, DMA โ10, Composition
12/8/20 โ Carlos Rafael Rivera spoke in depth with American Songwriter about his work on the hit Netflix series, The Queenโs Gambit. He describes his challenges and successes of screen scoring the chess matches and the dynamic main character, calling it his โgreatest education of his life.โ
Gail Samuel โ89
2/23/21 โ USC Thornton alum and Board of Councilors member Gail Samuel has been appointed as the next Eunice and Julian Cohen President and CEO of the Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO). She will serve as BSOโs first woman president in the organizationโs 140-year history.
Elise Solberg โ18, Piano
12/9/20 โ Elise recently performed with Grammy nominees Chloe x Halle for NPRโs Tiny Desk concert. The performance was part of the Tiny Desk home concert series, allowing artists to continue to perform during COVID-19. She has performed with Chloe x Halle for the MTV Music Awards, the Late Late Show, Spotify Grammy Party for Best New Artist Nominees, and Pepsiโs Unmute Your Voice.
Dale Trumbore MM โ11, Composition
1/21/21 โ Composer Dale Trumbore was featured in The Voice of OC in an article about how the Orange County Womenโs Chorus adapted its programming to offer unique online events. Trumbore was commissioned to compose a new piece, โWhat We Hand Over,โ for the chorusโs holiday event, and shares how she created the composition specially to suit membersโ different remote recording styles and circumstances.
Heidi Vass MM โ02, Vocal Arts
3/6/21 โ Heidi, along with three other artists have created an all-female vocal quartet, Seraphour, whose aim is to bring light to a dark year. With a mission to inspire and uplift, Seraphour directed their talents to the classical sacred cannon that spans centuries.
Austin Wintory โ07, Composition
12/13/20 โ Austin wrote a blog for PlayStation in which he shares a behind-the-scenes look at the making of his score for the game โThe Pathless.โ The score fuses multiple musical traditions from around the world in what Wintory calls a โglobal jam band.โ
Contemporary Music
Kelly Adams โ05, Music Industry
Karmina, a pop duo featuring Music Industry program alumni Kelly Adams and sister Kamille Rudisill, recently released a new album produced by film composer John Powell called Queens of Heart.
Peter Boyer GCRT โ96, Screen Scoring
1/20/21 โ Composer Peter Boyer received the honor of composing a new piece for the festivities surrounding the Jan. 20 inauguration of President Joe Biden. Boyer was featured in the Los Angeles Times in a story about the significance of the commission.
Celeste Butler โ19, Popular Music
Pop alum Celeste Butler received the coveted golden ticket to compete on American Idolโs 19th season, airing now.
Gerald Clayton โ07, Jazz Studies
GRAMMY Award-nominated composer, pianist and USC Thornton alum Gerald Clayton wrote the score for โMLK/FBI,โ a newly released award-winning documentary directed by Sam Pollard that uncovers the extent of the FBIโs targeted surveillance and harassment of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Jason Goldman MM โ02, Jazz Studies
12/10/2020 โ Jason was recently featured in the cover story of JAZZed Magazine, sharing his music career, teaching at USC, and his own recent releases. He advises his students to โbe versatile with what youโre able to do,โ while learning the instrument, how to write music, and run music engineering software on the computer.
Renรฉe Elise Goldsberry MM โ97, Jazz Studies
Tony Award winner Renรฉe Elise Goldsberry will star in the upcoming Peacock musical comedy โGirls5Eva.โ
Ludwig Gรถransson GCRT โ08, Screen Scoring
Ludwig was interviewed by Variety about his score for Christopher Nolanโs recent film, โTenet.โ
Jon Hatamiya โ16, Jazz Studies
Trombonist Jon Hatamiya has been awarded the 2021 Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composer Award.
Jensen McRae โ19, Popular Music
1/4/21 โ In KCRWโs roundup of some of the best music of 2020, Jensen McRaeโs 2020 release, โWolves,โ was named among the top 15 songs most loved by the stationโs DJs. โWolvesโ is one of a few songs McRae has released ahead of her first full length album, expected to release later this year.
2/4/21 โ Singer-songwriter and pop alum Jensen McRae has been named as one of the 21 artists in YouTube Musicโs #YouTubeBlack Voices Class of 2021.
Lee Ritenour, Studio Guitar
12/3/20 โ GRAMMY Award-winning Lee Ritenour released his first ever full-length solo guitar album Dreamcatcher. In an interview with GratefulWeb, Ritenour says โIt was inspiring and it was meant to happen this year, in these times.โ
Kamille Rudisill โ05, Music Industry
Karmina, a pop duo featuring Music Industry program alumni Kelly Adams and sister Kamille Rudisill, recently released a new album produced by film composer John Powell called Queens of Heart.
Henry Solomon โ18, Jazz Studies
1/15/21 โ Henry Solomon played on the โWomen in Music Pt. IIIโ album by HAIM, which is nominated for the Grammy Album of the Year. He played saxophone on two of the songs on the album and was with the band on CBS this Morning in November. He is also preparing to record with them for the Grammyโs in March.
Jermaine Stegall GCRT โ04, Screen Scoring
12/16/20 โ Jermaine was interviewed in a special segment of โThe Star Wars Showโ about the composerโs work on โOur Star Wars Stories,โ a digital series about the devoted fans of Star Wars.
Dale Trumbore MM โ11, Composition
1/21/21 โ Composer Dale Trumbore was featured in The Voice of OC in an article about how the Orange County Womenโs Chorus adapted its programming to offer unique online events. Trumbore was commissioned to compose a new piece, โWhat We Hand Over,โ for the chorusโs holiday event, and shares how she created the composition specially to suit membersโ different remote recording styles and circumstances.
Remi Wolf โ18, Popular Music
12/15/20 โ Pop artist Remi Wolf has been named one of Vevo DSCVRโs 2021 Artists to Watch. The list highlights emerging artists poised for breakthroughs in the coming year, and has previously named artists such as Sam Smith and Billie Eilish.
Research and Scholarly Studies
Angel Velez MAT โ14, Music Education
3/17/21 โ The Hollywood Studio Symphony at The Newman Scoring Stage at Fox Studies returned earlier this month. The workshop was co-founded by Thorntonโs Angel Velez and David Newman. This 37-member ensemble recorded the scores of 10 film composers as part of the Los Angeles Film Conducting Intensiveโs annual workshop under the guidance of faculty members William Ross, Conrad Pope, and co-founder Angel Velez. Additional faculty for this workshop include Booker White, Emilie Bernstein, and Jorge Mester, along with special guests Leonard Slatkin and Robert Townson.
Jacob Vogel MM โ11, Music Education
12/16/20 โ Jacob Vogel has been named the next director of the USC Trojan Marching Band, one of the most recognized and honored bands in collegiate sports.
Alumni News
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1940s
Betty Van Gorkom โ42 celebrated her 100th birthday in October. She is a member of the Bienen Schoolโs Music Advisory Board and a Northwestern University Life Trustee.
Sheldon Harnick โ49, lyricist of Fiddler on the Roof, was featured in a PBS โGreat Performancesโ documentary about the international Broadway blockbuster musical in November.
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1960s
Richard Alderson โ69 MMus and Ann Alderson โ78 DMus have written a comprehensive book on how to sing and teach voice, A New Handbook for Singers and Teachers, published by Oxford University Press in May 2020. Both former School of Music faculty members, Richard served on the faculty from 1970-2000 and Ann from 1978-1990.
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1970s
Nancy McGraw ’70, received the 2020 Bistro Awardโs Interpretive Artistry Award for her Johnny Mercer cabaret. She has appeared on Broadway and Off Broadway, and toured the country in musicals.
Joseph Celli ’72 MMus, an oboist and composer, is heard on radio stations WPKN and WWUH in Connecticut and New York. His programs include Soundprint: Asia, featuring traditional music of the 42 countries of Asia, and My Other Music (MOM), an eclectic program ranging from American Zydeco to new jazz and experimental music. His Musicians Speak, a series of interviews and podcasts with new music innovators, is carried on multiple streaming services in addition to his website.
Dennis Dorwick โ73 MMus continues to see a rise in views and downloads of his thesis “Telemann, The Faithful Music-Master: Telemann Performance and Reception in Australian Music Culture Since 1981,” published by the University of Sydney in 2017. The publication explores the complex and changing reception of Georg Philipp Telemannโs music in Australia.
Chris Granias โ76 MMus hosted the 4th Annual Kalo Taxidi โGood Journeyโ Concert on October 19 to support multiple sclerosis research. The virtual event included performances by Granias; the Chicago Bassoon Quartet, with Susan Nigro โ73, โ74 MMus, Elizabeth Heller โ79 MMus, Dianne Ryan, Lynette Pralle; the Bruce A. Henry Band; bassist Phil Fried; Rev. Nicholas J. Greanias; and pianist Rebecca Heyn.
Patrick Dessent โ77 recently published his third book, โLetโs Go Band: A Band Directorโs Humorous Memoir,โ as part of a musical trilogy. Like his first two books, โMemoirs of a Trumpet Teacherโ and โMemoirs of a Trumpet Player,โ this book is written using the pen name Sam Bennett. The book is a fictionalized collection of entertaining short stories from the many years that Dessent and his wife, flutist Karen Stringer Dessent โ77, served as band teachers. Both Patrick and Karen have enjoyed long careers as professional musicians and music teachers.
Howard Reich โ77 retired from the Chicago Tribune after 43 yearsโ37 of which he served as a full-time arts critic. Reich is an Emmy Award-winning filmmaker and author of six books. His latest project is the international release of For the Left Hand, a documentary inspired by his series on Chicago pianist Norman Malone. Reich is the recipient of an Alumni Merit Award from Northwestern. He presented the Bienen Schoolโs convocation address in 2019.
David Landis โ78 of San Francisco, is president of Landis Communications Inc. (LCI), an integrated marketing communications agency that celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2020. To mark the milestone, LCI donated $300 each day in October to nonprofits in the Bay Area. Raganโs Ace Awards named LCI โAmericaโs #1 small PR firmโ and the Public Relations Society of America San Francisco last year awarded the agency โCampaign of the Year,โ as well as the honor of โBest Bay Area Agency.โ In his spare time, Landis has volunteered for nearly 40 years with ODC, San Franciscoโs premiere modern dance company, theatre, and school. Landis still plays the piano, mostly songs by Stephen Sondheim.
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1980s
Susan B. Nourse โ82 and Jonathan Helton โ84 MMus, โ97 DMus collaborated on the book Frederick L. Hemke: In His Own Words, published in 2020 by the North American Saxophone Alliance. The book contains autobiographical essays depicting episodes in the life of the celebrated saxophonist and pedagogue, who served on Northwesternโs faculty from 1962 to 2012. Essays range from early childhood family and musical experience, education, teaching career, industry associations, and philosophical treatments on music performance and the future of the saxophone.
Brian Schmidt โ85, โ88 MS is founder and executive director of GameSoundCon, the industry’s largest professional conference on game music and sound design. The 2020 conference, held virtually in October, featured more than 100 speakers and panelists and drew an audience of over 1,100 composers, sound designers, and educators from around the world. Portions of the event were held in virtual reality. The conference also raised $20,000 for Education Through Music – Los Angeles, an organization that works with low-income and disadvantaged school districts to facilitate in-school music programs.
Baritone Stephen Powell โ86 received two Grammy nominations in 2020. His recording American Composers at Play: William Bolcom, Ricky Ian Gordon, Lori Laitman, John Musto was nominated for Best Classical Solo Vocal Album. He also received a nomination for Best Opera Recording as a principal soloist for Dello Joio: The Trial at Rouen with conductor Gil Rose, the Boston Modern Orchestra Project, Odyssey Opera Chorus, and soprano Heather Buck.
Susan Petrocci Stukus โ86 retired in April 2020 after 30 years of teaching elementary music education in Central New York, 23 of which were spent singing and dancing with children in grades 1-4. The most recent seven years she spent educating children in grades 4-8 while also directing the choirs of fourth-, fifth- and six-grade singers. She has plans to travel, sing to the babies in the local NICU, and volunteer at her local library as soon as it is safe to do so.
J. Christopher Thomas ’87 MMus is in his tenth year as adjunct professor of percussion at Longwood University in Virginia and 29th year as director of percussion studies at Midlothian High School in Virginia. Last spring, he performed the world premiere of the Concertino Trio for clarinet, saxophone, and marimba by Gordon Ring with the Longwood Wind Symphony. Thomas works closely at Longwood with fellow Northwestern graduate Kevin Callihan โ13 MMus, assistant professor of music.
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1990s
Joel Harrison โ91 DMus retired as artistic director and president/CEO of the American Pianists Association (APA) after a nearly 21-year tenure. Harrison solidified APAโs reputation as the premier American organization to identify and cultivate the careers of young American classical and jazz pianists.
Patrick Rath โ93 became president and CEO of the United Performing Arts Fund in October. He most recently served as executive development officer and system vice president at Advocate Aurora Health Foundations.
Curtis J. Moore ’95 was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics for “One Less Angel,” featured on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. He is one half of the songwriting duo Mizer and Moore with Northwestern School of Communication alumnus Thomas Mizer โ93.
Alexander Laing โ96, principal clarinet of the Phoenix Symphony, was elected Vice Chair of the Gateways Music Festival board of directors. He has been involved in several projects recently, including teaching a class for the Juilliard Schoolโs evening division called Advancing an Anti-Racist Orchestra Model. He is also teaching for the National Alliance for Audition Support and has served as a faculty member for the National Youth Orchestra and the Los Angeles Philharmonicโs YOLA National Institute. He moderated a panel as part of the League of American Orchestras Conference called โOutside the Box: An (Unconventional) Orchestra Musician’s Perspective.โ
Torrey Lawrence โ96 โ96 MMus was named provost and executive vice president at the University of Idaho. He was in the role on an interim basis beginning in April 2020 and previously served as the vice provost for faculty since 2018.
Betty Anne Younker โ97 PhD, dean of Western Universityโs Don Wright Faculty of Music, was named to the New Year’s Honour List by the Mayor of the city of London in Ontario, Canada. She was recognized for advocating for the equitable treatment of artists and for helping create new opportunities for the professional arts.
Jennifer Walshe โ98 MMus, โ02 DMus was elected to Aosdรกna in Ireland. Founded in 1981 Aosdรกna honors those who have made an outstanding contribution to the creative arts in Ireland. Membership is limited to 250 living artists working in architecture, choreography, music, literature, and visual art.
Castmates of The Phantom of the Opera world tour included (from left) Michael Gillis โ99 as the Phantom, Caitlin Finnie โ16 as Christine Daaรฉ, and Matt Leisy โ03 as Raoul. The tour continued despite the pandemic, with performances in Taiwan and South Korea before a scheduled closing in December.
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2000s
Third Coast Percussionโwith alumni Sean Connors โ06 MMus, Robert Dillon โ02, Peter Martin โ04 MMus, โ11 DMus, and David Skidmore โ05โreceived a Grammy nomination for Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance for Fields. Third Coast Percussion previously won a Grammy in 2017 for Steve Reich and was nominated in 2020 for Perpetulum.
Robert Boldin โ01 MMus was promoted to director of artistic operations at Pittsburgh Opera, where he has served as artistic administrator since 2015.
Tony Alonso โ02 was nominated for a Latin Grammy for his album Caminemos con Jesรบs in the Best Christian Album Spanish language category. The collection of sacred music celebrates Alonsoโs Cuban heritage and features performances by some of the finest Cuban-American musicians in the United States. Alonso currently serves as assistant professor of theology and culture and director of Catholic studies at Candler School of Theology at Emory University in Atlanta.
Scott Harrison โ02 was named interim executive director and senior strategic facilitator at the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra. He previously served as the interim executive director of the Hawaiโi Symphony Orchestra.
Sam Kaestner โ02 MMus recently completed a Master of Science in Strategic Design and Management from Parsons School of Design, where he worked with a team to design a solution to drive climate action for the United Nations. After extensive user-centered design research, their solution was to engage children to drive climate action now and into the future. The UN adopted the idea as the children’s component of the Act Now campaign, which launched on the UN website in November. The campaign, Climate Action Superheroes, will mobilize kids and parents around the world to take action on climate change and sustainability.
Soprano Kearstin Piper Brown โ03 MMus was elected chair of the Gateways Music Festival board of directors, where she has served on the board since 2016. She performed in the opening concert of the 2020 virtual Gateways Music Festival. Brown has also recently performed as Euridice in Opera Williamsburgโs virtual production of Orfeo ed Euridice.
Pin Chen โ03 conducted the all-Southern California middle school honor orchestra for the Southern California School Band and Orchestra Association, the largest professional organization of music teachers in the 11 southern counties of California. It serves more than 1,000 schools and 100,000 instrumental music students in the Southern California region. Chen is a past vice president of orchestra education for the association and is a regular clinician and festival adjudicator.
Cory Hills โ03 was named an inaugural Gretsch Fellow in Childrenโs Music at the Fred Rogers Center. The fellowship supports research and best practices in music experiences for children. Hills will begin his one-year appointment in September 2021. He plans to create an anti-bullying music performance/assembly program for elementary schools, using research from the Fred Rogers Archive to explore different ways in which Rogers tackled difficult social concepts and topics with children.
Juliet Petrus โ03 MMus was named a 2020 People-to-People honoree by the Confucius Institute U.S. Center in recognition of her essay โThe International Language: Using Song to Connect China and the West.โ She was honored at the centerโs virtual gala in October. The essay focuses on Petrusโs successful career as an opera singer in China, where she has performed in more than 20 cities. She is also a welcomed lecturer and masterclass teacher across China, having worked with students at conservatories in Harbin, Shenyang, Beijing, Nanjing, Jinan, and Chengdu, among others. Petrusโs book with co-author Katherine Chu, Singing in Mandarin: A Guide to Chinese Lyric Diction and Vocal Repertoire was published by Rowman and Littlefield in 2020.
Elizabeth Bennett โ04 was named a semifinalist for the 2021 Music Educator Grammy Award. The award recognizes teachers who have made a significant and lasting contribution to music education and who demonstrate a commitment to maintaining music education in schools. Bennett was previously one of 10 finalists for the 2020 Music Educator Grammy Award. She serves as director of orchestras at Buffalo Grove High School in Illinois.
Michelle Edgar โ05, vice president of brand marketing for Epic Records, was recently featured on the podcast “Elevate Your Brand,” hosted by Laurel Mintz. Edgar is founder of The XX Project, a platform for leading women in business, as well as Music Unites, which funds sustainable music education programs in underserved public schools.
The Riot Ensemble, which includes artistic director Aaron Holloway-Nahum โ05 and pianist Adam Swayne โ06 DMus, received an Ernst von Siemens Ensemble Prize for 2020-21. The award provides long-term, individual support for the structural and artistic development of a young ensemble focused entirely on contemporary repertoire.
Alejandra Valarino Boyer โ07 MMus was selected to participate in the Sphinx Organizationโs Leaders in Excellence, Arts & Diversity (LEAD) program. The two-year leadership program provides mentorship and growth opportunities to minority arts leaders. Boyer is Seattle Operaโs director of programs and partnerships and is also the founder of BIPOC Arts, an online database that celebrates opera professionals of color.
Josephine Lee โ07 MMus, vocalist for Ted Hearneโs Place, received a nomination for Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance with Steven Bradshaw, Sophia Byrd, Isaiah Robinson, Sol Ruiz, and Ayanna Woods. This is Leeโs first Grammy nomination.
Matt Martin โ07 was recognized in Crainโs Chicago Businessโ 40 Under 40 list for 2020. He serves as 47th Ward Alderman for the City of Chicago and previously worked as a civil rights lawyer at the Illinois Attorney Generalโs Office.
Robin Giebelhausen โ08 MMus was appointed assistant professor of music education in the School of Music at the University of Maryland College Park. She comes to UMD after seven years at the University of New Mexico. Giebelhausen joins the music education area with two other Bienen School of Music alumni: Ken Elpus โ06 MMus, โ11 PhD and Stephanie Prichard โ09 MMus.
Sarah Dinin โ09 directs Dinin Arts Management & Consulting, a boutique agency currently based in Milwaukee. Dinin Arts’s premiere management clients include violinists Arnaud Sussmann and Danbi Um, violist Paul Neubauer, pianists David Fung and Einav Yarden, composer Jonathan Leshnoff, the Amernet String Quartet, the Lysander Piano Trio, and the SPA Trio with soprano Susanna Phillips, violist Paul Neubauer, and pianist Anne-Marie McDermott.
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2010s
Roderick Cox โ11 MMus had his debuts with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra and Dallas Symphony Orchestra in October, conducting Beethoven’s Symphonies No. 4 and 6, as well as Piano Concerto No. 3 with pianist Behzod Abduraimov. Cox has recently been featured on the program Arts Engine with Aaron Dworkin, in Herbert magazine, and on the podcast A mic on the podium.
Pianist Yoshiko Arahata โ13 MMus and mezzo-soprano Jessica Ann Best โ08 MMus performed as part of the 2020 Rochester Fringe Festival, held virtually in September. Their program “Contemporary Musicians’ Guide to Modern Love” featured art songs and musical scenes by living composers on the topic of modern dating and love, including “At the Statue of Venus” by Jake Heggie, “Cabaret Songs” selections from William Bolcom, and more. Unique to the all-virtual format of the festival, the show also integrated visual arts and multimedia storytelling. Arahata and Best are both based in Rochester and serve on the faculty at Nazareth College.
Lara Korneychuk โ13, โ13 CERT joined the artistic team of the San Diego Womenโs Chorus in December as assistant to the artistic director.
Richard Narroway โ13 was named winner of the Music Trust’s 2020 Freedman Classical Fellowship. The award will enable Narroway to perform a post-COVID tour across Australia.
Erin Cameron โ15 was named instructor of clarinet at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro, Arkansas.
Vรฉronique Filloux โ15 performed in a fully-masked production of Cosรฌ fan tutte in October with the Pittsburgh Opera, where she is a resident artist. โFilloux sang the soprano role of Despina delightfully, even in the passages requiring her to disguise her voice with a Papagena-like squeal,โ according to a review from Pittsburgh on the Round.
Daniel Healy โ16 PhD and Kimberly Lansinger Ankney โ15 PhD co-authored the recently-published “Music Discovery: Improvisation for the Large Ensemble and Music Classroom” with Oxford University Press. Healy was also recently named chair-elect of the creativity special research interest group for the National Association for Music Education.
Cellist Brannon Cho โ17 was awarded the $35,000 Jรกnos Starker Foundation Award for 2020. The biennial prize is given to a cellist, age 30 or younger, who has already begun a significant career in music. Choโs recent and upcoming solo performance highlights include debut recitals at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, Wigmore Hall, Kumho Art Hall, Konzerthaus Berlin, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, and New England Conservatoryโs Jordan Hall.
Geirรพrรบรฐur Anna Guรฐmundsdรณttir โ17 was one of five finalists in the second-annual Lillian and Maurice Barbash J.S. Bach Competition. She was selected from a pool of more than 130 entrants from around the world.
Susan Kang โ17 was a quarterfinalist in the National Flute Associationโs Young Artist Competition, held online in August. She was also invited to perform on the Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert Series when those concerts resume in Chicago.
Kate Lee โ17, Director of Choirs at Maine East High School in Park Ridge, was named the Illinois State Board of Educationโs 2021 Outstanding Early Career Educator of the year.
Cellist Drake Driscoll โ18, is co-founder and executive director of The Vision Collective, which received the 2020 Robert Sherman Award for Music Education and Community Outreach. The collective builds meaningful relationships with and among refugees and new Americans by sharing and exchanging music between diverse communities.
Hunter Hanson โ18 was appointed adjunct instructor and administrator of screen scoring at New York University.
Drew Powell โ18 MMus won second place in the National Flute Associationโs 2020 Orchestral Audition and Masterclass Competition.
Alicia Russell โ18 MMus was a winner of the 2020-21 Metropolitan Opera National Council auditions, Georgia District.
Chi-Yang John Wang โ18 MMus was appointed principal horn of the Taipei Symphony Orchestra.
Noelle Ike โ19 started a position at Carnegie Hall as Social Media and Digital Marketing Manager.
Michael Martin โ19 MMus spearheaded “Black Reflections,” a three-part panel discussion on Black artistry in concert music hosted by Oberlin Conservatory and the New World Symphony. Conversations covered the historical and social context of Black musiciansโ participation in concert music, the personal experiences of Black musicians, and reimagining a just and equitable future for Black artists in concert music.
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2020s
David Cao โ20 is founder of Evanston Young Artists, which strives to make music accessible to children from low-income, underserved communities and communities of color. The organization received a 2020 Cultural Fund Grant from the Evanston Arts Council.
Jonathan Kraft โ20 MMus won a trombone position with the U.S. Army Ceremonial Band.
Andrew Morstein โ20 MMus made his European debut with Theater an der Wien in Vienna as Andronico in Vivaldiโs Bajazet.
Julian Velasco โ20 MMus won a 2020 Luminarts Fellowship in Classical Music.
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In Memoriam
All dates are 2020
1940s
Jeanette Ross โ45 in Madison, Wisconsin on December 21
Wayne R. Bohrnstedt โ46, โ47 MMus in Riverside, California on August 6
Harriet Mueller Howard โ46, โ49 MMus in Santa Rosa, California on June 12
Mary Balloon Shull โ46 in Springfield, Illinois on November 9
Barbara Anderson โ48 in Anna, Illinois on December 15
Louise Nelson โ49 MMus in Crane, Texas on August 17
Hollis Oseas โ49 in Cincinnati on December 9
Wilson E. Stone โ49 in East Hampton, New York on November 2
1950s
Ruth E. Knudson โ50 in Michigan City, Indiana on September 3
H. John Lennon โ51, โ56 MMus in Scarborough, Maine on September 18
Kathleen Rouillard โ51 in La Mesa, California on October 10
Allen J. Sever โ51 in Minneapolis on September 29
Ruth Tengwall Wall โ51, โ53 MMus in Hanover Park, Illinois on July 27
Jean I. Burnham โ52 MMus in St. Paul, Minnesota on September 6
Nancy Jeans Maxson โ52 in Pittsburgh on November 25
Mary Beth Hansen Birch โ53 in Kalamazoo, Michigan on October 28
Donald S. Condon โ53 in West Palm Beach, Floria on June 13
Robert E. Pennington โ53, โ55 MMus, โ67 DMus in Vienna, Virginia on September 29
Theodore C. Stewart โ53 in Washington, Iowa on August 3
Norma Jean Lamb โ55 MMus in Buffalo, New York on August 22
Sherley M. Craig โ56 in Pittsburgh on September 7
Leo C. Ellison โ56 MMus in Duluth, Minnesota on October 26
Virginia M. Hilton โ56 on in Evanston, Illinois August 5
Carolyn Burroughs Tower โ56 in North Andover, Massachusetts on May 3
Barbara A. Asmus โ57 MMus in La Jolla, California on June 28
Leslie W. Guinn โ57 in Ann Arbor, Michigan on December 12
Mary Lou Kleist โ58 in Sterling Heights, Michigan on August 4
Moonyeen C. Albrecht โ59 MMus, โ70 MMus in Mount Pleasant, Michigan on October 9
1960s
Harold A. Rutz โ60 MMus in Austin, Texas on November 1
Stephen E. Funk โ62 in Salem, Oregon on October 17
Richard Garner Cox โ63 DMus in Greensboro, North Carolina on December 25
Joanne Arlene Lindstrom โ63, โ64 MMus in Tallahassee, Florida on November 2
Benn Gibson โ64 MMus โ73 DMus* in Winfield, Kansas on July 29
Rita Black โ66 MMus in Brevard, North Carolina on December 15
Ann Elizabeth Swope โ69 MMus in Louisville, Kentucky on October 25
1970s
Kathryn Smith Bowers โ70 in Boulder, Colorado on June 30
Robert Fred Kern MMus โ72 in Dallas on August 14
Gretchen Koch โ72 MMus in Saint Joseph, Michigan on December 31
Barry Michael Williams โ78 MMus in Rock Hill, South Carolina on September 3
1980s
Bruce A. Egre โ82 in Cleveland on September 23
Maurice A. Wright โ89 in Topeka, Kansas on September 29
Obituaries
William Porter (1932-2020)
Thomas Kasdorf (1934-2020)
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