'39

Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Robert Ward gave a pre-concert talk at the Rochester Oratorio Society's season opening. Ward is composer-in-residence and a faculty member at the North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston-Salem.

'46

A Thanksgiving Overture, a composition by the late Earl George '47E (Mas), '59E (PhD), is included on a new CD by the same name recorded by the St. Petersburg Philharmonia with Alexander Titov conducting (MMC New Century). George's widow, Margaret, writes that he was professor emeritus of theory and composition at Syracuse University and a classical music critic at the Syracuse Herald Journal prior to his death in 1994.

'54

Robert Palmieri (Mas) (see Alumni Gazette)

'55

Pianist Eugene J. Ulrich '49E (Mas), '55E (PhD) has recorded Adoration of the Magi: 4 Original Settings of Christmas Carols, available on CD from Taproot Records.

'56

Raymond Premru writes to set us straight on a couple of errors in the last issue of the magazine: "The Wagner operas Das Rheingold and Die Walkurie were recorded with the Cleveland Orchestra, conducted by Christoph Dohnanyi, not the New York Philharmonia as implied in the article. My Symphonie No. 1 did not receive its American premiere in Texas, but in Cleveland's Severance Hall by the Oberlin Orchestra, conducted by Peter Jaffe." We apologize for the errors.

'59

Earl George (PhD) (see '46).

'63

Mitzie Collins was profiled in the Dec. 31, 1997, issue of the Brighton-Pittsford Post. Collins mentioned that her next recording will be a hammered-dulcimer Scottish recording with Robert Burn melodies on it, Scotland the Brave . . . . John Wyre and fellow Eastman School graduate Bill Cahn '68E joined the other members of the internationally acclaimed percussion ensemble, Nexus, on a concert tour of Japan last fall. This was the group's 27th concert season and its sixth concert tour of Japan. The group is now planning its next concert tour in support of its new Sony Classical CD featuring Toru Takemitsu's masterpiece, From Me Flows What You Call Time. It was recorded last February with the Pacific Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Carl St. Clair, and due for release this spring.

'67

Pierce Getz (DMA) performed a benefit recital with violinist Klement Hambourg at the Market Square Presbyterian Church in Harrisburg, Pa. Getz is professor emeritus of music and director of the alumni chorale at Lebanon Valley College. He is also director of music and organist at Market Square Presbyterian Church.

'68

Bill Cahn (see '63). . . . Ralph Childs reports that he received his M.Ed. in counseling from Vanderbilt in 1996. He is still active as a recording musician, playing bass and touring with Don McLean of American Pie fame. . . . H. Lowen Marshall (PhD) writes to let us know that he has plans to retire in June from Mercer University where he is the Charles B. Thompson Professor of Music, an endowed professorship position he's held since 1987. Marshall taught music history and served as chair of the Department of Music at Mercer (1974­1997). His book, The Motets of Georg Prenner, volume 99 in the Corpus Mensurabilis Musicae series, was published by Haensler Verlag of Germany under the auspices of the American Institute of Musicology in 1996.

'69

Steven Wasson '71E (Mas) took part in the Eastman in Buffalo concert held last October at the First Presbyterian Church in Buffalo, N.Y. He writes, "The inspiration for the third movement, Bells, was the ringing of the bells at St. Paul's Cathedral in London during the royal wedding of Charles and Diana. I performed this movement as an unannounced memorial tribute to Diana, Princess of Wales. I have apprised the royal family in my note of condolences to them that I accepted this performance invitation and programmed that movement of my sonata weeks prior to Diana's tragic death. She was the quintessence of elegance, grace, and compassion."

'70

Geary H. Larrick (Mas) has three books listed in Books in Print 1997­98 and he was recently honored with a display of five of his publications at the University of Wisconsin­Stevens Point.

'71

Richard Audd (Mas) is the 1997 first prize winner in the Creative Inspire Open MIDI Contest sponsored on the internet by Creative Labs, Inc., E-mu Systems, Inc., and the publishers of Music & Computers and Keyboard magazines. His winning piece is called Earth Day. Audd lives in Burbank, Calif., and works at Performance Post in Los Angeles. . . . Steven Wasson '69E, '71E (Mas) (see '69).

'73

The Indianapolis Star reports that pianist Richard Ratliff '75E (Mas), '82E (DMA) performed at a concert, Keyboard Classics, as part of the University of Indianapolis Faculty Artist Series in September. The program included three selections from Debussy's Preludes, Book 1, as well as works of other composers.

'76

Pamela J. Marshall dropped us a note to let us know what she was up to in 1997. Here are some highlights: Pascal's Theorems, written for the Axiom Duo (Emmanuel Feldman, cello; Pascale Delache-Feldman, double bass), premiered at Tufts University in March. Her horn quartets, Isolde's Garden and Cornwall Hunt, were performed at the International Horn Society Workshop held at Eastman in June. She received a commission from Trio Arundel (Timothy Church, oboe; Cynthia Carr '81E, horn; Julie Nishimura, piano) for Waves and Fountains, which premiered in September. Marshall also reports that the Louisiana Symphony played her Three Appalachian Carols during its 1997 Christmas season. She invites fellow alumni to visit the Spindrift Music Company on the Web at www.spindrift.com for more information about her music.

'78

Ilana Mohl Axel writes that she's returned to the United States with her husband, Mark Axel, and their three children after living in Israel for 17 years. While in Israel, she developed an active career as a soprano soloist, voice teacher, and choral coach in Israeli choral organizations, and performed for former Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres. . . . Carol Doran '62E (Mas), '78E (DMA) (see '90 undergraduate).

'81

Cynthia Carr (see '76). . . . Lenny Schranze e-mails that he performed as the violinist for the Ceruti String Quartet in its Carnegie Hall debut. Quartet members include Schranze, Susan Waterbury '87E (Mas), Kathleen Powell, and Peter Spurbeck. The group premiered Curve, a work written for them by Kamran Ince '84E (Mas), '87E (DMA). Harris Goldsmith of the New York Concert Review wrote that "Ceruti gave a spirited, richly colorful and incisive reading." The ensemble is the quartet-in-residence at the University of Memphis.

'82

Jonathan English '84E (Mas) writes, "I am currently working for 1-800-NETWORK in Boston, Mass., as a technical recruiter of networking professionals. I'm serving as music director for St. Mary's Church in Marlborough, Mass. and as artistic director for the Stanley B. Theater in Dedham, Mass." . . . Richard Ratliff (DMA) (see '73).

'84

Jonathan English (Mas) (see '82).

'87

Kamran Ince (DMA) (see '81). . . . Susan Waterbury (Mas) (see '81).

'88

Colleen Conway '92E (Mas) completed her doctorate in music education at Columbia University and has been appointed assistant professor of music at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, N.J. She writes that she and her husband, Thomas Hodgman '96E (DMA) (also see '96), "are the proud parents of Sarah Marie Hodgman born Oct. 11, 1997." . . . John Spence and his wife, Phyllis Wong Spence, write to announce the birth of their second son, Andrew Jacob, born Aug. 6, 1997.

'90

The Shreveport, Louisiana Times reported that Xiaolun Chen (Mas), choral director and voice teacher at the Louisiana School for Math, Science and the Arts in Natchitoches, La., was to conduct the Christmas and New Year choral concerts of the China Symphony Orchestra Chorus, Dec. 24 and 31, in Beijing.

'92

Colleen Conway (Mas) (see '88).

'94

Kathryn Meany (Mas) has been named the new English horn player for the National Symphony Orchestra.

'95

Paul T. Barte (DMA) has joined the faculty of the Ohio University School of Music, where he is assistant professor of music and university organist. He writes that his responsibilities include teaching organ, harpsichord, early keyboard literature, and music history. From 1990 to 1997, Barte was on the music faculty of Idaho State University in Pocatello. He wishes to share the following point of interest with fellow alumni: "Ohio University has a new tracker organ built by Gene Bedient of Lincoln, Nebr., that was to be featured in inaugural recitals in April and May 1998."

'96

Jeremy Gill is assistant to Richard Westerfield, music director of the Harrisburg Symphony, and has recently taken over as conductor of the Messiah College Choir. He is also working on a doctorate in composition at the University of Pennsylvania. . . . Thomas Hodgman (DMA) is director of choral activities at Jersey City State College in Jersey City, N.J.

'97

Phillip J. Mikula writes that he is working at the Percussive Arts Society in Lawton, Okla., as director of the Percussive Arts Society International Convention. He has opened an on-line music distribution company with business partner Patrick Long and invites you to check out their Web site at www.world-wide-music.com. . . . Pianist Peter Van Beck was the featured performer in Mozart's Piano Concerto in G Major at a recent concert in Indiana. He has studied and performed at the Aspen Music Festival and has won the concerto competition at the TCU Van Cliburn Institute.

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