Class Notes

Eastman School of Music

1938
Carolyn Raney is the author of Portals and Portents, her second book of poetry.

1947
Composer Charles Strouse’s latest musical, You Never Know, was premiered at Trinity Repertory Company in Providence, R.I., last April.

1954
Eastman professor emeritus of conducting and ensembles Donald Hunsberger ’63E (DMA) was the Captain Lewis J. Buckley ’69E Guest Artist for the U.S. Coast Guard Band’s concert series named in honor of the retired director of the band. The band’s current director, Lt. Kenneth Megan ’73E, and Lewis studied under Hunsberger at the Eastman School. . . . Myrta Borges Knox writes that she received the Eleanor Hale Wilson–Rosalie V. Speciale Lifetime Achievement award, the highest honor the international professional music fraternity Mu Phi Epsilon can award a member, at the 2003 Centennial Convention in Cincinnati, Ohio.

1956
Ronald Bishop gave a performance as part of the Neotuba Quartet at Cleveland State University last April. Ronald is a faculty member of the Cleveland Institute of Music and the Oberlin Conservatory of Music.

1957
Sydney Hodkinson ’58E (MM) discussed his Symphony No. 9 . . . epiphanies, which he wrote in memory of his friend, composer Stephen Albert, after a concert by the Stetson University Symphonic Band in DeLand, Fla., last April. . . . Margaret Weeks Redcay gave a concert, “A Festival of Flutes,” with her daughter, Andrea Graves, at Wayland Baptist University in Plainview, Texas, last April. Margaret and Andrea also taught a master class for area teens and university students. Margaret is an adjunct professor of flute at Wayland.

1958
Jeanne Wolfanger writes that she is director of the Dunnellon (Fla.) Chorale, which presented its ninth Easter concert on March 13 and March 20. “The auditioned group of 50 singers performs at Christmas also,” she writes. “I’ve moved permanently to Dunnellon from Wayland, N.Y.”

1960
Pianist Caroline Davis Stoessinger (MM) accompanied vocalist Terry Cook in a performance of Schubert’s 24-song cycle, Winterreise, last March at the Newberry (S.C.) Opera House.

1962
Barbara Bacik Case gave a solo piano recital last April at Austin College in Sherman, Texas. Barbara is an adjunct assistant professor of piano at the college. . . . Pianist Gary Kirkpatrick gave a recital as part of the Montclair (N.J.) Music Club’s May in Montclair concert series. Gary is professor of piano at William Paterson University in Wayne, N.J. . . . Richard Rodean ’64E (MM) retired as interim dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Texas Woman’s University in Denton.

1965
The Picasso Ensemble, including Karen Andrie on cello, gave a faculty chamber recital last April at Cabrillo College in Watsonville, Calif. Karen teaches and performs in the Santa Cruz area.

1967
Raymond Egan has released Ancient Partners, a CD of his choral music for chamber choir. . . . Sister Grace Geibel (Mas) retired as president of Carlow University in Pittsburgh after 17 years. . . . Ingrid Schuler Hancock retired last June from teaching choral music at Babylon (N.Y.) Elementary School after 34 years. . . . Barbara Sonies has been concertmaster for the Opera Company of Philadelphia for more than 20 years.

1968
Bill Cahn and Ruth McLean Cahn combined performance with instruction and audience participation in their presentation “Music for a Revolution: A Day in the Life of a Colonial Soldier during the American War for Independence” at the East Bloomfield (N.Y.) Academy Museum last April. . . . B. Lee Dawson Manns is a deaconess and parish support worker at St. Andrew’s United Methodist Church in Cherry Hill, N.J.

1969
Lewis Buckley (see ’54).

1970
Geary Larrick (MM) presented a lecture recital on African-American composers at the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point, including two of his own works, Ray’s Blues and Ballad for JB, last April. . . . Chris Vadala, director of jazz studies and professor of saxophone at the University of Maryland, performed with the U.S. Coast Guard Band last April.

1973
Don Freund (DMA) was named a Guggenheim Fellow. Don, professor of music at the Indiana University School of Music, plans to use the award to complete a composition project. . . . Kenneth Megan (see ’54). . . . The Rev. Alvin Parris was the chorus master and arranger for the Greensboro Symphony’s concert “Touched by the Gospel: A Symphonic and Choral Tapestry,” conducted by Isaiah Jackson, at the Rochester War Memorial Auditorium last January.

1974
Gordon Johnson has released his third jazz CD, Trios Version 3.0. . . . Carolyn Rodgers Kessler received her D.M.A. in violin performance from the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., last May.

1975
Ronald Caravan (DMA) gave a recital for clarinet and saxophone at Syracuse University’s Crouse College of Fine Arts, where he is an instructor. He also directs the saxophone ensemble.

1976
Composer Eric Ewazen conducted a concert and workshop at the Tasmanian Conservatorium of Music Recital Hall in Australia last May. . . . Robert Gant (PhD) gave a concert last April at the Old Salem Visitor Center in Winston-Salem, N.C., in which he played a restored David Tannenberg organ dating to 1800.

1979
David Hult (see ’57RC undergraduate).

1981
The Rev. Shawn Kafader writes that he graduated with his master’s degree in professional counseling from the Illinois School of Professional Psychology. “I am now a licensed professional counselor in Illinois,” he writes.

1982
Jeremy Brown (MM) is music professor and head of the music department at the University of Calgary. . . . Tenor Jonathan English ’84E (MM) was a featured performer in the second concert of the Yacyshyn Concert Series for the 2004–05 season in Marlborough, Mass. . . . Violinist Nicolae Soare performed in the concert “German Genius: Bach and Handel,” part of the 2004–05 Salisbury (N.C.) Bach and Handel Festival last May. Nicolae is a member of the Greensboro Symphony, the Winston-Salem Symphony, and the Carolina Chamber Symphony.

1983
Bradley Ellingboe ’84 (MM) writes that his choral piece, Be Music, Night, written for the Santa Fe Desert Chorale, was featured last March on NPR’s Performance Today. . . . Paul Sportelli was the musical director for Gypsy, staged at last May’s Shaw Festival at Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario. It was the first musical to be performed on the main stage at the festival. . . . Trumpeter Byron Stripling and vocalist Patti Austin performed in a pops concert celebrating Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald with the Toledo (Ohio) Symphony last April. . . . David Thomas (MM) writes that he gave a concert of “anthems, hymns, and music for brass and organ that filled the Cathedral of Saint Paul, Minn., last April. It marked the conclusion of a two-year residency with the cathedral and Westminster Presbyterian Church in Minneapolis, part of the American Composers Forum’s Faith Partners program.” . . . Peter Whorf is program director at the Chicago classical music station WFMT.

1984
John Cipolla, an assistant professor of music at Western Kentucky University, was a featured soloist at a concert at Wayland Baptist University in Plainview, Texas. . . . Pianist Darrell Grant gave a performance and lecture on the history of jazz piano in the latter half of the 20th century and led a jazz improvisation workshop at the Old Siskiyou Barn in Ashland, Ore., last May. Darrell is an associate professor of jazz at Portland State University’s School of Fine and Performing Arts.

1985
Tim Conner is assistant professor of trombone and director of the trombone choir at the University of Miami Frost School of Music. Previously, he was principal trombone for the Florida Philharmonic.

1986
Eric Mandat (DMA) writes, “I have been accorded the permanent title of ‘professor of music and distinguished scholar’ at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, I received a 2005 Illinois Arts Council artist fellowship for composition, and I performed with the Chicago Symphony’s MusicNow ensemble with Pierre Boulez conducting, as part of the CSO’s celebration of Boulez’s 80th birthday.” . . . Patrick Sciannella ’88E (MM) plays the tuba and his wife, Amy Ridings, plays the flute in what may be the world’s only professional flute and tuba duo, Double Play. They have been performing together since 1989.

1987
Heather Buchman was a guest conductor for the Hamilton (N.Y.) College Orchestra’s third annual “Brainstorm!” concert last March. Heather is an assistant professor of music, directs the chamber music program, and teaches courses in 20th-century music and orchestration at Hamilton. . . . Music theorist Richard Cohn (PhD) is a professor at Yale University. . . . Baritone Keith Kibler (DMA) performed in the 2004–05 season finale of the Albany Pro Musica concert series.

1990
Brady Allred (DMA) conducted the Utah Choral Artists in the concert “Children of Abraham” at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City last May. . . . Pianist Greg McCallum (MM) has released his fourth CD, Southern Quilt. Greg made his solo debut at Carnegie Hall last March. . . . Peter Throm is manager of the Cincinnati Pops and manager of government relations for the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra.

1991
Robert Moody (MM) is music director of the Winston-Salem Symphony. Previously, he was resident conductor of the Phoenix Symphony.

1992
Daniel Koontz was commissioned to compose a 15-minute piece for string quartet by the music department of Swarthmore College. Daniel is an adjunct professor of music history at SUNY Stony Brook, an adjunct professor of music history and theory at Long Island University’s Southampton College, and music director for Christ Episcopal Church in Sag Harbor, N.Y.

1994
Aaron Farrell was one of four violinists who performed solo concertos in the Acadiana Symphony Orchestra’s performance of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons in Lafayette, La., last March. . . . Michelle Guadagnino Urzynicok and her husband, Frank, announce the birth of their daughter, Anne-Katrin, on April 5. Michelle writes, “I have been a clarinet player in ‘The President’s Own’ U.S. Marine Band since 2000, and I recently was appointed to the position of E-flat clarinet.”

1995
Oboist Johanna Cox gave a recital at the University of Oklahoma last April, as part of the Sutton Artist Series. . . . Classical guitarist Peter Fletcher (MM) performed in the Vernon Parish Library’s Musical Odyssey concert series in Leesville, La., last March. . . . Melissa Johnson-Lander left the U.S. Army Field Band and now teaches private clarinet lessons in the Washington, D.C., and Baltimore areas. . . . Jin Kim (MM) is music director of the Hingham (Mass.) Symphony Orchestra.

1996
Bassoonist Jennifer Rhodes and oboist Rosemary Yiameos gave a double reed recital at the Church of the Resurrection in Hopewell Junction, N.Y., last March.

1997
Violist Kenneth Martinson (MM) performed with pianist Christopher Taylor in the Martinson/Taylor Duo program at Illinois Central College last March. . . . Abram Wilson (MM) gave a trumpet workshop for elementary students as part of the Tomorrow’s Warriors program in Devon, England, last April. Abram is an artist-in-residence with Tomorrow’s Warriors.

1998
Composer Andrew Boysen (DMA) was a guest artist at the 37th annual Spring Conference on Wind and Percussion Music at Western Michigan University’s School of Music in Kalamazoo last April. . . . Soprano Rachel Rivera Gerodias (MM) performed in the Manila Philharmonic Orchestra’s season finale concert last March. She also performed as part of the Philippine Madrigal Singers in the concert “For Hope and Freedom” in Manila last March.

1999
Mariusz Smolij (DMA), music director of the Riverside Symphonia in Lambertville, N.J., conducted the Wroclaw Philharmonic Orchestra from Poland in several concerts in New York City and New Jersey last April. . . . Sachiko Watanabe ’02E (MM) and Justin Endo were married on December 19, 2004, in Omaha, Neb. Sachiko teaches violin at the Omaha Conservatory of Music, and Justin is doing his residency in internal medicine at the University of Wisconsin at Madison.

2000
Trumpeter Eric Biondo’s avant-garde jazz/pop band, Beyondo, performed in Buffalo last April.

2002
Alta Boover (MM) (see ’03). . . . Janinah Burnett (MM) performed the role of Violetta in the National Lyric Opera’s production of Verdi’s La Traviata last spring. . . . Organist Daniel Hahn gave a concert at Briarwood Academy, his alma mater, last April. . . . Sara Traficante is a flute instructor at SuzukiMusic in Ottawa, Ontario. . . . Staff Sgt. Katherine Wilcox plays oboe and English horn in the West Point Academy Concert Band and the West Point Woodwind Quintet.

2003
Classical guitarist Aaron Brock (DMA) was the winner of the Edwin H. and Leigh W. Schadt String Competition. Aaron teaches at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto. . . . (Donald) Oliver Henderson (MM) and Alta Boover ’02 (MM) were featured performers at the Shreveport (La.) Opera Xpress’s annual fundraiser concert last March. . . . Soprano Maya Krivchenia was the recipient of a Fulbright scholarship. Maya, a vocal performance major at Ohio State University, will travel to Russia to study the country’s opera, language, and culture.

2004
Pianist David Berry performed at the Redhouse in Syracuse, N.Y., last March. David is studying for his master’s degree in piano performance at Juilliard. . . . Jeffrey Brown (DMA) writes, “I am the director of keyboard studies at Christopher Newport University in Newport News, Va. Recent engagements have included the world premiere of the Concerto for Piano and Winds by Brian Hulse at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., in April, and a faculty position as pianist and vocal coach at La Scuola Italia’s summer opera festival in Urbania, Italy.” . . . Christian Lane was a featured artist at the American Guild of Organists’ regional convention in Colorado Springs last June. . . . Greg Ristow (MA), (MM) is music director at Montgomery (Ohio) College.