Class Notes

1954 Christine Wilcosz-Thompson (see ’79 College).

1958 Francis Brancaleone writes that two of his articles have been published in the spring 2018 issue of Sacred Music: “Georgia Stevens, R.S.C.J., Indefatigable Educator, and the Pius X School of Liturgical Music” and “Recollections and Reflections on the Palestrina Institute of Ecclesiastical Music: A Pioneer in Catholic Liturgical Music Education in Detroit (1943–1970).” He adds that he was also a coach for the one- piano, four-hands ensembles round of the New York International Piano Competition last June. “One ensemble I coached won first prize and another shared second prize,” he writes. Francis has served on the screening panel for the competition since its inception in 2002.

1966 John Russo and the Tompkins County History Center have published Ithaca Our Home: A Forty-Year Odyssey in Tompkins County (History Center in Tompkins County). John writes that the book, which comes with a CD of his songs, is “a review of my life in music, here in the cultural and educational center of my native Finger Lakes.” He adds that his musical odyssey “is a result of the great education I received at Eastman and the U of R 60 years ago.”

1969 Vivian Goh (see ’01).

1970 Robert Silverman (DMA) writes that he celebrated his 80th birthday “with all-Chopin recitals in several cities including Toronto and Vancouver, and a CD release of the composer’s four scherzi on Marquis Classics.” The latest recording is a follow-up to his 2017 album, Chopin’s Last Waltz (IsoMike), which won the Best of the Month citation from Stereophile. . . . Chris Vadala writes that he celebrated 25 years as a professor of saxophone and director of jazz studies, with the title of Distinguished Scholar-Teacher, at the University of Maryland School of Music this year. In addition, he marks 25 years as first-call saxophonist with the National Symphony Orchestra.

1977 James McVoy (PhD) has published a book, Fifty Birds in Fifty States (James McVoy), telling of the 13-year quest of his and his wife, Sue, to identify 50 bird species in each of the 50 states. James is a professor emeritus of music theory and composition at West Chester University and a volunteer at Tri-State Bird Rescue in Newark, Delaware.

1981 Composer and vocalist Akmal Parwez (PhD) writes that last December, he attended performances of his “Vanishing Spring” for alto saxophone and harp at the University of Massachusetts–Amherst and of his “Happy Bells!” for mezzo-soprano, baritone, viola and piano at the Wild Goose Creative in Columbus, Ohio. In August, he was invited to sing at both the Pakistani and Indian Independence Day celebrations organized by Queens Borough President Melinda Katz. He performed his settings of Urdu ghazals by his father, Afzal Parwez, Iqbal, and other poets, and Punjabi and Persian mystic poems of Bulhe Shah and Amir Khusrau. . . . Lucy Warner (MA) has published her second children’s book, Zap! Bam! Now! Superheroes of Music (Spring Promise Productions) featuring 12 more famous composers as superheroes. She’s the chair of the music department at the Browning School in New York City.

1983 Lori Salimando-Porter sends a photo from the United States Military Academy Band, West Point, alumni weekend last June. She writes that the band performed “Quadrille” by Joseph Turrin, who received an honorary degree from Eastman in 2006. Included in the picture are Joseph Turrin (second from left), Matthew Wozniak ’94, ’97 (MA), ’97 (MM) (third from left), and Lori (second from right).

1987 Lim Soon Lee (see ’01).

1991 Tom Lanners (DMA), a professor of piano at Oklahoma State University, writes that he taught at two international summer music festivals in 2018: the AmiCaFest in Italy in June and the Shanghai International Piano Festival and Institute in China in July. He writes: “My teaching and performing colleagues were eminent pianists and pedagogues who serve as faculty members at the Mozarteum in Salzburg, the Moscow Conservatory, the Manhattan School, Eastman, the New England Conservatory, and the Shanghai Conservatory, along with recent top prize-winners of the Chopin Competition in Warsaw and the Sydney Competition in Australia.” In October, he served as a judge for the Texas Music Teachers Association’s annual competitions and presented a session at the Music Teachers National Association convention in Washington, D.C. Pictured on page 71 are Tom (at far right) with (from left to right) Maxim Mogilevsky of the New England Conservatory faculty, Yuri Didenko of the Moscow Conservatory, and Zhe Tang ’04 (DMA) of the Shanghai Conservatory.

1993 Linda Lister (MM) has released a CD, Pleas to Famous Fairies (Albany Records), including original compositions which she performs with pianist Amanda Johnston.

1994 Matthew Wozniak ’97 (MA), ’97 (MM) (see ’83).

2001 Joshua Tan Kang Ming, associate conductor of the Singapore Symphony, has been appointed to the additional post of principal conductor of the Singapore National Youth Orchestra. The youth orchestra was founded by Vivian Goh ’69 in 1980. Lim Soon Lee ’87 was the principal conductor from 2005 to 2010.

2002 Andrea Kalyn (PhD) has been named president of the New England Conservatory, the first woman to hold the post in the institution’s 151 years. Previously, she was dean of the Oberlin Conservatory of Music.

2004 Greg Hershberger writes: “I’ve rescued two rat terriers, Toogie and Ella, and applied for continuing studies at Washington State University in Pullman. Among other things, I have a Bar Method yoga gym that I attend a few times a year. Also, after about 10 years of yoga practice, I began to study the barre method for improved marathon strength. There’s a pretty good correlation.” . . . Zhe Tang (DMA) (see ’91).

2013 Lauren Haley has published a book, Kids Aren’t Lazy: Developing Motivation and Talent through Music (PDP). She’s a violin and viola teacher and founder of the Lauren Haley Studios in Houston, Texas.

2016 Phil Pierick (DMA) has released a CD, Saxo Voce (New Focus Recordings), along with fellow saxophonist Noa Even. Phil and Noa make up the duo Ogni Suono. The CD contains seven commissioned works, including one by Zach Sheets (MM).