 |
Note: This page will be updated with news items
from 2006 soon.
Welcome to our Alumni Class Notes Archive, consisting of activities
and accomplishments of our former students in the college division
previously published on this Web site from April of 2004 through
November 2005.
These listings are organized under the last year each alumnus/na
attended the School. There is also a section honoring the memory
of those who have passed away in the last few years.
For current news and updates, please visit our Class
Notes page.
1950s | 1960s
| 1970s | 1980s | 1990s
| 2000s
In Memoriam
Send us news: Alumni who wish to
send us a brief paragraph of recent activities and accomplishments
to be included on this page should e-mail us at alumni@msmnyc.edu.
Please note that all submissions are subject to edited and proofing.
1950s
1952:
Roy Eaton — [BM / MM, piano] of New York
City — was the featured pianist in April at the 92nd Street
Y in a program called “Scott Joplin and His Generation.”
The program featured selections from his Sony release Joplin
Piano Rags in the Essential Classics series. On a personal
note, Roy and his wife, Barbara, are the parents of two-year-old
twins, Ravi and Ari. [posted 10/15/04]
1953:
Joe Wilder — [BM, trumpet] of New York City
— was featured in an article entitled “The Gentleman
Musician” published in the February 2004 issue of Allegro,
the official publication of Local 802 of the American Federation
of Musicians. The October 2001 issue of Jazz Times magazine
also showcased him in an article entitled “Joe Wilder: One
of the Glories of American Music.” In the fall of 2002, the
Lincoln Center Out-of-Doors series paid tribute to Mr. Wilder and
his life’s work in a celebration of his 80th birthday. [posted
7/8/04]
1954:
Kenneth Lane — undergraduate studies, voice] of Lake Hiawatha,
New York — appeared at the New Life Expo in October at the
New Yorker Hotel. The program, entitled "Activist Songs from
Biblical Times to the Present," featured songs of alienation,
protest, and patriotism, sung in a variety of genres including soul,
rock, folk, jazz, musical theater, opera, and pop. [updated on 04/20/05]
1956:
Lloyd Bell — [MM, voice] of Richmond, Virginia —
has written a biography of former Manhattan School of Music president
John Brownlee, with whom Mr. Bell studied. The 290-page book, entitled
Giovanni: The Life and Times of John Brownlee, chronicles
the details of Brownlee’s career from being a protégé
of Nellie Melba through his leadership at Manhattan School and was
published by Xlibris in 2002 (and is found on their
Web site). Mr. Bell has graciously donated a copy to the School’s
library collection. [posted on 04/20/05]
Nancy Bloomer Deussen — [BM, theory/composition] of Palo
Alto, California — performed her piano suite entitled American
Images for the Silicon Valley Arts Coalition Showcase in January.
In February, she was honored as an outstanding Californian composer
at the annual celebrity luncheon of the American Pen Women in San
Jose, California. Other spring highlights include: the world premiere
of her orchestral work TICO performed by the Mission Chamber
Orchestra in San Jose; performances of her Two Pieces for Violin
and Piano with Steve Ettinger at the Monterey County Composer’s
Forum; the world premiere of her Rhapsody for Two Pianos
in Palo Alto; and her Peninsula Suite for solo string quartet
and string orchestra, released on a new ERM Media CD entitled Masterworks
of the New Era—Volume 2. [posted 4/21/04]
1958:
Jack Reilly — [MM, music education] of Beachwood, New Jersey
— gave the London premiere of his Green Spring Suite
for piano, bass, and drums at St. Cyprian's Church, central London,
on December 22 to raves in the Guardian newspaper by critic
John Fordham. The music was composed while he was in treatment for
cancer at the Green Spring Station Oncology clinic in Maryland,
and is dedicated to the medics, radiologists, and other people who
helped him through a troubled period. “Suffice it to say that
I am cured and consider it a miracle, a marriage of prayer, music
creativity, and science!” states Mr. Reilly. On March 13,
2005 he performed with his quartet in the Chicago premiere at the
MacAnnich Arts Center of the College of DuPage of Jazz Requiem
Mass (composed in 1968), for mixed chorus, jazz vocal soloist,
and jazz quartet. This coming fall finds him at the Brecon, Wales,
jazz festival with his trio and a tour of Germany and London. www.jackreillyjazz.com
[updated on 04/20/05]
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1960s
1960:
Talmon Hertz — [MM, cello] of Canada — is the artistic director
of the Calgary Pro Musica Society, a nonprofit organization presenting
a series of chamber music concerts in the city of Calgary. Established
twenty-six years ago, this society brings international chamber
performers to the city and is sold out on a regular basis. [posted
4/21/04]
1961:
Michael Abene — [BM, theory] of Patterson, New York — was named
musical director and principal composer-arranger for the WDR Big
Band in Cologne, Germany. He will be commuting between the United
States and Germany while continuing to teach private students in
jazz composition. Mr. Abene has also been composing music for the
combination of symphony orchestra and big band: two of his compositions
premiered in 2003 were Odyssey for Brass for the Metropole
Jazz Orchestra in Hilversum, The Netherlands and Fragmentations
for RTV Symphony and Big Band of Slovenia based in the city of Ljubljana.
Mr. Abene is working on a piece for vocal choir and big band for
the Conservatory of Music in Aarhus, Denmark, and continues his
position as co-musical director of the BMI Jazz Composers Workshop.
Mr. Abene is a Manhattan School of Music jazz composition faculty
member. [posted 4/21/04
1965:
Steve Cohen — [BM, theory] of Aventura, Florida —
has had a 10-minute orchestral piece entitled Juggernaut
selected as the winner of the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra's
2004 Museum in the Community Composer's Award. The piece was given
its world premiere on two regular subscription concerts by the orchestra
in November 2004 at the Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences in
Charleston. [posted on 04/20/05]
1967:
Andrea Anderson — [BM / MM, piano] of Los Angeles — performed
this past spring at New Mexico State University, Angelo State University,
Texas A&M University at Corpus Christi, Bowlus Fine Arts Center,
Hill College, and Baker Arts Foundation. She performed in the New
York area on September 26 in the Town and Gown Series at New Jersey
City University. [posted 7/8/04]
Michael Davidson — [BM, cello] of Overland Park,
Kansas — is currently a senior software engineer at DST Systems
Inc. in Kansas City, Missouri, and is principal cellist of the Overland
Park Orchestra. Michael is mentioned several times in the recently
published book Pied Piper: The Life and Times of Noah Greenberg.
Mr. Davidson is a cousin of Greenberg, the co-founder and conductor
of the New York Pro Musica. [posted 7/8/04]
Nancy Marano — [undergraduate studies, piano]
of Fort Lee, New Jersey — toured Holland in April promoting the
release of her new CD, You're Nearer. Her CD received the
highest rating of 5 stars in the most prestigious jazz magazine
in Holland in addition to high praise from several newspaper reviewers
and on Holland public radio. Nancy performed with the Jazz Millennium
Big Band and the Jazzmania Big Band, in addition to giving a master
class for big band vocalists with the Central Heat Big Band. She
performed with a Dutch quintet at the famed Cristofori concert venue
in Amsterdam to a sold-out audience. She gave a master class at
the Messiaen Academy in Arnhem and private lessons for the advanced
jazz vocalists of the Amsterdam Conservatory. She continues to serve
as a member of the jazz voice faculty at Manhattan School of Music.
[posted 7/8/04]
1968:
Jim Petercsak — [BM / MM, percussion] of Potsdam,
New York — was a 2003 recipient of the Percussive Arts Society Lifetime
Achievement Award in Education, an award that recognizes the contributions
of the most highly regarded leaders in percussion education. Mr.
Petercsak has taught at the Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam
since 1968, where he is a distinguished professor, head of the percussion
department, and director of the Crane Percussion Ensemble. In addition,
he serves as an active member of the Manhattan School of Music Alumni
Council. [posted 7/8/04]
Robert Manno — [BM, voice] of Windham, New York
— is codirector of the Windham Chamber Music Festival in addition
to his work as conductor and composer. Recent premieres of his works
include: Three Scenes from the Mountains for flute, clarinet,
and piano by Palisades Virtuosi in New Jersey; And Death Shall
Have No Dominion for chorus and harp by the Oxford Pro Music
Singers in Wales; Sonata for Cello and Piano by David Heiss
and John Churchwell in Weill Recital Hall of Carnegie Hall; and
Three Nocturnes for Solo Harp by Deborah Hoffman, also
in Weill Hall. He was assistant conductor with the Metropolitan
Opera from 1997-2004. [posted 7/8/04]
1969:
Steven Richman — [undergraduate studies,
horn] of New York City — is conductor and music director of
Harmonie Ensemble / New York, and received a 2003 Grammy nomination
for the Koch International Classics CD entitled Stravinsky:
Histoire du Soldat and 4 Premieres. He also recently received
the Classical Recording Foundation Award for his new release on
the Bridge Records label, Copland: Rarities and Masterpieces.
[updated on 04/20/05]
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1970s
1970:
Kenneth Knight — [musicology] of Sante Fe — is conducting a
preparatory school choir, a men’s chorus, a women’s chorus, and
a church choir in Sante Fe. Mr. Knight also teaches voice classes
at Sante Fe Community College. [posted 4/21/04]
1974:
Paul DeBoer — [BM / MM, trumpet] of Fillmore, New York — serves
as associate professor of music at Houghton College. [posted 4/21/04]
Walter Simmons — [BM / MM, theory] of Port Chester, New York
— announces the publication of his new book, Voices in the Wilderness:
Six American Neo-Romantic Composers, issued by Scarecrow Press.
The composers featured are Ernest Bloch, Howard Hanson, Vittorio
Giannini, Paul Creston, Samuel Barber, and the late Manhattan School
of Music graduate Nicolas Flagello. Much of the material included
has never before appeared in print. [posted 4/21/04]
H. L. Smith, II — [undergraduate studies,
organ / theory] of Radnor, Pennsylvania — is the newly elected
dean of the southeastern Pennsylvania chapter of the American Guild
of Organists. He is currently organist and master of choristers
at Saint Martin's Church in Radnor and is a Sibelius music engraving
software specialist. Until last year, he served as choral / vocal
/ organ / handbell / sacred piano / sacred instrumental specialist
for Theodore Presser, which has published his compositions. [posted
on 04/20/05]
1975:
Jon Frederic West — [graduate studies,
opera theater] of New York City — received the following review
from Anthony Tommasini in the New York Times on April 19:
“Most performances of Wagner’s Siegfried have
a void at the center: the tenor singing the title role. Wagner made
unprecedented demands on singers regarding power, range and stamina.
But he abandoned all sense of the doable when he conceived the role
of the brash nature boy, Siegfried, the son of the demigods Siegmund
and Sieglinde.... So great credit goes to the feisty American tenor
Jon Fredric West, who made his first Metropolitan Opera appearance
in the role of Siegfried on Saturday afternoon, a performance broadcast
live on the radio.... Mr. West did not just get through the role,
he really sang it: with husky sound, pinging top notes, plenty of
power and seemingly illimitable energy. Add to this the Brünnhilde
of Jane Eaglen in radiant voice; the majestic Wotan of the veteran
bass James Morris, called the Wanderer in this work; and the gripping
conducting of James Levine; and Ring fans had something
to cheer about at the end of a long afternoon.” [posted 10/15/04]
1976:
Steve Cohen — [BM, composition] of Larchmont,
New York — has had two works released on CD: his Wind Quintet
played by the Pennsylvania Wind Quintet on their Centaur CD,
Recent American Works for Winds; and his Saxophone
Quartet No. 2, played by the New Hudson Sax Quartet on their
Eclectra CD, The American Muse. His Sonata for Soprano
Sax and Piano has been performed in Cardiff, Wales, by alumnus
and faculty member Paul Cohen at the British Saxophone Congress,
as well as in St. Paul, Minnesota, by alumnus James Noyes at the
World Saxophone Congress. In addition, Steve toured Israel last
year singing with the Zamir Chorale of New York. [posted 7/8/04]
1977:
Lewis Kirk — [BM, bassoon] of Chicago — is on a leave from the
Lyric Opera of Chicago to play second bassoon with the Chicago Symphony.
[posted 4/21/04]
Don Mopsick — [BM, tuba] of San Antonio, Texas
— is currently the double bassist with the Jim Cullum Jazz Band
at the Landing Jazz Club in San Antonio, a position he has held
since 1991. Since joining the JCJB, he has appeared on the nationally
syndicated weekly public radio show, Riverwalk, Live from the
Landing carried on the Public Radio International network.
Mr. Mopsick is also the Web developer for the Landing
and the Riverwalk
series. The Jim Cullum Jazz Band is a 7-piece acoustic ensemble
dedicated to preserving the sound of jazz as it was played from
its beginnings up to the start of WWII. Recently, the band performed
with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra in a pops program that included
Playing With Fire, a 30-minute, through-composed 3-movement
piece for orchestra and jazz band. Previous performances have been
with orchestras in San Antonio, Denver, Portland (Maine), and Orange
County (California). [posted 7/8/04]
1978:
Keith Koons — [MM, clarinet] of Oviedo,
Florida — has been promoted to the rank of professor of music
at the University of Central Florida, having been appointed in 1990
and serving as interim chair in the 2003-2004 year. His teaching
areas include studio clarinet, woodwind ensembles and Early Music
Ensemble. Dr. Koons is a frequent performer with the Orlando Philharmonic
Orchestra and is currently principal clarinet of the Brevard Symphony
Orchestra in Melbourne, Florida. He currently serves as president
of the southern chapter of the College Music Society and is the
library liaison and chair of the research presentation committee
for the International Clarinet Association. [posted on 04/20/05]
Howard S. Meltzer — [MM, piano] of New York
City — has recently been appointed assistant professor and
deputy chair for music at the Borough of Manhattan Community College
on Chambers Street. This summer, he was a staff accompanist for
the TransAtlantic Horn Quartet’s seminar at the University
of Alabama, Tuscaloosa. He participated in a conference this past
September on music and philosophy at the University of Pretoria
in South Africa. [posted 10/15/04]
1979:
Robert Bonfiglio — [MM, composition] of New York City
— marked his Teatro Colón debut with his 300th performance
of the Villa-Lobos Harmonica Concerto, Theo Alcantara conducting
the Buenos Aires Philharmonic Orchestra. This performance was followed
by harmonica concerti with Virginia Symphony, Ridgefield Symphony,
and Rotterdam Philharmonic. A critic for the Ridgefield Press
wrote that a 2004 performance was “one of the memorable treats
I’ve experienced in close to three decades during which I’ve
reviewed these concerts.” [posted on 04/20/05]
George Oldziey — [BM, trumpet] of Austin — was an orchestrator,
score producer, and composer for the recent films Spy Kids 2
and Once Upon a Time in Mexico, as well as composer and producer
for the Playstation 2 video game SpongeBob Squarepants. Mr.
Oldziey also teaches the jazz ensemble at Southwestern University
in Georgetown, Texas, and works as a jazz pianist in the Austin
area. [posted 4/21/04]
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1980s
1980:
Samuel Cheung — [MM, accompanying] of Brooklyn — is the international
recruitment specialist at the New York City Department of Education.
In September of 2003 he performed at the St. Peter’s Basilica in
Rome. Mr. Cheung appeared in recital with Manhattan School of Music
alumnus Li-Chan Chen, soprano, in Vancouver and Seattle this spring.
[posted 4/21/04]
Margaret Juntwait — [BM, voice] of New York City —
will become the new “voice of the Metropolitan Opera.”
The New York Times announced in September that Ms. Juntwait,
a classical music host at public broadcasting station WNYC FM radio
in New York City, will replace Peter Allen who has been announcer
of the Saturday afternoon Met broadcasts for 29 years. Ms. Juntwait
will be only the third “voice of the Met’ since the
broadcasts started in 1931. She also announces on Sirius satellite
channels, and her voice can be heard on museum audio tours. [posted
10/15/04]
1981:
Aaron Minsky — [BM / MM, cello] of Forest Hills, New York —
has just released Judaic Concert Suite for solo cello, his
thirteenth publication with Oxford University Press. In connection
with his rock cello band, Von Cello, he was interviewed four times
on radio this past year — twice in Albany, once in Chicago, and
once for Scottish radio. Mr. Minsky’s efforts to create a path for
the cello in popular music have earned him inclusion in the 2004
edition of The International Who’s Who of Professionals. [posted
4/21/04]
1982:
Fung Ho — [MM, violin] of Arcadia, California — is the music
director and conductor of the Olympia Youth Orchestra in the Los
Angeles area and also serves as a faculty member of the Los Angeles
County High School for the Arts, conducting the string orchestra
and coaching chamber music. In the summers, he is a faculty member
at the International Institute for Young Musicians. [posted 4/21/04]
1983:
Paul Brantley — [MM, cello] of New York
City — has had recent performances of his compositions, including
On the Pulse of Morning by the University of Michigan Symphony
with Kenneth Kiesler conducting and soloist Andrea Moore; dux,
comes by Music of the Spheres (three performances in the San
Francisco Bay area); My Dream of the Lost Schumann Romances
(which Clara burned) and Jew’s Harp and Arabesque,
both premiered by Paul on his Manhattan School of Music faculty
recital this past January. His cello playing appears on the recent
CDs Little Worlds (Columbia) by Bela Fleck and the Flecktones
and Bloom (Compass Records) by Jeff Coffin. Paul teaches
conducting at Manhattan School of Music. His music is published
by Oxford University Press. [posted on 04/20/05]
Alex Shapiro — [undergraduate studies, composition]
of Malibu, California — won the Best Original Composition award
for her new piano, mallet, and percussion trio, At the Abyss,
from the international music fraternity Mu Phi Epsilon.The piece
has been performed across the U.S., including a New York City premiere
at Carnegie Hall in April, and has been recorded for pianist Teresa
McCollough’s new CD, Music for Hammers and Sticks.
Alex was named the 2004 California MTNA Commissioned Composer by
the California Association of Professional Music Teachers. The commissioned
work, Bioplasm, was premiered by the Los Angeles Flute
Quartet at CAPMT’s state convention in Long Beach. Alex is
president of the American Composers Forum of Los Angeles, and is
a familiar moderator at many L.A. music events. Alex is a member
of the Manhattan School of Music Alumni Council. www.alexshapiro.org
[posted 7/8/04]
Blair Tindall — [BM ’82 / MM, oboe]
of Guttenberg, New Jersey — writes about classical music for
the New York Times and continues playing oboe on Broadway,
with City Center’s Encores!, the New York Pops, and the New
York City Ballet. Her first book, Mozart in the Jungle: Sex,
Drugs, and Classical Music, will be available in major bookstores
nationwide in July 2005. www.mozartinthejungle.com
[posted on 04/20/05]
1984:
Li-Chan Chen — [MM, voice] of Iselin, New Jersey —
is currently a faculty member of the Visual and Performing Arts
Department of Rutgers State University. This November she will travel
back to Taiwan to sing the role of Blanche in a production of Poulenc's
Dialogues des Carmélites in the National Theater
of Taiwan in Taipei, presented by National Taiwan Normal University.
[posted on 04/20/05]
Saul Davis Zlatkovsky — [MM, harp] of Philadelphia
— was recently honored with the premieres of two of his compositions
at the 2004 National Conference of the American Harp Society. His
Suite Provençal for harp duo and American Pictures:
Prairie Night were performed on two concerts. (The only other
composers to receive as much exposure were Claude Debussy and Carlos
Salzedo.) American Pictures: Prairie Night was performed
on the new-music program by Emily Halpern-Lewis of the Boston University
faculty. The Suite Provençal, a seven-movement work,
was previewed at the Curtis Institute of Music under the coaching
of Judy Loman and Saul Davis and performed on both occasions by
Sonja Wangensteen and Piper Runnion-Bareford. He has been invited
to perform for the Philadelphia chapter of the American Harp Society
in 2005. He is harp editor for String Notes, the award-winning
magazine of the Minnesota chapter of ASTA/NSOA, and contributes
to American Harp Journal and Philadelphia Music Makers.
He has lived in Philadelphia for ten years, near historic Rittenhouse
Square. www.sauldavis.com.
[updated 04/20/05]
Peter Sanders — [BM ’84, cello] of
Cresskill, New Jersey — is currently a member of the New York
City Ballet Orchestra and principal cello of the New Philharmonic
of New Jersey; he also performs with the Riverside Symphony and
the Stamford Symphony. He is a member of the Ariadne Trio and has
performed and recorded as a guest artist with the Perspectives Ensemble.
Mr. Sanders is artistic director of the Central Vermont Chamber
Music Festival. [posted on 04/20/05]
Joelle Wallach — [DMA, composition] of New York City — was
a featured composer for Shadows, Sighs and Songs of Longing
and The Nightwatch, a presentation of Treehouse Productions’
syndicated NPR program, Theme And Variations with William Everett.
This past spring, her work Cloths in Heaven was premiered
at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln
Center. Her CD, Voices of the Iron Harp, can be found on
New Aerial Recordings. www.joellewallach.com
[posted 4/21/04]
1987:
Dwayne Hollenbach — [BM / MM, trumpet] of Reno, Nevada — is
the director of bands at Reno High School and performs with the
Reno Philharmonic and the Reno Jazz Orchestra. [posted 4/21/04]
Roy Mazzacane — [MM, voice] of Hamden, Connecticut — is a
member of Cantabile Vocal Quartet, a chamber group that performs
throughout the Northeast and on the radio throughout the U.S., South
America, and Great Britain. Mr. Mazzacane is music director at Trinity
Church on the Green in New Haven, Connecticut, and owns and operates
the Mazzacane Studio of Voice and Piano. [posted 4/21/04]
1988:
Annette A. Aguilar — [graduate studies,
percussion] of New York City — toured with her group, StringBeans,
as 2003 Latin Jazz Ambassadors for the U.S State Department and
the Kennedy Center. The group toured Southern Africa and Rwanda,
sharing their knowledge of the music of the Americas and the Caribbean,
blending Afro-Cuban and Afro-Brazilian percussion rhythms with harp,
guitar, violin, piano, and bass. StringBeans is preparing to release
their next CD, No Cheap Dates. www.aguilarstringbeans.com
[posted 7/8/04]
Sandy Coffin — [MM, trumpet] of New York
City — performed with her group, Prometheus Brass, live on
WAMC/Northeast Public Radio and gave a full recital on the Saugerties
Pro Musica series in February to critical acclaim. The ensemble
has been reengaged for next season. [posted 7/8/04]
Victoria Dondysh — [BM '86 / MM, piano]
of Sayville, New York — has released a CD of the Bach six
partitas. Her playing was recently featured on David Dubal’s
WQXR program “Reflections from the Keyboard.” [posted
on 04/20/05]
1989:
John Blanchard — [MM '89, flute] of New York City —
was co-convener of an international symposium entitled “The
Working Musician” at the Royal College of Music in London.
Present were over 125 administrators, teachers, and performers from
throughout Europe including all the major music schools in the United
Kingdom and several from the U.S. Mr. Blanchard was a panelist for
the opening discussion along with Richard Morrison, chief music
critic of the Times of London; author Hans Abbing; and
Angela Beeching of the New England Conservatory. The three-day conference
focused on the issues that face the employability of musicians and
was an outgrowth of an organization, the Network
of Music Career Development Officers, that Mr. Blanchard cofounded
ten years ago. He serves as director of career development, director
of alumni affairs, and Web site content manager for Manhattan School
of Music. [posted on 04/20/05]
Theresa Cincione — [MM, voice] of New York City — has been
covering the role of Eva in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg
at the Metropolitan Opera. She has recently appeared as Mimì in
La bohème for the Anchorage Opera production and Pamina in
Die Zauberflöte at the Granite State Opera. [posted 4/21/04]
Susan Deaver — [BM / MM / DMA, flute] of New York City —
is the 2004 festival director of the 23rd annual C.W. Post Chamber
Music Festival at Long Island University, where she is the flutist
with the Pierrot Consort. Recent conducting activities include the
University Orchestra at SUNY Stonybrook, the North Shore Symphony
Orchestra, and guest conducting in Korea. Dr. Deaver is a faculty
member of Manhattan School of Music’s Precollege Division. [posted
4/21/04]
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1990s
1990:
Nicole Halmos — [MM, voice] of New York City — is performing
in Sweeney Todd at Center Stage Theater. Other performances
this year include: A Christmas Carol at the Cumberland Theater;
The Sound of Music on national tour with Manhattan School
of Music alumnus Burke Moses; the New York workshops of The Fabulist,
Criminal, and The Mystery of the Charity of Saint Joan;
and Our Town at Triad Stage in North Carolina. [posted 4/21/04]
Erica Dawn Worth — [BM, piano] of England — is editor and
publisher of Pianist Magazine, a UK-originated publication
on sale worldwide. [posted 4/21/04]
1991:
Jose Ramon Mendez [BM, piano] of New York City — gave a recital
of works by Bach, Albéniz, and Turina this spring at the Museum
of the American Piano. [posted 4/21/04]
1992:
Alfred Fredel — [MM, voice] of New York City — is a new marketing
manager for Carl Fischer Music and is contributing editor for the
Audiophile Voice. [posted 4/21/04]
Daniel Sutton — [DMA, piano] of Germany — gave recitals in
the fall of 2003 with his wife, soprano Abbie Furmansky. The program
featured Mr. Sutton’s own works, Five Songs on texts by Attilio
Bertolucci, and Four American Preludes on a Third, as well
as music by Puccini, Richard Strauss, Chopin, and his own arrangements
of Gershwin melodies. Daniel wrote the musical score for the German
film A Small Place and acted as music consultant for the
critically acclaimed film The Pianist by Roman Polanski.
This spring he gave solo recitals in Pennsylvania featuring works
of Beethoven, Chopin, and Liszt, as well as the U.S. premiere of
his work, Pieces of Light. [posted 4/21/04]
1993:
Anna Garzuly — [MM, flute] of Germany — has been second principal
flutist at the Gewandhaus Orchestra in Germany since 1995. Ms. Garzuly
is also a member of the Leipzig Flute Ensemble. [posted 4/21/04]
1994:
Derek-Antoine Harrison — [BM / MM, voice) of Brooklyn —
is currently a freelance voice teacher, coach, and artist consultant,
having taught for several years in the New York City public schools.
He is also busy as a manager for an arts telefunding and telesubscription
firm called DCM, whose clients include New York City Opera, American
Ballet Theatre, and the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, to name a
few. [posted 7/8/04]
Tamami Honma — [BM, piano] of England — gave a recital at Wigmore
Hall in London in October of 2003. Other recent performances include
appearances as soloist with the Moscow Radio Symphony in the Bolshoi
Hall in Moscow and Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall in New York
City. In 2002, Ms. Honma was nominated for a Gramophone Award. [posted
4/21/04]
Jay Zhong — [BM, violin] of New Rochelle,
New York — is currently serving as director of the string
program and violin professor at California State University at Los
Angeles after holding violin professorship at the Western Illinois
University. Jay was recently named as a community advisor to the
Grammy-winning Southwest Chamber Music Society of Los Angeles. Besides
teaching and performing, Jay is an active composer and is a consecutive
winner of the ASCAP Plus Award. His essay on the direction of contemporary
Chinese concert music, "Chinese Concert Music, a Renaissance,"
was published in 2004 by Chinese International Music Journal,
a publication of Chicago's Chinese Music Society of North America.
It was distributed to musicians in 160 countries worldwide. [posted
on 04/20/05]
1995:
Gail Archer — [DMA, organ] of New York City —
presented a workshop in historic performance practice for the National
Conference of Lutheran Church Musicians this past July in New York
City. Her recent concert schedule has included U.S. performances
in Kentucky, Idaho, Oregon, and Massachusetts, as well as in Italy,
Germany, and Poland. Her concerts in Cracow, Rabka, and Zakopane
were sponsored by a grant from the United States Consolate in Cracow.
She has released a CD on Cala Records, The Orpheus of Amsterdam,
Sweelinck and his Pupils, recorded on the Fisk organ at Wellesley
College. [posted 11/16/05]
Marjorie Bagley — [MM, violin] of Logan, Utah —
has been assistant professor of violin and chamber music at Ohio
University since 2002 and is cofounder of the Juniper Music Festival
with alumnus Michael Carrera. A member of the faculty at the Brevard
Music Festival, she will be performing the Beethoven Triple Concerto
with Andrés Diaz on Brevard’s opening concert in the
summer of 2005. [posted on 04/20/05]
Rodney Lancaster — [MM, trombone] of Rochester, New York
— was a faculty member of Northern State University in 2002-03 and
is currently a DMA student at the Eastman School of Music. [posted
4/21/04]
Tim Lyddon — [MM, jazz piano] of Brooklyn
—released a jazz trio record in January entitled Shades
of People, receiving reviews in Jazz Times magazine
and All About Jazz. It has also received much airplay,
including WBGO-FM and a radio interview on WPBX (Long Island) in
July. Tim appeared with drummer Bill Goodwin in May at the Deerhead
Inn as well as with Sweet Rhythm, along with bassist Martin Wind,
in July. The trio also played at the Priory (New Jersey) in August
as well as two dates at Detour in Manhattan. [posted 10/15/04]
1996:
Lea Lanier — [BM, voice] of Orange Park,
Florida — was a soloist recently in the Bach Easter Oratorio
and Peasant Cantata with the Jacksonville Symphony. She appeared
as Mabel in The Pirates of Penzance and Josephine in H.M.S.
Pinafore with the Atlanta Lyric Theatre, as well as Musetta
with the La Grange Symphony and Adele with the Cobb Symphony. [posted
on 04/20/05]
Katie Lansdale — [DMA, violin] of West Hartford, Connecticut
— has toured Europe with her group The Lions Gate Trio and played
two Mozart concerti with the Austin Mozart Festival in Texas. Ms.
Lansdale also teaches at the Hartt School of the University of Hartford.
[posted 4/21/04]
Melissa Mackey — [BM, bassoon] of Fairfield,
Connecticut — joined the faculty of Southern Illinois University
as asstistant professor of bassoon and music history in 2003. Last
summer, she performed a lecture-recital on the bassoon music of
Charles Koechlin at the IDRS conference in Melbourne, Australia.
[posted on 04/20/05]
Danielle Marks — [BM, flute] of Tustin,
California —is the newly appointed director of education at
the Philharmonic Society of Orange County. She has been a member
of the San Jose Symphony and Ballet orchestras, as well as ensembles
in Atlanta, Tampa, and San Francisco. [updated 11/29/05]
Michael Salm — [MM, violin] of Switzerland — is assistant
principal second violin of the Zurich Opera Orchestra. [posted 4/21/04]
Frank Pulice — [BM / MM, voice] of New York City — is director
of public relations for New York fashion designer Carmen Marc Valvo.
In addition, he has been pursuing his interest in fine arts. His
paintings can be seen at www.gabrielegallery.com.
[posted 4/21/04]
1997:
Mie Araki — [jazz percussion] of Stanford, California — is working
at Stanford University Music Library. [posted 4/21/04]
Bradley Colten — [MM, guitar] of New York City — frequently
performs with Manhattan School of Music alumna Heather Holden. Their
group, the Arc Duo, is ensemble in residence at the Diller-Quaile
School of Music; they gave their New York debut at Weill Hall this
past spring. During the 2003-04 season they also performed at the
National Flute Convention in Las Vegas; King’s Chapel Concert Series
in Boston; and the Caramoor Music Festival in Katonah, New York.
In addition to such performances, Mr. Colten also teaches in the
New York area. [posted 4/21/04]
Salvatore Di Vittorio — [BM, classical composition]
of Italy — serves as director of the music department, instructor
of theory, and conductor of the Chamber Orchestra at Loyola School
in New York City. After completing his MA at Columbia and a conducting
certificate in Rome, he has recently been named visiting assistant
conductor and composer in residence for the Orchestra Accademia
Musicale Siciliana of Palermo. He has had his music published by
Edizioni Panastudio/Carisch of Warner Bros. since 2000, following
numerous performances of his symphonies in Italy. He is currently
presenting his new opera Romeo e Giulietta to various opera
companies for their consideration. [posted 10/15/04]
Scott Drewes — [BM, jazz percussion] of O’Fallon, Illinois
— is a percussionist in the Air Force Band of Mid-America and performs
with the Shades of Blue Jazz Ensemble, Shades of Blue Sextet, and
the Concert Band. [posted 4/21/04]
Olivia Gorra — [BM, voice] of Mexico — made her Metropolitan
Opera debut this season in the role of Liù in Puccini’s Turandot
and was also heard as the protagonist in Lucia di Lammermoor
as well as the three heroines in The Tales of Hoffmann with
Fort Worth Opera. Her recent orchestral engagements include Mozart’s
Mass in C and Villa-Lobos’ Bachianas Brasilieras with
the Hudson Valley Philharmonic and Britten’s War Requiem
with the Ofunam Philharmonic in Mexico City. [posted 4/21/04]
Heather Holden — [MM, flute] of New York City — frequently
performs with Manhattan School of Music alumnus Bradley Colten.
Their group, the Arc Duo, is ensemble in residence at the Diller-Quaile
School of Music; they gave their New York debut at Weill Hall in
the spring of 2004. During the 2003-04 season they also performed
at the National Flute Convention in Las Vegas, King’s Chapel Concert
Series in Boston, and the Caramoor Music Festival in Katonah, New
York. In addition to such performances, Ms. Holden also teaches
in the New York area. [posted 4/21/04]
Joseph Klapper — [MM, double bass] of Iowa
City — is currently principal bass of the Waterloo Symphony
and double bass instructor at the University of Northern Iowa. [posted
on 04/20/05]
Joong-Oh Lee — [MM, viola] of Korea — is a faculty member
of Chung-Ang University in Seoul and is the principal violist of
Na-Mu chamber orchestra. [posted 4/21/04]
1998:
Paul Beck — [BM, bassoon] of New York City — is
currently assistant music librarian for the Metropolitan Opera Association.
Appointed in August of 2002, he is only the twelfth full-time music
librarian employed by the Met since 1883. Paul also works as a librarian
for the Mostly Mozart Festival in the summers and recently started
a small business, called Tempus Music, that rents opera parts to
opera companies, conservatories, and music festivals. [posted on
04/20/05]
Justin Bischof — [BM ‘90 / MM ‘92
/ DMA, organ] of New York City — is the newly appointed music
director of the Golden Key Opera Company of Honolulu. His first
season will feature productions of Menotti’s The Medium
and The Telephone. He continues as general/artistic director
of the Modus Opera Company in New York, principal conductor of the
new music group the Anechoic Ensemble, and assistant conductor of
the Bronx Symphony. [posted 11/16/05]
Shira Karmon — [MM, voice] of Colmar, France
— was a prizewinner of the 2004 Lied of the 20th and 21st
Century competition sponsored by the Kulturkreis der Deutschen Wirtschaft.
She has sung at the Komische Oper (Berlin), Neuköllner Oper
(Berlin), Kammeroper (Hamburg), Opéra National du Rhin (Strasbourg),
and at the Internationales Musikfestival (Chiemgau, Germany). Recent
opera appearances include Jenny in Three Sisters Who Are Not
Sisters by Ned Rorem at the Komische Oper Berlin. www.shirakarmon.de.vu
[posted on 04/20/05]
Kelly Kuo — [MM, piano] of Houston — is in his second season
as artistic administrator and assistant conductor with Opera Pacific.
Mr. Kuo will act as cover conductor for Los Angeles Opera’s upcoming
production of A Little Night Music and will be conducting
La traviata and The Pirates of Penzance for
Opera Pacific in 2005. [posted 4/21/04]
Alexander Laing — [MM, orchestral clarinet] of Phoenix —
is principal clarinet of the Phoenix Symphony Orchestra. He has
performed several times as a soloist with the Phoenix Symphony and
is also a guest artist with the Downtown Phoenix Chamber Series.
In addition to performing, Mr. Laing is a member of the board of
directors for the charity Rosie’s House, an organization that provides
instruments and private lessons free of charge to underprivileged
children in the Phoenix area. [posted 4/21/04]
Carla Lopez-Speziale — [DMA, voice] of New York City — performed
with the Bellas Artes Opera in Mexico singing the roles of Isabella
in L’italiana in Algeri, the Old Lady in Candide,
and Carmen. She also sang with Utah Festival Opera as Rosina
in Il barbiere di Siviglia. Last year she participated in
the world premiere of Adamo’s Little Women singing the role
of Jo. This fall in New York City she will be performing in the
Trinity Church Concerts at One series with soprano Catherine Thorpe
and pianist Daniel Daroca. [posted 4/21/04]
Nicholas Mancini — [MM, jazz vibraphone] of New York City
— appeared on NBC’s Showtime at the Apollo in the
winter of 2003 playing his own composition with the house band.
He has recorded a new album, entitled Still Being, released
this past summer. It features several of his own compositions. Mr.
Mancini has embarked on a cross country-trip to Los Angeles, where
he will pursue several new performing and recording opportunities.
[posted 4/21/04]
Richard Owen, Jr. — [MM, accompanying] of
Brewster, New York — will be taking the position of assistant
conductor at the opera house in Düsseldorf and Duisburg, Germany
next season. He will continue serving as music director and conductor
of Camerata New York orchestra, which he conducted in a gala benefit
concert last season in Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall with
the soprano Aprile Millo. Mr. Owen was also a visiting conducting
associate at the San Francisco Opera, where he worked with Maestro
Donald Runnicles on the San Francisco Opera production of Billy
Budd. [updated 04/20/05]
Tatjana Ruhland — [MM, orchestral flute] of Germany
— is principal flutist of the Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra
(SWR), under its chief conductor, Sir Roger Norrington. Ms. Ruhland
has also recently performed concerts and taught master classes in
the USA, Europe, and Japan. www.tatjanaruhland.com
[posted 7/8/04]
Lucy T. Yates — [MM, voice] of New York City — serves as
music director for the New York-based vocal quintet ArtSong Nouveau,
with whom she tours regularly. Last season Ms. Yates made her debut
as Violetta in La traviata in a new production directed by
Franco Zeffirelli and conducted by Plácido Domingo. She also sang
the title role in Bellini’s Beatrice di Tenda for the inaugural
Fletcher Opera Institute at the North Carolina School of the Arts
and performed the role of Monica in The Medium in Spoleto,
Italy, under the direction of Gian Carlo Menotti. This performance
was recorded by EMI for CD and video release. [posted 4/21/04]
1999:
Jacinta Carvalho [dba Jacinta] — [MM, jazz voice] of Portugal
— has released an album entitled A Tribute to Bessie Smith
on the Blue Note label. It became a Gold Record in Portugal last
December, a goal never before reached in Portuguese jazz. [posted
4/21/04]
Joe Deninzon — [MM, jazz violin] of Dumont, New
Jersery — was recently featured in Jazziz Magazine. He has just
released his third CD, Live Wires, with his band, Stratospheerius,
and arranged strings on a CD by Windup recording artists Sevenwiser,
released in June. www.joedeninzon.com
[posted 7/8/04]]
Pawel Knapik — [MM, double bass] of New York City — performs
regularly with several orchestras in the metropolitan area. The
summer of 2003 brought the invitation to the All-Star Orchestra
of the Bellingham Festival of Music, featuring concertmasters and
principals of American and European orchestras, including the New
York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, and Deutsche Oper Berlin.
In addition to performing, Mr. Knapik teaches privately in the New
York area. [posted 4/21/04]
Jane Monheit — [BM, jazz voice] of New York City
— has recently been signed to Sony Classical has released her first
CD for them in September. The CD is produced by Peter Asher and
Al Schmitt with performances by Jane and her band, which includes
pianist Mike Kanan, alumnus/guitarist Miles Okazaki, bassist Orlando
Le Fleming, and alumnus/drummer Rick Montalbano, who is also Jane’s
husband. The CD features such guest musical and arranger talent
as Michael Bublé, Donald Harrison, Geoffrey Keezer, Romero
Lubambo, Mike Manieri, Christian McBride, Lewis Nash, Alan Broadbent,
Jorge Callendrelli, and Vince Mendoza. Jane continues to tour nationally
and internationally and recently performed at the Governor's Ball
at the Oscars. [posted 7/8/04]
F. Anthony Thurman — [DMA, organ] of New
York City — celebrated his tenth anniversary of music ministry
at the Irvington Presbyterian Church, Irvington-on-Hudson, New York,
this June. The church honored Dr. Thurman by commissioning a new
hymn tune by McNeil Robinson — “THURMAN” —
to accompany Henry Francis Lyte’s paraphrase of Psalm 103,
“Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven.” The new hymn
was presented as a surprise and premiered at the church’s
spring choral concert on May 23 with Thurman’s family and
the composer in attendance. In addition to serving as director of
development and communications of the American Guild of Organists
national headquarters since 1998, Dr. Thurman is treasurer of the
New York City AGO Chapter and the immediate past chairman of the
St. Wilfrid Club of the City of New York. He holds memberships in
the Association of Fundraising Professionals and the American Society
of Association Executives. [posted 10/15/04]
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2000s
2000:
Michael Carrera — [PS ’94 / DMA, cello] of Logan,
Utah — has been assistant professor of cello and chamber music
at Ohio University since 2002. He has cofounded the Juniper Winter
Chamber Music Festival with his wife and alumna Marjorie Bagley.
Now in its fourth year, the series presents such artists this season
as Pinchas Zukerman, Joseph Kalichstein, the Fry Street Quartet,
Amanda Forsyth, and Manhattan alumnus Brant Bayless. [posted on
04/20/05]
Mauricio O’Reilly — [MM,
voice] of New York City and Mexico — appeared last November
as Arturo in a production of Lucia di Lammermoor at Mexico
City’s Bellas Artes. Other 2004 appearances were with the
Bregenzer Festpiele and the Stadtorchester Luzern. He was in residence
at the Opernhaus Zurich for the 2003–04 season where he performed
in productions of Zemlinsky’s Der Kreiderkreis, Strauss’s
Der Rosenkavalier, and Verdi’s I vespri siciliani.
[posted on 04/20/05]
Scott Pingel — [MM / PS, orchestral bass]
of San Francisco — has been appointed principal bass of the
San Francisco Symphony. [posted 10/15/04]
Don Peretz — [BM, jazz percussion]
of the Bronx — is currently awaiting the release of his first CD
as a leader for Freshsound Records. He continues to work as a sideman
as well as to lead his own group, Foremen. He also maintains an
active teaching studio in New York. [posted 7/8/04]
Asaf Roth — [BM, percussion] of Long Island
City, New York — recently gave his Tel Aviv solo debut concert
on marimba, the first in a series of solo concerts to be performed
througout Israel this year. Asaf's percussion duo, STIX, was featured
at the Shalvata beach club hosted by one of the leading Israeli
DJs, Shlomi Zidan. In addition, Asaf has just concluded his first
year as a conductor with the Tel Aviv Symphonic Youth Band. [posted
7/8/04]
Noriko Suzuki — [MM, piano] of New York City — was recipient
of the Most Distinguished Musician Award and the Kabalevsky Special
Award at the 2002 IBLA Grand Prize Competition. Last season, her
performances included a recital at St. Paul’s Chapel, performing
works by Mozart, Schumann, and Kabalevsky. [posted 4/21/04]
2001:
Nerva Altino — [MM, piano] of Jamaica, New York —
and Robenson Altino — [MM, piano] of Jamaica,
New York — appeared at Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher
Hall in a concert entitled “No Boundaries." The program
included Beethoven's Choral Fantasy, Ravel's Left Hand Concerto,
and original arrangements by the Altino brothers. Also featured
was a 100 voice chorus founded by the siblings in 2002. [posted
on 04/20/05]
Vivianne Hagner — [PG / PS, violin] of Germany — is a recipient
of the Burletto-Buitoni Award 2004. Her recent performances include
a London debut with the BBC Symphony of Unsuk Chin’s Violin Concerto,
which she premiered two years ago with the Deutsche Symphony under
the baton of conductor Kent Nagano. Ms. Hagner will open the 2004/2005
National Arts Centre season in a performance of the Brahms Double
Concerto in collaboration with cellist Yo-Yo Ma this fall in Canada.
Pinchas Zukerman, the music director of the orchestra, will be on
the podium. [posted 4/21/04]
Drew Hemenger — [MM / DMA, composition] of New
York City — has recently started a concert presenting organization
with two composers from Philadelphia. In its second season, Chamber
Music Now! is fully nonprofit and is dedicated to presenting high-caliber
ensembles in programs balanced with new music, as well as standard
repertoire, in New York and Philadelphia. Drew continues to receive
various commissions and will have a new string quartet premiered
by the Serafin Quartet in Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall in
spring 2005. In addition, he is writing film and television music
for his production company, HF Music, with partner Philip Carroll,
also an alumnus. www.hfmusic.net
[posted 7/8/04]
Suzanne Schwing — [MM, voice] of Schenectady, New York —
gave her Carnegie Hall debut with the New England Symphonic Ensemble
under the baton of John Rutter, singing the mezzo-soprano solos
in Handel’s Messiah. [posted 4/21/04]
2002:
Gino Faraci — [MM, double bass] of New Haven, Connecticut —
has been performing with the Verbier Festival Orchestra under the
direction of James Levine, Christoph von Dohnanyi, and Yuri Temirkanov.
In November he toured with the orchestra in Europe and Asia under
the direction of Charles Dutoit and James Levine. [posted 4/21/04]
Krzystof Kuznik — [PS, violin] of New York City — is a permanent
substitute violinist for the New York Philharmonic. [posted 4/21/04]
Laquita Mitchell — [MM/professional studies,
voice] of Houston — won first prize in the 2003 Wiener Kammeroper
competition and was a winner of the Metropolitan Opera National
Council Auditions, held in March. The New York Times wrote
of her performance in the Met finals: “Ms. Mitchell’s
technique was impressively mature, and her voice was powerful for
her age, but her sense of self-possession also made her stand out
as if she did not need any committee of judges to tell her that
she was a diva.” She appeared as soloist in the opening-night
concert at Tanglewood 2004 in a performance of All Rise
by Wynton Marsalis. The Boston Symphony Orchestra was under the
baton of Kurt Masur. Ms. Mitchell is a member of the Houston Grand
Opera Studio, having recently performed the roles of Valencienne
in The Merry Widow, Javotte in Manon, and Water
in the world premiere of The Little Prince by Rachel Portman.
This season Ms. Mitchell will sing the role of the First Lady in
The Magic Flute and the role of Barena in Christopher Alden’s
production of Jenufa at the Houston Grand Opera. Laquita
appeared at Wolf Trap Opera this last summer as Mrs. Ford in a production
of Verdi’s Falstaff. [posted 10/15/04]
Jennifer O’Loughlin — [MM, voice]
of Sewickley, Pennsylvania — is a second-year ensemble member
of the Vienna Volksoper, where she has performed the title role
in Martha, Valencienne in Die Lustige Witwe, Musetta
in La bohème, Marie in Zar und Zimmermann,
Susanna in Le nozze di Figaro, Clorinda in La Cenerentola,
and Frasquita in Carmen. Upcoming roles at the Volksoper
include Servilia in La clemenza di Tito, Esmeralda in Die
Verkaufte Braut, Pamina in Die Zauberflöte, and
Malinka in the Janácek opera Die Ausfluege des Herrn
Broucek. Last summer she participated in the Ludwigsburger
Schlossfestspiele as Susanna and this summer she will perform with
the Bregenz Festival as the soprano soloist in Nielsen's Symphony
No. 3, "Sinfornia Espansiva." [posted on 04/20/05]
2003:
Jason Arnold — [MM, tuba] of New York City — is the instructor
of brass and percussion at Robert F. Wagner Middle School on the
Upper East Side of Manhattan and will be a director of bands for
the Manhattan School of Music summer camp. He also maintains a private
studio and freelances in the area. [posted 7/8/04]
David A. Dash — [MM, trumpet] of Lincroft,
New Jersey — joined “The President’s Own”
United States Marine Band, America’s oldest professional musical
organization, in August 2004. [posted 10/15/04]
Charles Mays, Jr. — [MM, voice] of Hartford,
Connecticut — was chosen as a semifinalist in the Metropolitan Opera
National Council Auditions held this spring. He has begun a doctoral
program at the University of Hartford in vocal performance and sang
the roles of Leporello and Il Commendatore in their spring mainstage
production of Don Giovanni. This past summer he returned
to the Marlboro Music Festival. [posted 4/21/04]
Amy Shoremount — [BM ’01
/ MM, voice] of New York City — was a 2004 national semifinalist
in the Metropolitan Opera National Council auditions. In 2004 she
also made her European operatic debut in Spoleto, Italy, performing
the role of Ifigenia in Handel’s Oreste. She began
2005 with her Carnegie Hall debut, performing Brahms’s Requiem
with the Juilliard Orchestra, under the baton of James DePreist.
She will be completing her Artist Diploma with the Juilliard Opera
Center this coming May. [posted on 04/20/05]
2004:
Elaine Alvarez — [BM/MM, voice] a Cuban-American
from Miami — appeared at Lincoln Center in May of 2003 as
a winner of the Lotte Lenya Competition for Singers, sponsored by
the Kurt Weill Foundation. Ms. Alvarez was an Eastern Regional Finalist
in the 2004 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, after
competing in the New York City District Event. She was a winner
of the 2004 Marilyn Horne Foundation Competition. This past summer
Ms. Alvarez attended the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara,
California, where she participated in master classes, scenes programs,
was featured in recital with pianist Warren Jones, and was seen
in the role of Elena in Nino Rota’s Il cappello di paglia
di Firenze. Ms. Alvarez is currently a resident artist at the
Academy of Vocal Arts in the studio of Ruth Golden. Upcoming performances
include Fiordiligi in Mozart’s Così fan tutte
and Mimì in Puccini’s La bohème. [posted
10/15/04]
Gregory Beyer — [MM ’98 / DMA, percussion]
of the Bronx — is a visiting assistant professor of percussion
at Northern Illinois University for the 2004–05 year. In addition
to his teaching, Beyer remains an active new music soloist, performing
throughout the United States. [posted on 04/20/05]
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In Memoriam —
Alumni and Former Faculty
Manny Albam — a member of the jazz faculty from
1991–2000 — died in his sleep on October 2, 2001. Richard
E. Adams, Vice President/Dean of Faculty and Performance, responds:
“One of the major jazz composers and arrangers of our time, Manny
brought inspiration not only to his art, but to all of those fortunate
enough to know him. This is a great loss to our school and to the
world of music as well.”
Julius Baker — a member of the woodwind faculty from 1982–87
— passed away in August 2003. Mr. Baker was considered one of
the world’s great flutists, having been a member of the Cleveland,
Chicago, Pittsburgh, and CBS orchestras, as well as serving as principal
flutist of the New York Philharmonic. He was also a member of the
faculties at Curtis Institute, New England Conservatory, and The
Juilliard School.
Phyllis Beeson Susen Barbash — [BM ’64, harp] — died July
7, 2002, at her home in Ithaca, New York. She served as a member
of the Manhattan School of Music Alumni Council from 1996-2001.
After studies with Marcel Grandjany, she was a harpist with the
Pittsburgh Symphony. Her career as an arts administrator eventually
led a position as director of education at Carnegie Hall, having
previously served as executive director of the Three Rivers Young
People's Orchestras and director of education of the Philadelphia
Orchestra. The following remarks are from a letter from Jay Golan,
senior director of Carnegie Hall: “Phyllis's contribution to Carnegie
Hall during her seven year tenure as director of education from
1994 to 2001 was immense. The Board resolution passed on May 30,
2001, to mark the Hall's acceptance of her departure, noted ‘Phyllis
has led the educational work of Carnegie Hall to a level of activity
and excellence unparalleled in its nonprofit history.’ She initiated
many programs such as reaching out to Head Start and pre kindergarten
students and professional development of teachers. Furthermore she
spearheaded the drive to use videoconferencing, Web based materials
and other initiatives to turn Carnegie Hall into a national forum
for arts in education as expressed in music. She leaves thousands
more who knew her as a sparkling friend, a person whose passion
for and faith in arts education were inseparable from her personality.”
Walter Blazer — a faculty member from 1972–1982
— passed away on March 10, 2005, at age 87. Growing up in New York
City, Blazer studied at Juilliard and in the American Theater Wing
Professional Training Program. His voice teachers included Taussig,
Herz, Bertelli, Beltrami, and Favaretto. He was a veteran of World
War II, returning to the U.S. with his Italian bride in 1951 to
reestablish a music career. He appeared as soloist in opera and
oratorio under such conductors as Bamberger, Giulini, and Koussevitsky,
and with such ensembles as the Santa Cecilia Orchestra and RAI.
He was music director of WDHA-FM in Dover, New Jersey. His New
York Times obituary read, in part, “ Walter was a most
generous and insightful man, with humor always ready. . . . He leaves
us with a legacy to be reckoned with. He was a powerful presence
and will be deeply missed.” In addition to his wife and son,
he is survived by his daughter, alumna Judith Blazer
[BM ’77], a well-established actress/singer on stage and in
television.
John Browning — a member of the faculty in the early 1980s
— died in Minnesota in January of 2003 following surgery to
correct a chronic heart condition. Richard E. Adams, Vice President/Dean
of Faculty and Performance, writes: “Personally, I'll always recall
his memorable performances of the Barber Sonata, Barber Concerto
and, in particular, a monumental performance of the Ravel Concerto
for Left Hand with Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic.
The latter is blasted forever into my musical memory.”
Jaki Byard — a member of the jazz faculty since 1989 — was
killed on February 11, 2002 in his house in Queens. He was 76. Mr.
Byard was pianist, saxophonist, and teacher who recorded with some
of jazz’s most important figures, including Charles Mingus and Eric
Dolphy, and whose playing spanned the history of the genre. His
improvisations, filled with quick stylistic changes, moved from
boogie-woogie to free jazz. He was a stylistic virtuoso, and his
improvisations had been described as encyclopedic and profound.
He was inducted into the New England Jazz Hall of Fame. He is survived
by two daughters, Denise and Diane, and a son, Gerald, in addition
to four grandsons and six great-grandsons.
Hugh Gerald Clasby — [BM ’64, trombone/MM
’68, trombone] — passed away on April 4, 2004, after a long
illness.
John Crosby — president of Manhattan School of Music from
1976–86 — passed away December 16, 2002 in Santa Fe, New Mexico
due to complications from a burst appendix. He was 76. Mr. Crosby
founded the Santa Fe Opera in 1957 and was general director for
44 seasons. Allan Kozinn of the New York Times, wrote: “Mr.
Crosby, whose career also included a decade as president of the
Manhattan School of Music, starting in 1976, was revered in opera
for his vision and adventurous spirit. At a time when there were
few summer music festivals in the United States, he started a summer
opera series that, although far from the urban centers where classical
music flourished, quickly drew audiences from around the world.
Making a virtue of necessity, he filled his casts with young, promising
singers, many of whom went on to successful careers. He also started
the now common practice of hiring fledgling singers as apprentices,
to cover the lead roles, sing secondary ones and perform in the
company's chorus.” In addition to his work at Santa Fe and at Manhattan
School, he was president of Opera America from 1976 to 1980. He
was awarded the National Medal of the Arts in 1991. Richard E. Adams,
Vice President/Dean of Faculty and Performance, responds: “The passing
of John Crosby marks the end of an era.”
Leander Dell'Anno — [DP, piano] a member of the faculty from
1940–1975 — died in Florida the first week of January 2002.
Leander Dell'Anno joined the faculty in 1940, where he taught piano
and theory. In 1960 he became coordinator of the piano minor department
and also acted as student advisor in the 1970s. He also served on
the faculties of Finch College and The Juilliard School, as well
as serving as music department chair of the Kent School. Mr. Dell’Anno
held a diploma from Manhattan School of Music, a BA from Brooklyn
College, and an MA from New York University. He studied piano with
Harold Bauer, Rudolph Gruen, and Frances Hall.
Leopoldo Escalante — [BM ’84, piano] — passed
away on March 23, 2001, we have recently learned. He was 46 and
living in Palm Springs, California. Clas Ekwall, a friend, writes
to us: “he had switched from piano to another art form, oil
painting, where he had great promise . . . .”
Estella Menes Feldman [graduate studies ’48,
piano] passed away on November 19, 2005. She was in her 101st year
and living in New York City. Ms. Feldman made her Boston debut at
age 16, playing the organ to accompany silent films at the Metropolitan
Theater. Having graduated from the New England Conservatory in 1931,
she came to New York to study with Harold Bauer, who urged her to
pursue a concert career. For several years she was an active member
of the LADO organization, helping many young Manhattan School of
Music students continue their studies. She served as treasurer for
the School's Alumni Association.
Randall Gregoire-Bess — [undergraduate voice ’91] — passed
away September 21, 2003. No further information available at this
time.
Yoshiko (Yoshi) Ito — [BM ’65, voice] — died on December
8, 2002. As a soprano, she sang on the operatic stages of
Germany and Japan. In her later years, she was a faculty member
of the Toho Gaken Music School in Tokyo.
Mandie Johnson Molina — [undergraduate voice ’01]
— passed away on September 16, 2002, in her hometown of Greer, South
Carolina, from complications due to cancer.
Michael S. Kavalhuna — [professional studies voice ’97] —
was killed in a fire at his New York apartment on February 13, 2003.
He had recently won the district finals in the Metropolitan Opera
National Council Auditions. He was a 1996 Filene Young Artist at
Wolf Trap Opera. He was 33.
Constance Keene — a member of the piano and board
of trustees — passed away on December 24, 2005. Allan Kozinn wrote
the following which appeared in the New York Times on December
28, 2005: "Constance Keene, a pianist and teacher whose recordings
of the Romantic keyboard repertory were highly regarded, died on
Dec. 24 at Lenox Hill Hospital. She was 84, and lived in Manhattan.
Her death was announced by Debra Kinzler, the spokeswoman for the
Manhattan School of Music, where Ms. Keene has taught since 1969.
She also joined the school's board of trustees in 1997. Ms. Keene
maintained a fairly low-key performing career in recent years, but
her influence as a teacher and occasional writer on keyboard topics
for Clavier magazine was considerable. She was a juror at several
major competitions, and in addition to her work at the Manhattan
School, she gave master classes in Europe, Asia and South Africa.
Early in Ms. Keene's career, her playing was praised by Artur Rubinstein,
who said that her recording of the Rachmaninoff Preludes left him
'completely flabbergasted by the fantastic sweep, color, tone and
last but not least, by the incredible technique.' When Rubinstein
decided that his children were old enough to take piano lessons,
he hired Ms. Keene as their teacher. Ms. Keene was born in Brooklyn
on Feb. 9, 1921, and began to play the piano when she was 4. She
completed high school when she was 15 and never attended college
or a conservatory. But in 1934, when she was 13, she became a student
of Abram Chasins, the pianist, composer, writer and broadcaster.
She and Chasins married in 1949, and performed and recorded together
as a duo-piano team. Chasins died in 1987. Ms. Keene later married
Milton Kean, who survives her. In addition to her duet performances
with Chasins, Ms. Keene pursued a solo career that was given a boost
by her victory at the Naumburg Competition in 1943. She then spent
the remaining years of World War II touring Army installations for
the U.S.O. At one camp, in Mississippi, she played eight concerts
in three days for 65,000 soldiers. She undertook her first professional
tour in 1945, and made headlines in 1946 when she substituted for
Vladimir Horowitz at a recital for an audience of 4,000. In the
several years that followed, she performed with the New York Philharmonic
and the Philadelphia Orchestra, and toured with Benny Goodman, as
the soloist in Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue. Her recordings
included works of Bach, Handel, Griffes, MacDowell, Schumann, Beethoven,
Rachmaninoff and Chasins, as well as widely praised recent discs
devoted to the complete sontatas of Hummel and Weber. "
John D. LaPorta — [BM ’56, clarinet/MM ’57,
music education] — died in Sarasota, Florida, on Wednesday, May
12, 2004. Born in Philadelphia on April 13, 1920, he was 84. Before
beginning a long teaching and composing career, Mr. LaPorta played
and recorded with many prominent jazz musicians, including Kenny
Clarke, Charlie Parker, Lester Young, Dizzy Gillespie, Buddy Rich,
and Miles Davis. From 1944 to 1946 he was a performer and composer
for the Woody Herman Orchestra. He also performed with Leonard Bernstein,
Igor Stravinsky, Leopold Stokowski, and the Boston Pops. Mr. LaPorta
composed jazz and classical works in many genres, including film
soundtracks, and published some 200 compositions. After earning
two degrees from Manhattan School of Music, he taught at the Berklee
College of Music in Boston for more than 35 years and was a founding
member of the National Association of Jazz Educators, now the International
Association of Jazz Educators. In 2001 he published an autobiography,
Playing It by Ear (North Country Distributors). His survivors
include his wife, Virginia; daughter Donna Marks of Newburyport,
Massachusetts; daughter Karen Burnham of Evans, Georgia; daughter
Jeanette McCarthy of Winchester, Massachusetts; son, John Jr., of
Beverly, Massachusetts; brother, Salvatore; sister, Rose Vissichelli;
and five grandchildren. [posted 7/8/04]
Lucile Lawrence — [harp faculty since 1967] —
passed away July 9, 2004. She was 97. Born into a prominent New
Orleans family, Miss Lawrence was encouraged to travel to the summer
music home of the legendary harpist Carlos Salzedo. At age 11, she
became the maestro’s major student and exponent of the Salzedo
method of harp playing. She graduated from high school at 15 and
moved to New York City to continue her studies with Mo. Salzedo.
By the age of 20 (1927) she had been appointed associate harp instructor
at the Curtis Institute, where a lifelong love of, and commitment
to, teaching began. Miss Lawrence’s performing career included
appearances with most of the major conductors of the 20th century,
including Sir Thomas Beecham, Leopold Stokowski, Arturo Toscanini,
and Leonard Bernstein. Richard E. Adams, vice president/dean of
faculty and performance, writes: “Lucile once told me that
one of her greatest honors and memories was that of being coached
by Maurice Ravel in Paris. Personally, I feel so privileged to have
known and worked with Miss Lawrence. She honored me any number of
times with her laserlike candor and commitment to the very highest
musical standard possible. She was a fighter for her causes, and
she was a formidable fighter at that. . . . Miss Lawrence was a
very special part of America’s musical history of the 20th
century.”
John Lewis — [BM ’52, theory / MM ’53, theory] a member of
the theory faculty from 1958–62 and board of trustees from 1965-84
— passed away on March 29, 2001, at the age of 80. A founding member
of the Modern Jazz Quartet, the pianist and arranger was given an
almost full-page tribute in the New York Times, a testament
to his importance in the music world. Newsweek wrote that
same month that he “helped make jazz a capital-A Art.” Serving as
a member of the board of trustees at Manhattan School of Music,
he facilitated a benefit concert for his alma mater by the Modern
Jazz Quartet in 1966. He was awarded the doctor of musical arts
degree honoris causa from Manhattan School of Music in 1996.
Paul Litrenta — [BM ’63, trumpet / MM ’64, music education]
— passed away on March 11, 2004. He was 62 years old. He
was vice president of Creative Music Productions Inc., a company
he cofounded in 1977. Mr. Litrenta was a lead trumpet performer
with many big bands and Latin bands in both New York and Los Angeles,
appearing with Tito Puente, Buddy Rich, and Maynard Ferguson, among
others. Some of Mr. Litrenta’s first professional work was with
Tito Puente's Band in New York City, performing on the band’s first
tour of South America. He can be heard on many early recordings
of the Puente ensemble and is thought by some to have helped create
the band’s signature sound. Litrenta was also the first original
trumpet player in the Blood, Sweat and Tears band. Prior to attending
Manhattan School of Music, he graduated from Monroe High School
in the Bronx. He lived in Florida for the last nine years of his
life with his friend Susan. Greg Waters, a close friend and business
associate, writes: “Paul was a person of character and culture.
It is too bad that we have so few people with this level of character
in our world.”
Jennifer E. Marquette — [MM ’95, voice] — passed away on
December 27, 2000, at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in
New York City from complications related to her treatment for Hodgkin’s
disease. She was 29 years old. A native of Pennsylvania, Ms. Marquette
attended several summers of the Interlochen Arts Academy and earned
a bachelor’s degree from Hartt School of Music. After graduation
from Manhattan School of Music, she was accepted as a Young Art
of the Juilliard Opera Center, appearing in their production of
Hansel and Gretel, broadcast on the PBS series, Live
From Lincoln Center.
Dr. George William Martin Jr. — [BM ’91, organ] —
died at Virginia Baptist Hospital on February 23, 2001. In addition
to his studies at Manhattan School of Music, Dr. Martin earned degrees
at William and Mary, Laval University in Quebec, and Tulane. He
retired in 1991 from Pace University in New York City, where he
taught Frech and Italian. Born in Lynchburg, Virginia, on November
5, 1931, he was the son of the late George W. and Phyllis B. Martin,
and is survived by many cousins.
Stephen Maxym — a member of the faculty from 1958–89 — died
in October of 2002. As a bassoonist, Mr. Maxym joined the Pittsburgh
Symphony in 1937 and was there for two seasons. In 1939, he was
appointed principal bassoonist of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra,
a post he held for thirty-seven years. Mr. Maxym served as chair
of the woodwind department at Manhattan School of Music in 1967.
Richard E. Adams, Vice President/Dean of Faculty and Performance,
writes: “Steve was more than an incredible artist and teacher: he
was an unparalleled colleague, friend to many, world traveler, and
a Faculty Council activist and leader. Those of us who called him
a friend were fortunate indeed, and those who did not [know him
personally] benefit from the genuine legacy he left in these halls.”
Sue Okada — [BM ’58, piano] — lost her long battle with lymphoma
on January 12, 2003 at the age of 73. Ms. Okada was memorialized
and buried at Moiliili Cemetery in Hawaii. Sue is survived by her
sister, Jean Yamaguchi, and her brothers, Dennis Okada and Albert
Okada.
Beverly Peck Johnson — a member of the voice faculty between
1983 and 2000 — died on January 20, 2001, in Manhattan at the age
of 96. Richard E. Adams, Vice President/Dean of Faculty and Performance,
remarks: “Ms. Johnson was one of the most active and important New
York City voice teachers of the past two generations.” In addition
to her pupils at Manhattan School of Music and The Juilliard School,
she had privately coached such singers as Renata Tebaldi, Anna Moffo,
Evelyn Lear, and Giorgio Tozzi. An accomplished pianist, Ms. Peck
Johnson also worked and taught as an accompanist. Ms. Peck Johnson
also had a background in drama and often coached actors such as
Madeline Kahn and Kevin Klein in vocal production. She was born
in Portland, Oregon, to Hartwig O. and Cecelia W. Peck in 1904 and
has no immediate survivors.
William R. Pell — [undergraduate studies ’75,
voice] — died on July 26, 2003. He was 55. Mr. Pell’s international
operatic career brought him to houses in North America and Europe,
including Bayreuth. He can be heard on numerous recordings including
a Deutsche Grammophon release of Tannhäuser with Plácido
Domingo and Cheryl Studer and as the tenor soloist in the premiere
recording of Wolfgand von Schweintz’s Mass. He is
survived by his son, Christopher; ex-wife, Andrea; mother, Helen
Pell; and sister, Glenda. A memorial service was held in August
2003 at Christ and St. Stephen’s Church in New York City.
Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson — [BM ’53, piano/MM
’54, piano] — died on March 9, 2004, in Chicago. He had been
the artistic director of the performance program at the Center for
Black Music Research of Columbia College since 1998, in addition
to a continually active international career as a composer and conductor.
His talent and ability to function in a wide range of musical contexts
— concert music, jazz, television, film, theater, and dance
— prompted the Chicago Tribune to quote Robert A.
Harris, professor of conducting and director of choral organizations
at Northwestern University as follows: "Leonard Bernstein is
the only other giant I know of who could do everything that 'Perk'
could do." After his graduation from Manhattan School of Music,
he studied conducting at the Berkshire Music Center, the Mozarteum,
and the Netherlands Radio Hilversum as well as with Vittorio Giannini,
Charles Mills, Earl Kim, Franco Ferrara, and Dean Dixon. He was
the cofounder and a musical director of the Symphony of the New
World, the first African-American-led integrated symphony orchestra
since the Harlem Renaissance. One of his best-known works, Attitudes,
a cantata, was commissoned by the Ford Foundation for tenor George
Shirley. More recently, he was the first composer in residence for
the critically acclaimed Ritz Chamber Players. His professional
associations include Dance Theatre of Harlem, the Alvin Ailey American
Dance Theater, the Negro Ensemble Company, the Denver Center for
the Performing Arts, the Goodman Theater, the American Theater Lab,
the Dallas Symphony, and the Max Roach Quartet. His commissioned
work, Generations, was premiered by the Manchester Chamber
Orchestra conducted by Michael Rudiakov, also an alumnus. The Coleridge-Taylor
Perkinson Music Foundation, Inc., has been established to preserve
and present his music and to assist talented composers and musicians.
A memorial service was held in June at St. Peter's Church in New
York City.
Ted Puffer — a member of the voice faculty since 1994 — died
on October 22, 2003 in Reno, Nevada, following a long illness. His
unique and remarkable career included appearances as tenor soloist
with the Robert Shaw Chorale on national and European tours, as
well as leading tenor roles with the Goldovsky Opera Theatre and
the Opera Company of Boston. As a pianist, Mr. Puffer performed
with orchestras and in recitals, and served as a rehearsal pianist
for Fritz Reiner. He was also a well-known translator of opera libretti.
In 1968, he and his wife cofounded the Nevada Opera where Ted served
as both general manager and artistic director. Although a small
company, it drew national attention for its innovative productions
and repertoire, which included the U.S. premieres of Busoni's Doktor
Faust and Tchaikovsky’s The Maid of Orleans. For a number
of years, Mr. Puffer served as the chair of the voice department
at the University of Nevada. Mr. Puffer held both bachelor of music
and master of music degrees from Eastman School of Music. Richard
E. Adams, Vice President/Dean of Faculty and Performance, writes:
“Ted possessed the unique talent of having insight into the unusual
voice which could be developed into a major instrument. He was a
complex, varied, outspoken, wise and kind man.”
Douglas Ward Rask — [BM / MM ’87, voice] — died suddenly
on January 9, 2001, at the age of 38 from natural causes. Originally
from Minnesota, Mr. Rask was a longtime resident of Los Angeles,
where he was an independent producer of children’s television. Among
his many credits were the hit television series J.J. the Jet
Plane and One Saturday Morning.
John B. Richardson [BM / MM ‘56, violin,
music education] died June 24, 2004 in Baltimore at age 98. A child
prodigy, he was awarded a scholarship to study at the Curtis Institute,
and, at age 22, joined the Philadelphia Orchestra under Stokowski.
In 1935, he became the concert master of Fred Waring’s Pennsylvanians.
After attending Manhattan School of Music, Richardson composed several
musical and theatrical works and was a member of the Dallas and
Baltimore symphony orchestras. He taught in New York, Texas, and
at the Peabody Institute.
Michael Rudiakov — [BM ’61, cello] — died November 17, 2001.
Mr. Rudiakov was born in Paris and grew up in Tel Aviv. After graduation
from Manhattan School of Music, he became principal cellist of the
Indianapolis Symphony. He later returned to Israel and became principal
cellist of the Jerusalem Symphony. In 1966 he joined the faculty
of Sarah Lawrence College, where he directed a chamber music series.
In 1983 he also joined the faculty at Manchester Music Festival
and in 1985 became its director. From 1968-75 Mr. Rudiakov was the
cellist of the Composers’ String Quartet, an early member of the
Aeolian Chamber Players, and a soloist with the Pro Arte Chamber
Orchestra. In the 1980s he formed the Rudiakov Duo with his cousin,
pianist Shoshana Rudiakov. He later moved to Vermont but continued
to play with the Brooklyn Philharmonic. Mr. Rudiakov is survived
by his wife, Judith, daughter, Liselotte, son, Ariel, brother, Yair,
and stepmother, Grete.
Henry Schuman — a member of the faculty since 1970 — died
on May 8, 2001. Long time principal oboist of the Brooklyn Philharmonic,
Mr. Schuman joined our woodwind faculty and taught woodwind repertoire
classes and private lessons, as well as coaching chamber music and
being active with the Faculty Council at various times. “We will
miss his intelligence, wit and insight in the world around us,”
states Richard E. Adams, Vice President/Dean of Faculty and Performance.
Marjorie Kemble Shapiro — [MM ’82, musicology] — died on November
8, 2002, after struggling with brain cancer. She was finishing work
on a doctorate at the City University of New York Graduate Center,
where her research and dissertation was on the singer Mary Garden.
She was married to the late Jerome Shapiro, and leaves two sons,
a daughter, and several grandchildren.
Louis F. Simon — [BM ’49 / MM ’50,
violin] — died September 3, 2003 in Riverdale, the Bronx.
The violinist, conductor, composer, and educator passed away at
age 75 from myelofibrosis, a blood disease, reported his wife, Dorothy
Simon, an art historian. Born Lajos Ferenc Simon in Budapest, he
won a scholarship at the age of eight to the Franz Liszt Academy,
where he studied under the supervision of Jeno Hubai and Zoltán
Kodály. Having emigrated to the U.S. with his parents in
1938, Mr. Simon continued his education at the Manhattan School
of Music preparatory division, later earning bachelor’s and
master’s degrees. His mentor for violin interpretation was
Hugo Kortschak, and he studied conducting with Jonel Perlea. In
1958 he made his Carnegie Hall debut, which Olin Downes reviewed
in the New York Times, calling him “a real musician
with a flair for his instrument.” A subsequent Times
review stated that he “exhibited his virtues of rich, warm,
fine-grained tone and the ability to turn an expressive phrase.”
Later he obtained a Ph.D. from the City University while teaching
there for twenty-two years as a full professor at Bronx Community
College and Lehman College. An active freelance musician, Mr. Simon
participated in almost all musical endeavors in New York City, such
as the Symphony of the Air, the New York City Ballet Orchestra,
the New York City Opera Orchestra, the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra,
the Little Orchestra Society, and the pit ensembles of many Broadway
shows. For twenty years he was a permanent member of the New York
Pops under the direction of Skitch Henderson. He founded the Bronx
Community and College Orchestra in 1964 and was conductor of the
Hudson Valley Symphony Orchestra and the Fine Arts Symphony Orchestra
in Westchester and Rockland counties. He participated in tours sponsored
by the U.S. State Department, performing in a string quartet for
the José Limón Dance Company, which performed in Europe
and Asia (where he received a knighthood in Cambodia). He was a
champion of young people’s concerts; Folkways Records released
two of his works geared toward the young, The Four Musicians
(of Bremen) and The Golden Treasure. In addition to
his music career he was the founder of Simon World Arts, acquiring
and selling Asian, African, and Native American art for which he
traveled the United States and the world. Survivors include his
wife, Dorothy Burry Simon, retired assistant curator, Slide Collection,
Institute of Fine Arts, New York University; three daughters, Michelle
Simon Kissel, Nadina S. Simon, Louise Simon: and five grandchildren:
Amanda Kissel, Margaret Kissel, Robert Simon Kissel, Simon Carmody,
and Lucas Carmody. Mr. Simon is quoted as saying, “the one
thing that grows more beautiful throughout life is music. We must
love it, and respect it, and make it live.”
Mitchell Stern — a member of the faculty from 1987–2001 —
died April 9, 2001. A member of the American String Quartet
and frequent coach of chamber music, he was one of New York’s busiest
performers, appearing with virtually every musical organization
in the city. His solo engagements included the Atlanta, Baltimore,
Cleveland, and Philadelphia symphony orchestras. He was heard in
chamber music programs at such festivals as Aspen, Mostly Mozart,
and Marlboro, as well as on recordings on the CRI, Musical Heritage,
and Nonesuch labels. He had previously served on the faculty of
Peabody Conservatory.
Louis Y. Topper — [BM/MM ’55, clarinet/music education] —
passed away on October 10, 2002. Mr. Topper played the saxophone
in Broadway show bands and was a member of the Goldman Concert Band.
He served as a president of the alumni association and was a member
of the board of trustees at Manhattan School of Music from 1979-81.
Mr. Topper is survived by his wife, Selma.
Theodor Uppman — a member of the voice faculty
since 1988 — passed away on March 17, 2005 at his apartment
in New York after a long illness. He was 85. He was perhaps best
known by the public for creating the title role in Benjamin Britten's
opera Billy Budd for its Covent Garden premiere in 1951.
After being hand-picked by the composer ("Apparently he felt
that I was Billy Budd," Uppman recalled), he repeated
the role for a broadcast on NBC television in the U.S. Anthony Tommasini
wrote in the New York Times: “With his high, lyric
yet robust voice, youthful vigor, boyish looks and musical sensitivity,
he excelled at the Met in lighter roles.” His Metropolitan
Opera debut was the role of Pelléas in 1953, followed by
appearances of Mozart’s Papageno, Offenbach’s Piquillo
in La Périchole, and Strauss's Harlequin in Ariadne
auf Naxos — with a total of nearly 400 performances with
the company. Mr. Uppman also appeared in the world premiere productions
of Carlisle Floyd's Passion of Jonathan Wade, Thomas Pasatieri's
Black Widow, Leonard Bernstein’s A Quiet Place,
and others. Mr. Uppman met his wife, Jean Seward, when they were
in high school, singing together in choir and later enrolling together
at Curtis. They married in 1943. In addition to his wife, he is
survived by his daughter, Margot Vincent, his son, Michael, and
three grandchildren. Richard E. Adams, vice president / dean of
faculty and performance, writes: “To know Ted was to experience
the manifestation of grace, charm, and the true spirit of the good.
He and his wife were visible at many, many events at School and
the concerts somehow seemed better for their presence.”
William A. Vacchiano — member of the trumpet
faculty from 1937 until 1999 — passed away on Monday, September
19, 2005 at the age of 93. Mr. Vacchiano joined the New York Philharmonic
in 1935, became principal in 1942, and retired in 1973, never having
missed a performance in 38 years. During his tenure with the Philharmonic,
Vacchiano performed under the direction of such musical masters
as Leonard Bernstein, Pierre Boulez, Dimitri Mitropoulos, Leopold
Stokowski, Arturo Toscanini, and Bruno Walter. In addition to his
illustrious career as an orchestral trumpet player, Vacchiano also
made an indelible impression on the world of music pedagogy. His
teaching career was centered primarily in three schools in New York
City: Juilliard (1935–2002), Manhattan (1937–1999),
and Mannes (1937–1983). Vacchiano also taught privately up
until the year of his death, with his total number of students reaching
well beyond 2,000. Frank Hosticka (Class of 1972) said, “The
biggest hallmark of what he did was not teaching you how to play
the trumpet, but teaching you how to play music.” Mr. Vacchiano
was man of consummate character and musicianship. Joseph Wilder
(Class of 1953) commented, “Mr. Vacchiano brought to the music
business a certain kind of dignity. He carried himself in a certain
way; there was a real class about him which rubbed off on all of
us. You not only wanted to play as well as he did, but you wanted
to be like him as a person.” Capt. Kenneth Force (Class of
1965) states: “Mr. Vacchiano was patient but firm. He had
a knowing twinkle in his eye as he carefully listened to every note.
In fact, he was such a class act that you |
