Alumni Milestones
Submitted since July 2007
2000s
MATTHEW BROWN, MM ’04, COMPOSITION
Matthew Brown was a winner of the 2007 Vocal Essence Welcome Christmas! Carol Contest. His new carols was premiered in Minneapolis in December and recorded by Minnesota Public Radio for future regional and national broadcast.
JASON LEE BRUNS, MM ’05, JAZZ STUDIES
Jason Lee Bruns was recently published by the Percussive Arts Society (PAS) and is in his third year as Director of World Music at the Campbell Hall School in North Hollywood.
TYLER HOKANSON, MM ’06, STRINGS
Tyler Hokanson recently won a Section Viola position with the
Alabama Symphony.
WOJCIECH KOCYAN, DMA ’00, KEYBOARD STUDIES
A recording by pianist Wojciech Kocyan, a former student of John Perry, was recently chosen by Gramophone magazine as one of 50 greatest classical music recordings ever made.
ANGELA MEADE, MM ’04, VOCAL ARTS
Angela recently sang the role of Elvira in Verdi’s Ernani at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. Her performance was broadcast over Satellite radio available through metopera.org.
GREGORY MILLIREN, MM ’07, WINDS & PERCUSSION
Flutist Gregory Milliren won a $2500 second prize in the National Flute Association Young Artist Competition. The National Flute Association's Young Artist Competition, which is open to flutists worldwide who are age 30 or younger, was held at the NFA convention in Albuquerque. The new work commissioned for this year's competition was by Japanese composer Toshio Hosokawa.
ERICA MILLER, MM ’04, DMA ’07, VOCAL ARTS
Soprano Erica Miller recently accepted a position with the Deutsche Oper Berlin, one of Germany’s top opera houses, from the end of August through next June. She will be singing the roles of Queen of the Night and Papagena in Die Zauberflöte, the Cricket and the Jay Bird in The Cunning Little Vixen, the First Elf in Die Ägyptische Helena, Frasquita in Carmen, and Cugina in Madama Butterfly. She will also perform in two children's operas as Queen of the Night in Das Zauberflötchen, and as the White Rabbit in Alice im Wunderland. In addition to singing multiple performances of all of these roles, she will also be understudying Clorinda in La Cenerentola and Najada in Ariadne auf Naxos.
DANILLE NESMITH, BM ’05, STRINGS
Violinist Danielle Nesmith is the First Place Senior Division Winner of the 2008 Sphinx Competition. A major competition for young Latino and African-American soloists, Sphinx took place in Ann Arbor and Detroit, Michigan from January 23-27. As the completion winner, Ms. Nesmith received a $10,000 cash award, a one-album recording contract with the NAXOS label, free tuition to the Aspen Music Festival this summer, and several solo performance opportunities with major orchestras. Next October, she will solo at Carnegie Hall in New York City.
SHANNON ORME, MM ’04, WINDS & PERCUSSION
Clarinet grad Shannon Orme was recently appointed bass clarinetist with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra.
ELIZABETH ROBERTS, MM ’01, WINDS & PERCUSSION
Elizabeth was recently selected through a national search for the positions of Lecturer in Bassoon at the University of Virginia and Principal Bassoon of the Charlottesville Symphony, both of which she held for seven years in a temporary contract. She was also recently won the position of Principal Bassoon with the Roanoke Symphony.
JENNIFER (HIRANANDANI) STULER, BS ’06, MUSIC INDUSTRY
Jennifer recently recorded a brand new song with Richard Harris called “Like Today Is Our Last”.
RAYA YARBROUGH, BM ’02, JAZZ STUDIES
Singer Raya Yarbrough recently released her self-titled debut album on Telarc Records. It was produced by Steve Bartek and released in February 2008.
1990s
JOE ANDOLINO, BM ’95, COMPOSITION (FILM SCORING)
Film Scoring grad Joe Andolino is the music director at New Milford High School, where music students were the subject of a planned prank featured on the CW network's reality televison show "Schooled". Andolino was featured in the show.
SARKIS BALTAIAN, BM ’99, MM ’01, DMA ’07, KEYBOARD STUDIES
Pianist Sarkis Baltaian has recently accepted a full-time position at the University of Alabama in Huntsville as an Assistant Professor of Music, teaching piano.
KYLE BARISICH, BM ’99, VOCAL ARTS
Kyle Barisich recently made his Broadway debut in the cast of The Phantom of the Opera after touring with the national company for a year and a half.
ANTOINE DIEL, BM ’96, MM ’99, VOCAL ARTS
Through February 24th, 2008 singing actor Antoine Diel will be performing in the show
Schoolhouse Rock Live! at the Greenway Court Theatre in Los Angeles. A fun, nostalgic show for those who grew up with the cartoons, Schoolhouse Rock Live! has received great reviews and has been a consistent sellout.
TIMOTHY EMMONS, MM ’96, JAZZ STUDIES
Timothy is currently leading the Jazz ensemble at Occidental College in Los Angeles. He is also a member of "Jim Walker and Freeflight" with USC faculty member Jim Walker. His new book Odd Meter Bass is scheduled for a summer 2008 release by Alfred Publishing. In addition, Tim recently played bass on the score of Speedracer and the new Star Trek trailer.
TEVEYA DOVBISH, BM ’98, MUSIC INDUSTRY
Teveya Dovbish recieved her MBA from the USC Marshall School of Business this past May and has accepted a position at Alfred Music Publishing as a Business Affairs Specialist.
CHRISTINA (“SUNSHINE” SCHNAUBER) LINHARDT, BM ’97, VOCAL ARTS
Singer Christina Linhardt recently released her second solo CD Voodoo Princess, co-produced with alumnus Dr. Bruce Eskovitz (MM `93, DMA `06) and featuring guitarist Dino Meneghen (BM `00), as well as Thornton faculty percussionist Angel Luis Figueroa. Inspired by Disney's Little Mermaid, the album features woodwind soloists from the Hollywood soundtrack, Dave Shostac, flute and Tom Boyd, oboe. Linhardt's holiday tune "Bring A Torch" from Voodoo Princess is already receiving considerable commercial airplay nationwide in the adult contemporary market.
Ms. Linhardt was recently flown by secret military plane to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba to perform operatic arias with the first Circus to enter the area. She also starred on the mainstage of the World Famous Hollywood Magic Castle, singing an operetta aria "On My Lips Every Kiss is Like Wine.” With her solo act "Classics to Cabaret," Ms. Linhardt was contracted to open both the Palace Ligner and the Grand Parksale concert hall in Dresden, Germany.
VENANCIO RIUS, GRCT ’97, WINDS AND PERCUSSION
Venancio Rius was recently a guest conductor for the Royal Oman Symphony Orchestra. After an intense series of rehearsals, the orchestra performed a special concert of music from Spain.
Last year, Rius was selected as one of nine world masters to give classes and recitals for the 2007 China International Clarinet festival. As a result of his work at the festival, Rius was named Most Distinguished Professor and Performer of the festival.
KATHLEEN ROLAND-SILVERSTEIN, DMA ’97, VOCAL ARTS
Dr. Roland-Silverstein spent the spring of 2007 in Stockholm, Sweden as a Fulbright Senior fellow. The Fullbright award supported her research in the field of Swedish art song, and in the creation of a Swedish art song anthology. During her time in Sweden, Dr. Roland performed in concerts featuring American art song and taught a series of master classes as part of her fellowship.
1980s
MARK BARNARD, BA ’82, HUMANITIES (MUSIC)
Mark has recently published two new pieces for educational orchestra through Tempo Press/Luck’s Music Library titled American Hoedown (grade 2) and Fantasia on the Water Is Wide (grade 3). The Fantasia was featured and performed in December at the 2007 Midwest Clinic International Band and Orchestra Conference. He currently serves the Centerville City Schools in Ohio and directs the Centerville Youth Orchestra.
PATRICIA DIAZ, BA ’86, MUSIC
In October of 2007, Patricia was hired to play keyboards for the Las Vegas company of the Broadway hit Jersey Boys.
LORENZO SÁNCHEZ, BM ’86, DMA ’92, KEYBOARD STUDIES
Dr. Sanchez and violinist Konstantin Ziumbilov released a recording entitled Sonatas para violín y piano, which was recorded in Guadalajara, Mexico with Domingo Lobato, Alfred Schnittke, and George Enescu.
1970s
MICHAEL EARDLEY, BM ’76
Michael Eardley, independent producer, and President of Tanglewood Productions, an audio, video and music production company in Reno, Nevada, has been elected to the Board of Governors for the San Francisco Chapter of The Recording Academy. The Recording Academy is known for its GRAMMY Awards, the primary outlet for honoring achievements in the recording arts and supporting the music community.
JOSEPH MULROY, BM ’78, COMPOSITION
Composer Joseph Mulroy’s new musical romantic comedy Born to Ride the Waves will run July 4-July 20, 2008 at the Huntington Beach Playhouse. Inspired by Dana Point's colorful past and featuring songs from Surfstory, which the LA Times hailed as "fresh, inspired, elegant, engaging, and blissfully unpretentious," Mulroy’s musical evokes a slice of coastal Southern California "the way it'll never be again."
1960s
RALPH GRIERSON, BM ’66, MM ’68, KEYBOARD STUDIES
Pianist and composer Ralph Grierson’s company Music & Health recently produced Amia Dane’s debut album Have Mercy, which is available on Amazon and iTunes. Mr. Grierson also performed on the album. Mr. Grierson and Ms. Dane will be performing at the Jazz Bakery on June 29th.
DOUG LAWRENCE, BM ’66, MM ’73, MUSIC EDUCATION
Doug Lawrence has served at San Francisco Bay Area's Menlo Park Presbyterian Church for the past 21 years where he was recently given the title of Minister of Worship Emeritus.
Mr. Lawrence was mentored by former USC faculty member Dr. Charles C. Hirt and studied under William Vennard and Gwen Koldofsky. He has had a 40-year career as one of America's leading baritone soloists and has performed with virtually every American symphony orchestra and with prominent conductors including Robert Shaw, Lukas Foss, Sir Georg Solti, James Levine, Michael Tilson Thomas, Aaron Copland, and Akira Endo to name a few.
Mr. Lawrence also consults with Fortune 500 business executives and church leaders in the area of personal presentation and is the Founder/CEO of Speaking As a Performing Art.
ELIZABETH MATESKY, MM ’64, STRINGS
In December, violinist Elizabeth Matesky’s 1993 radio interview about her late violin mentor and great friend, Nathan Milstein, was broadcast again on WFMT Classical Fine Arts Radio Chicago. The recent broadcast was a shortened "feature" of a long conversation, which is titled, "Nathan Milstein: A Remembrance: Elisabeth Matesky and Scott Thomas Discuss the Life, Times and Artistry of one of the Great Violinists of All Time."
