Bill Cunliffe* jazz piano; arranging; Fullerton Jazz Orchestra, Fullerton Big Band and combo director
Rodolfo Zuñiga jazz studies, jazz percussion, and music techology; Fullerton Chamber Jazz Ensemble director
PIANO, ORGAN, PIANO PEDAGOGY
Bill Cunliffe jazz piano
Alison Edwards* piano, piano pedagogy, class piano
Myong-Joo Lee piano
Dr. Robert Watson piano
MUSIC EDUCATION, TEACHER TRAINING, AND TEACHING CREDENTIAL
Dr. Christopher Peterson choral
Dr. Gregory X. Whitmore* instrumental
MUSIC IN GENERAL EDUCATION
Dr. John Koegel*
Dr. Katherine Reed
MUSIC HISTORY AND LITERATURE
Dr. Vivianne Asturizaga musicology
Dr. John Koegel* musicology
Dr. Katherine Powers musicology
Dr. Katherine Reed musicology
STRINGS
Kimo Furumoto Director of Orchestra Studies and University Symphony Orchestra conductor
Bongshin Ko cello
Dr. Ernest Salem* violin
THEORY AND COMPOSITION
Dr. Pamela Madsen, composition, theory
Dr. Ken Walicki* composition, theory
VOCAL, CHORAL, AND OPERA
Dr. Robert Istad Director of Choral Studies and University Singers conductor
Dr. Kerry Jennings* Director of Opera
Dr. Christopher Peterson CSUF Concert Choir and Singing Titans conductor
Dr. Joni Y. Prado voice, academic voice courses
Dr. Bri’Ann Wright general education
WOODWINDS, BRASS, AND PERCUSSION
Dr. Dustin Barr Director of Wind Band Studies, University Wind Symphony, University Band
Jean Ferrandis flute
Sycil Mathai* trumpet
Dr. Gregory X. Whitmore University Symphonic Winds conductor
STAFF
Michael August Production Manager
Eric Dries Music Librarian
Gretchen Estes-Parker Office Coordinator
Will Lemley Audio Technician
Jeff Lewis Audio Engineer
Chris Searight Musical Instrument Services
Paul Shirts Administrative Assistant
Elizabeth Williams Business Manager
* denotes Area Coordinator
Welcome to the College of the Arts 2024–2025 season – our first in three years where performing and visual arts programming will take place on one cohesive arts campus following the completion of the Visual Arts Modernization Project. We are thrilled you have joined us! As our visitors, you are part of our extended family of patrons, parents, friends, and fellow Titans, and we strive to reflect your stories and experiences in the programming we present.
To us, community engagement is more than just opening the doors of our performance and exhibition spaces and inviting you in; it’s about creating a space for dialogue through the work we share. This season, we are proud to bring you a slate of exhibitions, concerts, and performances that not only reflect our humanity but also have the power to transform how we see ourselves and others. In Theatre, “The Prom” opens the season with a joyful celebration of love and acceptance that follows teen Emma Nolan and her quest to attend the prom after she is disinvited for being gay. Will Emma get the prom she deserves? Next, Begovich Gallery presents four exhibitions to celebrate the public opening of Building G on November 2, including “Vitae: A New Generation” featuring CSUF visual arts alumni whose work explores self-discovery and issues of social justice. The following week, the Fullerton Jazz Orchestra and University Symphony Orchestra, along with guest artists Mariachi Divas de Cindy Shea, perform in “Fullerton Pops!” Our award-winning choreographers and dancers take the stage in December for “Fall Dance Theatre,” a powerfully moving collection of performances in a variety of dance styles. And don’t forget everyone’s holiday concert favorite, “Deck the Hall at Cal State Fullerton!” on December 14 and 15.
With the completion of the Visual Arts complex this past summer, we are one of the largest comprehensive colleges of the arts in the CSU system. The complex boasts digitally enhanced classrooms, a green screen lab for film and animation, an expanded photography studio, four art galleries, and several indoor and outdoor spaces to encourage cross-disciplinary exploration. But with the distinction of being a large college of the arts comes great need, and many of our students face personal and financial challenges that prevent them from continuing their education. The Dean’s Fund for Excellence provides our students with funding for immersive, off- and on-campus experiences that contribute to their academic success, including CSU Summer Arts, conferences, and study abroad programs. Your support is not just appreciated; it is vital. If the arts and their continued importance in higher education are essential to you, please consider a gift of any amount to the Dean’s Fund today.
I thank you for joining us and for championing the arts in our community. Your support means the world to me and to our students. When you return, I invite you to visit the Visual Arts complex to see what’s new and to check out the galleries in Building G, across from Clayes Performing Arts Center and open late on select performance nights beginning in November. I hope to see you there!
Sincerely,
Arnold Holland, EdD Dean, College of the Arts
PROGRAM
CSUF UNIVERSITY SYMPHONIC WINDS
Gregory X. Whitmore, conductor
GUEST ENSEMBLE - LA SIERRA UNIVERSITY WIND ENSEMBLE
Psalm for Band (1954) .......................................
Vincent Persichetti (1915-1987)
Emma Johnson, graduate student conductor
Run to the Light (2022) ......................................................
Ivan Trevino (b. 1983)
Ray Llewellyn, percussion
Ken McGrath, percussion ***** Intermission *****
Taíno Fanfares: Out of Darkness, Light (2024) ......... Giovanni Santos (b. 1980)
Giovanni Santos, guest conductor
The Wizard (2024) Giovanni Santos (b. 1980)
Michael Yoshimi, clarinet
Marquette University March (1915) ....................
John Philip Sousa (1854-1932)
PROGRAM NOTES
Bright Shadow Fanfare (2021)
NICOLE PIUNNO
Nicole Piunno is an American composer and trumpeter. She holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in composition and a Master of Music degree in theory pedagogy at Michigan State University, 2014. Her composition teachers were Ricardo Lorenz and Charles Ruggiero. She earned a Master of Music degree in composition at Central Michigan University, studying with David Gillingham. She has also worked with Jason Bahr, David Ludwig, and Tony Zilincik. Nicole earned a Bachelor of Music degree in music education from Ohio Wesleyan University, where her emphasis was on trumpet.
Piunno has performed with the Central Ohio Symphony Orchestra and appeared as a soloist with the Ohio Wesleyan University Chamber Orchestra. She views music as a vehicle for seeing and experiencing the realities of life. Her music often reflects the paradoxes in life and how these seemingly opposites are connected as they weave together. Her harmonic language and use of counterpoint mirrors the complexity of our world by acknowledging lightness and darkness, past and present, beauty and brokenness, confinement and freedom, spiritual and physical, life and death.
Piunno’s music has recently been performed by the Principal Brass Quintet of the New York Philharmonic, Athena Brass Band, University of Akron Faculty Brass Quintet, and the Michigan State University Symphony Band. She was the winner of the 2018 Female Composer Competition, Beta Omicron Chapter, Kappa Kappa
Psi. She teaches in the city schools of Dublin, Ohio.
- Program Note from Windrep.org
On Bright Shadow Fanfare:
The intense contrast in Bright Shadow Fanfare refers to two possible meanings. It could mean bringing our darkness into the light in order to integrate it with our true self. It could also mean revealing our positive traits and gifts that we may not allow ourselves to show or give to others.
- Program Note from publisher
Psalm For Band (1954)
VINCENT PERSICHETTI
Vincent Persichetti was an American composer, music educator and pianist. He began his musical life at a young age, first studying the piano, then the organ, double bass, tuba, theory, and composition. By the age of 11 he was paying for his own musical education and helping by performing professionally as an accompanist, radio staff pianist, church organist, and orchestra performer. At the age of 16 he was appointed choir director for the Arch Street Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia, a post he would hold for the next 20 years. During all of this, Persichetti was a student in the Philadelphia public schools and received a thorough musical education at the Combs College of Music, where he earned a degree in 1935 under Russel King Miller, his principal composition teacher. Starting at the age of 20, Persichetti was simultaneously head of the theory and composition departments at the Combs College,
PROGRAM NOTES
a conducting major with Fritz Reiner at the Curtis Institute, and a piano major with Olga Samaroff at the Philadelphia Conservatory. He received a diploma in conducting from the Curtis Institute and graduate degrees from the Philadelphia Conservatory. In 1947 he joined the faculty of the Juilliard School of Music, and became the chairman of the Composition Department in 1963. Persichetti composed for nearly every musical medium, with more than 120 published works. Although he never specifically composed “educational” music, many of his smaller pieces are suitable for teaching purposes. His piano music, a complete body of literature in itself, consists of six sonatinas, three volumes of poems, a concerto and a concertino for piano and orchestra, serenades, a four-hand concerto, a two-piano sonata, twelve solo piano sonatas, and various shorter works. His works for winds rank as some of the most original and well-crafted compositions in the medium, and his Symphony No. 6 is rightly considered one of the “cornerstones” of the genre.
- Program Note from Windrep.org
On Psalm for Band (1954): Psalm for Band is a piece constructed from a single germinating harmonic idea. There are three distinct sections -- a sustained chordal mood, a forward moving chorale, followed by a paean culmination of the materials. Extensive use is made of separate choirs of instruments supported by thematic rhythms in the tenor and bass drums.
Psalm was selected for performance at the CBDNA Convention in December 1952 as one of the eight most outstanding compositions for band written in the previous several years.
- Program Note by composer
Run to the Light (2022)
IVAN TREVINO
Ivan Trevino is an American composer, percussionist, and rock drummer. He received a BM and MM from Eastman School of Music, where he went on to design and teach a course in music business before moving to Austin in 2014. Ivan is a songwriter and percussionist with Break of Reality, an international touring cello and percussion quartet. As a member of Break of Reality, Ivan has headlined concerts across North America, South America, and Asia and was named a music ambassador for the U.S. State Department in 2015. His drumming and songwriting with Break of Reality have been heard on NPR, PBS, Huffington Post and Yahoo Music.
As a composer, Ivan’s music is regularly performed around the world and has become standard repertoire in the field of percussion. He is a multi-award winning recipient of the Percussive Arts Society’s International Composition Contest and has composed over 40 works for the percussion idiom, many of which were commissioned by leading performers and universities in the field.
In addition to composing and performing, Ivan is an active educator who has presented educational clinics at hundreds of institutions
PROGRAM NOTES
around the world. He is currently an artist / clinician for Malletech Instruments and Mallets, Zildjian Cymbals, Evans Drumheads, and Meinl Percussion. In 2014, Malletech collaborated with Ivan to design his signature marimba mallets, which are now distributed to percussionists around the world.
On Run to the Light (2022)
A newly hired band director at my high school had a diploma hanging up in his office.
“What’s that?” I asked. “It’s from Eastman,” he said. “What’s Eastman?” I asked again. “It’s a music conservatory,” he said. I left his office thinking to myself, “What’s a music conservatory?”
That was my junior year of high school, and that’s how foreign this whole classical music thing was to me. Fast forward one year later. I auditioned at Eastman and got in. This was due in large part to this teacher, his guidance, and my own luck that he took a job teaching music in small town Victoria, Texas, where I lived. Thank you again, Mr. Mikula.
When I told my mom I got accepted, she didn’t congratulate me. Well, of course she did, but not right away. The first thing she said was, “How are we going to pay for it?” My parents didn’t go to college, but are hard- working, smart people who still make their living cutting hair. They did everything they could to make music part of my life. Paying for college, though, especially at a school like Eastman, was far beyond anything they had saved or planned for. My parents put together whatever funds they could and did what everyone
does in Texas during a time of need: they organized a BBQ benefit. It’s a Go-Fund Me of sorts, but an inperson one with BBQ, beans, rice and all the fixings.
One of my dad’s regulars was a writer for the local paper and wrote a charming story about my parents, my opportunity to attend Eastman, and about the upcoming BBQ benefit. Local restaurants donated food, and my parents and an assembly line of volunteers served plates to friends, family and members of our community who showed up to give their support and enjoy a hot meal. There was even an auction with one of those fast-talking auctioneers helping the crowd bid on donated items.
My parents hosted this benefit for four summers, and each time, they raised $10,000 for my college tuition, with over 1,000 people attending each year. This is still incomprehensible to me. Meanwhile, Eastman provided me with a generous yearly scholarship to ease the cost of tuition, which helped greatly. My journey to Eastman was looking more and more possible, thanks in part to this scholarship, and of all things, BBQ. But we still weren’t quite there.
One day, Mary Lou Urban, an unassuming family friend of ours, walked into the barber shop to see my mom for her regularly scheduled perm. This time, Mrs. Urban came in holding a small envelope with my mom’s name on it. Inside was a gift: a personal check for $10,000. My mom cried, Mrs. Urban cried. But that’s not all. Each summer for four years, she gave my mom a check for this same
PROGRAM NOTES
amount. Mrs. Urban is no longer with us, but what she did for me and my family is unforgettable. My mom refers to her as my angel. I do too. Between the community’s support, Eastman’s scholarship, Mrs. Urban’s gifts, and my parent’s own hard work and sacrifice, I got to Eastman.
Twenty years later, I find myself at Eastman again, this time as a visiting teacher to step in for the one and only Michael Burritt, my former Eastman professor who is on a sabbatical leave. What an honor. I return with my beautiful wife, Amanda, who I met on Gibbs St. when we were both students. This music is dedicated to all of the supporters in my hometown community, Mr. Mikula, Mrs. Urban, my parents, and all of the people who helped me run to my light. I carry them with me, in my teaching, composing and performing, and I hope this spirit of joy and gratitude shines through in this music.
Run to the Light was written for Eastman School of Music’s Centennial Celebration. It was premiered by Eastman Wind Ensemble on Oct. 19, 2022. The piece is dedicated to a thousand or so very special people in Victoria, Texas.
- Program Note by composer
Marquette University March (1915)
JOHN PHILIP SOUSA
John Philip Sousa was America’s best known composer and conductor during his lifetime. Highly regarded for his military band marches, Sousa is often called the “The March King” or “American March King.” He was
born the third of 10 children of John Antonio Sousa (born in Spain of Portuguese parents) and Maria Elisabeth Trinkhaus (born in Bavaria). His father played trombone in the U.S. Marine band, so young he grew up around military band music.
Sousa started his music education, playing the violin, as a pupil of John Esputa Jr. and G. F. Benkert for harmony and musical composition at the age of six. He was found to have absolute pitch. When he reached the age of 13, his father enlisted him as as an apprentice of the United States Marine Corps. Sousa served his apprenticeship for seven years, until 1875, and apparently learned to play all the wind instruments while also continuing with the violin.
Several years later, Sousa left his apprenticeship to join a theatrical (pit) orchestra where he learned to conduct. He returned to the U.S. Marine Band as its head in 1880, and remained as its conductor until 1892. He organized his own band the year he left the Marine Band. The Sousa Band toured 18921931, performing 15,623 concerts in America and abroad. In 1900, his band represented the United States at the Paris Exposition before touring Europe. In Paris, the Sousa Band marched through the streets including the Champs-Élysées to the Arc de Triomphe – one of only eight parades the band marched in over its forty years. Sousa died at the age of 77 on March 6th, 1932 after conducting a rehearsal of the Ringgold Band in Reading, Pennsylva. The last piece he conducted was “The Stars and Stripes Forever,” his most famous
PROGRAM NOTES
work and the US’s national march.
Sousa wrote 136 independent marches, while a host of other marches and dances have been adapted from his stage works. Despite the genre’s relatively limited structure, Sousa’s marches are highly varied in character. The vast majority are in the quickstep dance style and a third of their titles bear military designations. His earlier marches are best suited for actual marching, while later works are increasingly complex. He also wrote school songs for several American Universities, including Kansas State University, Marquette University, the University of Michigan, and the University of Minnesota.
On Marquette University March
On November 16, 1923, in recognition of what Sousa had done for his country in both peace and war, Marquette University bestowed upon him an honorary Doctor of Music degree. It was the first such degree given by that university. Sousa composed this march as an expression of his appreciation and presented the piano manuscript to the university.
- Program Note from John Philip Sousa: A Descriptive Catalog of His Works
Flute
Kimberly Areas
Harold Boche Castro
Nadia Fowler
Shawnee Herrera
Evan Posadas Miller
Alma Salazar
Aydan Soo-Hoo
Oboe
America Dionati
Megan Kimmel
Johnston Nguyen
English Horn
Johnston Nguyen
Bassoon
Rekha Michael
Adrian Wu
Clarinet
Susan Aguilar
Jonathan Bass
Cara Connelly
Christopher Cordero
John Gerling
Eric Gong
Olivia Hirsch
Ryan Nguyen
Monserrat Rodriguez
UNIVERSITY SYMPHONIC WINDS
(listed alphabetically)
Josiah Sanchez
Joshua Schaefer
Nicholas Wilson
Saxophone
Drake Bolt
Citlali Gamez
Beatriz Margareth Gongora
Miles Luong-Gonzales
Jon Salarda
Trumpet
Edward Castaneda
Alonna Freeborne
Andrew Gonzalez
Isaiah Long
Adonai Mejia
Yasmin Olmos
Isaiah Soto
Jacob Wallenbrock
Brian Watson
Horn
Alexis Chisolm
Andrew French
Anthony Olague
Boris Mu
Daniel Ward
Patrick Williams
Trombone
Jesus Amaro
Rami El-Ghosssaini
Arnold Garcia
Bass Trombone
Nikolas Hernandez
Nicholas Perez
Euphonium
Stephen Lopez
Jackson Nguyen
Tuba
Gregory Barnes
Fabiola Padilla
Double Bass
Andrew de Stackelberg
Percussion
Maritza Alejos
Jonathan Brown
Dan Angelo Esguerra
Gabriela Guzman
Diego Mendoza
Ziyania Monroe
Markie Rosas
Piano
Julia Chubb
Centering artistry, collaboration, and musical excellence, The CSU Fullerton University Symphonic Winds are under the direction of Associate Director of Bands Dr. Gregory Xavier Whitmore. The University Symphonic Winds continually explore new music initiatives each concert season, undertaking commissions and world premieres of new works for winds by renowned and emerging composers. With a primacy towards artistic collaboration, the University Symphonic Winds regularly welcomes composers to Orange County for residencies with the ensemble. Previous composer residencies have featured composers Jack Bertrand, Kevin Charoensri, Viet Cuong, Frank Duarte, Dr. Giovanni Santos, Adam Schoenberg, Alex Shapiro, Larry Tuttle, and others. Additionally, the University Symphonic Winds regularly collaborate with guest artists and esteemed conductors from across the United States.
Programmatically, the University Symphonic Winds balances the breadth and depth of the established wind band repertory with works that are, “of our time”. Members of the University Symphonic Winds are selected by audition and are students in the applied studios of the California State University Fullerton School of Music. The University Symphonic Winds undertakes performance tours and has been a featured performer at local and regional conferences. Each concert season, The University Symphonic Winds present a concert series consisting of six to eight performances. The University Symphonic Winds performance home is the beautiful Vaughncille Joseph Meng Concert Hall on the Cal State Fullerton campus (Fullerton, CA).
Piccolo
LA SIERRA UNIVERSITY WIND ENSEMBLE
Nathalia Boeira
Flute
Nathalia Boeira
Kassandra Ramos
Oboe
Afonso Bittencourt
Bassoon
Travis Muñoz
Clarinet
Ednaldo Alves
Jaden Klainyein
French Horn
Wendell Palheta
Monserrat Dueñas
Jacob Dominguez
Trumpet
Jair Garcia
Ethan Guzman
Zachary Flores
Sophia Gutierrez
Alexis Shingleton
Trombone
Taylor Flores
Tyler Dumaguin
Euphonium
David Kendall
Atalia Estrada
Tuba
Ed Javor
Double Bass
Calla Morgan
Percussion
Jessica Ornaghi
Alvin Estrada
Abel Gonzalez
Zane Egbunike
Jacqueline Lee
Carina Moscoso
Odafe James Abu
The La Sierra University Wind Ensemble works to captivate, inspire, and entertain audiences with traditional, modern, sacred, and popular wind band literature. Ensemble members are comprised of undergraduate and graduate students who represent a variety of majors and programs at La Sierra University (CA).
Led by Dr. Giovanni Santos, the Wind Ensemble performs for church services, campus events, and civic programs throughout Southern California. The Wind Ensemble has been featured at the national conference of the Christian Instrumental Directors Association, the College Band Directors National Association West/Northwest Division Conference, and the Dr. Lawrence R. Sutherland Wind Festival at California State University Fresno. Within the past three years, the Wind Ensemble has had the privilege of working with conductors such as H. Robert Reynolds, Kevin Sedatole, Travis Cross. In just three years, the ensemble has also premiered 10 new works for wind ensemble.
Most recently, the University Wind Ensemble performed at the ForFest (Czech Republic) and MaskFest International New Music (Republic of San Marino) Festivals, which were also televised nationally. The Wind Ensemble toured throughout Europe in 2016, giving performances across the Czech Republic, Austria, Republic of San Marino, and Italy, where they gave European premieres of works composed by prestigious European composers, as well as works by Dr. Santos and La Sierra University students.
Ray Llewellyn attended Cal State University, Fullerton from 19861991 earning his Bachelor of Arts degree in Music Education and a California Single Subject Teaching Credential in Music.
Llewellyn started teaching in the Southern California public schools in 1992 teaching band and percussion at the elementary, high school and middle school levels. Currently, he is director of bands at Travis Ranch Middle School in Yorba Linda, CA teaching the marching band, concert band, jazz band, and the school’s percussion ensemble.
Since 2009, Llewellyn has also been a lecturer of music at Cal State Fullerton, teaching the percussion methodology class to music majors. In addition, he conducts one of the University’s percussion ensembles and teaches applied percussion lessons to Music Majors there. He has also taught percussion lessons at his home studio for students of all ages since 1990. He is a member of the Southern California School Band and Orchestra Association, the California Band Directors Association, and the Percussive Arts Society. He has been a percussion presenter at numerous SCSBOA conferences. He has also served as a percussion auditioner, manager and coach for both the middle school and high school honor groups for SCSBOA since 1998.
Llewellyn is a freelance percussionist performing regularly around Southern California with numerous classical and jazz ensembles plus blues and rock bands.
Ken McGrath is a highly regarded performer and educator in Los Angeles. He has performed with the major ensembles of Southern California including the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Pacific Symphony, San Diego Symphony, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Los Angeles Opera Orchestra and Hollywood Bowl Orchestra. He has also appeared frequently with the LA Phil New Music Group, performed on several touring Broadway productions and played with dance companies such as American Ballet Theater, San Francisco Ballet and the Bolshoi Ballet. In 2008, he commissioned, performed, and recorded the world premiere of William Kraft’s Encounters XIII: Concertino for Percussion & Woodwind Quintet with Southwest Chamber Music.
McGrath also an active studio musician performing on numerous motion pictures for composers John Williams, Alan Silvestri, James Newton Howard, Randy Newman, Alexandre Desplat, Hans Zimmer, Michael Giacchino, Danny Elfman, and Christophe Beck.
McGrath currently serves on the percussion faculties of the California State University Fullerton School of Music, the Colburn Community School of Performing Arts, and Pasadena City College. He is an alumnus of the University of California, Los Angeles (summa cum laude) and the Eastman School of Music.
Hawaii-born clarinetist Michael Yoshimi is an active performer and educator based in Los Angeles. He joined the faculty at California State University, Fullerton (CSUF) in 2022 and was appointed Assistant Professor in 2024. He also teaches at Claremont Graduate University. Michael frequently appears as a guest player with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and has performed with ensembles including the Pacific Symphony, Los Angeles Opera, Jacksonville Symphony, Boise Philharmonic, and Hawaii Symphony Orchestra, among others.
Since 2013, Michael has been the clarinet instructor at the Colburn Community School of Performing Arts, where he has developed one of the most successful private studios in the country. His students come from across Los Angeles and have been accepted into top conservatories and universities, including the Colburn School, University of Southern California, Rice University, Eastman School of Music, The Juilliard School, Cleveland Institute of Music, Northwestern University, Columbia University, Stanford University, and Brown University. His students have earned numerous accolades, including top honors at prestigious competitions such as the International Clarinet Association’s High School Solo Competition, the National YoungArts Foundation Finals, and the Music Center’s Spotlight Awards. They have also performed on National Public Radio’s From the Top and participated as principal players in renowned summer festivals such as the Verbier Junior Festival Orchestra, Yellow Barn Young Artists Program, Carnegie Hall’s National Youth Orchestra/ National Youth Orchestra 2 (NYO/NYO2), Boston University Tanglewood Institute, and Interlochen Arts Camp.
Michael holds a Doctor of Musical Arts and a Master of Music degree in clarinet performance from the University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music, as well as a Bachelor of Music degree from Northwestern University. His principal teachers were Yehuda Gilad and J. Lawrie Bloom.
Michael’s teaching philosophy emphasizes the role of teachers in not only building a strong foundation in music but also shaping the lives of their students. He focuses on cultivating solid fundamentals to enable his students to express themselves freely through their instrument. He looks forward to connecting with and mentoring new students from around the world.
ABOUT THE GUEST CONDUCTOR
Giovanni Santos serves as Director of Bands and Associate Professor of Music at La Sierra University, where he directs the University Wind Ensemble, Chamber Winds, Big Band, and teaches courses in graduate and undergraduate instrumental music education, popular music, conducting and composition.
Santos has proudly implemented a yearly wind band conducting workshop at La Sierra University and has worked alongside H. Robert Reynolds, Thomas Lee, Larry Livingston, Travis Cross and Allan McMurray, helping some of the brightest young music educators in the United States. Santos also organizes yearly workshops. clinics and conversations with conductors and composers, such as Frank Ticheli, Mallory Thompson, and most recently, Maestro Leonard Slatkin.
A strong advocate for music education, Santos frequently presents at conferences, school in-service days, classrooms, and as clinician for young ensembles across the United States, Mexico, and Europe. Most recently, he presented at the Midwest Clinic’s High School Leadership Institute, California All-State Music Education Conference (CASMEC), for the California Music Educators Association’s ‘Casting a Wider in Net’ at Azusa Pacific University, for the North American Division National Teachers Convention, the Midwest Clinic International Band and Orchestra Conference in Chicago, CBDNA National Convention in Arizona, for the 2019 SCSBOA Professional Development Conference, and for the World Association of Symphonic Band and Ensemble International Conference (WASBE) in Prague. Santos maintains a busy guest conducting/clinician schedule, with recent residencies at the Manhattan School of Music, University of the Pacific, Cal State University (Fullerton), University of Illinois (Chicago), the University of Connecticut and for the Association of Concert Bands conference in Orlando. Santos earned graduate degrees from the University of Southern California (MM) and Florida State University (PhD).
ABOUT THE GRADUATE STUDENT CONDUCTOR
Emma Johnson Miranda is a conductor, musician, and educator who was born and raised in Houston, Texas. She is currently a graduate student at California State University-Fullerton, studying instrumental conducting with Dr. Dustin Barr. Along with completing her degree in conducting, she is finishing her teaching credential all while playing bassoon in the University Wind Symphony and the University Symphony Orchestra.
In high school, Emma took advantage of leadership opportunities in her band program and participated in the 2016 TMEA 6A Honor Orchestra and various TMEA Region Honor Bands. As an undergraduate student, Miranda studied conducting with Dr. Shawn Smith and bassoon with Dr. Christian Smith at Brigham Young University. Additionally, she played bassoon in the BYU Wind Symphony–a group that toured to Spain and Portugal in May 2023 and qualified to perform at the 2024 WASBE conference in South Korea. She graduated from BYU in April 2023 with a Music BA and a minor in Family Life. She and her husband, EJ Miranda, currently live in Rancho Cucamonga, CA, where they enjoy spending time at the beach, eating good food, and catching up on their favorite TV shows.
ABOUT THE CONDUCTOR
Gregory X. Whitmore is Conductor of the University Symphonic Winds at California State University Fullerton (CSUF). In addition to this artistic responsibility, he is an Associate Professor of Instrumental Music Education and serves as Area Coordinator of the CSUF Music Education Department. He is also in his 11th season as Music Director of the Pacific Symphony Youth Wind Ensemble, one of only a handful of youth wind ensembles connected to a group one professional symphony orchestra (Pacific Symphony) in the United States.
A proud Midwesterner and native of Ann Arbor, Michigan, Whitmore earned his bachelor’s degree in instrumental music education from The University of Michigan School of Music, Theater and Dance. While a student at Michigan, he performed in the University of Michigan Symphony and Concert Bands; and led the University of Michigan Marching Band as “Michigan’s Man Up Front” - Drum Major - from 1999 to 2001 – becoming the second Black Drum Major in the history of the University of Michigan. He received his master’s degree in music with an emphasis in wind conducting from California State University Fullerton. He holds a master’s degree and a doctorate in music and music education from Columbia University (Teachers College) in the city of New York.
A Second Place Winner of the 2017 American Prize in Conducting, Whitmore has conducted ensembles around the world in such notable concert venues as The Golden Hall of The Musikverein (Vienna), The Wiener Konzerthaus (Vienna), The MuTh (Vienna), Renee and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall (Costa Mesa, CA), Symphony Hall (Chicago), The Kennedy Center (Washington, D.C.), Carnegie Hall (New York City), Walt Disney Concert Hall (Los Angeles), Meng Concert Hall (Fullerton, CA), Weill Hall (Sonoma, CA), The Ambassador Auditorium (Pasadena, CA), Holy Trinity Church (Stratford, England), St. John’s Smith Square (London), Chateau Vaux le Vicomte (Paris), and Heidelberg Castle (Germany). Under his direction, the Cathedral City High School Symphony Band was selected to perform as the showcase ensemble during the 2008 California Band Directors Association Annual Convention. He is a conductor for the World Strides Honors Performance Series.
With a research interest in music educator values as operationalized into pedagogy, in addition to investigating the concert band as an artistic medium, Whitmore has presented research at music education symposia throughout the United States and abroad, including The Midwest Clinic, and the International Society of Music Education World Congress. His research has been published in Visions of Research in Music Education. He has been recognized in four editions of Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers and he has been included in the 2005/2006 Edition of the National Honor Roll’s Outstanding American Teachers He was selected to represent the State of California by School Band and Orchestra Magazine in the 2008 edition of “50 Band Directors Who Make a Difference.”
Whitmore belongs to professional organizations that include College Band Directors National Association, Kappa Kappa Psi Honorary Band Fraternity, Alpha Delta Phi Fraternity, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity, Pi Kappa Lambda Honor Society, The National Association for Music Education, Southern California School Band and Orchestra Association, and the California Music Educators Association. Learn more about Dr. Whitmore at gwhitmore.com
$1,000,000 +
Mr. Bob & Mrs. Terri Niccum
Mr. Stan Mark Ryan ‘75
$500,000 + Mrs. Junko Klaus
$50,000-$100,00
Mr. Ernest R. Sweet*
Mr. Matthew Scarpino & Ms. Karyn Hayter
Sallie Mitchell*
Mrs. Louise P. Shamblen
Johnny Carson Foundation
Mr. Steve & Mrs. Robin Kalota
$25,000 - $49,999
Mr. Darryl Curran
Leo Freedman Foundation
Mrs. Lee C. Begovich
Dr. Ed & Mrs. Sue Sullivan
$10,000-$24,999
Mr. John Aimé & Ms. Robin de la Llata Aimé
Drs. Joseph & Voiza Arnold
Mr. John J. Brennan & Ms. Lucina L. Moses
Ms. Kathleen Hougesen
Mr. Ernest & Mrs. Donna Schroeder
Mr. James & Mrs. Eleanore Monroe
Mrs. Marilyn D. Carlson
$5,000-$9,999
Mr. Richard & Mrs. Susan Dolnick
Mr. Framroze & Mrs. Julie Virjee
Continuing Life LLC
Southern California Arts Council
Ebell Club of Fullerton
DONOR APPLAUSE
Mrs. Harriet Cornyn
Mr. William Cornyn
Ms. Teri Kennady
Dwight Richard Odle Foundation
Swinerton Builders
Morningside of Fullerton
Dr. Margaret Gordon
Dr. Marc Dickey
Mrs. Jill Kurti Norman
Orange County Community Foundation
Mr. Edward & Ms.
MaryLouise Hlavac
Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund
Mrs. Norma Morris
Mrs. Evelyn Francuz
Friends of Jazz, Inc.
$1,000-$4,999
Mrs. Marilyn Little
Mr. Allan & Mrs. Janet Bridgford
Dr. George & Mrs. Karen Mast
Mrs. Thelma Mellott
Ms. Karen Bell
Mrs. Judy Atwell
Mr. Stephen Collier & Ms.Joann Driggers
Mr. Paul Coluzzi & Mr. John M. Martelli
Mr. Douglas Stewart
Mr. Nick & Mrs. Dorothy Batinich
Mr. Tom & Mrs. Carolyn Toby
Mrs. Marsha Gallavan
California Community Foundation
Mrs. Martha Shaver
Ms. Susan Hallman
Mr. John A. Alexander
& Mr. Jason Francisco
Mr. James Henriques
Mr. Billy Owens & Mrs. Michelle H. Jordan
Mr. Robert & Mrs. Nancy Rennie
Mr. Robert & Mrs. Roberta Sperry
Mr. John Boos
& Ms. Shanon Fitzpatrick
The Jane Deming Fund
Dr. Leon & Mrs. Annette Gilbert
Ms. Verne Wagner
Dr. Robert & Mrs. Teri Watson
Mr. E. B. & Mrs. Linda Powell
The Presser Foundation
Mr. Norman & Mrs. Sandra Johnson
Dr. Arie & Mrs. Deanna Passchier
Mrs. Marion Brockett
Mr. Juan Lopez
Mr. David Navarro
Mrs. Bettina Murphy
Ms. Jeannie Denholm
Mr. Gregory & Mrs. Shawna Ellis
Mr. William H. Cunliffe, Jr.
Dr. Stephen Rochford, DMA
The Garrabrant Family
Very special care has been given to the preparation of this donor listing. Please contact Ann Steichen at (657) 278-7124 with questions or concerns. Gifts received from July 2, 2023 to September 1, 2024 *deceased
ONTIVEROS SOCIETY
The Ontiveros Society includes individuals who have provided a gift for Cal State Fullerton through their estate plan. We extend our deep appreciation to the following Ontiveros Society members, whose gifts will benefit the students and mission of the College of the Arts:
ANONYMOUS
JOHN ALEXANDER
LEE & DR. NICHOLAS A.* BEGOVICH
GAIL & MICHAEL COCHRAN
MARC R. DICKEY
JOANN DRIGGERS
BETTY EVERETT
CAROL J. GEISBAUER & JOHN* GEISBAUER
SOPHIA & CHARLES GRAY
MARYLOUISE & ED HLAVAC
GRETCHEN KANNE
DR. BURTON L. KARSON
ANNE L. KRUZIC*
LOREEN & JOHN LOFTUS
ALAN A. MANNASON*
WILLIAM J. MCGARVEY*
DR. SALLIE MITCHELL*
ELEANORE P. & JAMES L. MONROE
LYNN & ROBERT MYERS
MR. BOB & MRS. TERRI NICCUM
DWIGHT RICHARD ODLE*
SHERRY & DR. GORDON PAINE
*deceased
DR. JUNE POLLAK
& MR. GEORGE POLLAK*
DR. STEPHEN M. ROCHFORD
MR. STAN MARK RYAN ‘75
MARY K. & WILLIAM SAMPSON
LORENA SIKORSKI
DOUGLAS G. STEWART
ANDREA J. & JEFFREY E. SWARD
RICHARD J. TAYLOR
VERNE WAGNER
RICHARD WULFF
DR. JAMES D. & DOTTIE YOUNG*
The College of the Arts Proudly Recognizes the 300+ Members of Our VOLUNTEER
SUPPORT
GROUPS
ALLIANCE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS: The Alliance for the Performing Arts (formerly MAMM) benefits performing arts students through underwriting visiting artists; special theatre, dance, and music performances; and other unique experiences for members.
SPECIAL SUPPORT AND EVENT UNDERWRITING
Judy Atwell
Drs. Voiza & Joe Arnold
Dr. Margaret Faulwell Gordon
Susan Hallman
Norma Morris Richard Odle Estate
Kerry & John Phelps
Jeanie Stockwell Verne Wagner
ART ALLIANCE: Art Alliance promotes excellence and enjoyment in the visual arts, and their fundraising efforts contribute to student scholarship, gallery exhibitions, opening receptions and sculpture acquisition on campus.
SPECIAL SUPPORT AND EVENT UNDERWRITING
Fay Colmar John DeLoof
Joann Driggers & Steve Collier
Loraine Walkington
MUSIC ASSOCIATES: Music Associates maintains a tradition of active involvement and community support, and raises scholarship funds for School of Music students through annual fundraising events and membership dues.
SPECIAL SUPPORT AND EVENT UNDERWRITING
Marilyn Carlson
Evelyn K. Francuz
Sandy & Norm Johnson
Marti & Bill Kurschat
Karen & George Mast
Thelma & Earl Mellott
Bettina Murphy
Grace & Ujinobu Niwa
Kerry & John Phelps
Mary & Jerry Reinhart
Ann & Thad Sandford
Dodo V. Standring
Carolyn & Tom Toby
John Van Wey
MORE INFORMATION: Haley Sanford • 657-278-2663
There are many ways to support the College of the Arts, the School of Music, Department of Theatre and Dance, and Department of Visual Arts
shape the future of the arts
The College of the Arts at Cal State Fullerton is one of the largest comprehensive arts campuses in the CSU system. We proudly serve as an academic institution of regional focus with national impact that combines rigorous arts training with cross-disciplinary exploration to encourage the artistic expression and individual achievement of thousands of arts students daily.
Many of these students face personal and financial challenges that prevent them from continuing their education. You can help! The Dean’s Fund for Excellence provides students in need with funding for immersive, off- and oncampus experiences that contribute to their academic success, including CSU Summer Arts, conferences, and study abroad programs.
Shape the future of the arts! Consider making a gift of any amount to the Dean’s Fund for Excellence today.
COLLEGE OF THE ARTS • SELECT EVENTS | FALL 2024
Kirsten Yon and Ernest Salem, violins
September 26 • Meng Concert Hall
Hoang Nguyen & Friends: Alumni Piano Recital: September 27 • Meng Concert Hall
Fullerton Jazz Orchestra
October 4 • Meng Concert Hall
University Symphony Orchestra October 5 • Meng Concert Hall
University Wind Symphony October 6 • Meng Concert Hall
The Prom
October 10–19 • Little Theatre Talkbacks: 10/11; 10/19 matinée
University Symphonic Winds
October 12 • Meng Concert Hall
University Singers & Concert Choir October 20 • Meng Concert Hall
Blood Wedding
October 24–November 19 • Young Theatre
Denis Bouriakov, flute
October 26 • Meng Concert Hall
Advanced Vocal Workshop with guest Mark Robson, piano October 29 • Recital Hall
Vitae: A New Generation; Chris O’Leary: Gravity Well; Michelle Emami: Arcana; and Past Forward (Redux)
November 2, 2024 – May 17, 2025 Begovich Gallery
High School Honor Orchestra & CSUF Chamber Ensembles Orchestra
November 2 • Meng Concert Hall
Bent Frequency Duo Project with CSUF New Music Ensemble
November 6 • Meng Concert Hall
Michael Yoshimi, clarinet
November 8 • Meng Concert Hall
Lost Girl
November 7–16 • Hallberg Theatre
CSUF SCHOOL OF MUSIC PRESENTS Fullerton Pops! feat. Fullerton Jazz Orchestra
University Symphony Orchestra and Mariachi Divas de Cindy Shea
November 10 • Meng Concert Hall
Opera Scenes
November 15–17 • Recital Hall
Jazz Singers
November 20 • Meng Concert Hall
University Wind Symphony
November 22 • Meng Concert Hall
Cello Choir
November 22 • Recital Hall
Fall Dance Theatre
December 5–14• Little Theatre
University Symphonic Winds
December 7 • Meng Concert Hall
Titan Voices & Singing Titans
December 9 • Meng Concert Hall
CSUF New Music Ensemble & CSUF Contemporary Chamber Music Ensemble
December 11 • CPAC 119
University Band
December 11 • Meng Concert Hall
CSUF SCHOOL OF MUSIC PRESENTS Deck the Hall at Cal State Fullerton! December 14,15 • Meng Concert Hall
