NOTES Cleveland Institute of Music
SUMMER 2022
SU M M E R 2022
A CELEBRATION OF SINGING AT CIM
Richard Ollarsaba performing alongside students in November 2021 in CIM Opera Theater’s production entitled Celebrating a Century of Singing at CIM (photos by Robert Muller)
Richard Ollarsaba (BM ’09, Schiller/Southern) had a fruitful visit when he returned to CIM in November for the Celebrating a Century of Singing gala. Not only did the bass-baritone join CIM Opera Theater and conductor Harry Davidson in celebrating CIM’s vocal legacy with favorite works by Bizet, Mozart and Vaughan Williams, he also caught up with former teachers Mary Schiller and Dean Southern (DMA ’09, Schiller) and current CIM students, and marveled at the many changes around University Circle and at CIM itself. In a one-on-one interview, he reflected on where his career is headed, what he’s learned and what CIM still means to him 13 years after graduation. Overall, Ollarsaba said, the level of singing at CIM has remained extraordinarily high. “What students today are able to produce is phenomenal,” he said. “They have such clear goals and know what they want to achieve.” He’s also pleased to see more and more CIM grads in the field. Indeed, of late, he’s
been discovering alumni everywhere. The most surprising was Steven Mark Kohn (MM ’84, Erb/O’Brien), whose song The War Prayer Ollarsaba performed and recorded without realizing the composer attended CIM. Thirteen years into his career, Ollarsaba also had plenty of advice for current CIM students and recent graduates. He advised trust in the educational process, kindness to all and openness to a wide array of musical careers. Don’t pigeonhole yourself, he said. Look to other art forms and non-traditional repertoire for inspiration and consider venturing into unfamiliar territory. For Ollarsaba, that has meant singing Berlin, Porter and Stravinsky along with the standards, and pushing for works from the overlooked French grand opera tradition. “Cast a wide net of opportunity beyond your own expectations,” he said. “I wish someone would have told me that it’s OK to just know that I love singing.”
The Talos Trio – comprised of violinist Haig Hovsepian (BM ’21, MM ’22, I. Kaler), cellist Lydia Rhea (BM ’22, Kraut) and pianist Matias Cuevas (D. Shapiro) – performing at Student Government Association’s Music for Food Benefit Concert on February 23 (photo by Robert Muller)
ON THE COVER Philip Setzer and Friends Recital (story, page 11) photo by Robert Muller PDFs of the current and past issues of Notes are available at cim.edu/news. CLEVELAND INSTITUTE OF MUSIC 11021 East Boulevard Cleveland, OH 44106 P: 216.791.5000 E: marketing@cim.edu | cim.edu
CIM is supported in part by the residents of Cuyahoga County through a public grant from Cuyahoga Arts & Culture.
CIM is funded in part by state tax dollars allocated by the Ohio Legislature to the Ohio Arts Council.
11 Features 4 Noteworthy String chamber music program returns CIM scholarships make a difference stronger than ever A new path to greatness: changes A unanimous choice: CIM names coming to Preparatory program Barbara Robinson a Life Trustee The first Future of Music Faculty Meet the provost Fellowship concludes Commencement weekend honored 18 Alumni Spotlight violinist Jennifer Koh and alumni Jerod Impichchaachaaha’ Tate Partners for CIM Student Assistance Fund 20 Alumni News Joela Jones receives Cleveland Orchestra’s Distinguished Service 23 Lifetime Giving Award Heading into the next century at CIM Dido and Aeneas film premieres CIM announces $1 million scholarship gift from Susan Rothmann, Philip Paul and Jeremy Paul CIM’s Governing Members: Sounds of the Season Payne Fund Prize winners represent CIM Errata with Asheville Symphony After publication, we learned of several errors Four additions to CIM’s faculty and missing citations in the story titled For the Love of Music from the Summer 2021 issue. We regret these errors and have published the full, corrected story at cim.edu/love-of-music.
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NOTEWORTHY CIM Scholarships Make a Difference When Iris and Tom Harvie established the Iris and Tom Harvie Director’s Award in 2019, they knew their gift would help lower the cost of tuition at CIM and extend one exceptional student a life-changing scholarship. What they didn’t know was how rewarding their bond with that one student would become. Thiago Silva-Correia is a master’s double bass student studying with Derek Zadinsky, assistant principal bass of The Cleveland Orchestra. His first thought upon winning the first Director’s Award in 2020 was how happy he was to be headed to Cleveland, and particularly to University Circle. Even during his brief audition trip, he said he sensed that CIM is “an amazing school with a deep connection to the community.” Thanks to the scholarship, he’s been able to focus on his studies and remain at CIM through the COVID-19 pandemic. But this gift has also left a meaningful impact on the Harvies. Initially attracted to the idea of supporting CIM students in general, since 2020, the couple has found Thiago Silva-Correia joy in watching their support transform one extraordinary individual. They’ve witnessed firsthand the profound artistic and personal changes Silva-Correia, along with the rest of his CIM peers, have undergone, and now describe their connection to the bassist as “incredibly meaningful.”
“It is a privilege to support classical music, and we are grateful and fortunate to be able to create a named scholarship,” the Harvies said.
A New Path to Greatness: Changes Coming to Preparatory Program
(photos by Robert Muller)
CIM is committed to ensuring a bright future for classical music and that begins with our youngest students. A year and a half ago, a task force of faculty, staff and board members convened to evaluate CIM’s Preparatory programs. After much research and thoughtful discussion, it reached the enthusiastic consensus that it is time for CIM Prep to move toward a comprehensive model of music education, beginning in August 2022. At the heart of the new system will be the Academy at CIM, a program inspired by successful models elsewhere and intended to make CIM the preeminent pre-college classical music education center in the Great Lakes region. It will deliver focused musical training in a supportive, collaborative environment wholly committed to seeing students complete their own unique journeys. Complementing the Academy – best suited for students in middle or high school – will be other foundational music education programs as well as the ongoing Young Artist Program for exceptional adolescent musicians seeking Conservatory-style training. For more information visit cim.edu/academy.
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The First Future of Music Faculty Fellowship Concludes
The first Future of Music Faculty Fellowship concluded in late January with a virtual workshop led by Joan Maze, the program’s dynamic facilitator. It was the last of several online gatherings during which 35 fellows learned from faculty of color about careers in academia. “It was such a pleasure working with such brilliant and accomplished musicians and scholars, and seeing them recognize and realize their power to change and advance the field of music education,” Maze said. “They are the future of music in the academy.” Through the Future of Music Faculty Fellowship, powered by the Sphinx Organization, CIM designated a valuable space for aspiring music faculty to connect and support each other, a space designed for and led by people of color, with input from expert Black and Latinx voices. The original vision for the fellowship included a grand in-person finale at SphinxConnect in Detroit. With the pandemic still in full force, however, the event shifted online. It was a fitting end to a program that had been conceived as a 10-day intensive in Cleveland but ultimately took place entirely over Zoom. No one, though, was disappointed. On the contrary, the fellows consistently noted how important the sessions were to them, how rare the opportunity. Plans for a second edition are already underway. CIM looks forward to reaching another group of rising academic stars.
Alumni: Refer Your Students The Admission Office has created a referral program to connect with students of alumni. We know that you are incredible teachers and would love to meet your students. Refer your students to CIM here: application.cim.edu/register/alumni_recommendation. Your students can also visit us in person by signing up for a tour: application.cim.edu/portal/cim_tour. If you or your students have any questions about the application or audition process, feel free to connect with us at admission@cim.edu. SU M M E R 2022
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NOTEWORTHY Commencement Weekend Honored Violinist Jennifer Koh and Alumni
From left: Jennifer Koh (photo by Jeurgen Frank), Michelle Cann (photo by Steven Mareazi Willis), Jerod Impichchaachaaha’ Tate (photo by Shevaun Williams) and Ryan Anthony
CIM’s 2022 Commencement weekend was a star-studded affair. Over two days, no less than four acclaimed artists, including three CIM alumni, received special recognition. Violinist Jennifer Koh received an Honorary Doctor of Musical Arts and delivered the keynote address at Commencement. Pianist Michelle Cann (BM ’09, MM ’10, Schenly/D. Shapiro) was awarded the 2022 Alumni Achievement Award, while composer-pianist Jerod Impichchaachaaha’ Tate (MM ’00, Erb/Pastor) received the 2022 Distinguished Alumni Award. A second Distinguished Alumni Award went posthumously to trumpeter Ryan Anthony (BM ’91, MM ’93, Zauder). Cann and Koh also performed at the Luminaries Benefit Concert on May 13 and were joined by Charles Renneker (BM ’20, MM ’22, Damoulakis/Yancich) who performed a piece by Tate. “CIM could not be prouder of these exceptional members of our community,” said Executive Vice President and Provost Scott Harrison. Recognized worldwide for intense, commanding performances, Koh is a forward-thinking artist dedicated to exploring a broad and eclectic range of repertoire while also advocating equity and inclusivity in classical music. Cann, cited by critics as a “compelling, sparkling virtuoso,” made her orchestral debut at 14 and has since performed as a soloist with numerous major orchestras, including The Cleveland Orchestra. Tate, winner of a 2006 Alumni Achievement Award, is a pianist and composer who uses music to share his Chickasaw culture. He has written for numerous major orchestras and ensembles and his music has been performed throughout the world. Until his death in June 2020, Anthony had been principal trumpet of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra since 2004, and before that, a member of Canadian Brass. He also won an Alumni Achievement Award in 2001.
Partners for CIM Student Assistance Fund The pandemic may be waning and musical life returning to normal, but CIM students still need help. Enter the Partners for CIM Student Assistance Fund (SAF), a resource to help students raise the profile of CIM and grow as artists through supporting participation in auditions, competitions, festivals, workshops and recording activities. Early in the pandemic, the SAF made a generous grant to CIM’s COVID-19 Relief Fund. More recently, as in-person events and travel have resumed, the fund has supported its first composer, Professional Studies student Sami Seif (BM ’21, Fitch), in pursuit of a recording contract, as well as students eyeing competitions. The SAF is funded entirely by donations from Partners for CIM members as well as other friends of CIM and concert patrons. All funds go directly to students. CIM is the only independent conservatory in the nation with a Student Assistance Fund. To contribute to this uniquely impactful resource, visit cim.edu/aboutcim/partners-for-cim/join. Click on “Please direct my gift towards” and select “The Partners for CIM Student Assistance Fund.” Your support is greatly appreciated. 6
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Joela Jones Receives Cleveland Orchestra’s Distinguished Service Award All CIM graduates go on to great things. Some even manage to make history. Take Joela Jones (BM ’66, MM ’67), the former principal keyboard of The Cleveland Orchestra. When she retired in October after 54 seasons, she did so as both the recipient of the group’s highest honor, a Distinguished Service Award, and its longest serving principal. Jones deserved the spotlight, which included a short film in her honor, in spades. A child prodigy, the Miami native began her studies at the Eastman School of Music. She then enrolled at CIM, where she earned two degrees under two keyboard legends: Arthur Loesser and Victor Babin. Her career in Cleveland commenced in 1967, when she made her debut with The Cleveland Orchestra at Blossom Music Center. Hired by renowned music director George Szell in 1968, Jones quickly made herself both versatile and indispensable to every subsequent director, playing not only piano but also organ, harpsichord and celesta in hundreds of performances and premieres, and accompanying the Cleveland Orchestra Chorus.
Joela Jones (photo by Hilary Bovay)
In 1993, Jones joined her husband, Cleveland Orchestra first assistant principal cellist Richard Weiss, on the CIM faculty, thereby compounding her influence on future generations and bolstering her already strong commitment to education efforts by the orchestra. CIM granted her a Distinguished Alumni Award in 2006.
“Cleveland has undoubtedly been made richer by Joela’s musical gifts,” said CIM’s Executive Vice President and Provost Scott Harrison. “We are indeed fortunate to count her among CIM’s most distinguished alumni and faculty.”
Heading into the Next Century at CIM When CIM Head of Composition Keith Fitch was commissioned in 2019 to write an orchestral piece marking CIM’s centennial, he had no premonition of the work’s future significance. He had no idea it would come to symbolize the school’s resilience. Its title, “Alee” [ah-LAY], is a nautical term for steering away from bad weather. Fitch said arriving at that one word was almost as tough as writing the music. “It took me a while to come up with a title I thought was appropriate but not too obvious,” he said. “Once I came upon ‘Alee,’ though, everything started to click.” Formally, the piece is in two sections: a slow opening centered around a long melodic line, followed by the main movement, a collection of smaller sections, each faster than the one before it. “Tempo-wise,” Fitch said, “it’s one long accelerando.” It’s also new musical territory for Fitch. In keeping with his personal mission to experiment, Fitch said he pushed his “free and/or unmetered” style further than usual by asking percussionists to improvise at a few key points. Others do the same elsewhere, including the principal trumpet, trombones, piano and clarinets. All this improvising and avoiding trouble applied well to the centennial but took on extra meaning in light of the pandemic and CIM’s determined response. The coup de grâce came March 23, 2022, when the CIM Orchestra gave Alee its premiere at Severance Music Center, led by principal conductor Carlos Kalmar.
“I think Alee is a nice metaphor for the school heading into its next century,” Fitch said.
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NOTEWORTHY Dido and Aeneas Film Premieres Henry Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas may be over 300 years old, but as CIM Opera Theater recently proved, the work still has considerable modern relevance. Thinking far outside the box during the pandemic, CIM artists in collaboration with Akron’s Red Point Digital produced a film version of the Baroque opera, using the former Westinghouse Factory in Cleveland as an open-air set. The final cut was screened to great acclaim in Mixon Hall on March 18, 2022. The project kicked off in early 2021 with vocal coaching and chorus rehearsals. Each singer then recorded a solo track, accompanied by harpsichord or cello, and the CIM Orchestra under conductor Harry Davidson recorded the remaining instrumental music. All of this was masterfully stitched together into a single cohesive performance by CIM’s Grammy Award-winning engineer Alan Bise (BM ’94, Knab). Then all the action shifted to Westinghouse, a large facility on Cleveland’s west side. There, on sunny days in April and May, after most CIM students had already left for the summer, cast and chorus filmed the entire opera, timing it to the soundtrack they’d recorded earlier. Under the visionary leadership of Red Point’s Eric Vaughan, all found a safe space in which to tell the classic story with a savvy, technological twist.
(photos by Red Point Digital)
It was a rich learning experience for all. The students, for their part, gained a new appreciation for the deep connection between singing and acting – and what is possible when they’re separated. Everyone, meanwhile, including the faculty, got a hands-on lesson in operatic creativity and passed with flying colors.
CIM Announces $1 Million Scholarship Gift from Susan Rothmann, Philip Paul and Jeremy Paul A major gift from CIM Board Chair Susan Rothmann, and her husband and son, Philip Paul and Jeremy Paul, has paved the way for countless future pianists at CIM. With their $1 million bequest, announced in March, the family established the Lola M. and Bruce F. Rothmann Dean’s Scholarship for Piano. The gift, which honors the parents of Susan Rothmann, provides scholarship support to deserving students studying piano full-time. “Students come here believing this is the place to realize their dream to be a successful classical musician,” said Susan Rothmann. “Let us support those dreams.” The Rothmann-Paul family joins a growing list of generous CIM donors who have established significant scholarship funds as part of CIM’s Second Century Campaign, whose goal is to lower the cost of tuition and secure CIM’s place as a top independent conservatory. It is the ninth full-ride scholarship fund established as part of the campaign since 2017.
From left: Philip Paul, Susan Rothmann and Jeremy Paul (photo by Jeremy Paul)
The endowed scholarship is the largest but far from the first gift to CIM from the Rothmann and Rothmann-Paul families. Both Lola M. and Bruce F. Rothmann were longtime CIM board members. They also were active supporters of the arts in Northeast Ohio, volunteering with the Akron Symphony Orchestra, Children’s Concert Society of Akron and Tuesday Musical Association, among other organizations. Susan Rothmann herself has been board chair since September 2020. The family also has supported CIM materially. In addition to creating the scholarship fund, Susan Rothmann along with her sisters, Pamela Rothmann and Beth Rusnak, donated their mother’s cherished Steinway piano to the school in spring 2021. 8
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CIM’s Governing Members: Sounds of the Season
Dr. Eugene Blackstone speaking with faculty Dr. Mary Schiller and François Germain and undergraduate voice student Shira Ziv
Master’s student Sol M. Rizzato performing Play a Simple Melody by Irving Berlin
Master’s student Ralph Holtzhauser performing music by J.S. Bach on the Blackstone Pipe Organ
(photos by Alex Cooke)
Organ concerts don’t get much more magical than this. In November, CIM’s Governing Members gathered for a recital not at a church or concert hall but in a home. Specifically, the east-side home of Governing Members Dr. and Mrs. Eugene Blackstone. There, on the nation’s third-largest residential pipe organ, a group of student organists presented a slate of works by Bach, Berlin, Duruflé, Langlais, Widor, Stravinsky and CIM faculty Lisa Rainsong (DMA ’99, Brouwer). There was a voice in the mix too, as student soprano Shira Ziv, student of Mary Schiller, joined with organists Ralph Holtzhauser, Sol M. Rizzato, Donald VerKuilen and JoEllen West (all students of Todd Wilson). To learn more about the Governing Members, CIM’s group of lead supporters, visit cim.edu/governingmembers.
Payne Fund Prize Winners Represent CIM with Asheville Symphony If any musically inclined residents of Asheville, North Carolina, weren’t familiar with CIM before, they probably are now, after a recent performance there by two of the school’s brightest stars. In November, violinists Alina Kobialka (BM ’20, MM ’21) and Megan Lin were the soloists in Bach’s Double Violin Concerto with the Asheville Symphony and conductor Darko Butorac. They appeared as the first pair of winners of the Payne Fund Prize, an award to notable musicians granted by the Cleveland-based charitable arm of the Bolton family.
“We’re incredibly proud of Alina and Megan and look forward to celebrating their successes in the years to come,” said Scott Harrison, CIM’s executive vice president and provost. Kobialka, an experienced soloist who made her debut at 10 and took second at the 2017 Elmar Oliveira International Violin Competition, transferred to CIM to study with violinist Ilya Kaler. She said her training gave her “complete confidence and versatility” in her Asheville performance. Lin, a current CIM student and member of the Elless Quartet, expressed gratitude for the support From left: Alina Kobialka and Megan Lin and connections she’s received from teachers Jaime Laredo and Jan Sloman. Lin is a native of (photo by Michael Morel) Plano, Texas, and was named a Young Master by the Texas Commission on the Arts in 2018. She plays a Scarampella violin donated to CIM by John Bolton. The Payne Fund was established in Cleveland in 1929 by the late Frances Payne and Chester Castle Bolton. They created the fund to enrich Northeast Ohioans through support of education and cultural initiatives. For decades, the fund has supported many facets at CIM, including scholarships, special campaigns and the Payne Fund Prize. SU M M E R 2022
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NOTEWORTHY Four Additions to CIM’s Faculty
From left: Nathaniel Silberschlag, Maximilian Dimoff (photo by Roger Mastroianni), Jessica Lee and Philip Setzer (photo by Jürgen Frank)
Three Cleveland Orchestra members and one renowned string quartet player joined the CIM faculty, bolstering three departments and increasing Cleveland Orchestra representation at CIM to 40. Three were appointed last summer: Nathaniel Silberschlag, principal horn of The Cleveland Orchestra; Jessica Lee, assistant concertmaster of The Cleveland Orchestra; and Philip Setzer, founding violinist of the Emerson String Quartet. Maximilian Dimoff, Cleveland Orchestra’s principal bass, returned to CIM in January. Dean Southern, dean of the conservatory, highlighted their illustrious backgrounds, noting their commitments to excellence and community engagement and the “vibrant energy and joy” in their teaching. Silberschlag joined The Cleveland Orchestra in 2019 after serving as assistant principal of the Washington National Opera Orchestra. He is recruiting for 2022-23 and will co-teach with Cleveland Orchestra colleague Richard King. Setzer, a co-founder of the Emerson String Quartet, has been a CIM visiting faculty member since 2018 and is now artistic director of string chamber music. He boasts a vast catalog of recordings and also teaches at the Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival. Lee, too, has been on CIM’s visiting faculty. She joined The Cleveland Orchestra in 2016 after solo appearances with the Houston, Grand Rapids and Richmond symphonies, and winning the prestigious Concert Artists Guild International Competition in 2005. Dimoff has been principal of The Cleveland Orchestra since 1997, after seats in San Antonio, Grant Park and Seattle. He led CIM’s double bass department for 17 years before stepping away in 2017. At CIM, where he is recruiting for 2022-23, he joins orchestra colleagues Scott Dixon and Derek Zadinsky.
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STRING CHAMBER MUSIC PROGRAM RETURNS STRONGER THAN EVER By Zachary Lewis
Philip Setzer and Si-Yan Darren Li performing alongside students in a collaborative chamber music recital, Philip Setzer and Friends, on April 29 (photos by Robert Muller)
The COVID-19 pandemic didn’t just spare the renowned string chamber music program at CIM. True to the old adage, it made it stronger. So, at least, says cellist Si-Yan Darren Li, program director of string chamber music, which is comprised of dozens of groups. When, after lockdown, he sat down to play with students and colleagues again, the difference, he says, was palpable. “CIM students have always loved chamber music, but this time there was an urge,” Li recalls. “It was very inspirational and encouraging for me as a teacher.”
The experience of Philip Setzer, artistic director of string chamber music, was even more profound. At that point, the founding violinist of the legendary Emerson String Quartet had only been on the faculty at CIM a short while. Thus, for him, returning to live music was like living a famous scene from The Wizard of Oz. He was the man behind the curtain and his students at CIM were Dorothy and her friends, meeting a figure they’d only known virtually. “Some of these people, I hadn’t seen them in person yet,” Setzer recalls. “We’d only worked together online. Hearing their sound and my sound finally come together was truly, deeply moving. It was the same for every student I saw.”
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In truth, the chamber music program was never in any danger. Much as they do orchestral music and opera, teachers and students at CIM value chamber music far too highly ever to let it go. Indeed, it’s part of what makes the school special. “Everyone here understands the important role the art of chamber music plays in music education,” Setzer explained. “What’s unusual about CIM is that there’s such a strong orchestra culture and yet chamber music is not cast aside.” “It’s already been one of the best experiences of my education,” added Emera Gurath (violin, Rose), a master’s student and participant in CIM’s Advanced String Quartet Program. “Even if I don’t do it as a career, I don’t ever want chamber music not to be a big part of my life.” That’s not to say there weren’t setbacks, especially in the early days of the pandemic, during the reign of social distancing. More than almost any other musical discipline, chamber music demands closeness. It hinges on the ability of players to hear and respond to each other naturally. Take away that intimacy or throw up a digital go-between like Zoom and everything suffers. The players may get through a piece, but it’s likely to lack the spark and vitality of a live performance. Masking? No problem. Getting vaccinated? Easy. Remaining six or more feet apart when playing Beethoven and Haydn? Well, that was just downright unpleasant. “The distance, for me, was the real challenge,” Li said. “You can’t hear very well when everyone is far away. It really made all of us exaggerate our body movements, just to stay together.” 12
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There were upsides to the down time, of course. Setzer said he genuinely enjoyed the opportunity the pandemic provided to engage in comparative listening and mine instructional gems from his background playing with Emerson and growing up with parents in The Cleveland Orchestra. It let him be the teacher he’s always wanted to be. “I have all this experience and information that was just given to me and I want to pass that on,” Setzer said. “It’s something I really, really enjoy doing. The students, to their credit, really pitched in and made that time feel worthwhile.” There was even value in spending time apart. True to another adage, absence made the hearts of CIM’s chamber music students grow fonder, such that when the program resumed in person, the level of playing was automatically higher.
“Their appreciation for creating live music, in person, had increased so much,” Li said. “They came into rehearsals better prepared than ever.” That passion has endured. Today, as the pandemic enters a more manageable phase, the string chamber music program is thriving. Li, a graduate of The Juilliard School, said he regularly sees about 30 ensembles, many of which he organized himself, including mixed groups with pianists and wind players. Over the course of 15 weeks, he, Setzer, and a handful of other coaches and guest artists spend a total of 10 hours with each ensemble.
Groups in the Advanced String Quartet Program receive even more attention. “It’s pretty awesome,” said Li, noting the special impact of Setzer and a list of world-renowned guest artists. “That love is still there. A lot of what we already had was working beautifully. But now we’ve added to the program and made it even more beneficial.” Certainly it has benefited Gurath. Not only has the Advanced String Quartet Program redefined her notion of hard work, it’s also made her a better musician, she said, an artist better equipped to make music with groups of all sizes. “Chamber music is the perfect marriage,” Gurath said. “You’re like a soloist, but you also have to work together. It makes you much more of a problem solver and gives you tools. It teaches you how to listen.” Li and Setzer’s number-one goal may be to produce great chamber groups, but they also aim to produce capable allaround musicians and good people. They don’t expect every student to join a legendary string quartet, although many do become chamber music professionals. They do, however, hope graduates will take what they learn and apply it to whatever form of music or line of work they end up pursuing. After all, the ability to find common ground and work hard together is vital in every profession, whether the subject is a symphony, a sonata or a spreadsheet. “We don’t always get to work with our best friends,” Li said. “ I think that’s what’s really beautiful about chamber music studies. Whether you do music or not, you need to have the skills to work
with people and be responsible. Enthusiasm is much needed, but to do anything well, it takes hard work and commitment, persistence and resilience.” Gurath, for her part, said her experience with chamber music already has affected her life outside performing. To her surprise, serving as an ambassador for the string chamber music program revealed a possible future in teaching. “It made me realize I had something to say and input to give,” she said. When it comes to teaching, Setzer has big plans, too. His vision for chamber music at CIM includes arranging more side-by-side and collaborative performances in which multiple groups play different movements of one piece. He’d also like to introduce multimedia concerts, in which performers display and talk about a score before playing it. “The audience loves it,” he said. “Even if they can’t read music, they experience what it is to learn music.” Li isn’t done building the program, either. His over-arching objective is to serve more effectively as a bridge to the professional arena, to give his CIM charges all the help he himself received, and more. Meanwhile, with the pandemic still underway, he’s also teaching a new lesson, one that may be more important than ever: seize the day. “You never know,” Li said. “2020 might repeat. I always tell my students not to take anything for granted. Every moment is a gift.”
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A UNANIMOUS CHOICE: CIM NAMES BARBARA ROBINSON A LIFE TRUSTEE By Zachary Lewis CIM doesn’t confer its highest honor on just anyone. Indeed, until recently, the school had only bestowed the title of Life Trustee on one other person. If anyone has earned the label, though, it’s Barbara Robinson. When, at its annual meeting last December, CIM’s Board of Trustees named the longtime music-lover and Cleveland philanthropist a Life Trustee and awarded her a medal, support for the moves were unanimous. Had the meeting taken place in-person rather than virtually, “I would be rallying us to a standing ovation in Barbara’s honor,” said CIM President and CEO Paul Hogle. Board Chair Susan Rothmann echoed that sentiment, calling Robinson “a woman I have admired as a mentor and friend…my personal inspiration of leadership and philanthropy.” Robinson, of course, is more than a great supporter of CIM. Unlike A. Malachi Mixon III, namesake of the concert hall at CIM and the man for whom CIM created the title of Life Trustee in 2017, she’s also a former student. So far did Robinson take her musical education, she went on to perform with the Boston Pops, and in 2006, CIM awarded her an Honorary Doctor of Musical Arts. In her remarks accepting the Life Trustee honor, the Wellesley College graduate recalled her days as a young piano student in CIM’s Preparatory Division, leaping around a Dalcroze eurhythmics class. She smiled at the observation that now, instead of rhythm flash cards, she’s holding a medal, one designed by professor Matthew Hollern of the Cleveland Institute of Art. The one-time student at CIM has become a pillar of the school. “Having gone through that transition,” Robinson mused, “I am particularly proud and grateful for this honor.” Robinson’s impact on CIM is difficult to overstate. A member of the school’s Century Circle, she’s created legacies that transcend instrument, department and time period, and will help 14 14
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Barbara Robinson (photo by Tyler Scott)
generations of students live out CIM’s mission as the future of classical music. For one thing, Robinson has been a Trustee a long time – nearly five decades. For another, she’s been exceptionally active. Although her term as chair from 1987 to 1991 was particularly impactful, the truth is Robinson has always worked tirelessly to guarantee that CIM students have both the material and artistic resources they require in their pursuit of musical excellence. Robinson’s leadership and generosity “will resound through the halls, practice rooms, concert stages and the board room for years to come,” Rothmann said. She might also have mentioned CIM’s music library, which also bears Robinson’s name. Of course, Robinson has supported much more than capital projects and other physical improvements. Of arguably even greater significance have been her gifts helping CIM graduates land their dream jobs and making it possible for more students to enroll at CIM in the first place.
From left: Caleb Cox and Grace Roepke
From left: Barbara Robinson and Paul Hogle (photo by Tyler Scott)
In 2019, Robinson gifted $1.5 million to CIM to establish the Robinson Family Presidential Scholarship. The fund, which accompanied a $1 million Dean’s Scholarship gift from Mixon, covers full tuition as well as room, board and other fees for one exceptional student every year.
a long string of high honors from cultural and health services organizations around the region and even in the nation’s capital.
Two years later, in October 2021, Robinson’s gifts did it again, endowing another vital tool, the Robinson Orchestral Career Fellowship. In that program’s first iteration, two recent graduates – violist Caleb Cox (MM ’19, Jackobs/Vernon) and harpist Grace Roepke (BM ’19, MM ’21, Kondonassis) – received full financial support as they pursued Artist Diplomas and engaged in an array of professional development experiences including mock auditions, networking events and recording projects. Robinson, in accepting the Life Trustee honor, said she is proud to have helped make CIM the high-ranking, nationally competitive institution it is today. “After many years of cultivation,” she said, “CIM is now one of the handful of our nation’s leading private, independent music conservatories.” Hogle returned the compliment, describing Robinson in his announcement of the Career Fellowship as a “CIM luminary” and “a staunch advocate for ambitious, rigorous, sequential preparation for music students of all ages,” including those like Cox and Roepke, players “poised on the brink of their careers as orchestral musicians of the highest artistic standing.”
Two of CIM’s peer institutions in University Circle, the Cleveland Museum of Art and The Cleveland Orchestra, also have named Robinson an honorary or life trustee. Meanwhile, she’s also a life member of the board of trustees of University Hospital’s Case Medical Center. Beyond that, Robinson spent 15 years fighting for local, state and regional arts organizations as chair of the Ohio Arts Council, Arts Midwest and the Washington, DC-based National Assembly of State Arts Agencies. Thus, when she thanked Robinson, Rothmann took the long view. She praised CIM’s second Life Trustee the way one might hail a great, prolific author: not for any one gesture in particular but rather for her whole body of work. “I cannot thank [Robinson] enough for the example she has set of humble leadership and unwavering dedication,” Rothmann said. “Her unflagging enthusiasm for our work has seen the future of classical music become the present.”
CIM isn’t alone in its gratitude to Robinson. In truth, CIM is just one of many fortunate institutions Robinson has supported with tireless leadership and generosity over the years. Likewise, her new Life Trustee award from CIM is only the most recent in SU M M E R 2022
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MEET THE PROVOST By Matthew Arnold Scott Harrison began his tenure at CIM in August 2021. Hailed by the LA Times as a leader with “imagination and ambition,” he brings to the post almost two decades of experience in arts management. He also has held senior leadership positions with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra and Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra. From concert programming, artistic partnerships and marketing to advancement, community building and board engagement, he has lived in the worlds CIM students aspire to reach. Provost Harrison has a Bachelor of Music in bassoon performance and a Bachelor of Arts in political science from Northwestern University, as well as a Master of Music in bassoon performance from Southern Methodist University. He has performed with orchestras of all sizes, from the Indianapolis to the Irving (Texas) symphonies, and in Broadway and opera pits. He’s also taught in schools across the country. His boundless energy comes not from caffeine (he doesn’t drink coffee!) but rather from the passion and determination others bring to the collaborative process. We caught up with Scott to find out how he’s settling in. The role of provost has been a fixture at larger universities but is new to CIM. What can we expect from you? At CIM, the provost is the chief academic and artistic officer. My job is to ensure there’s cohesion, clarity, excellence and ample resources behind everything educational and artistic. CIM’s identity is composed of multiple divisions: not only the Conservatory but also Preparatory, general studies (Joint Music Program) and now post-graduate programs like the new Robinson Orchestral Career Fellowship. You can expect a unified approach as we continue to expand CIM’s presence. You’ve been tasked with strategic improvement across the organization. It feels like a transformative moment for the school and for the students. What’s the biggest change factor as you see it? We’ve adopted the 2.0 moniker, which suggests that the underlying architecture or software at CIM is strong. Our job is to be receptive to the changing musical world around us, 16
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Scott Harrison
to deliver the next and better version of everything we do. Those who don’t know us well might think CIM is a traditional institution, but our first music director, the Swiss-Jewish immigrant Ernest Bloch, instilled trailblazing ideas about composition, pedagogy and the role of music in society. Since its inception, CIM has always been willing to examine and evolve, and I think that’s what we’re doing again right now. You’ve also been tasked with strengthening and forging partnerships. What’s your philosophy in that arena? I’ve always believed that when you bring together organizations with shared values but different competencies, you create something that is so much greater than the sum of the parts. We’re building and enhancing relationships with Case Western Reserve University, The Cleveland Orchestra, Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland Institute of Art, Art Song Festival, Cleveland School of the Arts, Assembly for the Arts and many more. Whether large or small, these organizations represent the diversity and beauty of Northeast Ohio and can help prepare our students for future careers as artists while building a more meaningful community presence for CIM.
Scott Harrison and Paul Hogle getting to know students during orientation (photo by Tara Stephens)
Scott Harrison speaking with Titus Underwood (BM ’08, Mack/Rosenwein/Rathbun) and his wife, Amanda, at the annual school picnic (photo by Robert Muller)
The collective conversation on diversity, equity and inclusion is uncommonly broad and thorough. How is the conversation going at CIM?
student in Northeast Ohio, where can I go to join a community around the thing about which I’m the most passionate? As an early career professional, where can I go for development to hone the skills I need to stay competitive and relevant? As an educator or administrator, where can I go to have honest conversations about how the field of music is changing? These next 5 to 10 years should reinforce CIM as a center for everything that is meaningful, needed and exciting in classical music.
CIM is a national leader in the diversity of our student body. The next question we must address is, “How inclusive and equitable are we willing to be?” Our Future of Music Faculty Fellowship, which just completed its inaugural year, provides pathways for Black and Latinx professionals entering the music professoriate. This program has taught us that the educators of the future need more than just skills and tools training. They need time with leading musicians of color who can speak about the joys and struggles of succeeding in a field that has historically asked them to check their identities at the classroom or stage door. The Fellows have met with folks ranging from former University of Richmond President (and former CIM Dean) Ronald Crutcher to internationally acclaimed musician, composer and educator Wynton Marsalis for honest and inspiring conversations. In truth, though, these experiences have impacted all of us at CIM. The Fellowship has reminded me of the progress we still have to make. We need to diversify our faculty, staff and board, and then listen to those new voices until we truly become the welcoming and inclusive environment our young musicians need to succeed and thrive. Organizations are constantly evolving. As CIM begins its second century, where do you see the school going in the next 5 to 10 years and what in that future excites you the most? CIM will remain the answer to all of the following questions: As a college student, where should I go to pursue a successful, purposeful and fulfilling career in music? As a high school music
While I have you, can you talk about your involvement with BLUME Haiti? I’ve been inspired by the countless Trustees, donors and CIM community members who commit tirelessly to the future of our school. Similarly, the philanthropic passion of my life has been my work with Building Leaders Using Music Education (BLUME) Haiti, of which I’m a founding board member. We just celebrated 10 years of supporting music education in Haiti, strengthening the physical and human infrastructure of nearly 50 Haitian music schools and enabling them to provide outlets for creativity and personal development to talented youth across the country. Haiti is a nation in tremendous need. At the same time, Haitians are resilient and filled with a love for music. That love deserves nurturing and support. In a country where so much is unreliable, BLUME Haiti has helped music schools remain a source of strength and stability amidst the most challenging of situations. Every time I return from Haiti, I realize my Haitian friends have taught me something new about what is possible and given me the resolve to be a better steward of the tremendous wealth and opportunity we have in the United States.
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ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT GUIDE DOWN A NEW PATH: JEROD TATE CREDITS CIM FOR NURTURING A DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI By Zachary Lewis
“I’m very proud of CIM and of being a graduate of the school. I feel like I’m standing on the shoulders of many. It’s like I’m in a big group hug.”
Jerod Impichchaachaaha’ Tate (photo by Shevaun Williams)
One of several people to whom Jerod Impichchaachaaha’ Tate (MM ’00, Erb/Pastor) gives credit for receiving CIM’s 2022 Distinguished Alumni Award is an audience member at a recital of his in Washington, DC. It was she, after all, who directed him to CIM in the first place. Had she not encouraged him, he knows, the citizen of the Chickasaw Nation in Oklahoma wouldn’t have thought of CIM, let alone have applied, enrolled or graduated with a double major. He certainly wouldn’t have won the school’s highest honor, and even more importantly, he wouldn’t have found the musical home that forged him into the accomplished pianist, composer and teacher he is today. “My relationship with CIM runs deep,” says Tate, who now lives in Oklahoma City. “I’m very proud of CIM and of being a graduate of the school. I feel like I’m standing on the shoulders of many. It’s like I’m in a big group hug.” Two other important figures in that spiritual embrace are Tate’s teachers at CIM, pianist Elizabeth Pastor and composer Donald Erb, both now deceased. Tate brags on his school-mates and is grateful for the many substantial scores they’ve commissioned from him, but it’s his two mentors, he says, who had the profoundest effect. 18
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Tate’s father, Charles, was a classically trained baritone, but it was Pastor, he says, who truly attuned his ear to the singing line in everything, an ability that now permeates both his playing and his own music. Erb, meanwhile, after hesitating to allow Tate to pursue composition as a double major at the graduate level, proved to be just the nurturing presence he needed. Tate may have been the only American Indian in Erb’s studio, but in that space, the budding composer felt anything but isolated or foreign. Rather, he was valued and taken seriously. CIM, to him, felt less like a conservatory than it did an academy. “I had two teachers who were sent from God,” Tate explains. “The support they gave me was just phenomenal. They cared deeply about who I was. It wasn’t a single school of thought. There was a strong diversity of spirits and I was constantly learning from my colleagues.” Whatever Pastor and Erb gave Tate, it was a lot. Since his graduation from CIM in 2000, Tate has gone on to a career that would be the envy of just about anyone in music. Thanks in part to the CIM alumni network, Tate has composed for a veritable who’s who of musical America including the National and Detroit symphony orchestras, American Composers Forum and Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival. With him as their guide, the San Francisco Symphony and Chorus performed and recorded its first work in an American Indian language, lengthening an already long paper trail with even more positive coverage. He’s also traveled uncommonly far in the world of recording. After being drawn into the medium by CIM recording faculty Alan Bise (BM ’94, Knab) and the late Bruce Egre, whose standards he said were “unmatched” in the field, Tate maintained his relationship with the audio department, immortalizing much of his own music as well as that of his students at the Chickasaw Summer Arts Academy, on the Cleveland-based label Azica Records. For all this, too, Tate is inclined to share credit. He’s proud of how hard he works and how seriously he takes his craft, but when it comes to his artistic identity, he can’t help but acknowledge others, especially his mother, Patricia Tate. A groundbreaking dancer and choreographer, she instilled in her son the creative drive and bold, probing spirit that has separated him from the musical crowd. She, too, was his first patron, commissioning the ballet score Winter Moons, in which Tate first gave voice in classical form to his Chickasaw roots.
“I come from a legacy on both sides of my family,” Tate said. “I’ve got this double dose of maverick in me.” For all that Tate recognizes and treasures his forebears, those who came before him, he’s just as passionate about those further down the line, the young artists he said are “accelerating” after him. Simply put, few are doing more than Tate to build up Native musical youth. At Oklahoma City University, where he’s an adjunct instructor, he’s taking all that he gleaned from Erb, Pastor and his parents and applying it to the creation and development of a new generation of Native performers and composers. One thing he’s not doing: forcing anyone to imitate him, to the extent imitation is even possible. Not only are young American Indian composers “all over the map, literally…so far from each other,” Tate said. They’re also far apart culturally and stylistically, representing different tribes, traditions and musical languages in ways that cannot be treated alike. His job, he said, is to be a “walking encyclopedia of knowledge” and encourage students to be the best versions of themselves, just as Erb encouraged him. “They’re free to do anything they want, but I tell them nobody’s going to care that they’re Indian if it’s not any good,” Tate said. “That observation has had a great impact on our Native youth. I love spreading that message.” A different message appears to be spreading among the public. More rapidly than Tate could have imagined, the world is catching on to the allure of music by American Indian composers. In response, those composers are displaying the same sense of adventure their counterparts in visual art have been evincing for years. Tate, for his part, couldn’t be happier. He won’t take credit for the rise itself, but he can’t deny that he’s observed and been a part of it. He knows he’s channeling something that speaks to people everywhere. “I love our canon of [American Indian] legends and I see great parallels to legends all over the world,” Tate said. “I try to relate to people on that level. That’s what fires me up.” SU M M E R 2022
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ALUMNI NEWS Have some news? Visit cim.edu/alumni and click the Share Your News button. News is accepted on an ongoing basis and may be held until the next issue.
Alumni Matthew Ablan (MM ’98, Holmquist/Vieaux) released his first recording of original music, an EP entitled You & Me. William Bender (MM ’17, Vernon) won a section viola position in The Cleveland Orchestra.
Robert Dubbs (BM ’78, MM ’80, Podis/ Johannesen) was awarded a grant from the Ohio Arts Council and continues to maintain a private piano studio in Cleveland. Hollie Dzierzanowski (BM ’13, MM ’17, Konopka/Jackobs) won a section viola position with the Abilene Philharmonic. Joshua Elmore (YAP ’16, Stees) won principal bassoon with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra.
Arseny Gusev (BM ’22, Babayan/Fitch) performed on The Gilmore’s Rising Stars series in December 2021. Jennifer Ann Heemstra (MM ’02, Brown) launched Jen’s Deconstructed Concerts, a new online and in-person, socially distanced concert series in Brazil. She and violinist Patrick Yim (MM ’02, Updegraff/Preucil), who comprise the Hessler Street Duo, kicked off the new series performing seven concerts in two weeks.
Jennifer R. Ellis (MM ’12, Kondonassis) performed harp in the premiere of Indra’s Net by Meredith Monk and, as a 2022 LABA Fellow, will create and record a new set of pieces for harp.
Devin Hinzo (MM ’18, Rosenwein) was selected to participate in Sphinx LEAD (Leaders in Excellence, Arts & Diversity), a two-year leadership program designed to evolve the industry landscape by empowering the next generation of executive leaders.
Mackenzie Brauns (AD ’20, Stees) was accepted to the Civic Orchestra and appointed principal bassoon of the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra.
Marisa Esposito (MM ’17, AD ’19, Stees) won a fellowship position in the Stuttgart Philharmonic as well as second prize and the award for Best Artistic Creation in the Michal Spisak International Competition in Poland.
Maia Hoffman (BM ’20, Konopka/Vernon) won a one-year position with the Oregon Symphony.
Michelle Cann (BM ’09, MM ’10, Schenly/D. Shapiro) made her Cleveland Orchestra debut in July 2021 and won a 2021 Price Award in performance, awarded by the International Florence Price Festival.
Laura Frazelle (MM ’14, Updegraff) joined the Richmond Symphony’s violin section for the 2021-22 season and won the 2021 Virginia String Teachers Association Outstanding String Teacher of the Year Award.
Mary Costanza (BM ’85, Geber) released her latest CD on MSR Classics featuring cello sonatas by Brahms and Rachmaninoff.
Julián Fueyo (BM ’19, Fitch) won two prizes in the 2021 American Prize competition: the Ernst Bacon Memorial Award and the American Prize in Orchestral Composition for his work The Eleventh Heaven.
Sabrina Bradford (MM ’20, Rose) won a oneyear position in the Minnesota Orchestra.
Jennifer Porto Curry (MM ’02, PS ’03, Rinaldi/Vassos) received the Distinguished Alumni Award from Iowa State University’s Department of Music and Theatre. Alan DeMattia (MM ’80, Solis) retired from The Cleveland Orchestra in March, where he has been utility horn since 1984.
Elizabeth Furuta (BM ’13, MM ’15, Preucil/ Updegraff) won a section violin position with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra.
Nickitas Demos (DMA ’94, Erb) was awarded an American Prize in Composition for his piece Frontlash.
Ashlyn Gelman (MM ’20, Kuznetsova) was contracted with the Virginia Symphony Orchestra Chorus and Virginia Opera Chorus for their 2021-22 season and appeared in Virginia Opera’s production of The Sound of Music and in Beethoven 9 with the orchestra.
Natalie Lin Douglas (BM ’11, MM ’12, Kantor) was appointed assistant professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Music and Theater Arts.
Michal George (MM ’99, Holmquist) was appointed a full-time classical guitar faculty member at Hugo Lambrechts Music Centre in Cape Town, South Africa.
Chris Graham (MM ’10, AD ’13, Stout) won principal trombone in the Jacksonville Symphony. 20
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Monica Houghton’s (MM ’03, Brouwer) piece Respectfully yours premiered with the Reno Philharmonic and her String Quartet No. 3 was performed in Reno and Carson City, Nevada, by reNew String Quartet with co-sponsorship from the Tahoe Chamber Music Society. Rixiang Huang (BM ’17, Pompa-Baldi/Schenly) won first prize in the World Piano Teachers Association International Piano Competition. Jessica Hung (BM ’07, Kantor/Preucil/Rose) was appointed associate concertmaster of The Venice Symphony in Florida. Spencer Ingersoll (BM ’15, MM ’17, Irvine/ Ramsey/Vernon) won a section viola position in the Columbus Symphony. The Dalí Quartet, with alumni members Ari Isaacman-Beck (BM ’07, Updegraff) and Jesús Morales (BM ’95, Harris), was awarded Chamber Music America’s Guarneri Quartet Award. They also won second prize in the 2021 Piazzolla International Competition. Sara Jakubiak (MM ’04, Rinaldi) sang the role of Elisabeth in the LA Opera production of Wagner’s Tannhäuser under James Conlon.
Daniel Kaler (BM ’20, Kosower) won second prize in the International Clara Schumann Competition (Cello Master A). Borah Kang (MM ’06, Shapiro) was appointed to the Board of Directors at the Lake View Musical Society in Chicago, Illinois. Do-Hyun Kim (BM ’17, Babayan/Paik; AD ’21, Babayan) placed second in the Ferruccio Busoni International Piano Competition. Soovin Kim (1992-95, D. Cerone/Weilerstein) was appointed a visiting professor at the Yale School of Music. Katherine Kobylarz (MM ’18, Rose) and Julian Maddox (BM ’19, Preucil/Winkler; MM ’21, Laredo/Sloman) won one-year positions with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. Teppei Kono (BM ’01, PS ’03, Vassos, Rinaldi) stepped in for a last-minute role debut with New National Theatre of Tokyo’s production of Wagner’s Der Fliegende Holländer. Violist Ayane Kozasa (BM ’09, Docter) and her ensemble the Aizuri Quartet won the 2022 Cleveland Quartet Award. Hannah Lash (PS ’08, Kondonassis) performed on the premiere of her double harp concerto, The Peril of Dreams, with the Seattle Symphony. Chantel Leung (PS ’18, Dixon) won a oneyear position as principal double bass of the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra. Jane Liu (MM ’20, Shapiro/Pontremoli) was awarded the Audience Prize at the 2021 Australian Youth Classical Music Competition. Maxwell Lowery’s (BM ’20, Fitch/Irvine) work Moonlit Seascape was featured on the Cleveland Composers Guild video stream premiere in August 2021 as winner of the 2019-20 Collegiate Composition Contest. Stella Markou (MM ’00, Vassos) was awarded an American Prize in opera performance and directing for the University of Missouri-St. Louis’ production of Menotti’s The Medium. Sarah Miller (BM ’19, MM ’20, Kraut) won a one-year position with the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra. Aaron Mossburg (MM ’15, Vernon) won a viola position with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.
Daniel Overly (DMA ’17, Pontremoli) was appointed pianist of the Cleveland Orchestra Chorus, Cleveland Orchestra Youth Chorus and Blossom Festival Chorus.
Domenic Salerni (BM ’09, L. Cerone/Preucil), as a member of the Attacca Quartet, released two albums on Sony Classical: Real Life and Of All Joys.
The Catalyst Quartet, with alumni members Karla Donehew Perez (BM ’06, MM ’08, Kantor/D. Cerone/Preucil) and Karlos Rodriguez (BM ’00, Aaron), along with pianist Michelle Cann (BM ’09, MM ’10, Schenly/D. Shapiro) released an album, UNCOVERED, Volume 2: Florence B. Price, produced by Azica Records’ Alan Bise (BM ’94, Knab).
Sami Seif (BM ’21, Fitch) won first place in the solo piano category of the 2020 Abundant Silence Composition Contest, the University/ Emerging Composer division of the 2021 Robert Avalon International Composition Competition and Cleveland Composers Guild’s 2022 Composition Contest.
Andrew Peters (MM ’00, Wilson) was appointed organist and minister of music at Augustana Lutheran Church in Denver, Colorado. Erik Christian Peterson (MM ’06, DMA ’12, Konopka) was appointed executive director of the Taos School of Music, one of the country’s preeminent summer chamber music programs. Samantha Powell (BM ’21, Weiss) was one of five string musicians chosen by the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music for the next class of CSO/CCM Diversity Fellows. Todd Ranney (BM ’85, MM ’88, AD ’88, Vassos/Pastor) was promoted to full professor at Mansfield University of Pennsylvania, where he teaches voice and acting, and directs the annual opera productions. Renée Richardson (PS ’18, Schiller) was a Philadelphia District winner of the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition and a finalist in the Vincero World Singing Competition.
Kevin Thompson (PS ’19, Dixon) won an audition for “The President’s Own” Marine Band. Titus Underwood (BM ’08, Mack/Rosenwein/ Rathbun) was named one of the Top 30 Professionals of the Year by Musical America. Lucas Waldin (BM ’05, MM ’07, Smith/Topilow) conducted The Cleveland Orchestra at Blossom in an Aretha Franklin concert starring Capathia Jenkins. Chase Waterbury (YAP ’16) was appointed a trombone fellow at the New World Symphony. Jason Whetstone (BM ’99, Knab) produced, mixed and mastered his third album for Big Sky Quartet, entitled Red Fire Rising. He also co-arranges, sings harmony, and plays accordion, pennywhistle and zither with the ensemble. Dolores White (MM ’74, Edwards) was one of three winners of The Cleveland Orchestra’s 2022 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Service Award.
Juan Riveros (BM ’21, Kondonassis) was a winner at the 2022 Lyon & Healy Awards.
Mark Williams (BM ’02, King/Solis) was named the new CEO of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra.
Christopher Robinson (MM ’17, Kwuon) was recognized as a 2021 Knight Arts Champion by the Knight Foundation in Miami.
Ryan Yamashiro (MM ’19, Stees) won second bassoon with the Columbus Indiana Philharmonic.
Joshua Roman (BM ’04, MM ’05, Aaron/ Hoebig) was appointed the first-ever artist in residence of the Las Vegas Philharmonic.
Xiaoyang Zhang (AD ’20, Billions) was appointed an associate professor of voice at Shaoxing University.
Samuel Rosenthal (YAP ’18, Irvine) won second place in the Primrose International Viola Competition. Justin Rowan (MM ’17, Miller) won principal trumpet of the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra.
Students Jonas Aumiller (piano, Babayan) won first prize in the Brahms Piano Competition, hosted by Hochschule für Musik Detmold.
Zachary Brandon (violin, Laredo/Sloman) won first prize in the Mika Hasler Competition. SU M M E R 2022
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Catherina Carrington (voice, Kuznetsova) was named a 2022 YoungArts Finalist. Gastón Frydman (piano, Pompa-Baldi) signed a contract with MuchiMusic, a management company for Central and South America. Kitsho Hosotani (violin, O. Kaler) won the platinum medal in the Quebec International Music Competition, first prize in the “Bonn” Grand Prize Virtuoso Competition, first prize at the Golden Classical Music Awards Competition and grand prize in the “Salzburg” Grand Prize Virtuoso Competition. Allen Jiang (bassoon, Clouser) won principal bassoon of the Greenville Symphony Orchestra. Clara Kim (violin, Laredo/Sloman) and Minchae Kim (violin, Laredo) were laureates in the Senior Artist division and Michelle Bushkova (violin, I. Kaler/O. Kaler/PompaBaldi) was a laureate in the Young Artist division of the Chicago Violin Competition. Muyu Liu (piano, Pompa-Baldi) won second prize at the Shimoda International Music Competition in Japan. Alice Risov (viola, Ramsey) won a section viola position in the Columbus Symphony. Sol Rizzato (organ, Wilson) won the 2022 Immanuel Lutheran Organ Scholar Competition in Evanston, Illinois. Kristian Schembri’s (composition, Fitch) Cataclysmus was performed by The Malta Philharmonic Orchestra on a concert in Dubai as part of the Symphonic Middle East Festival. Gabriel Stossel (composition, Fitch) won second prize in the University/Emerging Composer division of the 2021 Robert Avalon International Composition Competition. Sam Watson (bassoon, Stees) won the bassoon/contrabassoon position with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra. Abigayle Williams (voice, Schiller) was appointed a voice instructor at the Fine Arts Association in Willoughby.
Preparatory Matthew Chang (piano, Nishimura) and Isabelle Liu (violin, I. Kaler/O. Kaler) won the Suburban Symphony Orchestra's Young Soloist Concerto Competition. 22
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Daniel Colaner (piano, Schulze) won the Euclid Symphony Orchestra Tom Baker Scholarship Award and was named the first prize winner of the Cleveland Pops Orchestra Gordon and Jean L. Petitt Young Artist Concerto Competition.
The 2021 American Viola Society Orchestral Audition Competition named their first prize award after Robert Vernon (viola) in honor of his legacy of teaching and performing.
Liam Cummins (composition, Conner) was named a 2022 YoungArts Finalist.
Shuai Wang (piano, BM ’03, MM ’05, AD ’07, DMA ’11, Schenly/Shapiro/Pontremoli/Jones) was named a Steinway Artist.
Elora Kares (cello/voice, Pereira/Stauch) received the Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Award and appeared on From the Top.
Derek Zadinsky (double bass) won assistant principal double bass of The Cleveland Orchestra.
Jamie Park (double bass, Rowell) was chosen to be a member of Carnegie Hall’s National Youth Orchestra. Travis Phillips (double bass, Rowell) won first place in the Cleveland Chapter of Sigma Alpha Iota Strings Competition. Preparatory alumnus Gareth Zehngut (viola, Irvine) won a section viola position in The Cleveland Orchestra.
Faculty Jeffrey Irvine (viola) and Lynne Ramsey (viola) were named among the 50 Extraordinary Leaders in 50 Years in an article in the journal of the American Viola Society. Mary Le Rouge (writing) coedited a book that was published by Routledge in March entitled Embodied Environmental Risk in Technical Communication: Problems and Solutions Toward Social Sustainability. Ida Mercer (cello, DMA ’86, Harris) performed the solo cello part on the world premiere of Caroline Shaw’s Brush at The Britt Music & Arts Festival in Jacksonville, Oregon. Lisa Rainsong (musicology, DMA ’99, Brouwer) was invited by the College of Wooster to speak on “Crickets and Katydids: Research by Ear” at a seminar for the combined biology and music departments. Michael Sachs (trumpet) and Yolanda Kondonassis (harp, BM ’86, MM ’89, Chalifoux) released a recording entitled Elegy... for those we lost, produced and engineered by Alan Bise (BM ’94, Knab) on Azica Records. Gerardo Teissonnière (piano, BM ’85, MM ’89, Vronsky Babin) released an album of the last three Beethoven piano sonatas for the Steinway & Sons Record Label in March.
In Memoriam Ronald H. Bell passed away December 22, 2021. He served as a CIM Trustee from 1998-2002. Everett A. Lee (BM ’41, Fuchs) passed away January 12, 2022. He was the first African American to conduct a major Broadway show and went on to a successful conducting career in Europe. Evelyn Lichtenberg (BM ’57) passed away November 26, 2021. She played violin in regional orchestras and string quartets, and later in life worked in the Cleveland Public Library’s Business and Economics Department. Elizabeth P. Litteral (DMA ’01, Rinaldi) passed away December 8, 2021. She served as director of music at the Beaumont School in Cleveland Heights, where she led multiple vocal and instrumental ensembles. Thomas C. Moore (BM ’86, MM ’88, Mack) passed away October 17, 2021. He was an oboist and teacher, as well as a producer who won four Grammy Awards and co-founded Five/ Four Productions. William A. Shapard passed away December 4, 2021. He served as a CIM Trustee from 1974-2002 and was a member of the Advisory Committee after 1982. Megan Thompson (MM ’14, Billions) passed away February 24, 2022. She was director of marketing and public relations at Cleveland Opera Theater and also directed a number of productions throughout her career. Herman Whitfield III (MM ’08, Pompa-Baldi/ Friscioni) passed away April 25, 2022. He was a pianist and teacher, as well as a composer with performances by the Indianapolis and Detroit symphonies.
LIFETIME GIVING Thank you to the many supporters past and present who have made a CIM education possible for generations and continue to shape the future of classical music. Following are some of the most generous donors whose lifetime giving to CIM has exceeded $250,000 (as of May 15, 2022). $10,000,000+ Cuyahoga Arts & Culture The Fred A. Lennon Charitable Trust $5,000,000 to $9,999,999 Kulas Foundation Barbara and Mal* Mixon $2,500,000 to $4,999,999 Mr. and Mrs. F. J. Callahan* Elizabeth D. Hicks* Barbara S. Robinson (HDMA ’06) $1,000,000 to $2,499,999 Gay C. and Edward Addicott Hope S. and Stanley I. Adelstein* Mr. and Mrs. A. Chace Anderson Vitya Vronsky Babin Foundation Eleanor H. Biggs* The Cleveland Foundation Mr. and Mrs. John D. Gilliam Clive and Mary* Hamlin Linda Harper and Jim Martin Jean and Dick Hipple Mort* and Emilie Kadish The Kresge Foundation Mr. and Mrs. Alexander McAfee* John P. Murphy Foundation State of Ohio Ohio Arts Council Partners for CIM The Payne Fund Dick (HDMA ’06) and Pat Pogue Mrs. Alfred M. Rankin, Sr. The Reinberger Foundation Susan Rothmann and Philip Paul Edith H. Smith* Dorothy Richard Starling Foundation Mr. and Mrs. Joseph H. Thomas United States Department of Education Anonymous
$500,000 to $999,999 Ms. Ruth Beckelman* Helen C. Brown* Ann C. and Hugh Calkins* Mr. Arthur L. Charni* Larry B. Faigin* The GAR Foundation Mr. and Mrs. Carl D. Glickman* Margaret R. Griffiths Trust The George Gund Foundation Iris and Tom Harvie The Martha Holden Jennings Foundation Mr.* and Mrs. Daryl A. Kearns KeyBank Dr. Vilma L. Kohn* Mr. Richard A. Manuel* National Endowment for the Arts NewBrook Partners C.K. “Pat” Patrick* and Nancy Patrick Jane Kottler Post* Audrey and Albert B. Ratner Mrs. Bert E. Siegel* The Kelvin and Eleanor Smith Foundation Anonymous
$250,000 to $499,999 John and Elizabeth Aten Mrs. Marguerite A. Barany* Mr. and Mrs.* Eugene J. Beer Mr. and Mrs. Alfred J. Buescher, Jr. Irad (BM ’87, MM ’88) and Rebecca (BM ’87, MM ’89) Carmi Delores Comey* Robert Conrad (HDMA ’98) Dr. Mark H. Curley Mr. and Mrs. John D. Drinko* Rececca and George* Dunn Alice S. Feiman (BM ’32, MM ’36) William O. & Gertrude Lewis Frohring Foundation The Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation The Dorothea Wright Hamilton Fund Mrs. Beverly S. Harris* The Hershey Foundation The Albert M. Higley Co. George M. and Pamela S. Humphrey Fund Carter Kissell* Emma Lincoln* Mrs. Elliot L. Ludvigsen* Charles and Susan Marston Mr. Joseph B. McClelland Meldrum & Fewsmith Communications The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Laura Ingrid Messing* Edith and Ted Miller* David and Inez Myers Foundation Mr. and Mrs. Raymond P. Park The Ranney Scholarship Fund Peter J. Reichl* Sam and Sarah Sato* Mr. and Mrs. Elliott L. Schlang Mr. and Mrs. Frank E. Taplin, Jr.* Carole Hershey Walters Ms. Annette E. Willis* * deceased
Every year, individuals, corporations and foundations contribute generously to the Cleveland Institute of Music, directly supporting the transformative music education of CIM students. Through this incredible commitment and community of donors, CIM empowers the world’s most talented classical music students to achieve their dreams and potential. Make your contribution to CIM with a meaningful gift of any size at cim.edu/donatenow or contact a member of the development team at 216.795.3160.
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ABOUT CI M The Cleveland Institute of Music empowers the world’s most talented classical music students to fulfill their dreams and potential. Its graduates command the most celebrated and revered stages in the world as soloists, chamber musicians and ensemble members; compose meaningful, award-winning new repertoire; and are highly sought-after teaching artists, administrators and thought leaders. A testament to the excellence of a CIM education, more than half of the members of The Cleveland Orchestra are connected to CIM as members of the faculty, alumni or both. All students benefit from access to world-renowned visiting artists and conductors, intensive study with CIM’s stellar faculty and the rich curriculum offered by CIM’s partner Case Western Reserve University. CIM is an integral part of Cleveland’s arts community, presenting nearly 350 free performances and master classes on campus each year, and hundreds more at locations throughout the region, including Severance Hall. Explore cim.edu to learn more.
(photo by Robert Muller)
