Alumni News

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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.

Sabrina Bradford (MM ’20, Rose) won a oneyear position in the Minnesota Orchestra.

Mackenzie Brauns (AD ’20, Stees) was accepted to the Civic Orchestra and appointed principal bassoon of the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra.

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.

Mary Costanza (BM ’85, Geber) released her latest CD on MSR Classics featuring cello sonatas by Brahms and Rachmaninoff.

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.

Nickitas Demos (DMA ’94, Erb) was awarded an American Prize in Composition for his piece Frontlash.

Natalie Lin Douglas (BM ’11, MM ’12, Kantor) was appointed assistant professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Music and Theater Arts. 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Elizabeth Furuta (BM ’13, MM ’15, Preucil/ Updegraff) won a section violin position with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra.

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.

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. 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.

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.

Maia Hoffman (BM ’20, Konopka/Vernon) won a one-year position with the Oregon Symphony.

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.

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.

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).

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.

Juan Riveros (BM ’21, Kondonassis) was a winner at the 2022 Lyon & Healy Awards.

Christopher Robinson (MM ’17, Kwuon) was recognized as a 2021 Knight Arts Champion by the Knight Foundation in Miami.

Joshua Roman (BM ’04, MM ’05, Aaron/ Hoebig) was appointed the first-ever artist in residence of the Las Vegas Philharmonic.

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. 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.

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.

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.

Mark Williams (BM ’02, King/Solis) was named the new CEO of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra.

Ryan Yamashiro (MM ’19, Stees) won second bassoon with the Columbus Indiana Philharmonic.

Xiaoyang Zhang (AD ’20, Billions) was appointed an associate professor of voice at Shaoxing University.

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.

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. 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.

Liam Cummins (composition, Conner) was named a 2022 YoungArts Finalist.

Elora Kares (cello/voice, Pereira/Stauch) received the Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Award and appeared on From the Top.

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. 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.

Shuai Wang (piano, BM ’03, MM ’05, AD ’07, DMA ’11, Schenly/Shapiro/Pontremoli/Jones) was named a Steinway Artist.

Derek Zadinsky (double bass) won assistant principal double bass of The Cleveland Orchestra.

In Memoriam

Ronald H. Bell passed away December 2021. He served as a CIM Trustee from 1998-2002. 22,

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.