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Dr. Judy Bundra, Chief Academic Officer and Dean; Richard Hipple, Chairman of the Board of Trustees; Katie Wyatt, Alumni Achievement Award Recipient; Ann Hobson Pilot, Honorary Doctorate Recipient and Paul W. Hogle, President and CEO
Ann Hobson Pilot Katie Wyatt
Pui Hang Natalie Mann
Commencement
2018 Belka Quartet
Caroline Bergan
New in this issue
We asked staff members from all areas of CIM to contribute to this issue; you'll find their bylines on stories throughout the pages of Notes.
ABOVE CIM@Severance April 11, 2018 Carl Topilow's farewell concert ON THE COVER The Sound of Tomorrow (story page 10) Cover photo: Hunter Lorelli (bassoon), Nicholas Withey (tuba), RenĂŠe Richardson (voice), Maria Beltavski (violin) and Rachel Kost (double bass)
DEPARTMENTS
FEATURES
4 Noteworthy Renowned conductors to guest at CIM Callisto Quartet wins Fischoff Competition The Planetarium Project Young Artist Program seniors Energy efficiency and sustainability CIM alumnus wins Sphinx Competition Musical Pathway Fellowship Music theory faculty make headlines #CIMgivesback Joint Music Program Faculty farewells CIM student wins Payne Fund prize
10 The Sound of Tomorrow How CIM’s admissions process is shaping the future of classical music. 14 Career Essentials for the Modern Musician Conservatory graduates today need more than a wardrobe of black dresses, tuxedos and a high level of musicianship. Other essentials are learned outside of the practice room.
18 Alumni Snapshot Katie Wyatt 20 Development Donor Spotlight: Kulas Foundation 21 Listings Alumni Appointments Prizewinners Faculty Students Preparatory In Memoriam S P R I N G 2 0 18
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Noteworthy Robert Spano To Headline 2018-19 CIM Orchestra Season Northeast Ohio native Robert Spano— Grammy Award-winning music director of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Aspen Music Festival and School—joins seven internationally renowned guest conductors for Cleveland Institute of Music Orchestra concerts during the 2018-19 school year.
“This conducting roster is the highest profile and most diverse in CIM’s distinguished 98-year history,” said President & CEO Paul W. Hogle. “We invited artists who will curate meaningful experiences for our incredibly talented students. These men and women will bring to CIM’s podium a range of backgrounds, experiences and pedagogical approaches which will make for an engaging and exciting year of music-making.”
Thomas Wilkins
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• Fri, Feb 1: Stefan Sanderling, Chief Conductor, Symphony Orchestra of the Principality of Liechtenstein
• Wed, Sep 26, Severance Hall: Thomas Wilkins, Music Director, Omaha Symphony; Principal Conductor, Hollywood Bowl Orchestra; and Henry A. Upper Chair of Orchestral Conducting, Indiana University Jacobs School of Music
• Fri, Mar 29: Gerhardt Zimmermann, Director of Orchestral Activities, University of Texas at Austin, Butler School of Music, and Music Director and Conductor, Canton Symphony Orchestra
• Fri, Oct 12: William Eddins, Music Director Emeritus, Edmonton Symphony Orchestra • Fri, Nov 30: Carlos Kalmar, Music Director, Oregon Symphony, and Artistic Director, Grant Park Music Festival Carlos Kalmar
Mélisse Brunet
William Eddins
The eight esteemed conductors are: • Fri, Sep 14: CIM alumna Mélisse Brunet (PS ’12, Topilow), Director of Orchestral Activities, Appalachian State University Hayes School of Music, and Finalist, 2018 Bruno Walter National Conductor Preview
Stefan Sanderling
Carolyn Kuan
• Wed, Feb 13: Carolyn Kuan, Music Director, Hartford Symphony Orchestra
• Wed, Apr 12, Severance Hall: Robert Spano, Music Director, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, and Music Director of the Aspen Music Festival and School Unless noted, performances are in CIM’s Kulas Hall. Learn more about the guest conductors at cim.edu/conductors Gerhardt Zimmermann
Robert Spano
CIM’s Callisto Quartet Wins Grand Prize in the 2018 Fischoff Competition
Young Artist Program Razumovsky Quartet Wins Silver Medal in Junior Division The Cleveland Institute of Music’s Callisto Quartet won the Grand Prize in the 2018 Fischoff Competition. The Fischoff is the largest chamber music competition in the United States and the longest consecutively running competition. Each year approximately 125 chamber music ensembles of three to six performers enter this exalted and influential competition. The quartet— comprised of violinists Paul Aguilar and Rachel Stenzel, violist Eva Kennedy and cellist Hannah Moses—also won the Senior Strings Division in the competition; they are coached by Si-Yan Darren Li and Peter Salaff. As Grand Prize winners, the quartet receives a cash prize, as well as an American concert tour and appearances at the Emilia Romagna Festival in Italy. The Razumovsky Quartet from CIM’s elite Young Artist Program for musically gifted high school students won the silver medal in the Junior Division of the Fischoff. The Razumovsky Quartet is comprised of violinists Phoenix Avalon and Hana Chang, violist Samuel Rosenthal and cellist James Hettinga. They were coached by Annie Fullard and Si-Yan Darren Li. The Callisto Quartet was awarded the Jeunessis Musicales Deutschland Prize at the 2018 Wigmore Hall International String Quartet Competition in 2018, and they placed third in this summer’s Melbourne International Chamber Music Competition.
Callisto Quartet, from left: Eva Kennedy, Hannah Moses, Rachel Stenzel and Paul Aguilar. Photo: Mike Grittani
360° of Sight + Sound: The Planetarium Project On April 18, composition and audio recording students from the Cleveland Institute of Music and student animators from the Cleveland Institute of Art saw the culmination of months of work and collaboration as their five original 360° films premiered on Cleveland Museum of Natural History’s Nathan and Fannye Shafran Planetarium Dome. Audience members enjoyed an immersive audio and visual experience, which was themed Through the Ages; the films progressed through time, including Stone Age, Industrial Age, Space Age, Digital Age and Into the Future. This was the fourth presentation of this biennial program, which involved an even greater level of collaboration for CIM and CIA students than in the past. In previous years, the films were completed before composition began. For the 2018 program, the composers and animators worked and created simultaneously, meeting periodically throughout the school year. In the final month before the performances, the engineers became involved to create the surround sound effects.
Pictured: Artists, composers, audio engineers and faculty from CIM and CIA
Keith Fitch, head of CIM’s Composition Department, says the project is “a wonderful opportunity for students to work with artists from other disciplines, as well as continuing the ongoing commitment to collaboration with institutions and artists throughout University Circle and the greater Cleveland area.” –Whitney Clair, Marketing & Publications Manager S P R I N G 2 0 18
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Noteworthy Congrats to Young Artist Program Seniors!
The Young Artist Program at CIM prepares high school students with exceptional musical talents for conservatory. In addition to their music lessons, YAP students participate in chamber music, Eurhythmics and music theory, spending half of each weekday at school and the other half at CIM. Several of the students are graduating and moving on to conservatories and music schools. Phoenix Avalon (Laredo and Sloman) and Samuel Rosenthal (Irvine) won coveted Kovner Fellowships, which provide full-ride scholarships to The Juilliard School. Claire Peyrebrune (Irvine) and James Hettinga (Kraut) join the CIM freshman class in August. Hannah Lindvall
From left: James Hettinga, Hana Chang, Claire Peyrebrune, Samuel Rosenthal, Phoenix Avalon, Annika Bowers and Hannah Lindvall. Photo: Alex Cooke
(Zenaty) is going to Northwestern and Annika Bowers (Cho) is going to McGill University. We also recognize Junior YAP Hana Chang (Zenaty), who was accepted to Curtis.
CIM Alumnus Wins 2018 Sphinx Competition
Venezuelan-American violinist Rubén Rengel (BM ’16, Laredo) won first prize in the senior division of the 21st-annual Sphinx Competition on February 4. The Sphinx Competition aims to encourage, develop and recognize classical music talent in the African-American and Latinx communities. As first laureate of the Sphinx Competition, Rengel was awarded the $50,000 Robert Frederick Smith Prize, solo appearances with major orchestras and a custom-made gold bow from Berg Bows International. Rengel studied with Iván Pérez Núñez at the Emil Friedman Conservatory and School in Venezuela for 11 years before earning his bachelor’s degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music. As a soloist, he has appeared with the CIM Orchestra, Venezuela Symphony Orchestra, Virtuosi de Caracas, Filarmonía Caracas and Arcos Juveniles de Caracas. He was the winner of the CIM
Concerto Competition in the fall semester of 2014, as well as the Juan Bautista Plaza National Violin Competition of Venezuela in 2011. Rengel began his violin studies at the age of 2 in the National System of Youth Orchestras of Venezuela, known as El Sistema. “We are so proud and delighted for Rubén,” said Dr. Judy Bundra, CIM’s Chief Academic Officer and Dean of the Conservatory. “He’s clearly a talented young musician—he won our concerto competition in 2014, which resulted in a solo appearance with the CIM Orchestra at Severance Hall—with a promising career ahead of him.”
Energy Efficiency & Sustainability
Reducing energy consumption & eliminating waste Over the past year, CIM has: • Replaced all 2,060 light bulbs with LED lights • Reduced energy costs by 10% each month • Reduced energy usage by half, which also reduces CIM’s carbon dioxide output • Installed 27 more occupancy-sensing light switches –Tara Stephens, Digital Marketing Manager
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These changes add up to an annual cost savings up to $15,000
“The road to Carnegie Hall just got a little wider…” – Cleveland Plain Dealer
In August of 2017, CIM launched a Fellowship Program to develop and nurture talent at a young age, empowering young musicians of African-American and Latinx descent to pursue high-level musical training that would prepare them for a conservatory or music school education. Initially called the Minority Artist Fellowship, the program is now known as the Musical Pathway Fellowship. In its inaugural year, the first two Fellows, Damian Goggans (age 14, guitar) and Evan Rowland-Seymour (age 14, cello) have grown and thrived as young musicians. They gave their first performances together at the Cleveland Museum of Art and Severance Hall in celebration of MLK Day. They also gave a mini-recital and Q&A session before the March meeting of the Board of Trustees, charming and impressing all in attendance. These young men set the bar high for the next group of students who auditioned on April 14. Three new Fellows were selected: Mariana Castañeda (age 14, flute), Travis Phillips (age 10, double bass) and Hannah Rowland-Seymour (age 12, cello). Evan Rowland-Seymour’s fellowship will be expanded to include his second instrument, double bass. All five fellows receive individual lessons, Eurhythmics classes, ear training and mentorship with conservatory students. They may also participate in chamber music or ensembles. All fellowship activities are covered by scholarships, thanks to the generous support of The Cleveland Foundation and George Gund Foundation. –Lisa Whitfield, Talent Development Program Officer
Top: second-year fellow Evan Rowland-Seymour; (left to right) new fellows Mariana Castañeda, Travis Phillips and Hannah Rowland-Seymour join second-year fellow Damian Goggans. Chapter 29 Chopin Mazurka 49 in F minor
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Music Theory Faculty Make Headlines
CIM music theory faculty member Dr. Diane Urista and head of theory Dr. Timothy Cutler are making significant contributions to the study of music with their recent and upcoming publications. Dr. Uristaʼs book, The Moving Body in the Aural Skills Classroom: A Eurhythmics Based Approach (2016), uses movement-to-music as a basis for developing musical comprehension and expression. It contains a myriad of exercises that can easily be integrated into any learning environment.
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As one of 23 authors invited to contribute to The Norton Guide to Teaching Music Theory (2018), Dr. Urista transformed ideas from her book into an essay titled “The Moving Body in the Music Theory/Aural Skills Classroom.” This guide, covering a wide range of topics, is an indispensable theory pedagogy reference. With his website musictheoryexamples.com serving as a resource for the past 15 years, Dr. Cutler will explore even more topics in The Norton Anthology of Music for Analysis, due out in October. Professors and students will be able to quickly locate musical passages that demonstrate a specific chord or technique and a Spotify playlist will be provided. Inspired by a seminar he taught at CIM, Dr. Cutler has a second book in progress titled Bending the Rules of Music Theory. This text will focus on interesting musical examples that artistically sidestep conventional boundaries. It will be available in January 2019. –Kimberly Speiran, Piano Technician S P R I N G 2 0 18
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Noteworthy #CIMgivesback
On Friday, April 20, students, staff, faculty, trustees and Women’s Committee members made time to lend helping hands in the community. Throughout the first annual CIM Day of Service, teams traveled to four local partners, each with different projects. Volunteers made crafts with young students just blocks away at Mary Bethune School. At International Newcomers Academy, volunteers read and practiced English with students who have immigrated to Cleveland. At the Cleveland Sight Center, CIM members deep-cleaned a kitchen and a children’s playroom. In the Glenville neighborhood, just north of CIM, volunteers picked up litter and leaves to fill dozens of bags. Alan Bise, Audio Recording faculty and Director of Recording Arts and Services, said, “Our contact at the Famicos Foundation was amazed at how much we managed to accomplish, and she was very hopeful that we would volunteer with them again.” In the afternoon, the participants reconvened at CIM to share their experiences and photos with each other over sandwiches and cookies. – Joshua Jones, Studio Videographer, Virtual Learning
CIM students, staff, faculty, Trustees and Women's Committee members volunteer throughout the community during the first annual CIM Day of Service. 8
Joint Music Program
2018 marks the 50th Anniversary of a unique partnership between Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) and CIM. Since 1968, these two world-renowned institutions have participated in an integrated music program at both the undergraduate and the graduate levels. The Joint Music Program allows students at both schools to take advantage of the resources of a major research university as well as those of a leading conservatory. This long history of collaboration and shared resources allows both institutions to offer a breadth and depth of courses that each might be unable to independently. For students at both schools, CIM provides all the music lessons and music theory courses while CWRU provides music history (an area where its scholarship is recognized internationally), general education courses and early music ensemble. The Robinson Music Library staff at CIM and Kulas Library staff at CWRU also collaborate to ensure all music students have access to books, scores, periodicals, media and online research tools, among others. Because of this partnership, CIM students can earn a dual degree in anything CWRU offers, and they can curate their general education to include a minor in an area of personal interest. In the fall, select concerts at CIM and CWRU will recognize and celebrate this important milestone. –Dr. Judy Bundra, CIM Chief Academic Officer and Dean of the Conservatory, and David J. Rothenberg, CWRU Music Department Chair
Faculty Farewells …
This spring, we bid a fond farewell to four members of the CIM faculty. • Head of Orchestral Conducting Carl Topilow retired from CIM this spring after 37 years of wielding his baton in front of the CIM Orchestra. • Dr. Richard Nelson retired from the music theory faculty this spring, where he taught virtually every CIM student to pass through these halls over the past 22 years. • After 14 years as Artistic Director of the CIM Opera Theater, David Bamberger stepped down as he and his wife have relocated to California to be closer to their son and his family. • Music theory faculty member Don Watts also retired following 10 years of distinguished teaching. Topilow and Nelson were recognized as Faculty Emeriti at the annual Honors Convocation. Retiring faculty with at least 15 years of service to CIM are eligible for Emeritus status upon election by their peers. … and Hearty Welcomes Sam Bivens, Alan Reese, Catrina Kim and Alex Cooke join the music theory faculty in the fall of 2018. Bivens has been working at CIM for the past year on a temporary appointment. Dina Kuznetsova and Denise Milner Howell join the voice faculty.
Daniel Kaler Wins 2018 Payne Fund Prize
CIM junior Daniel Kaler’s exceptional performance of the Walton Cello Concerto at the Spring Concerto Competition won him both the opportunity to perform the work with the CIM Orchestra next fall and the coveted 2018 Payne Fund Prize. The Payne Fund Prize was established by the Bolton family in 1998, and is awarded annually to a CIM student of remarkable talent. The prize includes a monetary award and a concerto engagement with the Asheville Symphony Orchestra. Kaler, who studies with Mark Kosower, will perform Saint-Saëns’ Cello Concerto No. 1 with the Asheville Symphony in 2019. He is excited to revisit this piece, which he first played in 2013 with the West Virginia Symphony. Kaler feels his interpretation of the Saint-Saëns concerto has matured in the intervening years, and he’s looking forward to applying the techniques he has learned at CIM to this upcoming performance. The Concerto Competition provided Kaler with an opportunity for true competition within a supportive environment. He was most excited about the chance to fully prepare a piece by getting to know it inside and out, and is looking forward to continuing his exploration of both of these wonderful concertos. –Cicely Schonberg, Resident Director
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SOUND OF THE
TOMORROW
How CIM’s admissions process is shaping the future of classical music Story | Suzanne de Roulet 10
Photos | Robert Muller
Be the future of classical music. This is the call to action, the rallying cry for all those who are part of CIM. And it’s no small thing, this charge to faculty, students and staff: Your voice matters. Use it to define classical music for today, tomorrow and generations to come. But how does CIM—one of just seven independent conservatories in this country—identify and attract those change-makers, the best and most talented young musicians across the globe? And how does CIM stand out to a prospective student who is just beginning to consider all the options for undergraduate or graduate study? The secret lies with the CIM approach to admissions—an 18-month-long process carefully calibrated to reach the world’s top music students while giving them a personalized look at the inner workings of the conservatory.
A MUSIC-CENTERED COMMUNITY, A STUDENT-FIRST APPROACH When it comes to the CIM admissions process, everyone gets involved. CIM’s official admissions team is made up of a handful of staff members, but the entire faculty, staff and student body join in when it comes to welcoming, encouraging and guiding prospective students through the admissions process. When young musicians begin thinking about attending a conservatory, CIM faculty and alumni are often the students’ first and best introduction to CIM. Some students have long admired faculty members’ work as part of orchestras or other ensembles. Others train under CIM alumni working in the field. In the case of Bella Lorenzo-Giguere, a cellist who was just accepted into CIM’s Class of 2022, she first heard about CIM through her private cello teacher in Washington, DC. “My teacher told me about Richard Weiss,” she says. Weiss, who serves as first assistant principal cello for The Cleveland Orchestra, co-heads the cello faculty at CIM. “I wasn’t even thinking about conservatories, but because of my teacher’s recommendation, I wanted to apply to Mr. Weiss’ studio.” Other prospective students get wind of CIM by attending music festivals and institutes that feature CIM faculty. Every interaction between a student and CIM is an opportunity to build and nurture a relationship between the two. This relationship is crucial to giving students an up-close-and-personal look at what CIM has to offer.
“CIM takes great pride in admitting the very best student musicians in the world,” says Jerrod Price, CIM’s associate dean of admissions and enrollment management. “But of course, to make it to the point where you’re even considering CIM, you are already at an extremely high level. Every one of the students we admit demonstrates musical excellence, adds value to the music world, and we think they would make a great contribution to the CIM community.” To develop deeper relationships with prospective students, CIM has evolved its admissions process to be simultaneously more transparent and more welcoming. Even before students set foot on the CIM campus, they have many chances to get a closer look at what the conservatory is all about. CIM sends out mailings and engages on social media throughout the summer, ramping up to a video each week during the fall. A series of “Day in the Life” videos, posted online via social media outlets, gives students a glimpse of the day-to-day schedules of CIM students—inside and outside of the practice room. Other videos showcase tips for excelling on audition day and how to record an audition video for the pre-screening round. “I first learned about CIM through my teacher, but I really got to know more through their social media posts,” says LorenzoGiguere. “The videos really set them apart from other schools I was considering… and they made everyone at CIM seem so relatable—I could definitely see myself fitting in with these other musicians!” By the time students submit their applications and video auditions on December 1, they’ve had many opportunities to interact with CIM. “We really try to make the whole process a window into life here at CIM,” says Price.
AUDITION DAY It’s the most important day in the entire application process: audition day. Those who’ve passed the pre-screening stage in early December are invited to an in-person audition in February. Students come from thousands of miles around to Cleveland— or one of CIM’s satellite audition sites in cities like Shanghai, New York City and Interlochen, Michigan—to perform for a panel of CIM faculty members. But CIM strives to ensure that audition days are about much more than this crucial performance. Throughout the day, students have many opportunities to get to know CIM and the S P R I N G 2 0 18
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Associate Dean of Admissions Jerrod Price visits with students. Students left to right: Rachel Kost (double bass), Olivia Espericueta (viola) and Hunter Lorelli (bassoon).
surrounding neighborhood: interacting with current students, touring campus, visiting nearby restaurants and attractions and even dining with faculty members at a lunch provided by the CIM Women's Committee. “After my audition, I spent some time with a friend who’s a CIM freshman and several of his classmates. I had lunch with Richard Weiss and another faculty member. I went on a tour of the campus. I got to meet and talk to a lot of different people, and everyone was really enthusiastic about CIM,” says Lorenzo-Giguere. “It was such a unique opportunity. It was so different from any of the other schools I visited—I really got a sense of the CIM community.” Student volunteers play a huge role in audition day, from setting up, to guiding students to their practice rooms and audition studios, to offering a helping hand throughout the day. This is part of CIM’s effort to be both welcoming and transparent. What better way to get to know your prospective school than to interact with your prospective peers?
WE ARE PLEASED TO OFFER YOU ADMISSION In mid-March, CIM sends out offer letters. This year, just under 400 of the 1,200 applicants were invited to join the incoming class. Of that group, 160 will matriculate to CIM. Choosing the best students from a very competitive applicant pool is difficult for CIM, but it comes down to two factors: musical skill and ability to succeed. CIM faculty and enrollment team want to see that students can produce a beautiful sound, in time and in tune, and that they have something to say musically. But just as important is the sense that students will excel at CIM. “We are really gauging whether students can find success at CIM,” says Price. “We want young musicians who are going to thrive.” For students, the decision often comes down to the factors that differentiate CIM from the country’s other elite music schools and conservatories.
CIM’S ADMISSIONS TIMELINE Interest Spring or earlier: Prospective students begin thinking about CIM 12
Information Summer: CIM & prospective students attend music festivals, college fairs; CIM begins social media campaign Fall: CIM increases frequency of social media messaging; students apply between September 1 and December 1
At CIM, music comes first. There’s no taking a backseat to athletics or any other department. Music is CIM’s focus, purpose and passion.
where like-minded people enjoy music together. Students inspire and support one another, and challenge each other to become better, stronger musicians.
CIM has a unique relationship with Case Western Reserve University. CIM students have the advantage of getting a world-class liberal arts education for all their non-music classes.
And, of course, there’s also CIM’s emphasis on chamber music… The new Center for Innovative Musicianship, which helps guide students toward meaningful, achievable career goals… Eurhythmics coursework that teaches students to develop their natural instinct for rhythm… And so much more.
CIM sits in the center of a music-rich city. The worldclass Cleveland Orchestra performs at Severance Hall, right up the street from CIM. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is minutes away. And you can experience music of all genres at a wide variety of venues, from the House of Blues to Blossom Music Center to the Agora Theatre and Ballroom. CIM students have ample opportunities to perform— while serving the community. An active presence in the community, CIM presents nearly 600 performances annually, most free to the public. Students collaborate with local institutions including the Cleveland Museum of Art, the Cleveland Museum of Natural History and The Cleveland Orchestra. Students also teach and perform throughout the region, bringing music to schools, senior centers, hospitals and beyond through live and videoconference programs. CIM graduates have strong futures in music. There’s no doubt that CIM prepares students for careers in music. CIM alumni are world-class soloists, acclaimed vocalists and ground-breaking composers. CIM graduates belong to virtually every major orchestra in the world—in fact, fully one-third of the members of the world-renowned Cleveland Orchestra went to CIM! “When you leave CIM, you’re going to have the skills and abilities to do whatever you want to do,” says Price. The CIM community is second to none. “We have all the advantages of conservatories on the coasts with a Midwest mentality,” says Price. CIM is a close-knit, collegial environment
Application December 1: 1,200 students submit applications and video auditions; CIM faculty begin pre-screening
THE FUTURE OF CLASSICAL MUSIC At the end of each admissions cycle, CIM welcomes a new crop of highly talented young musicians into the CIM community. Everything about the admissions process—from that first connection to audition day—is designed with the student in mind. And that’s because CIM takes such a long view of the value each student brings, not only to CIM but to the world of classical music. “CIM students are future musicians, composers, academics, all with the potential for a long and satisfying career in music,” said Price. “But they are so much more than their instruments or their skills. They are the future of classical music. They are shaping—and will continue to shape—how the world listens to, interacts with and responds to music. They have incredible power and importance in the music world, and we want to help them achieve every last ounce of their promise and potential.”
Find the 2017-18 Day in the Life video series— featuring Jean Furman (voice), Jamie Gorski (trumpet), Nathaniel Heyder (composition & violin), Allen Jiang (bassoon), Eva Kennedy (viola) and Jeremy Sreejayan (percussion)—at bit.ly/cimperspectives.
Audition February: CIM holds auditions in Cleveland, Shanghai, New York City and Interlochen, Michigan
Decision Mid March: CIM extends offer letters to up to 400 students April/May: Admitted students decide weather to join CIM’s student body
December 15: CIM invites up to 900 students to audition S P R I N G 2 0 18
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CAREER
ESSENTIALS FOR THE
MODERN MUSICIAN
Conservatory graduates today need more than a wardrobe of black dresses or tuxedos, polished shoes and incredible musical chops. They also need business and entrepreneurial skills; financial and technical literacy; marketing, branding and social media promotion practice; experience with audience development and engagement; teaching skills; and the list goes on and on. The one common thread? Other than the high level of musicianship, all of the other essentials are learned outside of the practice room. Story | Matthew Arnold, Office Manager, Recording Arts & Services 14
During strategic planning, members of the CIM community contributed ideas for the school's future.
In a 2013 Strategic National Arts Alumni Project (SNAAP)
Enter CIM’s Center for Innovative Musicianship, which is known
survey, 84% of CIM alumni reported using business and
as CIM². Launched in 2017, the program brings together
entrepreneurial skills for their careers, yet more than half said
such areas as career advising, community partnerships, virtual
they were not introduced to those elements while at CIM.
learning and diversity and inclusion—all of which work together
Ariel Clayton (violin, BM ’10, MM ’11, Rose) is director of Classical Revolution Cleveland, founder and director of OPUS
to help prepare students for professional careers in music after graduation.
216 and a musician in residence at the Cleveland Clinic. She
“At the foreground of the Center, students are able to learn
notes how CIM has a long-standing reputation of excellence
fundamental skills around promoting themselves,” says
in music-making, but elaborates on that missing component
Dr. Joyce Griggs, founding director of CIM². “They also have
of her education.
the opportunity to develop their own identities and their own
“I lacked an understanding that tech fluency was crucial, and
networks beyond CIM.”
financial literacy, marketing, basic design and how to collaborate
CIM² is meant to wrap around the core conservatory experience
with professionals weren’t emphasized enough. Historically,
—nothing replaces the individual mentorship that faculty have
these areas weren’t well-resourced on an institutional level or
provided for years (and continue to provide)—enhancing that
part of an intensive curriculum. The ability to be creative and
knowledge with experiential learning.
manage your own career and opportunities is essential for a classical musician in the 21st century.”
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From the classroom… The core of CIM² lies in the conservatory curriculum. Through existing courses like Freshman Colloquium and Senior Seminar —which were redeveloped to emphasize preparation for today’s careers in classical music—students gain valuable experience planning their own programs, incubating ideas within a safe space and learning integral parts of a professional career. These include applying for grants, managing finances and handling legal aspects unique to the music world. Students also explore audience engagement, marketing and promotion, project development and trends in the field.
…to the studio… One of the pillars of any music career is teaching, explains
Heather Mandujano, virtual learning education coordinator. She identified a skills gap between the percentages of time
as much of the legwork as they can. It can be a tricky balance —preparing students by giving them more autonomy—but this approach ensures they learn skills they’ll need in their professional careers, no matter where that path leads.
students and alumni spend teaching professionally versus the
Every professional musician needs an audience. The adage
time they spent learning how to teach. One answer is through
that classical music is a dying art and that audiences are dying
Virtual Learning, which offers an array of videoconferencing
with it is alive and well. One part of the solution involves how
programs for K-12 students and adult learners, as well as
performers engage with the audience. Gone are the formulaic
master classes, private lessons and coaching sessions for the
days of performing, bowing and leaving the stage. It’s now
conservatory. The students who engineer, teach and perform
almost obligatory for musicians to speak about the music,
in Virtual Learning classes at CIM learn how to engage with
composer and themselves as performers. Perhaps nobody
audiences, prepare lesson plans, manage classrooms and
understands this better than PROJECT Trio, a group of CIM
operate the technology that runs the whole shebang. This allows
alumni—an unlikely combination of double bass, cello and
students to develop a valuable skillset deliberately lacking in
flute—who has redefined audience engagement. The ensemble
the curriculum (CIM prides itself on all students being taught
headlined CIM²’s kick-off event in 2017, inviting students to
by faculty—never a teaching assistant).
explore methods of interacting with audiences and creating
…to the community
thriving careers.
Students gain in-person teaching proficiency through CIM’s
Living in today’s society
long-standing partnership with the Cleveland School of the Arts,
If one side of the coin is audience engagement, the other
where students give private lessons and ensemble coaching
side is audience diversity. Community partnerships are crucial
sessions to high schoolers. Under CIM², the way CIM approaches
in getting students to perform in front of many demographics
community partnerships and community engagement is very
in the Cleveland area, but the virtual learning program allows
focused, thought-based and intentional. Director of Community
students to travel abroad without even leaving CIM. Mandujano
Partnerships & Career Advising Rachel Kribbs describes
the ongoing evaluation of each program and performance venue: “Any time I’m vetting a potential project or talking with community partners about collaborating, I’m always asking about the value to our students’ learning. We need to make sure our activities and programs benefit them and not just the external audience.” CIM² is also giving more authority to the students. Where the pre- CIM² world carefully shepherded each performer into the community, Kribbs intervenes only when necessary. She makes connections and monitors logistics leading up to an event, but she encourages students to build their own programs and do 16
notes the array of locales reached in a single day: New York City, rural Louisiana, Australia. But there’s one other aspect of diversity that needs to be
addressed, and that’s the performers on stage. Lisa Whitfield, talent development program officer, says it’s incumbent upon CIM to develop the local talent pool, which will make CIM more inclusive and create greater access and stronger opportunities. One of the ways CIM leads in this area is through the Musical Pathway Fellowship, which just completed its inaugural year. The Fellowship is geared toward identifying minority students in grades 6-9 with great musical potential and onboarding them
into the CIM community. This year’s class of two students took
Katie Wyatt (MM ’05, Konopka) on developing a purpose-
private applied lessons, music theory instruction, Eurhythmics
driven career and Jeff Conner of the Boston Brass, who led
classes and chamber ensemble coaching from CIM faculty.
discussions on branding, networking and small ensemble
“The goal is to prepare them to be ready to take conservatory
management.
auditions at the end of high school, whether that’s here at CIM
As for the future of CIM², Griggs—who stepped down this
or any other major conservatory or music school,” Whitfield
summer for an opportunity in New York—is optimistic. “We’re
explains. “We need to represent the community around us
small enough that we know everyone by name. We want to
better, and that’s a lot of what this program was created to do.”
ensure that we have the capacity to serve every student and
Besides working with faculty, Fellows join Young Artists, undergraduates and graduates to get insight from CIM² visiting artists and speakers. One of these artists was the founder of The Bulletproof Musician, Dr. Noa Kageyama. His company provides a toolbox of resources to combat performance anxiety. Molly Wise (viola, Irvine) participated in one of Kageyama’s popular workshops. She went on to be one of the winners of the CIM Spring Concerto Competition two days later, and attributes a higher level of mental preparation to Kageyama’s method.
faculty member who wants access. And it will start to become a point of reference when alumni are asked what helped them to succeed. This will be a component of that, just as much as careful mentorship in classrooms and studios.” Learn more about CIM² at cim.edu/cim2 CIM²’s inaugural year and programs were generously funded by The Cleveland Foundation, George Gund Foundation, Paul M. Angell Family Foundation, KeyBank, Fenn Education Fund of the Cleveland Foundation, Martha Holden Jennings
Other CIM² guests included lawyers discussing legal aspects
Foundation, Char and Chuck Fowler Family Foundation and
of small business ownership specific to musicians like contract
U.S. Bank.
negotiations and copyright law, President of El Sistema USA
PROJECT Trio S P R I N G 2 0 18
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Alumni Snapshot
Katie Wyatt
Forming Societies from
the inside out
“Culture is one of the best ways to share what your community is all about. Through storytelling, through artistic expression, through musical interpretation. No matter the circumstances, music will always remind people of what it is that we all have in common.” Katie Wyatt became the first-ever executive director of El Sistema USA in 2016. Her experience, passion and dedication seem perfectly crafted for the position; the role relies on her core strengths of coalition building and musical excellence. Dr. José Antonio Abreau (HDMA ’13) founded the El Sistema movement in 1975 to help Venezuelan children learn to play musical instruments and be part of an orchestra. Today, El Sistema-inspired programs provide free classical music education for impoverished children around the globe. Most El Sistema-inspired programs in the United States provide at least seven hours of instruction each week, as well as an instrument.
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At a very young age, Wyatt saw and experienced the world differently from the typical American kid. Her family was stationed in Brussels with the US Navy during the Bosnian war. So how does a Navy kid rise to become the inaugural executive director of El Sistema USA? While pursuing her undergraduate double degree in music and political science at Indiana University, she frequently reflected on how we form societies: “How we build laws. Establish norms. I was fascinated by these things.” This is where Wyatt really earned her chops in uniting people around a common goal. After Indiana, Wyatt decided to give viola her full attention, earning a master’s degree at CIM in 2005. She chose CIM because of the faculty —she studied with The Cleveland Orchestra’s Stanley Konopka— and she knew she would become great at her instrument, without distraction. Though this was her primary reason for attending CIM, she couldn’t resist developing her extra-musical leadership skills, too. As a CIM student, she secured an internship with The Cleveland Orchestra.
Wyatt says: “Those years inspired me. They showed me the power of thinking bigger about the role of the arts and role of the orchestra. How do you pursue this? What does it mean? And how can these skills help orchestras make a difference in society?” When she left CIM, Wyatt went on tour to Venezuela with the Youth Orchestra of the Americas. While there, she had an epiphany of sorts. After visiting an El Sistema program, she found students in third-world circumstances: students with nothing, who were extraordinary on their instruments. “The most incredible part,” she says, “was that they were as good as us! And they were younger!” She was blown away by the embodiment of what she had always believed: that music and the arts truly have the ability to make social change.
entrepreneur to receive this award.” Historically, CIM has recognized alumni following a more traditional performance path. Although she still regularly performs with the North Carolina Opera and with chamber ensembles, Wyatt now spends her time forming societies from the inside out. – Jerrod Price, Associate Dean for Admissions & Enrollment Management
Those years inspired me. They showed me the power of thinking bigger about the role of the arts and role of the orchestra. “To make political situations real, people need actual relationships with others who are going through them, so we all played in an orchestra together. These relationships are the key to creating harmony and blended, peaceful communities.” Wyatt decided it was time to find a way to combine her passion for the viola with her passion for coalition building and social change. After a fellowship with the League of American Orchestras, she landed a job with the North Carolina Symphony Orchestra, running its education and community engagement programs. She was selected for the Sistema Fellowship Program at NEC (created by Dr. Abreu with his TED Prize grant), where she learned to launch, manage, lead and teach El Sistema-inspired programs in the United States.
CIM Alumni Achievement Award winner Katie Wyatt still performs with the North Carolina Opera and chamber ensembles.
Wyatt put her training to use immediately; she co-founded a small El Sistema-inspired program in North Carolina called Kidznotes, and helped it grow from serving 60 kids in its first year to 500 today. With a great deal of pride, she proclaims: “They now have a $1 million operating budget, a staff of 12 full-time employees and 50 independent contractors who are teachers. It’s truly a great organization.” CIM recognized Wyatt’s impact in May with the 2018 Alumni Achievement Award. The award is given to those who have provided significant professional contributions in their chosen field. Reflecting on this honor, Wyatt says: “I’m grateful for the opportunity that CIM has offered, both to me as a student and as a professional. I am proud to be from a school that would invite a forward-thinking social S P R I N G 2 0 18
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Development Donor Spotlight: Kulas Foundation
In Cleveland, the Kulas name is synonymous with generosity in support of musical excellence. Important spaces throughout the city (including CIM’s largest concert hall) are named after the family, recognizing the extraordinary legacy of Elroy (E.J.) and Fynette Hill Kulas. When Mr. and Mrs. Kulas established their foundation in 1937, their primary goal was to support the musical arts in Greater Cleveland, and that focus remains today. Foundation President Nancy McCann explains: “More than half of the grants we’ve awarded over the last five years have supported music, music education and music therapy, which was a particular interest of Mrs. Kulas. “She was also passionate about creating access,” McCann continues. “In 1940, Mrs. Kulas started buying tickets for The Cleveland Orchestra to give to college students, and that tradition is alive and well today! We’re pleased to provide funding to students at nearly 20 colleges and universities with tickets for our world-class orchestra.” A grant from the Kulas Foundation enables CIM to purchase Frequent Fan Cards for all enrolled students, giving them tickets for nearly every concert the orchestra performs at Severance Hall. Rising junior Roi Trawon (Kwuon) is grateful for this program; he says: “I can hardly count how many times The Cleveland Orchestra has inspired, moved and awed me with their beautiful concerts. Over Thanksgiving my first year, when I couldn’t go home to visit my family, I attended the Beethoven’s Fifth concert three times, and I was so comforted by their music.” The foundation also established an endowed chair at CIM, recognizing particular excellence in teaching. Jeffrey Irvine—who is co-head of viola—has held the Fynette H. Kulas Professor of Viola chair since 1999. “We just learned that six of Mr. Irvine’s students placed at this year’s Ohio Viola Society Competition,” McCann said. “This is excellence in action, and we’re thrilled to enable the education that prepares these students to be the future of classical music.” According to McCann, “bringing top talent from around the globe to Cleveland is a critical piece of our partnership with CIM, and we enjoy seeing the impact of the Kulas Visiting Artist Series.” The Kulas Visiting Artist Series creates a dynamic learning experience and expansive education for CIM’s students. Expert artists lead master classes, teach lessons, coach chamber ensembles and are visiting conductors working with CIM’s Orchestra. Through these interactions, developing students receive critical feedback and learn from new viewpoints and pedagogical approaches. CIM President & CEO Paul Hogle adds: “CIM is proud of the incredible and long-standing partnership shared with the Kulas Foundation and its leadership. We are indebted to the generosity of Mr. and Mrs. Kulas and their continued contributions today. They truly enable CIM to empower the world’s leading classical music students to fulfill their dreams and potential.” – Dan Coleman, Director of Development Kulas Visiting Artists 2017-18 Jonathan Biss, piano Hyoung-Joon Chang, piano Paul Ellison, double bass JoAnn Falletta, conductor Edward Gazouleas, viola David Geringas, cello Ilya Kaler, violin Olga Dubossarskaya Kaler, violin Dr. Patrick McCreless, lecturer in music theory Brett Mitchell, conductor Renee Skerik, viola Steven Smith, conductor Jean-Yves Thibaudet, piano Paul Watkins, cello
Hyoung-Joon Chang
Paul Ellison
Renee Skerik
Paul Watkins
CIM has many different ways to provide support for programs in the Conservatory and the Preparatory and Continuing Education divisions. For more information, visit cim.edu/donatenow. 20
a l u m n i n ew s
String Quartet, and he performed solo several times in addition to duets on the contrabass flute.
Have some news?
David Muller (MM ’76, Goslee) announced the release of his new solo CD, Mille Morte – Recital Pieces for Bassoon and Piano, on Crystal Records. The CD contains pieces composed in the late 20th century by Tansman, Chihara, Schickele and Ancelin, among others.
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) recently became a National Board Certified Teacher as well as presented at the 2018 New Jersey Music Educators State Conference. Additionally, he has launched the Queen City Music Podcast—a podcast devoted to the local music scene of Charlotte, NC, where he resides. Marlan Barry’s (BM ’95, Knab/Egre/Harris/ Schroeder) recording of Nicholas Phan and Myra Huang was nominated for a Grammy Award for best solo classical vocal album of the year. He produced and engineered it at Skywalker Sound and was also the digital editor and mastering engineer. In 2017, he engineered and produced all recordings for The Orchestra Now at Bard College’s Fisher Center for the Performing Arts. Mélisse Brunet (PS ’12, Topilow) was selected as one of six conductors to be showcased in the League of American Orchestras’ Bruno Walter National Conductor Preview. In April, Brunet led the Nashville Symphony Orchestra in rehearsals and in a final performance under the guidance of music director Giancarlo Guerrero. She will conduct the CIM Orchestra on September 14, 2018. William Ciabattari’s (MM ’98, Bishop) Lycoming College Wind Ensemble performed at the 2018 Pennsylvania Music Education Association’s Annual In-Service Conference in April. The ensemble was one of a handful of bands from the state selected to perform. Jiyeon (Jiji) Kim, former CIM student of Jason Vieaux, became the first female Korean guitarist to perform solo at Carnegie Hall when she made her Weill Recital Hall debut on February 13. In August, Jiji will be assistant professor of guitar in the strings program at ASU Herberger Institute’s School of Music. Ned McGowan (BM ’92, Khaner) was a guest artist at the Canberra International Arts Festival in Australia this spring. During the two-week festival, his compositions were performed by recorder player Susanna Borsch and the Pietra
Ann Quinn’s (BM ’86, Cohen/Johnson) first poetry chapbook, Final Deployment, published by Finishing Line Press, is now available on Amazon. Renée Richardson (PS ’18, Schiller) was chosen to attend the Academy of Vocal Arts as a Resident Artist this September. As part of the program, she will perform in 4-5 operas a year and sing at a number of benefits. Lenore Rosenberg (AD ’84, Vassos) retired in June 2017, after 31 years as associate artistic administrator and former director of the Lindemann Young Artist Development Program at the Metropolitan Opera. She was also awarded a tribute panel at a ceremony at the headquarters of Opera America in September. The panel says, “With recognition and appreciation to Lenore Rosenberg, for decades of service to all of us at the Metropolitan Opera.” Kimberly Rowe (BM ’87, MM ’89, Chalifoux), who co-founded The Young Artist’s Harp Seminar, will come to Kenyon College in Central Ohio this summer. YAHS is a summer training program for top young harpists. Rowe serves as co-director and faculty member of the program. Sean Samimi (BM ’07, Vieaux) was selected to join the judges’ panel for the 2018 JoAnn Falletta International Guitar Concerto Competition. Brian Skoog (MM ’13, PS ’15, Cole) recently made his debut with Nashville Opera, appearing as Theseus in Morganelli’s Hercules vs. Vampires and Elder Hayes in Floyd’s Susannah. This summer, he will portray Tamino in Central City Opera’s Family Matinee of Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte. Over the past year, Skoog has also made company debuts with Dayton Opera, Utah Festival Opera and Toledo Opera.
Daniil Trifonov (AC ’13, AD ’15, Babayan) won the “Best Classical Instrumental Solo” Grammy Award for his album, Transcendental, and was named artist in residence with Berliner Philharmoniker for the 2018-19 season. Jiří Trtík (BM ’18, Fitch) had three of his works premiered this spring. The Kühn Mixed Choir commissioned and premiered two of his choral works: My Jesus and Friede auf Erden. The Cleveland Chamber Symphony premiered his newest work, Three Moods, as part of its Young and Emerging Composers Concert during NEOSonicFest 2018. He also won Cleveland Composers Guild’s Fifth Annual Undergraduate Composition Contest and won the age 24-30 category of the Warren County Summer Music School’s Promising Young Composers Competition. Dolores White (MM ’74), member of the Cleveland Composers Guild and The Syndicate for the Arts, had her composition titled Trio Tango for violin, cello and piano performed at Heiser Auditorium Kendal in Oberlin, OH, on April 5 and at Judson Manor on April 8, 2018.
Appointments Former CIM preparatory student Lydia Brown recently accepted the position as chair of the Collaborative Piano Department at The Juilliard School. Lydia studied with CIM piano faculty Olga Radosavljevich from the ages of 13 to 18. Ben Chen (BM ’13, MM ’15, Cohen) joins the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra and Washington National Opera Orchestra as assistant principal and E-flat clarinetist. Jinjoo Cho (BM ’11, MM ’13, PS ’15, Kantor/ Laredo) joins the violin faculty at the Schulich School of Music of McGill University in Montréal.
Eric Sung (BM ’97, Geber) performed John Adams’ quartet concerto, Absolute Jest, with the San Francisco Ballet Orchestra this spring.
Dr. Houston Dunleavy (MM ’90, Erb; MM ’91, Brooks) was appointed academic director of The Australian Guild of Music Education. He was the featured composer at The International Low Flute Festival in Washington, DC. His new works, Prayer and The Monster Triptych, will receive world premieres. Earth Music 3: Pathways for piano will be premiered by Michael Kieran Harvey in Melbourne, Australia. The Tudor Choristers premiered Patricia on June 24 in Melbourne.
Chloé Trevor’s (BM ’09, Cerone) Chloé Trevor Music Academy will take place July 29 through August 11 at Stephen F. Austin University in Nacogdoches, TX. The Academy is open to string players and pianists ages 12 through college.
Daphne Gerling (MM ’01, Irvine/Ramsey) was elected secretary of the American Viola Society in March 2018. She serves as senior lecturer of viola and chamber music at the University of North Texas College of Music. SPRING 2018
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Michael Harper (MM ’16, Sachs) was awarded the second trumpet position with the Jacksonville Symphony, beginning in January 2018. Since his CIM graduation in 2016, Michael has been a student at the Colburn School in the Professional Studies Certificate program. Michael Hopkins (percussion, Damoulakis) will join “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band in Washington, DC, beginning this summer. William Johnston (DMA ’11, Vernon) has been appointed visiting lecturer of viola at the University of Florida School of Music for the fall 2018 semester. He remains based in Atlanta, where he serves as principal violist of The Atlanta Opera. James Kent (BM ’03, AD ’05, Witser/Stout) was appointed trombone faculty at the Eastern Music Festival. He is principal trombone of the Bruckner Orchester Linz (Austria) and is the first and only American ever to be accepted into the orchestra. Heidi Kim (BM ’15, Kwuon) made her debut with the San Francisco Academy Orchestra, performing Vivaldi’s Autumn in November 2017. She also recently joined the violin faculty at the San Francisco Community Music Center. Dr. Nathan J. Knutson (MM ’05, Pompa-Baldi/ Wilson) has been appointed director of sacred music for St. Charles Borromeo Roman Catholic Seminary in Philadelphia. Garret Law (BM ’17, MM ’18, Wilson) won a joint position as assistant organist-choirmaster at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church and assistant director at The Choir School at St. Peters in Center City Charlotte, NC. He will serve under organist-choirmaster and artistic director, Elizabeth Lenti (MM ’04, Wilson). Gregory Luce (MM ’09, Jackobs) has been hired as a member of the pit orchestra for the first national tour of Hamilton: An American Musical. Stops for the first year include San Diego, Houston, Atlanta, Boston and Washington, DC, among others. Kirsten Marshall (BM ’92, Stern; MM ’94, Updegraff/George) has been appointed conductor of the new Cayuga Chamber Orchestra Youth Orchestra, a full symphony of 53 talented musicians from the Ithaca, NY, area. She has also been recognized as a Registered Suzuki Teacher Trainer in Violin from the Suzuki Association of the Americas. 22
Emily Mather (MM ’18, Kwuon) has accepted a teaching position at the Western Springs School of Talent Education in Chicago as a Suzuki violin teacher. Tom Pylinski (BM ’06, Witser) was named adjunct professor of low brass at the University of Mount Union, beginning in the fall of 2017. He teaches applied lessons, brass methods class and low brass ensemble. Previously, Tom was on the faculties of Malone University and Ashland University.
Faculty Sergei Babayan (piano) released a new recording on Deutsche Grammophon called Prokofiev for Two. Together with his long-time duo partner Martha Argerich, he recorded an album of transcriptions of Prokofiev’s orchestral works, arranged for two pianos by Babayan himself.
Andrew Rozsa (MM ’03, Klaber) completed a doctor of music degree at McGill University in fall 2014. In fall 2016, he was appointed to the trombone faculty of Illinois Wesleyan University and College of DuPage. In fall 2017, he was appointed bass trombone of Quad City Symphony Orchestra and Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra.
Three members of the Cleveland Institute of Music community teamed up for performances in Kolkata, India, earlier this month. Head of Keyboard Division Kathryn Brown, her 15-year old daughter Julia Schilz—who studies with William Preucil and Stephen Sims in CIM Prep—and alumna Jennifer Heemstra (MM ’02, Brown) collaborated on a series of formal and informal concerts in a variety of settings in Kolkata.
Domenic Salerni (BM ’09, Preucil/Cerone) and Jesús Morales Matos (BM ’95, Harris) were appointed members of the string faculty and their Dalí Quartet was named quartet in residence at West Chester University in Pennsylvania.
Preparatory Choir Conductor Jennifer Call (voice) and collaborative piano student Jacob Bernhardt (piano, Pontremoli) represented CIM as conductor and accompanist of the OMEA District IV Middle School Honor Choir.
Elizabeth Steiner (BM ’10, Kondonassis) is The Lyra Society’s new executive director. Elizabeth has been teaching harp classes at Philadelphia High School for Girls, while providing private lessons at Central High and the Kearny School. Stephen Tavani (AD ’18, Preucil) won the position of assistant concertmaster of The Cleveland Orchestra starting in fall 2018.
Prizewinners Phil Goldenberg (MM ’15, Vieaux) received first prize in the 2018 Philadelphia Classical Guitar Competition. Judges noted his “pleasing calm, juxtaposed with pockets of technical brilliance” and “considerable sense of drama, displaying varied color and dynamic range.” Violist Ayane Kozasa’s (BM ’09, Docter/ Preucil) quartet, The Aizuri Quartet, won the Grand Prize at the M-Prize Chamber Arts Competition at the University of Michigan. Rubén Rengel (BM ’16, Laredo) won first prize in the senior division of the 21st annual Sphinx Competition, which aims to encourage, develop and recognize classical music talent in the African-American and Latinx communities.
Keith Fitch (composition) received his second Individual Excellence Award from the Ohio Arts Council. Recent performances of his music include the premiere of The Range of Light, commissioned by the Rocky Ridge Music Center. Upcoming commissions include a new work for Cleveland’s No Exit Ensemble, to be premiered in spring 2019. His Three English Sonnets, composed for Joshua Smith, principal flute of The Cleveland Orchestra, was published by Edition Peters this spring. Lucia Markovich (piano) was included in Strathmore’s Who’s Who, which is limited to individuals who have demonstrated leadership and achievement in their occupation, industry or profession. Gerardo Teissonnière (piano) was appointed to the Artist Faculty at the Sulzbach-Rosenberg International Music Festival in Germany. In addition to his final CIM Orchestra concert in Severance Hall, Carl Topilow’s (conducting) busy spring included guest conducting appearances with the orchestras of Fresno, the Quad Cities, South Bend and Toledo. His concert with the Firelands Symphony in Sandusky featured CIM faculty member pianist Sergei Babayan, and his concerts with the Cleveland Pops include CIM faculty, alumni and students.
Grammy-winning classical guitarist Jason Vieaux’s busy touring schedule continues to earn him recognition as “one of the best classical guitarists before the public today” (Sarasota Observer). In September, BIS releases Vieaux’s recording of Jeff Beal’s “Six Sixteen” Guitar Concerto with the Norrköping Symphony Orchestra. Other upcoming releases include Jonathan Leshnoff’s Guitar Concerto recorded live with the Nashville Symphony (Naxos) and a new album with Escher String Quartet (Azica). Richard Weiner (percussion), faculty member since 1963 and principal percussion emeritus of The Cleveland Orchestra who led the percussion section for 43 years of his 48 years in the orchestra, was recently elected to the Percussive Arts Society’s Hall of Fame. Weiner joins Cloyd Duff, former principal timpanist of The Cleveland Orchestra and longtime member of the CIM Faculty, in the Hall of Fame.
Students Sara Daneshpour performed the world premiere of Richard Danielpour’s Carnival of the Ancients for Piano and Orchestra with the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra in March. Paolo Dara (violin, Laredo/Sloman) and Isabelle Ai Durrenberger (violin, Laredo/ Cho) were semifinalists for the Irving M. Klein International String Competition. Isabelle Ai Durrenberger (violin, Laredo/ Cho), 2017 Payne Fund Prize recipient, performed a concerto with the Asheville Symphony Orchestra. Wei-An Hung (cello, Robinson) and Ju-Eun Lee (violin, Laredo/Sloman) won first and second place, respectively, in the strings division of the 2018 Tuesday Musical Association Scholarship Competition. Daniel Kaler (cello, Kosower) was awarded the Gold Medal and Sumin Kim (cello, Kosower) won the Agnew Bach Prize in the Collegiate Division of the Cleveland Cello Society Scholarship Competition. Six CIM students of Jeffrey Irvine placed at the Ohio Viola Society Solo Competition: Conor McAvinue (first place, Division III), Martha Mulcahy (Honorable Mention, Division III), Molly Wise (second place, Division III), Micaela Murphy (Honorable
Mention, Division III), Mikel Rollet (first place, Division II), and Claire Peyrebrune (second place, Division II). Sarah Miller (cello, Kraut) made her solo debut with the South Shore Symphony on Long Island, an orchestra in which her mother and stepfather play. Sarah was also a member of the orchestra prior to her time at CIM. Megan-Geoffrey Prins (piano, Pompa-Baldi) is one of only 10 pianists selected to perform in the Honens International Piano Competition semifinals, and is now going to Calgary at the end of August to compete. Belle Ra (cello, Kraut) and Eliza Fath (cello, Kraut) participated in The University of Tennessee, Knoxville School of Music’s TCW Cello Competition. Johnathan Wu (violin, Laredo/Sloman) placed second in Dallas Symphony’s 17th annual Lynn Harrell Concerto Competition. He performed Korngold’s Violin Concerto. Yeram Yoon (guitar, Vieaux) won the 2018 Stroud All-Ohio Guitar Competition, a competition that celebrates high performance values while helping students excel and reach their goals.
Preparatory Phoenix Avalon (violin, Laredo/Sloman) and Samuel Rosenthal (viola, Irvine) each won third prize at Morning Music Club Foundation’s Johansen International Competition in Washington, DC. Catharine Baek (piano, Schulze) is one of a select group of young pianists selected to participate in the Southeastern Piano Festival this June. Leo Gevisser (piano, Schulze) won the Suburban Symphony Young Artist Concerto Competition and played the Grieg Piano Concerto with this ensemble in February in a performance conducted by CIM alumnus Joshua Konow (MM ’12, Pompa-Baldi). Ania Lewis (cello, Baldwin) won senior division and Laura Schilz (cello, Baldwin) won junior division of the Lakeland Symphony Concerto Competition. Both performed concertos with the Lakeland Civic Orchestra this spring.
Preparatory Children’s Choir member Lydia Smith (voice, Paukert) was accepted to participate in the Ohio Choral Director’s Association Women’s Honor Choir at Otterbein University in June. Stephanie Yen, (piano, Teissonnière) won the Grand Prize in the National League of Performing Arts 2018 National Showcase Competition and performed at Carnegie Hall on April 22. Michael Zhu (cello, Pereira) was awarded in the Elementary Division, and Katarina Davies (cello, Weiss) placed first in the Senior Division of the Cleveland Cello Society Scholarship Competition.
In Memoriam Tim Bishop passed away March 12, 2018, at the age of 66. He was a member of the percussion section of the Virginia Symphony Orchestra since 1987. Previously, he was a member of the Orquesta Sinfonica del Estado de Mexico and the Mexico City Philharmonic. At CIM, he studied under Richard Weiner and Cloyd Duff and performed with The Cleveland Orchestra. Dr. Robert G. Schneider passed away March 6, 2018, at the age of 65. He retired from the Shaker Heights City Schools after 31 years of teaching as the chair of the music department and director of choirs at Shaker Heights High School. He served for 25 years as the director of music and organist of the First Baptist Church of Greater Cleveland in Shaker Heights. Schneider held a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from CIM. Raymond Sidoti passed away on February 8, 2018. Born in Cleveland in 1929, he earned violin performance degrees from Cleveland Institute of Music and The Ohio State University, and won a Fulbright grant to study at the Santa Cecilia Academy in Rome, Italy. He played extensive solo concert tours in Europe and the US, and taught in several colleges and universities before moving to Sioux Falls in 1982 to teach at Augustana College. After leaving Augustana, Sidoti conducted the Sioux Empire Youth Symphony and co-founded the Dakota Academy of Performing Arts, which continues today as part of the Washington Pavilion. Geana Snart passed away on April 23, 2018. Geana was a sophomore from Philadelphia, PA, studying cello with Richard Weiss. She was known at CIM as easy-going, passionate and determined, and the entire CIM community mourns the loss of this young talent. S P R I N G 2 0 18
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