Alumni News

Alumna Noelle Barr ‘21 appointed Principal Violin for New York Youth Symphony’s 2021-2022 Season

Noelle Barr

Photo by Zach Mendez

UC Santa Barbara alumna Noelle Barr ‘21 was recently appointed as Assistant Principal Second Violin for the New York Youth Symphony’s 2021-2022 Season. Under the direction of Michael Repper, Barr will participate in a series of three performances throughout the 2021-2022 academic year at Carnegie Hall. Repertoire will include Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5; Valerie Coleman’s Umoja; Samuel Barber’s Violin Concerto; and Johannes Brahms’ Symphony No. 2. As a scholarship recipient, Barr’s responsibilities will include mentoring musicians within her section, participation in community outreach activities, and performing new works by students of the New York Youth Symphony’s Composition Program.

Alumnus Azeem Ward ‘15 selected as participant for Crescendo Summer Institute in Tokaj, Hungary

Azeem Ward

Alumnus Azeem Ward ‘15 was selected as a participant for the Crescendo Summer Institute in Tokaj, Hungary from July 21-August 2, 2021. While at the Crescendo Summer Institute, Ward gave solo, chamber, and flute ensemble performances, including those from classical, beatbox, and jazz sources. Of the festival, Ward shared that he “really enjoyed exploring various genres and new perspectives of music,” and he “also appreciated the opportunity to discuss real world issues at the Institute.” Ward received a Bachelor of Music in Flute Performance in 2015 at UC Santa Barbara, where he studied with Professor Jill Felber. Ward’s senior recital went viral and was viewed by 55,000 people via live stream, earning him a feature on Jimmy Kimmel Live!

Alumna Dr. Kelly Guerra ‘21 selected for Cleveland Institute of Music’s inaugural Future of Music Faculty Fellowship

Dr. Kelly Guerra

Photo by JShoots

Alumna Dr. Kelly Guerra ‘21 was selected for the Cleveland Institute of Music’s inaugural Future of Music Faculty Fellowship. Supported by a grant awarded by the Sphinx Venture Fund, this unique program is designed to prepare Black and Latinx professionals in the music field for a successful and fulfilling career in academia. With more than 160 applicants from 30 states and seven countries, the inaugural cohort of 35 fellows includes scholars representing areas of study such as jazz, music education, vocal performance, ethnomusicology, music theory, and more, from institutions such as the University of Michigan, Eastman School of Music, Rice University, and Carnegie Mellon University.

Alumna Dr. Kelly Guerra ‘21 featured in Opera Santa Barbara’s Cruzar la Cara de la Luna

UC Santa Barbara alumna Dr. Kelly Guerra ‘21 was featured in Opera Santa Barbara’s production of José “Pepe” Martinez’s 75-minute Mariachi operetta, Cruzar la Cara de la Luna (“To Cross the Face of the Moon”). Guerra, a former Opera Santa Barbara Chrisman Studio Artist, sang the role of Lupita for both productions of the operetta, which were performed at the Granada Theatre in downtown Santa Barbara on October 1 and 3. With lyrics by Martínez (founder of the Mariachi Vargas de Tecatlá) and acclaimed American stage director Leonard Foglia, the operetta tells the tale of three generations of an immigrant family as they journey across borders to find one another and to make a home together.