Orchestral and Academic Appointments
Tommy Carpenter (MM ’15) – Cello, New World Symphony
Nina DeCesare (MM ’15) – Double Bass section, Oregon Symphony
Tenor Zachary Devin (MM ’10) was the second place winner in the vocal division of the Southern Illinois Young Artists Competition.
The Dover Quartet (MM ’13) – Quartet-in-Residence, Northwestern University’s Bienen School of Music. Group members are Joel Link, violin; Bryan Lee, violin; Milena Pajaro-van de Stadt, viola; and Camden Shaw, cello.
George Goad (MM ’15) – Trumpet, New World Symphony
Philip Hembree (MM ’14) – Second Trumpet, Colorado Symphony
Emily Honeyman (MM ’11) – Double Bass section, Swedish National Opera Orchestra
Tom Hooten (MM ’01) – Faculty position with San Francisco Conservatory of Music (concurrent with position as Principal Trumpet of the Los Angeles Philharmonic)
Andrea Jarrett (MM ’15) – Second Violin section, St. Louis Symphony
Erin Koertge Lano (MM ’07) – Second/Third Horn, Richmond Symphony
Brandon Mason (MM ’14) – Double Bass section, Kansas City Symphony
Rebecca Reale (BM ’15) – Violin, New World Symphony
Daryl Robinson (MM ’14) – Assistant Professor of Organ at Westminster Choir College of Rider University
Andrew Sandwick (Master’s student) – Second Clarinet/Bass Clarinet, San Francisco Ballet Orchestra
Chris Walczak (DMA ’13) – Assistant Professor of Music Theory and Composition, Southern Illinois University
Marty Burnett Wheeler (MM ’88) – Canon Precentor at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in Omaha
Jing Zheng (MM ’15) – Section violin, Houston Symphony
Competitions, Awards, Performances, and Premieres
Four of the ten semifinalists in the Houston Symphony’s 2015 Ima Hogg Concerto Competition are from the Shepherd School: current students Hewen Ma (piano), Boson Mo (violin), and Erik Wheeler (cello), and incoming student Stephanie Ng (piano).
Four voice alumni were winners of the 2015 George London Foundation Competition for Singers: bass Adam Lau (MM ’10), soprano Julia Dawson (MM ’13), and mezzo-soprano Sarah Mesko (MM ’10) each received a $10,000 prize, and soprano Amy Owens (MM ’12) received an Encouragement Award of $1,000.
Master’s trumpet student Anthony Bellino has received one of only sixteen Presser Foundation Graduate Student Awards, “designed to encourage and support the advanced education and career of truly exceptional graduate music students who have the potential to make a distinguished contribution to the field of music.”
Grammy-winning mezzo-soprano Sasha Cooke (BM ’04) gave the premiere of faculty composer Pierre Jalbert’s From Dusk to Starry Night with the River Oaks Chamber Orchestra in April.
Pianist Kimball Gallagher (BM ’02) concluded an 88-concert world tour with a solo recital at Carnegie Hall’s Zankel Hall in April.
Composition alumnus Charles Halka (DMA ’13) will have a piece performed at the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music in August. His piece Impact was chosen by Music Director Marin Alsop to receive its West Coast premiere on the Grand Finale concert.
William Johnston (MM ‘04) performed the West Coast premiere of Mark Gresham’s Three Essays for Viola and Double String Orchestra with the San Jose Chamber Orchestra in March.
Alumna Christle Collins Judd (MM ’83) has been named a Senior Program Officer at the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
Pianist Gloria Kim (MM ’13) will be featured in the 2015 Fall Island Vocal Arts Seminar at SUNY Potsdam’s Crane School of Music.
Mezzo-soprano Sarah Mesko (MM ’10) won Third Prize in the Dallas Opera Guild Vocal Competition.
Student ensemble the Prismatic Wind Quintet won the Bronze Medal in the Senior Winds Division of the 2015 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition. The group members are James Blanchard (flute), Tamer Edlebi (oboe), Nicholas Davies (clarinet), Isaac Schultz (bassoon), and Markus Osterlund (horn).
Voice student Christian Sanders won First Prize in the Ruth Burr Competition sponsored by the Houston Tuesday Music Club.
The Richard Tucker Music Foundation awarded bass-baritone Michael Sumuel (MM ’09) a $10,000 Career Grant.
Voice student Jack Swanson won First Place in the Florida Grand Opera National Voice Competition for Junior Young Artists (ages 20-25). He also won First Place in the 2015 San Antonio Tuesday Music Club competition.
Career Updates
Violinist Emily Dahl (BM ’07) performs with the Emergence Quartet, a period instrument string quartet based in Boston.
Alumnus Caen Thomason-Redus (MM ’99) serves as the Community Catalyst at Detroit Symphony Orchestra.
Tara Slough (BM ’12, BA ‘12) is a PhD candidate in political science at Columbia University. She is a recipient of the National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship.