Here's Carli Norniella with another educational outreach video produced by our OU School of Music saxophone studio this semester! Thank you, Carli!
More great press for OU School of Music trombone professor Dr. Irv Wagner! Thank you to Callie Collins for this wonderful feature article in the most recent issue of Boyd Street Magazine!
Congratulations to OU School of Music Graduate Teaching Assistants Aboris De Jesus Serbia, David Anderson, Jenna Klein, and Lok Hin Cheng! These outstanding students have just been awarded the Provost's Certificate of Distinction in Teaching for the spring semester. Recipients of this award represent the top 10 percent of all graduate teaching assistants across the campus as evaluated by students during the end-of-semester course evaluation process. Congratulations!
Congratulations to OU School of Music alum Dr. William George-Twyman (DMA Choral Conducting, 2020) on this outstanding interview with Dallas Summer Musicals discussing Black art and identity in choral music! William is the Head of Choral Studies at Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Dallas, Texas.
Congratulations to OU School of Music saxophone professor Dr. Jonathan Nichol and H2 on the review they recently received in The Whole Note magazine! Well-deserved praise for this outstanding ensemble!
Congratulations to OU School of Music graduate voice student Yu He! Yu has recently advanced to the 2nd Round of the Metropolitan Opera Tulsa District Auditions, and has also advanced to the Semifinal Round of the 2020 Premiere Opera Foundation + NYIOP International Vocal Competition and Virtual Casting Auditions! Yu is a student of OU SoM voice professor Mark McCrory. Congratulations!
Congratulations to OU School of Music percussion professor Dr. Andrew Richardson, who was featured in a recent Percussive Arts Society blog!
Congratulations to OU School of Music voice student Hannah Hall, who has been selected to perform in a virtual presentation of Bizet's Carmen with the La Super orchestra of Monterrey, Mexico! Ms. Hall is a student of voice professor Robin Cotton Cobb. Congratulations, Hannah!
OU School of Music saxophone professor Dr. Jonathan Nichol had a great time last week presenting a virtual masterclass to the saxophone students at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley!
Here's OU School of Music saxophone student Rachel Wolz with another installment in the series of teaching videos being produced by our saxophone studio! Thank you, Rachel!
Congratulations to OU School of Music voice professor Dr. Les Flanagan! Les has been invited by the Sydney chapter of the Australian National Association of Teachers of Singing to present a lecture on the History of Vocal Pedagogy at their convention in Sydney next July. Bravo, Dr. Flanagan!
Congratulations to OU School of Music composition student Dustin Schulze! As a result of winning last year's Texas New Music Ensemble Student Composer Competition, Dustin was commissioned to write a piano piece for the organization's 2020-2021 concert series. The resulting work, No. 1 from Atmospheres, has now been premiered and recorded. Here's a video including Yan Shen's performance along with Dustin's explanation of his compositional thoughts and processes. Congratulations, Dustin!
Congratulations to OU School of Music horn student Carlos Lopez! Carlos has successfully auditioned for a horn spot in the Army Band music program, and will begin his career with the 399th Army Band at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri next year! Congratulations, Carlos!
Congratulations to OU School of Music piano professor Dr. Barbara Fast, who recently presented workshops on practicing, "Tips Our Brains Like But We Avoid," at the University of Memphis and Cal State University Northridge!
Congratulations to OU School of Music voice student Jenna Black, who recently qualified for the 2nd round of the 2020 MET Opera Competition! Ms. Black is a student of voice professor Lorraine Ernest. Congratulations, Jenna!
Congratulations to OU School of Music piano students Hayden Coie and Wenxin Guan! Hayden, a student of Dr. Jeongwon Ham, received Honorable Mention in the Young Artist Piano category, as did Wenxin, a student of Dr. JP Murphy. Congratulations, Hayden and Wenxin!
Congratulations to OU School of Music horn student Ian Cone! Ian, a student of OU horn professor Dr. Eldon Matlick, has won the Brass Division in the OMTA and MTNA State Young Artist Competitions! Congratulations, Ian!
Congratulations to OU School of Music piano student Tatiana Stratenco, who is this year's winner of the Oklahoma MTNA Young Artist Piano competition! Ms. Stratenco studies with OU piano professor Dr. Igor Lipinski. Brava, Tatiana!
Congratulations to OU School of Music saxophone students Jacob Nance, Parker Fritz, and Ben MacDonald on your outstanding performances in the 2020 Oklahoma MTNA Young Artist Woodwinds division competition! Jacob, Parker, and Ben are students of OU SoM saxophone professor Dr. Jonathan Nichol!
Congratulations to OU School of Music saxophone students Ethan Roberts, Meagan Ballard, and Kate Omstead on your outstanding performances in the 2020 Oklahoma MTNA competition! Ethan, Meagan, and Kate are students of OU SoM saxophone professor Dr. Jonathan Nichol!
Congratulations to OU School of Music voice student David Soto Zambrana! David performed, Don Ottavio (Don Giovanni) and Alfredo (La Traviata) with Taconic Opera early in the summer, and then was featured in a run of virtual concerts in which he performed, The Duke (Rigoletto), and Alfredo (La Traviata) with Finger Lake's Opera's Tomita Young Artist Program.
Congratulations to vocal performance and marketing major Justin Norris, who has been selected as one of OU's Outstanding Seniors for his exceptional achievements in scholarship, honors, awards, leadership and service! Bravo, Justin!
Congratulations to OU School of Music voice student Emily Dierks! Emily was selected to intern with the Moore Apprentice Choir (a branch of Canterbury Youth Voices). Through this position, she will observe a veteran teacher every week and have hands on experience teaching a choir of about twenty-five 2nd-6th grade students. She is also responsible for running the administrative tasks necessary to prepare for each rehearsal. Congratulations, Emily!
Congratulations to OU School of Music voice student Robert Hartfield! Robert recently qualified and advanced into the second round of the MET Opera Competition! Mr. Hartfield is a student of voice professor Dr. Les Flanagan. Congratulations, Robert!
Congratulations to our OU School of Music piano students on their outstanding performances in the Oklahoma Music Teachers Association Competition!
Congratulations to Emilia Ughamadu, 3rd-place winner in the American Negro Spiritual Competition at yesterday's Texoma Region NATS Competition!
Congratulations to our OU School of Music graduate voice students on their outstanding performances at yesterday's Texoma Region NATS Competition!
Congratulations to our OU School of Music junior voice students on their outstanding performances at yesterday's Texoma Region NATS Competition!
Congratulations to our OU School of Music sophomore voice students on their outstanding performances at yesterday's Texoma Region NATS Competition!
Congratulations to our OU School of Music freshmen voice students on their outstanding performances at yesterday's Texoma Region NATS Competition!
Our ever resourceful and inventive OU School of Music bassoon students, led by professor Rod Ackmann, have embarked on a new project: growing their own reed cane! The Arundo Donax rhizomes were planted last Monday, and will winter in the warmth of the OU Greenhouse before being transplanted to the Catlett Music Center South Courtyard next spring.
Congratulations to OU School of Music voice student Claire Robinson, who successfully qualified and advanced into the second round of the MET Opera Competition! Ms. Robinson is a student of voice professor Dr. Les Flanagan. Congratulations, Claire!
Here is Kate Omstead with another example of the instructional videos being prepared by our OU School of Music saxophone students! Thank you to Kate, Dr. Jonathan Nichol, and the entire saxophone studio for these contributions to young saxophone players across the country!
Congratulations to OU School of Music violin professor Dr. Gregory Lee, who will be the featured soloist on Piazolla's Four Seasons on this Saturday's OKC Philharmonic Classics Concert!
We are very excited to share the news that OU School of Music bass professor Dr. Anthony Stoops has developed a new resource titled The Bass Pedagogy Project! Organized into various playlists including Technique, Solo Contest Repertoire, Group Class Ensembles, Scales, and Oklahoma All-State Preparation, the growing site now consists of some 60 instructional videos, with more to be added soon. Here’s a video from the site, the Gossec Gavotte. Congratulations, Dr. Stoops, for this outstanding contribution to the bass playing community!
Our outstanding OU School of Music saxophone students, led by Dr. Jonathan Nichol, have been busy preparing a series of short instructional videos designed to help young saxophone players everywhere. Here is Micah Cheng with some quick tips about tuning!
OU School of Music organ professor Dr. Damin Spritzer continues her fall performance tour with a performance at Ball State University!
Congratulations to the Fountain City Brass Band (including OU School of Music tuba/euphonium professor Brian Dobbins) on winning the 2020 Cory Online Brass Band Championships in the Championship Section! Sixty bands from all over the world competed in five divisions as part of the competition.
Congratulations to OU School of Music graduate Dr. John Price, who is in his first semester as Assistant Professor of Piano at Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, Louisiana! Dr. Price completed his DMA Piano Performance & Pedagogy degree this summer, and joined the NSU faculty in August.
Congratulations to OU School of Music saxophone professor Dr. Jonathan Nichol, who will be performing a new piece by composer Joe Michaels next Saturday, October 3rd. Dr. Nichol will be playing in Norman, collaborating with musicians at the Stuttgart State University for Music and Performing Arts in Germany, live and in real time!
Congratulations to new DMA Piano Performance & Pedagogy student Mimi Zhang, who has just had her Poster Session Preventing Fatigue in the Practice Room published in the MTNA e-Journal, Sept 2020 issue!
Congratulations to OU School of Music organ professor Dr. Damin Spritzer, who is appearing as a guest artist in the Rie Bloomfield Organ Series at Wichita State University tomorrow evening!
Congratulations to OU School of Music alum Mike Gillespie, who has just won a spot in the United States Army Field Band in Washington, D.C.!
Here's another one of our outstanding OU School of Music graduates doing great things! Congratulations to Dr. Lani Garner!
“Lani Garner, assistant professor in the School of Music at the University of Central Oklahoma, recently helped facilitate Unified Voices for Music Education, a series of music lessons and tools for music teachers to use in virtual classrooms.”
Congratulations to OU School of Music ABD doctoral student David Gomez, who is just beginning his semester as the new Director of Choral Activities and Assistant Professor of Music Education at Five Towns College in New York!
Congratulations to OU School of Music piano professor Dr. Barbara Fast! Dr. Fast presented a Zoom workshop, "Practicing in the Time of COVID-19," to the International Society of Music Education last week AND led divisional meetings during the Music Teachers National Association's Virtual Summit for MTNA leadership.
Congratulations to recent OU School of Music graduate Dylan Madoux, who is pursuing an MM degree in conducting at OCU!
Congratulations to Ms. Kiersten Burkhalter, who is in her first semester as a music specialist for Epic Charter Schools! Kiersten is a 2020 graduate of the OU School of Music!
Congratulations to Jadon Gaudin as he begins his new job as the choir director at Roosevelt Middle School in the OKCPS! Mr. Gaudin is a 2020 graduate of the OU School of Music.
Congratulations to 2020 OU School of Music grad Kayelin Fant! Ms. Fant is the new music teacher at Monroe Elementary School in Norman!
Congratulations to Mr. Zach Johns, new band director in the Crooked Oaks Public Schools in OKC. Mr. Johns is a 2020 graduate of the OU School of Music. Congratulations, Zach!
Congratulations to recent OU School of Music graduate Lauren Garcia! Ms. Garcia is the newly appointed music instructor and choir director at Jenks East Intermediate School!
Congratulations to Dr. Matt Stock, OU Fine Arts Head Librarian (and OU School of Music alum!), whose book "The Arban Expansion Pack" has been downloaded over 1,800 times in just over two months! Thanks to support from the University Libraries Open Textbook Grant, the book is available at no cost in the ShareOK institutional repository:
Congratulations, Matt!
Congratulations to recent OU School of Music graduate Mr. Kyle Hamrick, who is just beginning his new job as band director in the Whitewright (TX) ISD!
Congratulations to recent OU SoM graduate Shaylynn Sienkiewicz! Ms. Sienkiewicz is beginning her new job as orchestra director in the Lindbergh School District in St. Louis, Missouri!
We'd like to tell you about a wonderful collaborative project being coordinated by OU School of Music professor Dr. Christina Giacona. Working with "Cube of Light," original music composed by Christina and Patrick Conlon, several dancers have crafted choreography, with each choreographer treating one of the piece's movements.
In the movement titled "The Dreams We Had," dancer/choreographer (and OU alum!) Maggie Boyette and dancers Nancy Boyette and Ruthe Blalock James explore personal ideas regarding the concept of home, what home looks and feels like with relation to dancing, family, and light, and specifically the sun, moon and stars.
Videographer Josh Bivens is filming the dance performances, and the final video will be released on September 25th at the Melton Gallery at UCO as part of the surround-sound multimedia installation of "Cube of Light."
Congratulations to recent OU School of Music graduate Quintin Roper! Quintin has just begun his graduate studies in saxophone performance at the University of Arkansas!
Congratulations to recent OU School of Music graduate Emma Bayne as she begins her new job as the music teacher at Parkview Elementary School in the Keller (TX) ISD!
Here's a special tribute prepared by the Fountain City Brass Band in honor of all teachers everywhere. Our OU School of Music tuba/euphonium professor Brian Dobbins is a member of this amazing ensemble, which is based in Kansas City, Missouri, but draws its members from all across the United States. The Fountain City Brass Band has won 9 U.S. Open Brass Band Championships, 8 North American Brass Band Championships, and 1 Scottish Open Brass Band Championship (becoming the first U.S. band, and the first non-U.K. band in over 50 years to win a major brass band competition on U.K. soil). Thank you, teachers!
Here's a great video featuring OU School of Music professor Dr. Christina Giacona and her work researching and cataloging the library of Cherokee composer Jack Frederick Kilpatrick!
Congratulations to OU School of Music saxophone professor Dr. Jonathan Nichol and H2 on the upcoming release of their 7th studio album, Infinity Mirror!
Congratulations to the OU Symphony Band and their conductor, Dr. Michael Hancock! The Symphony Band has been invited to perform at the 2021 Oklahoma Music Educators Association Convention in Tulsa!
Congratulations to the OU Chorale and conductor Dr. Richard Zielinski! The Chorale has been selected to perform at the annual OkMEA Convention in Tulsa in January!
Congratulations to recent OU School of Music graduate Chancelor Barbaree! Chancelor has just been appointed as Director of Education and Outreach for Amarillo Opera!
Congratulations to OU School of Music alum D.J. Handy, who has just been appointed as Assistant Percussion Director in the Rockwall (TX) Independent School District!
Here's a great OKC Philharmonic Salon Sunday video featuring OU School of Music violin professor Dr. Gregory Lee and Philharmonic Maestro Alexander Mickelthwate!
Facebook Video/
Check out the cover of the July International Trombone Association Journal! Dr. Irvin Wagner has won the ITA's 2019 Lifetime Achievement Award. Congratulations, Dr. Wagner!
Congratulations to OU School of Music piano & organ student Noah Smith! Noah has just received the Virginia Queen Award from the LIttle Rock Music Coterie!
Congratulations to MM Piano Performance & Pedagogy student Alexis Barton, whose article "Motivation and Performance in the Time of Covid-19" has just been published in The Piano Magazine (part of the Frances Clark Center Center for Keyboard Pedagogy)!
Congratulations to OU School of Music graduate voice student Skye Singleton Baxter, who is one of the recipients of this year's Doc Tate Nevaquaya scholarship!
Congratulations to OU School of Music piano professors Dr. Barbara Fast and Dr. J.P. Murphy, who are both delivering presentations at the National Group Piano and Piano Pedagogy (GP3) Virtual Forum today and tomorrow!
Check this out! Here's OU School of Music jazz BA major Jeffrey Stevenson with a nice home recording project!
Congratulations to DMA Piano Performance student Hannah Roberts! Ms. Roberts has just won 1st prize in the ENKOR International Music Competition! Outstanding!
http://www.enkorcompetition.com/2020/07/hannah-roberts-1st-prize-piano-7th.html
Congratulations to OU SoM music education professor Dr. Melissa Baughman, who has just been appointed to serve as a reviewer on the Update: Applications of Research in Music Education Editorial Board! This important peer-reviewed journal combines research in music teaching and learning with everyday practice to help teachers apply research in their classrooms and rehearsal halls.
In case you missed it last weekend, here's the Oklahoma City Philharmonic's July 4th virtual performance. Thank you for sharing this with all of us, and a special shout out to the 16 OU School of Music faculty members and alumni who hold spots in this wonderful ensemble!
Congratulations to Dr. Michael Hancock and the members of the 2017-2018 OU Wind Symphony! Dr. Hancock and the Wind Symphony have now been named finalists for The American Prize Ernst Bacon Performance of American Music Award for their live recordings of both Michael Colgrass' Urban Requiem featuring the h2 Quartet, and Michael Daugherty's Labyrinth of Love featuring OU School of Music voice student Skye Singleton!
Congratulations to OU School of Music DMA voice candidate Thomas Cannon, who has just been appointed Assistant Professor of Voice at the University of Hartford's Hartt School of Music!
Here's OU School of Music trumpet professor Dr. Karl Sievers in a featured interview on today's Bob Reeves podcast. Thank you, Dr. Sievers, for your continued inspiration and mentorship!
Another OU School of Music graduate has been featured on the CBS Sunday Morning Facebook page! This time it's Tyler Chargualaf, currently a member of the US ARMY 1st Cavalry Division Band. Congratulations, Tyler!
Facebook Video
Congratulations to OU School of Music trumpet alumna Christi Wans, who was recently featured performing "Abblasen" on the CBS Sunday Morning Facebook page!
Congratulations to OU School of Music theory professor Dr. Jeff Swinkin and DMA candidate Hayley Grigg! Dr. Swinkin has secured a book contract with Pendragon Press to co-edit a collection of essays in dedication to his former PhD advisor. It is entitled, Mapping the Musical Imagination: A Festschrift for Kevin Korsyn. His contribution to it—in co-authorship with DMA Candidate Hayley Grigg, making her publication debut—will be “Tales of E-flat/B-natural: A ‘Problematic’ Tonal Nexus in Nineteenth-Century Music and its Hermeneutic Dimensions.” The volume will be published late next year. Congratulations, Dr. Swinkin and Ms. Grigg!
Congratulations to OU School of Music alumnus Dr. Hilary Lowery, who has just been appointed as Assistant Professor of Single Reeds at Bemidji State University in Minnesota! Dr. Lowery received her BM in Clarinet Performance at OU, and her MM and DMA degrees at the University of Kansas. Congratulations, Dr. Lowery!
Congratulations to OU School of Music trumpet professor Dr. Karl Sievers, who delivered a presentation as part of the William Adams Virtual International Trumpet Gathering! Of special note: over 1,000 viewers from around the world attended Dr. Sievers' presentation!
Thank you to Dr. Michael Hancock and the members of the OU Symphony Band for this splendid performance of Irish Tune, recorded by working together from afar, after our in-person rehearsals ended in March. Enjoy!
Congratulations to Professor Brian Britt, who presented a session titled "It's Time To Go Virtual: Welcome to Virtual Marching Band" at CBDNA's Virtual Athletic Band Symposium.
Congratulations to OU School of Music voice teachers Mark McCrory, Joel Burcham, Robin Cotton, Les Flanagan, Célia Wollenberg, and voice student Natasha Naik for a wonderful presentation at the Classical Singer online convention yesterday!
Kudos to former OU School of Music students Kathryn Vetter and Jacob Frost for the work on the new Sputter Box project!
Facebook Video
Congratulations to OU School of Music graduate student Joshua Chism, who recently presented his research study, "An Examination of Undergraduate Vocal Pedagogy Courses for Preservice Choral Music Educators," for the 2020 ACDA Symposium on Research in Choral Singing!
We are very excited to announce that Dr. Michael Hancock has now been selected as a finalist for the American Prize in Conducting Wind Ensembles! Dr. Hancock is one of only fourteen to have earned this distinction. Congratulations, Michael!
Congratulations to Jacob Merrill, who has accepted a graduate assistantship offer at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music!
Congratulations to OU School of Music piano professor Dr. Igor Lipinski on the release of his new album Alchemy! Bravo, Dr. Lipinski!
Here's an article from today's Oklahoman talking about the Painted Sky Opera company's new online recital series, and featuring OU School of Music voice professor Dr. Joel Burcham! Thank you, Dr. Burcham, for your contributions to this exciting new endeavor!
Weitzenhoffer College of Fine Arts Dean Mary Margaret Holt has received the 2020 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Congress on Research of Pedagogical Studies de Ballet International! Congratulations, Dean Holt! She was interviewed recently by the Norman Transcript. See the article below for more.
Dean of Fine Arts College receives life time achievement award
We love our students, and we are constantly amazed at their creativity and ingenuity. Michael Meier, senior trumpet performance and computer science major, took Vulfpeck's arrangement of Bach's Die Kunst Der Fuge Contrapunctus IX, transcribed it for four trumpets, performed and recorded all four parts himself, then added his audio track to the original Vulfpeck video. Bravo, Michael!
Congratulations to the outstanding recipients of our 2019-2020 String Area awards!
Congratulations to our outstanding woodwind area award recipients!
Congratulations to this year's undergraduate brass area award recipients: Ashley Mueller, Trevor Crawford, Connor Cowan, Sebastian Palmer, and Chris McLaughlin!
Congratulations to our 2019-2020 Percussion Award recipients! Michael, Colton, and Tim were honored in a recent percussion-area Zoom awards celebration!
Congratulations to Victoria Day and Evan Hargrave, the recipients of this year's Ethnomusicology Awards!
Congratulations to the recipients of our 2019-2020 Music Education Awards!
Congratulations to our 2019-2020 Voice Area award recipients!
Congratulations to all the recipients of our 2019-2020 Composition Awards!
Congratulations to all the outstanding students who received these honors!
Congratulations to Jacob Merrill and Jacob Nance, the recipients of this year's OU School of Music jazz awards!
Congratulations to our '19-'20 Theory Award winners Brooke Oliver and Anthony Barcio!
Congratulations to OU School of Music alum Kenn McSperitt, whose newest album release, 'Prologue to Sounden Horn, a phonetic composition for chamber orchestra,' is scheduled to release in stores worldwide on April 30!
Congratulations to OU School of Music professors Shanti Simon and Jonathan Nichol, who have been selected to deliver presentations at this year’s Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic! Dr. Simon will team up with Craig Kirchoff to present a clinic session titled “Audience Engagement-Considerations for Music Performance,” and Dr. Nichol will join the members of H2 and professors John Nichol of Central Michigan University and Joseph Lulloff of Michigan State University to present a session titled “The 12-Month Musician Versus the 9-Month Musician: Strategies for Fostering Musical Growth Over the Summer Months.” Congratulations, Dr. Simon and Dr. Nichol!
Congratulations to OU School of Music professor Dr. Jennifer Saltzstein, who has just received the Anadarko Petroleum Corporation Presidential Professorship!
Jennifer Saltzstein is a distinguished scholar in her field of musicology, as demonstrated by her impressive record of research activity and her many prestigious awards, publications, presentations, conference papers and book reviews.
At the graduate level, she has supervised 14 graduate theses, and currently serves on 17 graduate committees. She has taught Research and Bibliography for the past three years; this course has a fully scaffolded design that guides students through the research process step-by-step and provides feedback at every level. Saltzstein has chaired three masters' theses, all of which won awards, and sponsored three presentations at OU's undergraduate research day, two of which won the Phi Kappa Phi Award for distinguished undergraduate research.
In addition, Saltzstein designed an original study abroad course on Italian music in which students developed research topics centered around historical sites, artifacts and urban environments that they visited in person in Arezzo, Rome, and Venice.
Outside the classroom, Saltzstein maintains a prominent research profile, recently highlighted by the prestigious H. Colin Slim Award, given by the American Musicological society to the best article written by a senior scholar in the field of musicology. This annual award, the highest national achievement attainable by a musicology scholar, was bestowed in recognition of her article "Rape and Repentance in Two Medieval Motets," published in 2017 by the Journal of the American Musicological Society.
Her other recent accolades include receiving a National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowship (2016- 2017). This achievement, among many others, speaks to her rapidly growing reputation as one of the leading musicological scholars in the United States.
Congratulations to OU School of Music piano professor Dr. Barbara Fast, who has just received a David Ross Boyd Professorship!
The David Ross Boyd Professorship is one of the University’s highest honors, recognizing faculty who have consistently demonstrated outstanding teaching, guidance, and leadership for students in an academic discipline or in an interdisciplinary program within the University.
Barbara Fast is recognized by her colleagues as a compassionate and devoted teacher of national and international reputation and influence and as someone who has inspired and mentored generations of students in their pursuit of highly successful careers and meaningful contributions to the field of piano pedagogy.
She directs OU’s renowned Piano Pedagogy program – one of the largest, most active and most successful in the country. Through her mentorship and effective modeling, she not only trains outstanding piano pedagogues, but also models and encourages the highest standards of professionalism. Students leave the OU piano pedagogy program well-poised to follow in her footsteps, as evidenced by the many former students who have obtained prominent academic positions in prestigious piano pedagogy programs across the country.
Her students also have won numerous awards and produced significant publications. The OU collegiate chapter of the Music Teachers' National Association won the national Chapter of the Year award in 2017, 2009 and 2007 under her mentorship.
Among her many accomplishments, one that stands out as especially significant and impactful is her co-founding of the National Group Piano and Piano Pedagogy Forum (GP3) in 2000. The biennial national conference is quite influential in establishing standards of teaching in Group Piano classes, which are included in the core curriculum in every music school in the nation.
In recognition of her guidance and mentoring of students, Fast was the recipient of the Oklahoma Music Teacher of the Year award and OU's Irene and Julian Rothbaum Presidential Professor of Excellence in the Arts.
Congratulations to OU School of Music advisor Alyssa Lewis, who has just received the Provost's Outstanding New Academic Advisor Award! A very well-deserved honor!
Congratulations to OU School of Music professor Dr. Jennifer Saltzstein! Dr. Saltzstein has just been awarded a 2020-2021 Arts & Humanities Faculty Fellowship to support her research project, "Song, Landscape, and Identity in Medieval Northern France: Toward an Environmental History." Congratulations, Dr. Saltzstein!
Congratulations to OU School of Music Professor Dr. Zoe Sherinian, who has just received a 2020-2021 OU Arts & Humanities Faculty Fellowship for work on her research project, “Drumming Our Liberation: The Spiritual, Cultural, and Sonic Power of the Parai Drum." Congratulations, Dr. Sherinian!
We had the pleasure of hosting Achilles Liarmakopoulos, trombonist with the Canadian Brass, in October. Achilles recorded two pieces with the OU Trombone Choir, under the direction of Dr. Irv Wagner, and has just recently released them on YouTube. Here's "Distance," featuring Achilles Liarmakapoulos and the OU Trombone Choir!
Congratulations to the Boyd Street Brass on the release of their new album, "Are You Ready?" This fantastic ensemble consists of Brian Dailey (BM Percussion Performance, 2012), Jacob Merrill (BM Trumpet Performance, 2020), Daryl Nagode (School of Music Webmaster), Jonathan Nichol (School of Music saxophone professor), Alex Purdy (BM Tuba Performance, 2018), Eric Walschap (School of Music Facilities & Technology Coordinator), and Jay Wilkinson (School of Music Coordinator of Jazz Studies). Congratulations to these awesome musicians!
Congratulations to Alexandra Robinson, 2016 MM bassoon graduate, who has just been appointed as Marketing and PR Manager of the Omaha Symphony!
Congratulations to OU School of Music professors Dr. Melissa Baughman and Dr. Chris Baumgartner, who are presenting on tomorrow's OU Faculty Research Symposium on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion!
More accolades for the Codex Quartet! Parker Fritz, Alexis Seah, Ben MacDonald, and Jacob Nance have just qualified and advanced to the next round of the 47th annual Fischoff Competition! Congratulations to these outstanding OU School of Music students!
Music video release! Check out this stunning music video by the OU Wind Symphony, showcasing beautiful Gothic Hall and highlighting the comprehensive education provided by all of our faculty here at the OU School of Music!
Congratulations to Ginny Lynn Stewart and Chris Bourgeois on their outstanding successes in the recent NATS Texoma Region Musical Theater Division Competition! Ginny, a freshman music minor, won 1st place in the Lower College Women Division! Chris, a senior music minor, took home 2nd place in the Upper College Men Division! Ginny and Chris are students of voice professor Robin Cotton Cobb. Congratulations....we are PROUD of you!
Congratulations to OU School of Music graduate student Kevin Punnackal, who has been accepted to a conducting fellowship position at the University of Northern Colorado Choral Conducting Symposium this upcoming April 3-5!
Kevin will be rehearsing and performing the pieces Randall Thompson's Peaceable Kingdom and Frank Martin's Double Choir Mass.
Congratulations to OU School of Music musicology professor Dr. Jennifer Saltzstein! Dr. Saltzstein has been selected by the OU Arts & Humanities Forum's Faculty Advisory Committee for the National Humanities Center's Summer Residency in June!
Congratulations to former OU School of Music organ graduate student Stephanie Barth, whose monograph "Mildred Andrews Boggess: A Biography" has just been published by Leupold Editions!
Congratulations to the winners of the 2020 Young Artist Competition! 1st place winner Micah Cheng and 2nd place winner Emily Chippendale will be joined by Callie Bryant, Evelyn Culver, Claire Dittelmier, Anna Fitzgerald, Madison Hoyt, and Kayla Marshall in a special Young Artist Competition Honors Concert at 3:00 pm on March 28th!
The OU School of Music was honored to host the 2020 Southwest Region College Band Directors National Association Conference! The conference attendees come from Colorado, New Mexico, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Missouri, and Arkansas, with featured performances by ensembles from Texas Woman's University, Texas Tech University, Arkansas State University, the University of Missouri, the University of Central Arkansas, the University of Texas-Arlington, and the University of Oklahoma. The conference has approximately 150 registered attendees, 12 scholarly presentations, and a total of more than 1,000 participating musicians over the duration of the conference!
Congratulations to OU School of Music graduate music education student Geoff Harmon, who has just returned from presenting at the TI:ME Leadership Academy! Mr. Harmon's presentation addressed the incorporation of technology in the public schools for students who are not currently participating in scholastic performance ensembles. Congratulations, Geoff!
Congratulations to Katie Ostrosky, who will soon be receiving the OU Provost's Certificate of Distinction in Teaching award! The recipients of this award represent the top 10 percent of all graduate assistants across campus by student evaluations for courses taught during the Fall 2019 semester. Ms. Ostrosky is a PhD Piano Pedagogy major, and is a graduate teaching assistant for the music theory area. Congratulations, Katie!
We are very pleased to announce that OU School of Music graduate students Robert Hartfield and Jenna Klein will be receiving The Provost’s Certificate of Distinction in Teaching! The recipients represent the top 10 percent of all graduate assistants across campus by student evaluations for courses taught during the Fall 2019 semester. Congratulations, Robert and Jenna!
Congratulations to Dr. Josh Tomlinson! Dr. Tomlinson has just accepted a position as Instructor of Music Technology and Production at the University of Northern Florida, where he will oversee their B.M. in Music Technology and Production program, beginning in August.
Congratulations to Dr. Charlene Dell, who presented a clinic session titled "Strengthening Ensemble Skills Through Technology" to a large and enthusiastic audience at the TMEA Convention in San Antonio yesterday afternoon!
We are excited to announce that Dr. Michael Hancock has been selected as a national semifinalist in two categories for The American Prize: celebrating American excellence in the arts! He has been nominated in the categories of Conductor in the band/wind ensemble division, and the Ernst Bacon Memorial Award for Performance of American Music for his performances with the OU Wind Symphony of Michael Colgrass' Urban Requiem featuring the h2 saxophone quartet, and Michael Daugherty's Labyrinth of Love featuring OU doctoral student Skye Singleton Baxter. Congratulations, Dr. Hancock!
Congratulations to OU trombone professor Dr. Irv Wagner and the Trombone Choir! Several current and former students joined Dr. Wagner in a performance of the National Anthem prior to yesterday's OKC Thunder game.
Congratulations to OU School of Music organ professor Dr. Adam Pajan, who has just received an invitation to perform at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles next January! The performance is one of four in an annual series of solo organ programs sponsored by the LA Phil and featuring organists from across the world. In addition to Dr. Pajan's performance, the series will also include appearances by organists Chelsea Chen, Ton Koopman, and James O'Donnell. Congratulations, Dr. Pajan!
Congratulations to OU School of Music horn professor Dr. Eldon Matlick, who has received an invitation to participate in Carnaval du Cor 2020 in Pullach, Germany February 21-25. While there, he will perform with a distinguished guest list of some of the most prestigious professional hornists from around Germany and will give master classes to younger participants. Congratulations, Dr. Matlick!
Congratulations to music education professor Dr. Melissa Baughman! Dr Baughman was the Region M guest conductor for the annual "Circle the State with Song Choral Festival" last Friday at the Nancy O'Brian Center!
We are very proud to present the 2020 Benton-Schmidt Competition winners: Thando Mamba 1st place, Ashley Carr 2nd place, Nathan Bowles 3rd place, and Edward Bland 4th place. Thank you to Dr. Joel Burcham and the OU voice faculty for coordinating the competition, and thank you to Emily Pulley for serving as this year's adjudicator! Congratulation to Thando, Ashley, Nathan, and Edward, and to EVERYONE who participated today!
Congratulations to Clara Hassen, 3rd year DMA Piano Performance and Pedagogy candidate in the OU School of Music, who has just received MTNA's e-Journal Article of the Year Award for her article "Music Performance Anxiety: The Role of Teachers in Addressing Anxiety in Adolescent Students and Beyond," which was published in the February 2019 MTNA e-Journal! Congratulations, Clara, on this tremendous honor!
Congratulations to OU School of Music composition student Timothy Schmidt! A film to which he contributed music, titled Hawks Ridge, is having its world premiere at the San Diego Black Film Festival this Saturday, February 1! This is Timothy's first feature-length film project.
Congratulations to OU School of Music composition professor Dr. Marvin Lamb! Dr. Lamb has just accepted an invitation from Parma Records to participate in a recording project with the London Symphony Orchestra & guest soloist/ cellist Ovidiu Marinescu. In the words of the Parma Production Staff, Lamb was invited to participate in the project “because we believe your compositional style & voice would be a spectacular fit for this.” The recordings will take place in the famous Abbey Road Studio. The resulting product will be 8 short concert pieces for cello & orchestra tentatively titled “LSO Miniatures” with a release date scheduled for early 2021. Congratulations, Dr. Lamb!
Congratulations to OU School of Music organ professor Dr. Damin Spritzer, who is on the road this weekend presenting a masterclass and recital at the University of Notre Dame!
Event Link
Congratulations to PhD music education student Joshua Chism, who has been invited to present his research, "An examination of undergraduate vocal pedagogy courses for preservice choral music educators" at the Symposium for Research in Choral Singing in Atlanta this May!
Congratulations to OU School of Music professor Dr. Melissa Baughman! Dr. Baughman’s essay “Nevertheless, She Sings: Empowering Women in Choral Music,” will be featured in Relevance in the Choral Art: A Pathway to Connections, to be released this month! This is the fourth book in a series edited by Tim Sharp and is an important collection of essays on how choral music is engaging new audiences and participants. The book is published through GIA publications.
School of Music professor Konstantinos Karathanasis’ project “Aulos and Live Electronics” was one of the 38 selected in late 2019 for funding by the Greek Diaspora Fellowship Program of Stavros Niarchos Foundation in collaboration with the Fulbright Foundation in Greece. Professor Karathanasis will teach a graduate class on Interactive Performance Techniques at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens School of Music during the upcoming semester.
And, Dr. Karathanasis has just been reelected to the position of Vice President for Membership of the Society for ElectroAcoustic Music in the US (SEAMUS). Congratulations, Dr. Karathanasis!
Congratulations to our ELEVEN students who have been selected into the 2020 Oklahoma Intercollegiate Honor Band! The band will present a concert this Thursday at 2:00 pm at the annual OkMEA Conference in Tulsa.
Congratulations to third year PhD music education student Lonnie Easter, who delivered a presentation at last week's Jazz Education Network 11th Annual Conference in New Orleans! Lonnie's session title was “Exploring Jazz Improvisation Through a Hybrid Internet-Mediated Communication–Virtual Learning Environment: An Instrumental Case Study."
OU School of Music voice students Claire Robinson, Natasha Naik, Skye Singleton, Jin Yu, Sarah Spurlin, Hanna Alfaro, and Robert Hartfield performed a recital prior to Sarah Coburn's performance with the Tulsa Symphony. Congratulations to these outstanding students, and to our outstanding OU School of Music vocal arts faculty!
We are very pleased to announce that OU School of Music professor Dr. Casey Gerber will be receiving the Exemplary Teacher: Higher Ed honor award from the Oklahoma Music Educators Association at next week's convention in Tulsa! Congratulations, Dr. Gerber, on this well deserved honor!
CONGRATULATIONS to the Codex Saxophone Quartet! These amazing musicians--Parker Fritz, Alexis Seah, Ben MacDonald, and Jacob Nance--have been selected into the NATIONAL FINALS of the Music Teachers National Association Chamber Music Competition! The Codex Quartet will compete with six other groups from Eastman, Northwestern, Indiana, Michigan State, Illinois, and Arizona State. Congratulations to Parker, Alexis, Ben, Jacob, and OU School of Music saxophone professor Dr. Jonathan Nichol on this outstanding achievement!
Don't miss OU School of Music professor Dr. Michael Hancock's OkMEA presentation "Rehearsing With Flow" at 3:30 pm on Friday, January 17th in the Hyatt Regency Oklahoma Room!
If you are attending the OkMEA Conference this year, be sure to catch OU School of Music bass professor Dr. Anthony Stoops' presentation "All Things Bass" on Friday, January 17th, at 2:00 pm in the Doubletree 2nd Floor Ballroom!
48 quartets entered this year's North American Saxophone Alliance quartet competition.
20 were selected for the live semi-final round.
THREE of those quartets are from the OU School of Music!
Congratulations to the Codex (Parker Fritz, Alexis Seah, Ben MacDonald,Jacob Nance), Saros (Kirsten Hewes, Laurette Roddin, Dylan Matheny, Rachel Wolz), and Xenon (Nathan Heim, Alex Van Laere, Julianna Voelker, Carli Norniella) Saxophone Quartets, and to OU School of Music saxophone professor Dr. Jonathan Nichols on this fantastic accomplishment!
Be sure to catch OU School of Music professor Dr. Charlene Dell's presentation, "Divide and Conquer: Strategies for Practicing Hands Separately" at OkMEA! The session is at 4:00 pm on Thursday, January 16th in the Doubletree 2nd floor ballroom.
