Here's a great News9.com story about the Pride of Oklahoma and their Alamo Bowl adventures!
Congratulations to former OU School of Music bassoon student Alexandra Robinson! Alex recently accepted a position with the communications team of the Minnesota Orchestra. Her previous arts administration positions include the Interlochen Arts Academy, Aspen Music Festival, and Omaha Symphony.
Congratulations to OU School of Music piano professor Igor Lipinski! Igor gave a sold-out performance of his concert program “Piano Illusions” as part of the Classically Exposed: Musical Crossroads concert series at the Cell Theatre in New York City on Saturday.
Congratulations to all the OkMEA Research Poster Session presenters, with a special shout out to our OU professors, graduate students, and alums: Ruben Alcala, Molly Baugh, Melissa Baughman, Chris Baumgartner, Joshua Chism, Lonnie Easter, Geoffrey Harman, Jenna Klein, Elizabeth Maughan, and Eric Pennello!
Congratulations to OU School of Music Director of Bands Dr. Shanti Simon! Dr. Simon and Craig Kirchhoff will be presenting "Audience Engagement-Considerations for Music Performance" at the 2021 Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic this Wednesday!
Congratulations to OU School of Music saxophone professor Dr. Jonathan Nichol! Dr. Nichol and others will be presenting "The 12-Month Musician vs. the 9-Month Musician: Strategies for Fostering Musical Growth Over the Summer Months" at the 2021 Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic this Wednesday!
Congratulations to OU School of Music music education professor Dr. Christopher Baumgartner, Steven Collins (MME, 2020), and Jenna Klein (PhD Piano Pedagogy, 2021)! All three have articles published in this month's edition of the ColourFULL Good News Guide!
Congratulations to OU School of Music graduate student Parker Fritz! Mr. Fritz has just been selected as the winner of the MTNA South Central Young Artist Composition Competition! Congratulations, Parker!
Congratulations to OU School of Music voice professor Mark McCrory! Professor McCrory will be one of the featured soloists with the Canterbury Voices and the OKC Philharmonic on this Sunday's performance of Handel's Messiah!
Congratulations to OU School of Music professor Gaye LeBlanc Germain, who will be the featured harp professor at the 2022 Sewanee Summer Music Festival!
Congratulations to OU School of Music composition professor Dr. Kostas Karathansis! Dr. K's composition "Medusa in Somno" for Cello and Live Electronics received the 1st prize in the Instruments & Electronics category in the Musica Nova International Competition of Sonic Art in Prague, Czech Republic!
Congratulations to OU School of Music Piano Pedagogy professor Dr. Barbara Fast! Dr. Fast was featured today on this month's edition of The Piano and Its Perspectives, a partnership between Mississippi State University and EMAC/Federal University of Goiás in Brazil and the digital/ITS office, the Portugal Science & Technology Foundation, Center for the Study in Sociology & Music Aesthetics, Portugal New University, in Portugal and colleagues: Andréa Luísa Teixeira (coordinator), Maria Caroline Porto, Sérgio de Paiva e Pablo Lisboa.
Congratulations to OU School of Music alum Hannah Alfaro (BM Voice '19), who just made her Queen of the Night debut with University of Tennessee Opera Theater! Hannah is a graduate of Norman North High School and was a student of Dr. Joel Burcham.
Review: The Magic Returns – UT Opera Theatre Delights With Mozart’s ‘The Magic Flute’
OU School of Music alum, Dr. Sang Wook Park (DMA Choral Conducting, 2016), has been appointed to a full time Minister of Music position at the First United Methodist Church, Frankfort, Kentucky. Dr. Park will direct and/or supervise the total music and worship programs at the church which includes children, youth, and adult vocal choirs; handbells and other instrumental ensembles; praise bands and other contemporary worship components; and any music for special events or services. Congratulations, Dr. Park!
Congratulations to OU SoM DMA choral conducting student Adrian Smith, who will lead the combined voices of 500 high school students and 250 college choir singers in a choral festival concert on Sunday, November 14, 2021 at 2:00 pm on the campus of Martin Luther College, New Ulm, Minnesota. Mr. Smith serves as the Director of Choral Activities and Chair of the Music Department at Martin Luther College.
Congratulations to OU School of Music Piano/Piano Pedagogy professor Dr. Barbara Fast, who just completed a webinar, "Practicing and the Brain," for the Frances Clark Center on Keyboard Pedagogy!
Congratulations to all our NATS Semifinalists and their teachers!
Congratulations to OU School of Music voice student Maya Martin, who was a finalist in the 4th/5th year Treble Division of the Texoma NATS competition yesterday! Maya is a student of voice professor Joel Burcham.
Congratulations to OU School of Music voice student Emily Chippendale, who was a finalist in the 4th/5th year Treble Division of the Texoma NATS competition yesterday! Emily is a student of voice professor Dr. Joel Burcham.
Congratulations to freshman BME voice major Elayna Davidson, who placed 4th in the first-year Treble Division of the Texoma NATS competition yesterday! Elayna is a student of voice professor Robin Cotton Cobb.
Congratulations to our OU School of Music MTNA competition winners and their professors!
Congratulations to OU School of Music professor Dr. Melissa Baughman! Her article "Preservice teacher's experiences as first-time voice instructors" has just been published in the International Journal of Music Education!
Congratulations to OU School of Music graduate student Parker Fritz, who has won the Young Artist composition award in this year's Music Teachers National Association composition competition for Oklahoma! Bravo, Parker!
Congratulations to our 2021-2022 OU Concerto Competition Winners and Honorable Mention students!
Congratulations to Christina Giacona and Patrick Conlon! Their album, Cube of Light, has been nominated for Grammy awards in the Best Alternative Music Album and Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical categories!
Congratulations to our outstanding OU School of Music graduate students who have been selected as finalists in this year's Concerto Competition!
Congratulations to our outstanding OU School of Music undergraduate students who have been selected as finalists in this year's Concerto Competition!
Congratulations to OU graduates Sarah Ciccaglione (BA Engineering, 2021), George Soter (BA Voice, 2020), and Nicholas Kress (BS Biology, 2020), who performed in a recital at the San Francisco Opera House in the Herbst Theater last week! Sarah performed with her former OU SoM voice teacher, Robin Cotton Cobb. George was a student of Dr. Joel Burcham and Dr. Célia Wollenberg. Congrats to all!
OU School of Music piano professor Dr. Igor Lipinski will be teaming up with OCU piano professor Dr. Sergio Monteiro in a performance of Saint-Saëns' Carnival of the Animals with the Oklahoma City Philharmonic tonight!
We are so pleased to announce that OU School of Music graduate students Ashley Carr, Jenna Klein, Lok Hin Cheng, Meldy Tanako, Oluwatobi Otekay, David Lim, and David Marvel have all received the Provost's Certificate of Distinction in Teaching Award. Recipients of this award represent the top 10 percent of all graduate assistants at OU based on student evaluations of courses taught during the Spring 2021 semester. Congratulations to these outstanding students and their mentors!
Congratulations to visiting violin professor Dr. Yena Lee! Dr Lee has just won a position in the first violin section of the Oklahoma City Philharmonic Orchestra!
Congratulations to Junior BM Composition major Alex Irwin, who has been chosen as President of the National Association of Collegiate Scholars at OU! Alex also finished in the Top 10 in the Voice of The Heartland Vocal Competition in September. Congratulations, Alex!
Congrats to OU School of Music organ professor Dr. Damin Spritzer, who will perform in Cheyenne, Wyoming this weekend!
Cheyenne Organ Concert Series to Feature Acclaimed Performer
Here's OU School of Music alum Jacob Merrill, performing (lead trumpet) with the San Francisco Conservatory of Music Trumpet Ensemble at a recent San Francisco Giants game! Congratulations, Jacob!
Congratulations to Bobbi Elkamely, Director of Choir, Piano & Musical Theatre at U.S. Grant High School and current OU School of Music Ph.D music education student, who has been accepted into the Women's and Gender Studies Center for Social Justice Graduate Research Fellows Program for the 2021-2022 academic year!
Congratulations to OU SoM alum Kayla Smith as she begins her new position as adjunct instructor of bassoon at Bethany College in Lindsborg, Kansas!
Congratulations to our OU SoM graduate music education students Geoff Harmon, Emily Stanfill, Ruben Alcala, and Joshua Chism, who are presenting their research at the national NAfME Symposium on Music Teacher Education this week!
Congratulations to our OU SoM music education faculty members Chris Baumgartner, Lonnie Easter, Melissa Baughman, and Eric Pennello, who are presenting at the national NAfME Symposium on Music Teacher Education!
Congratulations to sophomore violinist Henry Ingels! Henry, who studies with OU professor Gregory Lee, performed as a soloist with the Oklahoma City Philharmonic at Scissortail Park on Sunday!
Congratulations to recent OU School of Music graduates Braden Geggie (BM bassoon) and Carlos Lopez (MM horn), who have completed their basic training and are now attending the US Army Music School in Virginia!
Look at who is featured as one of the trumpet artists in Conn/Selmer/Bach's new Artist Select Program video! Congratulations to OU School of Music trumpet professor Dr. Karl Sievers!
OU School of Music saxophone professor Dr. Jonathan Nichol and his father, John Nichol (professor of saxophone at Central Michigan University) will be featured on Central Stage, a Central Michigan University public radio program Friday morning at 9:00!
The 5th annual OkMEA Beginning Teacher Workshop was held last weekend in Oklahoma City. Congratulations and THANK YOU to workshop coordinator Dr. Chris Baumgartner and to presenters Brittni Bilyeu (MME 2019), Kendell (Workun) Lowry (MME 2020), current PhD student Ruben Alcala, and current BME senior Keagan Lambert.
Congratulations to Dr. Jeffrey Swinkin, who has just signed a contract with the Oxford University Press to produce and edit The Oxford Handbook of Musical Variation! Dr. Swinkin will also contribute articles to the publication.
Congratulations to OU School of Music graduate composition student Dustin Schulze! Dustin's newly published piece for wind band, Shades of Glass, was chosen as a finalist and Honorable Mention for the American Prize, in the band/composition division!
The Vento Aureo quartet has been selected as a finalist in the 2021 Marker and Pionner International Music Competition! Congratulations to Micah Cheng, Anna Fitzgerald, Anthony Barcio, Jake Markman-Fox, and OU saxophone professor Dr. Jonathan Nichol!
Congratulations to Courtney Edwards, BME 2021, as she begins the semester as a graduate student in trumpet performance at the University of Minnesota!
Shout out to OU School of Music alum Bethany Shultz as she begins the school year as the new orchestra director at Trail Ridge Middle School in Gardner, Kansas!
Congratulations to Dylan Matheny, BME 2020, as he begins his graduate saxophone studies at the University of Arkansas!
Shout out to Carli Norniella! Ms. Norniella (BME 2021) is the new Assistant Band Director at Manor New Tech High School in the Manor (TX) ISD!
Congrats to Trevor Crawford! Mr. Crawford (BME 2021) is beginning his studies as a graduate student in trumpet performance at the University of Minnesota!
Congratulations to Caroline Smith (BME 2020), who is the new Choir Director at Capitol Hill High School!
Congratulations, Madi Fleming! Ms. Fleming (BME 2021) is beginning the school year as the new Assistant Band Director for the Mustang Public Schools!
Congrats to Audrey Hartson, MME 2021, who is beginning her new job as Elementary Strings instructor in the Gilbert (Arizona) Public Schools!
Shout out to Braden Wolfe (BME 2021) as he starts his new position as Assistant Band Director at Central Middle School and Moore High School!
Congratulations to Alex Rolling, BME 2020, as she begins the new school year as Orchestra Director at Whittier Middle School in Norman!
Congrats to Bryla Birdwell (BME, 2021) as she begins her new position as Elementary Music Teacher at Earlywine Elementary School in Moore!
Congratulations to Jacob Waters (BME, 2021), who is beginning his new job as Choir Director at Armstrong Middle School in Plano, Texas!
Congratulations to Amelia Brown (BME, 2020), who is beginning her new job as Assistant Band Director at Northbrook MS in the Spring Branch (TX) ISD!
Fantastic News! Congratulations to OU School of Music graduate student Sam Macken, who will be joining the Bozeman Symphony as 2nd bassoonist!
Congratulations to David Marvel (ABD, Trumpet Performance), who has just been appointed to a tenure-track position at Rose State College in Midwest City!
More accolades for OU School of Music professor Dr. Zoe Sherinian! Dr. Sherinian's documentary Sakthi Vibrations has just received the Best Film prize from the International Council for Traditional Music! Congratulations, Dr. Sherinian!
Congratulations to David Mach! Mr. Mach, who is a 2nd year DMA student in Piano Performance and Pedagogy, has won 3rd price in the Virtual New Orleans Piano Institute International Competition. David is a student of professor Jeongwon Ham. Bravo!
Here's OU School of Music bassoon professor (and botanist) Rod Ackmann with our thriving Arundo Donax crop! Great progress!
Congratulations to Danielle Herrington, whose book chapter "Sensibilité, Self-Sacrifice, and the Sentimental: Examining Jacques-Marie Boutet de Monvel and Nicolas Dalayrac's Ideological Diversion Philippe et Georgette (1791) at the Salle Favart" has just been published as part of "Singing Speech and Speaking Melodies." Additionally, Ms. Herrington presented "Melody as the Means of Moving the Emotions: Sense Theory in Rousseaus's Essai Sur l'origins des langues" at the 22nd Rousseau Association Conference at the University of Michigan in May. Congratulations, Danielle!
Congratulations to OU School of Music organ professor Dr. Adam Pajan! Two works that Dr. Pajan performed earlier this summer at Methuen Memorial Music Hall in greater Boston will be used to open this weekend’s program of Pipedreams on NPR!
Congratulations to OU School of Music alumnus Josh Bohl! Josh is the new Director of Percussion at Goose Creek (South Carolina) High School!
Congratulations to recent OU School of Music graduate Elise Greidanus (MM, class of 2021), who is beginning her new job as the choir director at Southeast Middle School in Oklahoma City!
Congratulations to OU School of Music alum Evelyn Talbot (BM trumpet performance, 2015)! In addition to teaching a thriving private trumpet studio and performing as principal trumpet for Painted Sky Opera, Ms. Talbot has just written, designed, and published a theory book for beginning trumpet players titled "Let's Toot Trumpet Theory Workbook." Congratulations, Evelyn!
Congratulations to OU School of Music alum Trevor Downey (MM, ‘20) who is beginning his new job as Percussion Instructor/Assistant Middle School Director for the Broken Arrow Public Schools.
Congratulations to D.J. Handy (class of '20, MM/MME) as he begins his new job as Director of Percussion in the Stephenville (TX) ISD!
Congratulations to alumnus Zac Simons (BME, class of 2018), who is now the Assistant Band Director and Percussion Coordinator at Keller (TX) High School!
Congratulations to Jacob Willing (BME, '21), who is just beginning his new duties as a band director in the Altus Public Schools!
Congratulations to Colton Kirton (BM, Class of 2021), who has been named Coordinator of Institutional Giving for the Oklahoma City Philharmonic!
Congratulations to Luis Ewing (BME, '21), who is beginning his new job as a band director at John Marshall HS in Oklahoma City!
Congratulations to DMA Piano Performance & Pedagogy student Hayden Coie, who has just had an article published in American Music Teacher (AMT), the publication of MTNA!
Congratulations to Dr. David Howard, who has just been appointed to the Board of the Oklahoma Choral Directors Association! Dr. Howard will serve as the OCDA Tenor/Bass Choirs Repertoire and Resource Chair!
The seventh annual Adamfest International Trumpet Festival opens today! Congratulations to OU trumpet professor Dr. Karl Sievers and to his former students who are involved as hosts or presenters: Michael Mann, Rob Waugh, David Amlung, Ben Hay, Martin Saunders, Ricky Spears, Larry Burroughs, Lindsey Jessick Burroughs, and Lacey Phelps!
Congratulations to OU School of Music percussion alumni Grayson Rushing and Tanner Brown, who won 1st Place in the Duo Division of the Great Plains International Marimba Competition!
Schola Cantorum Oklahoma, a new choral ensemble founded and directed by Dr. David Howard, presented a wonderful concert last night at the Oklahoma Choral Directors Association summer convention! Congratulations to Ashley Carr, Bridget Ousley, Jenna Black, Kayla Marshall, Emily Chippendale, Victoria Mulholland, Josh Chism, Iain Nix, Frank Riddick, and David Howard on a great performance!
Congratulations to OU School of Music student Matthew Gregg! Mr. Gregg was recently selected to the national Kappa Kappa Psi Intercollegiate Honor Band!
Congratulations to OU School of Music voice students Xander McRae, Emily Pope, and Ginny Stewart on their outstanding NATS performances!
Congratulations to OU School of Music saxophone student Alexis Seah Hee Cheng! Alexis was chosen to be one of the main clinicians for the annual Singapore International Saxophone Symposium held last week! Brava!
Congratulations to Jeffrey Stevenson and Eric Walschap, both of whom are working on the production of the movie "Killers of the Flower Moon," directed by Martin Scorsese and currently being filmed in Oklahoma! Jeffrey will be performing on saxophone and clarinet in the film, while Eric is working with the production team as a musical consultant!
Congratulations to the faculty and participants of the 2021 Great Plains Saxophone Workshop! Thank you to camp administrator Jonathan Nichol, faculty members Jeff Loeffert, Kim Loeffert, Geoffrey Deibel, John Nichol, Roy Allen, Joe Lullof, Christopher Creviston, Hannah Creviston, Olivia Burke, Stacy Garrop, Johnny Salinas, and Sergei Kvitko! And thank you to our 64 participants from 19 different states plus Singapore! It has been an honor to have you on our campus!
Congratulations to OU School of Music organ professor Dr. Adam Pajan, who was featured on the cover of "The Living Church," highlighting his inaugural concerts on the new Rosales pipe organ at All Saints Church in Kapaa (Kauai), Hawaii.
Another very successful Kodály Workshop came to a great conclusion yesterday with its traditional concert and presentation of certificates! Thank you to Dr. Casey Gerber and the outstanding workshop staff, and Congratulations to the 50 dedicated music educators who attended this year's workshop!
Shout out to our OU School of Music students and alumni who performed on the "Age of Sing" concert at Legacy Park in Norman last week! Congratulations to Kayley Williamson, Elvie Ellis, Emma Bayne, Jesse Stout, Ashley Carr, Kenni Lowry, Sofia Bagajewicz, Bridget Ousley, Maddie Breedlove, Lauren Garcia, Nicole Van Every, Emi Bias, Hunter Birkhead, Cale Smith, Keegan Josephson, John Lauferweiler, Giovanni Corrodus, Cory Shoemaker, John Ousley, Jacob Waters, Chukwuebuka Ezeakacha, Jadon Gaudan, Sangwook Park, Xander McRae, Justin Nguyen, George Soter, Michael Stafford, Brian Daily, and Chelsea Hammett. Thank you to Kyle Phillips for the photo!
Congratulations to OU School of Music piano professor Dr. Igor Lipinski, whose new album "Liszt" is now available on Bandcamp and will be released on Spotify and Apple Music in August! Bravo!
Kudos to OU School of Music organ professor Dr. Damin Spritzer! Dr. Spritzer will be one of the invited panelists for the upcoming webinar "Diversity and Equity: Widening our Repertoire in Sacred Music, Teaching, and Performing" as part of the annual American Guild of Organists festival. Congratulations, Dr. Spritzer!
Congratulations to Ben MacDonald (MM '21) whose research paper entitled “Improving the Quality of Saxophone Quartet Rehearsals: Interviews with Members of Kenari, h2, Sinta, and Fuego Quartets” will be published in the Saxophone Symposium, the peer-reviewed journal of the North American Saxophone Alliance! Ben's project consisted of interviewing four different university saxophone professors who are all members of professional saxophone quartets and compiling the information gathered into a resource guide for both educators and performers. Congratulations, Ben!
Bravo to OU School of Music organ professor Dr. Adam Pajan! Adam was featured as part of the Methuen Memorial Music Hall Concert Series in Methuen, Massachussetts last week!
We are so excited to share the news that OU School of Music professor Dr. Zoe Sherinian's documentary film, Sakthi Vibrations, has won the Best Oklahoma Feature award at this year's deadCenter Film Festival! Congratulations, Dr. Sherinian!
Congratulations to OU School of Music Director Dr. Roland Barrett! His newest piece, Fanfare Nobilise, has been named an Editors' Choice selection by J.W. Pepper Music and was featured on yesterday's Alfred/Belwin virtual reading session.
Congratulations to OU School of Music professor Dr. Melissa Baughman! Dr. Baughman's article “Shattering the Glass Podium: Successes and Setbacks of Women in Collegiate Choral Conducting” is now published in Update: Applications of Research in Music Education. Congratulations, Dr. Baughman!
Congratulations to OU School of Music voice professor Dr. Joel Burcham, who will be performing in Painted Sky Opera's June 26th production of Madama Butterfly!
Another very successful Kodály Workshop came to a great conclusion yesterday with its traditional concert and presentation of certificates! Thank you to Dr. Casey Gerber and the outstanding workshop staff, and congratulations to the 50 dedicated music educators who attended this year's workshop!
Congratulations to recent MM Piano Performance & Pedagogy graduate Emily Rudquist! Emily has just been selected for a Post-Graduate Fellowship at the New School for Music Study in Kingston, New Jersey, for the '21-'22 academic year!
Congratulations to School of Music advisor Alyssa Lewis! Alyssa has just received the Outstanding New Advisor Certificate of Merit Award from the National Academic Advising Association! Congratulations, Alyssa!
Congratulations to OU School of Music professor Dr. Barbara Fast! Dr. Fast will be presenting "Overcoming The Brain's Negativity Bias-Why We Don't Do What Works: Practice Tips Our Brains Like, But We Avoid" at the upcoming Tennessee Music Teachers Association State Conference in Knoxville, Tennessee!
Congratulations to Staff Sergeant Michael Gillespie on his continued success as a member of the United States Army Field Band! Michael studied with Dr. Karl Sievers and earned his BM in Trumpet Performance at OU before attending grad school.
Congratulations to David Humphreys, who has just taken a full time teaching position at Western Kentucky University! David received his undergraduate and Master's degrees at OU. Congratulations, David!
Congratulations to OU School of Music professors Christina Giacona and Zoe Sherinian, whose films are being presented at this year's deadCenter Film Festival! Dr. Giacona's featured work is the music video "The Dreams We Had" (co-directed by OU SoM alum Patrick Conlon), and Dr. Sherinian's featured work is her film "Sakthi Vibrations."
Congratulations to OU School of Music alumnus Barron Ryan, who will be performing with his father as "Ryan & Ryan" at this year's OKM Music Festival in Bartlesville on June 12th!
We're proud of the OU School of Music's presence in the Fort Smith Symphony! Here's a photo taken just after the end-of-season concert on Saturday showing former OU SoM students (and a couple of current faculty members) Jennifer Slater, Izzy Potts, Lacie Bowlware, Rob Bradshaw, Patrick Conlon, Christina Giacona, and Nicole Melrose!
Congratulations to Tim Pardue! Tim has been named the associate director of bands in the W.A. and Dorothy Hannah Department of Performing Arts at McNeese State University where he will conduct the symphonic band, pep band, and teach music education and theory courses. He is finishing a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in wind conducting at the University of Oklahoma and holds a Master of Music degree in wind conducting from the University of Arkansas and Bachelor of Music Education degree from the Louisiana Tech University.
More outstanding accolades for DMA composition student Nikki Krumwiede! Her "The Language of Insects" has been accepted for performance at the 2021 International Computer Music Conference!
Congratulations to our 2021 Outstanding Senior, Jacob Nance! Jacob will be pursuing his Master's Degree at Michigan State University beginning in August. Congratulations, Jacob!
Check out OU School of Music bass professor Dr. Anthony Stoops's Bass Pedagogy Project!
Congratulations to PhD Piano Pedagogy & Performance student Hannah Roberts! Hannah has just won 3rd prize in the Young Adult Piano category at the 2021 Music International Grand Prix!
Congratulations to OU School of Music alum Nathaniel Catasca! Nathaniel studied with Dr. Joel Burcham and completed his BM Voice Performance degree in 2017 before going to Eastman to earn his MM degree in 2019. He is currently a Baumgartner Young Artist with Florentine Opera in Milwaukee, singing the role of Charlie in Kurt Weil's Little Mahagonny.
Check out this awesome video made by the members of the OU Snare Ensemble: Braden Kuestersteffen, Ini Dim, Carter Nance, Rachel Vo, Connor Burns, and Burnnie Moore!
We are very happy to report that Dr. Lonnie Easter will be joining our faculty this fall as a Lecturer in Music Education and Jazz. Lonnie received his Ph.D. in Music Education at OU, his M.M. in Jazz Studies at the University of Central Oklahoma, and his B.A. Education in Music Education degree at Langston University. He has taught at the university level at Langston University and Oklahoma City University, and at the high school level at Douglass High School, Millwood High School, and in the Omaha (NE) Public School System. Dr. Easter will be teaching music education courses, collaborating with Professor Wilkinson in the teaching of jazz improvisation, jazz combos, and big bands, and teaching our MUNM Jazz: The Development Of An African American Art Form course. Welcome, Dr. Easter!
Congratulations to graduating voice student Robert Hartfield, who will be an apprentice artist at Central City (Colorado) Opera this summer and part of the young artist program at Pensacola Opera in Florida during the 2021-2022 season!
We are delighted to announce that OU BM Bassoonist Braden Geggie has successfully auditioned for a position with the United States Army Band! He will begin his career at Camp Zama, in Zama, Japan later this year.
We are so proud of our colleagues, flute professor Dr. Valerie Watts and harp professor Gaye LeBlanc-Germain! These fabulous artist-teachers will be featured on the OKC Philharmonic's American Stories-"Tis" a Gift concert this Saturday night!
Congratulations to OU School of Music Graduate Teaching Assistants Ryan Grippo, Jenna Klein, Meldy Tanako, and David Marvel! These four outstanding graduate students will be receiving a recognition that has been created to honor the hard work and dedication of outstanding graduate students who teach at OU: 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 2020 semester. Congratulations!
Congratulations to OU School of Music professor Dr. Christina Giacona! Her book chapter “Marvin Rainwater and “The Pale Faced Indian”: How Cover Songs Appropriated a Story of Cultural Appropriation” is included in the book Indigenous Celebrity: Entanglements with Fame, which was published this month!
Congratulations to our 2021 Young Artist Competition winners and finalists! Tutti Bravi!
Congratulations to OU School of Music piano professor Dr. Jeongwon Ham, who performed two very well-received in-person recitals as part of the recent Louisiana International Piano Series!
Congratulations to OU School of Music alum Dr. Omar Roy, who will be joining the piano faculty at the University of South Carolina this fall! Dr. Roy will be joining Dr. Sara Ernst and Dr. Scott Price, who are also OU SoM graduates.
Congratulations to OU School of Music alum Rob Bradshaw, principal cellist with the Fort Smith Symphony, who will be the featured artist on the group's April 24th concert! Rob will be performing Vivaldi's G minor concerto.
Bradshaw, Vivaldi, and a Cello: Fort Smith Symphony showcases principal cellist
More successes for 2nd year PhD Piano Pedagogy student Jenna Klein! Ms. Klein has won the CMS South Central Chapter's Best Student Paper award for her presentation "Pedagogical Piano Works by Diverse Composers." Also, Jenna's proposal related to the exploration of the pedagogical works of Florence Price, Germaine Tailleferre, and Teresa Carreño has been accepted for the CMS National Conference this fall in Rochester, New York!
Our bassoon studio's reed cane growing project reached another important milestone yesterday as professor Rod Ackmann and students relocated the Arundo Donax plants from their winter home at the OU greenhouse complex on south base to their new home in the south courtyard of the Catlett Music Center!
Congratulations to OU School of music voice professor Robin Cotton Cobb! Ms. Cobb's presentation and workshop on “Crosstraining” the Voice from Classical to CCM styles has just been accepted by the Pan American Vocology Association for presentation this summer during their virtual conference that will be held August 12th through 15th.
The OU Wind Symphony is excited to announce the release of their latest album, "Solace." This album features the 2020 OU Wind Symphony alongside professor of saxophone, Dr. Jonathan Nichol, as well as works by Joel Love, John Mackey, David Maslanka, and Richard Wagner/arr. John R. Bourgeois.
This album is available for free download on SoundCloud and for purchase on the major streaming sites, as well as in CD format.
Please enjoy this latest release, share with your friends and family, and be on the lookout for more upcoming Wind Symphony events and projects!
Congratulations to OU School of Music professor Dr. Elizabeth Avery, who has received the Edith Kinney Gaylord Presidential Professorship!
Congratulations to OU School of Music piano professor Dr. Jeongwon Ham, who has received the Regents' Award for Superior Teaching! Congratulations, Dr. Ham!
Congratulations to OU School of Music oboe professor Dr. Dan Schwartz, who has received OU's First-Year Student Mentoring Programs's Outstanding Mentor Award!
Congratulations to MM Bassoonist Sam Macken, who recently placed second in the Midwest Double Reed Society's Eric Varner Young Artists Competition. This National Solo Competition attracted young artists from numerous prestigious institutions from across the U.S. Sam is a student of OU School of Music bassoon professor Rod Ackmann. Congratulations, Sam!
Congratulations to our awesome OU School of Music voice students who competed so successfully at Oklahoma NATS yesterday! Tutti Bravi to these outstanding students and their outstanding teachers!
Congratulations to DMA music composition student Nikki Krumwiede! Her piece, The Language of Insects, has been accepted for performance at the 2021 National Student Electronic Music Event, which will take place online April 24th and 25th. The Language of Insects is a fixed media piece that uses small sounds such as the key clicks of an accordion and a small chain slid across the surface of a timber drum to evoke the idea of small creatures in a large space. Congratulations, Nikki!
Congratulations to OU School of Music professor Dr. David Howard and graduate choral conducting student Jeffrey Gonda! Their co-authored article has just been published in the American Choral Directors Association online publication ChorTeach!
Check out this awesome video, composition, and performance created by OU School of Music saxophone student Jacob Nance!
Congratulations to OU School of Music saxophone student Julianne Voelker! Ms. Voelker's composition "Celestial Vibrations" will be performed as part of the OU Honors College's 33rd annual Undergraduate Research Day next week!
Congratulations to the OU Symphony Band and conductor Dr. Michael Hancock on this wonderful performance of Zhou Tan's Petals of Fire!
Congratulations to OU School of Music trumpet professor Dr. Karl Sievers, who is featured on the latest podcast episode of Band Talk with Charlie Menghini and Friends!
Karl Sievers, Professor of Trumpet, The University of Oklahoma
Congratulations to voice students Hannah Hall, Alex Irwin, and Ginny Lynn Stewart! Hannah just won 3rd place in the Texoma Region musical theater NATS competition (and, won 5th place last fall in the Classical division for junior women), Alex placed 3rd in the lower college TTB division, and Ginny received 2nd place in the lower college women division. Hannah, Alex, and Ginny (all students of OU voice professor Robin Cotton Cobb) will now compete in the national NATS competition, to be held later this summer. Congratulations to all!
Congratulations to DMA Wind Conducting student Hannah Rudy, who has just been named Assistant Director of Bands at Kennesaw State University! Mrs. Rudy is currently ABD and will begin her work in Atlanta, Georgia this summer. Congrats, Hannah!
Congratulations to OU School of Music doctoral piano student Jenna Klein, who has just received a 2021-2022 Mergler Dissertation Completion Fellowship! Congratulations, Jenna!
Congratulations to OU School of Music doctoral piano student Hayden Coie, who has just received a 2021-2022 Mergler Dissertation Completion Fellowship! Congratulations, Hayden!
Congratulations to OU School of Music composition student Timothy Schmidt! Mr. Schmidt has just won 1st place in the 2021 Score the World film scoring contest, and has also won the 2021 Metropolitan Youth Symphony Orchestra Student Composition Competition! As the winner of the Youth Symphony competition, four movements of his "Constellations" will be performed by the Chicago-based Metropolitan Youth Symphony Orchestra on an upcoming concert. Congratulations, Timothy!
Congratulations to the members of the Brio Quartet (freshmen saxophone students Meagan Ballard, Aidan Esker, Katie Omstead, and Ethan Roberts) on this outstanding video recorded for presentation at the recent North American Saxophone Alliance regional conference! And, added congrats to Ms. Ballard, who arranged pieces 2 through 4! Meagan, Aidan, Katie, and Ethan are students of OU saxophone professor Dr. Jonathan Nichol.
OU saxophone professor Dr. Jonathan Nichol and senior Jacob Nance will be featured this Saturday on the North American Saxophone Alliance Region IV Conference "Jazz Night!"
Thank you to graduate bassoon student Sam Macken for sharing this amazing performance of Ghost Dance by Ann K. Gebuhr!
Here's a fantastic video highlighting our new student mentorship program, Catlett Buddies. Thank you to our student participants, and to Breathe OUt coordinator Dr. Melissa Baughman!
Check out this new promotional literature from Conn-Selmer! 4 artists represented...worldwide...and one of them is OU School of Music trumpet professor Dr. Karl Sievers! Congratulations, Dr. Sievers!
Congratulations to the winners of the 2021 Rising Stars Competition! We salute these outstanding students: Micah Cheng, Evelyn Culver, Noah Smith, Jacob Nance, Parker Fritz, David Antonio Mach, Mimi Zhang, Qingyuan Fu, and Alexis Seah and their fine teachers! Awesome!
Congratulations to DMA saxophone student Laurette Roddin, who has been invited to perform as part of the Fifth Annual International Music by Women festival!
Congratulations to OU School of Music saxophone student Jacob Nance! Jacob has just won second place in the National MTNA Woodwind Competition! Congratulations, Jacob!
More accolades for the Vento Aureo saxophone quartet! Anna Fitzgerald, Micah Cheng, Anthony Barcio, and Jake Markman-Fox have advanced to the finals of the 2021 Coltman Chamber Music Competition! Congratulations to these outstanding musicians!
Congratulations to our 2021 Rising Stars Graduate Division Finalists: Emily Barr, Parker Fritz, Qingyuan Fu, Ryan Grippo, David Mach, Hannah Roberts, Alex Seah, Robin Sweeden, and Mimi Zhang! Congratulations to these outstanding students and their teachers!
Congratulations to our 2021 Rising Stars Undergraduate Division Finalists: Matthew Baier, Micah Cheng, Evelyn Culver, Colton Kirton, Jacob Nance, and Noah Smith! Kudos to these outstanding students and their teachers!
Congratulations to OU School of Music alumni Tristan Kasten-Krause, who is about to release his first album of solo compositions, titled Potential Landscapes! Tristan, a former student of OU bass professor Dr. Anthony Stoops, is a New York-based composer and bassist. Kasten-Krause has been tapped by iconic composers Steve Reich and Alvin Lucier, and has played in Oklahoma! on Broadway in addition to actively participating in the local DIY and experimental scenes. On Potential Landscapes, he blurs reality and perception, making music that feels real but is, in actuality, impossible. The album’s fantasy is much-needed as the COVID-19 pandemic continues and we wonder how to get away from our apartments and our complicated emotions. Potential Landscapes channels the potential energy of escapism into four sweeping, contemplative tracks made of undulating possibility. Congratulations, Tristan!
Congratulations to our Music Education faculty members and students who presented at this week's National Association for Music Education Biennial Conference: professors Chris Baumgartner, Casey Gerber, Eric Pennello, and graduate students Joshua Chism and Geoff Harman!
Kudos to OU School of Music bassoon professor Rod Ackmann on yesterday's great installment of the OKC Philharmonic's "Harmonious Happy Hour" with fellow bassoonists James Brewer and Barre Griffith!
Congratulations to first-year PhD Music Education/Piano Pedagogy student Katie Ostrosky, who has just had her Poster Published in the MTNA e-Journal!
Congratulations to the winners of our annual Benton-Schmidt Vocal Competition: 1st place, Amanda Kosi, soprano, from South Africa, studying at SMU. 2nd place, Laura Romero, soprano, from Colombia, grew up in Florida, studying at Florida Atlantic University. 3rd place, Lorenzo Butler, tenor, born in Germany, grew up in Lawton, OK, studied at Cameron University and Kansas State.
This year's virtual event featured 27 contestants from the U.S., China, Korea, South Africa, Mexico, Armenia, Colombia and Venezuela. Each contestant submitted a prerecorded video submission which was then judged by Barbara Lynne Jamison, General Director of Kentucky Opera; Kathy Olson, Artist Manager of Encompass Arts; and Kamal Khan, conductor, coach, pianist, and recitalist.
Congratulations to all who competed, and THANK YOU to our judges and to our OU School of Music voice and opera faculty for their tremendous work in hosting this prestigious event!
Here's a GREAT article by Doug Hill in today's Norman Transcript highlighting OU School of Music Facilities & Technology Coordinator Eric Walschap and his work in creating and coordinating the school's new Resonance Series! Congratulations, Eric!
OU School of Music’s Eric Walschap enhances Resonance series
Here's OU School of Music harp professor Gaye LeBlanc-Germain performing on the OKC Philharmonic's Harmonious Happy Hour series
Here's a great article by Sam Tonkins in the OU Daily discussing new ways of teaching and learning during the pandemic, and it is GREAT to see the OU School of Music represented by composition professor Dr. Kostas Karathanasis and voice major Carol Jarrett!
OU professors, students navigate online learning amid the pandemic
Check out this great interview with OU School of Music trombone professor Dr. Irv Wagner (written by editor Natalie Mannix) in the current International Trombone Association Journal!
Thank you to all who attended and assisted with yesterday's very successful Winter Piano Camp, coordinated and hosted by our OU School of Music piano faculty! It was great having these outstanding high school students join us!
Congratulations to OU School of Music alum Brian Teed! Brian has been selected for inclusion in Yamaha Music's "40 under 40" group, a music education advocacy program to recognize outstanding music educators who are making a difference by growing and strengthening their music programs. Congratulations, Brian!
Congratulations to recent OU School of Music graduate Dr. Lonnie Easter, who has just been published in the newest edition of Jazz Education in Research and Pedagogy!
Congratulations to OU School of Music professor Dr. Michael Lee, whose new book "Music in the Horror Films of Val Lewton" has just been accepted by the Edinburgh University Press for inclusion in its Music and the Moving Image series!
Congratulations to OU School of Music professor Dr. Irvin Wagner, who has just received the OkMEA President's Award for his countless contributions to music education in Oklahoma, the nation, and all across the globe!
Our first Thursday night Jam Session of the semester was a huge success! Thanks to OU School of Music student Jacob Nance for organizing and coordinating this weekly event!
Congratulations to OU graduate students Ben MacDonald (MM Saxophone) and Parker Fritz (MM Composition and Saxophone) who produced and are featured on "Covergence," the Zenith Saxophone Quartet's debut album. This CD consist of 7 new works for saxophone quartet and duo, all of which were written for and premiered by the Zenith Saxophone Quartet and the Zen Duo. All 7 pieces were composed by members of the Millennium Composers Initiative, an organization of over 30 composers from all over the world. Two tracks on the album were recorded in Paul F. Sharp Concert Hall. Congratulations, Ben and Parker!
Congratulations to OU School of Music DMA voice student Yu He, who is a District Winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions! He was chosen as one of the Tulsa District winners and will advance to the Midwest Regional competition next month. Yu is a student of voice professor Mark McCrory.
Congratulations to OU School of Music professor Dr. Zoe Sherinian, whose documentary film Sakthi Vibrations (2019) was accepted to several film festivals in the last few months: The ARTSxSDGs (the UN sustainable development goals for 2030), the Cosmo Film festival in Chennai, India, the BKK DOC Bangkok International Film festival for which it was nominated for the Best Music Documentary, the Ethnografilm festival in Paris, and the United Nation’s NGO-Committee on the Status of Women forum as a parallel event sponsored by the Loretto Community (screening Saturday March 20th, 2021 9:30am CDT). Dr. Sherinian is also presenting a talk for the School of Music and Fine Arts, VISTAS, in Chennai, Tamil Nadu for their International Webinar Series. The title of the presentation is “Systematic and Embodied Music Theory of Tamil Parai Drummers.” Congratulations, Dr. Sherinian!
Congratulations to Vento Aureo saxophone quartet members Anna Fitzgerald, Micah Cheng, Anthony Barcio, and Jake Markman-Fox! This all-undergraduate quartet has just qualified for the national finals of the 2020-2021 MTNA Chamber Music Competitions! Anna, Michah, Anthony, and Jake are students of OU School of Music saxophone professor Dr. Jonathan Nichol. Congrats to this outstanding group!
Congratulations to OU School of Music saxophone student Jacob Nance, who has just advanced to the National MTNA Young Artist Woodwind Competition final round! Jacob is a student of Dr. Jonathan Nichol. Congratulations, Jacob!
CONGRATULATIONS to Eric Walschap, who will soon be recognized as "February's Oklahoma Music Industry Pro" by the Oklahoma Film & Music Office! Mr. Walschap is the OU School of Music's Coordinator of Facilities and Technology, general education instructor, and coordinator of the new Resonance Series. Congratulations, Eric!
Congratulations to the the following OU alumni and professors who will be presenting at the January 2021 OkMEA virtual conference.
