The Rochester Review, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York, USA
Eastman School of Music
Pre-1950s
1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s
REUNION
PRE-1950 CLASSES
OCTOBER 11-13, 2000
'37
Joshua Missal '38E (Mas) has some new publications: Space Games for string orchestra, Reverie for viola and piano, and Three Moods for Four Violas, all available from Castle Enterprises.
'38
John Weinzweig (Mas) reports that a tribute concert featuring his 1990s compositions was held as part of the Third Annual New Music Festival at the University of Toronto in January. He also is a recipient of the Toronto Arts Award for Music.
'42
Jack Beeson '43E (Mas) was featured in a February 28 New York Times article about the revival production of his 1965 opera Lizzie Borden (see Class Acts, 'Lizzie Borden Took an Ax . . .').
'43
Emily Oppenheimer performed a concert and demonstration, "Stringing Along with Harps," at the Norwalk (Conn.) Community Technical College Lifetime Learners' Institute in February.
'45
Gerhard Samuel reports that he has retired from the Cincinnati Post and moved to Seattle where he is now an affiliate professor of music at the University of Washington.
'49
50TH REUNION
OCTOBER 11-13, 2000
'50
50TH REUNION
OCTOBER 11-13, 2000
'51
50TH REUNION
OCTOBER 11-13, 2000
'54
45TH REUNION
OCTOBER 11-13, 2000Pianist Arno Drucker '55E (Mas) reports that his book American Piano Trios: A Resource Guide was published by Scarecrow Press and is available from the publisher and Amazon.com. On New Year's Eve, he performed Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue with the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center. In May he accompanied several faculty members of the University of Wisconsin at Oshkosh in a recital at the Music Society at Fitzwilliam College in Cambridge, England. He and his wife, soprano Ruth Drucker '55E (Mas), accompanied and taught (respectively) master classes for the National Association of Teachers of Singing at its state meeting held at Shenandoah University. They also took part in the 13th anniversary of "Explorations in Singing" at Marywood University in Scranton, Pa., this July, where Ruth gave master classes in German and French songs, accompanied by Arno. In August, Ruth will be the vocal consultant for both the 20th-century vocal music and Bel Canto courses held at the Britten-Pears School in Aldeburgh, England.
'55
45TH REUNION
OCTOBER 11-13, 2000
'56
45TH REUNION
OCTOBER 11-13, 2000Paul W. Cherry (MM), a professor of clarinet and musicology at the University of South Dakota, has received the Belbas-Larson Award for Excellence in Teaching from the university. A member of the South Dakota faculty for 32 years, he also plays clarinet in the Sioux City, Iowa, Symphony and the Sioux City Municipal Band.
'58
Theodore Mann's choral work Do Not Go Gentle was performed by the Vanguard Voices at Detroit's Orchestra Hall in March.
'59
40TH REUNION
OCTOBER 11-13, 2000Robert Coleman and his Legacy Big Band performed a special tribute concert to Frank Sinatra at Powell Symphony Hall in St. Louis in December. Coleman is assistant principal clarinet with the St. Louis Symphony.
'60
40TH REUNION
OCTOBER 11-13, 2000Baritone Paul Balshaw '63E (DMA) performed Die Winterreise, a song cycle by Franz Schubert, in the third concert held in the Music at Pine Street Series in Harrisburg, Pa., in January. . . . Thomas Stacy was featured in an article that ran in The New York Times. He plays French horn in the New York Philharmonic Orchestra and teaches at the Juilliard School.
'61
40TH REUNION
OCTOBER 11-13, 2000
'63
Chuck Mangione has a new record out, The Feeling's Back. Mangione lives in New York City. . . . The members of the Toronto-based percussion group NEXUS--which includes John Wye, Robert Becker '69E, '71E (Mas), William Cahn '68E, Robin Engelman, and Russell Hartenberger--report that the group was the guest ensemble-in-residence at the National Symphony Orchestra's Percussion Festival, "Drums Along the Potomac," from April 7 to April 14. During the festival, NEXUS also performed with the National Symphony Orchestra with director Leonard Slatkin, presented a workshop on West African drumming, performed and were interviewed before a live studio audience on National Public Radio, and presented educational programs in area schools.
'64
35TH REUNION
OCTOBER 11-13, 2000Thom Ritter George '68 (MM), professor of music at Idaho State University in Pocatello, Idaho, was initiated as a faculty member of Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society at Idaho State.
'65
35TH REUNION
OCTOBER 11-13, 2000
'66
35TH REUNION
OCTOBER 11-13, 2000Nancy Howe Webster is the flutist as well as the administrative and assistant artist director for the Society for Chamber Music in Rochester. She also does occasional pre-concert talks for the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra.
'68
William Cahn (see '63). . . . Sandra Seefeld has released her first solo CD featuring a premiere recording of the music by Paul Svoboda for flute and guitar. Richard Goering accompanies on guitar and the CD is available on the Jewel label.
'69
Robert Becker '71E (Mas) (see '63).
'70
Geary Larrick (Mas) reports that his article "Bibliography on G.H. Green and C.O. Musser" appeared in the spring 1999 issue of the National Association of College Wind and Percussion Instructors Journal. He also wrote an article on the Polish pianist I. J. Paderewski for the May 1999 edition of GP Light, published in Stevens Point, Wis.
'71
Pianist Deborah Richards presented a recital at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville in April, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The recital included works by composers Michael Biel and Barbara Heller.
'73
Sandra Dackow '77E (MM), '87E (PhD) performed in a May 15 benefit concert with the Hershey Symphony Orchestra. Dackow has been music director of the Hershey Symphony Orchestra for the past eight seasons.
'74
25TH REUNION
OCTOBER 11-13, 2000
'75
25TH REUNION
OCTOBER 11-13, 2000
'76
25TH REUNION
OCTOBER 11-13, 2000The Allentown, Pa., Morning Call reports that baritone William Sharp (Mas) participated in the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center's February performance in Easton, Pa.
'77
Roger Eckers '67E (Mas), '77E (PhD) was profiled in the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. He is the founding member of the Roger Eckers Quartet and a former director of bands at Rush-Henrietta High School. . . . According to reports, Steven Ostrow surprised audiences when he soloed as a guitarist (instead of on his usual violin) with the Akron (Ohio) Symphony Orchestra this season. In other news, New York Jewish Week gave a five-star review to Yiddishe Cup's latest CD as one of the top klezmer bands in the country. Steve is featured on trombone, trumpet, violin, and guitar.
'78
Colleen Liggett (MM) was profiled in the Brighton-Pittsford Post's "More People Up Close" section. Liggett is a performer and teacher who offers private lessons at home as well as teaching singing and coaching ensembles for adults at David Hochstein Memorial Music School in Rochester.
'80
William Patterson (MM) had a jazz arrangement performed on May 21 at the Music Center Spotlight Awards at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles. Also in May, he conducted the premiere of Push-Pull for trombone quartet at the Pacific Contemporary Music Center New Music Festival. The piece was commissioned by the Eastman Trombone Quartet, Milk Bones, and the West Coast-based Nautilus Quartet. Michael works in Los Angeles as a composer/arranger and has worked on film projects as diverse in nature as The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones and Radioland Murders. He recently scored the music for an independent film, 18-D, which premiered at the 1999 Cannes Film Festival.
'81
David Finck (see Alumni Gazette, He's Got Rhythm). . . . Dan Locklair (DMA), composer-in-residence and professor of music at Wake Forest University, sent an update of recent doings. Some highlights: The Birmingham, Ala., chapter of the American Guild of Organists sponsored a weekend focusing on Locklair's organ music during which he conducted a master class and presented a concert of his works. The event was held at Birmingham-Southern College in January. Last year, HUES for Orchestra was performed by the Louisville (Ky.) Orchestra in September, and The Breakers Pound (A Dance Suite for Harpsichord) was performed in October by Elaine Funaro at both the University of Montevallo (Ala.) and Wake Forest University (N.C.). . . . Ivan Wittel (Mas) appeared as the landlord Benoit and Musetta's admirer, Alcindoro, in the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra's January performance of La Boheme.
'82
Christine Osborne writes: "My husband, Ken Engstrom, and I are happy to announce the birth of our son, Alexander Erik Anders Engstrom, on March 13. I have been a bassoonist with the Utah Symphony since 1985. When I am not playing the bassoon, I am busy hiking, gardening, preparing ethnic dishes, and now changing diapers and singing silly baby songs."
'83
William Eddins '86E (Mas) was named resident conductor of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. In his new position he makes appearances in the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Chamber Music Series, conducts summer performances at the Ravinia Festival, and expands his role in the orchestra's education and community engagement programs. Away from Chicago, Eddins is a frequent guest conductor of major orchestras around the world including those in Dallas, Buffalo, Atlanta, Barcelona, and Lisbon. In addition to his conducting, Eddins continues his work as a concert pianist and chamber musician. He is founder and artistic director of the Prospect Park Players, a chamber music series based at Hamline University in St. Paul, Minn. . . . Nancy Christensen '86E (MA) writes: "In November I began working at Chamber Music America in New York City in the newly created position of education director. My responsibilities include organizing an education component in each existing program, including the rural residency and Cleveland Quartet Award programs." . . . Renée Fleming (Mas) received the Grammy Award for Best Classical Vocal Performance for her CD The Beautiful Voice.
'84
15TH REUNION
OCTOBER 11-13, 2000John Cipolla sends an update: In January, he took part in a music clinic at Rutgers University and gave a clarinet recital at the Nicholas Roerich Museum in New York City. In February, he participated in a music clinic at Southern Utah University. He also has released a flute duet book with accompanying play-along CD, Tulou for Two, available from G. Schirmer/ Hal Leonard. On July 10, he reported he was to present a lecture and performance at the International Clarinet Association's Clarinet Fest 1999 in Ostend, Belgium. The lecture, "Historical Perspectives of Excellence for Clarinetists," is a profile of Buddy DeFranco, Carl Baermann, and Ernesto Cavallini and how they left their mark on clarinet history. On November 29, Cipolla will present a clinic on woodwind doubling at the NYSSMA Conference.
'85
15TH REUNION
OCTOBER 11-13, 2000Soprano Dina Cancryn-Foy sang the role of Susanna in Mozart's le Nozze di Figaro with the Rome Festival Opera in Italy this summer. She is assistant professor of voice at Middle Tennessee State University.
'86
15TH REUNION
OCTOBER 11-13, 2000On March 18, Fritz Gearhart '88E (MM) was featured on NPR's Performance Today with pianist John Owings of Texas Christian University. The broadcast featured selections from a performance at the annual meeting of the Sonneck Society of American Music in Fort Worth, Tex. The performance included works from a recently released CD, Quincy Porter: The Unpublished Manuscripts for Violin and Piano. Gearhart is living in Eugene, Oreg., where he is on the faculty at the University of Oregon and performing with the Oregon String Quartet. He writes that his two daughters, Anya and Sera, "have made the transition to the rainy Northwest." He also reports that his oldest daughter, Anya, performed her first solo, Twinkle, at a Community Music Institute concert in Beall Hall at the University of Oregon in February. . . . Katherine Murdock (PhD) was promoted to full professor of music composition and theory at Wichita State University in Wichita, Kan. She writes that she is the founder and director of the WSU Contemporary Music Festival, which will celebrate its 10th anniversary in 2000, and that her composition for woodwind quintet, Postcards from the Center, appeared on a CD of the same name issued by Crystal Records. She is married to David Franks.
'87
Sandra Dackow (see '73). . . . Jennifer Greenfield (see '87 River Campus undergraduate).
'88
Colleen Conway '92E (MA) is assistant professor of music education and coordinator of music student teaching at Michigan State University in East Lansing. Her husband, Thomas Hodgman '96E (DMA), is director of choral activities and chair of the music department at Adrian College in Adrian, Mich. The couple lives in Lansing with their daughter, Sarah, 2. . . . Jacqueline Leclair e-mails: "I am living in the NewYork City area where I am free-lancing and teaching. My work Luciano Berio Sequenza VII: Supplementary Edition was published by Universal Edition, Vienna. I performed with the Cygnus Ensemble on their chamber music tour of northern California, where I performed a full-length recital and presented master classes at universities. I also am presenting educational concerts in schools during the year with the Vanguard Chamber Players on the behalf of the Midori and Friends Foundation. In May, I toured the Czech Republic and performed in Ostrava and Prague with the Orchestra of the SEM Ensemble and Czech and German musicians. I was the featured soloist in Telemann's nine-movement piece, Overture in B. In August, I presented a performance and lecture at the I.D.R.S. International Conference in Madison, Wis."
'89
Gene Dobbs Bradford is the executive director of Jazz at the Bistro in St. Louis. . . . Lynn Matthews writes, "I have just completed a wonderful contract with the Connecticut Opera in Hartford. I performed the roles of Gertrude in Romeo & Juliet, Suzuki in Madame Butterfly, Berta in The Barber of Seville, and Maddalena in Rigoletto. I return to Connecticut this summer to perform the role of Zita in Gianni Schicchi with the Opera Theater in Clinton. I remain in touch with many University friends and would like to catch up with those of you with whom I've lost touch. You can e-mail me at: lynnamatthews@hotmail.com."
'90
Stephen Feldman (MM) presented a faculty recital in April at DePauw University in Greencastle, Ind. A cellist, he performed sonatas by Boccherini and Beethoven, the cello version of Franck's Violin Sonata, and a suite by J. S. Bach, accompanied by pianist Mikhail Hallak. . . . John Hollenbeck '91E (MM) plays drums and percussion with the jazz group, Dan Willis Quartet. The group has released a CD, Dan Willis Quartet, and is touring around the country, including stops at the Knitting Factory, Alterkit, and Detour in New York City. . . . J. Scott Jackson has been promoted to general manager of the Virginia Waterfront International Arts Festival in Norfolk, Va. He joined the festival in 1996 as director of education and was named director of operations in 1998. He also is a section percussionist with the Virginia Symphony.
'91
Ned Boyd (MM) e-mails: "I've premieired a new work for saxophone and wind ensemble. The piece is a Vivaldi bassoon concerto transcription that was commissioned by the Lafayette High School Wind Ensemble. I also am still teaching saxophone at Purdue University." . . . Lisa Verzella reports: "I just recorded a CD, sponsored in part by a grant from the Utah Arts Council and the NEA. The CD contains three 20th-century trumpet pieces, one by Loretta Jankowski '72, '79E (PhD) My CD 20th Century Trumpet is available on L&V Records.
'92
James Douthit (DMA), a concert pianist, lecturer, and adjudicator, performed a recital at the Wednesday Club at Dixon University (Pa.).
'93
Since July 1998, cellist Ron '96E (MM) and violinist Annabelle Jiminez Gardiner '95E (MM) have been members of the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra in Kuala Lumpur. Both formerly held positions on the music faculty at Houghton College and performed with the Pittsburgh Symphony. Annabelle also is a former member of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra. They send along their e-mail address for friends who'd like to get in touch with them: ronabel@pd.jaring.my. . . . Amy Stanley (DMA) presented a piano recital on February 6 in Youngstown, N.Y. Stanley is a member of the music faculty at SUNY Geneseo.
'94
5TH REUNION
OCTOBER 11-13, 2000
'95
5TH REUNION
OCTOBER 11-13, 2000
'96
5TH REUNION
OCTOBER 11-13, 2000Jeremy Gill was commissioned by Market Square Concerts to write a piece for the Bachmann-Klibonoff-Fridman Trio that was premiered in a concert at the Rose Lehrman Arts Center at Harrisburg Area Community College. . . . Thomas Hodgman (DMA) (see '88). . . . Stan Pelkey (MA) joined the music faculty at Gordon College in Wenham, Mass., as an assistant professor of music. In the fall of 1999, he will start teaching courses in music history, fine arts, and world music. He is completing his Ph.D. in musicology from Eastman and his master's degree in history from the College. He and his wife are directors of music at Community Covenant Church in West Peabody, Mass. . . . Clarinetist Berkeley Price (DMA) presented a recital with his mother, composer and pianist Deon Nielsen Price, in January at Abilene Christian University's Roxie Neal Recital Hall. Berkeley is an assistant professor at West Virginia Wesleyan College.
'97
Jennifer Blyth (DMA), a member of the faculty at Dickinson College, was the pianist for a recital featuring the Amernet String Quartet and mezzo-soprano Lynn Helding in Harrisburg, Penn. in April.
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