Congratulations to our Department of Music May 2022 Graduates!

Alex Armbruster, Jazz Studies

Paul Dzekunov, Music Technology

Dale Gray, Music Composition

Kaylee Guadron, Violin Performance

Kyler Hewitt, Cello Performance

Nick Kosmas, Music Technology

John Loreg, Euphonium Performance

Michael Lunz, Music Education

Sebastian McMillan, Music Technology

Matthew Neary, Music Technology

Dania Palacios, Vocal Performance

Timothy Provost, Music Education

Erika Rollins, Vocal Performance

Adam Smith, Percussion Performance

Brady Toms, Music Education

Connor Williams, Music Technology

Also featured in that concert are Balance Campaign, ensemble in residence with UMBC composers from 2018-19 and returning in fall 2022, and Titilayo Ayangade, cellist for the Thalea String Quartet, which was in residence with UMBC student composers earlier this semester.

Alex Armbruster

Paul Dzekunov

Dale Gray

Kaylee Guadron

Kyler Hewitt

Timothy Provost

Erika Rollins

Brady Toms

Connor Williams

 

Dr. Lindsay Johnson has been elected the incoming director of the Medieval and Early Modern Studies minor here at UMBC, to serve a two-year term. As director, she will oversee the minor, plan guest lectures and experiential events, and advise students. Dr. Johnson looks forward to featuring music more prominently within the program. For more information about the minor or our open-to-all activities, see mems.umbc.edu or write to lmjohnson@umbc.edu.

Congrats to Dr. Johnson!

Congrats to Alex and Tim!

Hailed by the BBC as a "talent to watch out for, who conveys a mature command of his forces," American conductor Philip Mann has a worldwide reputation as an "expressively graceful yet passionate" artist with a range spanning symphonic repertoire, opera, new music, and experimental collaborations. Elected a Rhodes Scholar, he won the Vienna Philharmonic's Karajan Fellowship at the Salzburg Festival and was named an American Conducting Fellow with the League of American Orchestras. As Music Director of the Arkansas Symphony, his tenure has been described as among the most successful of any American music director in decades, as the state orchestra experienced a complete turnaround under his leadership with unprecedented artistic growth, numerous attendance records, construction of a new home concert hall and 6 others around the state, launches of several groundbreaking and innovative performance series and collaborations, expansion of classical programming weeks and full-time musician positions, the return of fully staged opera to the metropolitan area, all 9 consecutive years in financial surplus, the founding of Arkansas's first collaborative arts festival-ACANSA, and a profile change from a regional orchestra to that of an ensemble garnering international attention and major orchestra comparisons. He currently appears as Music Director and Principal Conductor of the Texarkana Symphony Orchestra. 

Mann's conducting engagements have included major orchestras, operas, and festivals in Europe, USA, and Asia, including ensembles such as l'Orchestre symphonique de Quebec, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Mexico City Philharmonic, National Radio Orchestra of Romania, Voronezh Philharmonic, Georgian State Opera, National Symphony of Cyprus, Sofia Philharmonic, Busan Philharmonic, Phoenix Symphony, Sarasota Symphony, Grand Rapids Symphony, Symphony in C, the New Mexico Philharmonic, and the Tulsa Symphony. He has worked with leading artists such as Joshua Bell, Sharon Isbin, Susan Graham, Midori, Marvin Hamlisch Dmitri Alexeev, and is highly sought after by composers for major premiers including: John Corigliano, Joan Tower, Jennifer Higdon, Samuel Adler, Michael Torke, Christopher Theofanidis, Elena Katz-Chernin, Michael Fine, DJ Sparr, Adam Schoenberg, and many others. His Brahms collaboration with the London Symphony Orchestra and pianist Norman Krieger on Decca Records has received numerous rave reviews and his recording with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra in the works of Michael Fine has garnered extensive praise and been named to major award watchlists. His recent debut on SONY Classics as Founding Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of Ensemble Bravura has garnered further critical acclaim-available HERE.

His diverse collaborations with leaders and prominent civil rights advocates like George Takei have also garnered him much praise for leveraging the power of music toward poignant community conversations, enhancing the relevance of symphony orchestras to communities, and successful audience development. Sought after as a mentor and teacher of conducting, his students have earned numerous student gold medal successes at international competitions, significant prizes/awards, appointments to prominent international orchestras, debuts with major orchestras and artists, and appointments to university faculties.

Congrats to Nell Flanders!

The Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Program is designed to provide the United States with "a continuing source of highly qualified scientists, mathematicians, and engineers" to move the nation forward. More than 1,200 students applied from over 425 institutions across the country this year. The program selected a total of 417 scholars to receive Goldwater scholarships for 2022-23. 

The Hi Tom Ensemble, a percussion quartet consisting of UMBC students Kyra O'Donnell, Alex Armbruster, Adam Smith, and Brandon Gouin, performed as part of the Red Room's "The Red Room in Your Room" virtual weekly concert series on Thursday February 24th. You can view the video of their performance here.

Mentored by Tom Goldstein at UMBC, Hi Tom Ensemble specializes in new music, theater percussion, and improv. On this program they present a unique combination of two pieces: "Indeterminacy" by John Cage performed simultaneously with "Creative Construction Set" by George Lewis. These pieces show Hi Tom's influences, and their fusion creates new opportunities in the world of avant-garde percussion music.

You can find more videos and info on their YouTube channel and Instagram.