Caryl Clark (PhD, 1991, musicology) writes, “In summer 2021 I joined a team of researchers at the University of Toronto, led by Dr. Valiante of the Krembil Brain Institute UHN and the Max Planck - University of Toronto Center for Neural Science and Technology, to advance research on the role of classical music in alleviating symptoms in epilepsy patients. Clinical trials based on prior research are currently underway, and we’re now partnering with other research institutes to investigate what statistical features make a musical piece better or worse at restoring healthy brain activity. Turns out that the training I received at Cornell in eighteenth-century music studies is central to this research. Yeah, Haydn and Mozart!”
Evan Cortens (PhD, 2014, musicology) is the director of institutional research and planning at Mount Royal University (Calgary, Canada). Over the past year, he helped launch Encounters with Eighteenth-Century Music, a virtual forum sponsored by five eighteenth-century societies and edited the video series Tiny Bach Concerts.
Michael DiGiovanna (BA, 1984, music and biochemistry) is Professor of Medicine (Medical Oncology) and Pharmacology, Yale University School of Medicine and Yale Cancer Center.
Emily I. Dolan (PhD, 2006, musicology) writes, “In October 2021, the Oxford Handbook of Timbre (coedited by myself and Alexander Rehding) was, at long last, released in print.
Tyler Ehrlich (BA, 2014, music) serves as the Director of Bands at Decatur High School, where he teaches 160 students in band and IB Music classes. He also conducts the Emory University Wind Ensemble, and serves as an associate conductor for the Atlanta Wind Symphony. Tyler's partner, Brent, is graduating with his PhD from Emory University this May.
Mark Ferraguto (PhD, 2012, musicology) published “Beethoven’s ‘Watershed’? Eroica’s Contexts and Periodisation,” in The Cambridge Companion to the Eroica Symphony (Cambridge University Press, 2020), and “The Other ‘Razumovsky’ Quartets: Franz Weiss’s Op. 8 and the Formation of Vienna’s Kennerpublikum,” in String Quartets in Beethoven’s Europe (Academic Studies Press, 2022). Both volumes were edited by fellow Cornell alum Nancy November. In 2020–21, he participated in virtual roundtables and conferences organized by the Moscow Conservatory (Beethoven and Russia), Aspen Music Festival (Beethoven at 250), University of Auckland (String Quartets in Beethoven’s Europe), University of California at Berkeley (Beethoven in a New Medium), and Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (Beethoven: A Voice for Our Time, with Marin Alsop).
Elizabeth Field (DMA, 1999, keyboard studies) writes, “In November of 2020, Cornell Graduate, cellist Stephanie Vial and I recorded our third volume of "Discovering the Classical String Trio' with our period instrument ensemble The Vivaldi Project for MSR Classics. Released in Spring of 2021 to critical claim, Fanfare Magazine wrote: ‘exuberance, tightly knit ensemble, good intonation, and a warm and expressive singing line. All period string playing should sound like this. In fact, I would urge anyone who thinks he “doesn’t like period instruments” to give any of these discs a listen; they might change minds.’ I also continued into my 20th year as concertmaster of Bethlehem Bach which streamed monthly concerts starting in July 2020. Concerts can be viewed here."
Chris Gendall (DMA, 2010, composition) writes, “I teach and convene the composition area at the University of Auckland School of Music in New Zealand. Recent projects include a Violin Concerto for Mark Menzies and the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra, a solo horn work for Saar Berger, collaborations with groups in Hong Kong and Japan, and some works designed for remote or virtual presentation. My debut portrait album "Tones" was released in 2019, and my work Gravitas appears on the Norwegian Radio Orchestra release "Journeys". Excerpts and links available at chrisgendall.com.”
Angela Han (BA, 2015, music and psychology) writes, “I’m thrilled to share that I’ve been awarded a San Francisco Artist Grant by the SF Arts Commission for my project, ‘Realms of Courage: Celebrating Asian Women Composers,’ which aims to amplify composers who identify as Asian women through art inspired by their music. The project will be featured in the 25th United States of Asian America Festival - Generations of Power, organized by the Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Center in 2022. During API/AAPI heritage month, I’ll be hosting a series of panels highlighting 15 Realms of Courage Composers: Bosba Panh, Chihchun Chi-sun Lee, Emily Koh, Jean Ahn, Jennifer Jolley, Juhi Bansal, Julie Zhu, Kyong Mee Choi, Liliya Ugay, Melissa Dunphy, Midori Larsen, Shruthi Rajasekar, Theresa Calpotura, Theresa Wong, and Wang Jie.”
Crystal Han (BA, 2013, music minor), writes: “Since graduation, I have graduated from medical school, completed adult psychiatric training, and am about to graduate from child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship! I will soon be relocating to Boston, MA to work part-time at the Harvard University Student Counseling Center and part-time at the child psychiatry outpatient clinic at Mass General Hospital. I continue to play piano, sing, and enjoy opera in my free time!”
Patricia Hurley (BA, 1959, music), writes, “After receiving an MM in Music Ed at Eastman I taught instrumental music in various public schools, retiring in 2005. A trumpet player, I had a busy freelance career with a brass quartet (Fair Winds) as well as in several orchestras in CT. I founded the Community Music School in Centerbrook CT in 1983 and am currently Director of The New Horizons Band of the CMS, a group of 22 senior musicians based on the model of Roy Ernst, past Dean of the Music Ed. Department at Eastman, who founded New Horizons as a means for retired folks to have an enjoyable leisure activity. Most musicians had not played in many years before joining a NH group, of which there are 250 in the US and Canada. I made a presentation for a panel at my class reunion in 2019 about New Horizons and its positive impact on a large group of seniors.”
Lauren Jacobs (BS, 2015, music minor), writes, “I have been a small animal veterinarian in the Greater Philadelphia area for 2.5 years. I joined a local church with a great music program (choir, handbells, praise band) that will hopefully start up again once COVID restrictions decrease.”
Seth Kibel (BA, 1996, music) writes, “I'm still working full-time as a professional musician in the Baltimore/Washington region, playing clarinet, flute, and saxophone at some of the area's top venues with bands playing jazz, swing, klezmer, and more. I have two digital albums that will be released in the next few months. ‘Clarinetflix & Chill,’ a collection of original instrumental jazz compositions, and ‘Seth's Magical Musical Multiverse,’ a collection of original songs imagining a number of alternate timeline scenarios for music history nerds. For more info, go to www.sethkibel.com or find me on social media.”
Hannah Krall (BA, 2018, music) is ABD in her musicology program at Duke University and is currently working on her dissertation entitled "The Creole of Color Clarinet Tradition and Its Influence on Duke Ellington’s Creative Legacy."
Leonard J. Lehrman (DMA, 1977, composition) began a new position as the music director and composer in residence at Grace Episcopal Church in Massapequa, NY and premiered two songs in Romanian in Bucharest. He writes, “My website has links to our current monthly Zoom concert series Tuesdays at 5PM EST and videos of my twelve operas, five recently subtitled (including two written at Cornell). Our Jan. 11, 2022 Schubert concert included F-Minor 4-Hand Fantasy, recorded by me and Bill Cowdery on Cornell's Boesendorfer last summer. My adaptation of the 1985 operetta DAMN! THAT APPLE! will be performed on Feb. 17 in Loxahatchee, Florida and July 7-9 in Los Gatos, California. My completion of Marc Blitzstein's SACCO AND VANZETTI receives its NY orchestral premiere at Lehman College, directed by Bronx Opera General Director Benjamin Spierman on Sept. 10-11, 2022.
Jeremy Miller (BA, 2019, music minor) writes, “I joined a group called Dust Car which challenges everyone to come up with a new piece of music once every two weeks. It's been a lot of fun and the group even released a charity album.
Amy Penick (BS, 2017, music minor) writes, “Until last summer I worked with an agritech startup company called Capro-X, researching waste-to-energy solutions for the dairy industry as we scaled up our chemical process. Since 2019 I've been the Operations Manager of the CCO Youth Orchestra, now in their fifth season. Otherwise I'm singing lots, making hats, tutoring, and taking the occasional circus class!
Heather MacLachlan (PhD, 2009, musicology), recently published two books. Singing Out: GALA Choruses and Social Change (University of Michigan Press, 2020) is her second monograph. In addition, together with two colleagues, she co-authored an anthology to the textbook Gateways to Understanding Music (Routledge, 2020).
Jack Reep (BA, 2013, music minor) graduated with his MD from Rutgers New Jersey Medical School as a member of the medical honor society AOA and as recipient of the Miriam F. Jacobs Scholarship award for the distinction of being the top academic rank in his class. He is currently in his first year of internal medicine residency at NYP-Columbia University Medical Center in New York City. His most recent musical activity has been writing and recording videos of trio compositions for two guitars and bass. Jack has found over the years that engaging in his medical career somehow also stimulates his artistic interests in unpredictable ways and vice versa, so he wonders where his artistic interests will take him next as he continues in residency.
Brad Ross (BA, 1979, music) composed the score to the virtual film, Love & Other Destinations. Brad's musical setting of 'Twas the Night Before Christmas has been performed by over 25 orchestras, choirs and vocalists in the USA and Canada including The Oregon Symphony, The Rochester Philharmonic, and The Arkansas Symphony.
Joshua Sadinsky (BA, 2019, music and German) writes, “After I graduated in 2019, I went to CalArts to study piano performance. During COVID, I switched my major to performance and composition, and my graduation recital consisted entirely of original works, featuring 4 dancers/choreographers and 10 collaborating musicians. I received a Fulbright Grant in 2021 to work with the Soundscape Association of Taiwan. From December 2021 to February 2022, I have been focused on completing a Mandarin language course at National Taiwan University. My research with the Soundscape Association of Taiwan is focused on how soundscape education is developed and implemented. Additionally, I'm learning about how the SAT interfaces with other international soundscape organizations such as Quiet Parks International. My goal by the end of my grant period is to also do some field recording myself, and exhibit/curate an interdisciplinary art exhibition that brings together Taiwanese-based artists from different backgrounds, focusing on themes of locality and sustainability.”
Elaine Schmidt (formerly Yi Lei Qian) (BA, 2012, music minor) writes: “I worked for almost a decade in clinical trials for several therapeutic areas, primarily in CNS and orphan diseases. In May 2020, at the height of COVID in NYC, I had my first child. I quit my job after maternity leave to care for my son, and just had my second child 5 months ago. I now sing with my babies everyday.”
Tanya (Tanger) Li Simms (BA, 2009, music minor), writes, “For the past 10 years, I have been working for the US Department of Defense. I currently lead various cybersecurity issues and strategies for our nation’s cyber defense efforts. While not at work, I have been actively performing in the DC area as an amateur musician, forming my own chamber group Potomac Musica and keeping up with solo works. I even attempted to write a piano nocturne dedicated to my husband in honor of our wedding anniversary, a feat I never thought I could do before! I now have 2 little girls and they will know and love classical music and want to play the piano or a string instrument.”
Carol Traupman-Carr (PhD, 1995, musicology) is now serving as Vice President for Accreditation and Assessment at both Moravian University and Lancaster Theological Seminary. In addition, Carol was named the next Provost at Moravian University, beginning May 9, 2022.
Zachary Wadsworth (DMA, composition, 2012), writes, “I became a tenured Associate Professor of Music at Williams College last July. Otherwise, I've been keeping busy writing music for the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra and the Richmond Symphony.”
Tyler White (DMA, composition, 1991), writes, “I remain Professor and Director of Orchestras at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln; since 2019, I've also been Composer in Residence with the Lincoln Symphony Orchestra. In 2019 I also produced my second opera, THE GAMBLER'S SON, and in 2020 I was awarded The American Prize in Orchestral Composition for my work A BRAND-NEW SUMMER. I have also recently completed my Third and Fourth Symphonies; the Third, dedicated to the memory of Steven Stucky, was awarded a Silver Medal in the Global Music Awards, and the Fourth is slated for premiere by the Lincoln Symphony Orchestra in 2023. My string orchestra piece THE FOUR ELEMENTS (CHAMBER SYMPHONY NO. 2) is being premiered by the Lincoln Symphony Orchestra on February 20, 2022.“
Stephen Zohn (PhD, 1995) writes, “During the past few years I have published a book (The Telemann Compendium, Boydell, Press, 2020) and a debut recording with Night Music, a period-instrument ensemble that I co-direct with fellow Cornell Music Department graduate Heather Miller Lardin (Parlor Tricks: Music for a Viennese Salon, Avie Records, 2020; nightmusicensemble.com). I am also the 2022 recipient of the Georg-Philipp-Telemann-Preis, given by the City of Magdeburg in recognition of my Telemann-related activities as a scholar and performer on historical flutes. I continue to teach at Temple University (now in my twenty-fifth year) as Laura H. Carnell Professor of Music Studies.”
