Faculty, Student and Alumni News

The Cali School of Music faculty, students and alumni have shared the news of their many performances and activities. Here are some highpoints:

Faculty News
Magdalena Stern Baczewska (Adjunct Faculty – Piano) participated in masterclasses in harpsichord with Pierre Hantai and Bruno Procopio, as well as in fortepiano with Alexei Lubimov and Costantino Mastroprimiano in Villa Bossi, Italy. She adjudicated the Concerto Competition at Manhattan School of Music. She gave a lecture for the Music Educators Association in New Jersey (Jan 2013): “A Modern Pianist’s Guide to Interpreting J.S. Bach and W.A. Mozart.”

Heather Buchanan (Associate Professor – Director of Choral Activities) formed the extracurricular women’s choir, Prima Voce, in fall 2013 for professional collaboration with Richard Alston Dance Company (UK). In February she guest conducted the annual BOCH Festival hosted at University of Nebraska (Omaha), and the 250-voice North Jersey Regional Mixed Honors Choir. The MSU Vocal Accord tour documentary American Voices was released in February and broadcast on NJTV in June.

Robert Butts (Adjunct Faculty – Introduction to Music) was one of five composers invited to participate in Atlanta Opera’s 24-Hour Opera Project in January. He worked with librettist Ellen Frankel to create The Triangle, an opera is inspired by the Triangle Shirt Factory fire in New York early in the 20th century. In addition, he conducted the Baroque Orchestra of New Jersey in a semi-staged production of his opera Mark Twain and the General at NJIT (Newark). In February, he presented a paper, “The Impact of Othering in Verdi’s Rigoletto and Otello,” at the New York session of the American Musicological Society at the Metropolitan Opera Education Center. He presented a reading of his musical theater work A Night in the Wilde Wild West with the Theater Project, Cranford, NJ. He was named Artistic Director and conducted Puccini’s Madama Butterfly as the first production by Eastern Opera Company of New Jersey, Bound Brook, NJ.

Kelly Crandell (Adjunct Faculty – Vocal Coach) conducted a production of Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute) with Hubbard Hall Opera Theater. He is also finishing his first year as Music Director for Ars Musica, a 60-voice choir in Ridgewood. Their season included at performance of Puccini’s La bohème that featured Cali student Janette Zosche (BMus Performance – ’13) in the role of Musetta, and a concert featuring MSU Wind Ensemble students alongside members of the New Jersey Symphony in Stravinsky’s Symphony of Psalms. He joined the Manhattan School of Music’s production of Kurt Weill’s Aufstieg und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny (The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny) as Assistant Conductor, a production that received rave reviews in the New York Times. In 2012, he signed a contract with GIA Publications and is completing a new edition of Brahms’ Nänie, the product of a 3-year collaboration with four-time Grammy Award winning conductor Vance George.

Lisa DeLorenzo (Professor – Music Education) was awarded the prestigious Critics Choice Book Award from the American Educational Studies Association for her book, Sketches in Democracy: Notes from an Urban Classroom. In October, she presented two sessions at the National Network for Educational Renewal conference on teaching for democratic practice. She published “Missing Faces from the Orchestra: An Issue of Social Justice?” (Music Educators Journal, June 2012).

Peter Gillis (Adjunct Professor – Voice) collaborated this season with Canadian folk luminary Rita MacNeil in Light Up the Stage at the Savoy Theatre in Cape Breton Island, Canada.

Karen Goodman (Professor – Music Therapy) was named to the Editorial Board of the International HETL (Higher Education, Teaching and Learning) Association where she also serves as a reviewer for their associated publication. Peer-reviewed conference presentations include “Culture-centered Music Therapy: Education and training,” at the 9th Conference of the European Music Therapy Confederation (Oslo, Norway), and “From Music to Poetry and Insight in Psychotherapy” at the Third Annual Expressive Arts Therapy Summit (New York). She participated in interviews on The Sound Effect (A radio show exploring the art and science of music and healing), and The Music Therapy Show with Janice Harris. Her publications include: Goodman, K.D. in Kirkland, K. (Ed.) (2013) International Dictionary of Music Therapy. London, U.K.: Routledge. Prof. Goodman continues to provide editorial consulting for Pearson, Routledge and Oxford University Press, clinical services through the university, and consulting (Simply Being Human: Workshop training in Music and Wellness for Medical Staff, UMDNJ, Newark)

Josh Groffman (Adjunct Professor – Theory) enjoyed performances of his original compositions:  music from elsewhere (for orchestra with American Composers Orchestra, DiMenna Center, NYC, and for flute at Vincennes University), No Compulsions Now (Cal State Fullerton New Music Festival), and The favorite food of fools (VoxNovus 60×60 East Coast Mix, Harvard University). He was awarded the ASCAPlus Award, was finalist for the ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composers Awards, and received an Honorable Mention for the Indiana University Dean’s Prize. He read papers at the following conferences: International Conference on Semiotics in Memory of Raymond Monelle, October 2012, Edinburgh, UK; and American Musicological Society Midwest, Fall Meeting, September 2012, Indianapolis, IN.

Marsha Heller (Adjunct Professor – Oboe) performed the Bach Concerto for Violin and Oboe with violinist Joseph Silverstein, (former concertmaster of the Boston Symphony) and the Berkshire Bach Society last winter. She also performed the Mozart Oboe Quartet with the Bronx Arts Ensemble in April, and was honored for 30 years of membership in the New York Pops.

Andrew Kaye, (Adjunct Professor – Introduction to World Music) gave two public lectures during spring semester 2013.  At the Montclair Public Library, he presented “Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring:  Why is it an icon of musical modernism?” as part of programs leading to the performance of the 4-hand piano version of the work at the Kasser theater in April.  In March, for a film series at JCC MetroWest (West Orange), Andrew made the presentation, “Music and Politics in Walk on Water (2004), a contemporary Israeli film.”

Soyeon Kim (Accompanist) performed concerts and masterclasses with artists including Karl-Heinz Schütz (Principal Flutist of Vienna Philharmonic and Vienna State Opera Orchestra), Mathieu Dufour (Principal Flutist of Chicago Symphony Orchestra), Jasmine Choi (Principal Flutist of Vienna Symphony Orchestra), Stefán Höskuldsson (Principal Flutist of Metropolitan Opera Orchestra) and Eric Speller (Principal oboist of the Royal Flemish Philharmonic). She served as a competition judge for the Hazel Skaggs Competition, Hackensack, NJ.

Siobhan Kolker (Adjunct Professor – Voice) continues to expand her work in film and television, appearing in NBC’s Fatal Encounters and A&E’s Celebrity Ghost Stories. Her commercial for Yahoo Fantasy Baseball aired on ESPN this spring.  In February, she sang on a benefit concert for Save the Jersey Shore with baritone Richard Hobson and Montclair State colleague, Ron Levy.

Ken Lam (Associate Professor – Director of Orchestral Studies) led performances worldwide with the Hong Kong Sinfonietta, the City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, the Meridian Symphony Orchestra, the Memphis Symphony Orchestra and others. He made his debut at the Luminato Festival in Toronto, Canada, with the opera Feng Yi Ting which he premiered in the US in 2012. He led a highly successful inaugural season with the Baltimore Symphony Youth Orchestras as their Artistic Director and was appointed Education Conductor of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra in March 2013. On the education front, he also conducted regional orchestras in New York and New Jersey as well as the conservatory orchestra at the University of Cincinnati and served as a judge at the 2013 Maryland State Solo and Ensemble Competition.

Anthony Mazzocchi (Adjunct Faculty – Trombone) performed as a soloist with the Ramsey Wind Symphony, Kean University Wind Ensemble, and on the Northeastern Tour of the MSU Wind Symphony under the direction of Thomas McCauley.  He performed Alexander Guilmant’s Morceau Symphonique and Frank Gulio’s Capriccio. He was one of 217 music teachers from 195 cities across 45 states chosen as a quarterfinalist for the Music Educator Award presented by the Recording Academy and the GRAMMY Foundation. In total, more than 30,000 nominations were submitted from all 50 states.

Thomas McCauley (Associate Professor – Director of Bands) appeared as conductor of the New Jersey All-State Wind Ensemble in February. He served on the national ensemble selection panel for the College Band Directors National Association. He also appeared as guest clinician at the Alberta International Band Festival in Edmonton, Alberta in March.

Linda McKnight (Adjunct Faculty – Double Bass) had two articles published this year in The Instrumentalist magazine. The first, entitled, “Bad Bass Habits,” appeared in the June/July 2012 issue (volume 66, number 11); and the second, entitled, “Beautiful Bass Sounds,” appeared in the April 2013 issue (volume 67, number 9).

Mary Ann Mumm (Adjunct Faculty – Violin) attended the Cartagena International Music Festival as String Coordinator in January for the Filarmonica Joven de Colombia in preparation for their gala festival performance.

Julia Rolwing (Adjunct Faculty – Voice) sang the lead role of Tosca for Abilene Opera in Texas in March, and in September she sang her debut of the role of Senta in Wagner’s Der Fliegende Holländer for Opera Roanoke under Metropolitan Opera conductor, Steven White.

Holli Ross (Adjunct Faculty – Vocal Jazz) performed with her vocal group, String of Pearls, to a packed house at the Metropolitan Room in NYC. She also recorded with a vocal quartet, The ADHD Singers (Holli Ross, Amy London, Darmon Meader, Dylan Pramuk) as background and featured vocals for Mark Murphy & Annie Ross. Included in the song list was Bebop Lives in which she provided the lyrics to the Miles Davis composition, Boplicity.

Harry Searing (Adjunct Faculty – Bassoon) and Romie de Guise-Langlois (Adjunct Faculty – Clarinet) performed with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center on their opening night concert in Alice Tully Hall in September. In the spring, Prof. Searing performed with the Canadian Opera Company in Toronto on the Heckelphone (a rarely performed woodwind instrument) in Richard Strauss’ Salome.

Joseph Smith (Adjunct Faculty – Introduction to Music) presented a lecture-recital in September for the Frederick Collection of Historic Pianos: The Dawn of Romanticism. On December 12, 2012, he performed at the National Gallery of Art (all piano pieces related to the number twelve); in March, he presented a lecture-recital for the New York Society Library: Musical Portraits from Life.

George Spitzer (Adjunct Faculty – Voice) performed in November with his chamber ensemble Melodeon at the Church of the Epiphany in NYC. Lori McCann (Assistant Professor – Voice) was a guest artist. He sang the Indian Songs of Arthur Farwell, and sang in a concert version of Scott Joplin’s opera Treemonisha. In March, Melodeon gave a recital at the Church of the Epiphany in NYC. Stephen Oosting (Associate Professor – Voice) was a guest artist. They performed the complete song cycle Gitanjali by John Alden Carpenter, as well as selections of Charles Ives and Horatio Parker.

Peter Stewart (Adjunct Faculty – Voice) performed a variety of concerts including: a revival of Philip Glass’s La Belle et la bête  (premiered in Ghent, Belgium, January 13, and will continue in the US and Europe this year); a production of the medieval Play of Daniel for the 75th anniversary of the Cloisters museum in NY; sang the Brahms Requiem with the Montclair State Chorale; soloing in the Cathedral of St John the Divine (NYC) annual New Year’s Eve ‘Peace Concert’, music of Beethoven and Mozart; and was soloist in the Mozart Requiem with the Argento Orchestra, NYC.

Gwendolyn Toth (Adjunct Faculty – Harpsichord) released a new organ CD, The Arp Schnitger in Noordbroekf; performed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in September on two 18th century pianos, together with her husband Dongsok Shin; performed with the early music ensemble ARTEK at the Kasser Theater (October), New York City (holiday program, December), and Italian Academy of Columbia University (conducted the Stradella Oratorio San Giovanni Battista).

Gregg Wramage (Adjunct Professor – Theory/Composition) had his sextet, in shadows, in silence, performed in Boston twice in spring, 2013, by 3rd Sundays @ 3 and by Boston New Music Initiative. His monodrama, The Sunset Maker was premiered at the Music With a View Festival in New York.

Student News
Katie-Anne Carey (BMus, ’16 – Performance) won the gold medal for the 2nd year in a row in the Golden Key International Music Festival and sang in the winner’s recital at Carnegie Hall (Weill Recital Hall) on May 24th.

Nicole DeMaio (BMus, ’14 – Music Education & Theory/Composition) won first prize in the College Division of the 2013 Pictures Composition Contest. She is a composition student of Josh Groffman.

Mike Kirkland (Montclair State Music Preparatory Center alumnus and entering Cali School freshman, BMus ’18 – Vocal Performance) won the gold medal in the Golden Key International Festival and sang in the winner’s recital at Carnegie Hall (Weill Recital Hall) on May 24th.

Johnny Ng (Performer’s Certificate – Viola ’13), a conducting student of Ken Lam, was accepted as a fellow at the American Academy of Conducting at Aspen, regarded as the most prestigious summer training program for young conductors in the world.

Jack Noble (BMus ’13, performance – Bass Trombone) was admitted to Juilliard School for graduate studies. He was a student of Adjunct Professor Denson Paul Pollard.

Student and Faculty Ensemble Performances Off-Campus
Students in the MSU Flute Ensemble, directed by Adjunct Professor Tanya Witek appeared in the ensembles showcase at the New York Flute Fair at the Lighthouse in Manhattan in March.

Students and faculty appeared in chamber and jazz concerts at the Van Vleck House and Montclair Art Museum (Montclair, NJ). The Cali Camerata and MSU Chamber Orchestra appeared at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Auditorium.

The MSU Trombone Choir, directed by Anthony Mazzocchi, performed at Dr. Susan Cole’s President’s Dinner and also at Grounds for Sculpture’s concert series.

Students in the MSU Vocal Jazz Ensemble Vocomotion performed at Lincoln Center as part of the NYC Jazz Festival. They participated in a 70-voice festival choir under the direction of Steve Zegree, and performed as Vocamotion on the stage of the Allen Room under the direction of Adjunct Professor Holli Ross. They were accompanied by a Montclair State student rhythm section.

Alumni News
Angela Ferraiuolo-Thompson (MA ‘09 – Music Therapy) appeared in a video highlighted in a New York Times (April ‘13) article about music therapy. Her research focused on music therapy and the families of neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) infants. She is employed in the NICU at Beth Israel Medical Center where she interned.

Michael Mahadeen (BMus ‘10 – Music Education) had three arrangements performed by the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra in March, conducted by former Montclair State Professor Paul Hostetter. Michael is currently working with Connect4Education, an internet-based music education course developer emphasizing music technology in the classroom, composing arrangements of various orchestral and choral masterworks to be used as part of their forthcoming OnMusic Conducting course. His chamber pieces Stagedance, Flirt, and Three Movements for Mallet Percussion were published this spring by Bandworks Publications. This is the publishing company started, owned, and run by adjunct professor and alumnus Patrick Burns. (BMus ‘1992, MA ‘97 – Theory/Composition). On-campus, he assisted with music direction of the Peak Performances production of Carousel.

Mark Stickney (MA ‘98 – Performance) earned a DMA in Wind Conducting from Rutgers University and is Assistant Professor of Music and Director of Bands at Plymouth State University (NH). He recently took part in a project sponsored by the Museum of the White Mountains at Plymouth State to revive music composed specifically to entertain guests at New Hampshire’s grand hotels. His new arrangements for these songs were performed this year in Boston. He is working on a similar project involving the music of Newport, RI.