Alumni

2026 Persevering Legacy—meet the performers

Mariefaith Lane — Thu, 12 Mar 2026 13:08:54 +0000

2026 Persevering Legacy—meet the performers Mariefaith Lane Thu, 03/12/2026 - 07:08

Kathryn Bistodeau

On March 26, the annual College of Music Persevering Legacy event will celebrate women composers including those from historically marginalized groups. Undergraduate and graduate students have the opportunity to choose compositions from the Helen Walker-Hill collection housed in our very own American Music Research Center, or contribute their own discoveries: This year, seven acts from across the College of Music will present pieces from Jessie Montgomery to Dolores White and more.

Holly McMahon

Senior composition student Holly McMahon describes the event as “music you’ve probably never heard before and a lot of students excited to share pieces that are uniquely interesting to them.”

McMahon is part of an ensemble performing excerpts from a ballet she wrote—“The Snow Queen”—, a rendition of a story by Hans Christian Anderson. McMahon will play piano alongside Katherine Fornshell (cello), Caden Craig (clarinet) and Elijah Pouliot (violin).

McMahon has performed in previous Persevering Legacy events and has been attending them since her first year at 91��ý. “It was a really nice concert for me to go to when I was a freshman,” she says. “I didn’t know that much about female composers and it’s inspiring to see yourself in composers on a program. This year, I wanted to give back and add to the concert.”

She was commissioned by a local dance studio to compose “The Snow Queen” which was performed in full, with dancers, in December. McMahon herself danced seven years before beginning her undergraduate degree. “There’s so much joy that can come from writing music meant for movement,” she says. “It feels very me to have written this ballet.

“I really love the music that I wrote and the group that I’m playing with.”

Lucy O’Byrne

This is also the first year that the 91��ý Thompson Jazz Studies Program will be represented in the event with a sextet performing Esperanza Spalding’s “Mela.” Lucy O’Byrne, a sophomore in jazz saxophone performance, says that only makes sense: “Jazz is a very male dominated music and I’m not saying that classical music isn’t,” she says. “Just historically, women have not been safe or welcomed to perform in a lot of the spaces where jazz is welcome.”

O’Byrne jumped at the chance to perform a more difficult piece, diving in and working hard to prepare. “The music we’re playing is really challenging. We’re having a total of five or six rehearsals,” she says. “We really want to put time and effort into making it sound super good.”

The ensemble will also feature sophomores Bella Lanier (voice), Avi Bergman (trumpet), Gabe Hazleton (piano) and Gavin Hulse (drums), and freshman Mateo Perez (bass). While the ensemble wasn’t assigned by the department, the students have played together before.

“A really awesome thing about the jazz department—which I’m glad that we’re able to feature on this concert—is that all of us have a lot of experience playing with each other. The department’s small and we’re all friends who play together often,” adds O’Byrne.

Shai Wexler

Shai Wexler—a first-year master’s student in violin performance—will perform a piece for solo violin, “T’filah” (“Prayer”) by Lera Auerbach.

“It’s very meaningful to me because it’s a piece by a female Jewish composer on Jewish themes and that I feel very connected to because I’m Jewish,” she says.

For Wexler, there are parts of the piece that portray anxiety and unease about the world, and the ability to use music and prayer to express that. “This piece uses a lot of musical language from Jewish prayers and the violin really mimics the human voice,” she explains. “It sounds a lot like a cantor singing in synagogue which I think is really special.”

Wexler is also looking forward to the freedom the piece offers—it’s an unmetered work, meaning the performing musician can choose the rhythm and pacing. “That’s a really exciting opportunity for me because I haven’t played a lot of works like that,” she says.

“In classical music a lot of the time, we’re trained to play what’s on the page exactly as the composer intended. It’s been really meaningful to have this opportunity to break out of that a little bit and present my own unique interpretation of this piece.”

The participating students’ excitement and anticipation is palpable. They’re eager to work with the other students on the program and experience something new: “I’m really looking forward to being educated on artists and composers from other genres that are also underrepresented in this music,” O’Byrne says. “I’m looking forward to learning and hearing what other people have to say.”

Complementing the Persevering Legacy event on March 26, 7:30 p.m., Chamber Hall (S102), Imig Music Building, alumnus Gregory Walker (DMA ’92, composition)—son of the late Helen Walker-Hill and Pulitzer Prize-winning composer George Walker—will lead a master class for students on March 24, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. (N180D).

Discover the 91��ý Diverse Musicians’ Alliance

The 91��ý Diverse Musicians’ Alliance presents its annual Persevering Legacy event celebrating women composers including those from historically marginalized groups. Meet some of the student performers, learn about their chosen works and join us on March 26!

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Beyond composition: A collaborative approach to creativity

Mariefaith Lane — Wed, 04 Feb 2026 22:48:28 +0000

Beyond composition: A collaborative approach to creativity Mariefaith Lane Wed, 02/04/2026 - 15:48

MarieFaith Lane

For composer and arranger Ilan Blanck (MM ’23), collaboration is integral to his creative identity and career success. When he reflects on his time at the University of Colorado Boulder College of Music, what stands out most is an approach to music making grounded in curiosity, openness and collaboration.

“I feel like my experience at 91��ý really reinforced an approach based on an equal type of collaboration,” says the recent alum. “So much of that was influenced by the faculty and the composition department.”

Specifically, Blanck traces that mindset to the culture modeled by composition faculty members Professor of Composition Carter Pann, Associate Professor of Composition Annika Socolofsky and former Associate Professor of Composition Michael Theodore whose willingness to engage with unfamiliar ideas left a lasting impression. Blanck said his mentors treated each project as an opportunity to learn alongside their students.

“I spent so much time as the recipient of their curiosity,” he notes. “They were curious about things I was doing or conversations we’d have about all sorts of random things. That really stuck with me.”

That openness mattered especially because Blanck arrived at 91��ý via an unconventional academic path: After completing his undergraduate degree, he spent a few years working in genres outside traditional classical music, including pop and fusion projects that emphasized arranging and producing as much as composing.

“I never felt like I was the most inspiring contemporary composer,” shares Blanck. “So I wasn’t sure who would be interested in what I had to offer.” Being accepted into the College of Music felt like a clear endorsement of his broadly based creative identity. “What I was told was, ‘We think what you’re doing is cool and we’d love for you to keep doing that here,’” he recalls. “That felt like explicit encouragement to continue to develop my skills beyond composition.”

While completing the formal requirements of his degree, Blanck was also able to bring his ongoing professional work into conversations with faculty. He sought advice on arranging sessions, production logistics and the interpersonal dynamics of working with musicians outside academic settings. Even when projects fell outside faculty members’ areas of expertise, the response was consistent. “When I came to them with projects that were unfamiliar, they’d say, ‘I don’t really know about that, but let’s find out together,’” he says. “Being around people like that made me willing to say the same thing to others.”

Teaching Introduction to Music Technology for two years further shaped how Blanck thinks about music technology, music theory and popular music. The experience clarified his belief in learning through doing, particularly across genres that are often separated in formal music education.

“The opportunity for musicians to explore their own musicality by actively composing, producing and writing songs became really important to me,” he continues. “Doing the work helped me develop a clearer sense of what feels meaningful, not just creatively but pedagogically.”

That philosophy continues to guide the projects Blanck pursues today. On Feb. 21, he’ll present ChamberSongs at the Chautauqua Community House, a concert featuring four artists closely connected to Boulder’s acoustic and Americana music scenes: Megan Burtt, Jayme Stone, Emma Rose and Alexa Wildish. Each artist will perform newly arranged versions of their songs accompanied by a string and bass ensemble made up entirely of 91��ý-affiliated musicians.

The ensemble includes alumni violinist Jordan Grantonic (MM ’23, AD ’25), violinist Laura Pérez Rangel (MM ’25, DMA ’28), violist Ryan Drickey (BME ’01, MM ’06), cellist Sophie Stubbs (MM ’23) and double bassist Will Kuepper (MM ’26). “All of the string players are 91��ý people in some capacity,” Blanck says. “These are artists I love, who are also my friends They’re people I associate with Boulder, not just geographically but musically.”

The project took shape slowly, beginning nearly a year in advance as Blanck aligned schedules, arranged 24 songs and managed the logistics himself. While he has extensive experience arranging and booking performances, taking on the entire scope of the project was a personal challenge. “I was honestly just trying to take a big swing,” he reflects. “This was the first time I really took on all of it.” He likened the arranging process to designing a machine: “Arranging is kind of like designing a spaceship—you make the plans and then it’s someone else’s job to figure out if it can fly.”

Beyond ChamberSongs, Blanck continues to collaborate with College of Music alumni on other large-scale projects including The Song of Pueblo, an oratorio portraying the history of southern Colorado. Orchestrated by Blanck and fellow alumnus Max Wolpert, the work brought together the 91��ý Chamber Orchestra and the El Pueblo Ensemble, and is available for streaming on PBS. “That project keeps resurfacing in ways that remind me how much sustained effort and cooperation it took,” Blanck says. “It was meaningful for everyone involved.”

Looking back, Blanck sees a clear throughline from his time at 91��ý to the creative life he has built since graduating—one shaped less by individual milestones than by long-term relationships. “It’s very easy for me to trace specific opportunities to specific people,” he notes. “Someone mentions someone else, who connects you to another person—and suddenly you’re doing work you care about.”

That belief shapes what he hopes audiences take away ChamberSongs. For Blanck, the Boulder event is not only about the music on stage but about the act of gathering itself. “I hope people come away feeling inspired to keep leaving their houses and gathering in rooms together, to listen to other people make music and have shared experiences. Those things feel at risk right now.”

As advice to emerging composers, Blanck resists offering prescriptions. Instead, he points to the practices that have sustained his own career over time. “To the degree that I’ve gotten anywhere figuring it out, it’s been by finding people whose work I admire, learning from them and keeping those connections going.”

For Blanck, connection is ongoing and deeply personal: The relationships he formed at 91��ý continue to grow into new collaborations, new projects and new ways of listening to one another. “It’s not even that they’ve been valuable to my career,” he concludes. “They are my career.” All told, a creative life driven by the generosity of collaboration often leaves behind its greatest imprint in the community it builds.

For composer and arranger Ilan Blanck (MM ’23), collaboration is integral to his creative identity and career success. His College of Music experience encouraged curiosity, openness and a willingness to learn alongside others—an approach that continues to guide his work across genres including a community concert on Feb. 21 featuring several fellow alumni and students.

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Alan Stanek: Paying it forward

Mariefaith Lane — Wed, 28 Jan 2026 19:37:45 +0000

Alan Stanek: Paying it forward Mariefaith Lane Wed, 01/28/2026 - 12:37

Adam Goldstein + Sabine Kortals Stein

Photo: Alan Stanek (BME '61) and a rendering of his likeness painted by his late wife, artist Janette Swanson Stanek.

Academic scholarships looked a little different when Alan Stanek was a student at the University of Colorado Boulder College of Music.

Stanek—who earned a bachelor’s in music education at 91��ý in 1961, followed by an MM degree from the Eastman School of Music and a DMA in clarinet performance from the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance—relied on some financial assistance on his academic journey.

Before enrolling at 91��ý, Stanek had been considering other schools in the state; but encouragement from then-Band Director Hugh McMillen, in addition to the prospect of scholarship support, brought him to the College of Music.

“The scholarship was $54 a year—$27 a semester—for four years,” recalls Stanek, currently based in Omaha, Nebraska following his retirement in 2001 from an illustrious career as an educator, academic administrator and professional musician. “It paid for books and helped me pay my expenses to go to college.”

Photo: Valentine “Tiny” Henrich.

Slight as an annual sum of $54 seems today, that boost left a strong impression on Stanek who established the Valentine Henrich Memorial Endowed Clarinet Scholarship Fund, named for one of Stanek’s most influential instructors at 91��ý from 1957 to 1961. The fund has provided financial support to musicians in training at the College of Music for more than a decade, serving as a critical resource for the college’s woodwind department.

Stanek’s generosity and commitment to up-and-coming music students hasn’t been limited to 91��ý: He’s given back to many of the institutions that were instrumental in forging his own professional path—from Hastings College where he taught and directed the orchestra early in his career to the Idaho State University Music Department where the professor emeritus served as chair for a quarter century.

Stanek attributes his continued contributions in part to his family legacy—he’s quick to reminisce about the generosity of his grandfather who set up an educational trust. He also notes his deep ties to his unique experience in Boulder, a place where he found support and inspiration around every corner.

“I was given every opportunity at 91��ý,” adds Stanek who went on to garner numerous awards and prestigious recognitions including his induction into the Idaho Music Educators Hall of Fame. “By my second year, I was principal clarinet in the band, librarian for the band department and playing in the orchestra.

“Hugh McMillen was a father figure to me. He came to my high school to talk about the 91��ý bands program.”

Henrich, an adjunct professor at the College of Music during Stanek’s undergraduate tenure, also left a deep impression. “I thought it would be nice to honor him as my mentor and the mentor of many,” says Stanek. “I was able. I called and said I’d like to establish a scholarship in his name.”

That scholarship has helped countless students, reflecting Stanek’s decades-long commitment to music education. At Idaho State University—in addition to his administrative duties—he taught clarinet, clarinet performance literature and woodwind methods for music education majors; coached chamber music ensembles; and supervised student teachers. He also served as conductor/music director of the Idaho State Civic Symphony, and as principal clarinetist of the Idaho State Civic Symphony and the Pocatello Municipal Band.

Stanek’s legacy is multifaceted—he’s a dedicated Rotarian, a founding member of Citizens Community Bank in Pocatello, Idaho and a committed father, grandfather and husband. But a big part of his lifelong work has remained rooted in music, specifically in the instrument he played in bands and orchestras across the country and internationally in France, Belgium and Hungary.

Thanks to his commitment, College of Music students will continue to receive support in pursuing similar paths—assistance that amounts to a lot more than $54 a year.

Make a gift to the Valentine Henrich Memorial Endowed Clarinet Scholarship Fund

Before enrolling at 91��ý, alumnus Alan Stanek had been considering other schools; but encouragement from then-Band Director Hugh McMillen, in addition to the prospect of scholarship support, brought him to the College of Music.

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The musical talents of College of Music staff members, Part I

Mariefaith Lane — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 17:25:13 +0000

The musical talents of College of Music staff members, Part I Mariefaith Lane Fri, 12/12/2025 - 10:25

Kathryn Bistodeau

It’s well known that the 91��ý College of Music is home to incredibly talented faculty teaching passionate, gifted students. Less well known is just how many staff members have musical magic up their sleeves, too.

In fact, many of our staff earned music degrees themselves and remain actively involved in music—from playing in local orchestras to teaching lessons, composing or enthusiastically attending music events. In the first of a series spotlighting some of our musical staff members, meet Ensembles Program Coordinator Rachelle Crowell, CU Presents Director of Marketing + Public Relations Laima Haley, Media Specialist Dustin Rumsey and Assistant Dean for Advancement Andrew Todd.

Crowell performing with the Boulder Chamber Orchestra.

Rachelle Crowell earned bachelor’s and DMA degrees at 91��ý and—for more than three years—now serves as the College of Music’s ensembles program coordinator. In this role, Crowell handles logistics for all of our large ensembles.

“Coming straight from my DMA in 2022, the College of Music felt like home to me. When I saw that a position was open, it felt like the right fit at the right time,” she says. “Being able to give back to the college that helped cultivate who I am as a person and as a musician—it’s just really fulfilling.”

Crowell is still heavily involved in performing in the area, recently subbing with the Boulder Philharmonic and the Colorado Symphony, and even traveling to New York City to perform with the Boulder Chamber Orchestra. Additionally, she’s an accomplished teacher, maintaining a private studio of 20 students and coaching chamber groups at the College of Music. This spring, she’s also stepping in to assist teaching students of Professor of Flute Christina Jennings while she’s on sabbatical.

“What I love about my role is the flexibility. Each day looks so different—I can do ensemble admin work, then go teach for a little bit and then wrap up my evening at an orchestra rehearsal. It’s like this perfect buffet of the things I love,” she adds.

Crowell advises future music graduates to trust that their skills are varied and transferrable. “I think for us as musicians, we can get in a mindset of ‘My skills are to sit down and play my instrument,’ but so much of what we learn as musicians carries over,” she shares. “It’s communication, it’s collaboration, it’s all of the hours of hard work that we do—the dedication. I think these skills are sought after in the job market, regardless of your career path.”

Haley in her traditional Lithuanian folk costume.
Photo: Eric Weber

Laima Haley began her College of Music career in 1998. She’s also been playing the violin since age 4. When she discovered fiddling in college, she fell headfirst into the world of both Eastern European and bluegrass and old time styles.

For her, working with colleagues in the College of Music who are also musicians makes “a huge difference,” even if they don’t have classical music training.

“They understand our industry really deeply,” explains Haley. “I know we think about music as art, and of course it is, but it’s also an industry. So to understand, what is the work of performing artists? How are we engaging our community? How are we talking about it? Having that perspective and experience really helps.”

Haley is closely connected to the local music scene, currently playing with several groups including Planina: Songs of Eastern Europe, The Rusty Gears Band and a bluegrass group called Smorgasgrass.

“For the Eastern European stuff, that’s my heritage, so it kind of makes sense in a way. I spent a year living in Lithuania, my family is Lithuanian,” says Haley. “The bluegrass and old time music—other than living in the United States, I have no family connection with that. But when I heard it, I thought, this rocks so much! I love this. I can’t stop listening to this.”

Music making introduced Haley to new people and communities that she treasures. Most of all, she wants to encourage people to rekindle their own love for the art—wherever you are in life, whatever your skill or experience.

“I just want to remind people that even if you don’t have a music degree or maybe you have a music degree from a long time ago, it doesn’t mean you can’t pick it up and start something later on,” she says. “I want to encourage people to find a community and jump into it, even if you think you’re not good enough. There’s a whole world of connection and joy of music that could open to you.”

Rumsey performing with the 91��ý Brazilian Bateria percussion ensemble.

Everyone in our college knows Dustin Rumsey (BM ‘09, composition): In his decade working here, he’s demonstrated that he can solve any technological challenge. Rumsey sees to classroom technology needs and leads a team that livestreams College of Music concerts and recitals.

“The College of Music is a place where people are passionate about what they do and it’s a really positive environment,” he says. “A shared passion for our mission is clear, and really tangible.”

While earning his degree from the College of Music, Rumsey also earned a music technology certificate studying with Kevin Harbison, the college’s recording engineer, who would turn out to be his boss.

These days, Rumsey plays piano for fun and occasionally applies his composing and arranging skills to create accessible music for people he’s performing with; until recently, he also taught piano lessons. This fall, Rumsey joined the college’s Brazilian Bateria ensemble, performing with them last month.

He views his music background as a way to bond with faculty, staff and students alike. “When you have a faculty member whose main passion is music, when they learn that you share some of that experience and passion they light up a bit and it can create connection in the work environment. And then staff to staff, you have a really great shared experience and common background.”

Todd performing at a house concert in Chicago with Northwestern horn faculty Gail Williams.

Andrew Todd came to 91��ý by way of the Grand Teton Music Festival, Aspen Public Radio and even a stint as a professional soccer player. Through it all, he never stopped making music.

Also an alum (DMA ’05, piano), Todd continues to keep music in his life, performing and recording whenever he gets the chance.

“There hasn’t been a time when I was like, I quit,” Todd says. “I certainly don't perform as much as I did before COVID, but I have shifted to making more recordings for streaming platforms which has been liberating and rewarding in its own regard.”

To him, the college’s universal musician approach to our mission is relatable, practical and more common than one might think. “I’ve actually found myself sometimes reminding people that developing universal musicians is demystifying a tradition we’ve had for hundreds of years. Musicians have commonly had more than one career path,” he says.

In his current position, Todd explains that his training as a performer has helped him with the preparation necessary to tackle large projects or presentations. “What I’ve found—even being on stage and speaking to 500 people about music—is that so much of what I do is about preparation,” he shares. “As a performer, you end up being more comfortable in those settings.

“The other thing you learn quickly is that you need other people. You really can’t fundraise by yourself, even if it’s a solo concert—you need a lot of collaboration and support. If you think that you’re going anywhere meaningful by going it alone, forget it.”

That collaborative element of both music making and fundraising is something he especially appreciates. “Music can be this middle space where people get together. People by and large can put their differences aside.”

Learn about the College of Music’s universal musician approach

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2025-26 Bruce Ekstrand Memorial Graduate Student Competition winners announced

Mariefaith Lane — Wed, 19 Nov 2025 17:38:43 +0000

2025-26 Bruce Ekstrand Memorial Graduate Student Competition winners announced Mariefaith Lane Wed, 11/19/2025 - 10:38

Kathryn Bistodeau

Congratulations to the winner of the 2025-26 Bruce Ekstrand Memorial Graduate Student Performance Competition: Violinist Katharine Nelson!

At the competition finals on Nov. 18 in Grusin Music Hall, Nelson performed works by Eugène Ysaÿe, Florence Price and William Kroll accompanied by collaborative pianist Gabrielle Lowman. In addition to winning first prize ($2,000), Nelson—a student of Takács Quartet members Harumi Rhodes and Edward Dusinberre—also earned the $250 audience favorite prize.

“I’m immensely grateful to Harumi Rhodes and Edward Dusinberre for their guidance,” Nelson says. “It was a privilege to share the stage with my pianist, Gabrielle Lowman, who made the learning process so enjoyable.”

Flute and piccolo player Mallory Wood, a student of Professor of Flute Christina Jennings, won second prize ($1,000). Other finalists this year (awarded $500 each) include soprano Alice Del Simone, a student of Associate Professor of Voice Jennifer Bird-Arvidsson and Associate Professor Voice Andrew Garland; baritone Tyler Middleton, also a student of Andrew Garland; and the Skyline Saxophone Quartet comprising Joel Ferst (soprano saxophone), Spencer Cox (alto saxophone), Catherine Oles (tenor saxophone) and Gavin Martellotti (baritone saxophone)—all studying with Assistant Professor of Saxophone Nathan Mertens.

Esteemed judges
This year’s competition finals were judged by Barbara Lynne Jamison, general director and CEO of Opera Colorado; alumnus Charles Lee (DMA ’04, cello performance), principal cellist of the Boulder Philharmonic and cello faculty at Metropolitan State and Regis universities; and Rita Sloan, professor emeritus of collaborative piano at the University of Maryland and founder of the Aspen Music Festival collaborative piano program.

2025 semifinalists
Mark Bennett, trombone
Alice Del Simone, soprano
Jared Hartl, tuba
Carrina Macaluso, mezzo soprano
Aimée McAnulty, viola
Paige Michaud, flute
Tyler Middleton, baritone
Katharine Nelson, violin
Luca Pompilio, piano
Mallory Wood, flute
Alex Yang, percussion
Cello Quartet: Priscilla Kim, Matthew Huff, Thea Dardanis, Sam Moore
Skyline Saxophone Quartet: Joel Ferst, Spencer Cox, Catherine Oles, Gavin Martellotti

2025 semifinal judges
Associate Professor of Opera and Director of the Eklund Opera Program Leigh Holman; Professor and Chair of Composition Carter Pann; and Teaching Professor + Chamber Music Coordinator for the Chamber Music Program Meta Weiss.

The competition, launched in 1986, is named in honor of Bruce Ekstrand—former CU vice chancellor, supporter of the college and member of the CU Golden Buffalo Men’s Chorus. Every year, 91��ý College of Music graduate students compete in preliminary competitions in their studios for the opportunity to advance to the semifinals and finals. The competition is generously supported by the Ekstrand family—Norma Ekstrand, Andrea Ekstrand, and Brad and Diana Ekstrand among other College of Music donors.

Finalists of the 2025-26 graduate competition. Photo by Kathryn Bistodeau.

Finalists of the 2025-26 graduate competition.

Skyline Saxophone Quartet with Assistant Professor of Saxophone Nathan Mertens.

Congratulations to the winners—and all participants—of the College of Music’s annual graduate student competition, named in honor of former Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Bruce Ekstrand.

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College of Music announces new Applied Jazz Strings course

Mariefaith Lane — Tue, 28 Oct 2025 21:12:09 +0000

College of Music announces new Applied Jazz Strings course Mariefaith Lane Tue, 10/28/2025 - 15:12

Adam Goldstein

The College of Music’s Thompson Jazz Studies Program is excited to announce the addition of Applied Jazz Strings—taught by recent alumna and current Jazz Studies Lecturer Enion Pelta-Tiller—to the college’s following BA, MM and DMA jazz performance degrees: BA with jazz emphasis, MM jazz performance + pedagogy and DMA jazz performance.

Jazz music is about more than trumpets, trombones, saxophones, bass, drums and the like—and no one knows that better than Pelta-Tiller. An accomplished musician, composer and educator, she’s well aware of the rich history and complex contemporary reality of the uniquely American genre. Specifically, the role of stringed instruments in jazz holds a special place in Pelta-Tiller’s heart, and it’s no wonder: She’s a brilliant violinist and the varied history of jazz has long informed her approach to the instrument.

From her roles as a founding member of the critically acclaimed indie-folk group Taarka to directing the College of Music’s Cross-Genre American Roots Strings Ensemble, Pelta-Tiller’s musical resume has incorporated a wide array of cues from the genre, past and present.

“Especially in earlier forms of jazz, there’s a strong tradition of violin players,” Pelta-Tiller explains. “Players like Stuff Smith, Stéphane Grappelli and Eddie South are some of the prominent names from that early era of the music who are really foundational to where strings in jazz comes from, and what people are still doing with string instruments in jazz.

“I mean, even Ornette Coleman played the violin on some recordings,” she adds, referring to the seminal free jazz pioneer of the ’60s and ’70s.

The role of strings in jazz has long been overlooked by historians and even musicians, but Pelta-Tiller will soon bring jazz strings back in the spotlight for College of Music students and performers: With approval by the university’s curriculum committee to launch the Applied Jazz Strings course in fall 2026, violinists, violists and cellists will be offered an in-depth experience into the profound and multifaceted role of strings in the birth, development and current course of jazz.

From exploring the violinists who led early jazz ensembles in the ’20s and ’30s to the bluegrass players and Western Swing pioneers who added new folk-based elements to the genre, the new course will shed fresh light on jazz and its component parts. Specifically, it will illustrate how African American musical traditions, European theory elements and folk strains from across the country fused in a uniquely American art form that’s only continued to evolve and grow.

“String instruments have been a part of jazz since its earliest days,” notes Pelta-Tiller. “But they’ve been sidelined somewhat and it’s very exciting to bring back awareness of that history. I think a lot of students of jazz don’t get to experience or study much of that early history and by bringing back these instruments, there’s more of an opportunity to engage with it.”

Indeed—according to Pelta-Tiller—engagement is key: She aims to ensure that students have plenty of opportunities to perform, even envisioning a full ensemble of string players taking on all the varied roles of a traditional jazz group—from rhythm to melody to percussion.

It’s an ambitious vision that aligns both with Pelta-Tiller’s own musical history and the college’s universal musician approach to achieving its mission. “It’s exciting to revisit all this music that I love through my students’ eyes and finding new ways of engaging with it myself,” she concludes.

Questions? Email thompsonjazzstudies@colorado.edu. For application info, visit colorado.edu/music/admissions.

The 91��ý College of Music’s Thompson Jazz Studies Program is excited to announce the addition of Applied Jazz Strings—taught by recent alumna and current Jazz Studies Lecturer Enion Pelta-Tiller—to the college’s BA, MM and DMA jazz performance degrees.

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“Always a Flutist” celebrates flutes, community and music

Mariefaith Lane — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 11:44:34 +0000

“Always a Flutist” celebrates flutes, community and music Mariefaith Lane Thu, 09/18/2025 - 05:44

Adam Goldstein

Christina Jennings continues to marvel at the deep, existential roots of the flute.

It’s an instrument that has long been part of the human creative process, stretching all the way back to the prehistoric discovery that music can emerge from a simply carved piece of bone or wood. “The flute is humankind’s oldest instrument,” says Jennings, professor of flute at the College of Music. “We’ve been playing flutes for thousands of years.”

Those deep, ancient ties will be on full display on the upcoming “Always a Flutist” Faculty Tuesdays recital, Sept. 23, 7:30 p.m. in Grusin Music Hall. The program—titled “Threads of Silver, Ties of Gold”—celebrates the flute through community by showcasing the flute in solo, duo, quartet and a 50-member flute orchestra. In this reunion between Jennings and some 30 flute alumni, selections include Charles Ives’ “Unanswered Question,” Luciano Berio’s arrangement of Beatles songs and music of Helen Fisher, Dianna Link, Lowell Liebermann and others. Performers also include Jenning’s 16 current students and other collaborators—from talented area high school musicians to faculty and staff musicians from across campus.

Jennings kicked off this celebration of flutes, community and music in 2017 when she organized the first three-day iteration of the event that featured world-renowned flutists Sir James and Lady Galway. This year’s two-day gathering reflects the same spirit.

“The festival in 2017 was my way of inviting alumni back, and inviting the Colorado flute community to create a ‘We love the flute’ gathering,” she explains. “It was incredibly successful and seeded the idea for doing something else.

“Since 2017, even more so since the pandemic, what’s become the central core value to who I am as a teacher is the idea of centering community.”

As Jennings celebrates her 20th year on the College of Music faculty, next week’s “Always a Flutist” event also includes non-public opportunities for teachers, former students and current student musicians to reconnect and network; but it’s the culminating Faculty Tuesdays recital that best unites all participants and our flute-loving audience members in a wide-ranging program.

“The program is basically pieces that I love,” says Jennings, adding that the final piece—Egemen Kesikli’s “Breathless”—will “bring everybody up on stage including some of my colleagues that only had a passing interest in flute in seventh or eighth grade. That gets back to the ‘Always a Flutist’ theme.”

The spirit of such a communal celebration is also a fitting tribute to Jennings’ impact on our college over two decades, and a meaningful opportunity for alumni—whose career paths have ranged from law to medicine to professional performance and beyond—to meet again in a shared love of a very old instrument.

“It has absolutely been a dream to be with this community, with these students … and to be in a place where I feel honored as an artist, and teaching a curriculum that honors the universal musician,” Jennings says. “I will always have something to say through the flute.”

On Sept. 23, the “Always a Flutist” Faculty Tuesdays recital celebrates the flute through community by showcasing the instrument in solo, duo, quartet and a 50-member flute orchestra. Performers include flute faculty, alumni and current students—as well as talented area high school musicians, and faculty and staff musicians from across campus!

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Lynn-Craig Living Music Award recipients announced

Mariefaith Lane — Wed, 30 Jul 2025 18:57:23 +0000

Lynn-Craig Living Music Award recipients announced Mariefaith Lane Wed, 07/30/2025 - 12:57

Kathryn Bistodeau

The American Music Research Center (AMRC) awarded the 2025 Alex Craig and Christina Lynn-Craig Living Music Award to Kristina Butler (MM ’25, voice) and Katiann Nelson (MM ’25, voice). The awardees will each receive a $1,000 scholarship.

Nelson’s project—”Making a Composer: Alex Craig”—involves presenting a recital of Craig’s works alongside works by composers that Craig found inspirational.

“I’m really looking forward to diving into the music itself,” says Nelson. “For me, getting to know a new composer through their work is like getting to know a new friend—I’m excited to start this process with a composer who is completely new to me.”

Butler will also be organizing a recital and hopes to record the music she prepares. Her project—”Seasons of Life: Music of Alex Craig”—will explore the seasons of life in the context of the four weather seasons.

“I’m most excited to work artistically from a relatively blank slate as there isn’t a wealth of recordings of Professor Craig’s music,” explains Butler. “Learning music without a recording is an exciting challenge that frequently comes with learning contemporary works. It’s even more magical when everything comes together!”

The Lynn-Craig Living Music Award is open to both undergraduate and graduate students and supports the performance of works by the late composer Alex Craig, housed in the Rare and Distinctive Collections at the 91��ý Libraries.

Congratulations to our most recent Lynn-Craig Living Music Award recipients!

The American Music Research Center awarded the 2025 Alex Craig and Christina Lynn-Craig Living Music Award to Katiann Nelson and Kristina Butler, both recent voice performance grads.

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CU NOW unpacks the story of an opera legend

Mariefaith Lane — Mon, 09 Jun 2025 19:59:54 +0000

CU NOW unpacks the story of an opera legend Mariefaith Lane Mon, 06/09/2025 - 13:59

Kathryn Bistodeau

Photo credit: Kathryn Bistodeau

It’s that time of year again—91��ý’s New Opera Workshop (CU NOW) has taken over the College of Music, and the world of opera will never be the same.

Every summer, CU NOW hosts an extended workshop where graduate voice students and alumni have direct interaction with living composers and librettists to develop and perform their music over a few weeks—resulting in premieres at Houston Grand Opera, San Francisco Opera, Wexford Festival Opera and more. This year, CU NOW again welcomes composer and librettist Mark Adamo and his new work “Sarah in the Theatre” about the legendary American opera conductor, impresario and stage director, Sarah Caldwell.

“Other than the best acronym in the business, CU NOW serves as a laboratory—an incubator for pieces that are going to be produced and commissioned at some point,” Adamo says of the program founded in 2010 by Leigh Holman, the College of Music’s associate professor of opera and director of our Eklund Opera Program. “Generally, the composer and the librettist come in, and either they want to work out certain things musically that they haven’t tried before, or develop it dramatically. It’s a pretty flexible brief.”

Adamo has been a guest artist here before to workshop “The Gospel of Mary Magdalene.” The opera premiered in 2013 but Adamo wasn’t quite satisfied with the end product. He brought the work to CU NOW in 2017 to create a revised, compressed version that he says was transformational. “It was a great, great experience, I have to say. We had a fabulous time together. So I’m very grateful to be back,” Adamo says.

Hannah Benson, an Artist Diploma student in opera and solo voice, says the workshop was a draw for her attending 91��ý. In her first year participating, she’ll play the lead role. “CU NOW is unique in that it’s such a good environment for learning, including how to be professional and how to work efficiently in some higher stakes,” she says.

Photo credit: Kathryn Bistodeau

Working on brand-new material offers CU NOW participants the opportunity to trust their instincts and try new things in a collaborative space. Benson notes the experience has helped her to break past mental boundaries and push the limit of her craft.

“The thing that’s the most different is that what we’re working on is tangibly new,” Benson says. “When you’re working on something that you’ve been with for a while, it can sometimes feel like it gets stale. With this experience, things are always changing.”

“Sarah in the Theatre” focuses on the real character of Sarah Caldwell (1924-2006)—the first woman to conduct the Metropolitan Opera, the second woman to conduct the New York Philharmonic, and chief conductor and artistic director of the Opera Company of Boston which she founded in 1959.

“A great figure, but one of the reasons that we may not know her so much today is that she never met a budget that she couldn’t blow through,” Adamo says of Caldwell’s well-documented financial mismanagement. “She could be thoughtless and negligent to her artists. It was all constantly a race between the genius and the demons.”

“Sarah in the Theatre” aims to explore what makes a show come to life by highlighting Caldwell’s collaborators behind the scenes. It tells the story of Caldwell’s incredible rise and fall, and offers an honest look at artistic geniuses and what they sacrifice for their art.

For Adamo, the heart of the show comes to one question: “How do you love someone who can do as much damage as they can do good?”

Join us for a semi-staged production of “Sarah in the Theatre“ on June 13 at 7:30 p.m. and June 15 at 2 p.m. in the Imig Music Building’s Music Theatre, N1B95. Performances are free and open to the public, and include a deep-dive, moderated talkback.

Every summer, the CU New Opera Workshop (CU NOW) hosts an extended workshop where graduate voice students and alumni have direct interaction with living composers and librettists to develop and perform their music over a few weeks. This year, CU NOW again welcomes composer and librettist Mark Adamo and his new work “Sarah in the Theatre” about the legendary American opera conductor, impresario and stage director, Sarah Caldwell.

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2025 ECM grants help students shine

Mariefaith Lane — Fri, 23 May 2025 17:51:36 +0000

2025 ECM grants help students shine Mariefaith Lane Fri, 05/23/2025 - 11:51

Kathryn Bistodeau

Each spring, the Entrepreneurship Center for Music (ECM) awards project grants to support students in their professional and artistic endeavors. This year’s adjudicator panel—comprising Dairy Arts Center Executive Director Melissa Fathman, Colorado Symphony member Nick Davies and myself—considered 27 applicants and awarded 16 grants totaling just over $6,200. I sat down with a few of these students to learn about their projects and how the grants helped fuel their success:

Electronic oboe piece
When Grace Stringfellow discovered composer Gracie Fagan’s work, they knew they had to work together. Stringfellow, a DMA student in oboe performance and pedagogy, first discovered Fagan (MM ’25) through an Instagram post of a piece she wrote for Assistant Professor of Saxophone Nathan Mertens.

“It was a really good example of her compositional style. She’s very into using electronics, live processing and other more modern sounds,” Stringfellow says. “She’s inspired by EDM and other dance musics.”

They then reached out to Fagan about writing a piece for oboe—something that would bring the repertoire into the present and showcase more extended techniques on the instrument. The ECM grant helped Stringfellow to compensate Fagan for the project.

“The main motivation was to create something that feels modern—that feels like something you would hear on the radio, something that’s singable, maybe has a little bit of improvisation,” they say. “Throwing everything out of the window of what is expected.”

Stringfellow and Fagan worked together to come up with inspiration for the piece, creating a collaborative and integrative process that Stringfellow says is unique from their commission experiences in the past.

“This feels like almost, almost co-writing. Obviously, she’s doing the body of the work, but it feels like co-writing and co-creating which is fantastic.”

The completed piece will be six or seven short movements, reflecting the shorter songs heard in pop music. Stringfellow plans to premiere the work at a recital in October, then hopes to perform at other local venues as well. They also plan to record the piece for public release.

“I really want to push the boundaries with this commission, so I’m really glad that we can do this,” Stringfellow says. “Gracie will be able to come back for the premiere, so I think I’m looking forward to that most of all and continuing to work with her!” MORE

Each spring, our Entrepreneurship Center for Music awards project grants to support students in their professional and artistic endeavors. This year’s adjudicator panel awarded 16 grants—meet some of the amazing student recipients and learn about their projects!

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