School of Music students and alumni report recent awards, appointments, honors, and other academic and career achievements.
Alumna Kristin Vogel Lindemuth (DMA, Voice) took a starring role as Mimi in Tacoma Opera’s recent production of Puccini’s La Bohème at Pantages Theater. UW Voice professor Thomas Harper directed. School of Music students and alumni performing included Sarah Santos, Meliza Redulla, Mallory McCollum, Sydney Belden, Sophia Parker, Adia Bowen, Raven Forgey, Cassidy Cheong, Tri Nguyen, Zachary Fitzgerald, Oliver Callahan, Jingjing Qi, William Schlott, and Daren Weissfisch (conductor). Tacoma Opera's artistic director is School of Music doctoral student Limuel Forgey (DMA, Voice).
Soprano Adia Bowen, a UW senior studying with Carrie Shaw and a citizen of the Upper Skagit Tribe, is featured soloist with Seattle Symphony in its March 7 performance of Bruce Ruddell’s Healing Heart of the First People of This Land. The 50-minute work was commissioned by Upper Skagit elder Vi Hilbert shortly after the 9/11 terrorist attacks as a vehicle for, in Hilbert’s words, “bringing healing to a sick world.” Premiered by the Seattle Symphony in 2006, the piece draws inspiration from two sacred Coast Salish songs Hilbert had entrusted to the composer and features percussion instruments native to this region. Learn more here.
Flora Cummings, a BM viola student of Melia Watras double majoring in Music and Wildlife Conservation, was the winner of the prestigious Silver Pendant Competition for Scottish Gaelic learners at the Royal National Mòd, held in Oban, Scotland. Winners of the competition are recognized as among the best emerging Gaelic vocalists in the world. She received top marks in both music and Gaelic. (Read more here).
Seattle Trans and Non-Binary Choral Ensemble (STANCE) recently announced the selection of School of Music doctoral student Cee Adamson ('24 DMA, Vocal Performance) as the group's new artistic director. Adamson recently successfully completed her DMA studies in vocal performance with Carrie Shaw and choral conducting with Geoffrey Boers and Giselle Wyers.
The UW’s Choral Conducting cohort was well-represented among recent winners of the American Prize National Nonprofit Competitions in the Performing Arts, founded and judged by David (Volosin) Katz. Current choral conducting doctoral student Michael McKenzie was awarded an honorable mention in the collegiate level American Prize in Choral Conducting competition. He was competing against professors conducting college and university choirs. UW choral conducting alum Katherine Chan, (’10 MM, Choral Conducting) who serves as Director of Choral Activities and Associate Teaching Professor of Music at Northeastern University, won second place in the college/university division of the American Prize in Conducting, aka The Dale Warland Award in Choral Conducting. Chorosynthesis, a professional choir co-founded and directed by School of Music alums Wendy Moy (’15 DMA Choral Conducting) and Jeremiah Selvey, (’15 DMA, Choral Conducting) was awarded an American Prize in choral performance in the professional division.
Alumna Melissa Wang (’24 MM Percussion, Composition) was a featured performer at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention in Indianapolis in November. She presented Kate Neal's Self Accusation for speaking percussionist in the society’s New Music/Research series of concerts. This past summer, she was selected by Platypus Ensemble for a new commission at Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Wien's annual festival. Wang returned to her native Illinois after graduating from the School of Music this past June and is teaching percussion and steelband at Waubonsee Community College.
School of Music faculty and alumni presenting at the 24th annual meeting of the American Musicological Society in Chicago this month included alumna Megan Francisco (’20 PhD Music History): "Life Has a Melody": Musical Predestination in Battlestar Galactica. Francisco is associate professor of musicology at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
Daren Weissfisch (DMA Orchestral Conducting) is beginning his first year as music director of the Lake Union Civic Orchestra, and his second year as conductor of Tacoma Opera.
Ryan Farris (DMA Orchestral Conducting) is beginning his first year as music director of both the Bainbridge Symphony Orchestra and the Bainbridge Symphony Youth Orchestra.
Eun Jun Vivianna Oh (’24 DMA Voice) recently completed her doctoral degree in Music but is still active on the UW campus in her current role as part-time lecturer in the French and Italian Studies Department, where she teaches French/Italian 240: Harmonizing Language and Music.
Joslyn Thomas (’20 MM, Choral Conducting), made history in July as a member of the Delaware Choral Scholars (conducted by Dr. Paul Head and Arreon Harley-Emerson) at the 2024 World Choir Games in Auckland, New Zealand. Competing against 250 choirs from 42 countries, the Delaware Choral Scholars won four gold medals and three championships in various categories, including Mixed Choir, Contemporary, Spirituals, and Musica Sacra. This remarkable achievement propelled them to the top of the INTERKULTUR World Rankings.
Thomas, a featured soloist in the Contemporary set, spoke about the transformative experience, "Performing with the Delaware Choral Scholars was so life-affirming. The kindness, inclusivity, and musical prowess of this group is unmatched. It's so hard to believe that this chapter is over, especially after dedicating 10 months to learning and memorizing over 20 pieces of music in various languages and styles."
Since graduating from the University of Washington, Thomas has continued to make significant contributions to the choral music world. Her dedication and passion have led her to the forefront of the New York choral community as a teacher, choral artist, and leader, and she will soon assume the role of President of the New York chapter of the American Choral Directors Association.
Alumna Linda Moorhouse (DMA, Instrumental Conducting) has been named the Suzanne and William Allen Distinguished Professor in Music at the University of Illinois. This rare and highly decorated accomplishment is conferred upon full professors demonstrating "great expertise and academic abilities within the field of music.” She currently serves as director of the University of Illinois School of Music. Moorhouse earned her doctorate in Wind Conducting at the UW and served for three years as a teaching assistant for the Wind Ensemble.
We welcome news from School of Music students and alumni. Send updates to musinfo@uw.edu and we will include your news in a future update. Thank you!