School of Music faculty member Phyllis Byrdwell got the call not long before incoming University of Washington president Robert J. Jones’ inaugural address to the UW community last October at Meany Hall. Event planners envisioned a performance by the UW Gospel Choir to kick off the entire event.A non-auditioned group of singers from across the UW’s degree programs that Byrdwell has directed for more than 25 years, the Gospel Choir had met for a couple of preliminary rehearsals by then—the new…
School of Music student Mica Weiland was recently named one of five finalists in a national conducting competition hosted by Symphony of the Americas in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.Weiland, a senior at the School of Music studying viola performance and orchestral conducting, was among five aspiring conductors selected to take part in the inaugural Pass the Baton Conductor Competition in Fort Lauderdale in April 2026. “Mica most definitely deserves this opportunity, and we wish her the very…
School of Music bassoon instructor Paul Rafanelli, a member of the Seattle Symphony since 1992, was recently named the inaugural holder of the William & Sarah Ovens Bassoon, a new endowed chair that honors devoted Symphony supporters William and Sarah Ovens.“Endowed chairs are essential to sustaining the artistic excellence and distinctive sound of a great orchestra, and the William & Sarah Ovens Bassoon strengthens the musical foundation of the Seattle Symphony,” said Music Director…
School of Music students and alumni report recent appointments, performances, honors, and achievements.Alumnus Terry B. Ewell ('79 BM; '88 MA; '94 PhD) has completed his 25th year as a professor at Towson University in Maryland, the state's second-largest public institution. In all, he has taught for more than 46 years in higher education, starting in Hong Kong and continuing through Washington state and West Virginia. In spring 2025, he served as interim chairperson for the Department…
School of Music faculty report recent performances, travels, honors, appointments, transitions, presentations, and more. Geoffrey Boers, Choral ConductingGeoffrey Boers conducted the Symphony Tacoma, Symphony Tacoma Voices, and choirs from the Tacoma Youth Chorus organization in a holiday concert, Children are the Light of this Season last December. He is currently collaborating with Dr. Giselle Wyers, Leann Conley-Holcom (2018 DMA) chead of the choral program, as well as Larke…
Marisol Berríos-Miranda was born in the working class neighborhood of Santurce, Puerto Rico, on May 15, 1955, the youngest child of Juanita Miranda and Pedro Berríos. Her maternal grandfather, Tomás Miranda, built their house on stilts at the edge of the swamp along the Martin Peña canal, and her grandmother, Agueda Hernández, who did not know how to read or write, was the light of her life.Marisol’s upbringing in Santurce shaped her in many ways, including musically. Every Friday friends and…
