Alumni News | July 2023

Join us in congratulating our alums on their recent accomplishments.

The Amnis Piano Quartet—violinist Minkyung Lee ’23MM, violist Matthew McDowell ’24MM, cellist Jenny Bahk ’23MM, and pianist Linda Lee ’23MM—an ensemble coached by faculty violist Ettore Causa, won the Bronze Medal at the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition in South Bend, Ind.

Rachel Breen ’22MM won Third Prize and a prize for the "best performance of a Mozart sonata" at the Valencia "Iturbi" International Piano Competition.

John Young Shik Concklin ’08MM was appointed Music Director of the Spartanburg Philharmonic in South Carolina. Concklin also serves as Music Director of the Hendersonville Symphony Orchestra in North Carolina and Conductor of the Atlanta Music Project.

Horn player Lauren Hunt '13MM was appointed to the faculty at the Interlochen Center for the Arts.

Sophia Jani ’22MM was appointed Composer-in-Residence at the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and will serve in that role for two years beginning in the 2023-2024 season.

Eun Young Jung ’13MM ’14AD won a position in the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra’s second violin section and will begin working with the ensemble in September.

Choral conductor Joseph Kemper ’18MM will join the choral faculty at Concordia College in Moorhead, Minn., this fall as Assistant Professor of Choral Music and Conductor of the Concordia Chapel Choir and Kantorei. Kemper previously served as Visiting Professor of Music and Director of Choirs at Whitman College in Walla Walla, Wash.

Soprano Magdalena Kuźma '22MM and tenor Jonghyun Park '21MM '22MMA were selected for the Metropolitan Opera's Lindemann Young Artist Development Program for the 2023-2024 season.

Brittany Lasch ’12MM was appointed Assistant Professor of Music in Trombone at Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music and will begin serving in that role on Aug. 1.

Marissa Olegario ’15MM was appointed Principal Bassoonist of the Tucson Symphony Orchestra in Arizona.

Anthony Ratinov ’20BS ’22MM ’23MMA won First Prize at the Ricard Viñes International Piano Competition in Lleida, Spain, and Second Prize at the Valencia "Iturbi" International Piano Competition, at which Ratinov also won prizes for the "best performance of Spanish music" and as the "best contestant selected by the audience."

Trombonist Hillary Simms ’18MM joined the American Brass Quintet and the faculty of The Juilliard School and is the first woman to hold either position.

Ryan Tani '21MMA was appointed Assistant Conductor of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. 

Noël Wan ’16MM was named a winner of Astral Artists’ 2023 National Competition. Wan is the fifth harpist to join the Astral Artists roster in the organization's 31-year history.

Pianist William Westney ’71MMA ’76DMA published his second book, Eros at the Piano: The Life-Energy of Classical Music (Rowman & Littlefield), in June. Westney's first book, The Perfect Wrong Note: Learning to Trust Your Musical Self (Amadeus Press), was released in 2003.

Violist Christopher Williams ’10MM was named President and CEO of the American Pianists Association in Indianapolis, Ind. Williams previously served as Executive Vice President of Concert Artists Guild in New York City.

Submit your news by Sept. 1 to be included in our next update.