YSM Alumni and Student News Round-Up | March 2025
Dante Anzolini ’89MM ’90MMA ‘97DMA conducted the Orchestra of St. Luke’s and the Tribute Chorale in Journey of Faith: A Musical Tribute to Mother Teresa at Carnegie Hall.
Composer Brittney Benton ’25MM has been selected as one of Kind of Kings's Bouman Fellows. She will be writing a string quartet for the principal string players of the Contemporary Youth Orchestra.
Conductor Paolo Bortolameolli ’13MM has been appointed Principal Conductor of the Santiago de Chile Philharmonic Orchestra at Teatro Municipal de Santiago – National Opera of Chile. He previously served as associate conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic under Gustavo Dudamel.
Violinist Laurel Gagnon ’25MMA finished a residency at Boston Conservatory with her ensemble, Vinola Trio), performing a recital and teaching a chamber master class.
At the Lionel Tertis International Viola Competition, Nicolas Garrigues ’26MM placed second, and Wanxinyi Huang ’24MM, ’25MMA received the prestigious “John White Award for the best performance of a work by a British composer..”
Tenor Seiyoung Kim ’24MMA made his role debut as Harlekin in Ullman’s Der Kaiser von Atlantis as part of Kaiserrequiem, a double bill with Mozart’s Requiem. The performance will be conducted by Omer Meir Wellber and directed by Andreas Heise, in collaboration with the Vienna State Ballet and the Vienna Volksoper. He will also be making his company debut at Salzburger Festspiele (The Salzburg Festival) as Rodé in Peter Eötvös' Three Sisters.
John Kline ’98MM ’99MMA, has joined The LEGO Group as Director of the West for LEGO Education; an exciting next step on a career committed to bringing creativity to K-12 learners. Kline joined LEGO in 2024.
Lori Laitman ’75BA ’76MM’s Becoming a Redwood was performed by Orchestra New England, conducted by James Sinclair at Battell Chapel with tenor soloist Thomas Cooley on March 8, 2025. Also in March, Laitman’s fairy tale opera with Dana Gioia, The Three Feathers, will be performed at The University of Nevada Las Vegas and her newest children’s opera, Maya and the Magic Ring, will premiere at the Lyric Opera of Kansas City.
Bach Aria Soloists, founded by Elizabeth Suh Lane ’88MM, is celebrating their 25th Anniversary this year with innovative, collaborative concerts, including appearances by Christoph Wolff and Grammy-nominated jazz pianist/composer Helen Sung.
Horn player Franco Ortiz ’23MM ’24MMA placed second at the 2025 Sphinx Orchestral Partners Auditions Excerpt Competition in the Brass and Percussion category.
Clarinetist Nikki Pet ’23MM, ’29DMA performed in Heartbeat Opera's production of Salome and was commissioned to produce a video for Elainie Lillios' "Sleep's Undulating Tide" for flute and electronics, performed by faculty member Tara O'Connor for The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center's Sonic Spectrum III concert.
Violinist Igor Pikayzen ’11MM, ’12AD released a new recording of the Glazunov Violin Concerto and the 1878 version of Tchaikovsky’s Valse Scherzo Op. 34 with the London Philharmonic Orchestra and conductor Gian Paolo Peloso.
Dr. Iain Quinn ’04MM has been elected to the fellowship of the Royal Historical Society and the Society of Antiquaries. He has also been appointed as an Honorary Research Fellow of the Royal Academy of Music and recently received the Edith and Richard French research fellowship from the Beinecke Library, Yale University.
Anthony Ratinov ’20BS, ’22MM, ’23MMA placed second at the International Chopin Competition.
Robert Rocco ’88MM, ’89MMA has been named a recipient of the 2024-25 Excellence in Teaching Awards at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston-Salem. The awards were initiated in 1994 by the UNC Board of Governors and serve to recognize notable achievements by university faculty in various arts disciplines. Rocco teaches aural skills, harmonic analysis, and vocal diction and collaborates frequently in instrumental and vocal recitals. As an award recipient, he will represent UNCSA in various public functions in the coming year.
Martin Wittenberg ’04MM was appointed Director of Intermusica New York, the new North American subsidiary of the internationally renowned artist management company.
These news updates feature current students and alums. Submit your news by May 1 to be included in the next YSM Alumni and Student News roundup.
