Joshua Taylor contributes his expertise, including five new hymn texts, to the book, A Liturgy for All Bodies: New Words for a New World, from Cyclical Publishing.

With financial assistance from the Mellon Foundation, Anuj Bhutani has received a Chamber Music America Classical Commissioning Grant to write a new piece for Khemia Ensemble.

Assistant Professor of Music History, Brian Wright presents his paper, “Before Bootsy: James Brown’s Early Electric Bassists and the Development of Funk,” at the International Association for the Study of Popular Music, United States branch Conference held in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

UNT’s Merrill Ellis Intermedia Theater hosts Professor of Composition Jon Christopher Nelson’s performance of works from the Neuma Records release of  The Persistence of Time and Memory. It is, "...inviting the listener to perceive connections with sounds they may remember from their past."

The Frances Clark Center for Keyboard Pedagogy awarded UNT Assistant Professor Brad Beckman (MM ‘89, DMA ‘94) with a Frances Clark Center Outstanding Service Recognition Award. This award is presented for ongoing leadership, highest-quality expertise, and support for the advancement of piano teaching, learning, and performing.

Clarinet alumni Olivia Steinman Deems (BM ’14, Honors College) serves the Sarasota Orchestra of Florida as Director of Artistic Operations.

Christopher Sharpe (MM ’14, DMA ’19) becomes Visiting Professor of Trombone at Murray State University in Kentucky.

Kendall Prinz (MM ’99) appointed Director of Bands and Assistant Professor of Music at McMurry University in Abilene, Texas.

Kasetsart Winds from Bangkok, Thailand’s Kasetsart University, conducted by alumni Nipat Kanchanahud (MM ’06, DMA ‘15), performs at the Murchison Performing Arts Center.

Chris Williams (BM ’08) begins his role as President and CEO of the American Pianists Association. Board Chair William C. Sando said, “The American Pianists Association has searched for a person with creativity, vision, passion for serving young piano artists and our diverse community, extensive musical leadership experience, and a presence that inspires. We are excited to report that we found all of these traits in Chris Williams.”

Professor Jennifer Lane is spending part of her Summer in Hawaii. She appeared as soloist in two concerts, including the William Byrd 400th Anniversary concert and where she directed the Enchanted Isle Vocal Workshop.

Mary Mills of Berlin, Germany will join us as Visiting Lecturer in Voice in the Division of Vocal Studies this fall. Ms. Mills graduated from the College-Conservatory of Music at University of Cincinnati, received a Master of Music from Yale University, and has sung the great operatic roles on many of the major stages in Europe and the United States. Her repertoire ranges from Monteverdi to Mozart and Verdi, Puccini, Strauss, and Wagner to Janáček, along with many contemporary works. She is equally at home in the Italian, French, German, and Slavic repertoires and in the operas of her native USA, and has interpreted new and unfamiliar works from both early 20th-century- and contemporary opera.

Mills made her debut with Houston Grand Opera, sang more than eighteen productions with San Francisco Opera including the world premiere of the role of Cecile in Conrad Susa's The Dangerous Liaisons, and was acclaimed as Zdenka, Micaela and Mimì at The Metropolitan Opera. She made her European debut as Charpentier's Louise in Geneva in 1992, a success that immediately resulted in invitations to the Wexford Festival in Ireland (Camille in Herold's Zampa) and the Bregenz Festival (Olga in Giordano's Fedora). Ms. Mills originated the title role of Joan of Arc in Walter Braunfels' new opera Szenen aus dem Leben der Heiligen Johanna in a Christoph Schlingensief production at the Deutsche Oper in Berlin to rave reviews. In Paris, she enjoyed success with a series of French roles including Manon, Micaela, and Marguerite at both the Opéra Bastille and the Palais Garnier.