Assistant Professor of Music History and specialist in American popular music history, Brian Wright, presents "Play Guitar with the Ventures!: How Amateurs Reshaped Rock 'n' Roll" at the Cleveland, Ohio Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as part of the Rock Hall's joint lecture series with the American Musicological Society.
Collaborative Piano Alumna Lauren Koszyk (MM'20) awarded the Music Teachers National Association MarySue Harris Fellowship. The grant, funded by the MarySue Harris Endowment Fund, is presented annually to a recently graduated independent teacher who demonstrates commitment to the music teaching profession and outstanding studio development.
The Routledge Companion to Music Theory Pedagogy won an award for outstanding multi-author publication from the Society for Music Theory featuring one chapter by Associate Professor of Music Theory David Heetderks with another by Doug Donley (MA ’16, PhD ‘21) and Andrew Vagts (PhD ‘20).
Bree Nichols, (DMA ’21) soprano, awarded 1st place in the Artist Division of the National Opera Association's 2023 Carolyn Bailey Argento Vocal Competition, receiving the Todd Duncan Legacy Award.
The University of North Texas Foundation awarded April Prince, principal lecturer in music history, theory and ethnomusicology with its Outstanding Lecturer Award.
Brendon Wilkins (BM ’16, MM ’19, Honors College) is serving as director of jazz ensemble, wind ensemble and applied music associate teaching woodwinds at Colby College.
Crystal Lynn Gerrard-Ramirez, Assistant Professor of Music Education, published an article, “Denying America”: Vivian’s Counterstory of Undocumented Status," in the Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education.
From correspondent Christina Ruffini, The "CBS Mornings" show featured Texas native and UNT alumna Latonia Moore.
Assistant Professor of Ethnomusicology and Music Theory, Vivek Virani, published, "From Satsaṅg to Stage: Negotiating Aesthetic Theologies and Aspirational Subjectivities in a North Indian Bhajan Competition,” in the Society for Ethnomusicology Journal.
Paul Rennick, Professor of Percussion, contributes to new book, Rehearsing the Concert and Marching Percussion Ensemble by James Campbell.
Associate Professor and Division of Jazz Studies Chair, Rob Parton, directs both the Florida and New Mexico All State Jazz Bands.
Edited by Associate Professor of Bassoon, The Big Book of Sight Reading Duets for Bassoon: 100 Sight Reading Challenges for You and a Friend, available.
Dave Hall, Associate Professor of Percussion, joins the Percussive Arts Society Board of Advisors.
Richard Scheinin spotlights saxophonist and composer Billy Harper (’65) in The New York Times.
Jack A. Eaddy, Jr. (DMA ’19), Assistant Professor at Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, North Carolina, has been named 1 of 10 finalists for the Recording Academy & GRAMMY Museum 2023 Music Educator Award. The award “recognizes current educators who have made a significant and lasting contribution to the field of music education and demonstrate a commitment to maintaining music education in schools.”
Eddy Russell (BM '99, MMED '09) appointed Director of Fine Arts for Denton, Texas Independent School District.
Assistant Professor of Jazz Piano, Dave Meder, announced as a recipient of a commission from Chamber Music America’s New Jazz Works for Denton, Texas-based Psalmic Echoes Quartet. New Jazz Works ‘provides grants to U.S. jazz ensembles to create, perform, and if desired, record new works.’ It’s supported by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation.
As one of twelve grants, Amorsima Trio of violinist Mia Detwiler (DMA ’21), violist Michael Capone (MM ’16), and cellist Kourtney Newton (DMA ’22) have received a classical commissioning grant from Chamber Music America. Supported by The Mellon Foundation, grants are provided for the commissioning and performance of new works by American composers.
UNT faculty Jessica Nápoles, Professor of Choral Music Education, Jamey Kelley, Assistant Professor of Choral Music Education and Music Education PhD student, Thomas J. Rinn, publish article, “Burnout and Perceived Agency Among Texas Choir Teachers,” with SAGE Publishing and Journal of Research in Music Education.
Celli Ra: Frisco, Laurel Kroesch: Carrollton-Farmers Branch, Jacob Rodriguez: Arlington, Emma Cole: Carrollton-Farmers Branch, Marisa Rivera: (Japan), Sheridan White: Arlington, Jeremy Rohwer: Plano, Helena Vassiliades: Lewisville, Sara Longoria: Coppell, Sahara Donna: Hurst-Euless-Bedford, Sarah Stehling: Arlington, Jessica Hausmann: Carrollton-Farmers Branch, Jaden Ferguson: Fort Worth, Kyle Feather: Denton, David Samuels: Mesquite, Easel Yoo: Keller, Elizabeth Whitten: Northwest, Caleb Belonga: Dallas, Jakob Benner: St. Louis PS (MO), Hannah Brayfield: Kansas City PS (KS), Gretchen Casel: Eagle Mountain Saginaw, Jordan Drake: Lake Dallas, Hayden Drew: Alvin, Amber Dyess: Keller, Matthew Garcia-Perez: Bastrop, Maria Patricia Gonzales: Irving, Dawson Hassell: Houston, Andrew Hearn: Rockwall, Shauna Heisler: Fort Worth, Charles Horn: Flour Bluff, Matthew Joslin: Frisco, Ryan King: Forney, Jerry Lefner: Alvin, Javier Lopez: Lytle, Alexandra Lyons: Frisco, Sidney Maurice: Celina, Caden Milligan: Snowline (CA), Amrutha Murthy: Palm Beach County (FL), Kodi Myles: Denton, Jeremy Pansano: Corpus Christi, Jackson Parker: Liberty, Noah Patton: Plano, Jacob Picht: Burnett, Emilio Pla: Irving, Joel Ramirez: Mabank, Luis Ramirez Perez: Spring Branch, Kohei Sakai: Forney, Julio Salinas: Brownsville, Thomas Camilo: Private Lessons Instructor, Kevin Thomas: Rockwall, Christopher Trabucchi: Rice, Rachel Trentham: Frisco, Emily Tsuhako: Kahului SD (HI), Daniel Turner: Keller, Abigail West: Red Bluff (CA), Nicole Zagorski: Frisco, Katelyn Tam: Private Lessons Teacher, Meredith Wilder: Carrolton-Farmers Branch, Summer Rhee: Lewisville, Amber Schwister: Denton, Hope Hocutt: Mead School District (WA), Logan Childs: Morrison Public Schools (OK), Diana Zavala: Dallas, Olivia Hahn: Lewisville, Nancy Killoran: Framingham (MA), Jack Fitzpatrick, Denton. All schools Texas unless noted otherwise.
Ludwig Carrasco (MM '11) has been appointed as artistic director of the National Symphony Orchestra of Mexico. From the announcement, "Mtro Carrasco was appointed by the director general of the National Institute of Fine Arts and Literature, Lucina Jiménez López, in use of the powers granted to her by the decree creating the Institute..."
Alumni and faculty from across UNT colleges and schools were nominated or part of projects nominated in the 2023 awards (people with UNT ties in bold):
BEST ARRANGEMENT (INSTRUMENTAL or A CAPELLA)
Kings Return — “How Deep is your Love”
College of Music faculty member Rosana Eckert (producer) and College of Music alumnus Vaughn Faison (Kings Return member)
BEST CONTEMPORARY INSTRUMENTAL ALBUM
College of Music Alumnus Jeff Coffin — “Between Dreaming and Joy”
College of Music Alumni Michael League, Shaun Martin, Justin Stanton, Chris Bullock and Mike Maher of Snarky Puppy — “Empire Central”
BEST COUNTRY ALBUM
UNT Alumna Maren Morris — “Humble Quest”
BEST COUNTRY SOLO PERFORMANCE
UNT Alumna Maren Morris — “Circles Around This Town”
BEST COUNTRY SONG
UNT Alumna Maren Morris — “Circles Around This Town”
BEST LARGE JAZZ ENSEMBLE ALBUM
Remy Le Boeuf’s Assembly of Shadows — “Architecture of Storms”
College of Music faculty member Philip Dizack (trumpet)
BEST NEW ARTIST
UNT Alumnus Tobe Nwigwe
BEST OPERA RECORDING
Metropolitan Opera — “Fire Shut Up In My Bones”
College of Music Alumna Latonia Moore as Billie
BEST TRADITIONAL POP ALBUM
College of Music Alumna Norah Jones — “I Dream of Christmas (Extended)”
The weekend of November 17, 2022, faculty countertenor Daniel Bubeck and mezzo-soprano Josefina Maldonado (BM ‘19), were soloists performing John Adams' nativity oratorio, El Niño with Johns Adams conducting The Cleveland Orchestra and Chorus.
Assistant Professor of Music Theory, Andrew Chung, received recognition at the recently held annual meeting of the Society for Music Theory. He was named a recipient of the Society’s Emerging Scholar Award for his article "What is Musical Meaning? Theorizing Music as Performative Utterance" in Music Theory Online. The award recognizes “significant contributions to music theory, analysis, or history of theory.”
Christine (Belle) Cumberledge (BM ’97), band director at Central Junior High School in Euless, Texas and Jack A. Eaddy, Jr. (DMA ’19), Assistant Professor at Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, North Carolina, named 2 of the 25 semifinalists for the Recording Academy & GRAMMY Museum 2023 Music Educator Award. The award ‘recognizes current educators who have made a significant and lasting contribution to the field of music education and demonstrate a commitment to maintaining music education in schools.’
