January February 2018 College News

Todd Oxford performed recently as soloist in a beneft concert supporting the Regina Mater School in Austin. He also performed with pianist Alena Gorina on the January 30 Stars At Night Faculty Artists Showcase in the Texas State Performing Arts Center. STUDENT ACCOLADES Te SONUS Quartet, student saxophonists Elijah Breda , Jacob Hernandez , Joseph Treviño , and Peyton Grover performed in a masterclass for the Attacca String Quartet. Peyton Grover was hired by the Austin Teater Company to perform the Reed 1 book for Anything Goes . Texas State students participated in the Clarinet Fiesta CD Recording Project, performing and recording two world-premiere arrangements: Mozart and Schumann. Our Texas State students shared the stage with some of the top clarinetists from around the world: Philippe Cuper, Principal Clarinet of the Paris Opera and Professor of Clarinet at the National Conservatory of Versailles; Andre Moisan, Bass Clarinet & Saxophones of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, Professor of Clarinet at the Montreal University, Canada; David Gould, Bass Clarinet & Clarinet of the American Ballet Orchestra, New York, NY, and Mitchell Estrin, Clarinet Professor of the University of Florida in Gainesville, FL, current president elect of the International Clarinet Association. Te CD will be produced by Mark Custom Recordings, Inc. Student performers included Amy Gravel , Austin Vogelman , Brittany Hernandez , Noah Ornelas , Shane Lemanski , Robert Malave , Vikas Chopra , Jackelyn Pecero , Nathan Snyder , Rebecca Martinez , Eryn O’Sullivan , Allyn Hartman , Kristen Hutchins , Steven Gres , Emely Chacon , Joseph Trevino , and Kevin Rodriguez . ALUMNI ACCOLADES Alumnus Omar Diaz has been named Teacher of the Year at DeZavala Elementary School in San Marcos. [2] Tis is his fourth year there, teaching kindergarten through 5th-grade music. He also leads a choir of 70 fourth and ffth graders, a drum club and a guitar club, and Omar also plays salsa music at night! Alumna Kelsee Wuebben has won the Educator of the Year title at Jim G. Martin Elementary School in San Antonio. [3] She teaches choir and has started a ukulele #VOCALIBRE VocaLibre, directed by Craig Aamot , sang for about 700 people at the annual Episcopal Diocese of West Texas conference, held in the Embassy Suites Convention Center in San Marcos. Tey also had a great turnout for the Friends of Fine Arts fundraiser at AquaBrew on February 21. Tey provided an inspiring evening of music that explored the capacity for a human race to heal and unite. club with the New Teacher Grant she won. Her title will now put her up for the district title this spring. SCHOOL ACCOLADES Te Texas Music Educators Association 2018 Convention in San Antonio featured a strong presence by the School of Music. Outstanding performances by TXST ensembles drew huge audiences and presented sublime artistry: Texas State Jazz Ensemble directed by Utah Hamrick , with Russell Haight , soloist; Texas State Horn Ensemble directed by Caroline Steiger ; Texas State Chorale directed by Joey Martin & Craig Hella Johnson with Vanguel Tangarov , Lynn Ledbetter , Ames Asbell , Karla Hamelin , Utah Hamrick , Kari Klier , and former faculty member Soon Cho . Ames Asbell , Caroline Steiger , John Lopez , Mary Ellen Cavitt , and Kyle Glaser gave well- attended, Impressive expert clinics. Amanda Soto , John Denis , and students of Rebecca Tast presented intriguing research posters. TXST’s very popular college exhibit booth and fabulous alumni reunion were coordinated by Krystyn Jensen . Adah Jones , Caroline Steiger , Charles Hurt , Lynn Ledbetter , KeithWinking , Jordan Stern , and Ian Davidson provided expert judging or coaching of All-State sections. College of Fine Arts and Communication | 13