October 2016 College News

MUSIC Music, Music Studies, Per formance, & Sound Recording Technolog y FACULTY AND ALUMNI ACCOLADES Todd Oxford [ 1 ] has been named an American Prize Finalist in the Professional Instrumental Solo Division. Winners will be named next month. The American Prize is a series of new, non-profit, national competitions designed to recognize and reward the very best in the performing arts in the United States. Oxford performed as a guest musician with Austin Opera’s orchestra during the regional premiere production of composer Kevin Puts’s Manchurian Candidate . He also recently presented master classes for the Copperas Cove ISD Bands. Alumnus Lawrence Varela-Halbert is a Band Director for the district. Army Specialist Valerie (Cowan) Avila , M.M. in Flute Performance, 2014, [ 2 ] prepares to perform François Borne’s “Carmen Fantasie Brillante” for Flute and Wind Band with the United States Army Europe Band & Chorus, under the direction of Major Dwayne Milburn. She will premiere this work on October 3rd at Fruchhalle in Kaiserslautern, Germany and round out the Fall concert series on October 28th at Rokokotheater in Schwetzingen, Germany. Her husband, Specialist Andres Avila , B.M., 2014, Saxophone, is Principle Saxophone of the band. On September 8th, the San Pedro Creek renovation project in San Antonio kicked off with the performance of a new opera entitled Las Fundaciones de Bejar . The City of San Antonio along with the San Antonio Symphony, Alamo City Opera, Opera San Antonio, Ballet San Antonio, and the Children’s Chorus of San Antonio commissioned John Phillip Santos, award winning author, to write the libretto and Joseph Julian Gonzalez composed the music. The performers include Texas State faculty Ronald Ulen and Kristin Roach , as well as alumni Thomas Soto [ 3] and Diane Green Stanley . 1 2 3 Todd Oxford: named an American Prize Finalist in the Professional Instrumental Solo Division Army Specialist Valerie (Cowan) Avila, M.M. in Flute Performance, 2014 Alumnus Thomas Soto 16 | October | College News