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Alumni Newsletter November 30

Faculty Performances, News & Accomplishments 

NMSU Department of Music faculty recently participated in a binational exchange with musical institutions in Mexico during the first week of May, 2022. Led by Professor of Viola Jorge Martinez-Rios and Raul Olmos, the director of the Conservatorio de las Rosas in Morelia, Mexico, the exchange featured NMSU faculty in concerts, master classes and outreach activities during their week-long residency. Included in the visit were Professor Martinez-Rios, an alumnus of the Conservatory, Daniel Vega-Albela (Professor of Violin), Jorge Espinoza (Professor of Cello) and Sarah Daughtrey (Voice Area Coordinator). Faculty presented master classes with conservatory students, interviews with the Michoacano Radio and Television System, an outreach concert for children, and two concerts. In September, Martinez-Rios returned to Morelia to the Orchestra Sinfónica Michoacán to close the International Guitar Festival of Morelia.

Dr. Sarah Daughtrey, Voice Area Coordinator, performed as alto soloist for the Roswell Symphony's presentation of Beethoven's 9th Symphony in May. Dr. Daughtrey also served on a workgroup committee this past spring and summer, prior to the NATS national conference (held in June) concerning “Expanding the Canon," a taskforce made up of NATS members selected for their expertise, to propose new methodologies and curriculum approaches to teaching Art Song Literature at the college level. The taskforce's work was presented at the conference, held in Chicago. Additionally, Dr. Daughtrey is serving on the Fundraising Committee for a new scholarship fund for underserved high school students in the Texoma Region of NATS. Also during the summer, she was invited to attend The Aspen Music Festival and School's 'The Art of Singing: A Summit for Vocal Pedagogues,' hosted by world renowned soprano Renee Fleming and featuring top guest artists in the fields of performance and vocal science and pedagogy.  

On July 1, 2022 Assistant Professor of Clarinet, Dr. Madelyn Moore, performed Karel Husa’s Three Studies for Solo Clarinet as part of the International Clarinet Association’s ClarinetFest, this year held in Reno, Nevada. At this event she also performed as part of the Professors Clarinet Choir, honoring clarinetist and pedagogue, Dr. Tod Kerstetter. On July 29, 2022, Dr. Moore performed chamber works with colleagues from three other universities at the International Double Reed Society Conference in Boulder, Colorado. This performance was part of the Silent Voices Project, which aims to commission and perform works by womxn composers. Dr. Moore also performed a Faculty Recital in Atkinson Recital Hall on Sunday, September 18.

In May, Visiting Assistant Professor of Trumpet and Jazz, Dr. Jacob Dalager, took home two trophies after competing in the finals of the Music International Grand Prix at Lincoln Center in New York City, May 20-21. Dalager earned second place in both the Winds and Brass Division and the Composition Division. On Saturday, July 9th, on the invitation of Dr. Vladimir Silva, Dr. Dalager headlined the FIMUS (Festival Internacional de Música de Campina Grande) Jazz Festival in Campina Grande, Brazil. He performed a survey of music by American jazz trumpet greats -- from Louis Armstrong to Freddie Hubbard -- and a couple of original compositions with a quartet of musicians from Brazil and Mozambique. 

This July, Dr. Allan Kaplan, Low Brass Professor at NMSU, had the pleasure of being guest soloist with the Pebble Hills HS Band on Marshall Gilkes’ original composition Downtime. This concert was presented at the conclusion of several weeks of master classes Kaplan presented in El Paso. Over 30 low brass players from the El Paso area were in attendance.

 

Student and Alumni News

Senior Vocal Music Education major, Priscilla Gandara, was accepted by the Austrian American Mozart Academy and spent the summer performing the role of Marcellina in Le Nozze de Figaro by W.A. Mozart in Salzburg, Austria.

In addition to Priscilla’s summer performances, a number of vocal students participated in several enriching summer events, including a performance of Taylor Scott Davis's Magnificat in England with Vox Anima London, as well as a performance of Jocelyn Hagen's The Notebooks of Leonardo Da Vinci in Albuquerque under the direction of Matthew Greer during the Quintessence Summer Choral Festival.

Horn student Serena Turrieta competed in the International Women’s Brass Solo Competition, as well as the International Horn Society’s Solo Competition, where she won second place. 

NMSU Alum, Melissa Sawyer (MM ’20) has been appointed Director of Athletic Bands and Assistant Professor of Music at Benedictine College in Atchison, KS. David Torres (MM ’19) was named Assistant Professor of Trumpet and Director of Athletic Bands at Southern Utah University, in Cedar City, UT.