In this Issue: - Cleveland Institute of Music

13 Alumni
Steven Smith (M.M., 1991, orchestral conducting), student
of Carl Topilow, received an Alumni Achievement Award
from CIM in 1999. He is now musical director of the Santa Fe
Symphony & Chorus, as well as the Cleveland Chamber Symphony.
In May, Mr. Smith conducted the three performances
to close out the New Mexico Symphony Orchestra’s 75th anniversary
Classics Series season, receiving rave reviews.
Andrew Sords, former violin student
of David Russell and Linda Cerone,
will play concerti with the Balcones
Chamber Orchestra, Chagrin Valley
Chamber Orchestra, Portsmouth Symphony,
Parma Symphony, St. Augustine
Symphony, Suburban Symphony and
Minnesota Philharmonic, and recitals
on the Abilene Christian and Kent State
Universities series this season. Additionally,
he has signed with EMC Artists and
is enjoying his studies with Chee-Yun.
Sangeeta Swamy (M.M., 1993, violin,
Sords
P.S., 1994, violin and Suzuki pedagogy),
student of Donald Weilerstein and
Kay Stern, is a music therapist and licensed mental health
counselor in the Boston area. She is working on a Ph.D. in
expressive arts therapy at Lesley University in Cambridge. She
performs her own music, a mix of Indian and classical genres,
and often uses mixed media.
Jerod Impichchaachaaha’ Tate (M.M., 2000, composition and
piano), student of Donald Erb and Elizabeth Pastor, saw his
work Shakamaxon for String Orchestra premiered by the
Detroit Symphony Orchestra on July 17. The work was commissioned
by the Philadelphia Classical Symphony and premiered
in May. Mr. Tate was composer-in-residence for the
fourth-annual Chickasaw Summer Arts Academy. His students
composed works for string quartet, which were performed
by students from Oklahoma City University. Mr. Tate was
featured on Native America Calling in August, discussing his
recent recording with the San Francisco Symphony and San
Francisco Symphony Chorus.
Jennifer
Heemstra (M.M.,
2002, piano),
student of
Kathryn Brown;
Loren Toplitz
(M.M., 2001,
trumpet), student
of Michael Sachs;
and Elizabeth
Huff (B.M., 1998,
M.M., 1999,
voice), student of
Beverley Rinaldi,
premiered a piece
by Kevin Krumenauer (M.M., 2003, composition), student
of Margaret Brouwer, at the CIM Alumni Association’s
Lunch and Listen Concert Series.
Kelley
Maulbetsch (B.M.,
2000, cello), student
of Richard
Aaron; Adam
DeSorgo (B.M.,
1992, M.M., 1995,
oboe), student
of John Mack;
William Johnston
(P.S., 2007, viola),
Doctor of Musical
Arts degree
student of Robert Vernon; and Amanda Huntoon (M.M.,
2004, violin), student of Linda Cerone (pictured left to
right) served as members of the Utah Festival Opera
Orchestra in Logan, Utah. In addition to working with
the opera, all four took part in a chamber music concert
in July organized by Ms. Maulbetsch, benefiting the Four
Paws Rescue animal shelter in Millville, Utah.
Stewart Smith
Adrienne Watkinson (B.M., 2007,
violin), student of David Russell, won
the title of Miss Maine 2008. She will
appear on the TLC program Reality
Check beginning December 9, leading
up to the pageant January 24. Viewers
will be asked to vote after each episode
for the contestants they would like to
make it to the top 15, so please visit
Watkinson the TLC.org Web site. Ms. Watkinson’s
platform is “The Healing Power of Music.”
She visited with Ronna Kaplan at the Cleveland Music
School Settlement in July (she is pictured below with children
from the Settlement), as well as the Euclid Ronald McDonald
House, with music therapy interns from University Hospitals.
She plans to start music therapy programs in Maine’s hospitals,
and she would like to focus on music therapy in the
pediatric healthcare
setting. To
that end, she
also visited with
Dr. Deforia Lane,
Resident Director
of Music Therapy
at the University
Hospitals of
Cleveland Ireland
Cancer Center
during her
Cleveland visit.
Brian Hatton
DeMio & Requiro
David Requiro (B.M., 2007,
cello), student of Richard
Aaron, tied for first place
at the 2008 Walter W.
Naumburg Cello Competition
in New York City in
June. Collaborative piano
faculty member Elizabeth
DeMio (B.M., 1980, piano),
student of Vitya Vronsky,
was pianist for Mr. Requiro,
as well as Umberto
Clerici, who received an
honorable mention. Ms.
DeMio and Mr. Requiro
will be performing a series
of concerts as a result of
his victory, including one
on October 23 at Carnegie
Hall’s Weill Recital Hall.
Saeunn Thorsteinsdottir
(B.M., 2006, cello), student
of Richard Aaron,
received the Zara Nelsova
Award; Kenneth Olsen
(B.M., 2004, cello), student
of Richard Aaron, was a
semifinalist.