At the CU Boulder College of Music, student ingenuity and creativity know no bounds. Recently, two graduate students—Nicholas Felder, a DMA student in music composition and Ian Gunnarschja, a master’s student in saxophone performance and pedagogy—received grants supporting their innovative projects.

Felder’s grant came from  with support from the CU Boulder Office of the Provost and CU Boulder University Libraries. Open CU shares educational resources across the four CU campuses and beyond; any content created is made publicly available.

“My project—Equitable Practices in Music—will be an open Canvas course focusing on topics such as personal and social identity, systems of power and oppression, and cultural humility,” Felder says, “to support my Basic Composition class as well as student musicians broadly.”

Along with developing this resource, he has been leading equity workshops at our College of Music to help students consider practices such as compassionate listening and open communication. “I would love to thank the open educational resource [OER] leads and the CU Boulder Digital Accessibility Office for all their support and guidance during the development of this project,” Felder adds.

While the College of Music is fortunate to have DEI Director Alexis McClain on staff, other colleges and schools of music across the country don’t have their own diversity, equity and inclusion resources or staff. “They rely on university programming to implement equitable practices,” Felder explains. “I’m looking forward to sharing this content with students in the College of Music and music schools nationwide.”

Gunnarschja’s grant came from the CU Boulder Center for Humanities & the Arts' MFA/MM Excellence in Creative Research Microgrant which supports the creative practice of master’s students—e.g., equipment, space, materials and honoraria that are not otherwise covered.

“The grant supports my development of an accessible website that supports neurodiverse musicians in their pursuit of wellness,” Gunnarschja says. “This resource will focus on practices such as the Alexander Technique, Body Mapping and Dalcroze, alongside a curated selection of general resources that are beneficial to the neurodivergent community.”

More specifically, the CHA grant will help fund the website domain, allow Gunnarschja to interview experts and increase accessibility on the website.

“This website represents a novel approach to a master’s thesis by prioritizing an accessible, user-friendly and lasting format,” Gunnarschja adds. “I aim to foster a thriving community where musicians of varying neurodiversity can connect, support one another and access wellness resources that meet their unique needs.

“I look forward to creating a space where I can curate resources that I would have benefited from as a neurodiverse musician.”

Congratulations to Felder and Gunnarschja for their meaningful achievements!

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Photo: Internationally acclaimed clarinetist Mariam Adam headlines Colorado Clarinet Day 2025.

It seemed like a nice idea, recalls Professor of Clarinet Daniel Silver: Let’s gather together the clarinet programs at Colorado’s four major Front Range university music departments and create a day celebrating the clarinet with workshops, exhibits, a lecture, maybe a concert or two and a master class with a guest artist. Let's call it Colorado Clarinet Day.

That was 15 years ago—and it's been going strong ever since. On Jan. 19, 2025, Colorado Clarinet Day returns to the CU Boulder College of Music.

“There’s always been camaraderie among us,” notes Silver, referring to his counterparts at Colorado State University, the University of Northern Colorado and the University of Denver’s Lamont School of Music. The clarinet departments agreed to each hold a Clarinet Day annually, with the locale rotating, so that each campus would host every four years; thus, it falls on CU Boulder to welcome clarinet lovers to our Imig Music Building next month.

Every Colorado Clarinet Day is different, Silver points out. “Each host puts their own stamp on it.”

The upcoming Clarinet Day will begin with a morning recital by Colorado players (with guests from Wyoming), followed by Silver's talk on practicing techniques. An afternoon concert by the Ambler Clarinet Choir will be followed by a free evening recital featuring guest clarinetist —with Suyeon Kim, associate teaching professor, collaborative piano—at 6:45 p.m. in Grusin Music Hall.

Silver notes the significance of Adam’s presence. A founding member of Imani Winds and a sought-after international soloist, she represents more than a superior interpreter of the clarinet: “She’s a woman of color and—going back 30 years—there haven’t been many like her in the music world. We need more like her, shining a light on (musicians) who are not white males.”

Referencing the College of Music’s universal musician approach to achieving its mission, he adds: “We’re seeing a reflection of that here, where we’ve taken steps to increase the diversity of our people.”

Recalling the first Clarinet Day, Silver points out: “We had about 60 attendees. Now, each event attracts around 200.” So, who are all those clarinet lovers? Students, alumni, educators and performers, as well as exhibitors—from Brad Behn and Brandon Chambers to the Flesher-Hinton Music Company, Mark Sloss Professional Wind Instrument Consultants and Vandoren | Dansr.

Lastly, Silver highlighted another important category of attendees: “Audiences who just want to hear good music.”

We thank all participating staff, faculty, and guest artists and teachers; and we thank the Roser Visiting Artists Program, the CU Boulder Center for Humanities & the Arts and Conn-Selmer for their support of Colorado Clarinet Day.

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Photo credit: Hao Zhou

A complaint about high frequencies would prove fateful for Clarrisse Bosman and her future path as a musician and educator.

Bosman, who will graduate from CU Boulder’s College of Music this winter with bachelor’s degrees in both bassoon performance and instrumental music education, recalls the moment that led her to the largest instrument in any typical orchestra.

“I started playing music on the flute. I was practicing one day, and my mother couldn’t stand the high register,” says Bosman, adding that she was asked to find some other musical means to express herself. She obliged, opting for an instrument at the other end of the register in terms of pitch and size. “I said, ‘Okay, I’ll pick the largest instrument that I can get my hands on.”

Bosman, who’s apt to chuckle as she points out that she’s a 5-foot-2 musician playing an instrument that normally measures about 4-foot-5, quickly made an immediate and profound connection to the bassoon—one that helped steer her course through Cherry Creek High School in Englewood and then at CU Boulder.

“I fell in love with it. It’s so unique. It literally stands out among the orchestra,” Bosman continues. “I knew that I wanted to pursue music and especially music education. I’ve always had a passion for music education and teaching people.”

The decision to build on the musical foundations she built in high school at CU Boulder boiled down largely to faculty, she says. When it came to finding a mentor that could offer her direction—both in terms of her own performance and her ability to inspire others—she found a perfect fit in Yoshiyuki Ishikawa, professor of bassoon.

“For me, music and where I chose to study depended on the professor,” she reiterates. “CU Boulder has set me up for success in the teaching world. I’m grateful to have had such great mentors in the College of Music.”

Specifically, our program offered Bosman the chance to come into her own as a soloist, even as it provided opportunities to build real-world teaching experiences in classrooms across the Denver metro area, including a stint at Campus Middle School, literally next door to her former high school. Along with student teaching and practicums at Sunset Middle School, Horizon High School and other institutions, these experiences helped Bosman develop her own teaching style.

“I have a diverse teaching portfolio—I’ve taught concert band, jazz band and orchestra as well as mariachi ensemble. Usually students choose to only student teach in one area, but it’s been fun to have the opportunity to specialize in different areas,” she says. “Nothing prepares you like putting it into practice. CU Boulder provides rigorous challenges and puts us into actual classrooms.”

Bosman developed her teaching experience as she found opportunities to perform for audiences. One of her most memorable concerts came in the midst of a crisis, she says.

“My apartment caught on fire the night before my senior recital,” she remembers, crediting CU Boulder’s Basic Needs Center for providing assistance in the face of the emergency. “I grabbed my concert heels, my dress and a few belongings and woke up the next day like nothing happened. I had to put on my senior recital. It’s the concert that stands out the most,” she adds, noting that her bassoon was safe in her locker at school and that the performance ultimately turned out successful.

Bosman, who balanced several different interests and passions in high school, found the same equilibrium at CU Boulder. Even as she honed her skills as a musician and teacher, she continued pursuing other interests and passions—for example, she served as the CU Boulder Ice Skating Club president, coached members of the Ice Skating Club and participated in several on-campus programs. She notes that CU Boulder provides incredible opportunities and support programs, especially through the Center for Inclusion and Social Change which was instrumental as a first-generation student being the first in her family to graduate college.

Bosman dedicated herself to finding a well-rounded existence at CU Boulder—just as she pursued dual degrees that align with the college’s universal musician approach which aims to develop multiskilled artists who are equipped to make a difference in our world as broadly-based professionals.

That dynamic will remain with Bosman as she preps for her next steps. She knows she loves teaching, particularly at the middle school level; and she knows no matter where she travels, her passion for music and teaching will follow.

“I have plans to be a substitute teacher for music until more full-time positions open up and I’m exploring coaching opportunities in the figure skating world,” she notes. “I’m also a traveling spirit and I would be open to something a little more tropical if it ever arises. (But) I do keep music at my heart.”

The University of Colorado Boulder’s winter 2024 degree conferral is Dec. 19. To all our inspiring, accomplished graduates, CONGRATULATIONS and welcome to the Forever Buffs family—we hope you’ll join us for our spring 2025 recognition ceremony!

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We are thrilled to announce the winner of the 2024-25 Bruce Ekstrand Memorial Graduate Student Performance Competition: The Koa String Quartet!

The College of Music’s current graduate string quartet in residence—comprising violinists Kisa Uradomo and Leah Pernick, violist Thomas Chafe and cellist Heewon Lee—studies with the Takács Quartet. On Nov. 19, the Koa Quartet performed selections from works by Joseph Haydn and Kevin Lau, and was awarded $2,000 for their Ekstrand win.

“We are so happy to have started our residency at CU Boulder on such a positive note! It was an incredible opportunity to perform onstage alongside so many of our talented peers,” Pernick says. “Thank you so much to the Takács Quartet and string faculty for their mentorship, and to the Ekstrand family for their generous support of students.”

Lee shares, “Our main goal of the performance was to have fun and keep up the good energy. I think us dancing backstage helped with that. But in all seriousness, we’re super thankful for the win!”

Second prize ($1,000) went to saxophonist Joel Ferst, who also won the audience favorite prize ($250). This year’s other Ekstrand finalists ($500 each) include pianist John-Austin King, baritone Andrew Konopak and violinist Laura Pérez Rangel.

This year’s esteemed panel of judges were Jason Bergman—Associate Professor of Trumpet, Indiana University Jacobs School of Music; Courtney Hershey Bress—Principal Harpist, Colorado Symphony; Adjunct Professor of Harp, University of Denver Lamont School of Music; and Lecturer of Harp, University of Wyoming; and Cameron Stowe—Chair, Collaborative Piano, New England Conservatory; Director, Collaborative Piano, Aspen Music Festival and School.

The Ekstrand Competition was launched by previous College of Music dean Robert Fink, and later renamed to honor the late Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and psychology professor Bruce Ekstrand. The competition invites top graduate students to compete for cash prizes for professional development. This year’s faculty judges for the  semi-final competition were Renee Gilliland, Jeremy Reger and Branden Steinmetz.

Semi-finalists included:

• Voice: Sidney Grimm, soprano; Andrew Konopak, baritone; James Robinson, baritone
• Piano: John-Austin King, Luca Pompilio
• Strings: Julian Bennett, cello; Koa String Quartet; Laura Pérez Rangel, violin
• Woodwinds: Joel Ferst, saxophone; Dylan King, saxophone; Harold Gomez-Montoya, clarinet
• Brass + percussion: Mark Bennett, trombone; Sydney Hoehl, trumpet; Connor Johnson, trumpet

Congratulations to the Koa String Quartet and all participants in this year’s competition, as well as their teachers—the Takács Quartet, Andrew Cooperstock, Andrew Garland and Nathan Mertens in the final round. Our special thanks also to collaborative pianists Runze Li, Hsiao-Ling Lin, Matthew Sebald—and all other pianists, mentors and teachers involved in the previous rounds of this competition.

Partially funded by the , this annual event is the premier performance competition for the College of Music’s most outstanding graduate students.

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With support from a $15K CU Boulder Center for Humanities & the Arts (CHA) grant, the Chicago-based returned to the College of Music earlier this month as guest artists in our Faculty Tuesdays series and SoundWorks series.

“The composition department has been bringing ~Nois to campus for the last six or seven years,” says Carter Pann, chair of the composition department. “This is the first year that two studios hosted the quartet—composition and saxophone. The plan was for ~Nois to work with our student and faculty composers, and with students in [Assistant Professor of Saxophone] Nathan Mertens' saxophone studio.”

Indeed, the five-day residency was packed—in addition to Faculty Tuesdays and SoundWorks concerts, ~Nois also presented a master class, a guest lecture in the Department of Theatre & Dance and more. College of Music students had the opportunity to rehearse with members of the quartet, ask questions, and get feedback on performances and compositions.

CHA grants support projects that amplify the arts and humanities, and create community around campus. The College of Music's composition and saxophone departments were awarded more than they applied for, allowing for an extra house concert in a donor’s home.

“I believe that the application meets all criteria and that it is far ranging,” wrote CHA Director Jennifer Ho. “This is one reason I’ve increased the award—so that you may be able to think even more capaciously in creating programs that will involve multiple community members within the College of Music and across campus.”

The College of Music’s relationship with the quartet began with Pann’s musical connection with a family member of one of the musicians. “One of the ~Nois members, Jordan Lulloff, is the son of a very good friend of mine whom I have written lots of saxophone music for,” shares Pann. “A lightbulb went off and I realized that Jordan was in this new quartet of Northwestern University grads.

“It’s really useful and it’s a great opportunity for young composers to write for saxophone quartet. It’s a very enterprising endeavor because saxophonists in general clamor for new music.”

Through the years, ~Nois has become familiar on campus, and created even more and deeper connections. “They’re just game when they’re here,” adds Pann. “They end up seeing donors, seeing the dean, working with students, coming to classes…”

Pann hopes the residency inspired creativity among our students. “When students work closely with them, the ~Nois boys are so professional. They don’t skimp on anything. They will crash open the door to rehearse more with these students. They’re constantly teaching them what their instruments can do.

“These guys increase the learning horizon tenfold. When you see somebody that’s kind of close to your age breaking into this professional realm—it’s really inspiring to our students.”

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At the CU Boulder Entrepreneurship Center for Music (ECM), students can find the skills and tools they need for their music careers. Most recently, the ECM awarded $5,820 in artist assistance grants to support eight student-led professional development and community engagement projects including:

Josie Arnett
“I’m really picky about which pieces I release on streaming platforms because I’m 20 and need to be able to write really bad music … and then release the things that I really love,” says Josie Arnett, an undergraduate composition student. 

“Last fall, I got the opportunity to write a saxophone quartet piece for a group that travels all over the United States. I was really happy with the piece and really proud of it, so I reached out to a faculty member who set me up with the CU Boulder graduate saxophone quartet.”

Working with the Sanitas Saxophone Quartet, College of Music Recording Engineer Kevin Harbison and a mixing artist, Arnett recorded the piece for projected release on streaming platforms this summer. The ECM grant helped pay the artists and distribution fee.

Arnett says she learned a lot about how to interact in a professional recording setting and enjoyed collaborating within the College of Music. “It’s been fun to work with people that have a lot of energy, positive attitudes and are just really excited about what they do,” she shares.

Alice Del Simone
At the end of May, DMA student in voice performance and pedagogy Alice Del Simone was part of a workshop presentation at the Voice Foundation Symposium in Philadelphia titled “Legato Then and Now, Vibrato Edition: A Close-Up of What Happens Between the Pitches in the Classical Bel Canto Tradition.” 

“The workshop offered a toolbox of exercises for how to teach the type of legato singing that was happening at the end of the 1800s, beginning of the 1900s when we started to have recordings available,” Del Simone says.

“It was my very first time presenting at a conference where there are often hurdles for a young academic to get an invitation to present. I’ve been lucky that I’ve been able to work with a group of people who are more prominent in the community than myself.”

During the symposium, Del Simone stayed at the conference hotel, partially funded by her ECM grant. 

Zachary Howarth
Zachary Howarth, a DMA student in jazz studies, will go on the road this summer to record music in studios in Reno and South Lake Tahoe. Howarth also hopes to perform this music live in venues across Colorado and Nevada. 

The project will involve a contemporary jazz quartet—trumpet, piano, bass, drums—writing and recording the music. The ECM grant will help the project get off the ground by assisting with studio fees, production costs and travel expenses. 

“The opportunity to write, record and play music with such high-level artists is invaluable to my collaborative research in compositional tendencies in contemporary jazz mediums and fully improvised music,” Howarth says. 

SeaJun Kwon
SeaJun Kwon, also a DMA student in jazz studies, likes writing compositions that push the boundaries of jazz music including “Avant Shorts”—10 etudes exploring micro tonalities and rhythmic concepts that aren’t commonly used in jazz compositions. 

Kwon plans to compose these etudes and begin recording them over the summer, using a microphone setup funded by an ECM grant. 

“I thought I’d write a bunch of super short compositions that focus on different ideas to develop myself and provide my community with these resources,” Kwon says. 

By keeping them brief, he hopes to make the compositions more accessible and useful for his community. 

“People are really busy, there are so many things that you have to do and also so many distractions,” Kwon says. “I think these short compositions put less pressure on people—they can work on them for 10 minutes and still learn from them.” 

Er-Hsuan Li
Er-Hsuan Li graduated from the College of Music in May with a DMA in piano performance. In April, he held a concert featuring the world premiere of John Clay Allen’s “” concerto for piano and strings along with Dmitri Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No. 1.

“It was a very fun event,” Li says. “Even though it was off-campus, it was really CU that made this possible because that’s how we connected.”

Many CU Boulder musicians participated including conductor and Associate Director of Orchestras Renee Gilliland, composition alumnus John Clay Allen, Anna Kallinikos—who’s majoring in trumpet performance and minoring in business—and the majority of the 18-member orchestra. The ECM grant assisted Li with compensating the performers and renting the venue.

“I had performed in front of an orchestra only once before when I was a high schooler,” Li recalls. “So it was really special for me that—after 13 years—I got to do this again professionally. And I would like to think that I am a better musician now compared to then!”

Ethan Stahl
When Ethan Stahl discovered Nkeiru Okoye’s music, he knew he’d found something special. “I loved her music so much that I began working on it for one of my degree recitals,” he says. “Eventually, it became evident that I had enough material to create a lecture recital.”

To prepare, Stahl—who’s pursuing a DMA in piano performance—interviewed Okoye about her music. “We talked on the phone for a few hours and in that conversation, she proposed the idea of writing a piece for me to add to one of the sets of piano pieces that I was studying.” The ECM grant helped fund Okoye’s contribution.

Okoye’s music is already part of the American Music Research Center’s Helen Walker-Hill Collection; her upcoming composition will be added to the collection.

“Okoye is extremely novel in the world of piano composition,” Stahl adds. “I’ve never heard piano music that is similar stylistically to hers.” 

Natalie Trejo
Artist Diploma student Natalie Trejo competed in the finals for the Austin Flute Society’s Young Artist Competition in April—and the ECM grant helped her get there. 

“I submitted the preliminary recordings back in January. From there, they selected three finalists to perform in the live final round in Austin, Texas,” Trejo says. “It went really well. I ended up getting third but I was very happy with how I played and I was not nervous at all.”

Trejo performed Chen Yi’s “Memory” for solo flute and Frank Martin’s “Ballade” for flute and piano. 

“I love doing competitions because I get to learn new repertoire, meet new flutists, make connections and get to know the other finalists—it’s very important and humbling, but still encouraging,” Trejo says.

Jonathon Winter
Another spring 2024 graduate, Jonathon Winter—who earned a DMA in violin performance—recorded four pieces to be compiled into an album titled “Origin: Music by Women of the Americas.” The pieces are “ko’u inoa” by Leilehua Lanzilotti, “Scratch the Surface” by Dana Kaufman, “String Poetic” by Jennifer Higdon and “Sueños de Chambi” by Gabriel Lena Frank.

“I picked some fiendishly difficult music to play but it was so worth it,” Winter says. “I learned so much about preparing for recordings and what that actually entails.”

Winter worked with pianist and Postdoctoral Lecturer Barbara Noyes, as well as Kevin Harbison to record all four pieces over the course of seven months. Winter will continue the project over the summer with the goal of finding a label to disseminate the recordings.

Congratulations to all grant recipients and our thanks to this year’s adjudicators: College of Music staff member Kathryn Bistodeau, Music Advisory Board member Laurie Hathorn and University of Denver entrepreneurship faculty member Neil Pollard. 

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Tallman moved to Boulder from Colorado Springs, struck by how tight-knit the College of Music is. “I just love the community here,” she says. “I have really enjoyed getting to work with fellow students and build strong relationships with other people. 

“I think it makes us much better musicians when we know people on a personal level because music is such a personal thing.”

Alongside performing, Tallman leveraged the College of Music’s business offerings: She’ll graduate with a Bachelor of Music in flute performance as well as a Music Entrepreneurship certificate and business minor. “I like having a balance of tangible results—like working in the nonprofit world—and very subjective results, like playing music. I like having both. I think it’s a nice balance.”

Business courses empowered Tallman to build practical skills for potential future entrepreneurial ventures. “For the music entrepreneurship capstone, I’m working on studio materials for when I want to start a private studio,” she says. “I think that’s really important. 

“There are so many aspects of that, like setting up an LLC and payments and all these nitty-gritty things—I’m really glad that I have the tools and resources to learn those kinds of things now.”

Tallman’s future goals also include playing chamber music and working in the nonprofit sector. She explains, “I want to work for a nonprofit that does outreach to make arts more accessible in schools. I actually had a personal experience with that—in fifth grade through middle school, the arts were not funded by my school. I think it’s important that kids have arts experience.”

Next year, Tallman will continue her journey in both performance and management—she’s starting a master’s program in music and arts management at Colorado State University. “I’m super excited!”

Congratulations to Madison and all of our winter 2023 and spring 2024 graduates!

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Like any other musician, Civelli finds a very personal kind of magic in performing. As a clarinet player, Civelli depends on the instrument for inspiration. But she doesn’t operate in a musical vacuum. 

Soon after Civelli began connecting with music and performance on a personal level, she knew she wanted to share the experience with others.

“I’ve known I wanted to teach music since I was in 7th or 8th grade,” recalls Civelli, who graduates from the CU Boulder College of Music this month with a bachelor’s in music education (instrumental band emphasis). “It’s always been something that’s been there.”

The dual drive to play and to teach is part of what brought Civelli from Connecticut, where she completed the first two years of her college career, to CU Boulder—a place she felt had more to offer in terms of her professional and personal ambitions. Transferring to the College of Music halfway through her undergraduate studies boiled down to a “gut feeling,” she recalls, a sense that Boulder was the right place to refine her skills.

Two years later, that intuitive leap to a new learning environment has proved invaluable. “I don’t think I really knew what was in store for me while I was transferring. I saw opportunities as they came up and I discovered more than I thought I would,” Civelli says, crediting her professors, TAs and fellow students with helping her find new dimensions to her playing and teaching. “I’m a far better clarinet player than I ever thought I could have been, and a far better teacher as well.”

True to the college’s mission to develop multiskilled, multifaceted universal musicians, Civelli found opportunities in both realms. Between playing high-profile performances with concert ensembles and coaching high school marching band students, Civelli’s time in Colorado has deepened her firsthand experience as both a musician and an educator, roles that are equally important as she looks beyond graduation.

“One of my strong beliefs in music education is that I am developing lifelong lovers of music,” Civelli says. “Whether they end up becoming professional musicians or not, at the end of the day they will be consuming music for the rest of their lives. Having the ability to explain why they like or do not like a song they hear, or why a guitar riff is really neat, is important.”

Congratulations to Ashley and all our winter grads!

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Goodwin graduates this month with dual Bachelor of Music degrees from the University of Colorado Boulder—one in composition and one in bassoon performance. During their four years at our College of Music, the instrument has served as a gateway to creative growth, personal connections and artistic expression. They performed with the entire bassoon studio for holiday concerts, composed works that have been performed by the Chicago-based ~Nois saxophone quartet and collaborated with the university’s dance department.

All of these achievements stemmed from a connection to an instrument that could very well be considered accidental. “I was in fifth grade and it was pick-your-instrument-night at school,” says Goodwin, recalling a pivotal moment in their native Texas suburb. “All the flute spots were filled and my next two instruments of choice were also filled,” they add, explaining how they landed on the bassoon. “Now I know it was fate.”

Goodwin soon fell in love with the instrument—its low range, its expressiveness, its unique role in the orchestra. “Bassoon just happened to be the reason why I made so many friends, too—it was my gateway into the orchestra world,” they say. 

Playing the bassoon ultimately led to an interest in composition—a passion sparked in 8^th-grade orchestra class—that eventually helped steer Goodwin’s path from Texas to Boulder.

“I knew that I wanted to study both bassoon performance and composition,” Goodwin reflects. “I knew I wanted to go to a place where I was able to do both, where a well-rounded education was encouraged. The CU Boulder College of Music was one of the only schools I applied to that was flexible in terms of the course load.”

Indeed, our College of Music with its universal musician mission proved to be the perfect environment for Goodwin. In their eight semesters here, they not only successfully completed a double major, but also meaningfully connected with professors, peers and fellow musicians who helped chart their course in performance and composition. 

Specifically, Goodwin credits Professor of Composition Carter Pann and Professor of Bassoon Yoshiyuki Ishikawa for their constant support and guidance, just as they offer thanks to their fellow College of Music students for consistent inspiration.

“I feel like I learned a lot about perseverance and endurance, in terms of training and learning and studying,” they say. “I also learned about attention to detail—I think I really expanded that skill in college. Those lessons are applicable to almost any field.”

Congratulations to Isabel and all our winter grads!

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Great ideas can come from anywhere—even a meal with your friends. Three CU Boulder College of Music alumni—Colleen White (DMA ’17), Paul Zaborac (DMA ’17) and Cecilia Lo-Chien Kao (DMA ’19)—developed a vision for the (SMF) over brunch, and soon started working to make their dream come to life. 

“We casually thought, ‘What if we developed our own chamber music festival?’ Less than a year later, we had funding and a business plan,” White says. 

The nonprofit festival, held in Manhattan, Kansas, debuted in 2023 and will return for its second season in June 2024. [Experience the SMF performing “” by Ingrid Stölzel.]

The SMF aims to tell stories through chamber music and each season features a unique theme. The 2024 theme is “Creatures Great and Small,” focusing on music inspired by wildlife and creatures of all sizes. 

The festival also hosts community events, children’s events and a composition competition that encourages composers to submit new works for voice, flute, saxophone and piano. The compositions must highlight narrative, focusing on the untold stories of underrepresented or marginalized groups and the festival theme; winning works will premiere during the summer festival.

“There’s something really unique and special about chamber music,” Kao says. “There’s an intimate and powerful connection among the performers and this connection extends to the audience. 

In their festival activities, these music alumni say they regularly apply skills learned at our College of Music. 

“Entrepreneurial know-how gained at CU has been instrumental in helping us develop this festival,” explains Zaborac. “From arts administration, marketing and audio/video production to audience relations and creative concert programming. Being able to draw on this wide skill set has significantly contributed to the success of the festival, allowing us to create something really exciting. 

“Perhaps most important was the entrepreneurial mindset itself, of looking at challenges and finding creative solutions—and the will to overcome, persevere and build something.”

Congratulations!

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