Faculty

A new beat: Transformed CU ��ý�� percussion studio prepares musicians for every stage

Mariefaith Lane — Thu, 04 Dec 2025 15:00:00 +0000

A new beat: Transformed CU ��ý�� percussion studio prepares musicians for every stage Mariefaith Lane Thu, 12/04/2025 - 08:00

MarieFaith Lane

The CU ��ý�� College of Music’s percussion studio is taking bold steps forward with a revamped curriculum and a renewed focus on versatility, collaboration and joy in music making.

Associate Teaching Professor of Percussion Michael Tetreault says nearly every aspect of the program has been reimagined with one goal in mind: To prepare percussionists to thrive in any musical setting.

“An awful lot is new and an awful lot has changed,” shares Tetreault. “Every student at every level–undergraduate, master’s, doctoral, artist diploma–studies all five major percussion areas including marimba, timpani, snare drum, drum set and world percussion.”

Tetreault notes the studio’s mission to ensure that every student graduates with a strong foundation across percussion instruments, ready to pursue specialized interests or advanced degrees. “An undergraduate should be able to get into any graduate program they want,” he says. “Our goal is that students’ education here is more than sufficient to unlock any door.”

Building depth for the next generation
Reflecting the college’s universal musician approach to achieving our overall mission, Tetreault says the percussion program aims to shape adaptable, versatile, collaborative and thoughtful musicians who are equipped to make an impact in a changing musical landscape—and across a wide range of careers, on and off stage.

“Let’s support musicians to excel in all kinds of roles,” Tetreault says. “Future students might pursue hyper-specialized career paths, or opportunities as educators or generalists. But over time, I’ve found that the stronger your fundamentals and the better your communication skills, the more doors will open.

“Our students aren’t just preparing to perform—they’re learning to create, to connect and to forge their own paths in music.”

He adds, “If piano was the instrument of the 19th century, percussion was the instrument of the 20th. The next step is depth—supporting underrepresented composers, finding excellent new works and creating music that reflects a 21st-century aesthetic.”

A community of access, opportunity + collaboration
Students in the College of Music’s percussion program often remark on their growth, and how connected they feel to both faculty and the professional world around them.

“They’re surprised how much better they get, so quickly,” Tetreault says. “Often, they haven’t realized how connected the five core areas are—and how work on one instrument strengthens all the others.”

Students’ growth is fueled by the program’s accessibility. Tetreault and his colleague, Associate Professor Carl Dixon, both live and work in ��ý�� full time. “Such ready access to faculty, instruments, performances and professional opportunities is something students don’t necessarily expect,” he says.

From their first semester, students perform in orchestras, wind symphonies, a classical percussion ensemble and CU ��ý��’s samba bateria—a Brazilian-style group that learns entirely by ear. They also take part in recording projects, community gigs and teaching opportunities across the region.

“Every year, we also commission a new piece from a CU ��ý�� student composer,” says Tetreault. “We have competition seminars, collaborations with faculty from other departments and visits from some of the best percussionists in the country.”

Photo credit: Kathryn Bistodeau

Guest artists this year include Los Angeles Philharmonic Principal Percussionist Matt Howard; the drummer for NBC’s “The Voice,” Nate Morton and many others; and, just last month, the CU ��ý�� Percussion Ensemble presented a concert of Brazilian music featuring guest artist Jorge Alabê, a renowned master of the genre. The program included styles such as choro (instrumental music), Candomblé drumming and song (a sacred Afro-Brazilian tradition), samba de roda (call-and-response singing with improvised drumming), pagode (backyard party music) and samba enredo (drumming and song performed by samba schools in Carnaval parades), illustrating the history, evolution and musical connections of these African diasporic art forms. Later that week, six current students and several CU ��ý�� alumni traveled to the Percussive Arts Society International Convention (PASIC) where they presented much of the same repertoire during Dixon’s Featured Showcase performance with mestre Alabê. “The concert was electrifying!” shares Tetreault.

“We’re also doing a collaborative recording project with CU ��ý�� Thompson Jazz Studies next semester,” adds Tetreault. “These kinds of collaborations and projects are going to define the percussion program moving forward.”

Camaraderie, excellence + passion
To capture the studio’s culture, Tetreault asked students to describe their goals in a word cloud—a visual that enlarges each word the more often it’s shared. The most prominent themes were “camaraderie,” “excellence” and “passion.”

“We should work hard, believe in what we're doing and have fun together,” he says. “Excellence grows naturally when you’re fully engaged and enjoying the work and each other.”

That energy carries into studio life—from shared dinners before concerts to playful events like a percussion “maintenance Olympics” at the start of the year. Students split into teams of three to assemble cymbal stands while Tetreault provided running color commentary—and, of course, there were prizes for the fastest team.

“We foster a work-hard, play-hard atmosphere,” Tetreault says. “When we’re working, it’s demanding and productive, but there’s also plenty of laughter and camaraderie along the way.”

The heart of it all: Love for music
In considering prospective students, Tetreault says the program values personality as much as performance. “The number one thing we’re looking for—along with a standard of excellence in playing—is personality,” he says. “People who are collaborative, who help others and who love music.”

He emphasizes that the studio environment is best suited for curious, motivated percussionists who embrace all areas of the craft. “We give a lot of time, a lot of energy, a lot of resources and a lot of inspiration—we hope—to everybody,” he says. “We also recognize that to be successful, students need to generate a lot of that energy and enthusiasm themselves.”

Tetreault concludes, “Percussion doesn’t need to apologize for itself anymore. It’s a serious art form and we’re committed to making it deeper, more accessible and more representative of today’s musical world.”

Learn more + apply

Explore how the College of Music’s percussion studio is taking bold steps forward with a revamped curriculum and a renewed focus on versatility, collaboration and joy in music making.

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2025-26 Bruce Ekstrand Memorial Graduate Student Competition winners announced

Mariefaith Lane — Wed, 19 Nov 2025 17:38:43 +0000

2025-26 Bruce Ekstrand Memorial Graduate Student Competition winners announced Mariefaith Lane Wed, 11/19/2025 - 10:38

Kathryn Bistodeau

Congratulations to the winner of the 2025-26 Bruce Ekstrand Memorial Graduate Student Performance Competition: Violinist Katharine Nelson!

At the competition finals on Nov. 18 in Grusin Music Hall, Nelson performed works by Eugène Ysaÿe, Florence Price and William Kroll accompanied by collaborative pianist Gabrielle Lowman. In addition to winning first prize ($2,000), Nelson—a student of Takács Quartet members Harumi Rhodes and Edward Dusinberre—also earned the $250 audience favorite prize.

“I’m immensely grateful to Harumi Rhodes and Edward Dusinberre for their guidance,” Nelson says. “It was a privilege to share the stage with my pianist, Gabrielle Lowman, who made the learning process so enjoyable.”

Flute and piccolo player Mallory Wood, a student of Professor of Flute Christina Jennings, won second prize ($1,000). Other finalists this year (awarded $500 each) include soprano Alice Del Simone, a student of Associate Professor of Voice Jennifer Bird-Arvidsson and Associate Professor Voice Andrew Garland; baritone Tyler Middleton, also a student of Andrew Garland; and the Skyline Saxophone Quartet comprising Joel Ferst (soprano saxophone), Spencer Cox (alto saxophone), Catherine Oles (tenor saxophone) and Gavin Martellotti (baritone saxophone)—all studying with Assistant Professor of Saxophone Nathan Mertens.

Esteemed judges
This year’s competition finals were judged by Barbara Lynne Jamison, general director and CEO of Opera Colorado; alumnus Charles Lee (DMA ’04, cello performance), principal cellist of the ��ý�� Philharmonic and cello faculty at Metropolitan State and Regis universities; and Rita Sloan, professor emeritus of collaborative piano at the University of Maryland and founder of the Aspen Music Festival collaborative piano program.

2025 semifinalists
Mark Bennett, trombone
Alice Del Simone, soprano
Jared Hartl, tuba
Carrina Macaluso, mezzo soprano
Aimée McAnulty, viola
Paige Michaud, flute
Tyler Middleton, baritone
Katharine Nelson, violin
Luca Pompilio, piano
Mallory Wood, flute
Alex Yang, percussion
Cello Quartet: Priscilla Kim, Matthew Huff, Thea Dardanis, Sam Moore
Skyline Saxophone Quartet: Joel Ferst, Spencer Cox, Catherine Oles, Gavin Martellotti

2025 semifinal judges
Associate Professor of Opera and Director of the Eklund Opera Program Leigh Holman; Professor and Chair of Composition Carter Pann; and Teaching Professor + Chamber Music Coordinator for the Chamber Music Program Meta Weiss.

The competition, launched in 1986, is named in honor of Bruce Ekstrand—former CU vice chancellor, supporter of the college and member of the CU Golden Buffalo Men’s Chorus. Every year, CU ��ý�� College of Music graduate students compete in preliminary competitions in their studios for the opportunity to advance to the semifinals and finals. The competition is generously supported by the Ekstrand family—Norma Ekstrand, Andrea Ekstrand, and Brad and Diana Ekstrand among other College of Music donors.

Finalists of the 2025-26 graduate competition. Photo by Kathryn Bistodeau.

Finalists of the 2025-26 graduate competition.

Skyline Saxophone Quartet with Assistant Professor of Saxophone Nathan Mertens.

Congratulations to the winners—and all participants—of the College of Music’s annual graduate student competition, named in honor of former Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Bruce Ekstrand.

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Minds in rhythm

Mariefaith Lane — Fri, 14 Nov 2025 20:09:01 +0000

Minds in rhythm Mariefaith Lane Fri, 11/14/2025 - 13:09

Michael Kwolek

Imagine the cacophony of a conversation in which everyone talks, listens and responds at the same time.

Trained musicians performing together can make a similar set of sensory inputs and brain activity truly resonate. Though a feature of the human experience for thousands of years, interbrain synchronization when playing music is not well understood.

As a member of the Brain Music Lab, ATLAS PhD student Thiago Roque has developed novel techniques for studying these nuanced dynamics with the aim to expand our understanding not only of musical performance, but also of human-to-human collaboration and connection more broadly.

In his teens, Roque fell in love with music while beginning to develop his engineering skills. “I always wanted to be an engineer because I wanted to understand how things work, mostly toys and mechanics, electrical stuff,” he said, “but at that point, I also wanted to understand music.”

When he got his first electronic keyboard, he realized, “An electrical engineer designed this to make music, so I realized that I could connect both things.”

After earning BS and MS degrees in electrical engineering at University of Campinas in Brazil, Roque came to study with Grace Leslie at Georgia Tech, then transferred to CU ��ý�� when Leslie—assistant professor of music technology—opened her Brain Music Lab in the ATLAS Institute.

“Thiago has been a really integral part of the Brain Music Lab,” Leslie noted. “A lot of that has to do with his engineering background—it's rare to find graduate students who have the musical sophistication to be working on these projects and can rise to the occasion when it comes to developing custom technology for the research questions that we have.” MORE

Interbrain synchronization when playing music is not well understood ... until now.

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Living an artful life: Takeaways from a visit by Maria Rosario Jackson

Mariefaith Lane — Thu, 13 Nov 2025 03:20:12 +0000

Living an artful life: Takeaways from a visit by Maria Rosario Jackson Mariefaith Lane Wed, 11/12/2025 - 20:20

Kathryn Bistodeau

Photos: Johnette Martin

Urban planner, cultural policy expert and former NEA Chair Maria Rosario Jackson visited the College of Music on Oct. 24, hosted by the American Music Research Center.

Jackson visited AMRC Director Michael Sy Uy’s graduate seminar, Music and Prizes, to talk about cultural vitality in communities, what she learned while working at the Urban Institute and how that informed her position as chair of the National Endowment for the Arts.

DMA student Grace Stringfellow said the class visit was a great opportunity to talk to someone involved in arts funding and urban planning.

“The chance to learn more about the state of arts funding from a more general, multidisciplinary and administrative perspective was a rare treat,” they said. “I found it very inspiring that Dr. Jackson encouraged us to be more creative in the types of jobs we interview for and the types of projects that we involve ourselves in, expanding to roles outside of performer and teacher so that we can make the arts more impactful and community-focused.” MORE

Former NEA Chair Maria Rosario Jackson visited the College of Music on Oct. 24, hosted by the American Music Research Center. Learn more about her visit and the perspectives she shared with our community!

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Faculty Tuesdays event spotlights songwriting, individual expression

Mariefaith Lane — Mon, 10 Nov 2025 21:14:58 +0000

Faculty Tuesdays event spotlights songwriting, individual expression Mariefaith Lane Mon, 11/10/2025 - 14:14

Adam Goldstein + Sabine Kortals Stein

Associate Professor of Composition Annika Socolofsky and Associate Teaching Professor of Composition Mike Barnett are dedicated educators at CU ��ý��’s College of Music who also play other roles outside of their status as professors.

Namely, both Barnett and Socolofsky are actively engaged composers and singer-songwriter artists who practice what they preach to their students when it comes to self-expression and creativity through music.

This week’s Faculty Tuesdays event, Nov. 11, offers the duo the chance to spotlight their singer-songwriter sides for our campus and community concertgoers. More broadly, the performance will represent the ways that the College of Music is evolving: Even as Barnett and Socolofsky bring their original compositions to the stage, opportunities for students’ self-expression as musicians, songwriters and artists are continually expanding.

“We were excited when Mike and Annika proposed their event for the Faculty Tuesdays series because it gives us the chance to more fully highlight the diversity of work being done at the CU ��ý�� College of Music,” says CU Presents Executive Director Andrew Metzroth. “It also gave us an opportunity to stretch the boundaries of what can happen in Grusin Music Hall.”

Specifically, Metzroth helped support audio engineering and supplemental lighting—as well as the extra funds needed to support a rock-style concert. CU Presents in general manages event promotions and programs including for all Faculty Tuesday events.

“Mike and I are both so excited to bring songwriting to the Faculty Tuesdays series,” says Socolofsky. The event will feature 10 of her original songs as well as Socolofsky’s queer, country and Western alter-ego EmmyJean Jenkins.

“We’re starting two brand-new degree programs here at the College of Music: Songwriting and Music Production. We hope we’re the first of many songwriting Faculty Tuesdays that showcase the ways that the college’s offerings are branching out.”

Socolofsky will be joined onstage by an ensemble that includes Trace Hybertson on fiddle, isele phoenix harper on keyboards, alumnus Ilan Blanck (MM ’23) on guitar and Nicole Patrick on drums for a program including “a rather thorough needling of the patriarchy along with quite a few jokes about men named Brad ... or Brock ... or Brice ... or some name like that.”

Barnett’s portion of the program will draw on collaborations with Jazz Studies Lecturer Enion Pelta-Tiller on vocals and fiddle, Fritz Gearhart on fiddle and Assistant Teaching Professor of Percussion Carl Dixon on percussion for a showcase of eight of his original songs (plus one cover).

Barnett is an active musician in the ��ý�� community and beyond; he’s a regular attendee of local songwriting sessions and performs his self-described brand of “Outlaw Folk” in open mics and community performances. Like Socolofsky, he views this event as a chance not only to bring his music to the CU ��ý�� campus, but to contribute to a deeper shift—in terms of focus, access and expression—in the entire community.

“We’re launching these new degree programs and we’re also in the process of building a multitrack studio,” he adds. “That’s going to open doors for all of our students. I think these efforts all speak loudly to what we’re doing here, building a more diverse and inclusive body of artistry.

“I think these efforts all speak loudly to what we’re doing here, building a more diverse and inclusive body of artistry.”

“Music belongs to everyone. There are so many voices that traditionally haven’t been heard in academia. It’s an important part of our mission—and the college’s universal musician approach to achieving that mission—to do these things.”

It feels fitting, then, that Barnett’s only cover tune during the performance will be Bob Seger’s 1971 folk ballad, “Turn the Page.”

As Barnett reiterates, this week’s event is part of a broader effort. “We’re helping to write a new chapter.”

Associate Professor of Composition Annika Socolofsky and Associate Teaching Professor of Composition Mike Barnett are actively engaged composers and singer-songwriter artists who practice what they preach to their students when it comes to self-expression and creativity through music.

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CU ��ý�� welcomes multidisciplinarian Stratøs to College of Music faculty

Mariefaith Lane — Thu, 30 Oct 2025 21:16:12 +0000

CU ��ý�� welcomes multidisciplinarian Stratøs to College of Music faculty Mariefaith Lane Thu, 10/30/2025 - 15:16

Adam Goldstein

Aspiring career musicians need to prepare for a constantly shifting scene, one that bears little resemblance to the music industry of even a decade ago. It’s a reality that Stratøs knows well, and one that the incoming assistant teaching professor of composition at the CU ��ý�� College of Music is eager to impart to his students.

Stratøs is a true multidisciplinarian: A saxophonist, composer, producer, photographer and cinematographer, the Michigan native has earned honors, plaudits and accolades across a spectrum of art forms and disciplines.

From his work as a saxophonist on film scores, to his musical contributions to in-game video soundtracks, to his role as a composer of ambitious works for jazz chamber orchestras, Stratøs has adjusted to a professional musical landscape that demands flexibility, deftness and resourcefulness: Skills that are sure to benefit his students here—and that align with the College of Music’s approach to developing universal musicians who are well-equipped to participate in the 21st century as artists, educators and scholars; as broadly based professionals with flexible career options; and as passionate, compassionate world citizens.

“One of the things that I’m passionate about is giving students the facility to develop their own personal sound with as much information, as much detail as they possibly can,” Stratøs says. “The modern musician is someone who might have a lot of varying interests in fields that may be outside of music. As someone who lives in those spaces a lot, I want to help students bring those influences to bear. I want to help them get an understanding of themselves as musicians.

“That’s something I try to teach—how to be adaptable. You have inspiration from other mediums to draw upon,” he adds.

That lesson is also valuable for students through a creative lens, Stratøs says. Just as the business side of the music industry has fundamentally changed over recent decades, so has the nature of composition. Creative silos have disappeared within a music industry that’s no longer distinct and separate from other creative pursuits. Film melds into music, which blends into social media soundtracks and video game scores. Visual arts flow into the music behind a reel or a TikTok video; a song or a snippet of melody is likely to be inextricably tied to images, film or virtual artwork for a modern consumer. In the age of social media, artificial intelligence and immediate music distribution, the lines that long separated disciplines have collapsed.

“I finished my master’s in 2020, and I was thrust into an ever-changing music industry from the beginning,” Stratøs notes. “I think a lot of people in my specific class, in my generation of artists—we're all faced with a unique task. The music industry doesn’t exist anymore, what are we going to do?”

For Stratøs, the answer came in drawing on a wealth of creative skills and threads, finding inroads among art forms and acclimating to a media landscape in which music rarely stands on its own. As he heads to ��ý�� to inspire incoming composition students beginning spring 2026, he wants to help them fuse mediums and find musical inspiration in unlikely places.

“When I looked at the job description for this position, it was describing exactly what I do,” he says. “Someone adept in composition and music production—a synthesis, someone who uses both of those disciplines to make their art. For example, if you’re working on photography as well as music, your photography informs your composition.

“That’s something that I hope to bring and work on with the students.”

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Innovation as a collaborative act

Mariefaith Lane — Thu, 30 Oct 2025 10:00:41 +0000

Innovation as a collaborative act Mariefaith Lane Thu, 10/30/2025 - 04:00

John Davis

From left to right: On Oct. 1-4, 2025, Associate Dean of Graduate Studies Margaret Berg, Assistant Dean for Strategic Initiatives Kate Cimino, Dean John Davis and Associate Dean of Undergraduate Studies Matthew Roeder welcomed participants of the National Association of Music Executives at State Universities (NAMESU) Annual Meeting to our campus and the brand new Limelight ��ý��.

Greetings “from the road” where I’ve been engaged in two accreditation site reviews for the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM)—at institutions in Mississippi and New York—as well as a trio of October conferences: From hosting the National Association of Music Executives at State Universities (NAMESU) Annual Meeting right here on our campus and at the new Limelight hotel to the 61st Annual Conference of the International Council for Arts Deans (ICfAD) in Santa Fe, New Mexico to the College Music Society (CMS) National Conference in Spokane, Washington this week where I’ll be interacting with other deans and senior arts administrators engaged in public service and mentoring. Everywhere I go, I enjoy representing the unique achievements, aspirations and opportunities of our College of Music; along the way, I’ve been struck by the supportive camaraderie and timely shared learnings among my counterparts.

As noted by American theatre and opera director Anne Bogart, “We have been discouraged to think that innovation can be a collaborative act” and yet it’s exactly that—a collaborative act—that’s at the heart of institutions like ours.

It’s a collaborate act to not only innovate our curriculum in accordance with our universal musician approach—most recently including the launch of our songwriting degree emphasis, a new master’s degree in performance and pedagogy and the addition of a strings emphasis within our jazz studies degree programs; but also to sustain a healthy environment in which our students and faculty can advance their artistic integrity and imagination, and push back against ongoing pressures and pervasive feelings of despair—for example, when the Evergreen High School Cougar Pride Marching Band joined our Golden Buffalo Marching Band for a halftime performance on Oct. 11, marking a significant moment of healing for a community still recovering from a school shooting in September; and when our University Choir takes the spotlight at the National Collegiate Choral Organization Biennial Conference at Cal State Fullerton College on Nov. 7, among just 10 choirs selected to perform via a nationwide competitive application process.

These days, we’re constantly buffeted by events. In the 24/7 news cycle, it’s all too easy to catastrophize, to lose proportion. In response, among arts leaders nationally, I’m finding a palpable purpose to meet the moment with intentionality, resulting in more opportunities for energetic engagement based on shared values.

At ICfAD, I participated in several facilitated discussions including Building Coalitions Across Campus, Creating Cultural Buy-In, and Strategies for Leading and Building a Team; as well as a riveting presentation—Common Characteristics of the Most Successful Fundraising Deans by James M. Langley, a prolific author and successful pioneer of fundraising strategies in higher education. The result? My own deepening dedication to the college’s focus areas—offering relevant, adaptable curriculum and student opportunities; enhancing faculty and staff success; and sustaining a community of wellness and resilience—as well as refining, right-sizing or even shifting college priorities to ignite greater immediate impacts as well as future possibilities for our students.

In short, my notes from a month of travel on behalf of our college—where I’m enthusiastic about my second term as dean—reflect that we’re not alone in taking a fresh look at everything we do to ensure student, staff and faculty flourishing within a resilient community, no matter the external pressures on (and often misdirected passions against) universities, generally.

Through radical resourcefulness, and with your programmatic and scholarship support, I’m eager to redirect adversity into advocacy, and conflict into collaborative acts that elevate music making as a basic human right: A right that serves and sustains the human experience, that draws us together when words fail, that offers an inclusive place of refuge and that uplifts expression of the beauty within all of us.

Dean Davis shares reflections “from the road” where he’s been engaged in a trio of October conferences as well as two accreditation site reviews for the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM).

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College of Music announces new Applied Jazz Strings course

Mariefaith Lane — Tue, 28 Oct 2025 21:12:09 +0000

College of Music announces new Applied Jazz Strings course Mariefaith Lane Tue, 10/28/2025 - 15:12

Adam Goldstein

The College of Music’s Thompson Jazz Studies Program is excited to announce the addition of Applied Jazz Strings—taught by recent alumna and current Jazz Studies Lecturer Enion Pelta-Tiller—to the college’s following BA, MM and DMA jazz performance degrees: BA with jazz emphasis, MM jazz performance + pedagogy and DMA jazz performance.

Jazz music is about more than trumpets, trombones, saxophones, bass, drums and the like—and no one knows that better than Pelta-Tiller. An accomplished musician, composer and educator, she’s well aware of the rich history and complex contemporary reality of the uniquely American genre. Specifically, the role of stringed instruments in jazz holds a special place in Pelta-Tiller’s heart, and it’s no wonder: She’s a brilliant violinist and the varied history of jazz has long informed her approach to the instrument.

From her roles as a founding member of the critically acclaimed indie-folk group Taarka to directing the College of Music’s Cross-Genre American Roots Strings Ensemble, Pelta-Tiller’s musical resume has incorporated a wide array of cues from the genre, past and present.

“Especially in earlier forms of jazz, there’s a strong tradition of violin players,” Pelta-Tiller explains. “Players like Stuff Smith, Stéphane Grappelli and Eddie South are some of the prominent names from that early era of the music who are really foundational to where strings in jazz comes from, and what people are still doing with string instruments in jazz.

“I mean, even Ornette Coleman played the violin on some recordings,” she adds, referring to the seminal free jazz pioneer of the ’60s and ’70s.

The role of strings in jazz has long been overlooked by historians and even musicians, but Pelta-Tiller will soon bring jazz strings back in the spotlight for College of Music students and performers: With approval by the university’s curriculum committee to launch the Applied Jazz Strings course in fall 2026, violinists, violists and cellists will be offered an in-depth experience into the profound and multifaceted role of strings in the birth, development and current course of jazz.

From exploring the violinists who led early jazz ensembles in the ’20s and ’30s to the bluegrass players and Western Swing pioneers who added new folk-based elements to the genre, the new course will shed fresh light on jazz and its component parts. Specifically, it will illustrate how African American musical traditions, European theory elements and folk strains from across the country fused in a uniquely American art form that’s only continued to evolve and grow.

“String instruments have been a part of jazz since its earliest days,” notes Pelta-Tiller. “But they’ve been sidelined somewhat and it’s very exciting to bring back awareness of that history. I think a lot of students of jazz don’t get to experience or study much of that early history and by bringing back these instruments, there’s more of an opportunity to engage with it.”

Indeed—according to Pelta-Tiller—engagement is key: She aims to ensure that students have plenty of opportunities to perform, even envisioning a full ensemble of string players taking on all the varied roles of a traditional jazz group—from rhythm to melody to percussion.

It’s an ambitious vision that aligns both with Pelta-Tiller’s own musical history and the college’s universal musician approach to achieving its mission. “It’s exciting to revisit all this music that I love through my students’ eyes and finding new ways of engaging with it myself,” she concludes.

Questions? Email thompsonjazzstudies@colorado.edu. For application info, visit colorado.edu/music/admissions.

The CU ��ý�� College of Music’s Thompson Jazz Studies Program is excited to announce the addition of Applied Jazz Strings—taught by recent alumna and current Jazz Studies Lecturer Enion Pelta-Tiller—to the college’s BA, MM and DMA jazz performance degrees.

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Unique klezmer + Yiddish song residency features diverse guest artists

Mariefaith Lane — Wed, 15 Oct 2025 22:40:17 +0000

Unique klezmer + Yiddish song residency features diverse guest artists Mariefaith Lane Wed, 10/15/2025 - 16:40

College of Music

Anthony Mordechai Tzvi Russell and Dmitri Gaskin. Photo by Stefan Loeber.

On Oct. 24-29, the CU ��ý�� College of Music will host a unique klezmer and Yiddish song residency featuring singer Anthony Mordechai Tzvi Russell, accordionist and composer Dmitri Gaskin, violinist Zoë Aqua and cellist Raffi Boden—all leading musicians in the international Yiddish music scene.

Organized by Associate Professor of Music Theory Yonatan Malin, the residency will include workshops for the strings, voice and composition areas; guest performances in several classes; a recital featuring Yiddish song, klezmer dances and Central European folk tunes (Oct. 29, 7:30 p.m., Grusin Music Hall); a workshop on the use of black music in Jewish spaces (Oct. 27, 7:30 p.m., S102, Imig Music Building); and a colloquium on klezmer and Transylvanian folk music pedagogy (Oct. 27, 2:30 p.m., S101, Imig Music Building). The concert, workshop and colloquium are all free and open to the public.

Zoë Aqua

“I’m excited for this residency because it will bring in a remarkable group of young musicians who have followed unique musical and personal paths,” says Malin. “Anthony Mordechai Tzvi Russell is an operatic bass who combines African American traditions with music of Jewish Eastern Europe in a multi-diasporic sound. Zoë Aqua is a klezmer and classical violinist and educator who spent several years studying folk music pedagogy in Transylvania. And Raffi Boden and Dmitri Gaskin also have followed unique paths—Boden is an Oberlin- and Juilliard-trained cellist who has a dynamic freelance career in New York playing experimental chamber music, jazz and klezmer. Gaskin is an accordionist, composer and arranger specializing in klezmer and Polish and Romanian folk music.

Raffi Boden

“All four are multiskilled, multidisciplinary artists who will serve as models and inspiration for our students.”

Adds Malin, “The residency involves so many departments in the College of Music! Anthony Russell will give a workshop and master class for voice majors, Zoë Aqua will lead a workshop for all the string studios and Dmitri Gaskin will give a guest presentation in Associate Professor of Composition Annika Socolofsky’s orchestration class.”

All four guest artists will also perform and present in Malin’s course, “Music in Jewish Cultures”; and in Associate Professor of Ethnomusicology + International Affairs Ben Teitelbaum’s course, “Introduction to Musical Styles and Ideas.” Additionally, Aqua and Boden will lead a rehearsal for the college’s Cross-Genre American Roots String Ensemble, taught by Jazz Studies Lecturer Enion Pelta-Tiller.

Malin concludes, “This residency has been a remarkable opportunity for campuswide collaboration. These interdisciplinary connections reflect the College of Music’s universal musician approach to achieving our mission, supporting our students to become compassionate and engaged world citizens.”

The klezmer + Yiddish song residency is a campus collaboration among the College of Music, the Program in Jewish Studies, Jews of Color: Histories and Futures, the Center for African and African American Studies, the American Music Research Center, the Religious Studies Department and the History Department. In the College of Music, this residency is supported by the Roser Visiting Artist Endowment.

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New innovative graduate degree bridges music research + performance

Mariefaith Lane — Wed, 08 Oct 2025 11:41:31 +0000

New innovative graduate degree bridges music research + performance Mariefaith Lane Wed, 10/08/2025 - 05:41

MarieFaith Lane

This fall, the ��ý�� College of Music launched a graduate program that reimagines the study and practice of historical music. The new master’s degree in historical performance and research blends rigorous academic scholarship with intensive professional-level performance training, offering students a path found at no other institution in North America.

The program is co-directed by Assistant Professor of Harpsichord + Eugene D. Eaton, Jr., Chair in Baroque Music Performance Lillian Gordis (pictured left) and Assistant Professor of Musicology Saraswathi Shukla (right) who developed a curriculum modeled after European conservatories and universities where hybrid programs have existed for decades. Gordis, who completed such a program in Paris, says it was “a really rewarding degree” that empowered her to develop broadly-based skills in writing, archival research and performance-related scholarship. Our new program offers CU ��ý�� students the opportunity to gain a comparable level of knowledge and skill without traveling abroad: Emphasizing cohesion among university and conservatory coursework, co-taught classes and rigorous skill-building, the program prepares students for scholarly creative works, performance and more.

“Historically, early music has always been a blend of scholarship and performance,” says Shukla. “Over time, those two branches split apart. What we’re doing is bringing them back together in a way that equips students with the full range of skills they need to succeed in diverse disciplines.”

A rigorous curriculum
Students will take seminars in performance practice, tuning and temperament, basso continuo and archival research. They will also study privately on their instrument, perform in the College of Music’s early music ensemble and complete a master’s thesis. Public performance is a major component of the new master’s degree: Students must present a recital in both the first and second years.

“This is not a program for the faint of heart,” notes Gordis. “Students are expected to perform at a high level, write a substantial thesis and master the core skills of historical performance. It’s almost a double workload, but it prepares students for doctoral study, or a professional performing career or other related career.”

Unlike a conventional performance or musicology degree, the program demands equal commitment to both. Gordis and Shukla emphasize that the workload is intentionally rigorous but designed to be complementary: Research courses inform performance and performance deepens research.

Responding to national trends
The College of Music is introducing the degree at a pivotal moment: Across the country, early music programs are shrinking or closing, leaving fewer opportunities for students who wish to pursue specialized training.

“There’s strong demand from students for this kind of program, but fewer places where they can actually get it,” explains Shukla. “Our program fills that gap while also offering something distinctive: The chance to graduate prepared for both research and performance at the highest levels.”

Gordis adds that young musicians increasingly demand flexibility in their training. “Many students don’t want to be forced to choose between performance and scholarship right after completing their undergraduate degrees,” she shares. “Our new master’s degree keeps both doors open and allows them to build the skill set they need in a complex and changing profession.”

Ensuring broadly-based career options
This forward-thinking approach aligns with the College of Music’s mission to prepare students for careers beyond music performance, embracing an interdisciplinary model that encourages holistic student development and discovery. Specifically, the program reflects the college’s innovative universal musician approach to achieving its mission, preparing students for flexible career options.

The program’s inaugural student—Ray Pragman—establishes the beginning of a new academic community and the future of historical performance education, nationally.

A forward-looking mindset
For Gordis, the program is also about cultivating a mindset. “Historical performance is about curiosity,” she says. “It’s about asking questions, experimenting and building community. We want our students to experience the new program as a space where they can pursue their interests rigorously, but also creatively—and come out prepared for whatever direction they choose.”

Shukla also views the program as developing skills that extend beyond music. “We’re offering students the tools to ask the right questions. That kind of open-mindedness and critical thinking are valuable not just in music but in any field.”

A one-of-a-kind opportunity
By combining research and performance into a single degree, the CU ��ý�� College of Music is positioning itself at the forefront of historical music education in North America. The ability to attract international guest artists, invest in tenure-track faculty and foster interdisciplinary collaboration sets the program apart.

Applications for the master’s in historical performance and research are now open.

This fall, the CU ��ý�� College of Music launched a new master’s degree in historical performance and research—the first of its kind in North America. Combining rigorous academic training with professional-level performance, the degree prepares students for doctoral study, performance and diverse other music careers.

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