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FACULTY NEWS

Beginning this September, Jeremy Gill joins our faculty as accompanist and vocal-repertoire coach.  As a composer, conductor, and pianist, Dr. Gill has established himself as one of the leading musicians in our area.  His works have been performed widely in the United States and Europe and recordings of his music are available on the Albany label.  He is Music Director of the Delaware County Symphony and performs as pianist and harpsichordist of the Dolce Suono Chamber Music Concert Series.

We are also proud to announce that two distinguished musicians who taught at the Conservatory in years past are returning to our faculty this year:

Alexander Panku, who was a member of our piano faculty from 1983 until 1986 has resumed his teaching here as of this summer.  In the years since he was last here, he completed the degree of Doctor of Musical Arts in piano performance, with minors in music history and music theory, at Temple University, where his principal teacher was Harvey Wedeen.  He also served on the piano faculty at Temple University and at the Settlement Music School and performed extensively as both soloist and chamber musician in the Philadelphia area and throughout the eastern United States.

Guitarist and composer Emiliano Pardo Tristán, who was a member of our guitar faculty from 1998 until 2008, returns to us this September.  He recently finished a two-year post-doctoral fellowship at the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, at New York University, where his field of research was the “transmutation process and technique of converting intrinsic characteristics of folkloric music into new concert music”.  In the spring of 2010, he was a guest lecturer at Oxford University.  He joins the faculty at New York University this fall.

The cantata To One in Paradise by Benjamin C. S. Boyle of the Conservatory’s theory and composition faculty was performed at the Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill this past June by The Crossing and the Philadelphia Virtuosi under the direction of Donald Nally.  Dr. Boyle taught in Paris once again this July at the summer music program of the European American Musical Alliance.

Michael Poll, a member of the Conservatory’s guitar faculty for the past two years, performed at the Aspen Music Festival this summer, and will spend the coming year in Poland as a Fulbright Scholar.

STUDENT NEWS

Emerson Ahn, who studies piano with Laurie Ticehurst at the Conservatory, played French horn in the Penn Valley Elementary School Band last year.

In April, Aurimas Balciunas, Jason Feingold, and Carl Grossman, guitar students of Michael Poll and Emiliano Pardo Tristán, all performed on recitals as part of the Philadelphi Classical Guitar Society’s annual festival.

John C. Carpenter, who studied piano with Marcantonio Barone and theory with Benjamin C. S. Boyle at the Conservatory for the past four years, has been accepted as a performance major in the piano class of Enrico Elisi at the Pennsylvania State University, where he matriculates in the Schreyer Honors College this fall.

Iris Chan, a piano student of Marcantonio Barone, won Honorable Mention in the 2010 West Chester University of Pennsylvania Annual Pre-Collegiate Piano Competition.

Philip Cooke, a composition student of Benjamin C. S. Boyle and piano student of Marcantonio Barone, attended the summer music program of the European American Musical Alliance in Paris this July.

Ravi Culleton, a piano student of Marcantonio Barone, received the varsity letter in Music Theory and Composition from the Varsity Arts Association at Strath Haven High School.  He has been awarded the George H. Slick Arts Fellowship at Strath Haven and will be presented in recital there in his junior year.  He begins lessons in theory and composition with Dr. Benjamin C. S. Boyle at the Conservatory this fall.

Tanine Daryoush, who studies voice with Perry Brisbon and piano with Laurie Ticehurst, sang last season as a member of the “B-Flats”, the select a cappella group at the Baldwin School.

Kidder Erdman, a piano student of Daina Dodbiba, is a pianist in the jazz band at Penn Charter School.  He also sang a solo this June in his eighth-grade graduation.

Eric Haeker, who studies piano with Laurie Ticehurst at the Conservatory, is a composer and is the founder and artistic director of Pieris Music, a non-profit organization presenting high-tech classical fusion concerts.  His Lumia Ensemble features violin, piano, electric bass, MIDI percussion, and 360° video projection.  The ensemble recently performed at the Hirshhorn Museum in Washington and at the Annenberg Center in Philadelphia.  They made their live radio debut in Portland, Maine, this August.

Young Hee Hahn, who studies piano with Laurie Ticehurst at the Conservatory, also plays flute in the Radnor Middle School Band.

June Han, a flute student of Ellen Fisher Deerberg, won first place in the Junior Winds division of the 2010 Tri-County Concerts Association Annual Youth Festival and performed at the winners’ concert at Montgomery County Community College in May.

Dan Kralik, a piano student of Daina Dodbiba, is a pianist in the Valley Forge Middle School Jazz Band.

David Lee, who studies piano at the Conservatory with Laurie Ticehurst, is also an accomplished trumpet player.  He was chosen to play two trumpet solos in the Radnor Elementary School band last year, and he played in a trumpet duet at the School’s graduation ceremony.  In addition, he was a vocal soloist in the School’s winter concert.

Grace Li, who was a piano student of Laurie Ticehurst at the Conservatory since 2004, leaves us this year to attend Princeton University, where she plans to major in physics.  During her senior year at Strath Haven High School, she held the first saxophone chairs in the lead jazz band, the symphonic band, and the wind ensemble; she was the drum major in the marching band; and she received the Leadership Award and the Varsity Arts Award for her participation in band.

Malana Li, who studies piano with Laurie Ticehurst, also plays viola in the advanced orchestra at Worcester Elementary School.

Kevin Li, a piano student of Marcantonio Barone, received the second prize in Group 5 at the twenty-fifth annual International Young Artists Piano Competition at Catholic University of America in Washington this June.

Stephen Li, who studies piano with Marcantonio Barone and violin with Paul Reiser, was the third-place winner in the Junior Piano division of the 2010 Tri-County Concerts Association Annual Youth Festival.  He was also a prize-winner at the 2010 West Chester University of Pennsylvania Annual Pre-Collegiate Piano Competition and performed in the winners’ recital at the Gates Family Recital Hall at the University in April.

Victoria Marks, a piano student of Laurie Ticehurst, served as accompanist of the Welsh Valley Middle School Chorus last year.  She also sang as a member of the Select Chorus and sang the lead in Welsh Valley’s production of the musical Wizard of OzI.

Nathan Pezzotti, who studies theory and composition with Benjamin C. S. Boyle and piano with Alexander Panku, won first prize in the Mid-Atlantic division of the ACSI soloist competition, playing saxophone in Paul Creston’s sonata for saxophone and piano.

Meredith Pollie, who studies piano with Laurie Ticehurst at the Bryn Mawr Conservatory of Music, also sings as a member of “Bel Canto”, the select a cappella group at the Agnes Irwin School

Priya Roychoudhury, a piano student of Daina Dodbiba, is a pianist in the Oak Park Elementary School Jazz Band.  She also accompanied the school choir and sang two solos in their June concert.

David Zhang, a piano student of Marcantonio Barone, won first place in the Junior Piano division of  the 2010 Tri-County Concerts Association Annual Youth Festival and performed at the winners’ concert at Montgomery County Community College in May.

Jerry Zhu, a piano student of Laurie Ticehurst, served as accompanist of  the Tredyffrin/Easttown sixth-grade chorus last year.