Spring 2017 Wrap-Up
 The spring 2017 semester featured many major performances including the combined forces of the IUP choirs and an orchestra of faculty and guest artists for Karl Jenkins' "The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace." The Percussion Ensemble teamed up with IUP Dance Theater for their latest installment of Dance and Percussion. Our Wind Ensemble was a featured ensemble at PMEA and the IUP Chorale performed an invited concert at the NAfME All-Eastern Conference in New Jersey. This semester we also celebrated with Dr. Stanley Chepaitis who retired in May after 25 years of service.
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50 Years of Percussion at IUP
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This past academic year marked the 50th Anniversary of
Percussion Education at IUP. The program began in the fall of 1966 when Dr. Gary Olmstead, now Professor Emeritus, was hired as IUP’s first full time percussion instructor. Dr. Olmstead developed the program over his 37-year tenure to a position of international recognition. Dr. Michael Kingan took over the program in the fall of 2003 and has continued the tradition of excellence in percussion education and performance. IUP Percussion Alumni hold positions all over the world in public and private school education, college/university education, performance in all areas and all levels of percussion, and prominent positions in business, publishing, and composition.
The IUP Percussion Ensemble acknowledged this 50-year landmark in three ways. First, the opening piece performed on the first IUP Percussion Ensemble concert of November 14, 1966, was the opening piece performed at the Intensity concert of September 22, 2016. Then, at the November 3 concert, IUP PE performed “The O-Zone,” a piece composed by Jack Stamp (IUP percussion alumnus and former director of Bands) in recognition of Olmstead’s 25th year at IUP. It was conducted by current graduate assistant Chris Medycki. Finally, on February 17, 2017, the ensemble premiered “Déjà vu All Over Again,” again composed by Jack Stamp but this time to celebrate 50 years of IUP percussion. This piece was composed in the style of the warhorse “Three Brothers” by Michael Colgrass, which was also performed on the first 1966 concert. The soloists were IUP percussion alumni Marc Nelson, Scott Kemerer, Jason Olear, and Chellise (Allocco) Stolarz. They were accompanied by current students, one from each class (freshman through graduate students).
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PMEA
The IUP Department of Music was well represented at the 2017 Pennsylvania Music Educators Association Annual Conference held in Erie. Dr. Ryan Beeken and Dr. Jason Worzbyt both presented sessions, Dr. Craig Denison and student, Ryan Gross presented poster sessions, the IUP Percussion Ensemble performed two mini-recitals, and the Wind Ensemble performed a program that also featured Dr. Therese Wacker and Dr. Zach Collins as soloists. Once again, IUP's chapter of PCMEA took a large contingent to the conference. IUP graduate, Ben Saylor (BSEd 2010, MA 2016) was recognized with an award for his composition, Jazz Clones.
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IUP Music on YouTube
We continue to live stream events and post highlights from concerts on the IUP Music YouTube channel. Click below to watch some of the highlights from the 2016-2017 school year.
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Faculty Woodwind Quintet
DORFF
Cape May Breezes
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Oliver Lo
SCHUMANN
Dichterliebe (13-16)
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Kevin Eisensmith
MCKEE
Song for a Friend
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Stephanie Caulder
HARTY
Three Miniatures
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Trombone Ensemble
TRADITIONAL/CLARK
My Soul is Anchored in the Lord
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Eastern Standard
Dr. Heidi Lucas (horn) and Dr. Zach Collins (tuba) continue to be active with Eastern Standard, a trio they formed along with  pianist, Jacob Ertl. In January the trio toured several universities in Arizona. The group also performed at the 2017 Northeast Horn Workshop in Connecticut and the Northeast Regional Tuba Euphonium Conference in New York. Eastern Standard recently received a grant to commission a new work from Rochester, NY based composer, Octavio Vazquez. The trio has recently begun to record their second album, which they plan to finish this summer.
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Student News
Jennifer Dibert (BA interior design, clarinet) has joined the Army Band Program and will be stationed at Fort Wood, MO.
Elizabeth Heckman (BSEd, BFA, horn) and Catherine Kasun (BSEd, clarinet) each received the Dean's Merit Scholarship.
Gong Ke (MA, piano) will be attending the Brevard Music Festival in North Carolina.
Hsin-Jou Lee (BFA, piano) will be attending the Art of the Piano Festival in Cincinnati.
Anthony McDonnell (BSEd, clarinet) was selected to attend the Lift Clarinet Academy at Colorado State University this summer.
Brooke Nilsson (BSEd, BFA, horn) will be apprenticing with Chris Cromer of A Minor Tuneup this summer. She will also attend the Daytona Beach Horn Camp this summer.
Gabby Goril (BFA, horn), Alex Swackhamer (MA, horn), and alumni Danielle Stoffer (BSEd, percussion) and Jessica Zelenack (MA, choral conducting) will be working at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp this summer. Marie Mencher (BSEd, trumpet), Brently Bartlett (BSEd, oboe), and alumnus Lexie Sobolweski (BSEd, horn) will tour Europe with with the Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp International Ensemble.
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Alumni News
Eileen Kane (BSEd 2016) has accepted a full assistantship offer from the University of Akron. She will begin a Master of Music in Horn Performance in fall 2017. She will also participate in the 2017 Puerto Rico Music Festival this summer.
Julie Allen (BA 2015) completed a Master of Music degree in Bassoon Performance at the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee.
Andi Bragiel (BSEd 2015) completed a Master of Music degree in Bassoon Performance at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and will begin a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Bassoon Performance at the Cincinnati College/Conservatory of Music.
Kelly Snyder (BFA 2015) made her stage debut with the Mississippi Opera in the role of Peep-Bo in Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Mikado. Snyder lives in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, where she serves as an apprentice with the Mississippi Opera as well as a graduate student at the University of Southern Mississippi.
Jonathan Walker-VanKuren (BFA 2015) has accepted a position as the Tenor Mosher Studio Artist with Opera Santa Barbara. He will begin his professional career as an opera singer in this important program.
Jacob Try (BSEd 2014) was recently featured in the East Oregonian for his efforts in restarting a high school band program in the Pilot Rock School District.
Dr. Matthew Morse (MA 2013), was appointed as Assistant Professor of Music and Associate Director of Bands at California State University, Sacramento.
Scott Ziegler (BSEd 2012) is completing a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Bassoon Performance at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln.
Linda Voegler Granite (BSEd 1992) was named as one of 12 finalists for the Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year Award by Governor Tom Wolf at a press conference on April 13. Granite teaches music at Marshall Elementary School in the North Allegheny School District. The 12 educators were nominated by students, parents, colleagues, and members of the community who wish to recognize their achievements both in and outside the classroom. The winner will be announced in December 2017.
Scott Laird (BSEd 1986, MA 1990), was recently recognized with the North Carolina Symphony's 2016 Maxine Swalin Outstanding Music Educator Award and the American String Teachers Association 2017 Elizabeth A.H Green Award for "distinguished and current career in a K-12 orchestra setting." Laird also returned to Indiana in January 2017 to conduct the PMEA District 2,3,5 Orchestra. He has been Fine Arts Coordinator and Music Instructor at the North Carolina School of Science and Math since 2001. He and his wife, Barbra Smergalski Laird (BA'87) reside in Durham, NC with their sons Matt, Joe, and Cael.
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Continuing
Several of our students will be going on to continue their studies in graduate programs.
Brently Bartlett (BSEd, oboe) received a full assistantship to attend Ohio University in the fall to pursue a Master of Music in Oboe Performance.
Jenny Clink (BSEd, clarinet) will pursue a Master of Music in Clarinet Performance at the University of Northern Colorado.
Tory Dellafiora (BA, clarinet) received a graduate assistantship with the Dalton Institute on College Student Values at Florida State University, where she will be fully funded to study Student Affairs in Higher Education in the fall.
Matthew Emanuelson (BSEd, bassoon) will begin a Master of Music degree in Bassoon Performance at the University of North Texas.
Nick Kloszewski (BSEd, clarinet) will begin his Master of Arts in Choral Conducting at IUP.
Marykate Kuhne (BSEd, clarinet) received an assistantship to Illinois State University to pursue a Master of Music in Wind Conducting and Clarinet Performance.
Hsin-Jou Lee (BFA, piano) will pursue a Master of Music in Piano Performance at the University of Michigan.
Abby Weaver (BSEd, tuba), received an assistantship to the University of Akron to pursue a Master of Music in Tuba Performance.
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