Alumni News
Catch up on the latest news from our alumni!
Are you an alum yourself and have updates to share with us? Email us at music@unc.edu!
Christopher Campo-Bowen (Ph.D. 2018) started a new position as Assistant Professor of Musicology (tenure-track) at Virginia Tech in the fall of 2020.
Mark Cashin (BMus 2008, MAT 2009) is currently the Director of Bands, Percussion and AP Music Theory at Cardinal Gibbons High School in Raleigh, NC. This November, he presented “Jazz Club – Teaching Jazz with Less Stress” at the North Carolina Music Educators Association in-service virtual Conference.
Clair Cooper (BMus 2017) completed her MM in vocal performance at the Peabody Conservatory.
Richard Drehoff Jr. (BMus 2013) was commissioned by the Dina Koston and Roger Shapiro Fund for New Music in the Library of Congress, as part of the Boccaccio Project: A Series of Music Responses to the COVID-19 Pandemic; his piece, “shadow of a difference / falling,” was premiered by oboist Andrew Nogal. Richard is currently a doctoral student at Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore, MD, and is Co-Director of the North Carolina-based contemporary ensemble earspace.
Shafali Jalota (BMus 2017) received an Encouragement Award at the Metropolitan Opera National Council Washington DC auditions and was a finalist in both the Camille Coloratura Awards and the Carolyn Bailey and Dominick Argento Vocal Competition. She was a featured young artist with the Chautauqua Opera Company in 2020.
Brad Linde (BMus 2005) recently released two albums recorded just prior to the COVID-19 quarantine. “Drifting On A Reed” was recorded live at the Jazz Gallery in New York City with 92-year old tenor saxophonist Ted Brown and Hammond B3 organist Gary Versace. This tribute to Charlie Parker and Lee Konitz is Brad’s 4th recording with the cool era/Lennie Tristano student and includes his close collaborators drummer Deric Dickens and guitarist Aaron Quinn. Also released is “urbane outfit”, a quartet with saxophonist Caroline Davis, pianist Russ Lossing, and Dickens on drums. Recorded live during the GDS Jazz and Creative Music Festival, the album features original compositions and music by Ornette Coleman. You can find out more at https://bradlinde.bandcamp.com/ and bradlinde.com.
Ryan Rowe (BA 2018) finished a postgraduate diploma in Vocal Studies at the Academy of Music in Lodz and is currently working as the Russian Language Lab Instructor and Resident Director of the Russian House at Macalester College in Saint Paul, MN.
Haley Swindal (BA Dramatic Art 2008) is currently in the Broadway cast of Chicago, playing the role of Matron “Mama” Morton.
Susannah Stewart (BMus 2019) performed Debussy’s Seguidille in its New York City premiere at the Music at the Morgan Library Series, in a concert with tenor Anthony Dean Griffey and baritone Randall Scarlata. Susannah is currently pursuing a MM degree in voice at the Eastman School of Music.
Anne Sutton (BMus 2018) is a 2020 recipient of the British Marshall Scholarship and is beginning graduate study in vocal performance at the Royal Academy of Music in London.
Jennifer Walker (Ph.D. 2019) began a new position as Assistant Professor of Music (tenure-track) at the School of Music at West Virginia University in the fall of 2020.
Pablo Vega (BMus 2008) became a voting member of The Recording Academy this year.