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This winter, our Outstanding Graduating Senior is flute performance major Andrea Kloehn. Meet Kloehn and celebrate ALL our amazing College of Music grads! Congratulations, #MusicBuffs!

International student Samantha Torres candidly shares how her culture influenced her to pursue a career in music education, the challenges she’s overcoming, and why attending our College of Music is the best institution to support her in achieving her goals and her DEI mission. “I know with conviction that with every step and even misstep, I continue to learn,” she says.

New master’s student Julia Sills—a teaching assistant in the College of Music’s theory department—is researching popular music with a special focus on harmony and rhythm. “I believe music that is relevant to modern popular culture should have a space in academic literature.”

The career of Kedrick Armstrong—graduate orchestral conducting student—is quickly gaining momentum, including conducting the ����ֱ�� Symphony Orchestra’s performance of Irene Britton Smith’s “Sinfonietta” next week.

Congratulations to the winners of the 2022-23 Bruce Ekstrand Memorial Graduate Student Performance Competition!

Violist Avedis Escandon shares what diversity means to him and how he strives to encourage others to become DEI advocates as well. “Just like with music, major changes don’t happen overnight—change requires small bits of effort over time, so we cannot discount the impact of a meaningful dialogue.”

“The way I see it, developing universal musicians who demonstrate diversity in all forms is both a mission and a process that directly supports and sustains democracy. Our diversity of experiences and abilities, perspectives and opinions, races and ethnicities, and genders and sexual identities enhances our conversation, ignites and expands our awareness, and makes us better when we come together.”

We’re delighted to introduce Jude Dow-Hygelund and Cian Krueger as the College of Music’s most recent Sher Distinguished Musician Scholarship recipients.

“Rather than mourn what we have lost, try to find new, different ways of music making. I tried to take this as an opportunity to create long-term curriculums with student-centered projects, and this was a great way for students and myself to interact with music in new, safe ways.”

Olivia Huizar Conner shares how her background inspires her to promote Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) in music.