After Southwestern: Music Alumni Accolades 

NOTE: The Department of Music would like to keep this list current. If you are a Southwestern Music Department alum and would like to be included on this list, update your listing, or have news of other alumni, please e-mail Dr. Kiyoshi Tamagawa at: tamagawk@southwestern.edu

• Andrea ‘Andie’ Loer (11) Graduate studies in Choral Conducting, Stephen F. Austin State University

• Brian Miller (11) Graduate studies in Choral Conducting, Stephen F. Austin State University

• Brooke Lyssy (10) Graduate studies in Musicology, Columbia University
• Stephanie (Rizvi) Stewart (10) Music instructor, Grace Academy; will enter graduate program in musicology, Texas Tech University, spring 2012
• Zachary Zeman (10) Fulbright Scholar, Germany—now Assistant Choir Director, Randall HS, Amarillo
• Megan McCarty (09) Graduate studies in Musicology, Boston University
• Erin McHugh (09) Graduate studies in Vocal Performance, Royal College of Music, London
• Michelle (Perrin) Blair (09) Graduate studies in Conducting, University of Texas/Arlington

 

• Alicia Jumonville (08) Choir director, Palo Alto Middle School, Killeen, TX
• James Jumonville (08) Assistant Choir Director, Rancier Middle School, Killeen, and Liberty Hill Middle School

• Rachel (Barnes) Smith (08) Elementary music teacher, Houston public schools
• Javier Honorato Jara Espinoza (08) Graduate studies in Music and Human Learning, The University of Texas at Austin
• Dolores Noel (08) Head Choir Director, Manor (TX) ISD
  
• Emily Price (08) Middle school choir director, Alvin (TX) ISD
  
• Stevie Garza (07) Master of Music in Musicology, University of Iowa; now a doctoral student at University of Wisconsin/Madison
• Travis Jeffords (07) Master of Music in Composition, The University of Texas at Austin
• Walter ‘Gus’ Sterneman (07) Master of Music in Conducting and Musicology, Butler University; currently in the DMA program in Opera Conducting, University of Arizona
• Aryn Michelle (Campbell) Calhoun (06) Certificate, Berklee College of Music, Songwriting and Music Synthesis

• Aaron Carter-Cohn (06) Master of Music in Theory, Texas State University/San Marcos; now a graduate student in Choral Conducting, University of Texas/San Antonio
• Kevin High (06) Graduate studies in cello performance, University of Missouri; member of graduate string quartet
• Douglas Loomis (06) Studio piano instructor, Conroe, TX
• David Smith (06) Master of Music in Vocal Performance, University of Houston; independent voice teacher in Houston
• Megan (Arnold) Weinel (05) Choir director, Smith Middle School, Houston
• Estee (Carel) Valendy (04) Seminary graduate, Texas Christian University; currently Associate Pastor, First United Methodist Church of Arlington
• Amanda Ortiz (04) orchestra director, Southmore Intermediate School, Pasadena, TX
• Catherine (Warlick) Justl (04) Graduate studies in Music and Human Learning, University of Texas at Austin.
• Joshua Keltner (04) Master of Music in cello performance, University of Massachusetts at Amherst.
• Jennifer Marie (Henderson) Becker (03) Middle school music instructor, Surprise School District, Arizona.
• Amy Louise (Werst) Cox (03) Adjunct instructor of Viola and Chamber Music, University of Texas/Brownsville
• Matthew Brown (02) Master of Music in Conducting, Peabody Conservatory. Now Associate Conductor of Canton (OH) Symphony; also is co-founder and artistic director of the International Conductors’ Festival in Kiev, Ukraine.

• John Branch (00) Freelance guitarist, Austin, TX; has his own band, The Other Lebowski
• Yasu Suzuki (00) Completed graduate studies at University of Massachusetts/Amherst. Now a bass instructor at Amherst College and freelance musician
• Cristina Gonzalez (00) Orchestra director, Economides HS, Edinburg, TX
• Weston Hurt (99) Graduate studies in vocal performance, Indiana University and summer apprentice artist at The Santa Fe Opera Company. Now under professional management, Columbia Artists. Has sung with the Dallas Opera, New York City Opera, Wolf Trap Opera and at Carnegie Hall

 

 

 

 

 

 

• Jed Ragsdale (98) Choral Director, Langham Creek High School, Houston, TX. His choirs have been selected to perform at the Texas Music Educators’ Association state convention

• Jason Schayot (97) Associate Band Director, Berkner HS, Richardson, TX
• Christopher Frerichs (97) MA in arts administration and MBA, University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music
• Melissa (Melancon) Hartshorn (97) Completed graduate studies in vocal performance at University of Houston
• Adrienne (Meza) Grove (97) Completed graduate studies in vocal performance at Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX
• Christine Carlisle (97) Elementary music teacher in Spring Branch ISD, Houston, TX
• Michelle (Mizell) Corazao (96) Graduate studies in Sacred Music, Southern Methodist University
• Jo Ann Elliott (95) Completed Master of Music in Choral Conducting at Ithaca College, Ithaca, NY. Currently a junior high choir director in Richardson, TX
• Claire Smith (95) Graduate studies at Boston Conservatory. Now a freelance musician in New York; has appeared on Late Night with David Letterman, Saturday Night Live and The View television shows
  

•   Robert Phillips (94) Choral director at Dobie High School, Pasadena, TX

• Jason Geistweidt (93) Ph.D., Queen’s University, Belfast, Ireland in music composition; currently freelance composer based in Chicago
• Michelle Weselman (93) Junior High School Choral Director, Spring, TX
• Susan Busch-Eisenhower (92) Junior High Choral Director, Georgetown, TX
• Catharine (Degnan) Lysinger (91) Master’s and Doctorate in Piano Performance, University of Houston; currently Senior Lecturer in Piano and Piano Pedagogy, also Director of Piano Preparatory Department, Meadows School of the Arts, Southern Methodist University
• Michael Lysinger (89) Currently director of the Choral program, J.J. Pearce High School, Richardson, TX
• Marc Erck (89) Minister of Music, University United Methodist Church, Austin; Chorus Master, Austin Lyric Opera
• Scott Carrell (87) Associate Professor of Music, Harding University, Searcy, AR
• Sam Smith (85) completed MS in stage direction for opera at Indiana University, Bloomington. Currently Director of Resource Development for Indianapolis Opera
• Michael Alexander (82) Completed DMA at the University of Houston; past President of Orchestra Division, Texas Music Educators’ Association; currently Music Education faculty member, Baylor University
• Don McAvoy (87) Minister of Music, Coker United Methodist Church, San Antonio, TX
• Dr. Ann Stutes (84) Instructor of Music Theory and Chair of Music Department, Wayland Baptist University, Plainview, TX
• Dr. Rebecca Burkhardt, Orchestra Director, University of Northern Iowa
• Andre Garcia (81) Choral Director and Chair of Music Department, New Mexico Highlands University
• Charlotte (Reed) Moellering (80) Orchestra director (retired), Blalack Middle School, Carrollton, TX. Master’s degree, University of North Texas
• Kathy Lincoln (74) completed MA in Violin Pedagogy at Texas Women’s University, and Master of Music in violin performance at Florida State University. Performer in various professional orchestras in Florida
• Susan Youens (68) Musicology faculty, Notre Dame University, South Bend, IN; leading authority on the music of Franz Schubert