5 Questions with Jason Solomonides

Mr. Solomonides graduated from the University of Hartford College of Engineering, Technology & Architecture (CETA) with a B.S. in Electrical Engineering and a Minor in Piano Performance from The Hartt School in 1985.  Jason is a long time student of Prof. Raymond Hanson, Chairman of Piano Emeritus at both Julius Hartt and the Hartt College School of Music; studying with Prof. Hanson from 1975 to 1988.  He is currently living in Cromwell, CT with his wife Dr. Kerry O’Neal and twin daughters, Alexis and Keira, ages 4 ½.

What have you been up to since you graduated from Hartt?

I am currently Chief Engineer, Controls & Diagnostics - Pratt & Whitney (P&W) – United Technologies Corporation (UTC); with a proud 32 year tenure and am the recipient of 4 technical patents.  As Chief of Controls, I have the program management and technical responsibility for the design, development and deployment of the Control & Diagnostic Systems and Software for all of P&W's commercial and military engine programs.

After graduating from the University of Hartford I completed my M.S.E.E from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1988 and went on to complete the Executive M.B.A program at the University of Connecticut in 2000.

Since graduating from Hartt, I have had also had an active musical career.  In addition to performing numerous solo recitals across Connecticut between 1985 and 1998, I was invited to performed as part of the prestigious Asylum Hill Music Series in Harford in 1991, and performed a solo United Way Fund Raiser Piano Recital called “Sonatas and Sweets” in 1994 at the Werner Centennial Theatre in Simsbury, CT, sponsored by UTC and was interviewed live on-air by Ray Dunaway of WTIC-AM, prior to the concert.
What are you involved with right now?
I was invited to give a lecture and perform a solo recital as part of the annual Mason & Hamlin University conference held at the piano factory in Haverhill, MA on September 15 & 16, 2016 and recently received the honor of being named a Mason & Hamlin Artist.  I am currently recording my active repertoire for the company, and in the process of producing a series of PianoDisc recordings. 

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkP65I5BsNirTcv-nAHm4BXXsCbB_EbAJ

I continue to talk with and study with 97 year old Prof. Raymond Hanson!

What is most memorable about your time at Hartt?

Probably my most memorable moment while attending the Hartt School of Music was winning the Hartt School of Music Concerto Competition entering my Senior Year as an Engineering Major, and subsequently performing Liszt’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in Eb with the Hartt Symphony Orchestra, guest conducted by Maestro Frank Collura on March 7 & 8, 1985.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2YqQ-OpIQBk&t=2s&index=1&list=PLkP65I5BsNiq8-p9W3fyJKgMc7oqXCdQO

Of course, having studied at the Hartt School for so many years, there were many other memorable moments.  Performing solo recitals, as part of the Bach-Liszt and Mozart-Prokofiev recital series, at the ASK House on Prospect Ave. – including a performance of Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 25 in C, K.503, with Prof. Anne Koscielny, accompanying. Still fresh in my mind was performing and participating in Master Classes with Dr. Moshe Paranov at Millard Auditorium.  During my high school years at Julius Hartt, I studied the violin for five years with Prof. Abraham Mishkind and was awarded First Prize – Piano at both the Hartford Symphony Competition (1981) and Performer of Connecticut Competition (1981). I was also chosen to perform the Grieg Piano Concerto in Am, with the Greater Hartford Youth Orchestra, conducted by Prof. Bernard Lurie on May 10, 1981.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udKjPrt8jXM&list=PLkP65I5BsNiq8-p9W3fyJKgMc7oqXCdQO&index=6

What did you learn during while at Hartt that you did not appreciate or recognize until after time passed and you had some time to reflect?

5 Questions with Aaron Krasting

Aaron Krasting (Bachelor of Music in Music Education, 1993) studied music education at Hartt from 1989 to 1993.  He is currently living in West Deptford, New Jersey.

 

What have you been up to since you graduated from Hartt?

 

Life has been extremely busy since I graduated from Hartt. My first teaching job was in the Pennsville, New Jersey middle and high schools. I was the choir director there for three years. During that time, I grew up a lot. I can honestly say some tough lessons were learned. Musically speaking, I accomplished a great deal. I had the opportunity to perform with the late Robert Shaw for three special concerts at Carnegie Hall. I can definitely thank Drs. Gerald Mack and Pamela Perry for the high level of preparation for such incredible opportunities. I also became the tenor soloist and section leader at historic Christ Church in Philadelphia, a position held for 5 years (thanks to Jack Zei for the vocal preparation). I lost my job in Pennsville due to a reduction in force.

 

After a few very short stints in other jobs, I became the choir director and theater producer at Paulsboro High School in Paulsboro, New Jersey -a short 7 minute drive from my childhood home. I am still at Paulsboro. While here, I received the school and district Teacher of the Year honors in 2001 and, in 2010, was selected to conduct the All South Jersey Junior High Honors Chorus. Over the last 20 years, I held other performance positions at churches -including Trinity Episcopal Church in Moorestown, NJ where I currently am- and performed on the stages of area semi-professional theaters, namely the Ritz Theater in Oaklyn, NJ and the Broadway Theater in Pitman, NJ where, most recently, I played the part of Edna Turnblad in Hairspray. I also performed with Philadelphia's professional choir, the Philadelphia Singers, as well as the Philadelphia Boyschoir and Chorale with my sons, and directed/vocal directed many productions at the high school and semi-professional level.

 

Personally speaking, after graduating from Hartt, I married Tina Oslin, whom I was dating while in school. We have 3 great sons (Michael, who is preparing for a career as a tenor, Tyler, who is currently singing with the Philadelphia Boyschoir, and Christopher, who is in the Boyschoir training program) and we successfully built Tina’s Polynesian dance business and our summer theater programs. We have, however, divorced amicably.  I am happy and have a new love, Becky, in my life.  We’ll see what the next half of my life has in store!

 

What are you involved with right now?

 

Right now, I have just completed the coursework for my Masters Degree in School Leadership at Wilmington University. I'm looking forward to the challenges that go with becoming an administrator for the remainder of my career. I have also decided to basically retire from performing to focus on my new profession and life. A performer can’t stay away forever, so I do hope to return to singing and the stage someday. Right now, I’m enjoying watching my sons perform. I’ll actually be bringing my son, Michael, for a visit to Hartford as a possible college choice.

 

What is one of the most things about your time at Hartt?

 

There were many memorable things that happened while at Hartt. 1) While at the University of Hartford, I was a Red Cap as part of the Preview Orientation program, serving as the director of the group my senior year. As such, I was involved with helping incoming freshmen select their courses and prepare for their lives as Hartt students. Thanks Joan Glazer for all your help, guidance, and support as I did this. 2) My freshman year, Hartt celebrated the birthday of William Schumann. Preparing for that celebration imbedded music in my head that I find myself humming to this day (On Freedoms Ground). 3) The Hartt Chamber Singers (if memory serves right) performed at the MENC Eastern Division convention in Pittsburgh. 4) I also attended the ACDA National Convention in Phoenix which was an amazing experience (thanks Tom Nerbonne). There were more, but 3 is enough

 

What did you learn during while at Hartt that you did not appreciate or recognize until after time passed and you had some time to reflect?

 

5 Questions with Matthew Aubin

Matthew Aubin, Doctor of Musical Arts (2010) and Masters (2006) in Music Education both with a conducting emphasis, is currently living in Jackson, Michigan. 

 

What have you been up to since you graduated from Hartt?

In 2006, after completing my Masters, I applied for the DMA program and was offered a fellowship.  I accepted this offer, and left my teaching position at The Norwich Free Academy. In addition to my core course work in music education and wind conducting with Glen Adsit, I took the opportunity as a full-time student to play the French horn again and explore orchestral conducting.  I worked very hard to get my horn chops back into shape and performed with the top instrumental ensembles at The Hartt School.  Additionally, I supplemented my conducting study with Glen by taking score reading courses with Larry Alan Smith and participated in the orchestral conducting seminar with Chris Zimmerman.  These experiences along with some outside conducting workshops and extracurricular study led to a variety of opportunities.

After achieving ABD status in 2008, Hartt kept me on as an adjunct faculty member.  Glen asked me to conduct the Symphony Band, Foot in the Door and the Pep Band.  I also taught several undergraduate courses.  I began to make connections with many of the local professional orchestras and freelanced often on horn in Connecticut.  It was during this period that I was contracted to design and conduct educational concerts with the Hartford Symphony Orchestra.  Concurrently, I began to play with a new orchestra in New York City called The Chelsea Symphony.  In 2010, I successfully auditioned to be one of that group’s conductors, eventually becoming Artistic Director.  After completing my doctorate in 2010, I continued as an adjunct faculty member at Hartt and was a candidate for two local community orchestra music director positions.  

The day I learned that I was selected to be the Connecticut Valley Chamber Orchestra’s Music Director was the same day that I learned I had successfully won the position of Assistant Professor of Music at Washington State University (orchestra conductor and studio horn).  My wife and I discussed the situation and decided that it was a good career move for me to accept the job offer in Washington even though she had 4 more years of training in orthopedic surgery at the University of Massachusetts in Worcester where we were living at the time.  For the next 4 years I traveled across the country regularly, conducting The Chelsea Symphony in NYC, teaching at WSU and managing to visit my wife in Massachusetts.  The students at WSU were fantastic and both the orchestra and horn studio improved a great deal while I was there.  At WSU, I performed in faculty ensembles and performed with many professional orchestras including the Spokane Symphony Orchestra and Walla Walla Symphony.  However, the travel was exhausting and as my wife finished fellowship and was looking for jobs we decided that we could no longer live apart. 

We discussed our situation and made the decision for her to take a job in Jackson, Michigan as a hand surgeon and for me to leave WSU.  The Jackson position was a dream job for my wife.  For me, The Chelsea Symphony was demanding more of my attention as it grew from a modest start-up to a more mature organization.  Leaving WSU allowed me to devote more time to The Chelsea Symphony and to finally live with my wife again.

What are you involved with right now?

Today we reside in Jackson and I commute to NYC about 2 times per month.  The Chelsea Symphony is celebrating its 10th anniversary this season. The orchestra is unique in that we provide professional development opportunities for our members by featuring them as conductors, composers and soloists.  This season we are celebrating our anniversary by performing at some different venues such as Merkin Hall and the DiMenna Center.  We are performing the music of some fantastic contemporary composers like Caroline Shaw, Michael Daugherty and Gerard Schwarz.  The orchestra is continuing to play a role as background musicians and coaches for the Amazon television series Mozart in the Jungle.  I consult for the series and contract many of the musicians that appear on camera. 

While at WSU I began researching the composer, Fernande Breilh-Decruck.  She is a French, female composer from the first part of the 20th century who is primarily known as the composer of several important classical saxophone works.  I won a number of research grants for this work and in my travels to France I have discovered many manuscripts that were written for and performed by many of the top performers and ensembles in France in the 1930’s and 1940’s. For the past few years, I’ve worked to disseminate this music to performers and provide more information about her through a website that I’ve created (www.fernandedecruck.com). 

Additionally, I am continuing to be an active horn player and have performed with the Traverse City Symphony and the Jackson Symphony Orchestra.  Both ensembles are exceptional regional orchestras.

What is one of your most memorable things about your time at Hartt?

It was extremely rewarding to prepare for our tours and to create our recordings for Naxos.  Glen was very gracious about giving me opportunities to conduct (tours) and produce (recordings) and I will never forget those experiences.  The wind ensemble performance at Hill Auditorium and Foot in the Door’s performance at Benaroya Hall were both the culmination of many months of hard work.  In 2008 we toured Germany and Austria with the Greater Hartford Youth Wind Ensemble and I still remember standing on the rostrum at the Musikverein listening to the resonance last forever.  I remember sitting in the sound booth with Steve Gryc as we recorded his trombone concerto with Joe Alessi.  As I look back, I recognize the value of breaking out of our daily routine with projects such as these.  They heightened everyone's musical standards, exposed the musicians to new experiences but most importantly brought the members of the ensemble together.  I appreciate the support of the university in these opportunities and especially the support, motivation and mentorship of Glen Adsit.

What did you learn during while at Hartt that you did not appreciate or recognize until after time passed and you had some time to reflect?

 

5 Questions with Ryan Bauer-Walsh

Ryan Bauer-Walsh (BFA ‘o6), studied Music Theatre at Hartt from 2002 to 2006.  He is currently living in New York City. 

What have you been up to since you graduated from Hartt?

After Graduating in 2006 from the Theatre Division at Hartt I moved straight to NYC. I had worked with Goodspeed’s Festival of New Artists through the Music Theatre divisions relationship with their theatre company and it helped them get to know me. After a few auditions in NYC, Goodspeed cast me in Nell Benjamin’s PIRATES! It was a new take on Pirates of Penzance and I got my Equity card.  Getting my card helped me make the transition from school to performing professionally. I went on tour after that with Theatre Works USA for my first national touring experience with Paul Revere. It was a great way to see the country and it really developed my work ethic.

After that I realized the only way to work in NYC was to audition constantly. I did about 260 auditions in one year back when you could go to four a day. I was running between audition studios and getting to know all the casting directors in town and finally I booked my first Production Contract. Lonny Price, who I had met at the American Theatre Wing’s SPRINGBOARD boot camp two years prior, cast me in BROADWAY: 3 GENERATIONS at The Kennedy Center. It was my birthday that day and he called me personally to let me know I was going to be part of the show. It was life changing to work with that team of creatives. After that, I did the First National Tour of BILLY ELLIOT, the International tour of ZORRO, toured Europe with Silver Sea, ENCORES Most Happy Fella, and I’ve worked regionally in theater around the country.

I also have built a career as a Voice Over actor, as an illustration artist, commissioned painter and I recently published my first book; Rusty The Rescue- which proceeds from the sales go to help shelter dogs. 

What are you involved with right now and is there a specific career highlight?

I was recently invited back to reprise my role as Pietro, with the Prospect Theatre Company in their production of Death For Five Voices. We will be doing a developmental residency to workshop the production in Gesualdo, Italy- which is where the story in the musical takes place.  We will be performing in the castle where the protagonist lived. I also just made my debut as Jean Valjean in the Maltz Jupiter Theatre’s production of Les Miserables— which to date was one of the most thrilling experiences I have had on stage.

But I think one of the best experiences I have had as a performer in a while was actually just this last month. I was invited by The New York Special Olympics to perform at their opening ceremony on October 16th. Over 1000 athletes gathered with supporters and fans at the Glenn Falls Civic Center for the event. Meeting such an amazing group of people and being able to be a part of that evening was incredible! The event is completely built on the strength of volunteers. We had less than 20 minutes to tech the performance, but in that time we were able to create a flash mob of 60 dancers who took to the floor while I sang a version of Katy Perry’s FIREWORK— for which Hartt Professor Michael Morris created an amazing orchestration for the evening. Thank you again, Mike!!

What is one of your most memorable moments from your time at Hartt?

5 Questions with Trevor Johnson

Trevor Johnson (MM degree Oboe Performance ‘95) studied at Hartt from 1993 to 1995. He is currently living in Jeffersonville, Indiana (suburb of Louisville, Kentucky).

What have you been up to since you graduated from Hartt?

A few months after graduating from Hartt, I won an audition for a position with the Louisville Orchestra, and with the exception of two seasons’ leaves of absence, have been 2nd and Assistant Principal Oboe ever since.  In the past few years, I have also been playing English horn regularly with the orchestra.  In 2000, I was the host/conference coordinator of the annual meeting of the International Conference of Symphony and Opera Musicians (ICSOM) when it met in Louisville.

What are you involved with right now?

Coaching double reeds in a local high school, and a recording project with the Louisville Orchestra to provide the soundtrack to Thunder Over Louisville, the largest fireworks display in North America.

What is one of your most memorable things about your time at Hartt? What is a career highlight?

Performing with the Emerson String Quartet and traveling to New York with Performance 20/20 to see performances at Carnegie Hall and Brooklyn Academy of Music.

Performing under the baton of John Williams, and accompanying Rostropovich in a performance of the Shostakovich Cello Concerto.

What did you learn during while at Hartt that you did not appreciate or recognize until after time passed and you had some time to reflect?

Not only did I receive excellent performance instruction and opportunities while at Hartt, but I also had hands-on experience with other aspects of being a musician that are necessary to make a career.  As part of my financial aid package, I learned a great deal about behind-the-scenes responsibilities as stage manager for the Conductors’ Institute Orchestra, manager of the Hartt Contemporary Players, and producing aspects of the first Performance 20/20 CD recording.

What is next for you?

I plan to continue to work with the ever-rising Louisville Orchestra and collaborate in a recording project with my chamber music group, the Ceruti Chamber Players. I also will serve on the Executive Board of the local chapter of the American Federation of Musicians.

If people to get in touch, how can they do so?

Trevoboe1@msn.com and https://www.facebook.com/trevor.johnson.3766952

5 Questions with Javier Colon

Javier Colon (B.M. 2000) studied Music Education at Hartt from 1995 to 2000.  He is currently living in West Hartford.

What have you been up to since you graduated from Hartt?

A couple months after graduating from Hartt, I was asked to be the lead singer of a band called The Derek Trucks Band. (Now known as the Tedeschi Trucks Band.) It was my 1st touring gig as a musician and I got to see what being on the road was like. I learned so much from Derek, who I believe is one of the best guitarists out there. I was with him for almost 2 years before I left the band to pursue a solo career. I signed to Capitol Records as a solo artist in 2002 and released albums with them in 2003 and 2006. The albums had moderate success but I was eventually dropped from Capitol and found myself searching for a new deal. 

After 5 years and many meetings with labels but no offers, I found myself in a tough position. I still toured as much as I could doing mainly college and corporate gigs but it was getting to the point where it wasn’t enough to support my family. Right around that time, my management had heard about a new show called “The Voice” that was starting up. After being talked into auditioning by my family and friends, I made it on the show and eventually won the 1st season. It was an amazing experience and opportunity that changed the course of my career and life. 

What are you involved with right now?

I continue to tour the US and the world with my music and will be releasing a new album with the new label I recently signed with, Concord Music Group. 

What is one of your most memorable things about your time at Hartt?  What is a career highlight?

5 Questions with Bernadette Baker

Bernadette Baker (Bachelor of Music 1994) studied Violin Performance at Hartt from 1990 to 1994.  She is currently living in Melbourne VIC Australia.

What have you been up to since you graduated from Hartt?

Well, I’ve moved around a lot! I lived in Boston for a year and a half, then Dallas for 8 years, then back to Racine WI for a year and a half, and then I moved to Melbourne, Australia 10 years ago, which is where I now happily reside. In that time I’ve done a lot of freelance playing and private teaching, as well as working “normal jobs.”

What are you involved with right now?

I’m currently playing in the Melbourne Opera Orchestra, which I started playing in shortly after moving to Melbourne. They have become like my second family, this group of musicians. I thoroughly enjoy making music with them and I am in love with the operatic repertoire. This became a springboard for my other music project, my violin duo, Operatic Strings. In 2008 started making arrangements of my favourite opera arias for two violins as a way of being able to play this amazing music whenever I wanted. My concept then grew to include musical theatre songs, standard classical tunes and some popular music. I asked my friend and colleague Emma to play through the arrangements with me to see if they worked, et voila! We play for weddings, special occasions, and we put on regular concerts for fun and entertainment.

What is one of your most memorable things about your time at Hartt?

Update to Hartt Alumni

Here is the September 2015 email update sent from the Hartt Board of Trustees' Alumni Committee to all alumni for who the University of Hartford has an email address.

Can't view this email properly? Click here for the online version.

Dear Fellow Hartt Alumni, I hope you have been well since last summer’s email sent to all Hartt alumni about the exciting things that were happening at Hartt and preview for the 2014–15 year. Now, I wanted to reach out, once again, on behalf of the Hartt Board of Trustees’ Alumni Committee to highlight some of the exciting things that happened at Hartt during the past year and to preview some upcoming events. Hartt, and the University of Hartford as a whole, have made a real commitment to improving alumni engagement. Everyone at Hartt wants you to feel a continuing connection to the school and this update is one way we are doing that. We hope that you will consider coming to a performance, reaching out individually to a former professor, attending an alumni event, or finding another way to remain involved. For now, let’s talk about our alma mater.

THEATRE DIVISION presented the rarely performed musical On Your Toes and is preparing for Nicholas Nickleby.

In 1936, the musical On Your Toes, written by Rodgers and Hart, opened on Broadway.  Prior to Hartt’s production, On Your Toes had never been performed north of New York City. The show, which requires both a full ballet company and a music theater company, is a massive undertaking. Hartt’s production was directed by Alan Rust, director of the Theatre Division, and choreographed by Ralph Perkins and Stephen Pier. A full orchestra, conducted by Edward Cumming, skillfully added an important component to the grand show, which includes the jazz ballet "Slaughter on Tenth Avenue." This coming year, the Theatre Division will present another rare production. Charles Dickens’s Nickolas Nickleby will be performed in two parts on consecutive nights and both parts combined during weekend days in November. The Hartt School Theatre Division Presents The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickelby Presented in Two Parts Tuesday–Sunday Nov. 3–8, 2015 Part I: Tuesday and Thursday, 7:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, 3 p.m. Part II: Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, 7:30 p.m. Dickens’s England Evening Package Saturday or Sunday Parts I and II with a traditional Dickensian dinner between shows, hosted at the University of Hartford’s 1877 Club. Tickets are available by visiting hartford.edu/tickets or calling 860.768.4228.

Hartt Alumni Award—2015 Recipient and a Call for 2016 Nominations

Boykin speaks on Lincoln stage in May. Phillip Boykin ’95 was the 2015 Alumni Award recipient. Boykin was presented this honor at the Hartt Commencement in May. At commencement, Boykin spoke passionately to the graduating students and assembled guests sharing both the struggles he has experienced and his triumphs. He was a featured performer in the recent Broadway production of On The Town, Boykin has had an amazing career since graduating Hartt. Visit his webpage. If you know of a Hartt alumnus or alumna worthy of consideration for the Hartt Alumni Award, please nominate him or her.

Hartt Welcomes a New Class as the Tradition of Opening Convocation Continues!

5 Questions with Steve Wenig

Steve Wenig (B.M. ‘95) studied Music Theory and Trumpet at Hartt from 1990 to 1995.  He is currently living in Houston, TX.

What have you been up to since you graduated from Hartt?

After graduating from Hartt in 1995, I went to the University of Michigan to work on a master degree in trumpet performance.  Although I did my undergraduate work in Music Theory at Hartt, it was the opportunity to study with great teachers, like Chris Gekker, Roger Murtha and Jay Lichtmann which really got me excited about trumpet playing.  Those opportunities, combined with the opportunities to play a good deal of heavy duty repertoire with the Hartt Symphony Orchestra, really lit a fire in me for orchestral trumpet performance.

After finishing my masters, I freelanced, taught lessons and took a ton of orchestral auditions. Well, 37 to be exact but who’s counting.  My wife and I moved to Houston, Texas and in 2004 an opportunity to work as the assistant personnel manager of the Houston Symphony presented itself.  

Constant auditioning and no orchestral job to show for it was beginning to take its toll so I figured that I would try an administrative position and if it turns out that I really miss trumpet playing then I’d know for sure to keep auditioning.  As it turns out, I really enjoyed working closely with the orchestra, even in a non-playing capacity and I’ve been working in orchestral management ever since.  After being the Asst. PM, I became the Personnel Manager and worked in that capacity for about 7 years. Personnel Managers occupy a crucial link between orchestral musicians and their employer.  It is also really thrilling to be in this part of the business and seeing all the work behind the scenes that goes into how a full-time Symphony orchestra operates.  As you might imagine, having a background as a musician was invaluable in this role.

What are you involved with right now?

Currently I still work for the Houston Symphony but am now the Director of Community Partnerships.  In this role, I help develop community relevant concerts and programming and also maintain the relationships with a number of community organizations, social service agencies and other cultural institutions.  This summer, we just launched a new Community Embedded Musician program.  This is a new group of string musicians who focus primarily on teaching and community work while also appearing as substitute musicians with the orchestra.  I also help advance the Symphony’s diversity and inclusion initiatives as it pertains to the Symphony’s relevance within the community.

What is one of your most memorable things about your time at Hartt?

What was most memorable about Hartt were the friendships and networks that were developed and are still valued and in use today.

What did you learn during while at Hartt that you did not appreciate or recognize until after time passed and you had some time to reflect?

Alumni Spotlight - Beverly Stern (Slitt) Silver

Most of our recent alumni interviews have been of alumni from more recent vintages, but we wanted to spotlight an alumna with a more  experience than most of us.  

Beverly Stern (Slitt) Silver got her Music Education degree from Hartt in 1970.  She studied piano and voice at Hartt from 1966 to 1970.  She is currently living in East Hartford, CT. 

After graduating, Beverly general and choral music for 26 1/2 years in Windsor, CT.  She has also taught piano and voice privately for more than 20 years.  When not teaching, Beverly has performed with a number of community theatre groups, both in musicals and drama/comedy. And, both she and her husband, Marc Silver, have been active in Simsbury Light Opera Company since 1998. 

5 Questions with Kim (Deluccio) Collins

Kim (DeLuccio) Collins (BM 1992) studied Flute at Hartt from 1988 to 1993.  She is currently living in Trumbull, CT.

What have you been up to since you graduated from Hartt?

So many things have happened in the last 20-plus years!  I got married to Steve Collins (BM Percussion, 1989).  On the teaching front, I taught at Hartt Community Division for about 7 years, maintained an active private teaching studio, and also did some teaching at Fairfield University, Choate Rosemary Hall, and Neighborhood Music School.  As far as performing is concerned, I never stopped after school.  I decided early on that I really enjoyed the freedom and variety of being a freelance artist, and I have been fortunate to play with so many great musicians along the way.  I have played solo recitals, chamber music, orchestral music, been featured soloist with orchestra here and there, lots of shows including some work on Broadway, and a few recordings…a really fun variety.

In 2007 we had the first addition to our family, and now have two little boys in Elementary School, so that keeps things in perspective and is a huge project in itself.

What are you involved with right now?

I am currently performing in a freelance capacity with the Vermont, Springfield, Hartford, New Haven, Bridgeport, and Albany Symphonies as well as in the pit for nationally touring shows that come through the state.  I am also Principal Flutist with the Waterbury Symphony.  I am teaching at home and at Southern Connecticut State University.  I’m always looking for new and interesting projects so I’m open to ideas for fun collaborations and concerts.  Sometimes I feel as if, although I really enjoy orchestral music, that I have some untapped spark for other genres that I want to explore.  I hope I can do more of that in the coming years.

I enjoy running and cooking, and being the best mom I can be to my two boys.  I’ve been known to hit local boot camps and flip some tires and push some prowlers around here and there and always enjoy a good physical challenge like an obstacle race.

What is one of your most memorable things about your time at Hartt?

I hate to repeat what others have said, but…there are so many!

Mr. Lepak with his cigar hanging out of the corner of his mouth, performing Concerto for Orchestra at the MENC conference with Arthur Winograd conducting, playing with the Emerson String Quartet, coachings with Moshe Paranov, our trips to NYC to play in Town Hall and Alice Tully hall, working in the Information Booth, Mr. Rauche stamping my papers with a dancing pig in a tutu, and especially my lessons and studio classes with John Wion.  I loved getting the chance to play the flute in so many different settings.  A huge thank you also for the life-changing moment in which Dr. Feierabend said that we shouldn’t use a Music Education degree as something to fall back on.  I recall being wracked with guilt at that statement, and feeling like a sham.  He inspired me to change my major to performance, and I know it was the right choice for me.

What did you learn during while at Hartt that you did not appreciate or recognize until after time passed and you had some time to reflect?

5 Questions with Shana Mahoney

Shana Mahoney (B.M. ‘93) studied Music Theatre at Hartt from 1989-1993.  She is currently living in New York City.

What have you been up to since you graduated from Hartt?

Right after I graduated from Hartt I got my first job at a summer-stock theatre in the Catskills doing 7 musicals over the course of 5 months.  I actually couldn't even attend my graduation ceremony from Hartt because I had already started rehearsals, and was working, which I thought was a great sign.  I was lucky enough to work non-stop performing in musicals for several years after graduation.  I performed in summer stock, regional theatre and national tours including: Forbidden Broadway, and Evita.  

While on tour with Evita, I auditioned for and booked the European tour of Cats playing Gumbie/Griddlebone.  I was lucky enough to perform in Switzerland, Italy, France and Austria.  While in Austria I auditioned and booked the European premiere company of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast in Vienna, which I performed in for a year.  After that I was also cast in the world premiere of Roman Polanski and Jim Steinman’s Dance of the Vampire, which I also recorded the original cast album for. 

After a year’s run of Dance of the Vampire, (and getting married to an Austrian), my husband Andreas and I moved back to New York after several years in Europe. I booked a job that summer as the lead singer in the Supper Club’s Andrews Sisters and Swing Dance show in Manhattan, which was a lot of fun.  After that, I booked the Broadway 1st National tour of Cabaret starring Teri Hatcher and Norbert Leo Butz.  I toured for several years with Cabaret- and I even took a leave of absence to give birth to my first daughter Sophia and returned to the tour just in time to spend a month in Tokyo, Japan with the show.  We also performed on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and us Cabaret-girls recorded a National commercial for Degree deodorant, which was a lot of fun!  Why they wanted to feature girls with hairy armpits for a deodorant commercial is beyond me, but I was happy for the opportunity to have a national commercial!

After landing back in New York, and having a second daughter, I tried to station myself in the city and not travel as much, doing local off-Broadway shows, and singing concerts and church jobs.  I was hired as a professional cantor at St. Barnabas Church, and did several concerts with them over the years.  I also started a voice studio, which has grown so big now that I have a long waiting list.  My vocal studio is one of my biggest joys of my career, and I enjoy it immensely.

I am also a teaching artist at the Riverdale Children's Theatre.  www.riverdaletheatre.org  RCT was just named in Backstage Magazine as "one of the 12 Great Children's Theaters Across the U.S."  It is an amazing place to work.  I am currently the music supervisor of Annie, and playing the role of Grace.  I love being able to share my love of music theatre with children.  I was also hired last year to be the music director of The Saint Barnabas Church in Bronx, NY.  www.stbarnabasbronx.org  It’s the largest Irish-Catholic parish in the country actually, and I direct 4 choirs there, as well as plan the music for Masses, weddings and funerals. 

Next year, our Saint Barnabas children s choir is invited to perform in Rome for Pope Francis in the Sistine Chapel with the Sistine Chapel Choir.  This is a huge honor for us, and I’m really looking forward to the opportunity to take the choir there for the Epiphany Mass.

I am also currently attending the Saint Cecelia Academy of Music at The Saint Joseph’s Seminary in Dunwoodie, NY pursing a Master’s Degree in Theology/Sacred Music.  http://nyliturgy.org/st-cecilia-academy-for-pastoral-musicians/

What are you involved with right now?

A few years ago, in a Manhattan restaurant, I happened to meet a platinum award-winning record producer by chance.  I convinced him to listen to a demo recording of my voice.  After several meetings and discussions, he offered me a recording contract under his label.  For a few years, we developed a concept for an album, and wrote songs together.  He helped me to develop a unique style of classical-type vocals, combined with electronic pop production.  I am happy to say that I just finished the album entitled Beyond The River under my artist name “Shalyma”. The album is available as a special “friends and family pre-release sale” before it becomes officially released in the late Spring/Summer.  I’m very proud of the work I did on the album.  I am especially proud to have some of the pieces that I composed featured on it.  I also featured the Children’s Choir of St. Barnabas on Caccini’s Ave Maria, which I wrote a children's choir part to accompany Caccini’s vocal line.  I think it’s a really unique twist to a traditional sacred classical piece, being that it is produced in a pop-style.  I am hoping that my friends and colleagues will purchase a copy of the album, and give me their feedback and support before the album is officially released and on iTunes. The album can be purchased on my website www.SHALYMA.com

 

5 Questions with Peter Furlong

Peter Furlong (Master of Music, Vocal Performance) studied at Hartt from 1993 to 1995.  He is currently living in Berlin, Germany. 

What have you been up to since you graduated from Hartt?

Hoo, boy.  That’s a long one (which means it’s been a long time).  Right after graduating from Hartt, I was an apprentice at The Santa Fe Opera (for whose audition I sacrificed a vocal jury at Hartt) for two summers.  From there I was a Young Artist at Opera Colorado for three seasons and was eventually asked back to sing as a MainStage artist by none other than Maestro Julius Rudel.  From Denver, I moved to NYC where I sang with Dicapo Opera and I received my three NY Times reviews (all positive, thankfully) during a ten-year period of being a guest artist there.  I also sang with other companies around the US (Opera Colorado, Fort Worth Opera).  Then I moved to Dortmund, Germany to sing a one-year fest contract.  From there I called Italy home for almost ten years while I sang in Italy, Scotland, NYC, Portugal, Ireland, Spain, and Berlin (where I reside, now).  It’s not all been fun and games, though.  There was a two year hiatus to deal with acid reflux which had been making singing impossible and threatening to end my career, and a recent Fach change from lyric tenor to Heldentenor took me out of the performance business for a year to learn a lot of new repertoire.

What are you involved with right now?

Right now, I am co-producing a concert with my wife (soprano Julie Wyma) called Lovers’ Quarrels: Arias and Duets from the dysfunctional world of opera, which we are performing in Niemegk, Germany (Berlin/Brandenburg) on March 27th, and in Concord, NH on April 8th as part of the Walker Lecture Series (free admission).

After that, I am very excited to be singing my first Max in Der Freischütz at Kloster Chorin (Chorin Cloister) near Berlin June 6, 7, and 13.

Then it’s back to the USA to another co-production concert this time called Three Tenors and a Soprano which will be July 23rd as part of the Summer Music Associates concerts in New London, NH.

In addition to the above, I am also a founding member of a group of opera singers here in Berlin called Voci Inglesi. We are a group of classically trained, English speaking singers who are bringing high-quality, English-language opera and art song to European audiences. Our inaugural season begins this July, 2015.

What is one of your most memorable things about your time at Hartt?

5 Questions with Marthia Sides

Marthia Sides (Bachelor of Music (Vocal Performance)) studied at Hartt from 1992 to 1996.  She is currently living in Nashville.

What have you been up to since you graduated from Hartt?

I went on to get my masters in Opera at Longy School of Music in Boston.  From there, I have been on TV, Film, Off-Broadway, sang with Carolina Opera, studied in Italy and toured the U.S.  I've released 4 radio singles and 2 Music Videos. (Check out my website bio for more info www.marthia.com.)

What are you involved with right now? 

I had a baby girl Feb. 28th 2014. She is 1 year old. Her name is Echo,  I got married Oct. 11th 2014 to Kevin Shaw. I am working on a few Variety Shows in Nashville and will start performing in March.

What is one of your most memorable things about your time at Hartt?

There were so many moments but the Vocal training was super important and something I will always remember.

What did you learn while at Hartt that you did not appreciate or recognize until after time passed and you had some time to reflect?

I grew up. I became an adult.

What is next for you?

Many things, but right now just juggling a family and career.