Motifs: February 2021

We'd love to hear from you! Submit your own motif.

Keith Bartholomew (IAA 76-78) was recently named a recipient of the University of Utah’s Distinguished Teaching Award. The award is the university’s highest teaching honor.

James Stephenson (IAC/NMC 79-84, 86, IAA 83-86, IAC Fac 04, 08) composed a new work, “Fanfare for Democracy,” which made its world premiere during the inauguration of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. The piece was performed by members of the President’s Own Marine Band under the direction of Colonel Jason K. Fettig during the inaugural prelude.

Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Kevin Puts’ (AS 85-87) “And Legions Will Rise” will be performed as part of the Australian Ensemble’s 2021 season.

Kate Miller (IAA 86-87) appears as Reporter Marjorie in the Netflix original film Trial of the Chicago 7. The film was recently announced as the recipient of the Vanguard Award from the Palm Springs International Film Awards.

Master Sgt. Franklin Crawford (AS 92-93 IAC 94-96, IAA 95-96) performed with “The President’s Own” United States Marine Corps Band during U.S. President Joe Biden’s inauguration on Jan. 20, 2021. Franklin, a tubist, has now performed in six presidential inaugurations.

Katy Franklin (IAC 94, 96) is currently writing, producing, and performing a true crime podcast called True Crime in the 50, in which she takes a look at “the craziest true crime in each state,” from Alabama to Wyoming. The podcast, which was launched in January, is available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Leah Edwards (IAC 96-99, IAA 98-00, IAC St 00) founded Holy City Arts & Lyric Opera (HALO) with her husband, Dimitri Pittas, in Charleston, South Carolina. The company’s mission is to engage the Lowcountry community by presenting quality art and artists in performances ranging from large-scale productions to intimate conversations. Their pandemic-friendly pivot, a mobile concert initiative titled “Social Distance-SING!” has presented over 100 concerts since April. HALO also hosts a weekly online Opera 101 course, and curates Thursday at the Theatre, a multi-genre arts movie series hosted at a drive-in theatre.

Vella Lovell (IAC 98-01, IAA 01-03, IAC St 03) stars opposite Ted Danson and Holly Hunter in the new NBC sitcom Mr. Mayor.

Kyle Taylor Parker (IAC 01-02) released his second album, Broadway Soul, Vol. 2, in February. The album is currently available on all digital platforms; physical CDs will be released on Feb. 26.

Elmer Churampi (IAC 10, IAA 10-13), Elizabeth Freimuth (IAC Fac 09), Nivanthi Karunaratne (IAC 12-13), and Brian Prechtl (UNIV 81) were selected to record Aaron Copland’s “Fanfare for the Common Man” and Joan Tower’s “Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman” for the inauguration of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.

Cristina Cutts Dougherty (IAC Ins 13-15, IAA 13-15, IAC St 14, 20) is heading The Resilience Project, a book which aims to secure the legacies of historic women in brass by detailing their orchestral careers and pedagogy from the 1940s to today. Dougherty recently received a 2021 Music Academy of the West Alumni Enterprise Award to support her work.

Conor Dailey (IAC 15,17-18, IAA 15-19, IAC St 19-20) was recently elected to serve a two-year term as a student-at-large member on the Board of Directors for the National Collegiate Honors Council.

Kate Hamann’s (IAA 16-18) jazz album, When I Grow Up, is now streaming on Spotify, Bandcamp, and many other platforms. Hamann wrote and arranged all the music on the album and performed the trumpet, flugelhorn, and vocal parts. Fellow alumni Matt Clarke (IAC 15-16, IAA 17-18) and Eli Braddock (IAA 16-18) served as the album’s supplementary recording engineer and mixer, respectively.