News From the Classes of 1955 and 1956

Sandra (Madeheim) Barrett (BM ’56), retired from her day job but still teaches private lessons. She looks forward to seeing everyone in October.

John Beck (BM ’55, MM ’62), has been Professor of Percussion at Eastman since 1959. He performed for 43 years as principal timpanist of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra and has been the recipient of numerous awards and honors including the University of Rochester’s Edward Peck Curtis Award for excellence in undergraduate teaching. He was inducted into the Percussive Arts Society Hall of Fame in 1999.

Dr. Will Bottje (DMA ’55), was the first person to receive a DMA from any institution. A respected composer, Bottje studied with Vittorio Giannini, Nadia Boulanger, Henk Badings, Bernard Rogers and Howard Hanson. From 1957 to 1981, he taught at Southern Illinois University where he founded and directed the electronic music studio as well as taught flute on the applied music faculty. Following retirement, he was also an adjunct instructor at Grand Valley State University where he also inaugurated an electronic music studio. He currently resides in Grand Haven, Michigan.

Peter M. Brown (BM '55), taught Tuba at the University of California-Riverside and managed corporate facilities in Southern California for Avery-Dennison, Hanna-Barbera Studios and Fleetwood Enterprises.  He now resides in Portland, Oregon where he is a real estate investor.

D. Donald Cervone (BM '55, PhD '70), At SUNY Brockport for 17 years teaching music history, composition, conducting, and advanced theory. Also taught at St. Anselm College, Merrimack College, Nazareth College, St. Bernard's Seminary, and Bishop Kearney High School. Music director or Organist for Roman Catholic, Methodist, and Congregational churches. Compositions include three one-act operas; a viola concerto, orchestral and chamber music, chorus and orchestra works; many sacred and secular choral pieces; songs; music for keyboard. Two years as Composer-in-Residence for public schools in Montana and Milwaukee as part of the Ford Foundation-National Music Council Young Composers Project. Married to Bernice Kuenzig, who provides texts for many of his pieces. Two sons and two daughters have performed as The Ragazzi Consort (recorder quartet) and The 42nd Street Melons (jazz quartet).

Jean (Larson) Clifford (BM ’56), retired in 1992 as music teacher from Leroy Elementary School, in Leroy, New York, where she currently resides with her husband William Clifford (BM ’55).

Barbara (Tressler) Chamberlain (BM ’56), is the music director at St. Mary School in Bethel, CT. and also at Trinity Day School in Newtown, CT.

Barbara (Weller) Crain (’55), is a well-known piano teacher and recitalist in central Pennsylvania. In addition to being an adjudicator for the National Guild of Piano Teachers, she has raised thousands of dollars for the Altoona Symphony through numerous benefit concerts. A mother of one and a grandmother of four, Crain is also a violist with the symphony, President of the Symphony League, and Director of Music at Faith United Methodist Church.

James Cripps (’56), was Organist-Director of Music of the First United Methodist Church of Jacksonville, Florida for 32 years, retiring in 2002. On April 15, 2007 in Jacksonville's Symphony Hall he will be one of four organists playing in a concert billed as Jacksonville's finest organists.

Irene (Mueller) Fix (BM ’56), teaches privately and enjoys playing chamber music in Chester County, Pennsylvania.

Major Samuel J. Fricano (BM '55), served as Commander of the U.S. Army Field Band from 1974-1979. He was Music Director at Walt Disney World 1980-1982, conducted the Mantovani Orchestra 1983-1991, and the St. Johns River City Band 1987-1998. He currently resides in Jacksonville, Florida.

Betsy (Fincke) Fulghum (BM ’55, MM ’58), was an Assistant Professor at the University of South Florida and currently resides in Tampa, Florida.

Doris Gazda (BM ’55),was a string specialist in the Montgomery County, Maryland, schools and faculty associate at Arizona State University. She is nationally known for her string publications and leadership with national offices in ASTA and NSOA. She is the newly appointed Educational String Consultant for Carl Fischer.  www.gazdastrings.com

June (Samaha) Hamra (BM ’55), received her MA in Music History and Voice from the University of Missouri; performed on the "Ozark Jubilee" national TV show; Member of the President's Advisory Committee on The Arts for the JFK Center for the Performing Arts; Member, Missouri Arts Council; Vice Chairman of Hamra Enterprises. June and her husband, Sam, have four children and five grandchildren.

J. Barry Hilbert (BM ’55), retired from H.R. Dimensions as a human resources specialist and currently resides in Bailey Island, Maine.

Priscilla Potter Hirschenhofer (BM '56), retired in 1997 after a career of teaching in the public schools as a string teacher/orchestra director. When she remarried in 2003, she retired from private teaching and all activities and moved to the coast of Maine, where she spends her time traveling, hiking, gardening and enjoying life.

Dr. Thomas Hohstadt (BM ’55, MM ’56, DMA ’62), has achieved recognition in several fields: international symphony conductor, author, lecturer, recording artist, composer, and soloist. A Fulbright scholar, he holds four advanced degrees from the Eastman School of Music and the Vienna Akademie für Musik. A twenty-eight-year conducting career includes positions with the Eastman School of Music; the Honolulu, Amarillo, and Midland-Odessa Symphonies; and guest appearances in eight nations. Additionally, Dr. Hohstadt has authored 6 award-winning books and 75 magazine and Web articles, and is a well-known, online adviser to church leaders throughout the world.

Lucy (Gotschall) Ingram (BM ’55), is a collaborative pianist and an independent instructor. She and her husband, Dr. Henry Ingram, Jr. (BM ’54), live in Greensboro, NC, and have four children and nine grandchildren. They have been active as Two-Piano/Four-Hand recitalists in venues across the US.  Lucy and Henry founded, and remain active administering the Chamber Music Series Music for a Great Space, now entering its 15th successful season, which, in part, features the C.B. Fisk organ, Op. 82.

Annette (Johnson) Johansson (BM ’55), is Professor Emerita of Voice at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Specialist in the Swedish art song as performer and pedagogue. Editor: Thirty Songs of Wilhelm Stenhammar with IPA Transcriptions, Word-for-Word translations and commentary. Leyerle Publications 1999. Resident of Indianapolis.

Margaret "Peggy" (Nagle) Johnson (BM ’55), converted from teaching high school music to a career in accompanying: primarily high school choral and vocal programs, but also some solo instrumental and vocal concerts. NYSSMA Piano Chairperson for 2-3 years. Accompanist for the Spencerport Community Chorus. Director of Music at First Baptist Church, Brockport, NY for 19 years. Founder and Director of Ed-Ventures Student Exchange (high school) program, working primarily with students from Europe and South America. Two children, four grandchildren (one a harpist). Since 2003, part-time accompanist for Choral/Vocal program at Spencerport High School.

Alan “Buz” Kohan (BM '55, MM '56), has been active in the television, music and entertainment industry for close to fifty years, in the multiple capacities of writer, composer, lyricist, producer, arranger, and creative consultant. He has been head writer for more than 200 television specials and series, is a Peabody Award winner, and has been nominated 31 times for an Emmy Award by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, and has won 13 times.

Eleanor (Konzer) Lindboe (BM '56), works as a private teacher in Malibu, California. She was in Rochester two years ago for the celebration honoring her horn teacher, Morris Secon. It was a joyous occasion, and she was able to reconnect with many former classmates and students of Mr. Secon.

Joyce (Watkins) Minasian (BM '56), recently retired from Drury University and currently resides with her husband, Sam, who is also a graduate of Eastman, in Springfield, Missouri. Joyce is the assistant conductor/accompanist with the choral group, "Mid-America Singers," and teaches some private students. She and Sam have three children, two sons, Ara and Jeff, and a daughter, Julie, who is a singer/song-writer in Santa Monica, CA.

Joan (Wade) Mulfinger (BM ’55), has been a private strings instructor for over 35 years. Currently, she serves on the faculty of Bob Jones University where she teaches applied strings and is a chamber music coach. Joan is the mother of 11 children, and has a wonderful family string quartet that plays at church, weddings, and receptions.

Barbara (Knipper) Noval (BM ’56), is a pianist, concert artist, teacher and lecturer, who has concertized extensively as recitalist, soloist with orchestra, and chamber music performer. She appears regularly with her daughter, concert violinist Tara Noval. She is on the faculty of Nazareth College, maintains a private studio, and is past president of the Rochester Piano Teachers' Guild. A founding member of the Noval Trio which premiered works by Rochester composers, she composed several childrens' musicals which were produced in New York City. She holds an MS degree from The Juilliard School.

Ronald Phillips ('56), played 38 seasons with the Cleveland Orchestra as assistant principal bassoonist. He currently lives in Bratenahl, Ohio with his wife, Elaine Wightman ('58).

Dr. Evangeline Rimbach (MM '56, PhD '67),  1956-57 - Vocal Music Instructor, Goodwin Jr-Hi School, Redwood City, CA; 1957-62 - Music Instructor, Calif. Concordia College, Oakland, CA; 1964-97 - Professor of Music and Chair of Department  (1989-97), Concordia University, River Forest, IL. Since 1998 editor of bi-monthly newsletter (Grace Notes) of the Assoc. of Lutheran Church Musicians. Contributed essay to Thine the Amen (Lutheran University Press, 2006) and four essays to Keywords in Church Music (Concordia Publishing House, 2004).

Lewis Rowell (BM ’55, PhD ’58), is Professor Emeritus of Music, Ethnomusicology, and India Studies at Indiana University (Bloomington). He is the recipient of numerous awards and fellowships including the Rochester Distinguished Scholar Medal from the University of Rochester.

Letha (Dawson) Scanzoni ('56), is editor of Christian Feminism Today and eewc.com. She has authored or co-authored nine books, including: All We're Meant to Be: Biblical Feminism for Today;  Is the Homosexual My Neighbor? A Positive Christian Response; and What God Has Joined Together: A Christian Case for Gay Marriage.

Lloyd Marcy Shupp (BM ’55), taught piano at three colleges in the Washington, D.C., area, including eleven years at Howard University. He retired in 2002 as Parish Administrator at Lutheran Church of the Redeemer, McLean, VA. Lloyd lives in Falls Church, VA, where he and his wife, Joann, lead the music program at Dunn Loring UMC. (bjoann36@aol.com)

Priscilla (Riley) Smith (BM ’56), retired from Eaglebrook School (Deerfield, MA), various organist positions, and private teaching. She is still very active, however, working as a tax advisor, Chair of Performing Arts at Round Top Center for the Arts (Damariscotta, ME), and is also a student of German language and literature, and is interested in historic preservation and restoration.

Dr. David Wilson (MM ’55), is Professor Emeritus at Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia, Director of Music at St. James Anglican Church, and Director of the Halifax Baroque Ensemble.

Dr. George Walker (DMA ’56), is the only living composer-pianist in the American Classical Music Hall of Fame and was the first black composer to win the Pulitzer Prize in Composition. Revered for his distinguished contributions to contemporary music, he has been commissioned to write a piece for Eastman Philharmonia in celebration of this year's Eastman weekend entitled Foils for Orchestra (Hommage à Saint George).