Archived News
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Introducing Our New Interim Associate Director of Choral Activities
April 27, 2023Laura Leigh Spillane is a Doctor of Musical Arts candidate in Choral Music at the University of Southern California, where her fields of study are Choral Music, Musicology, Instrumental Conducting, and Vocology.
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The UT School of Music Gala
April 06, 2023Join us for this black-tie event featuring riveting performances, top-tier food, and lively auctions. All proceeds from this event will fund scholarships in the School of Music to bring the very best student musicians to the University of Tennessee.
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University of Tennessee School of Music Announces New Incoming Faculty
March 31, 2023The University of Tennessee School of Music is proud to announce two new faculty hires, who will join the University in August 2023.
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The UT School of Music presents a special outdoor showcase concert
March 21, 2023This showcase will feature a wide variety of ensembles from across the School of Music, showcasing jazz, woodwind, percussion, brass, and string instruments, with a wide variety of musical styles both classical and contemporary.
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UT launching first public College of Music in the state, transforming the School of Music
March 08, 2023"You have the blues in Memphis, country music in Nashville, folk Appalachian over here — music is embedded in this state."
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A Common Compassion
March 01, 2023UT Music graduate student Sarah Buzalewski has a passion for community engagement and music education - a passion that has led to a prestigious internship with Silkroad.
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Ukrainian Rhapsody
February 09, 2023Violinist Marki Lukyniuk raises awareness of his country’s culture in its time of struggle.
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From Torchbearer Magazine: Connection and Opportunity
January 31, 2023Seven seconds. That’s how long the last note of music hangs in the air in St. Paul’s Cathedral in London after the singing has stopped. And this past summer, those seven seconds held great meaning for junior Jasmin Power as she and her fellow Chamber Singers performed in the centuries-old building.
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UT alumni band excited to return to play
January 18, 2023UT's Pride of the Southland Alumni Marching Band returns to play at several games due to students being off during winter break.
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New UTK String Project Awarded Exclusive Grant
December 12, 2022The UTK String Project at the University of Tennessee is one of only six national string programs to be awarded a recent grant from the National String Project Consortium, and one of three new programs to be a recipient.
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Music student escapes war to continue his education, perform on Rocky Top
November 18, 2022Thirty minutes is just enough time for violinist Marki Lukyniuk to offer comfort to a group of strangers he’s connected to through war. The college student fled the City of Kyiv after Russian soldiers invaded Ukraine.
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Internationally Renowned Composer to Visit UT School of Music, Premiere New Composition
November 03, 2022The University of Tennessee School of Music will welcome composer Kevin Day to campus for a three-day residency from November 15-17, culminating in the world premiere performance of his new concerto, Dual Strides for horn, trombone, and wind ensemble. This commissioned piece was made possible by a generous gift from Admiral Title, Inc.
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Music Graduate Student Mikeila McQueston Studies Privately with World-Renowned Composer in Exclusive Program
October 18, 2022Mikeila McQueston, a graduate student in the UT School of Music studying vocal performance and composition, is a rising star. This time last year, she was recognized with second place in the American Prize for student composition in choral works. This year, she has again placed second – this time for student composition in opera – and gained the opportunity of a lifetime to study under an internationally recognized composer.
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“Pride of the Southland” Feature Twirlers Represent UT at International Baton Twirling Championships
September 08, 2022The “Pride of the Southland” Marching Band is making waves internationally. Feature Twirler Laney Puhalla competed this summer in baton twirling world championships, taking home six medals. Feature Twirler Abbie Hadener has qualified to take part in the world championships next summer.
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School of Music Opera Graduate Receives Prestigious Scholarship for Graduate Study
June 01, 2022Ask Will Ryan (BM Opera Performance, ’22) about his post-graduation plans and he’ll tell you: to pursue a graduate degree at the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music. But that’s not all – he’s also been selected for one of the most prestigious opera awards in higher education.
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Graduate Student Zhaohan Wang Places First in International Piano Competition
May 04, 2022UT School of Music graduate student Zhaohan Wang’s piano skills were recently recognized with a significant honor: first place in the international Baroque Music Competition.
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UT Alumnus Michael Kurek Named Composer Laureate of the State of Tennessee
May 04, 2022UT School of Music alumnus Michael Kurek (BM Music Theory, 1977) has been blessed with a rare honor: to be named composer laureate of the state of Tennessee. “I’m very deeply touched,” Kurek said. “I’ve spent most of my life in Tennessee and to get this kind of recognition as a composer and a citizen on a state level is incredibly meaningful.”
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Music faculty awarded $32,000 in grants for diversifying string music curriculum
April 07, 2022In an effort to expand the slate of music commonly taught to young musicians, a group of School of Music faculty has assembled a collection of beginner repertoire for string instruments featuring Black and Latino/a composers. The published collections, made possible by private and federal grants, will be distributed to schools and educators free of charge.
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Jazz Pianist Eric Reed Brings His Own Special Swing to Hosting WUOT’s Improvisations
March 28, 2022In December 2021, WUOT—the National Public Radio station licensed to the University of Tennessee, Knoxville—named Artist in Residence and Lecturer in Jazz Piano Eric Reed the Monday host of its Improvisations jazz series.
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Michael Stewart announced incoming Director of the Pride of the Southland Marching and Athletic Bands, Associate Director of Wind Studies, and WJ Julian Endowed Professor
March 03, 2022A longtime mainstay in the School of Music will continue to add to his legacy in music education.
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Alumnus Makes Met Opera Debut
December 20, 2021University of Tennessee, Knoxville, alumnus Rocky Sellers was on a four-day vacation in New Orleans, eating chicken étouffée at Antoine’s Restaurant and chatting with his friends about life, when he saw an email on his phone. “It was like a scene in a movie. I thought, ‘No, wait. What?’ I said to my friends, ‘I want you to read it to make sure.’ I read the email again and again.”
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SOM Alumna Sarah Nordin Performs at Carnegie Hall for Special United Nations Event
December 17, 2021Sarah Nordin (MM, ’07) is a singer of diverse talents. She can sing opera as well as Broadway style and has sung in nearly a dozen different languages. But her most recent adventure was a new one. She was asked: ‘Can you learn to sing in two new languages in two weeks?’
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School of Music Alumnus Wins Latin Grammy for Best Engineered Album
November 22, 2021For Delbert Bowers, it was an honor just to be nominated.
But the win is nice, too.
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School of Music alumnus named recipient of Willard J. Hines Music Scholarship
November 22, 2021KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - Brandon Bell (MM, ‘17), an alumnus of the University of Tennessee School of Music graduate program in voice, has been named one of two 2021 recipients of the premier scholarship in vocal performance.
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UT Professor of Musicology co-edits book on medieval French gender and voice
November 04, 2021A new book co-edited by School of Music Professor of Musicology Rachel May Golden analyzes gender and voice in medieval French literature and song. It’s a project that merges a variety of different perspectives from a wide range of disciplines – one that Golden believes will aid in granting a fuller understanding of the period.
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Gregory Tardy awarded Jazz Road Creative Residencies Grant
October 29, 2021University of Tennessee School of Music Associate Professor Gregory Tardy has a rather unique proposition. He is writing music inspired by classical literature.
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Music graduate student Mikeila McQueston places second in American Prize Student Division for composition
October 22, 2021University of Tennessee Graduate Student Mikeila McQueston has added another accolade to her slate of compositions – this time in the American Prize competition.
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Nief-Norf to Perform at Big Ears Festival Event
March 31, 2021Contemporary music group Nief-Norf, led by UT percussion faculty Andy Bliss, will be performing at a Big Ears Festival event at the Knoxville Botanical Gardens on April 18 at 2:00pm and 5:00pm.
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Inclusion in the Arts: Grant to Help School of Music Incorporate More Diversity in Curricula
March 08, 2021The inclusion of diverse viewpoints in musical curricula can be a challenge for educators—one that is often made harder by a lack of funding.
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Murphy Honored for Interdepartmental Collaborative Scholarship and Research
February 18, 2021Each year, Dean Theresa Lee and members of her cabinet, with help from department heads, recognize faculty in the College of Arts and Sciences for their excellence in teaching, research and creative activity, and lifetime achievements.
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Aulos String Quartet Named Finalist in National String Competition
February 08, 2021The School of Music's Aulos String Quartet is among seven finalists recently named to compete in the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) national string competition.
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Music Major Josie Campbell Named 2021 Marshall Scholar
December 16, 2020The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, announced the selection of Elise "Josie" Campbell as a 2021 Marshall Scholar, a prestigious designation awarded to no more than 50 US students each year to pursue graduate studies in the United Kingdom.
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Alumna Named Tennessee Teacher of the Year
October 23, 2020The hour before the announcement felt like one of the longest in Kami Lunsford's life. A 2006 University of Tennessee, Knoxville, alumna, she sat beside her husband, surrounded by blue, white, and gold balloons in the library of Karns Middle School.
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UT Partnership Spreads Awareness of Noise-Induced Hearing Loss in Musicians
July 07, 2020Carolyn Gahan noticed the ringing in her ears one night after leaving a concert. It was normal for her ears to ring occasionaly. A junior vocal performance major from Knoxville, Gahan spends most of her time around music, whether at concerts, in studios, or while doing her homework.
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Viola Students Perform for Senior Living Community Residents
May 29, 2020Four weeks into social distancing, music performance student Zach Miller felt close to his breaking point. Away from his campus routine, he spent most of the day alone or in online classrooms. His recitals and performances were canceled or switched to a digital submission format.
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UT A Capella Group reVOLution Receives Surprise Visit from Little Big Town Vocalist
April 16, 2020Kimberly Schlapman, UT alumnus and female vocalist for the award-winning country music group Little Big Town, dropped into reVOLution's recent meeting for a tremendous surprise.
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School of Music Alumna Named Winner in Met Opera Auditions Grand Finals
February 27, 2020UT School of Music alumna Alexandria Shiner (MM '16) was one of five singers named winner of the 2020 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions during the Grand Finals concert in the prestigious Metropolitan Opera House in New York.
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School of Music Hosts Instrument Petting Zoo for Kids
February 13, 2020When Hillary Herndon came up with the idea for an instrument petting zoo, she envisioned an event that would bring kids from all over Knoxville together for a fun-filled experience. And that's exactly what transpired.
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Fulfilling a Dream
January 30, 2020Victor Chávez's dedication to the clarinet community fueled the tremendous success of ClarinetFest 2019.
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Legendary Violinist Itzhak Perlman to Perform Special Concert at the Tennessee Theatre
January 22, 2020The University of Tennessee School of Music and the Stanford Eisenberg Knoxville Jewish Day School are excited to announce a performance by world-renowned violinist Itzhak Perlman on Tuesday, March 31, 2020 at 7:30 p.m. in the historic Tennesee Theatre.
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Full Circle
December 12, 2019One day last year, Greg Tardy, associate professor of jazz saxophone, received an unexpected call. It was a call he had been waiting for his entire adult life–an invitation to join famed jazz musician and trumpeter Wynton Marsalis on tour.
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Music Grad Student Wins Research Award to Have KSO Musicians Play His Works
November 13, 2019At 46, in the midst of a successful career as a commercial musician, music director, teacher, and performer, Dennis Belisle decided to enroll in UT’s School of Music to pursue a new dream—being a composer.
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School of Music Partners with UT Psychological Clinic to Offer Behavioral Health Consultations
November 08, 2019The School of Music is offering free behavioral and mental health consultations for all music students.
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Octubafest: Celebrating the Tuba and Euphonium in Style
October 29, 2019The UT School of Music is set to kick off Octubafest 2019 with the first of three exhilarating performances during a three-night event celebrating the tuba and euphonium.
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UT Viola Students Travel to Poland for International Viola Congress
September 25, 2019The UT viola studio is attending the 46th International Viola Congress this week in Poznan, Poland. Six students are traveling with Hillary Herndon, associate professor of viola and coordinator of strings.
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Remembering Constance Starr and Her Commitment to Helping Others through Music
September 19, 2019Constance Starr, who revolutionized the musical landscape by bringing the Suzuki Piano method to the United States more than four decades ago, passed away August 26 at her home in Boulder, Colorado. Her impact in the music community at the University of Tennessee, however, continues.
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UT Offers Programs for Aspiring Music Composers, Teachers
April 03, 2019UT is one of only a few universities in the United States to offer specific certificate and degree programs for students who want to be music composers or music teachers, according to a recent article in the Journal of Music Theory Pedagogy.
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Religious Studies Professor and other UT Faculty at Big Ears Festival
March 20, 2019For the second year, Rosalind Hackett, Distinguished Professor in the Humanities in UT’s Department of Religious Studies, will facilitate sessions at Big Ears Festival.
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Violin Student Plays the Instruments of Holocaust Survivors
January 30, 2019UT School of Music graduate student Kevork Esmeryan spent part of January traveling to schools around the Knoxville area playing violins once played by Jewish musicians during the Holocaust.
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School of Music Celebrates Americana
January 11, 2019The School of Music, in collaboration with UT Libraries, is excited to announce a music and art performance, "Americana" from 2 to 5 p.m. January 13 in the Natalie L. Haslam Music Center.