News

Alan E. Hicks (D.M.A. 2009) recently completed two seasons as the staff Assistant Director at Seattle Opera. For the 2015-16 season, Alan will join the staff of Lyric Opera of Chicago assisting Susan Stroman on The Merry Widow and Daniele Abbado on Nabucco. Alan will also make directing debuts at Minnesota Opera, Opera Santa Barbara and Miami Summer Music Festival.

James Jeter (B.M. 1971) will perform solo bassoon with the New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players at the Wolf Trap Performing Arts Center in Virginia this June and with the Conductors Institute Orchestra at Bard College this July. He will also teach and perform at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp in western Michigan for his tenth summer.

Butler School of Music alumnus and conductor Brett Mitchell (M.M. 2003, D.M.A. 2005) has landed a two-year contract extension with the world-renowned Cleveland Orchestra, along with a promotion from assistant conductor to associate conductor. Mitchell's duties will shift to those of an active conductor and will entail more opportunities leading pops, family and education programs.

Soloist Mela Dailey (M. Music, 2003), won a Grammy this week for Best Choral Performance as part of the ensemble The Conspiraire Symphonic Choir and their performance of "The Sacred Spirit of Russia." Dailey is a faculty member in the Department of Theatre and Dance as well as a Butler School alumna.

Jo Ann Champion (B.M. Music and Human Learning, 2000) was selected as recipient of a Texas Music Educators Association Graduate Scholarship for 2014, and was selected in May as recipient of the Texas Music Educators Association Pat McNallen Scholarship for graduate study. In addition, Champion was one of 98 students at Stephen F. Austin State University nominated by the Faculty Council to Who's Who Among Students in American Colleges and Universities.