Noël Wan’s artistic path is shaped by both a deep musical fluency and a zeal for reimagining what the harp can be. A dual-degree alumna (DMA ’19, BMus ’14), she has ascended the international stage as a prize-winning classical harpist, an electroacoustic experimentalist, and a scholar deeply engaged in feminist theory and cultural inquiry.
Voice professor Alonza Lawrence is working towards bridging Afrocentric and Eurocentric musical traditions in hopes of establishing a gospel emphasis for all performance students at the School of Music.
Thanks to a generous gift from the Meredith Foundation, the University of Illinois Chamber Singers—the School of Music’s premier choral ensemble—has been renamed the Meredith Chamber Singers.
The college of Fine and Applied Arts is proud to have many alumni who have earned high recognition in entertainment awards. So much so, that we have technically won the ‘EGOT’! We’d like to take a moment to spotlight some of our award-winning alumni who have recently returned to campus to inspire the next generation of talent.
College of Fine and Applied Arts alums Ron and Linda Roaks recently established the Linda Lambert Roaks and Ronald Roaks Music Education Scholarship through a generous planned gift that will provide scholarship support to Music Education majors based on financial need.
In the realm of music production, few names resonate with as much depth and diversity as Rick Jarrard.
Matthew Felbein, a music education major, recently had the pleasure of sitting in the audience at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts while his composition was performed by the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, D.C. (GMCW).
ChopSaver, born out of Dan Gosling’s kitchen experimentation and relentless pursuit of the perfect formula, became more than just a lip balm; it symbolized a bridge between his career in music and entrepreneurial future.
Music professor Lamont Holden is making waves in the music education scene by partnering with working artists in the music industry, building out cultural projects, and creating spaces for students to amplify their voices.
School of Music alumna, philanthropist, and entrepreneur Sheila Johnson (BME ’70) published her memoir Walk Through Fire in September 2023.
The Illinois Summer Youth Music (ISYM) program has been bringing together young musicians and leading music educators to the Champaign-Urbana campus every summer for over 60 years. It is because of generous donors like Barbara and Terry England that the School of Music is able to offer scholarships for ISYM’s different programs.
From section leader of the Marching Illini drumline to vocal music director for Sesame Street, Paul Rudolph (BS ’89 Music Education) has taken some unexpected yet impactful detours along his career journey.
Singers have known for millennia that the acoustics of a performance space can affect how they perceive their sound and how they perform. But until recently, this understanding has been primarily anecdotal.
Over the past four years, the faculty and staff at the School of Music have been engaged in a process of re-envisioning our programs to better prepare our students and better serve our state. A tremendous amount of work has been done, much of which can be summarized by one big idea: creating opportunities and improving access.
Nick Rudd’s contributions and influence over the Champaign-Urbana music community is invaluable. That impact and legacy continue through the Nick Rudd Music Fund.
Jamie Hillman is the third Illinois School of Music alum to be appointed to the prestigious Elmer Iseler Chair, succeeding Hilary Apfelstadt (MS, Music Education ‘75) and Doreen Rao (BME ‘69). Having only appointed these three Elmer Iseler Chairs since the position was established, one might speculate that being an Illinois School of Music alum is a prerequisite to serve as Chair.
ENCORE Illinois challenges students to explore relevant, real-world topics and careers in music so they can appreciate what full-time employment as a musician after graduation might look like. In doing so, the School of Music is preparing students to chart their own path in the musical world – producing graduates who will find new and innovative ways to serve the field of music and their communities.
“Lift Every Voice” tells the moving story of music-making for choral musicians amid the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and shows how Davis and the Black Chorus continued to inspire their community with creativity and spirit through weekly video diaries.
“Conductors like Professor Eddins, who have performed with musicians both within and outside the classical world and who have experience with a broad range of composers and styles, help to remind our students that music is a living thing that grows and develops, and that embracing that ideal is essential for professional musicians today. ”
The diversity of majors that existed among the 70+ VMGC members from 1974-1978 did not impede the bond that club members forged. They came together to create music and share in camaraderie as they still do today. Howard is hopeful that with his gift, the camaraderie and musical experiences that VMGC provides will continue well into the future.
