Category Archives: faculty news

Thomas Rosenkranz‘s new disc, “Inflorescence,” is released on the New Focus Label.

New Focus Recordings recently released an album of contemporary music featuring Associate Professor of Piano, Thomas Rosenkranz. The disc, entitled “ Inflorescence: Music from soundSCAPE,” features new works that were written for soprano Tony Arnold, percussionist Aiyun Huang, and Professor Rosenkranz for the soundSCAPE Festival in Italy.
For more information visit:

Wind Faculty Exchange with Capital University

BGSU’s wind faculty, John Sampen, Susan Nelson, Andrew Pelletier, Conor Nelson, Nermis Mieses, and Kevin Schempf will visit Capital University in Columbus, Ohio on Wednesday, October 30th, 2013 as part of an exchange with Capital’s QuintEssiential Wind Quintet.  The faculty will perform a concert of solo and chamber works at 3pm in Capital’s Huntington Recital Hall, followed by a session of coaching chamber groups at 4pm.

Michael Gartz to perform Organ Concertos with the Adrian Symphony

Adjunct Assistant Professor of organ, Michael Gartz, will be the featured soloist with the Adrian Symphony Orchestra, December 13, 14 & 15.  With conductor John Dodson, he will perform Handel’s Organ Concerto in G Minor, and the Albinoni Adagio for Organ and Strings.  The concerts will be held at the Holy Rosary Chapel, at the Adrian Dominican Motherhouse Campus.  For more information visit: http://www.adriansymphony.org/december.htm

Prof. Dietz’s work released on new CD

On September, a new CD was released that includes 2 of Prof. Chris Dietz’s  compositions:
La fleur du ciel for string trio
Quintet No.2 for clarinet and string quartet
Further details can be found here:
The CD is available for purchase in stores, or on the web:

CMA Faculty, Students, and Alumni Make Substantial Contribution to the Toledo Opera

The Toledo Opera’s production of Giuseppe Verdi’s Aida on October 4 and 6 was a grand success, in no small part due to the contributions of several current and former members of the College of Musical Arts.  Dr. Sean Cooper, Assistant Professor of Voice, sang the role of the King of Egypt and Kevin Bylsma, Instructor of Opera (repetiteur), is the Chorusmaster of the Toledo Opera. Austin Heath, a recent graduate, made his Toledo Opera debut in the role of the Messenger.
Of the forty-two member opera chorus for this production, eighteen were CMA students and alumni. Current graduate students included Anthony Ferrer, Madeline Harts, Liz Hood, Patty Kramer, Letara Lee, Daniel Parsley, Maegan Pollonais, Jackie Stearns, Stephanie Tokarz, Joel Trisel, and Rory Wallace. Undergraduate students in the chorus were Patrick Conklin and Ricardo Mota. Alumni from the CMA included Greg Ashe, Timothy Bruno, Austin Heath, Dustin Hill, and Laura Reaper.