Last modified: Wednesday, October 5, 2011
IU Jacobs School of Music welcomes 2011-12 Jacobs Scholars and Fellows
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Oct. 5, 2011
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Nine new Jacobs Scholars and five new Jacobs Fellows began their studies this fall at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. Selected from a large pool of incoming students, they are the recipients of the most prestigious and substantial scholarship awards in the school.
Dean Gwyn Richards (second from left) and Townsend Plant, director of admissions and financial aid (far right), with some of the new Jacobs School of Music Scholars and Fellows.
The new class of Jacobs Scholars and Fellows, selected for their excellence and leadership in the world of music, was chosen from a group of 3,082 applicants who auditioned for fall 2011 admission to the school. Of these, 981 were admitted to the Jacobs School, with an incoming class totaling 505 students.
The program began in 2006 and now boasts 72 Jacobs Scholars and Fellows. These scholarships are made possible by the Barbara and David H. Jacobs endowment for undergraduate and graduate scholarships and fellowships and IU's Matching the Promise fundraising campaign.
Below is information on each of the Jacobs Scholars and Fellows.
Barbara and David Jacobs Scholars 2011-2012 (undergraduates)
Thomas Aquino -- From Chicago, Aquino is pursuing a bachelor of music degree in guitar and is a student of Ernesto Bitetti. A graduate of University of Chicago Laboratory High School, he has participated in the Guitar Foundation of America Young Artist Competition for two years as well as the Musichorale Competition, in which he was a second-prize winner in 2009. He has been selected twice to perform in master classes for Christopher Parkening at Pepperdine University and Montana State University and was one of six students selected as a recitalist following the master classes.
Steven Banks -- From Clemmons, N.C., Banks is pursuing a bachelor of music degree in saxophone and is a student of Otis Murphy. A graduate of the North Carolina School of the Arts, he has participated in its Wind Ensemble, Jazz Ensemble and Saxophone Quartet. He has performed for the Lincoln Center Society with the North Carolina School of the Arts Jazz Combo and performed in master classes with Christopher Cerviston, Taimur Sullivan and the Zzyzx Saxophone Quartet.
Casey Clyde -- From Liberty Township, Ohio, Clyde is pursuing a bachelor of music degree in flute and is a student of Thomas Robertello. A graduate of Lakota East High School, she was a member of the Ohio All-State Band and All-State Orchestra, Cincinnati Symphony Youth Orchestra and Blue Ash Montgomery Youth Symphony Orchestra. Also a clarinetist and saxophonist, Clyde is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Kazur Scholar Award, first prize in the Blue Ash Montgomery Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition and first place in the junior division of the Central Ohio Flute Association.
Molly Grettenberger -- From Sparta, Mich., Grettenberger is pursuing a bachelor of music degree in harp and is a student of Susann MacDonald. A graduate of Rockford Senior High School, she was principal harpist with the Grand Rapids Youth Symphony and Traverse City Central High School Symphonic Orchestra. A National Merit Scholar, she is the recipient of two Traverse City Musicale Scholarships as well as a Traverse City Music Boosters Scholarship. She is an AP Scholar with Honor, and received a National School Choral Award.
Connor Lidell -- From Arlington, Texas, Lidell is pursuing a bachelor of music degree in composition with a concentration in voice, studying with Don Freund and Andreas Poulimenos, respectively. A graduate of James W. Martin High School, he was a member of the Martin High School Chamber Singers, Chorale Choir and Varsity Men's Choir, and performed in the Trinity United Methodist Church Youth and Adult Choirs. A recipient of numerous awards, he was named an AP Distinguished Scholar and is a winner in the National Association of Teachers of Singing Competition.
Kathryn Minion -- From Bolingbrook, Ill., Minion is pursuing a bachelor of music degree in organ and is a student of Janette Fishell. A recipient of numerous awards, she was the first winner of the George Williams Scholarship for Organ at the Music Institute of Chicago, was selected as one of five national finalists in the Cameron Johnson Memorial High School Organ Competition and was a first-place winner in the Bob Jones University High School Fine Arts Festival Organ Competition. Also an accomplished violinist, violist and harpsichordist, Minion was concertmaster for the Great Lakes Festival Symphony Orchestra.
Charlotte O'Connor -- From Plano, Texas, O'Connor is pursuing a bachelor of music degree in horn and is a student of Jeff Nelsen. A graduate of Plano West Senior High School, she was a member of the Greater Dallas Youth Orchestra and the Plano West Wind Ensemble and Orchestra. A member of the National Honor Society, she was recognized by the College Board as an AP Scholar with Honor and is a recipient of the Outstanding Musician of the Year Award at Prestonwood Conservatory of Music and the Plano West Music Director's Award for Outstanding Musicianship.
Steven Van Loozenoord -- From Ada, Mich., Van Loozenoord is pursuing a bachelor of music degree in jazz piano and is a student of Luke Gillespie. A graduate of Grand Rapids Christian High School, he has also attended the Interlochen Fine Arts Camp. A recipient of numerous awards, he was the Keyboard Solo Winner in the Michigan Youth Fine Arts Festival from 2007 to 2010, won second place in the 2009 National Youth Fine Arts Festival in Orlando, Fla., and was named Solo Winner in the 2010 National Youth Fine Arts Festival in Detroit.
Meridith Wright -- From Houston, Wright is pursuing a bachelor of music degree in bassoon and is a student of Kathleen McLean. A graduate of the High School for Performing and Visual Arts, she has been a member of her high school orchestra and wind ensemble and has participated in the Houston Youth Symphony and Houston Youth Chamber Quintet as well as the Campanile Orchestra at Rice University.
Barbara and David Jacobs Fellows 2011-2012 (graduates)
Hanna Brammer -- From Williamsburg, Mich., Brammer is pursuing a master of music degree in voice and is a student of Carol Vaness. A graduate of the Manhattan School of Music, she has participated as a choral scholar for the Oratorio Society of New York and was a recipient of the Birgit Nilsson Scholarship at the Manhattan School. She has sung many roles, including Clara in Guettel's The Light in the Piazza for Miracle Productions Theater Company in Traverse City, Mich., and has performed as soprano soloist in the Mel Larimer Concert Series, in which she sang Vivaldi's Magnificat and Boccherini's Gloria. Most recently, she performed the soprano solo for a Manhattan School of Music production of Carl Orff's Carmina Burana.
Joseph Hurst -- From DeLand, Fla., Hurst is pursing a master of music degree in composition. He is a graduate of Stetson University, where he earned a bachelor of music in music theory and composition. An accomplished saxophonist, Joseph was principal saxophonist in the Stetson University Symphonic Band and was a member of the Prasinos Saxophone Quartet. He is a co-founder of Stetson University's first new music organization entitled New Music Machine, and was one of two undergraduate students selected to have works performed at the All-Florida Student Composers Concert in November 2009.
Daniel Inamorato dos Santos Louro -- From Sao Paulo, Brazil, Louro is pursuing a performer diploma in piano and is a student of Arnaldo Cohen. He is a graduate of University of Sao Paulo, where he received a bachelor of music degree. A recipient of numerous awards, Daniel is a first prize winner in competitions such as the National Piano Competition of Ourinhos and the Bauru-Atlanta Competition, and has been recognized with awards for Best Interpretation of Brazilian Music in the National Piano Competition.
Nathan Lutz -- From Pittsburgh, Lutz is pursuing a performer diploma in double bass and is a student of Lawrence Hurst. He is a graduate of the Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music and Carnegie Mellon University, where he was teaching assistant in double bass. Nathan has performed professionally in the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra, Kentucky Symphony Orchestra, Richmond Symphony Orchestra and the New World Symphony Orchestra. He has been a winner of numerous competitions, including First Prize in the Bauer Scholarship Competition for Orchestral Instruments and the Pioneer Orchestra Concerto Competition.
Maria Jose Romero Ramos -- From Valencia, Venezuela, Ramos is pursuing a master of music degree in violin and is a student of Kevork Mardirossian. She received an Artist Certificate and a B.M. from the University of North Texas, where she was a recipient of the Winspear Music Scholarship and the Euline and Horace Brock Merit Scholarship. She was concertmistress of the University of North Texas Concert and Baroque Orchestras, a member of the Center for Chamber Music Studies and has performed professionally in the Plano and Irving Symphony Orchestras and the Sphinx Chamber Orchestra. A recipient of numerous awards, she was named the 2008-09 University of North Texas Presser Scholar.
