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News Release

Last modified: Monday, August 22, 2011

Peter Thoresen appointed to IU Jacobs School of Music faculty to coordinate Project Jumpstart

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 22, 2011

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- The Indiana University Jacobs School of Music announced today (Aug. 22) that Peter Thoresen will join its faculty as a visiting academic specialist and interim coordinator of student career development program Project Jumpstart this fall.

Author and nationally recognized career specialist Angela Beeching, who launched Project Jumpstart, will continue in a mentoring role.

The project began in 2010 as a student-centered and student-driven career and entrepreneurial leadership program, presenting career workshops, career resources and advising for students at the Jacobs School of Music. Beeching was assisted by the Johnson Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the IU Kelley School of Business during the program's pilot year, 2010-11.

A doctoral candidate in voice at the Jacobs School, Thoresen served as assistant coordinator of Project Jumpstart last year, working closely with Beeching to gauge student needs through survey and data analysis and assisting the team in programming administration. Thoresen also served as a frequent moderator in Jacobs School of Music faculty and staff panel discussions aimed at career development through entrepreneurial means. Alain Barker, director of the Jacobs Office of Marketing and Publicity, served as administrative mentor to the Project Jumpstart team in its pilot year.

"I'm thrilled to return to Project Jumpstart in this capacity and build on the momentum created by last year's student team, Angela Beeching and the Jacobs faculty and staff," Thoresen said. "As the project enters its second year, I plan to continue gauging the career development needs of Jacobs students while exploring outside resources in efforts to make them available to Jacobs students."

Beeching is author of the book Beyond Talent: Creating a Successful Career in Music (Oxford University Press) and is principal consultant and founder of Beyond Talent Consulting. She will continue to offer strategic advice as Project Jumpstart enters this next phase of development.

Project Jumpstart will also continue its involvement with the Kelley School's Johnson Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation.

About Peter Thoresen

Thoresen spent the past four years working for the IU Graduate and Professional Student Organization, initially as director of public relations, and then as operations and events coordinator. In these roles, he planned and executed nearly 150 student events aimed at professional development, community building and social networking.

Prior to moving to Bloomington, Thoresen worked in San Francisco as executive assistant to legendary arts presenter Ruth Felt. (Felt presented the San Francisco recital debuts of Yo-Yo Ma, Evgeny Kissin, Dawn Upshaw and András Schiff). It was during his tenure with San Francisco Performances that Thoresen began to see the myriad opportunities that exist for young musicians in performance and beyond.

Thoresen is a countertenor and recently created the role of Toulouse Lautrec in IU Opera Theater's world premiere of Bernard Rands' Vincent. He has sung roles with the American Opera Theater, Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble, Monterey Symphony, Handel Choir of Baltimore, Bloomington Early Music Festival and Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra Chorale. He made his operatic debut in 1994 singing the role of Dimitri in Fedora with Lyric Opera of Chicago in a production starring Mirella Freni and Plácido Domingo.

Thoresen is a founding member of the Bloomington based ensemble Vox Reflexa and serves as stage director and curriculum co-author for Roundabout Opera for Kids in Bloomington.

Originally from Oak Park, Ill., he earned his master's degree in voice from the Peabody Conservatory and bachelor's degree in voice from Illinois Wesleyan University.

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