Where Are They Now
Andy Muskrat debuts book of piano selections.
Omar Haffar (B.M. '21, performance) won a substitute position and performed with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. Haffar is currently attending Northwestern University.
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Sadie Hamrin (B.M. '22, violin) was chosen among a competitive pool of students from the nation's leading music schools, to perform both as soloist and lead as concertmaster with the National Repertory Orchestra in Colorado this summer.
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Kyle Koronka (B.M. '04, trumpet), who is one of the coaches for the ATX Trumpet Ensemble, won the High School Ensemble Division at the National Trumpet Competition in Boulder, CO. The High School Ensemble Division is sponsored by Wiff and Jeanette Rudd.
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Katie James (M.M. '10, music education) was the recipient of the 2022-2023 Kraft Award for Excellence in Secondary Teaching. Leonard is the department chair of World Languages, orchestra director and Latin instructor at Vanguard College Preparatory School in Waco. She's been teaching Latin for the past 13 years.
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The Lorenz Corp./Lillenas welcomed Andy Muskrat (B.M. '05, church music with piano emphasis) to its catalog with his debut book of piano selections, titled, Extol the Lord! Hymns, Songs, and Carols Arranged for Solo Piano. Andy's book features six hymn arrangements, and two beautifully conceived original compositions. He studied under Dr. Jane Abbott-Kirk and Dr. Roger Keys and is currently serving as worship pastor at First Baptist Church in Waco.
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Joshua Thaver (B.M.E. '18, viola) and M.M. '22, viola performance from University of Michigan, has been awarded a viola fellowship for the prestigious New World Symphony located in Miami, FL. New World Symphony is a laboratory for the way music is taught, presented, and experienced, and consists of young musicians who are granted fellowships lasting up to three years. The fellowship program offers in-depth exposure to traditional and modern repertoire, professional development training and personalized experiences working with leading guest conductors, soloists and visiting faculty. More than 1,500 recent music school and conservatory graduates compete for about 35 available fellowships each year. The fellows are selected for this highly competitive, prestigious opportunity based on their musical achievement and promise, as well as their passion for the future of classical music.
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Three graduates of our M.M. program in Piano Pedagogy and Performance, Shelby Nord (M.M. '20), Hayden Coie (M.M. '18), and Lynn Worcester (M.M. '13), all presented individual sessions at the 2023 national conference of the Music Teachers National Association in Reno, NV, in March.