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The career of Kedrick Armstrong—graduate orchestral conducting student—is quickly gaining momentum, including conducting the CU Symphony Orchestra’s performance of Irene Britton Smith’s “Sinfonietta” next week.

Congratulations to the winners of the 2022-23 Bruce Ekstrand Memorial Graduate Student Performance Competition!

Violist Avedis Escandon shares what diversity means to him and how he strives to encourage others to become DEI advocates as well. “Just like with music, major changes don’t happen overnight—change requires small bits of effort over time, so we cannot discount the impact of a meaningful dialogue.”

“The way I see it, developing universal musicians who demonstrate diversity in all forms is both a mission and a process that directly supports and sustains democracy. Our diversity of experiences and abilities, perspectives and opinions, races and ethnicities, and genders and sexual identities enhances our conversation, ignites and expands our awareness, and makes us better when we come together.”

We’re delighted to introduce Jude Dow-Hygelund and Cian Krueger as the College of Music’s most recent Sher Distinguished Musician Scholarship recipients.

“Rather than mourn what we have lost, try to find new, different ways of music making. I tried to take this as an opportunity to create long-term curriculums with student-centered projects, and this was a great way for students and myself to interact with music in new, safe ways.”

Olivia Huizar Conner shares how her background inspires her to promote Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) in music.

Curiosity drives Lydia Wagenknecht, a PhD candidate in ethnomusicology and recent recipient of a Fulbright Research Award. “I care that my research will help us understand something in a more broad-based way that we didn’t understand before,” she says.

“While there’s no playbook for the unprecedented and the unknowable, by channeling collective despair into collective creativity, we become artistic entrepreneurs, contributing to society in impactful ways.” In this year-end reflection on triumphs over turmoils, Dean Davis offers his perspective on music as essential to human betterment.

This spring’s Outstanding Graduating Senior award goes to composition major Nelson Walker. Congratulations to Walker and all our outstanding 2022 grads!