Muziko Nova Alumni

Contemporary music @ St. Olaf College

ST. OLAF ALUMNI COMPOSERS
Information about St. Olaf College alumni composers/songwriters & past members
of Muziko Nova, St. Olaf's student-run contemporary music organization (2000-).

To be added to this list, email a short biographical note, any recent achievements and a link to your website (if you have one) to petersmk@stolaf.edu.

Class of 2005

Jeremy Anderson is a B.M. Vocal Performance major from Minneapolis, MN. In addition to singing bass for the St. Olaf Choir and multiple a cappella groups, he is also an avid drummer; he has performed and recorded with several groups, ranging in style from jazz to hip-hop to jam-band and popular rock. He plans to be a starving artist some day in the VERY near future.
Jeremy Anderson's Production R was included on the Music from the Hill 2005 student composition CD.

Laura Conger is a B.A. Theory/Composition major from Wisconsin Rapids, WI. She spent the spring semester of 2004 studying folk music and dance in Bulgaria and one day hopes to combine her love of other cultures and musical abilities. In her spare time she enjoys reading, dancing and, or course, listening to music!
Laura Conger's O Magnum Mysterium was included on the Music from the Hill 2005 student composition CD.

Maggie Grube is a B.A. General Music major with emphasis in Theory/Composition from Philomath, OR. Following graduation, she hopes to go to graduate school for music therapy, though her ultimate dream would be to compose music for films. Along with music, she also enjoys playing sports, most notably soccer and racquetball, and spending time with her friends and family.
Maggie Grube's Pi Galore was included on the Music from the Hill 2005 student composition CD.

Carl Holmquist is a B.M. Instrumental Music Education major from Lawrenceville, NJ. He plays trumpet with the St. Olaf Band, Jazz I and the Royal Dundas Brass Quintet, and is co-conductor of the Valhalla Band.
Carl Holmquist's From the Banks to the Blue Ridge was included on the Music from the Hill 2005 student composition CD.

Rebekka Jensen is a B.A. Vocal Music Education major from St. Charles, MN. After graduation she will begin her life as an elementary school teacher and continue composing for her students and other events.
Rebekka Jensen's Death Be Not Proud was included on the Music from the Hill 2005 student composition CD.

Stacey Peterson is a B.A. Theory/Composition and English major from Hudson, WI. When not composing, she enjoys playing the flute and tin whistle, writing, and watching movies. After graduating from St. Olaf, Stacey hopes to earn a Masters in Irish Traditional Music and move on to a career in folk music performance/education and composition.
Stacey Peterson's Atmosphere was included on the Music from the Hill 2005 student composition CD.

Christopher Renk is a B.M. Instrumental Music Education major from Iowa City, IA. His composition teachers include Peter Hamlin, Timothy Mahr and Justin Merritt, and his musical heroes include Stevie Wonder and Cannonball Adderley. In the future, he hopes to remain active in composition and music education.
Christopher Renk's King Griot was included on the Music from the Hill 2005 student composition CD.

Carl Schroeder is a B.M. Theory/Composition major from Minneapolis, MN. His works for large and small ensembles have been performed at venues in eight states, including Minnesota's Orchestra Hall and the Massachusetts State House. He served as Muziko Nova president from 2003-2005 and plans to pursue graduate studies in music composition beginning in fall 2006.
Carl Schroeder's Agora was included on the Music from the Hill 2005 student composition CD.

Michael Smith, a B.A. Music and Computer Science major from Eden Prairie, MN, will enter the workforce as a computer programmer after graduation. However, he plans to continue work at his performing and composing skills and ultimately escape into to the happy world of professional musicianship. His website features audio of his newest music including work on an upcoming electronica album, as well as information about his upcoming performances in the Twin Cities.
Michael Smith's Electronic Introspection #1 was included on the Music from the Hill 2005 student composition CD.

Michael Sweeney is a B.M. Theory/Composition major from New Ulm, Minnesota. He hopes to continue his composition work in graduate school and become a freelance composer or professor. He has a strong interest in contemporary art music and jazz and is also a connoisseur of kung-fu movies.
Michael Sweeney's Transmogrifications was included on the Music from the Hill 2005 student composition CD.

Class of 2004

Aubrey Barnard is a B.A. music major with emphasis in theory and composition. His main instruments are piano and cello.
Aubrey Barnard's Downwind from the Jerusalem on Nicollet was included on the Music from the Hill 2003 student composition CD.

Timothy Bradley is a B.M. French horn performance major from Lawrence, Kansas. He began piano at the age of 3 and horn in 5th grade. He also plays an array of instruments including guitar, bass, mandolin, and didgeridoo. Composition in all genres has been a large part of Bradley’s life - he is interested in film scoring, arranging, and improvisation in classical, jazz and rock idioms. Composing has certainly played a larger role recently when studying composition with faculty member Peter Hamlin. He aspires to play horn professionally in an orchestra and to teach privately as well as compose, arrange, and conduct.
Timothy Bradley's Echoes of Adagio was included on the Music from the Hill 2003 student composition CD.

    Kristen Graves is a Music and Religion major with a Management Studies concentration. She dreams of becoming an independent singer/songwriter so that she can travel the world and eventually live in Oaxaca, Mexico.
    Kristen Graves's I Know was included on the Music from the Hill 2003 student composition CD.

    Amanda Wessel is a B.M. music education major from Burnsville, North Carolina. She is an active pianist and cellist and enjoys being an ensemble musician. In 2003, Amanda earned the title of Collegiate Composer of the Year from the Minnesota Music Educators Association.
    Amanda Wessel's Lamb of God was included on the Music from the Hill 2003 student composition CD.

Class of 2003

    Nicholas Giuliani is a B.A. music major from Bloomington, Minnesota.
    Nicholas Giuliani's Simple Truths was included on the Music from the Hill 2003 student composition CD.

    Jocelyn Hagen is a B.M. Theory/Composition and Vocal Music Education major from Valley City, North Dakota. Jocelyn has written compositions in a variety of genres, including works for voice, piano, wind ensemble, orchestra, choir and chamber ensemble. She plans to continue her study of composition in graduate school in the fall of 2004.
    Jocelyn Hagen's song cycle Hope was included on the Music from the Hill 2003 student composition CD.

    Angeline Klein is a B.M. piano performance major from Poplar, Wisconsin. In 2003 she hopes to begin work on a master's degree in music composition. Her interests include film scoring, swing dancing, photography and hassling clarinet players.
    Angeline Klein's Woodcut in Three Colors was included on the Music from the Hill 2003 student composition CD.

    Joshua Lawson is a B.A. Theory/Composition major from St. Paul, MN. He is a bassoonist by nature and intends to spend the rest of his life composing for fun and profit. It is his reasoning that there are more rich and famous composers than there are rich and famous bassoonists.
    Joshua Lawson's Say For Instance a Pomegranate was included on the Music from the Hill 2003 student composition CD.

    Kristin Roust is a B.M. Theory-Composition major from Sioux Falls, SD. She will begin pursuing a Ph.D. in Music Theory this year and hopes to become a highly-respected professor and theorist.
    Kristin Roust's Variations on a Chorale was included on the Music from the Hill 2003 student composition CD.

Class of 2002

Jennifer Kult, a soprano from Coon Rapids, Iowa, has presented works by Dominick Argento, Peter Aston, Carlisle Floyd, Jocelyn Hagen, Michelle Kinney, and Libby Larsen in concert, recitals, workshops and competitions. Her opera roles include works by Mark Adamo, Seymour Barab, Samuel Barber, and Mark Bucci. Ms. Kult is currently planning a recital tour of the Upper Midwest, premiering three new song cycles, in spring of 2004.

Peter Witrak lives in Brooklyn, New York, dancing for the modern dance company, "Bopi's Black Sheep/Dances by Kraig Patterson.” Although he's had little time in his schedule for his music, he has enjoyed exploring the creative process with movement and dance, also being largely influenced by the Alexander Technique, both in his movement and in everyday life.

Class of 2001

    Abbie Betinis is a graduate student in music composition at the University of Minnesota. Originally from Stevens Point, Wisconsin, Abbie recently graduated with distinction from St. Olaf College before studying composition with faculty at Juilliard and the Paris Conservatory at La Schola Cantorum in Paris, France. Her compositions have received the Mention Bien (La Schola Cantorum), finalist for the Swan Composer Prize (University of Minnesota), and numerous Minnesota Music Educators Association awards. Her work has been commissioned by the American Suzuki Talent Education Center, Hopkins High School, Cantus, and the University of Minnesota Men’s Choir. Abbie currently works for composer Libby Larsen and sings with the Dale Warland Singers. She is a student of Judith Lang Zaimont.

    Dan Cavanagh graduated from St. Olaf College in 2001 with a Bachelor of Music in Theory/Composition. After working for one year for MakeMusic! Inc, makers of Finale and other musical software, he accepted a position at the University of Oregon as a Graduate Teaching Fellow in the area of Jazz Studies. He is currently the director of the U of O Jazz Lab Band III, and along with other teaching responsibilities is working towards a Master's degree in Jazz Studies - Composition and Arranging. Last fall Dan was a finalist in the ASCAP/IAJE Young Comopsers' Jazz Band competition. His jazz band compositions and arrangements have been performed across the country, from St. Olaf College to the University of Kansas to the Reno International Jazz Festival.

    John Lato

    Jayce Ogren

Class of 2000

Timothy Takach has received a number of commissions from various choral organizations including the St. Olaf Choir, Cantus, the Bowling Green State University Men’s Chorus, the Appleton North High School Varsity Men’s Chorus (Appleton, WI) and the Western Michigan University Chorale. His compositions have been heard on NPR and have been recorded by various groups in North America. Takach graduated with honors from St. Olaf College, Northfield, MN in 2000 with a B.A. in Music Theory/Composition and a B.A. in Studio Art. He now lives in Minneapolis and sings with the professional male vocal ensemble, Cantus. As a singer with Cantus, Takach gives over 80 concerts a year and has had his works performed in concert halls across the United States, in British Columbia, Canada, and France.

Class of 1999 and earlier

    Joshua Lund, class of 1999, currently teaches at William Penn University.

    Travis Cross, class of 1999

    Daniel Nass, class of 1997, recently earned a Master of Music degree in Composition from the University of Missouri-Kansas City, where he studied with James Mobberly, Chen Yi and Paul Rudy. Daniel is currently pursuing a Doctorate of Musical Arts degree in Composition at the University of Texas-Austin, where he is studying with Kevin Puts and Russell Pinkston.

    Ken Hakoda, class of 1996

    Ben Houge, class of 1996, has created an eclectic career in music and sound since moving to Seattle in 1996. His compositional experience spans a variety of genres from liturgical music to computer game scores, and he's found that these disparate trajectories invigorate each other in unexpected ways. Ben is interested in writing music of integrity, developing new resources through technology, and forging a sonic language of inclusion.

    Ryan Ingebritsen, class of 1995, is currently working and living in Chicago. He received his Master of Music degree in composition at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music in 2000, where he studied with Darrel Handel, Joel Hoffman, and Mara Helmuth, and his Bachelor of Music degree in Theory and Composition from St. Olaf College where he studied with Peter Hamlin and Timothy Mahr. He has just finished a year on a Fulbright scholarship in Krakow, Poland where he studied composition and orchestration with Zbigniew Bujarski, and electronic music with Marek Choloniewski. While there, he also received instruction from Marek Stochowski and Krzysztof Penderecki.

    Natasha Kelly Foreman, class of 1991, studied composition and theory at the Conservatory for Arts in Fontainebleu, France, and completed an M.A. and Ph.D. in ethnomusicology at Kent State University. For dissertation research, she spent two and a half years in Japan investigating eighteenth-century Japanese music and studied with a Japanese master musician and composer. Having been immersed in ethnomusicological studies in many musical idioms beyond the Western musical canon, her compositions tend to reflect this as well.

    Alissa Roosa, class of 1984

    Mark Kilstofte, class of 1981, is admired as a composer of lyrical line, engaging harmony, strong, dramatic gesture and keen sensitivity to sound, shape and event. His music has garnered a growing number of awards and honors including the Rome Prize Fellowship, the Rudolf Nissim Award and many others. Kilstofte's compositional style reflects his interest in everything from Gesualdo to Jethro Tull. He is currently associate professor of theory and composition at Furman University, a private liberal arts college in Greenville, South Carolina. His music is published by the Newmatic Press.

    Timothy Mahr, class of 1978

    Linda Tutas Haugen, class of 1976

    Mark Harbold, class of 1976

    René Clausen, class of 1974

    Roger Davidson, class of 1974

    Jeffrey Agrell, class of 1970, has been professor of horn at The University of Iowa School of Music since 2000 after a 25 year career as Associate Principal Horn of the Lucerne (Switzerland) Symphony. He has won awards as both a writer and composer and is a member of the Advisory Council of the International Horn Society. He is very interested in creativity in music and in improvisation for classical musicians, frequently giving concerts and workshops (see www.creativehorn.com).

    Nancy Grundahl, class of 1968

    Sharon Moe Miranda, class of 1964

    Alf Houkom, class of 1957, is a resident of Corrales, New Mexico. Formerly on the music faculty of Cornell College in Iowa, he has pursued a career as a free-lance composer since 1987. His music has been performed by a variety of professional groups and soloists, including the Dale Warland Singers, the Santa Fe Desert Chorale, and the Greg Smith Singers, as well as by many college and high school choirs. He has been a Composer in Residence at the Chesapeake Summer Arts, and guest conductor at several choral festivals.

Transferred students

Eric James, class of 2006 -- Eric Fu-Wah Walter James grew up in Burnsville, Minnesota. He has grown up in a dynamic life of both Chinese and American culture. His love for composing began when he started listening to the background scores of movies and wondered if he could do the same. He plans to pursue a B.A. in Architecture and maintain his love for music as a musician and composer.
Eric James's Sebastian and Vincent was included on the Music from the Hill 2003 student composition CD.

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