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All apologies to Forrest Gump, but you really never know what you’re going to get at the Â鶹ÊÓƵ’s Ekstrand music competition finals. Might be Bach, Bernstein or Basie, show tunes or a string quartet, a jazz solo or guitar duo.

College of Music freshman Michael Ochoa has been named to the inaugural class of the CU-Boulder Esteemed Scholars program.

"I was honored to be awarded this scholarship and to be included in this program," Ochoa says. "A huge factor for me was the professor of oboe here (Peter Cooper), also the environment of CU-Boulder is a really welcoming place."

The graduate ensemble 40th Parallel, featuring Leanne Hampton, flute, Abby Yeakle, oboe, Peter Bauer, clarinet, Yahaira Nieves, bassoon, and Katherine Smith, horn.

Christina Jennings just returned from Havana, Cuba where she presented a concert and master class with the Philadelphia new music ensemble: Orchestra 2001.

Judith LeClair and Jonathan Feldman will be in residency at the College of Music from October 25-28. They will present master classes on Thursday, October 25 from 3-5:30 pm and Friday, October 26 from 1:30-3:30 pm. They will present a concert on Sunday, October 28 at 7:30 pm along with CU faculty Christina Jennings, Peter Cooper, and Yoshiyuki Ishikawa.

Three chamber ensembles, all of differing instrumentation, have been accepted to compete with top musicians from across the country in the Fischoff Chamber Music Competition. Based on audition materials and applications, the Zenobia Quintet, the Flatirons Brass Quintet and the Tesla Quartet have all been accepted into this illustrious competition.

The Aakash Mittal Quartet, led by Aakash Mittal (BM 2007, saxophone), received the ASCAP/Chamber Music America award for Adventurous Programming of Contemporary Music for jazz ensemble in January in New York. The group performs its members’ original works and draws heavily on the improvisational vocabulary and compositional aspects of the North Indian classical raga tradition.

Congratulations to all Fall 2011 prize winners!

The 2011 Panoramic Flutist Seminar was a huge success! 45 students from all over the US gathered for four packed days of flute playing, classes, concerts, yoga and hikes. Faculty included Christina Jennings, Leone Buyse, Lisa Garner Santa, and collaborative pianist, Colette Valentine.

Panoramic Flute 2011 faculty

Lucas Munce (MM candidate) received the 2011 DownBeat Magazine Award for Graduate College Outstanding Performances by a Jazz Soloist. More details about DownBeat’s 34th Annual Student Music Awards will be announced in the magazine’s upcoming June issue.

The CU Jazz Studies program has won 15 Student DownBeat Awards since 2002 in numerous categories.