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Conservatory of Music

Alumni

This list represents some of the many successes enjoyed by alumni of the Conservatory of Music at Purchase College.

Luellen Abdoo	Freelance violinist: Has performed with the New York Philharmonic, New York City Ballet, Brooklyn Philharmonic, New Jersey Symphony, and New York Virtuosi, and with such renowned artists as Ray Charles and Bon Jovi; artistic director and performer, New York City Ballet Musicians and Friends, a summer chamber music series in Saratoga Springs, NY
Barbara Allen	Principal harpist, American Ballet Theatre Orchestra and Greenwich Symphony Orchestra; recordings on DGG, RCA, EMI, CRI, Koch, Angel, Nonesuch, Bridge, and Arabesque. M.M., The Juilliard School
Scott Altman	Bass baritone: Has performed with the New York City Opera and throughout the U.S., including the Opera Festival of New Jersey, Austin Lyric Opera, Arizona Opera, Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Orlando Opera, Connecticut Grand Opera, Wolf Trap Opera, and Chicago Lyric Opera Center; general director, Arizona Opera; co-founder, Opera New Jersey
Sébastian Bardin	Composer, producer, MC; co-founder, The Brüknahm Project (with Saundi Wilson); co-author, Freestyle (Massot/Millet Editions: France, 1993)
David Biancardi	Musician and interactive technology designer; founder, Audio, Video & Controls; co-founder, Synesthesia; co-creator, Interactive Dance Club; member of LEMUR (League of Electronic Musical Urban Robots)
Christopher Bolduc	Baritone: Santa Fe Opera; awards include: Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions (semi-finalist, 2007 and 2008), Classical Singer Convention Competition (first place, 2005), George London Foundation, Liederkranz Foundation, Licia Albanese-Puccini Foundation; M.M., Indiana University
Gregory Buchalter	Maestro di banda and chorus master, Metropolitan Opera; premiered Corigliano's “The Ghosts of Versailles,” Philip Glass’ “The Voyage,” and Harbison's “Great Gatsby” ; artistic director, Opera Fairbanks and Opera Camerata of Washington
J. Owen Burdick	Internationally active composer, conductor, and clinician; organist and director of music, Trinity Church, New York City (1990–2008); Fellow of the Royal School of Church Music; recordings on Naxos, Hänssler Classic, Nonesuch, Summit, Gothic, and Centaur; Ph.D., University of California at Los Angeles
Jason Chapman	Trumpet: Recordings and/or performances with numerous artists, including Spyro Gyra, the Shirelles, Kerry Kearne, and Mario Cruz's DCT Octet; composer and arranger; M.M., Manhattan School of Music
Imani Coppola	Composer and recording artist; Sony/Columbia: “Chupacabra” (gold album), MTV hit “Legend of a Cowgirl” (platinum single); subsequent releases include “The Black & White Album” (Ipecac Recordings, 2007)
Dwayne Croft	Baritone: Opéra de Paris, Vienna Staatsoper, Salzburg Festival, Lyric Opera of Chicago, San Francisco Opera, Metropolitan Opera; recordings: EMI Classics, SONY, Decca Records, Philips Classics
Leah Danielle	Soprano: Opera North; has performed in Europe with Dritan Luca and the Vienna Opera Harmonists
Raymond Diaz	Bass baritone: Utah Opera, Central City Opera, Bronx Opera, Pittsburgh Opera, Virginia Opera; awards: Heinz Rehfuss Competition, Mario Lanza Competition, Maria Saritelli Di-Panni Belcanto Competition, Sullivan Foundation, Licia Albanese Puccini Foundation
Bob Donlon	Bassist; founding member, The Rake’s Progress (Geffen Records); currently founder and general manager, Adobe TV at Adobe Systems
Victoria Drake	Freelance harpist, New York City; performs in the American Symphony Orchestra, New York City Ballet, New York City Opera, Orchestra of St. Luke’s, American Ballet Theatre, Orpheus, and Brooklyn Philharmonic, and on Broadway; recordings on ESS.A.Y, CRI, Spectrum, Well-Tempered Productions, Arabesque, MSR Classics, London/Decca, and Koch International
Judith Eissenberg	Second violinist and founding member, Lydian String Quartet; founding member and co-director, Music From Salem; faculty, Brandeis University and the Boston Conservatory
Jack D. Elliot	Los Angeles-based producer, songwriter, and remixer; president/owner, JDE Music; his credits include work for Britney Spears, N’Sync, The Backstreet Boys, Access Hollywood, E! News Live, Good Morning America, The View, and the Daytime Emmy Awards, among many others
Hugh Eddy	Associate trombone, New York City Ballet Orchestra; Westchester Philharmonic; American Composers Orchestra
T.D. Ellis	Contrabassoon, Greenwich Symphony Orchestra, Ridgefield Symphony, Bermuda Philharmonic, and Chappaqua Chamber Orchestra; faculty, Bridgeport University and Fairfield University
Oren Fader	Classical guitarist, chamber musician; member of Cygnus, Fireworks, and Glassfarm; faculty, Manhattan School of Music
David Gee	Cellist; formed the Gee-Mackey Duo with pianist Lynn Mackey in 2004; has performed as a soloist, quartet member, and orchestral cellist in the U.S., Europe, and Africa; national radio broadcasts on National Public Radio and Spanish National Radio; former assistant principal cellist, Orquesta Ciudad de Granada; M.M., Yale University
Lynne Haeseler	Pianist; accompanist: Vail International Dance Festival, Arizona State University Dance Dept., American Ballet Theatre, Paris Opera Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet; D.M.A., University of Arizona
Anna Jablonski	Mezzo soprano: Minnesota Opera, Chautauqua Opera, San Francisco Merola Opera Program
Trevor Job	Composer, arranger, producer; BMG/RCA: “Tyrese,” platinum album
Jonathan Lipton	French horn: Fourth horn, London Symphony Orchestra; faculty, Guildhall School of Music and Drama
Peter Lopez	Composer and sound designer; Sundance, Soho, and Tribeca awards
Bradley Lubman	Conductor and composer; has worked with Steve Reich, Elvis Costello, John Zorn, Pierre Boulez, and Michael Tilson Thomas, and appeared with Los Angeles Philharmonic New Music Group, Brooklyn Philharmonic, Ensemble Modern of Frankfurt, Steve Reich Ensemble, Saarbruecken Radio Orchestra, Deutsches-Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, New World Symphony, Frankfurt Radio Symphony, Finnish Radio Symphony, Rochester Philharmonic, New York New Music Ensemble, Ensemble 21, and New Millennium Ensemble, among others; recordings on Auvidis Montaigne, BMG/RCA, Bridge, col legno, CRI, Centaur, Koch, and Nonesuch; associate professor, Eastman School of Music, and director, Eastman Musica Nova
Peter Matzka	Conductor and violinist; member, Vienna String Sextet; concert master, Radio Symphony Orchestra, and faculty, University for Music, Vienna
Holly McCormack	Soprano: Chicago Opera Theatre, American Opera Group, Chamber Opera of Chicago
Mei-Mei Meng	Pianist; soloist, Music for Westchester Orchestra, Hudson Valley Symphony, and University of Wisconsin Orchestra; faculty, Mannes College of Music, Curtis Institute of Music
Samuel Morgenstern	Principal percussion, Pro Musica Chamber Orchestra of Columbus
Peter Press	Guitar and mandolin: Has performed with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, 20th-Century Classics Ensemble, New York Philharmonic, Mid-Atlantic Chamber Orchestra, New York City Ballet Orchestra, Bridgeport Symphony, and Shelly-Press Flute-Guitar Duo; recordings on Ess.a.y, Bridge, Koch, International Classics, Naxos, Centaur, and BMG; faculty, Hoff-Barthelson Music School.
Susan Radcliff	Trumpet: Has performed with the New York City Ballet Orchestra, Solisti New York Chamber Orchestra, Fairfield Chamber Orchestra, San Francisco Contemporary Music Players, Orchestra of St. Luke, among others
John Selway	New York-based techno DJ and producer; co-founder, Serotonin Records
Damien Simon	Composer and guitarist; numerous scores for film, theatre, and dance productions
Regina Spektor	Composer and recording artist; her critically acclaimed albums include “Far” (Warner Bros., 2009), “Begin to Hope” (Sire Records, 2006) and “Soviet Kitsch” (2003); featured in Smithsonian Magazine’s Fall 2007 special issue, “37 Under 36: America’s Young Innovators in the Arts and Sciences”
Rich Westover	Vice president of promotion/research & information systems, Island Def Jam Music Group
Saundi Wilson	Film composer and DJ; Sundance, SXSW, Tribeca, Indie Spirit, Atlanta, Muestra, Avignon, and Urbanworld awards
Bill Youngman	Renowned rave DJ and recording artist, based in Berlin; Scandinavia Records, Tresor, Electrostep

Graduate Alumni

William Anderson	Guitarist and composer; founder of the noted chamber ensemble, Cygnus; faculty, Sarah Lawrence College and Queens College
Jay Azzolina	Jazz guitarist and composer: Has toured extensively and performed with Michael Urbaniak, Spyro Gyra (Grammy nomination), Herbie Mann, Chuck Mangione, John Patitucci, Charles Blenzig, Michael Franks, Donna Summer, The Manhattan Transfer, Carly Simon, and Rickie Lee Jones, among many others; his fourth CD, “Local Dialect,” was released in 2007
Levi Barcourt	Pianist and musical director for Melba Moore
Susie Bench (Sasiwan Benchasil)	Orchestrator, ABC World News Now
Tony Cimorosi	Jazz bass: Active in the New York jazz and world music scene; international touring; recordings and performances with Randy Brecker, Alex Foster, Baba Olatunji, Michael Urbaniak, Lonnie Smith, Jeremy Wall, and Joe Taylor, among many others
Charlie B. Dahan	Grammy-nominated producer; co-chairman and founder, Larchmont Recordings, Inc.; associate professor, Recording Industry Dept., Middle Tennessee State University; talent agent, The Roots Agency (Nashville office)
Will DeVos	Freelance French hornist on Broadway
Carl Harvoe	Principal trumpet, Brass Quintet, Royal Australian Air Force Command Band, Sydney; recordings on Northquest and Newmarket
Rodger Lee	Trumpet; founding member, Royal Brass; faculty, C. W. Post Campus, Long Island University
Alison Quinn McConekey	Soprano: Opera North, City Beat Opera, Eastern Festival Opera, Downtown Symphony, Center for Contemporary Opera; 2009 first-place district winner, Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions; Best Performance by a Comprimario Female, OperaOnline, 2006
Leigh Mesh	Associate principal double bass, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra; has performed with the MET Chamber Ensemble, Caramoor Virtuosi, and Brentano and Tokyo String Quartets
Richie Morales	Percussionist; credits range from the seminal jazz-fusion of the Brecker Brothers and the Latin jazz of Gato Barbieri, Ray Barretto, and Dave Valentin, to the experimental jazz of Dave Brubeck and the world music of Herbie Mann
Edward G. Robinson	Musical director and conductor, “Miss Saigon,” “Cats,” and “Shogun The Musical” on Broadway; conductor, “The Phantom of the Opera” (Los Angeles company and national tour); musical supervisor, “Mamma Mia!” national tour
Justin Henry Rubin	Composer, pianist, and organist; D.M.A., University of Arizona; associate professor of music, University of Minnesota at Duluth
David Sabella-Mills	Broadway veteran and master teacher; originated the starring role of Mary Sunshine in the 1996 revival of “Chicago”; international tours with La Gran Scena Opera Company; recordings on Koch International and RCA Victor
Benjamin Verdery	Classical guitarist: Performs internationally; more than 15 recordings, including “First You Build A Cloud” (Rare Records, 2007), “Start Now” (2005 Classical Recording Foundation Award) and “Some Towns and Cities” (1992 Guitar Player Magazine Best Classical Guitar Recording); chair of the guitar dept., Yale University School of Music
Jeremy Wall	Writer/arranger for Spyro Gyra (founding member), Windham Hill, and Koch International; assistant professor of music, SUNY Oneonta

Updated Jan. 15, 2010