Damien Bassman (IAC 90) was the percussionist on the Tony Award-winning musical "Next To Normal." Damien has also performed as a percussionist on "Glory Days," "High Fidelity," and “The Color Purple."
Andrea Zemel (IAC Fac 90-96) and partner Alan Brown celebrated the tenth anniversary year of their ILIAD gallery in New York City.
Lev Zhurbin (IAC 90) and wife Inna welcomed their baby boy Benjamin A. Zhurbin in July 2009.
Thomas Kitt (IAC 90) was the winner of two Tony Awards. Best Original Score written for the theatre and Best Orchestrations for "Next to Normal." Damien Bassman (IAC 90) was the percussionist in the orchestra for “Next To Normal.”
Kyle Norris (IAC 90, IAA 90-93, ICCA 06) is a host and producer at Michigan Radio and lives in Ann Arbor. Her reports have appeared on radio programs including: “The Environment Report,” “All Things Considered,” “Marketplace,” “The Splendid Table,” “World Vision Report,” and “Justice Talking.” In her free time she enjoys playing soccer, running and drinking coffee.
Timothy Ambrose (ICA St 90-99) is the Vice President of Advancement at Tai Sophia Institute in Laurel, Maryland.
Nathan Clair (IAA 90-91) earned his Masters in Theological Studies from Vanderbilt Divinity School in May 2009. In July 2009, he and his wife, Jill, celebrated the birth of their second child.
Edward Helms (IAC 91) has portrayed characters in "Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian," "The Hangover" and was a reporter on “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.” Ed also plays Andy Bernard in "The Office".
Miguel Felipe (IAC 91-94, IAA 94-96, IAC St 96-97) earned his Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Boston University in May 2009 for conducting. This fall, he will be interim choral director and visiting lecturer in music at Mt. Holyoke College, South Hadley, Massachusetts. He will also be the assistant director of choral studies at Boston Conservatory and on the conducting staff of Harvard University.
James F. Ginty (IAC 91, 95, IAA 95-99) portrayed Dr. Lionel Carter and Tuxedo in the 2009 film "Surrogates" with Bruce Willis. Myron Nettinga (IAA 84-85, IAC St 85) completed the sound design and sound mixing for "Surrogates."
Donald Vega (IAC 91-93) released his CD "Tomorrows" in July 2008. As a student at The Julliard School, Donald won the 2007 jazz student soloist award from DownBeat Magazine and earned first place at the 2008 Philips Jazz Piano Competition at the University of West Florida. Donald's original composition is in the CD accompanying the October 2008 education issue of JAZZIZ.
David Speckman (IAC St 91-00) and wife Kari are the parents of Sasha and Masha Speckman. David runs his own photography studio in Traverse City, Michigan.
Ju-Fang Liu (IAA 91-95, IAC 94-95) was awarded the Creative Renewal Fellowship grant, which she used to arrange traditional Chinese folk music for publication. She traveled to China and Taiwan to gather materials and is planning a demonstration CD of the arrangements completed in order to attract a publisher.
Danielle Kinne (IAA 91-95, IAC St 01-04) is living in Philadelphia, where she performs and teaches dance. She works with local artists and presents her own work, including at the 2009 Philadelphia Fringe Festival. She is a member of the Leah Stein Dance Company and is a waitress.
Doug Gaertner (AS 92, IAA 92-93, IAC St 93-96, 09) was the 2009 director of the Interlochen Arts Camp Institute staff.
Amanda Schull (IAC 92) played Gwen in the TV Show "The Sorority Wars," Elizabeth Mackey in "Mao's Last Dancer" and has had roles in "Lie To Me," "Ghost Whisperer" and "Cold Case." Amanda played the role of Jody Sawyer in the 2000 production of "Center Stage".
Barrett Foa (IAC 92-95) will appear as the recurring role of tech operator Eric Beal on the new CBS television show, "NCIS: Los Angeles." Since moving to Los Angeles in January 2009, Barrett has guest starred on "NCIS," “Numb3rs,” and opposite Kyra Sedgwick on "The Closer." In September 2009, Barrett will appear on the HBO show, "Entourage" opposite Jeremy Piven.
David Handler (IAC 92-93) is assistant principal second violin with the Alabama Symphony Orchestra in Birmingham, Alabama.
Stephen Brush (IAC 92-93, IAA 93-95) is president and founder of the New York based International Artists Agency, a music agency dedicated to building successful touring careers for a variety of artists including Peter Murphy, Highland Heartbeat and Wu-Tang Clan among others.
James Bulleri (AS 92, IAC 93, IAA 93-94) choreographed a benefit at the New-York Historical Society called "A Celebration of the Music of Charles Strouse."
Joseph Friedman (IAC 92, IAA 92-94) completed U.S. Navy basic training at Recruit Training Command in Great Lakes, Illinois.
Micah Heilbrunn (IAA 92-93) is principal clarinet with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra and has served with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Symphony Nova Scotia, and the National Youth Orchestra of Canada. He has taught the clarinet at Brandon University and the University of Windsor.
Putnam Trumbull (IAA 92-94) is a graduate student in screenwriting and film directing at Asian campus of the New York University Tisch School of the Arts, which is located in Singapore. He has been living and making short films there and elsewhere in Southeast Asia for two years. His short film premiered at the Palm Springs International ShortFest.
Andrew McGinn (IAC 93, IAA 93-94) was the producer/director of the New York Infinite Theatre production of "Seascape with Sharks and Dancer" starring Leslie S. Cohen (IAC 93, IAA 93-95) and Simon DeGeorges (IAC 91-93). Other alumni connected with the production included Moira Meltzer-Cohen (IAA 93-94) costume design, Anthony Panarelli (IAC 91-93) stage manager and Clara Teufel (IAA 93-94) advertisement design.
Jason DePue (IAC 93) performed all of Niccolo Paganini’s 24 Caprices in one concert at St. Rita’s Church in Philadelphia in May 2009. Jason is a member of the first violin section in the Philadelphia Orchestra and is on faculty at Temple University's Music Preparatory Division.
Matt Starkie Kreuder (IAA 93-94) and Lauryn Starkie Kreuder (IAA 96-97) are the new owners of the South Street Cafe in downtown Bennington, Vermont. The establishment serves Organic Fair Trade coffee, exhibits local art and hosts live performances. They have a daughter named Willow. Lauryn graduated from Bennington College in 2005 having focused in conflict resolution and theater. When she is not at the café, she is a mediator for the small claims court of Bennington County.
Dieter Weise (IAA 93-95) lives in a cabin on the Yukon River near Dawson City, Canada.
Candace Downing Bartel (IAA 93-95, IAC Staff 96-98) graduated in May 2009 with a master’s degree in trombone performance from California State University, Long Beach, where she studied with James Miller. She is expecting her first child this winter with husband Brian Bartel (IAC 86-90, 92, IAA 88-92, IAC St 94-95, 97-98).
Shira Weidenbaum (IAA 93-95) received her doctorate in French literature in May 2009 from Yale University, with her dissertation, "Patterns of Persuasion: Religious Literary Dialogue in Renaissance France." She has moved to Squamish, British Columbia to begin a position as a tutor of French and humanities at Quest University, where she will be creating the French curriculum.
Jonathan Perkins' (IAA 93-95) co-wrote the original song, "Down". It debuted on iTunes in June 2009 and was performed by Jay Sean featuring Lil Wayne.
Kathleen B. Costello (IAC 94) is the principal clarinetist with the Alabama Symphony.
Ben Randall (IAA 93-96) and Naomi Millan (IAA 94-96) welcomed their son Cyrus Randall in December 2008. Jack Randall (IAA Fac 87-01, IAC St 89) is the proud grandfather and Luke Randall (IAC 96-97, IAC St 99) is Cyrus's uncle.
Natalie (Priest) Yaw (IAC 95, IAA 95-98, IAC St 98-99) and her husband, Chris, are very proud to announce the birth of their first baby, James Christopher, born August 13, 2009. James is currently a soprano.
Filip Fenrych (IAC 95, IAA 95-99) performs on violin and is a member of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra.
Kristen Andersen (IAA 95-97) is a scenic designer for The Creation Museum in Petersburg, Kentucky.
Richard Hinds (IAC 96-97, IAA 97-00) is currently serving as the associate choreographer for the Broadway-bound musical "The First Wives Club" at the Old Globe Theatre. He was the associate choreographer for Center Theatre Group and Deaf West's production of "Pippin" starring Interlochen Alumni Michael Arden (Moore) (IAA 99-01, IAC 99, IAC St 01).
Audrey McDonnell (IAA 96-00) currently works for the Department of Homeland Security, Office of United States Citizenship and Immigration Services as an Asylum Officer in the Houston office. Her main duties include adjudicating applications from refugees located in the United States who are requesting political asylum from their countries of citizenship; as well as traveling abroad to countries in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East to work on refugee details.
Megan (Cole) Urban (IAC 96-98, IAA 97-00) is the proud mother to Parker Allen Urban born in May 2009.
Danny Holt (IAA 96-99, IAC St 99-02) serves on the faculty of the Herb Alpert School of Music at the California Institute of the Arts. Danny's next CD, "Fast Jump" was released in June 2009 on Innova Recordings. The CD includes works by Caleb Burhans (IAA 97-98) and Lona Kozik (IAC Fac 01-02, 04).
Maggie Bergeron (IAA 96-98, IAC St 98, IAC Fac 99-04) is an adjunct dance faculty member at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. Maggie returned to the Interlochen campus in April to observe MORP (prom at the Arts Academy) as part of a national research project she was conducting. Maggie visited over seven high school proms across the country and will choreograph a work based on her findings.
Alex Michaels (IAC 97-00, IAA 00-02) was a competing casting member as "Alexis Michelle" for RuPaul's Drag Race Casting.
Jessica Bodner (IAC 97-98) is the violist in the Parker Quartet which has been the recipient of the Cleveland Quartet Award and winner of the Bordeaux International String Quartet Competition and the Concert Artists Guild Competition. The quartet is currently in residence with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra.
Ann Marie (Simpson) Calhoun (IAC 97) will compose and perform on the soundtrack to the movie "Sherlock" and is collaborating with the film composer Hans Zimmer. Ann Marie was a performer at "Mandela Day," a performance honoring the life of Nelson Mandela in 2009. She was joined by Dave Stewart, Carla Bruni, Josh Groban (IAC 97-98) and Aretha Franklin in a live broadcast live from Radio City Hall in New York City.
E. Dorothy Chang (IAA 97-99) is serving as the director of educational programming at Pentacle, a dance service organization in New York City.
Caleb Burhans (IAA 97-98) received a Leonore Annenberg Fellowship in the Performing and Visual Arts in July 2009.
Reina Hardy (IAC 98-99) was present at the premiere of her play "Erratica" in Sacramento, California. She is earning her master’s degree in fine arts from Ohio University. Her play "Juvenilia" was performed at New Albany High School in Ohio. She also runs a Chicago non-profit, the Viola Project (Shakespeare for Girls).
Amanda Stewart (IAC 98) joined the New York Philharmonic as associate principal trombone in July 2009. Amanda had previously been with the San Antonio Symphony.
Rachel Kamischke (IAC 98, 00-01, 05, IAA 03-07, IAC St 06-09) received a Cathy L. Young Award in French and a Louis R. Bragg and Mary Huemiller Bragg, '69 Endowed Scholarship in Mathematics from Albion College.
Stanley Friedman (IAA Fac 90-01) participated in a concert tour in Austria, where he conducted the brass/percussion ensemble “Blechcircus” in performances of original compositions. He presented master classes in Austria, Switzerland and Colorado, where trumpet soloist Ryan Anthony performed his classical concerto with the Grand Junction Symphony. Several of Stanley's works were premiered at the International Trumpet Guild Conference in Harrisburg. Stanley also plays principal trumpet with the Eroica Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Michael Gilbert.
Benjamin Jaber (IAA 99-00) is principal horn of the San Diego Symphony.
Sarah Stoneback (IAA 99-00, IAC St 02) is a trumpet teaching assistant at the University of Colorado, Boulder, Colo., and is in her second-year of a master’s in trumpet performance. Through the University of Colorado, Boulder, she is a member of The Flatirons Brass which received the Bronze medal in the 2009 Fischoff Chamber Competition. The Stoneback Sisters (tripleting trumpeting trio) and Stoneback Brass (trumpet quartet and brass quintet) have sole performance rights to the Rafael Méndez Library. As a multifaceted ensemble they solo, concertize, performing both nationally and internationally and as Conn-Selmer clinicians, conduct workshops and master-classes.
Alejandro Lleras (IAC 99, IAA 99-02) married Leah Gaspari in June 2009. They live in Boulder, Colorado.
Victoria Bass (IAA 99-01) completed The Nation's Triathlon, an Olympic distance triathlon, in Washington D.C. in September 2009 to raise money for the Leukemia/Lymphoma Society.
Anna Burgstede (IAA 99-02) has appeared as Willow Stark in "Days of our Lives" and as Kaylee in "Without a Trace."
Caitlin Machak (IAC 99-03) is a senior at New York University Tisch School of the Arts for film and television production.
