Motifs: November 2026
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Hon. Keith Davidson (IAC/NMC 41, IAC/NMC St 42) was featured in the Minnesota Law Magazine to announce the new endowed scholarship at the University of Minnesota in his name. The scholarship will be awarded to law students who participate in the band during their college years.
Frank Reginald Brown III (IAC/NMC 60-61) has retired as a pediatric neurologist with academic career at Johns Hopkins, Medical University of South Carolina, and Texas Children's Hospital.
Oberlin College Conservatory’s Contemporary Music Ensemble will present the premiere “Autumn,” a new piece by Wesley Horner (IAA 69-72) with baritone soloist Timothy Lefebvre, on Friday, Oct. 30 at 7:30 p.m. The conductor is Timothy Weiss (IAA Fac 90-92; IAC Fac 91-94, 98). The event will be livestreamed on Oberlin’s website.
Sheryl Szady (IAC St 71-79, IAC Fac 80-84, IAA Fac 76-82, 83-84, IAA St 75-76) was recently featured in a The University Record article detailing the leadership role she played in the University of Michigan granting women the Block M on their varsity jackets. Szady also recently returned to Interlochen during the 2026 Alumni Reunion Weekend; during the festivities, the Dennison Center’s gymnasium was dedicated the Dr. Sheryl M. Szady Gymnasium in her honor. See photos from the event in our Alumni Reunion Weekend recap.
Jill Stoll (IAA 82-86, IAC Fac 96-97) recently held a solo exhibition, Single Use / Long Memory, on view at Tulane School of Architecture through Sept. 21. Her work also appeared in two juried exhibitions: LSU School of Art’s SLOW: 2026 Summer Contemporary and the Handweavers Guild of America’s Creative Spirits of the River at Convergence 2026, each receiving an honorable mention.
Adam Glaser (IAC/NMC 84; IAC St 90-92; IAC Fac 16-19, 25-26) recently released this third album, Scattered Pictures, available now on major digital platforms. The album is a deeply personal project inspired by his return to Long Island, the acceptance of his parents’ passing, and a rekindled affection for this special place, which has become his home once again. Glaser is Director of Orchestras at Hofstra University.
Justin O'Jack (IAA 88) has been named the inaugural Chief Representative of University of Virginia's Pacific Asia Office. He has been working in China since 2003 and lives in Shanghai with his wife and daughter.
Trio Fadolín—featuring Ljova (IAC/NMC 90) on fadolín, Sabina Torosjan on violin, and Valeriya Sholokhova on cello—will release their debut album, Where We Are, on Nov. 6, 2026. The album features over 95 minutes of chamber music highlighting the unique voice of the fadolín.
The Sato–Larsen–Oei Trio recently released Three By Three, an album of new chamber music by composer Steven Christopher Sacco. The trio features violinist Erilko Sato, cellist Benjamin Laresen (IAC 97), and pianist David OEI (IAC/NMC 63-67). The album is available on all streaming platforms on Sept. 25.
Paul Simon: A Quiet Celebration is now streaming on Hulu and Disney+. This two-hour film was recorded live at McCaw Hall in Seattle during the legendary singer-songwriter’s recent acoustic tour and features accompaniment from Interlochen Arts Academy Instructor of Flute and Chamber Music Nancy Stagnitta (IAC Fac 99-07, 10-25, IAA Fac 02-03, 04-26).
Harrison Apple (IAC 06-07, IAA 07-09) has been named the new director of the Frank-Ratchye STUDIO for Creative Inquiry at Carnegie Mellon University’s College of Fine Arts (CFA).
Brandon Baer (IAC 06, 08, 09) and Garrett Baer (IAC 09) made their directing debut with Don’t Log Off (streaming on Prime and Apple TV). Their next feature, Boys Camp, draws on Brandon’s own summers at Interlochen and highlights the experience of a gay camper singled out by his cabinmates. It’s a film about mentorship, community, and how we can better support survivors. If this story speaks to you, the brothers would love the support of the Interlochen family in bringing it to the screen. Reach their management at Circle MP, or contact them through Interlochen.
Andy Min (IAC 11-12, 14-17; IAA 17-19) has partnered with lifelong friend Thomas Sullivan to launch the We Love You project, which includes a podcast, book, YouTube channel, TikTok, and Instagram.
Writer and multimedia artist M. Ezra Zhang (IAC 14) recently published their debut poetry chapbook, Self-Portrait with LSD & Mirror. Described as a “rollercoaster search for truth,” exploring “the four great subjects here…love, addiction, time, and fear,” the chapbook is a finalist for Nine Syllables Press, The Headlight Review, and Beyond Words. Zhang is a Best New Poets, Pushcart Prize, and Best of the Net nominee and holds an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from New York University and a B.A. in English from the University of Pennsylvania.
The Viridian Strings, founded by Arts Academy alumni Joe Skerik (IAA 14-18, IAC 13, IAC St 19, 20) and Kyle Stachnik (IAA 14-16, IAC 12), were featured on National Public Radio’s Performance Today. You can listen to their segment on the Oct. 21, 2026 episode starting at 86'45".
Alexander Straus-Fausto (IAA 16-18) was recently appointed Director of Music at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in Miami, Florida. At 26, he is among the youngest cathedral music directors in the country. As a concert organist, he has performed throughout the United States and Canada, as well as internationally in Norway, Denmark, Paris, and the U.K. Straus-Fausto studied with Thomas Bara at Interlochen Arts Academy before continuing his studies at McGill University, the Yale School of Music, and the Eastman School of Music. Listen here.
Mia Rose Kohn (IAC 21-22, IAA 22-23), a senior at Yale, had a comic page featured in The Boston Globe’s “America at 250: An Unexpected History” special section.