Alumni News
We are proud of all our School of Music graduates!! Please send your stories of continued success to pedro.martinez@utrgv.edu.
Alumni News 2021
Erika Soveranes (MM Ethnomuscology 2017) was accepted into the ethnomusicology doctoral program at the University of North Texas this Fall (2021), where she directs Mariachi Aguilas.
Alumni News 2020
Congratulations to Hannah Moreno (UTRGV BM in Performance (voice), class of 2019), who was accepted to the MM in Performance program at the Eastman School of Music and began studies there in Fall 2020.
Congratulations to Pedro Valdez (UTRGV BM in Performance, class of 2018), who completed his MM in performance from Texas State University in 2020.
Alumni News 2019
Congratulations to Samantha Luna (UTB BM with EC-12 Teacher Certification, class of 2014), who received her MM in Vocal Performance from the University of Arizona in 2017. Samantha also participated in the Russian Opera Workshop in the summer of 2018, and in summer 2019, will be making her role debut as Micaëla in Carmen at the Utah Vocal Arts Academy!
Congratulations to Jason Whitney (UTB BM with EC-12 Teacher Certification, class of 2013), appointed Head Choir Director at Lopez High School (Brownsville, TX) in 2014. In January 2019, Jason took a group of students from Lopez High School to compete in the Next Generation Barbershop Junior Chorus Invitational Meet held in Nashville, TN, where they sang at the Grand Ole Opry and won first place in their division! Jason will also be attending "Harmony University" at Belmont University in Nashville, TN, on a full scholarship in the summer of 2019. https://www.brownsvilleherald.com/news/education/nashville-bound-lopez-barbershop-choir-headed-to-nationals-at-grand/article_bfacbd24-1ff2-11e9-94c4-531ac4fd3b12.html
Congratulations to Ricardo García (UTRGV BM with EC-12 Teacher Certification, class of 2016), who started his MM in Vocal Performance and Pedagogy at the Peabody Institute (Baltimore, MD) in 2017! In November 2018, Ricky was a featured soloist in Peabody’s production of Leonard Bernstein’s Mass, conducted by Marin Alsop! In the summer of 2019, he will be making his role debut as Tamino in Mozart's Die Zauberflöte at the Utah Vocal Arts Academy!
Alumni News 2018
Monica Fogelquist (MM Ethnomusicology, 2017) was hired by the Butler School of Music at The University of Texas at Austin as Assistant Professor of Practice, where she directs their mariachi programs. She has been in this position since Fall 2018. https://music.utexas.edu/about/people/monica-fogelquist
Congratulations to Iliana Zendejas (UTRGV BM with EC-12 Teacher Certification, class of 2018), appointed Head Choir Director at Los Fresnos High School (Los Fresnos, TX) in 2018! Iliana is now pursuing her MM in Vocal Performance at UTRGV!
Congratulations to Sylvia Flores (UTRGV BM with EC-12 Teacher Certification, class of 2018), appointed Assistant Choir Director at Harlingen South High School (Harlingen, TX) in 2018!
Congratulations to Cesia Hernandez (UTRGV BM with EC-12 Teacher Certification, class of 2018), who was appointed as the Elementary Music Teacher at Sam Houston Elementary School and Travis Elementary School (Corpus Christi, TX) in 2018!
Congratulations to Evany Jackson (UTRGV BM with EC-12 Teacher Certification, class of 2018), appointed Assistant Choir Director at Garcia Middle School (Brownsville, TX) in 2018! Evany was also selected to participate in the Emerging Artist training program OperaWorks, in Los Angeles, CA in the summer of 2018.
Congratulations to José I. García (UTRGV BM with EC-12 Teacher Certification, class of 2017), appointed Assistant Choir Director at Stell Middle School (Brownsville, TX) in 2018! Joey was also selected as a Directing Fellow for Chicago Summer Opera in 2018!
Congratulations to Samantha Lucio (UTRGV BM with EC-12 Teacher Certification, class of 2017), appointed Choir Director at Kennedy Middle School (Pharr, TX) in 2018!
Congratulations to Sean Moran (UTRGV BM with EC-12 Teacher Certification, class of 2017), appointed as the Elementary Music Teacher at Los Fresnos Elementary School (Los Fresnos, TX) in 2018!
Congratulations to Megan Pitcock (UTRGV BM in Education, class of 2017), appointed Assistant Choir Director at Lopez High School (Brownsville, TX) in 2018!
Congratulations to Noe Saenz (UTRGV BM with EC-12 Teacher Certification, class of 2017), appointed Assistant Choir Director at Besteiro Middle School (Brownsville, TX) in 2018!
Congratulations to Josephine Briseño (UTRGV BM with EC-12 Teacher Certification, class of 2016), who began a graduate program in Music Therapy at Texas Woman’s University in Fall 2018!
Congratulations to Jonathan Rosales (UTRGV BM with EC-12 Teacher Certification, class of 2016), appointed Assistant Choir Director at Stillman Middle School (Brownsville, TX) in 2018 after having led the choir program at Perkins Middle School (Brownsville, TX) for two years!
Congratulations to Alfonso Gonzalez (UTRGV BM with EC-12 Teacher Certification, class of 2016), appointed Assistant Choir Director at Nikki Rowe High School (McAllen, TX) in 2018, after having taught music for several years at Landrum Elementary School (San Benito, TX)!
Congratulations to Miguel Zuniga (UTRGV BM with EC-12 Teacher Certification, class of 2016), appointed Choir Director at St. Williams Catholic Church in Round Rock, TX; Miguel finished his MM degree in Choral Conducting at Texas State University in May 2018!
Alumni News 2017
Congratulations to Meagan Contreras (UTRGV BM with EC-12 Teacher Certification, class of 2015), appointed Assistant Choir Director at Oliveira Middle School (Brownsville, TX)!
Congratulations to Rosie Guillen (UTRGV BM with EC-12 Teacher Certification, class of 2017), appointed Assistant Choir Director at Perkins Middle School (Brownsville, TX) in 2017!
Congratulations to Azalea Laredo (UTB BM in Vocal Performance, class of 2014, who received her MM in Opera Direction from the University of Texas at Austin Butler School of Music in 2017!
Congratulations to Jessica Rosas (UTB BM with EC-12 Teacher Certification, class of 2013), who was recently hired as an Adjunct Instructor of Music at Grayson College in Denison, TX. Jessica is currently pursuing her DMA degree in Vocal Performance at the University of North Texas! Jessica completed her MM in Vocal Performance at Texas Tech University in 2016 and has worked as a Head Choir Director at Perkins Middle School and an Assistant Choir Director at Stell Middle School in Brownsville, TX.
Congratulations to Camden Blaine Beavers (UTRGV MM in Flute Performance, class of 2017) who has placed FIRST CHAIR in both the Orchestra AND in the Wind Ensemble for the coming year, at the University of Northern Colorado (Greely, CO), where he matriculates in fall 2017 as a student of Flutist/Artist Dr. James Hall!
Congratulations to Baltazar Diaz (UTRGV BM in Flute Performance, class of 2017) who begins his Master of Musical Arts at the University of Missouri-Kansas City (Kansas City, MO) in fall 2017, as a student of world-renowned Flutist/Pedagogue Dr. Mary Posses!
Congratulations to Claudia Yadira Vela (UTRGV BM in Education with EC-12 Teacher Certification, class of 2016) who will serve as Assistant Band Director at Robert Vela High School (Edinburg, TX), starting in fall 2017!
Congratulations to Crystal Flores (UTPA BM in Education with EC-12 Teacher Certification, class of 2013) who returns home to the valley to serve as Assistant Band Director at Palmview High School (Palmview, TX) starting in fall 2017!
Congratulations to Anthea Garcia (UTRGV BM in Education with EC-12 Teacher Certification, class of 2017) who will serve as Assistant Band Director and Colorguard Instructor at Harlingen High School (Harlingen, TX) starting in fall 2017!
Congratulations to Kimberly Prince (UTRGV BM in Education with EC-12 Teacher Certification, class of 2017) who will serve as Music Teacher for Fields Elementary School (McAllen, TX) starting in fall 2017!
Congratulations to Tony Garcia (UTRGV BM in Education with EC-12 Teacher Certification, class of 2017) who will serve as Guitar Teacher at Valley View High School (Valley View, TX) starting in fall 2017!
Congratulations to Hector Silva (UTRGV MM in Guitar Performance, class of 2017) who will serve as Lecturer at the University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley (Edinburg, TX) starting in fall 2017!
Congratulations to Sarah Michaelis (UTRGV BM in Education with EC-12 Teacher Certification, class of 2017) who will serve as Music Teacher at Anderson Academy (Houston, TX) starting in fall 2017!