MA/PhD in Theory
Crystal Asmussen
Andrew Aziz is a fifth-year student (ABD) in theory. Prior to his studies at Eastman, Andrew received his bachelor’s degree from Brown University (2007), magna cum laude, with a double concentration in music theory/composition (honors) and applied mathematics. Andrew’s research interests include sonata theory and its applications, early twentieth-century French music, music cognition, and mathematical applications/transformational theory. He has presented at the First International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology (2008); Society for Music Perception and Cognition on post-tonal applications of Temperley’s PBK model (2011); the Music Theory Society of New York State (2012); and Society for Music Theory (forthcoming) on an evolutionary perspective of Chopin’s sonata forms. Andrew’s dissertation, “In Name Only: The Interaction of Title and Genre in the Sonata Forms of Debussy and Ravel” considers modern approaches to sonata theory, semiotics, and extensions to theories of narrative and discontinuity. Andrew’s non-musical interests include New York sports teams (Yankees, Giants in particular), tennis, pool, sunshine, and noodles.
Sebastiano Bisciglia, a native of Montréal, is a Ph.D. candidate in Music Theory and a Sproull Fellow. Prior to his studies at ESM, he earned both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Music Theory from McGill University. Long interested in twelve-tone and serial music, Sebastiano is currently writing a dissertation that examines equivalences among twelve-tone row classes. Other research interests include “tonal” organization in 17th-century music, computational modeling, and the epistemology of music theory. A more recent interest, one that surfaced while studying for the comprehensive exams, is distance running.
Sam Bivens is a first year Ph.D. student in Music Theory at the Eastman School of Music, where he completed his MA in Music Theory Pedagogy in 2012. That same year he was nominated for the Eastman School of Music T.A. Prize, the final selection of which is still ongoing. Before coming to Rochester he received his BM in Tuba Performance at Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana, where he was a substitute musician for a number of orchestras throughout the Midwest. In his junior year at Butler he was named a Presser Scholar, a title given by the Presser Foundation to an outstanding undergraduate musician as voted upon by the music faculty. Specific research interests include musical narrative, Bruckner, the late nineteenth century, music theory pedagogy, and the role of cognitive biases in analysis. Away from music, Sam enjoys being an amateur pilot, brewing his own beer, and being continually fascinated by the cosmos, evolution, and the writings of George Orwell.
Michael Blankenship
Jenine L. Brown is a Ph.D. candidate in music theory. Her dissertation addresses the cognition of twelve-tone music, and investigates implicit learning of interval patterns within derived rows. Brown has presented her findings at the conference meetings of the Society for Music Perception and Cognition (2009 and 2011), the Musical Ear Conference (2009) and the Society of Ethnomusicology-Niagara (2006). She served as co-editor of Intégral for Volumes 21 and 22, and was an active board member on Ossia from 2006-2008. Brown holds a B.M. in music theory and a B.A. in economics from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor (2003), as well as a M.A. in music theory from the Eastman School of Music (2006). She enjoys teaching music theory, and taught at Ithaca College from 2007-2009. Brown received Eastman’s Graduate Student Teaching Award for outstanding classroom teaching in 2005-2006.
Nathan Burggraff is a Ph.D. candidate in Music Theory here at Eastman. Prior to his studies at Eastman, Nathan earned a B.A. in Music at Clearwater Christian College (2005) in FL, majoring in piano and music composition. Since coming to Eastman in 2005, Nathan has earned a M.M. in Piano Accompanying (2007) as well as a M.A. in Music Theory Pedagogy (2010). His dissertation explores the interaction of religion and music in postmodernism, focusing on specific works by American minimalist composers John Adams, Philip Glass, and Steve Reich. Other research interests include analytical approaches to modern/postmodern music, Schenkerian theory, and music theory pedagogy.
Along with his music education, Nathan is also working toward a M.A. in Theological Studies, and he has used his training in sacred music to present piano concerts during the summer months. His summer ministry in sacred music has led him to over fifty churches around the United States and Canada, and in the past four summers, he has also participated in and led musical missions trips to South America and South Africa. For more information, visit www.nbmusicproductions.com.
Joan Campbell-Huguet is a third-year Theory PhD student and a Sproull Fellow at the Eastman School of Music. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music and French Literature from Rhodes College and a Master of Arts in Music Theory from McGill University. Her research interests include the relationship between Formenlehre and Schenkerian analysis, nineteenth-century history of theory, late Beethoven, Brahms, and music theory pedagogy.
Amy Fleming
Anna Fulton
Andrew Flowers
Jeremiah Goyette is a Ph.D. candidate in Music Theory. His dissertation investigates the nature of the z-relation, addressing works by Elliot Carter and other 20th-century composers. He presented some of his latest work at the 2011 conference of the Society of Music Theory. Jeremiah’s other interests in music theory include 20th-century music and aesthetics, music semiology, tuning/microtonality, computer programming for computer analysis, and historical music theory. Prior to ESM, Jeremiah received his BM from Texas Tech University where he graduated magna cum laude. During his bachelors, he studied violin for a year under the maestro Carlo Chiarappa (who premiered Berio’s Sequenza 8 for violin) at the Conservatorio della Svizzera Italiana in Lugano, Switzerland. He has also designed music software, including a post-tonal ear-training suite, which can be accessed on his website: www.jeremiahgoyette.com.
Aaron Grant is a second-year Ph.D. candidate in Music Theory and a Sproull Fellow. Prior to his studies at Eastman, Aaron graduated from The Pennsylvania State University summa cum laude with a B.M. in flute performance and an M.A. in music theory where he wrote his Master’s thesis entitled, “Dualities in Igor Stravinsky’s Compositional Process as Seen in The Nightingale (1908-1914).” His work on Stravinsky was funded by a summer residency fellowship from the Institute for the Arts and Humanities and allowed him to travel to Basel, Switzerland and the Paul Sacher Stiftung in order to examine Stravinsky’s musical sketches of The Nightingale. Aaron’s work on Stravinsky has been presented at conferences including the Allegheny chapter of the American Musicological Society. His current research interests include Schenkerian analysis, hermeneutics, music theory pedagogy, and examining tonality and form in music of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Trevor Haughton is a third-year PhD student in music theory at Eastman. Originally from New Jersey, Trevor graduated summa cum laude with high honors in both Music and History from Colgate University in 2007, and was also elected to Phi Beta Kappa. He earned his MM from the Boston University School of Music in 2010, where he was elected to Pi Kappa Lambda, before coming to Rochester. His diverse research interests include tonal theory, thoroughbass/improvisation, transformation theory, and geometrical modeling.
Carl Heuckendorf received a BA in music from Case Western Reserve University, and also holds MA and MM degrees from the University of Minnesota. His research interests include Schenkerian Theory, Sonata Theory, and theories of rhythm in tonal music. He is currently writing a dissertation on form and voice-leading in the keyboard sonatas of Domenico Scarlatti.
Samantha Inman is a PhD student in music theory at the Eastman School of Music. She completed previous studies in theory and flute performance at Baldwin-Wallace College and the University of Cincinnati. Her research interests include the analysis of tonal music, theories of form, and rhythmic theory.
Kiyomi Kimura
Alex Kuczynski
Sarah Marlowe is a Ph.D. candidate in Music Theory. She earned a B.Mus. in Piano Performance in 2002, and M.M. in Music Theory and Collaborative Piano in 2006, from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Her dissertation, “Fugue in Context: Schenkerian Theory and Dmitri Shostakovich’s 24 Preludes and Fugues, Op. 87,” addresses voice-leading problems within tonal fugues, Soviet modal theory, and extensions of Schenker’s theory to explain Shostakovich’s voice-leading procedures. Her research interests include Schenkerian analysis, the music of Dmitri Shostakovich, Russian music theory, theory and aural skills pedagogy, and the history of theory. She is also the recipient of both the Edward Peck Curtis Award for Excellence in Teaching by a Graduate Student and the Eastman School of Music T.A. Prize.
Emma McConnell is a fourth-year PhD student with primary research interests in narrative and scale theories as applied to the music of Bela Bartok and secondary interests in musical aesthetics and Schenkerian analysis of nineteenth-century opera. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Music with Elective Studies in Mathematics and Philosophy in 2009 from Houghton College in Houghton, NY.
Gilad Rabinovitch enjoys a combination of musical activities as a composer, theorist and teacher. He came to Eastman in 2009 as a Sproull Fellow to pursue a doctoral degree in composition, which he is currently completing while starting the PhD program in music theory as well. Gilad’s music was commissioned and performed by organizations including the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, Israel Contemporary Players and KlangNetz. He has participated in numerous festivals including Aldeburgh Music and Domaine Forget. His primary research interest is the analysis of late 19th and early 20th-century music, and he intends to dedicate his doctoral dissertation in theory to Fauré’s harmony. Gilad’s secondary area of interest is the analytical and pedagogical applications of Gjerdingen’s theory of galant schemata.
Gilad holds an M.A.Mus in musicology and composition (summa cum laude, 2009) from the Hebrew University of Jersualem in collaboration with the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance. He has taught aural skills, keyboard skills, theory and composition. Gilad received the Distinguished Faculty Instructor award from the Hebrew University twice, and has presented papers to the Israel Musicological Society, the New York State/Saint Lawrence Chapter of the American Musicological Society and the German Studies Association.
Joseph Siu is a second-year MA/PhD student in Music Theory at the Eastman School of Music, with research interests in music cognition and music theory pedagogy. Before coming to Rochester, Joseph was a piano, music theory, and science teacher at the International Christian Quality Music Secondary and Primary School in Hong Kong. Joseph graduated from the University of Western Ontario in Canada in 2009 with a Bachelor of Music with Honors in Piano Performance and Music Theory. Upon graduation, Joseph was awarded the University of Western Ontario Gold Medal for graduating with the highest average in his program. Joseph was on the UWO Dean’s Honor List from 2004-2009 and he was also the recipient of several scholarships, including the UWO Faculty Association Scholarship, the London Woman’s Music Club Award, the UWO In-Course Scholarship, and the UWO Continuing Admission Scholarship. In addition, Joseph holds the Licentiate Diploma (LTCL) in solo piano performance with distinction from the Trinity College London, as well as the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music’s Grade Eight Certificates in voice with distinction and cello with merit.
James Sullivan is a third-year M.A./Ph.D. student in music theory and a second-year M.M. student in double bass performance. He received a B.M. in double bass performance with honors and a B.S. in mathematics with honors from Indiana University in 2010. James is interested in mathematical music theory, especially the mathematical modeling of voice-leading, and has presented recent work on voice-leading metrics at SMT 2011. James is also generally interested in contemporary music, both as a theorist and a performer. He has commissioned and premiered numerous works by student composers and has performed with the IU New Music Ensemble, Eastman’s Musica Nova, and Eastman’s Ossia. When tired of performing and thinking about music, James invests himself in all aspects of food, from gardening to cooking and eating. His favorite food is risotto.
Daphne Tan is a Ph.D. candidate in music theory. Her dissertation, a contribution to the histories of music theory and psychology, examines the late work of theorist Ernst Kurth, particularly his Musikpsychologie (1931). Daphne has published and presented papers on issues related to music perception and cognition, and she has strong secondary interests in music theory pedagogy and analytical approaches toearly-20th-century music. Daphne was the recipient of a 2009–2010 Teaching Assistant Prize for excellence in classroom teaching. She holds an M.A. in music theory and a B.Mus. in clarinet performance and music theory from McGill University. Her graduate work has been supported by grants from the Social Sciences and Research Council of Canada.
Aaron VanValkenburg is a second-year Ph.D. student in music theory. He holds music degrees from Mount Vernon Nazarene University (B.A., Church Music & Composition) and Baylor University (M.M., Music Theory, Church Music). He is the 2009 recipient of Baylor University’s Graduate Academic Achievement Award in music and a member of Pi Kappa Lambda. His master thesis, entitled “Musical Process and the Structuring of Riffs in Metallica” (2010), analyzes various musical processes that help shape the formal structures of Metallica’s riffs from the 1980s and compares these structures to classical phrase models. Aaron is interested in the analysis of heavy metal music, especially 1980s thrash metal and modern progressive metal. He is also interested in theories of rhythmic consonance/dissonance, musical form as a dynamic and culturally constructed space, and formal function in rock music, especially regarding the role of the drums. Aaron’s broader interests include sociology of music, poststructuralist philosophy, cultural studies, and philosophy of religion.
Adam Waller
Robert Wells completed his undergraduate studies at Furman University in Greenville, SC, where he earned a B.M. with a double major in Piano Performance and Mathematics (Summa Cum Laude, 2009) and was awarded the Furman University Academic Cup, DeLany Medal for Mathematics, and Bradshaw-Feaster Medal for General Excellence (2009). In Fall 2009, he enrolled in Eastman’s Music Theory M.A./Ph.D. program as a Sproull Fellow, with research interests in mathematical approaches to music theory. His recent work has involved modeling metric dissonance using David Lewin’s concept of the “generalized interval system” (GIS), particularly in the music of Franz Liszt. He is also interested in geometrical and topological approaches to music theory. In addition to his theoretical interests, Robert is an avid performer and composer, having won honors at piano and composition competitions at local, regional, and national levels. He will commence study in Eastman’s M.M. program in Piano Performance and Literature in Fall 2011 as a dual degree student.
MA in Theory Pedagogy
Timothy Burns
Nathan Davy
Matthew Evans
Christopher Gage earned an Honors Bachelor of Music Degree with Distinction in Organ Performance from the University of Delaware, where he studied with Dr. David Herman and served as guest organist, pianist, harpsichordist, and celestist for several university ensembles. Chris was a finalist in the 2012 Strader Competition at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and was awarded second prize in the West Chester International Organ Competition. He was also nominated for the 2012 Eastman Teaching Assistant Prize, a process that is still ongoing. He is a member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, men’s music fraternity, and Pi Kappa Lambda, a music honor society.
Chris recently earned a Master of Music Degree in Organ Performance and Literature from the Eastman School of Music, where he studied organ with Professor David Higgs. He is currently pursuing a Master of Arts in Music Theory Pedagogy at Eastman, teaching written theory and studying theatre organ and improvisation with Dr. William Porter, before continuing his studies in organ at the doctoral level at the University of Kansas. Chris is currently the director of music at Twelve Corners Presbyterian Church in Rochester, New York. Aside from playing organ, Chris enjoys cooking, baking, and watching old sitcoms, although he will deny having seen every episode of “The Golden Girls.”
Ken Luk
Elaina McKie
BM in Theory
Marissa Balonon-Rosen
Weijun Chen
Miles Cole
Nicholas Exler
Kevin Fitzgerald
Braden Maxwell
Dylan Price
