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We are thrilled to announce the winner of the 2024-25 Bruce Ekstrand Memorial Graduate Student Performance Competition: The Koa String Quartet!

Willem Rohwer comes to the College of Music from Edwards, Colorado, to pursue an undergraduate degree in double bass performance. “Developing my own musical opinions and character are really something that I want to find here,” he says. Discover Rohwer’s unique approach to a successful audition and his other interests.

“I find myself thinking about all our former quartet members—we wouldn’t be celebrating this milestone today except for them,” says first violinist Ed Dusinberre. Adds second violinist Harumi Rhodes, “It’s a monumental moment and we’re approaching it with a sense of awe. I feel humbled. Yet, in another sense, for us it’s business as usual.” And much of that business takes place right here in �Ǹ�Թ�.

Last summer, the College of Music and Sphinx Performance Academy kicked off a new partnership to welcome talented string students—ages 11-17—to our campus for an intensive scholarship program emphasizing cultural diversity. This month, it’s déjâ vu as auditioned youths engage in lessons, master classes and more, culminating in public performances tonight and this weekend.

At the CU �Ǹ�Թ� Entrepreneurship Center for Music, students can find the skills and tools they need for their music careers. This spring, the ECM awarded $5,820 in grants to support eight student-led professional development and community engagement projects.

When Joy Yamaguchi graduates from our College of Music next week with a Doctor of Musical Arts degree, the work she started here will continue. “Completing this degree has helped me realize my strength and solidify my focus as a multifaceted artist,” she shares.

At the College of Music’s commencement ceremony on May 9, we look forward to celebrating the remarkable accomplishments and indelible impact of undergraduate cellist Louis Saxton!

As the first violinist of the renowned Lydian String Quartet in residence at Brandeis University, Segar previously served as a professor in the university’s Department of Music.

Louis Saxton (BM ’24) has been named the College of Music’s 2024 Presser Undergraduate Scholar Award recipient. Discover Saxton’s inspiration, journey and experience at CU �Ǹ�Թ�!

On Feb. 25, undergraduate cellist Louis Saxton and graduate violinist Rinat Erlichman were awarded first prizes in the College of Music’s annual Concerto Competition. Congratulations to all participating students and collaborative pianists!