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Alumni Achievements

Additional Alumni Achievements


Featured Alum
Jonelyn Langenstein, '03
Majors: Music and Arts Administration

Career Path: After graduating from Whitworth, Langenstein earned a master's degree from the New England Conservatory of Music. Now a professional opera singer, she has performed with the Boston Lyric Opera, the Connecticut Lyric Opera, the Boston Opera Collaborative, Opera Boston, Barnstormers Theatre, the Virtuosi Orchestra, and the Intermezzo Opera. She is currently performing the roles of Papagena and Second Lady with Boston Lyric Opera's touring production of Mozart's
The Magic Flute.

Why Whitworth? I wanted to attend a school out of state – the other schools I was accepted to were in California and were very large. It seemed exotic that Whitworth had pine trees on its campus and was in a region with four seasons. When I visited campus, I sat in on a Whitworth Choir rehearsal and was very impressed. I was also attracted to Whitworth's liberal arts education. I didn't know what I wanted to major in as a freshman, and the small class sizes along with a broad range of exploratory course offerings were reassuring.

Whitworth Activities: Whitworth Choir; president of chamber singers; women's choir; International Club. While at Whitworth, won the district audition of the Metropolitan Opera National Council and received the Most Talented Young Singer Award; two-time National Association of Teachers of Singing competition winner; Musicfest Northwest Young Artist Competition winner

Quote: "Music majors need a lot of encouragement and individual attention. Each Whitworth music faculty member I worked with, whether in a lesson, choir rehearsal or orchestration class, took time with me and invested in my musicianship. I am a better artist, musician and person because of the music faculty."

Influential Whitworth Experience: I'm very glad that I took private organ lessons at Whitworth. Although I played piano for many years, I'm not naturally inclined with a keyboard, and organ is a very difficult instrument to master. Lottie Evans was an extremely patient teacher as I learned the basics of playing using both hands and feet. I gained a love and respect for a repertoire and instrument that I had previously known very little about. I hope to always try new things in all areas of life and make good friends like Lottie along the way.

Career Goals: My goal is to continue to sing professionally in larger venues and with more frequency and to always be growing as a musician. I want to sing only as long as it makes me happy.


Here's what some other Whitworth graduates are doing with their music degrees:

• Laura Smith, '08, is earning a master's degree in piano performance at the University of Houston, where she is a graduate teaching assistant.

• Seth Ahnert, '07, is earning a master of music degree in jazz studies at University of Northern Colorado, where he serves as a graduate teaching assistant.

• Stacy Boyer,'07, is earning a master of music degree in clarinet performance at the University of North Texas.

• Kyrsten Hafso, '07, is earning a master of fine arts degree in musical theatre at San Diego State University.

• Greg Hoff,'07, is earning a master of music degree in trombone performance at Indiana University.

• Michael Saccomanno, '07, completed the MIT program at Whitworth and is director of choral activities at Mead High School and director of music at St. Charles Parish in Spokane.
  
  

• Mark Stevens, '06, is earning a master's degree in piano pedagogy at the University of Nebraska, where he is a graduate teaching assistant.

• Alyssa Hansen, '05, is director of worship, music, and the arts at Mountain View Presbyterian Church, in Marysville, Wash.

• Kim Dolge, '04, is studying ethnomusicology at Istanbul Technical University, Centre for Advanced Studies in Music, in Turkey.

• Mike Frederick, '04, taught guitar lessons and played for Carnival Cruise Lines and is earning a master's degree in jazz studies and contemporary media at Eastman School of Music.
  

• Dana (Hamblet) Strait, '03, is earning a doctorate in music cognition at Northwestern University, where she is researching the effects of long-term musical training on the brain.

• David Parks, '02, is touring with the United States Army Field Band after earning a master's degree in saxophone performance at the University of Southern Mississippi.