eNews: Internetzo – December 2025

Message from Seth Brenzel,
Executive Director

Dear Walden friends,

Happy holidays!

I hope your season is filled with warmth, music, community, and joy—all of which will be in abundant supply at our upcoming Walden holiday parties! Walden alumni, families, faculty, staff, board members, and friends will be gathering in five cities across the country for informal potluck celebrations this month and in January. Read on for more information about this cherished annual tradition, to RSVP for a Walden holiday party, or to volunteer to host one in your city.

Applications for Walden's 2026 programs are open! Our early-round application deadline is Monday, December 15. Both our Young Musicians Program (YMP) and our Creative Musicians Retreat (CMR) will be held on the beautiful Dublin School campus in Dublin, New Hampshire. If you know a creative musician, ages 9 to 99, or if you yourself might want to apply to be part of Walden Summer 2026, I hope you will pass along information about Walden and request an application. For those who want to learn more about YMP, we have several information sessions coming up, with dates listed below.

We are so grateful to the many donors who have already given generously to support our 2026 summer programs through contributions to Walden’s 2026 Annual Fund. During our 2026 fiscal year (October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2026), we seek to raise $440,000 in support of critical scholarships, inspiring artist residencies, and all our program expenses. Thanks in particular to the many donors who contributed to our recent Giving Tuesday fundraiser, which raised $3,475 for Walden’s 2026 programs.

If you’ve already made a gift toward Walden’s upcoming 2026 season, thank you! If not, I hope you’ll consider supporting Walden today with a tax-deductible year-end contribution.

Thanks for reading, and I hope to see you at an upcoming Walden event—or next summer in Dublin, New Hampshire!

Sincerely,

Seth Brenzel
Executive Director
(603) 563-8212

Walden Holiday Parties

Walden School and Junior Conservatory Camp (JCC) community members will be gathering for informal potlucks in cities throughout the country this holiday season. You are warmly invited to join us in the following cities:

San Francisco
Sunday, December 21, from 4 to 6 pm

Washington, DC Area (Silver Spring, MD)
Saturday, January 10, from 2 to 4 pm

Boston Area (Cambridge)
Sunday, January 11, from 3 to 5 pm

Seattle Area
Sunday, January 25 (time and location TBA)

New York City
Saturday, January 31, from 3 to 5 pm

Your city here!
Volunteer to host a Walden holiday party.

These Walden Holiday Parties are open to Walden and JCC alumni, faculty, staff, Board members, guest artists, and donors, along with their families and friends.

These are family-friendly, potluck-style events held at private homes. When you RSVP, please let us know what you would like to bring, and we will send you the address.

RSVP to events@waldenschool.org or by calling (415) 587-8157.

It’s not too late to volunteer to host a party in your area! Please email us if you are interested. We are so grateful to this season’s hosts and the many volunteers who have hosted Walden holiday parties over the years.

RSVP for a Walden Holiday Party!

Apply for Walden 2026

The early application deadline is Monday, December 15.

Applications for The Walden School’s 2026 summer programs are open! The early-round deadline to apply to the Young Musicians Program (YMP) and Creative Musicians Retreat (CMR) is this Monday, December 15.

We encourage you to share the news with your friends, family, colleagues, students, and teachers.

Creative Musicians Retreat
June 13–21, 2026
Dublin School, Dublin, New Hampshire
for musicians ages 18–98

Young Musicians Program
June 27–August 2, 2026
Dublin School, Dublin, New Hampshire
for pre-college musicians, ages 9–18

Application materials for both programs are available on our website. Write to us at applicants@waldenschool.org with any questions.

Apply to Walden 2026!

Year End Giving

We’re counting on your support!

Thank you to the many generous donors who have made year-end gifts to Walden, including the 25 donors who contributed $3,475 to Walden as part of our Giving Tuesday fundraiser!

Your contributions will help us offer life-changing musical experiences next summer to 100 students across our two programs, including critical student scholarships and inspiring artist residencies.

It’s not too late to make a contribution in 2025! Make a donation online, or see below for more ways to give. Gifts postmarked on or before December 31, or online gifts made before 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on December 31, can be counted toward the 2025 tax year.

❤️ Support Walden Today ❤️

Give the Gift of Walden

Walden merch is on sale this holiday season.

Bring some summer magic to the holiday season and support The Walden School with your order of stylish and cozy Walden merchandise!

For the Holiday Season, enjoy 30% off of all merchandise orders through January 10.

We have t-shirts, hoodies, blankets, beach towels, canvas totes, water bottles, stickers, and more!

See what’s available and fill out an order form here.

Orders can be paid for by check, money order, credit card, PayPal, or Zelle. Please contact Mindy Williams, Walden’s Administrative Director, or call the Walden office at (415) 587-8157 if you have any questions.

Buy Walden Merch!

Young Musicians Program (YMP) Information Sessions

Join us to learn more about the music camp that changes lives.

Do you know a student who writes songs or arranges music? Or a young improviser who wants to strengthen their musicianship and meet like-minded peers? Or a music teacher who might like to learn about Walden’s unique curriculum?

Join us at one of our online interactive information sessions, featuring presentations and Q&A with Walden’s Executive Director, Seth Brenzel, alongside YMP leadership, faculty, staff, and students.

All YMP Info Sessions are held on Zoom. Learn more and register for one of the info sessions below:

Wednesday, January 14, 2026

Wednesday, January 28, 2026

Wednesday, February 25, 2026

These events are open to prospective students, music teachers, and anyone else who would like to learn about Walden’s flagship program for musicians ages 9 to 18.

2026 Memphis Composers Forum

Announcing three selected composers

On February 4, 2026, the Memphis Symphony Orchestra will premiere works by three extraordinary composers selected for the second annual Memphis Composers Institute. The Walden School is pleased to announce the winners of this year’s call for scores, along with the titles of their compositions:

Dede Ondishko, Singing Strength

Fulya Kapucugil, Leaving the Nest

Ethan Soledad, Cages of Jade

Their music will premiere alongside a new work by Walden alum and faculty member Caroline Mallonee in an inspiring concert celebrating the next generation of orchestral music.

Concert Information
Memphis Composers Institute Concert
Wednesday, February 4, 2026 | 7:30 PM
University of Memphis, Harris Hall
BUY TICKETS
$20 General Admission / $5 Youth / Pay What You Can ($5+)

The Memphis Composers Institute is a collaborative initiative between the Memphis Symphony Orchestra, The Walden School, and the University of Memphis. 

Welcoming Chris Martin

Walden is excited to welcome Christopher Martin as our new Development Assistant. Chris will be working as a part-time member of Walden’s administrative team in our San Francisco office. Welcome, Chris!

Christopher Martin is a conductor, baritone, and composer based in San Francisco. In addition to his role at The Walden School, Chris teaches at the San Francisco Girls Chorus and at Ruth Asawa School of the Arts in the Vocal and Musical Theatre Departments. Chris can be heard singing with a variety of choral ensembles throughout the Bay Area, including Volti, the schola cantorum of the Cathedral of Christ the Light, and Nebula Consort. As a composer, Chris has had recent commissions from Sing Me a Story and Left Coast Chamber Ensemble, and looks forward to an upcoming premiere by Vallejo Choral Society in May 2026. Outside of music, he is proud to volunteer with the Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) program, in support of youth in the foster care system.

Community News

NPR features Sarah Kirkland Snider

Sarah Kirkland Snider, a past Composer-in-Residence at Walden’s Young Musicians Program (YMP) and the parent of a YMP alum, was recently profiled by NPR. The interview covered topics ranging from Snider’s thoughts on the “indie classical” genre to her reaction to critical acclaim for her song cycle Penelope, and maintained particular focus on her new opera, Hildegard, which received its premiere by the LA Opera on November 5. Read the article here. Snider’s fifth full-length album, titled Forward into Light, will be released through Nonesuch and New Amsterdam Records in February 2026.

18c Orchestra and Lucie Horsch premiere new work by Freya Waley-Cohen

The Orchestra of the 18th Century typically gives performances of music of the 18th and early 19th centuries on historical instruments. This month, they presented the world premiere of a newly commissioned work by YMP alum Freya Waley-Cohen. In a week-long, five-concert tour of the Netherlands featuring recorder player Lucie Horsch, Freya’s concertino, The Ladybird, was performed alongside the music of Scarlatti, Corelli, and Handel. Congratulations, Freya!

Esther Landau honored for contributions to philanthropy

Walden extends heartfelt congratulations to Esther Landau—our former Director of Development and Alumni Relations and the parent of a Walden alum—on receiving the Hank Rosso Outstanding Fundraising Professional Award from the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Golden Gate chapter. The award was presented at the AFP’s National Philanthropy Day celebration on November 14 in San Francisco. Esther currently serves as Senior Director of Advancement at The Arc San Francisco, where she works on behalf of people with disabilities and dreams of “a world where all of us are celebrated for who we are, where we all have access to what we need, and where equality is so widespread that fundraising and philanthropy will become unnecessary.” Congratulations, Esther, on this well-deserved honor!

Cyrus Chestnut plays A Charlie Brown Christmas in San Francisco

On December 20, jazz pianist Cyrus Chestnut will perform music from A Charlie Brown Christmas in the Miner Auditorium at SFJazz. Called “the best pianist of his generation” (Time), Chestnut is a YMP alum and has been a visiting artist at Walden. He has also headlined two recent Walden fundraising events in Baltimore and New York City.

Walden artists to perform in Wet Ink Mini-Festival 2025

The Wet Ink Ensemble, a past visiting at ensemble at Walden that has been described as “dense, wild, yet artfully controlled” (The New York Times), will present its annual Mini-Festival at the DiMenna Center for Classical Music in New York City on December 13. The program will feature works by ensemble members Eric Wubbels and Mariel Roberts Musa, both of whom have been in residence at Walden. Also on the program, Walden alum, former YMP faculty member, and frequent Walden guest artist Aurora Nealand will present a solo performance.

Walden alum plays alongside Zoltán Mága at Carnegie Hall

CMR alum Brent Morden played piano with world-renowned Hungarian violinist Zoltán Mága and his orchestra at Carnegie Hall on November 2. About this experience, Brent says: “It was a privilege to perform on this legendary stage. I am grateful to Mr. Mága and the Liszt Institute for their invitation, and to my friends, family, and colleagues for their support.” Congratulations, Brent!

Pianist Mackenzie Melemed releases debut album

On November 21, YMP alum Mackenzie Melemed released his debut album, Tulevaisuus. The album, whose title means “future” in Finnish, combines beloved music by Bach, Liszt, and Brahms with new works by Stephen Hough, Laura Kaminsky, and Avner Dorman. Rooted in the past yet alive in the present, Tulevaisuus explores how memory and tradition can shape the music of the future. Congratulations, Mackenzie!

Windborne performs at Mariposa Museum and World Culture Center

On December 4, vocal ensemble Windborne, a former Walden ensemble-in-residence, presented a concert entitled “Music of Midwinter,” through the Mariposa Museum and World Culture Center. Located in Peterborough, New Hampshire, the Mariposa Museum is near Walden’s beloved summer home of Dublin, New Hampshire. Windborne is performing this program 13 times between December 1 and 22, in cities around the American Northeast and the United Kingdom.

Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and Tessa Lark premiere work of Lisa Bielawa

On November 30, violinist Tessa Lark and the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra presented a new work by Lisa Bielawa, who was Composer-in-Residence for Walden’s Online Creative Musicians Experience (OCME) in 2020. First premiered in October 2025 by the co-commissioning Louisville Orchestra, Violin Concerto No. 2, PULSE engages with American traditional musics—Tin Pan Alley, Shape Note Singing, and Old Time fiddle music. The concert on November 30 placed the concerto alongside beloved works by Carlos Simon, Aaron Copland, and Antonín Dvořák.

Walden alumni and faculty members improvise together in Baltimore

On November 26, composer and cellist Robert Karpay, a YMP and CMR alum, presented an evening of improvised music at new music venue The Hargrove in Baltimore. The performance, titled “Robert Karpay Infiltrates Peabody,” featured Karpay performing alongside Sam Pluta, a longtime Walden faculty member, and Sky Macklay, a former Walden faculty member and an alum of CMR and Walden’s Teacher Training Institute (TTI), as well as Kayleigh Sprouse, a singer in the Anchorites Ensemble. Pluta and Macklay are both professors at the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University, with Sam chairing the Computer Music department and Sky chairing the Composition department.

Quince Ensemble performs music of Walden faculty 

Quince Ensemble, a past Walden ensemble-in-residence, shared the stage with mezzo-soprano Clara Osowski at Columbia University’s Miller Theatre on November 18. The program included music by former YMP faculty member Evan Williams and YMP alum and former faculty member Eliza Brown, alongside pieces by by Woody Guthrie (arr. Liz Pearse), Carrie Henneman Shaw, and Ricardo Zohn-Muldoon. The works by Evan Williams and Eliza Brown can be heard on Quince’s Dust Bowl album.

Annie Gosfield receives award for artistic innovation

Annie Gosfield, a past Composer-in-Residence at both of Walden’s programs, has been honored by the MATA Festival, receiving its first annual Resonance Award for artistic innovation. Her work was honored at a soiree on December 8 in New York City. Congratulations, Annie! On December 4, pianist Margaret Leng Tan performed Gosfield’s work Shattered Apparitions of the Western Wind at Mills College in Oakland, California, as part of a program to call attention to climate change.

We Want To Hear From You!

If you have a recent or upcoming premiere or concert, publication, award, new job, or a celebratory life event, please share your news, which needn’t be music-related (although we love your music-related news to be sure!). Email your news to alumni@waldenschool.org.

Stay in Touch

You can like The Walden School page on Facebook and join The Walden School private group to hear about events and opportunities throughout the year. You can also find us on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, bandcamp, and at waldenschool.org.

by Noah Mlotek

eNews: Internetzo – October 2025

Message from Seth Brenzel,
Executive Director

Dear Walden friends,

Happy Halloween!

Fall is here, and our 2025 season officially came to an end on September 30 with the close of Walden’s fiscal year. We are so grateful to the more than 400 individuals, families, foundations, and corporations who collectively contributed more than $428,800 to Walden’s 2025 Annual Fund!

Thanks to your generosity, we met and exceeded our 2025 Annual Fund goal of $410,000. The Annual Fund is Walden’s lifeblood, supporting innovative pedagogy, inspiring artist residencies, and critical scholarships that broaden access to our programs, year after year.

Thank you, donors, for your incredible support!

In this edition of InterNetzo, you’ll find highlights from Halloween in July at Walden, an invitation to a special Walden reception in New York City on November 16, opportunities for composers, and lots more news and updates from around the Walden community.

Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a spooky Halloween!

Sincerely,

Seth Brenzel
Executive Director
(603) 563-8212

Happy Halloween . . . in October!

One of our newer traditions at Walden’s Young Musicians Program (YMP) is Halloween in July—a spooktacular day featuring a DIY haunted house with various creepy, fun, and music-nerdy rooms in which students can go trick-or-treating. These photos show some highlights from Halloween in July at Walden this past summer.

Haunted attractions included: The Room of Sounds Disorganized in Time, the Room of Endless Ads, the Room of Accelerated Time, the Room of Synchronized Luminance, the Eldritch Horrors Jazz Club, and the Sad Clown Bear’s Haunted Forest.

Read more about the origins of this tradition from Kittie Cooper, a YMP faculty member and the originator of Halloween in July. And have a happy Halloween in October!

Upcoming Community Events

Join us on Sunday, November 16, for the New York Philharmonic premiere of a new work by Caroline Mallonee!

Composer Caroline Mallonee is a Walden School alum, faculty member, and the director of Walden’s Creative Musicians Retreat. Her orchestral work Lakeside Game will be premiered by the New York Philharmonic in a series of concerts this November 13 through 16 at David Geffen Hall in Lincoln Center.

The composition was co-commissioned by the New York Philharmonic as part of Project 19, and it will be performed alongside works by Stravinsky and Wynton Marsalis.

A group of Walden alumni, staff, board members, families, and friends will be attending the New York Philharmonic concert on Sunday, November 16, at 2 pm. Walden has organized a group ticket purchase for the performance. If you would like to purchase discounted tickets through Walden, please let us know as soon as possible, as the order is close to being finalized.

After the concert, we’ll gather for an informal reception at a restaurant near Lincoln Center. You do not need to attend the concert to join us for the reception. If you have not yet been in touch, please let us know if you are planning to attend the reception, which will start at approximately 4:30 pm on Sunday, November 16.

RSVP for the November 16 Concert / Reception

Walden Holiday Parties

The holiday season is just around the corner! Walden community members will be gathering for holiday potlucks in cities throughout the country in December and January. Look for an email announcement of dates and cities soon. If you are interested in hosting a party in your area, or if you want to learn more about these upcoming gatherings, please write to us. We are so grateful to the many volunteers who have hosted Walden holiday parties over the years.

Volunteer to Host a Walden Holiday Party

Fundraising Events

A Walden Celebration and Fundraiser in San Francisco

Walden held a fabulous end-of-season celebration and fundraiser on Sunday, September 28, in the dazzling Green Room at San Francisco’s War Memorial. We are so grateful to our host committee and all of our event donors, who contributed $16,910 to Walden!

We enjoyed a dynamic, thoughtfully curated recital by Pedja Mužijević, a renowned pianist and former Walden School faculty member, who shared selections ranging from C.P.E. Bach and Robert Schumann to John Cage and Philip Glass, as well as a composition written this past summer by Sebastien Nothias, a student at Walden’s Young Musicians Program (YMP).

Above left: Charles Cecil, David Conte, and Juli Anna Johnson; right: Stephen Smith with the youngest event attendees

We are grateful to David Conte, a past Composer-in-Residence at Walden, and Corty Fengler, a former Walden Board member, who spoke movingly about Walden’s life-changing creative music programs and expressed gratitude to the many donors who help our organization thrive. Thanks also to Walden Board member Stephen Smith and Cultivar Wine for arranging a generous donation of wine for the event.

Thank you to our host committee: Erika and Andrew Bell, Seth Brenzel and Malcolm Gaines, David Conte, Corty Fengler, Juli Anna Johnson and Charles Cecil, Noah Mlotek, Stephen Smith, Mary Szczepanik and Matt Agard.

Save the Date – Saturday, March 14, 2026, in Los Angeles!

We are thrilled to be coming to Los Angeles for a fundraiser and celebration in the evening on Saturday, March 14, 2026. Please save the date and plan to join us!

Support Walden Today

Staff Transition

We recently bade farewell to Ellie Murphy-Weise, who worked at Walden for one year as our stalwart Development Assistant. While we were sad to see her go, we are grateful for Ellie’s many contributions to Walden and excited for her next steps.

Ellie shared the following update:

I’m a month in to postgraduate studies in opera musicology at King’s College London and very much enjoying being in school within a stone’s throw of both of London’s opera houses! I’m taking the music research methods class and modules in 19th century sound objects and Latin American musical subcultures. I’ve also gotten to see a few productions at English National Opera and Welsh National Opera, and am visiting Oxford for its annual lieder festival this weekend. Sending all my love to the Walden community!

Walden is hiring for a Part-Time Development Assistant to join our dynamic, fun, and collegial San Francisco-based administrative team. The Development Assistant will play a crucial role in supporting and enhancing Walden’s fundraising efforts. This position offers an exciting opportunity to contribute to Walden’s growth and sustainability while gaining valuable experience in the field of nonprofit development.

Please help us spread the word about this exciting opportunity! View the full job description here.

Please direct any questions and inquiries to us at jobs@waldenschool.org.

Opportunities for Composers

Did you know that Walden hosts a continually updated webpage of competitions, awards, and calls for scores? Please let us know of additional opportunities that may be of interest to the Walden community.

Here are featured opportunities with upcoming deadlines:

RED NOTE New Music Festival Composition Competition

The RED NOTE New Music Festival Composition Competition, at Illinois State University, is an annual competition open to all composers, regardless of age or nationality. The composer of the winning piece in each category receives a $1,000 prize and a performance at the RED NOTE New Music Festival. In 2026, composers are invited to submit works for chamber ensemble (any combination of 1-16 vocalists or instrumentalist) or wind ensemble (minimum 8 players). Apply by November 1.

Capella Clausura Emerging Composers Commission Competition

Cappella Clausura seeks applications from emerging composers in the greater Boston area who identify as women, transgender, or gender nonbinary. To apply, submit 2-3 work samples and a proposal for a new 3-6 minute work for a capella chorus (any subset of twelve singers, 3xSATB). Winners will receive a $300 honorarium and a professional-grade performance of their piece. Winners can expect to be involved in the planning and rehearsal process for the performances. Apply by November 9.

BMI Foundation Awards

Emerging composers are invited to apply for BMI Foundation Awards, including the BMI Composers Award (classical composers under 28 years old), BMI Future Jazz Master Award (jazz composers and performers ages 17-24), Chris Trousdale Dream Awards (performers and songwriters in 11th and 12th grade), peermusic Latin Music Award (for songwriters and composers of Latin music ages 17-24), John Lennon Award (songwriters and composers ages 17-24), Dolly Parton Songwriters Award (emerging songwriters ages 17-24), Kavi Ohri Memorial Scholarship (for seniors in high school in one of the five boroughs of New York City planning to attend college majoring in music or music business), and Pete Carpenter Fellowships (aspiring film, television, and video game composers ages 21 and above). Apply by January 15.

Community News

Luna Lab Announces 2025-26 Fellows

Luna Composition Lab provides mentorship, education, and resources for young female, nonbinary, and gender-nonconforming composers ages 13-18, including fellowships through which recipients work with an acclaimed composer mentor and compose a new work for a professional premiere. This year’s Luna Lab Fellows have been announced, including Walden Young Musicians Program (YMP) alumni Andromeda Wen (2025-26 Fellow; pictured at left) and Amelie Wright (Honorable Mention). Walden extends heartfelt congratulations to Andromeda, Amelie, and all of the young composers honored by the Luna Lab Fellowship!

In further news from Walden alumni at Luna Lab, Danity Pike, a YMP alum and a 2024-25 Luna Lab Fellow, is the recipient of the 2025 G. Schirmer Prize for Luna Composition Lab for her piece just like the dolls, which was premiered in June by International Contemporary Ensemble.

Luna Lab will also present a virtual master class with violinist, vocalist, and composer Mazz Swift, a past Walden visiting artist, on Monday, November 17.

Leah Reid Receives Barlow Prize

YMP alum Leah Reid is one of ten composers to win a 2025 Barlow Endowment Commission, granted by the Barlow Endowment of Brigham Young University. Leah’s commissioned work is for Grossman Ensemble, ensemble-in-residence of the Chicago Center for Contemporary Composition. Congratulations to Leah!

Past recipients of Barlow Endowment Commissions have included Walden alumni Stacy Garrop and Sky Macklay, Walden faculty members Katherine Balch and Sam Pluta, and past Walden Composers-in-Residence Amy Beth Kirsten, Chen Yi, and James Mobberley, who is also a past Walden Board member.

Elise Grant's Music Performed by Hilary Kole

Composer and Creative Musicians Retreat (CMR) alum Elise Grant, a resident of Dublin, New Hampshire—Walden’s summer home—recently presented a pair of concerts featuring her own compositions. The program included Monadnock, a dramatic setting for voice and piano of a poem by the Rev. William Boum Oliver Peabody about the iconic mountain that overlooks Dublin. The work was first performed at a 2024 CMR Composers Forum by Hilary Kole (pictured at left), a Walden alum and faculty member, and Hilary returned to Dublin to reprise it for this occasion.

Nicolás Benavides releases debut album 

Nicolás Lell Benavides, a CMR and Teacher Training Institute (TTI) alum, released his debut album, Canto Caló, on October 10. The album includes two extended works honoring the composer’s New Mexico family heritage, Canto Caló and El Correcaminos. The album’s performers are mezzo-soprano Melinda Martinez Becker (a fellow TTI alum) and Friction Quartet, which was in residence at Walden for the 2024 Faculty Commissioning Project at YMP.

In August, Benavides’ opera Dolores, set during the 1968 grape pickers’ strike in California, was premiered by West Edge Opera in San Francisco. The opera’s titular character is Dolores Huerta, an important labor advocate. Huerta, who is 95 years old, attended the opera’s premiere. The opera is receiving further performances by Opera Southwest in Alburquerque, New Mexico. In celebration, Albuquerque mayor Tim Keller declared October 26 as Nicolás Lell Benavides Day. Congratulations, Nicolás!

Ear Taxi Festival features Walden artists

Ear Taxi Festival, running from October 3 through November 2, is a month-long festival of contemporary composition, presenting concerts, presentations, professional development events, and more at venues across Chicago and in Evanston, Illinois. Just a few of the Walden visiting artists, alumni, and faculty featured this month at Ear Taxi include Kyle Flens and Mabel Kwan with Ensemble Dal Niente, Kate Soper, Stacy Garrop, Marcos Balter, and Osnat Netzer!

Shawn Crouch wins American Prize for Opera

YMP alum and former Walden faculty member Shawn Crouch has won a 2025 American Prize in Composition— Thomas Putsché Award, for his opera Stained Glass. Congratulations to Shawn! Also this month on October 4, Shawn conducted Ensemble Ibis at the University of Miami on a program including music by past YMP faculty member Daniel Felsenfeld and by Marcos Balter, who has been Composer-in-Residence at both of Walden’s programs.
Zoe Yost performs Bartók Viola Concerto

In September’s InterNetzo, we shared the news that violist Zoe Yost, a CMR alum, won the 2025 concerto competition at San Francisco Conservatory of Music (SFCM), where she studies viola and composition. On October 3, she performed Bela Bartók’s Viola Concerto as part of the Concerto Competition Winners Concert with the SFCM Orchestra, conducted by Kedrick Armstrong, Music Director of the Oakland Symphony. Among the attendees were fellow CMR alumni Sina Karachiani and Stephen Woltosz, along with Noah Mlotek, Walden’s Director of Development and Alumni Relations, who reports that Zoe delivered a stunning performance. Congratulations, Zoe!

Zoe Fong celebrates wedding

YMP alum Zoe Fong married her husband, Tanner McNamara, on September 6, at Harding Waterfront Estate near Toronto, Ontario, where the couple lives. At the wedding, Joshua Fath (known to the Walden community as Joshua Clampitt), a fellow YMP alum, arranged and performed music specially chosen by Zoe, including Spiegel im Spiegel by Arvo Pärt for the wedding party processional, The Swan by Camille Saint-Saëns for the bridal processional, and Married Life by Michael Giacchino for the recessional. Zoe was also in attendance at Joshua’s wedding to Caleb Fath in 2023. Zoe writes, “Celebrating each other’s milestones, such as his wedding in 2023 and my recent wedding, after growing up and going through so much together, was very special! We’re grateful to Walden for being such an important part of our lives, both musically and emotionally, and for strengthening our friendship.” Congratulations, Zoe!

Pictured above: Zoe Fong and Joshua Fath (photo courtesy of Zoe Fong)

Walden artists featured on Talea Ensemble programs

Talea Ensemble, a New York City-based contemporary music group, is presenting a series called Talea Sequenze, a set of concerts that feature Talea musicians curating and performing programs inspired by Luciano Berio’s Sequenzas. As part of the series, on October 28, pianist Steve Beck (a past Walden visiting artist) performed the world premiere of Novella, a new work by Walden alum and faculty member Loretta Notareschi, alongside several works by Berio.

On November 21, Talea will perform Born Obbligato by George Lewis, a past Composer-in-Residence at both of Walden’s programs, alongside Pierre Boulez’s Dérive II.

Pictured above: Loretta Notareschi

We Want To Hear From You!

If you have a recent or upcoming premiere or concert, publication, award, new job, or a celebratory life event, please share your news, which needn’t be music-related (although we love your music-related news to be sure!). Email your news to alumni@waldenschool.org.

Stay in Touch

You can like The Walden School page on Facebook and join The Walden School private group to hear about events and opportunities throughout the year. You can also find us on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, bandcamp, and at waldenschool.org.

by Noah Mlotek