In the Spotlight: Dede Ondishko and the 2026 Memphis Composers Institute
In the Spotlight
Dede Ondishko and the 2026 Memphis Composers Institute
Denise (Dede) Ondishko has been involved with Walden since the 1970s, first as a student, then as a member of Walden’s staff, faculty, and Board of Directors. Based in Cathedral City, California, Dede is a composer, pianist, violinist, jam leader, and all-around creative force.
Ondishko is one of three selected composers who will have an orchestral work premiered as part of the 2026 Memphis Composers Institute (MCI), a partnership between The Walden School, the Memphis Symphony Orchestra, and the Rudi E. Scheidt School of Music of the University of Memphis. Composers in the early stages of their orchestral composing careers were invited to submit an orchestral work for a chance to be performed by the Memphis Symphony. The three selected composers will attend an event in Memphis, from February 1 through 4, 2026, including rehearsals, panel discussions, and a performance of their works by the Memphis Symphony Orchestra conducted by Kyle Dickson.
Dede spoke with us about her experience with the MCI, her creative process, and the impact of Walden on her life.
Tell us about the new work you’ve written, Singing Strength.
In 2011, when I was living on Hilton Head Island in South Carolina, the birds would wake me up in the morning and the frogs would keep me awake at night. At first, I found them to be annoying, and then, living among them for four years, I found them more interesting and decided to get to know them more. I received a grant of $10,000 from the Coastal Community Foundation of South Carolina, which allowed me to buy recording equipment and go out into the field to record the birds.
Together with my field partner, Beverly Gaddy, I went on outings all around Hilton Head Island and throughout the coastal regions of South Carolina documenting birds, insects, and frogs. One night we were out in a graveyard, where we were told you could hear a certain owl at night. It was freezing cold, and we were sitting in my car waiting with the windows rolled down. We got locked in the nature preserve that night, and we didn’t even hear the owl! It takes a lot of sitting and waiting to capture some of these sounds.
At home, I took all these digital recordings and slowed them down so I could notate the bird calls. I selected the ones I really liked, then start notating them. I have a background in computer music, so my first idea for this piece involved electronic playback alongside orchestra. But I learned that orchestra musicians don’t really enjoy playing along with a tape track, and I realized it would be more interesting to transcribe the birdsongs and frog sounds and have the orchestra embody them. So, I completely rewrote the piece for orchestra alone.
I went to a composers symposium in St. Paul, Minnesota, organized by the American Composers Orchestra, where I did further work on the piece. The piece never got played—all these years I have been wanting to hear it. I am interested in bridging the animal-human language barrier. I have to believe that will happen someday, and this piece is my contribution toward that.
The title Singing Strength reflects that when you have healthy wildlife, you will have a healthy environment. The strength of these insects and birds speaks to the strength of environment. The title comes from a Robert Frost poem, Our Singing Strength.
What do you hope to take from the experience of participating in the Memphis Composers Institute and having your work performed?
One thing is to get a recording of my piece; that’s your calling card as a composer. This piece is written for birders, and I’d love to share it with the birding community and have it performed again. I did my best to notate the birds I was hearing, but I won’t know how close I came until I have the chance to hear it performed.
The other part is the dialogue with the other composers and with the performers. I’m very excited to hear from the performers whether I had other options that might have made the piece work better. It’s tremendously valuable to hear from the performers. I once wrote a piece for wind ensemble, and after the premiere there was a long line of people congratulating me. And then there was one player from the ensemble, a flutist, who was angry because the third flute part only got to play for five measures. That was a good teaching moment. As a composer, I’m thinking of the overall sound, but you also have to look at the individual parts and make sure that each line has meaning.
How did attending Walden impact your path as a composer, musician, and teacher?
Walden had a deep influence on me, making me different from many other composers who haven’t had that experience. When I’m asked the question, “Who were your influences?” I struggle to answer. Because as a Walden student, starting at 14 years old, I colored with the crayons I had in my hand. I wasn’t influenced by anything other than the sounds I had available to me. We were all excited about what we could do with these tools. We bounced ideas off each other—we basically invented our own language. If you study language, how language evolves, most new language is invented by children. In their formative years, they are exploring words and very easily create new words and combinations, and we were doing the same thing with musical language at Walden.
Aside from my Walden training, I trained as a concert pianist at Peabody Prep, went on to Carnegie Mellon, then to Eastman, where I was a composition major and kept performing as a concert pianist. I’ve kept up my piano skills and still perform today. Now in my retirement years, I’ve also taken up Irish fiddling, participating in Irish music sessions and travelling to Ireland to learn new tunes. I also host shows and jam sessions here in California. We mostly do Americana music, and we feature a lot of songwriters. Whenever we have a songwriter, I open up a dialogue about the music with the audience. The audience gets to discover what was in the songwriter’s head when they put it together. And the songwriter gets feedback—what did the audience hear?
I’m retired from teaching but still have private students. I’ve always taught music as a living language. It’s not frozen; we can still participate and create things. All my students have had the pleasure of inventing something that’s completely their own.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with the Walden community about this experience?
I want to say thank you to all my Walden School friends who have stayed in touch all these years. When I finish a piece and send it to my Walden friends, they are very frank with me, because we have such a good background in listening actively and dissecting music. It’s been such a great privilege to be in this community all these years.
In the Spotlight: Caroline Mallonee and the 2026 Memphis Composers Institute
In the Spotlight
Caroline Mallonee and the 2026 Memphis Composers Institute
Caroline Mallonee is well known to the Walden community. An alum of both the Young Musicians Program (YMP) and the Teacher Training Institute (TTI), Carrie has served on faculty and staff for many summers at YMP and at Walden’s Creative Musicians Retreat (CMR), a program that she has directed since it was launched in 2011.
Carrie has been deeply involved with the 2026 Memphis Composers Institute (MCI), a partnership between The Walden School, the Memphis Symphony Orchestra, and the Rudi E. Scheidt School of Music of the University of Memphis. Composers in the early stages of their orchestral composing careers were invited to submit an orchestral work for a chance to be performed by the Memphis Symphony. The three selected composers will attend an event in Memphis, from February 1 through 4, 2026, including rehearsals, panel discussions, and a performance of their works by the Memphis Symphony Orchestra conducted by Kyle Dickson, alongside a new work by Mallonee.
As one of the panelists for this year’s MCI, and one of the four composers featured on the February 4 Memphis Symphony Orchestra concert, Carrie gave an interview to speak about her experience with MCI, her upcoming premiere, and her thoughts on the value of mentorship to composers.
Tell us about the new work that you wrote for the Memphis Composers Institute.
It is an orchestration of a work that I originally wrote in 2017 called Curtains of Light. When I wrote the piece, it was for a mixed ensemble. I always thought I should arrange it for orchestra because there are so many different colors in the piece.
When we went to Memphis last year and had this amazing week at the first Memphis Composers Institute, D. J. Sparr [artistic coordinator of the MCI] floated the idea that maybe in 2026 they could do a piece of mine. I was thrilled, because I had this piece that was looking for a place.
It’s about the Northern Lights. The original piece was commissioned by family friends, Carol and Jim Oleson, who took a trip to see the Northern Lights to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary. They both sent me written impressions and pictures that they had taken that night. I took their words and their images and turned them into this piece.
I often illustrate scientific concepts in my music. This piece has a movement called “Sol” about the sun, and a movement called “Collisions” for the little particles, and then a movement called “Photons” for when the photons hit and then burst into light. It’s called Curtains of Light because that’s how both Carol and Jim described the Northern Lights, like curtains moving and waving in a breeze.
I have since seen the Northern Lights. When I saw them, I thought, “Oh, this is my piece.”
How does your piece fit into the program with the three selected works at MCI?
Dede Ondishko’s piece is about birds. It incorporates all these bird songs from South Carolina. There’s a message about climate change and care for the world in her piece. Fulya Kapucugil’s piece is called Leaving the Nest, so there is also a bird connection. The other piece is called Cages of Jade, by Ethan Soledad, which is a pretty evocative title. Certainly, when I’m thinking of my piece, I’m thinking of colors like green and purple. I feel like the program will hold together thematically really well.
Your piece Lakeside Game was premiered by the New York Philharmonic in November. Congratulations! How was that experience?
It was an incredible experience. The musicians are just amazing. They look at a piece of music, and they play what’s on the page—in the best way. All you need to do is tell them what to play, at what time, at what dynamic, and how to phrase it.
I learned so much as I was doing it. It was great to have that whole experience a month before my Memphis deadline. I could go back to my piece for Memphis and make sure the score really said everything I wanted it to say.
Do you write for orchestra frequently?
No. I mean, nobody does, right? And I think that’s kind of the point. It’s actually really hard to come by an orchestral performance. That’s why the Memphis Composers Institute is important for composers. Walden helps facilitate this opportunity for people to write the piece and hear the piece, and for audiences to hear new music; I’m really glad that Walden is able to do that.
Two of the selected composers are currently in graduate programs for composition. What sort of impact might this opportunity have for composers in such a formative stage of their career?
It’s huge. It’s the chance to hear your piece, feel your piece, and get feedback from the players and from the conductor. At the Memphis Composers Institute, there are five professional composers looking at your score, and you get feedback from them, too. You’re getting a lot of attention!
That’s part of why Walden’s Young Musicians Program (YMP) and Creative Musicians Retreat (CMR) are so amazing, too. People write a piece, they get to hear it, they get feedback, and they get a recording, which they can share and distribute to get future opportunities.
You were a panelist for the 2026 Memphis Composers Institute, so you were one of the people reviewing the scores and deciding who would be selected. What was that experience like?
It’s great. I love seeing what people are writing and what people are saying.
The thing with orchestra is you do have to be practical. You’re asking: Is this compelling? What are they trying to say? Are the instrumentalists going to enjoy playing it? These are the people making the music, and if they’re not invested, it’s not going to be that successful a performance. In a way, you’re writing it for those musicians. That’s what they’re doing for 10 minutes; they’re playing these things in this order. So, you had better make it a good experience for them.
What do you see as the value of mentorship to composers?
I think mentorship is really important.
Knowing what other people think is great, whether or not you agree with them. You love your music, but if somebody critiques it, then it makes you look at it in a different way. You can learn from that.
That’s why Composers Forums at Walden are so great, because you get a lot of feedback. Somebody mentions something, and then you store that for next time. Oh, I did that, and at least one person noticed and thought it was good, and then you take that with you.
How did your mentors impact you as an emerging composer?
I started writing music when I was nine, so I have had a lot of teachers and mentors along the way! My teachers were all very different. They all had different things to critique in my pieces, and different things to compliment. I think I took both of those with me: what works, what doesn’t work.
Is there anything else you’d like to share about the MCI experience?
I’m really, really excited to go to Memphis. It was so fun to make it bigger this year, and last year was such a success. I felt like the pieces were performed so well, and the discussions were interesting.
We formed a community, and I think it proves that we can do Walden-y things outside of the summer. We can go places and do Walden and spread Walden. And I’m all for it. I want to spread Walden all the time, because there’s something really special here.
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.
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.
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.
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:
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.
San Francisco Event – September 2025
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.
This recap was originally published as part of the October 2025 InterNetzo.
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.
Summer Fundraising Event
Summer Fundraising Events
July 28: Walden Giving Day
On the first day of Festival Week at Walden’s Young Musicians Program (YMP), we shared live updates with Walden friends and supporters near and far as part of a one-day online fundraiser. Videos included classes and choral rehearsals, interviews with students and members of The Walden School Players, a rehearsal of a student composition, and our first 2025 Festival Week Composers Forum.
The video updates will remain available on our YouTube channel as well as Instagram and Facebook. Make sure to follow Walden on social media to keep up with all the latest news from Walden. Below, we share a bonus video with previously unreleased footage from Giving Day, chronicling the journey of YMP student Henry’s composition from rehearsal to premiere!
Our Giving Day goal was to raise $5,300 in honor of Walden’s 53rd summer. With your support, we raised $11,650, including $2,000 in matching funds that were unlocked by your generosity. Thank you to the more than 50 individuals and households who supported Walden on Giving Day, and a special thanks to those who made contributions in honor or memory of others.
August 2, A Celebration and Fundraiser in New Hampshire
Thank you to all who joined us for a Walden celebration and fundraiser in Dublin and Harrisville, New Hampshire, on Saturday, August 2!
In Dublin School’s Louise Shonk Kelly Recital Hall, we enjoyed a beautiful performance by flutist Laura Cocks and violinist Erica Dicker, two longstanding members of The Walden School Players. The celebration continued with a beautiful indoor/outdoor reception in nearby Harrisville, New Hampshire, where Ellen and Ed Bernard opened up their barn, and guests enjoyed delicious bites and drinks. Thank you, Ellen and Ed!
Robin Kenney, a former member of Walden’s Board of Directors, spoke about the transformative power of Walden’s creative music education programs. Watch some highlights in the video below:
We are so grateful to our host committee and to all of our event donors for their generosity. With your help, we raised a total of $18,450. Thank you!
Support Walden Today
Thank you to our New Hampshire event host committee: Ellen and Ed Bernard, David Bivins and Kristen Davis, Seth Brenzel and Malcolm Gaines, Leah Kenney Butler and Anthony Butler, Jamie Hamilton, Anne and Thom Haxo, Teresa and Peter Imhoff, Robin and Leslie Kenney, Fred and Jean Leventhal, Anna Lumelsky and Joshua Goodman, Noah Mlotek, Nancy Nickerson and Steve Frietch, and Sarah Kirkland Snider and Steven Mackey
This recap was originally published as part of the September 2025 InterNetzo.
Reflections on the 2025 Creative Musicians Retreat
Reflections on the 2025 Creative Musicians Retreat (CMR)
From Caroline Mallonee, Director of CMR
The 2025 Creative Musicians Retreat (CMR) was a blast! This summer marked CMR’s 15th season, and this year we welcomed 44 participants between the ages of 19 and 83, hailing from 24 states and Washington, DC. We have a dedicated cadre of CMR alumni who return year after year. This year, 13 of our alumni came; some of them have come to Walden more than 10 times!
The Composer-in-Residence always brings their unique music-making and helps set the tone of the festival. This year, Paula Matthusen had her music performed on the opening concert, gave an illuminating talk on her music (including her projects in unique spaces like caves and aquifers), and coached a group of 17 participants for a performance of her Umbrella Etudes on Thursday’s Performers Night. They recorded themselves in different spaces—under an umbrella, under an overhang in the rain—and Paula then mixed these into a broadcast. During the immersive performance, performers and audience members took umbrellas and wandered in the quad, holding radios that played the broadcast. It was a magical experience—one that was both collective and individual, one that was happening in real time but that was about memory, too.
Performers Night also included an antiphonal performance by four trumpets of a Gabrieli canzone, eight pianists sharing a performance of CMR faculty member (and Walden alumna) Loretta Notareschi’s Shape Preludes, and a special, large-group performance of In C, in celebration of Terry Riley’s 90th birthday.
There were amazing performances by participants, faculty, and our Artists-in-Residence (including 35 world premieres on Composers Forums). And the magic in the classroom created by our veteran faculty continues the long tradition of innovative pedagogy that Walden is known for.
Per Walden tradition, a group hiked Mount Monadnock on a sunny Saturday, eating lunch and singing at the top of the mountain. We concluded the week with an open mic where participants showed off even more sides of their musical personalities, and we ended the evening dancing together.
An invitation to all: join us next year! Tell the creative musicians you know! You’re never too old to go to Walden!
Sincerely,
Caroline Mallonee
Director, The Walden School Creative Musicians Retreat
This reflection was originally published as part of the September 2025 InterNetzo.
Walden in the News
Walden in the News
This summer, Walden was featured in the Monadnock Ledger-Transcript, the local newspaper for Walden’s summer home in the Monadnock Region of New Hampshire!
The article by David Allen, entitled “New Sounds This Summer: Youths compose music as part of Young Musicians Program,” ran on the front page of the July 24 Arts & Entertainment section. It reported on a Composers Forum at Walden’s Young Musicians Program (YMP) and featured quotes from Executive Director Seth Brenzel and from several YMP students about their Walden experiences.
“This doesn’t just help us musically,” Amelie said. “It teaches us to unlock our creativity, and to communicate effectively with the people playing our work.” Jahvin spoke of coping with last-minute changes in instruments, and Oscar said that collaborating, working with deadlines, and dealing with sudden curve balls are great skills acquired at Walden even if one doesn’t pursue a musical career. “These are skills you have to have in any job,” he said.
Thank you to the Monadnock Ledger-Transcript for the feature, which is available on their website.
This reflection was originally published as part of the September 2025 InterNetzo.
eNews: Internetzo – June 2025
Message from Seth Brenzel,
Executive Director
Dear Walden friends,
Walden 2025 is underway! A week ago, we said goodbye to our Creative Musicians Retreat (CMR) participants, who spent eight wonderful days at Walden composing and performing, sharing ideas and inspiration, and furthering their development as teachers, composers, and creative musicians. On Saturday, we welcomed our Young Musicians Program (YMP) students, who are just beginning their 5-week (or in a few cases, their 3-week) summer experience immersed in musical creativity and fun.
Both Walden programs are held on the beautiful Dublin School campus in Dublin, New Hampshire, where our award-winning Concert Series series continues this week. On Friday, July 4, in collaboration with the Monadnock Folklore Society, we present Walden’s much-loved and now-annual concert of New Orleans jazz by Aurora Nealand and friends. Read on for more information, and visit our website to see all of our upcoming concerts!
This edition of InterNetzo also features upcoming fundraising events, a roster of our amazingly talented faculty and staff teams, and some very cool community news—including a Walden alum at the top of the pop-music charts.
Summer is here! I wish you the best for a wonderful season, and I hope to see you soon at one of Walden’s many upcoming events!
Sincerely,
Seth Brenzel
Executive Director
(603) 563-8212
Upcoming Fundraising Events
Giving Day is Monday, July 28
Join us online for Giving Day! Throughout the first day of Festival Week, we’ll be sharing live video updates from our Young Musicians Program (YMP) as part of a special fundraiser on Walden’s Facebook page. Help us raise $5,300 in honor of Walden’s 53rd summer.
Livestream events will include meals, classes, interviews with students, faculty, and visiting artists, a rehearsal of a student composition, and the first 2025 YMP Festival Week Composers Forum.
This is a great time to make your first donation to Walden, or to increase or supplement your annual gift. Your donation of any amount helps ensure that Walden continues to offer an immersive creative community for many more seasons to come.
A New Hampshire celebration and fundraiser on Saturday, August 2
You’re invited to a fabulous Festival Week celebration to cap off Walden’s 2025 Young Musicians Program! Join us to celebrate the impact of Walden’s transformative music programs and to raise funds for student scholarships and inspiring artist residencies. Guests will enjoy a musical performance followed by a reception with refreshments and Walden community.
While there is no charge to attend, gifts to support Walden’s award-winning programs may be made online, by check payable to The Walden School at P.O. Box 432, Dublin, NH 03444, or in person at the event.
For details or to RSVP, contact Noah Mlotek, Walden’s Director of Development and Alumni Relations, by email or by calling (603) 563-8212.
Support Walden Today
Upcoming Concerts
Walden’s 2025 Concert Series continues with multiple events each week, all free of charge and open to the public. Additionally, most concerts are livestreamed on Walden’s YouTube channel. Visit our website for a complete listing of Walden’s 2025 Concert Series, including livestream links.
Tuesday, July 1, 7:30 pm Eastern
Young Musicians Program (YMP) Composers Forum I
In the Louise Shonk Kelly Recital Hall, Dublin School, Dublin, New Hampshire
During Composers Forums, YMP students present their improvisational or compositional works in a concert setting. These new works are performed by students, faculty, and visiting artists and then discussed with forum moderators and the audience.
Watch the livestream: YMP Composers Forum I
Friday, July 4, 7:30 pm Eastern
Aurora Nealand and Friends
On the Fountain Arts Building patio, Dublin School, Dublin, New Hampshire
Join us for a special evening of traditional New Orleans jazz at Walden! This annual outdoor performance, proudly co-presented with the Monadnock Folklore Society, is a beloved tradition of the Walden and Dublin communities. Aurora Nealand is a sound artist and multi-instrumentalist (saxophones, accordion, voice) based in New Orleans, Louisiana. An established bandleader, composer, performer and improviser, and a former Walden faculty member, Nealand has become a prominent force in the New Orleans music scene since she first arrived in 2004.
This outdoor concert will not be livestreamed.
Summer 2025 Faculty and Staff
Each summer, Walden assembles an accomplished and well-rounded team of faculty and staff to mentor and inspire our students. Our philosophy is that by participating together in all levels of community life, faculty, staff, visiting artists, and students can create an environment where creativity flourishes and mentorship abounds.
Walden’s 2025 faculty and staff team is a wonderful mix of returning team members, team
members returning in new roles, and several new staff and faculty members. Walden’s faculty are a diverse mix of improvisers, composers, conductors, performers, and music scholars, all of whom are committed to the creation and dissemination of new music and to developing the next generation’s composers, performers, arts leaders, and more.
Visit our website to learn more about our faculty and staff at the Young Musicians Program (YMP) and Creative Musicians Retreat (CMR).
CMR Faculty and Staff
Seth Brenzel, Executive Director
Jeff Dutter, Staff
Renée Favand-See, Faculty
Francesca Hellerman, Staff
Caroline Mallonee, Faculty & CMR Program Director
Osnat Netzer, Faculty
Loretta Notareschi, Faculty
Sam Pluta, Faculty
Dahlia Riddington, Staff
Sarah Riskind, Faculty & Choral Director
Rodier, Technical Director
D. J. Sparr, Faculty
Sammi Jo Stone, Director of Operations
YMP Faculty and Staff
Zaki Andoh, Staff & Faculty
William Bolles-Beaven, Faculty
Seth Brenzel, Executive Director & YMP Program Director
Kittie Cooper, Teaching Mentor & Director of Electronic Music
Olga DiMeglio, Nurse
Shannon Dunning, Staff
Brian Fancher, Staff & Assistant Choral Director
Kari Francis, Faculty & Choral Director
Aidan Gold, Faculty
Cara Haxo, Faculty & Academic Dean
Francesca Hellerman, Faculty & Director of Composers Forums
Douglas Hertz, Teaching Mentor
Ashlin Hunter, Faculty
Lukáš Janata, Faculty & Academic Dean
Camara Kambon, Faculty
Veronica Kao, Faculty
Cadence Manuel, Staff
Tara McGovern, Staff
Loretta Notareschi, Teaching Mentor
Carlos Henrique Pereira, Faculty
Rodier, Technical Director
Luke Schroeder, Faculty & Staff
Sammi Jo Stone, Faculty & Director of Operations
Carolyn Tilton, Nurse
Theo Trevisan, Faculty
Nate Trier, Faculty & Academic Dean
Paul Zito, Staff & Faculty
Community News
Luka Kloser produces Addison Rae’s debut album
Young Musicians Program (YMP) alumna Luka Kloser co-wrote and produced all 12 tracks on Addison Rae’s new album Addison, including the hit single Diet Pepsi. As Rae told Rolling Stone in January, she met Luka and Elvira Anderfjärd—both songwriter/producer protégées of famed producer Max Martin—in early 2024, and the three wrote the hook of Diet Pepsi together that same day. Luka can be heard on keyboards and background vocals in all but two tracks, and she and Anderfjärd are the album’s sole producers. Addison was reviewed positively, described as “sensual and heady, propelled by private intensity, occasionally euphoric” by Pitchfork, and debuted at number 4 on the Billboard 200 chart.
Walden composers honored by Morton Gould Young Composer awards
On June 18, the ASCAP Foundation announced the winners of the 2025 Morton Gould Young Composer Awards, which encourage young creators of concert music ages 13 to 30. Creative Musicians Retreat (CMR) alumnus Nathaniel Parks won a cash prize, while former YMP faculty member Lila Meretzky and YMP alumnus Max Chung received honorable mentions. The juried national competition is named in honor of Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Morton Gould for his lifelong commitment to encouraging young creators. Congratulations, Nathaniel, Lila, and Max!
Lila Meretzky also has a new album out on Sawyer Records, entitled Simultaneous Contrast, featuring five of her recent compositions.
Kari Francis finishes doctorate and starts position at Bowdoin
Kari Francis, choral director and faculty member at YMP, recently received her Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Notre Dame in choral conducting and was appointed Director of Choral Activities at Bowdoin College. In the photo at left, Carrie is hooded by her doctoral advisor, the composer John Liberatore. Kari’s work centers living and historically underrepresented voices through improvisation, contemporary a cappella styles, and learner-focused pedagogies, and she is a composer-in-residence at St. Matthew Catholic Church in Detroit, Michigan. Congratulations, Kari!
Juantio Becenti wins Thea Musgrave Performer-Composer Collaboration Grant
Composer Juantio Becenti, a YMP alumnus, received the inaugural Thea Musgrave Performer-Composer Collaboration Grant along with cellist Zachary Mowitz, who will commission a new work by Becenti for his ensemble Nodality Music. The grant, newly endowed by composer Thea Musgrave, distributes $10,000 annually to performers commissioning an emerging composer with the aim of supporting rich collaborations. Juantio’s piece will address the environmental injustices faced by his Diné (Navajo) community, with a special focus on land justice and clean-water access.
Hub New Music releases album
Hub New Music
, the ensemble-in-residence for Walden’s Faculty Commissioning Concert at YMP in 2021, released its sixth studio album, What If We’re Beautiful, on June 27. The ensemble’s longtime collaborator Daniel Thomas Davis’s piece shares a name with the album and features five movements, each framed as a musical gift bearing the initials of a member of the composer’s chosen family. The album, a “resounding celebration of queer joy,” is accompanied by a dance-film made by Four/Ten Media and Mark Morris Dance Group alums Aaron Loux and Brian Lawson.
Walden alumni featured in Oakland concert
The Glenview Classical Series will present a concert of New Music by Local Composers in Oakland, California, on Sunday, July 6, at 4 pm at St. Paul Lutheran Church. Two Walden alumni will have works performed: Emil Margolis, a YMP alumnus and former faculty member, and Junior Conservatory Camp (JCC) alumna Mary Fineman, featuring her first string quartet, January. All kids age 13 and under can attend for free!
Dasom Chung graduates and starts job in forensic musicology
Dasom Chung (at center in photo), a YMP alumna and former staff member, recently graduated from Berklee College of Music with a Professional Music Degree (magna cum laude) with minors in music technology and musical theater performance. At Berklee, she was involved in several Kpop-related projects and was a core member of Berklee’s very first Kpop idol group, Xchange. Dasom recently started a job as Head of Operations for Joe Bennett Music Services, a renowned forensic musicology team, where she works to analyze, research, and apply musical expertise to legal matters involving music. She also works as a lifeguard and stays involved in dancing, having recently performed at Fenway Park for a Boston Red Sox AAPI event, and is an active member of the Boston Kpop dance team MODU.
Congratulations, Dasom, and thanks for the udpates!
Walden artists perform at Oakland’s Garden of Memory
Several Walden-affiliated musicians performed on June 21 as part of Garden of Memory, a summer solstice concert featuring dozens of Bay Area experimental music performers and improvisers. The artists included CMR alumnus (and parent of a YMP alum) Joel St. Julien (pictured at right) and past Walden visiting artists Rachel Beetz and Pamela Z. Described by the San Francisco Chronicle as “a walk-through fun house of musical and visual splendor,” the concert is held annually in the beautiful Chapel of the Chimes, a mausoleum and historic landmark in Oakland, California.
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.
Students at Walden's Young Musicians Program (YMP)
eNews: Internetzo – May 2025
Message from Seth Brenzel,
Executive Director
Dear Walden friends,
It’s been a busy spring at Walden, with several fundraising events and lots of planning for Walden’s 2025 summer season—which is less than one month away! Our Creative Musicians Retreat begins on June 14, and the Young Musicians Program starts on June 28. Both programs will be held on the beautiful Dublin School campus in Dublin, New Hampshire.
This summer, Walden’s Concert Series will once again showcase world-class performers and engaging, adventurous music. All of our concerts are free of charge and open to the public, and they will also be livestreamed on Walden’s YouTube channel. The full Concert Series lineup is shared below; please join us in person or online!
I’m grateful to the many Walden friends and supporters who attended our recent fundraising events in New York City and Washington, DC, featuring performances by pianist Mikael Darmanie and violinist/composer Modney. Read on for highlights from these wonderful events, and thank you to all of Walden’s donors for your generous support.
Enjoy the rest of spring—summer is almost here!
Sincerely,
Seth Brenzel
Executive Director
415-587-8157
Summer 2025 Concert Series
Each summer, Walden’s award-winning Concert Series presents leading professional musicians and ensembles on concerts that are offered free of charge to the public and webcast through high-quality livestreams.
Visiting artists and Composers-in-Residence are integral to Walden’s programs, leading workshops, demonstrations, and dialogues that challenge and inspire Walden students. During Composers Forums, student improvisations and compositions are performed by faculty, students, and visiting artists, followed by an open discussion between the composer, moderators, and audience.
Across eight concerts, eleven Composers Forums, and two composer presentations, the 2025 Walden School Concert Series will feature cutting-edge works from artists of diverse contemporary musical genres. In a typical summer, Walden will present nearly 200 world premieres created by our students and faculty—approximately 140 by Young Musicians Program (YMP) students, 40 works by Creative Musicians Retreat (CMR) participants, and 10 pieces commissioned from Walden’s YMP faculty.
We hope you will join us—whether in person or virtually—for a season of dynamic performances, creative collaborations, and diverse new musical voices.
Time: All performances at 7:30 pm
Location: Louise Shonk Kelly Recital Hall on the Dublin School campus in Dublin, New Hampshire (unless otherwise noted)
Admission: Always free and open to the public
CONCERTS
Saturday, June 14
Creative Musicians Retreat (CMR) artists-in-residence David Friend and members of the International Contemporary Ensemble performing new music, including selections by Walden faculty members and CMR Composer-in-Residence Paula Matthusen
Thursday, June 19
CMR participants and visiting artists presenting a curated selection of chamber music
Sunday, June 29
Impromptuo: an innovative improvisation-focused duo (picuted at right) made up of violinist Katherine Kyu Hyeon Lim and pianist Joey Chang, a YMP alumnus
Friday, July 4
Aurora Nealand and friends, presenting a popular outdoor concert (pictured below) of New Orleans jazz on the Fountain Arts Building patio—co-presented with the Monadnock Folklore Society
Friday, July 11
Faculty Commissioning Concert with Talujon (pictured at right), a percussion ensemble described by The New York Times as possessing an “edgy, unflagging energy,” premiering new works by YMP faculty members
Friday, July 18
International Contemporary Ensemble, described by the New York Times as “one of the most accomplished and adventurous groups in new music”
Friday, July 25
The Walden School Players, featuring innovative performers Laura Cocks (flute), Erica Dicker (violin), Kyra Sims (horn), Chris Wild (cello), Mabel Kwan (piano), Dennis K. Sullivan II (percussion), and Zachary Good (clarinet), performing an exciting selection of contemporary works
Friday, August 1
The Walden School Choral Concert, showcasing the entire YMP community led by choral director Kari Francis
COMPOSER PRESENTATIONS
Sunday, June 15
Paula Matthusen, CMR Composer-in-Residence (pictured below at left)
Sunday, July 28
Peter V. Swendsen, 2025 YMP Composer-in-Residence (pictured below at right)
COMPOSERS FORUMS
Creative Musicians Retreat (CMR) Composers Forums
Tuesday, June 17; Wednesday, June 18; and Friday, June 20
Featuring newly composed and improvised works by CMR participants
Young Musicians Program (YMP) Composers Forums
Each Tuesday in July: July 1, 8, 15, 22, plus Thursday, July 17
Monday–Wednesday, July 28–30 (Festival Week Composers Forums)
Featuring newly composed and improvised works by YMP participants
Event Recaps
Spring fundraisers in New York City and Washington, DC
Above: Mikael Darmanie performing
Walden hosted two fundraising receptions in April and May, featuring incredible musical performances and wonderful Walden community!
New York City: April 27
On Sunday, April 27, we gathered in the intimate gallery at Tenri Cultural Institute to enjoy a performance by pianist Mikael Darmanie, a past visiting artist Walden. Darmanie played works by Franz Schubert, Caroline Shaw, Kenneth Frazelle, and Duke Ellington, along with his own improvisations, concluding with Scriabin’s Vers la flamme as an encore.
We are so grateful to our host committee and all of our donors, who contributed $15,400 to Walden as part of our New York City event.
Seth Brenzel, YMP alumnus and former faculty member Meade Bernard, former YMP faculty member Ian Munro, YMP alumnus Nat Osborn, and Walden alumnus and Director of Development and Alumni Relations Noah Mlotek (photo credit: Walden Board member David Bivins)
Seth Brenzel, Walden’s Executive Director, and Solon Snider Sway, a Walden alumnus and a member of Board of Directors, spoke to attendees about the lifechanging impact of Walden’s creative music programs and thanked the many donors who keep our organization flourishing.
Left: CMR alumnus and Walden faculty member Lukáš Janata and Erika Ji; right: Walden Board member Kate Valenta, Priti Gress, and Monica Girotra
Above: Walden Board member and YMP alumnus Solon Snider Sway (Photo credit: David Bivins)
Thank you to our New York City host committee: Sanda Balaban, Meade Bernard, David Bivins and Kristen Davis, Seth Brenzel, Sarah Cornog and Chris Chesney, Andrew Jacobs and Kathy Park, Noah Mlotek, Solon Snider Sway and Emma Sway, Harry Spitzer, Sammi Stone, Nate Trier, Kate Valenta and Alex Johnston, Jennifer Weidman and Barry Adler
Washington, DC: May 18
Walden also hosted an afternoon of music, community, and refreshments at DACOR Bacon House on May 18, raising $10,640 to support our inspiring programs for creative musicians!
We enjoyed a memorable performance by violinist/composer Modney, a frequent visiting artist at Walden, who played works by J.S. Bach, Caroline Mallonee (a Walden alumna and director of Walden's Creative Musicians Retreat), Aaron Helgeson, and himself.
Stephanie Ma; YMP and CMR alum Niki Main; CMR alumna Cary Fado; and YMP alumnus Lloyd Meeks
In between musical selections, Modney talked about his experiences working closely with students at both of Walden’s programs, where he has helped bring countless new compositions to life as a visiting artist with the International Contempory Ensemble and Wet Ink Ensemble. And Peter Colohan, a CMR alumnus and chair of Walden’s Board of Directors, spoke about Walden’s vision of a world in which people engage with one another creatively, collaboratively, and with respect.
Thank you to our Washington, DC host committee: Peter Colohan and Fenton Blake, William J. Friedman, Steve Messner and Liz Prelinger, Ellie Murphy-Weise, Noah Mlotek, Alison Wallace and Steve Lindaas, William Yale
Left: Walden board members Peter Colohan and JoAnn Balingit; right: Modney takes a bow
Thank you to everyone who was part of our celebrations in New York and DC, and to all of our donors for your generous support of Walden. Every donation makes a difference in the lives of our students and helps bring more music into the world.
Support Walden Today
Community News
Concert of music by Carole Miles
Carole (Deck) Miles, a Junior Conservatory Camp (JCC) alumna, is being honored with a concert of her music on May 31 at the Newark United Methodist Church in Newark, Delaware. The program, “From Faeries to Fishes,” begins with the first piece she wrote at age 7, The Wedding of the Faeries, and includes a song (from the latest song cycle she wrote) called Two Million Two Hundred Thousand Fishes. Mrs. Miles studied musicianship and composition with JCC founder Grace Newsom Cushman and with Pamela Layman Quist and David Hogan, two of the cofounders of The Walden School. She taught musicianship at the Wilmington Music School, and many of her students went on to attend Walden. The May 31 performance will feature a reception, door prizes, and an art sale fundraiser benefitting the 321 Foundation’s Boundless Arts program for “disabled and nondisabled artists performing together.” Visit this website or contact Carole’s daughter (and YMP alum) Cheryl Hampson at (302) 521-2533 or cherhamps@aol.com for more information.
Photo: Carole Miles with Shari Fleming at a Walden/JCC reunion
Climate Mass by Loretta Notareschi premieres at Carnegie Hall
YMP alumna and Walden faculty member Loretta Notareschi’s Climate Mass received its world premiere at Carnegie Hall on April 6, with the New England Symphonic Ensemble and 140+ singers from across the country. The choral and orchestral piece combines text from the traditional Catholic mass with new poetry by Alyse Knorr to explore human culpability, grief, and hope around the issue of climate change, inspired by Pope Francis’s encyclical Laudato Si’.
Augusta Cecconi-Bates presents Picking Elderberries
CMR alumna Augusta Cecconi-Bates has composed music for an original vaudeville-style musical set in Prohibition-era Cape Vincent, New York. The one act show, with script and lyrics by Craig Thornton, was performed as a workshop reading in progress on Saturday, May 17 at The Strand in Watertown, New York. Augusta and Craig were interviewed on WWNY7 News on May 14 to publicize the show!
Joshua Fath wins songSLAM prizes
YMP alumnus Joshua Fath (known to the Walden community as Joshua Clampitt) won two prizes as part of the Fourth Coast Ensemble Chicago songSLAM: first prize for his song To the Wanderer and a commissioning prize to compose a work for Fourth Coast Ensemble to be premiered in 2026. As another Walden connection, YMP alumna Stacy Garrop was the emcee for the event and had a collection of her art songs performed as the votes for the prizes were tallied. Congratulations, Joshua!
Wet Ink Ensemble releases Action, Choice, Thought
The Wet Ink Ensemble, a past visiting ensemble at Walden, has released an album titled Action, Choice, Thought, featuring works by longtime YMP faculty member Sam Pluta. The eight-member ensemble of composer-performers will celebrate the release of Action, Choice, Thought at Roulette in New York City on Friday, June 13, in a performance featuring new works by their artists-in-residence, including former Walden faculty member and frequent visiting artist Aurora Nealand! More information about the concert can be found on Roulette's website.
Kyra Sims and the Springtime 7s
Kyra Sims presented an evening of spoken word and her own music called Basking in Warmth, which is named after a song cycle she’s been working on this past year, on May 7 at Ars Nova NYC. And on April 7 at Joe’s Pub, together with actress and writer Mara Wilson, she produced and cohosted Grief Party, “a dynamic evening of song, comedy, live art, and stories about one of the most crucial parts of our humanity.” Kyra is a frequent visiting artist at Walden who will return this summer during YMP as a member of The Walden School Players—a group of 7 incredible performers!
Larry Wetzler gives piano recital in support of Walden
JCC alumnus Larry Wetzler gave an all-Chopin piano recital at the National Opera Center in New York City on April 13. Larry supports Walden through his occasional piano recitals, at which he encourages donations to Walden rather than selling tickets. We are very grateful to Larry for generously supporting Walden through his music making. Larry is a psychoanalyst and writes on the relationship between music and psychoanalysis, with two of his papers appearing in the book Music and Psyche. He was profiled in a previous edition of InterNetzo. At left, Larry is pictured with his wife Judy after the recital.
Alicia Jo Rabins releases Wild Nights EP
YMP alumna and Portland, Oregon-based composer and performer Alicia Jo Rabins has released Wild Nights, a six-song EP in collaboration with poet and musician Dao Strom. The EP features traditional and original songs, and the title track is a setting of an Emily Dickinson poem. Wild Nights had its release show on April 2. The EP was praised in the Portland Mercury as “sweet and ghostly” and “cinematic in its yearning.” Recent and upcoming events for Alicia include an afternoon show at Third Street Music School on May 19 in New York City and a live show at Artichoke Music in Portland, Oregon, on June 20.
A Song cycle of Eve Beglarian at Roulette
Eve Beglarian, former composer-in-residence at both CMR and YMP, had her song cycle finish what I haven’t started performed by Devony Smith, accompanied by Danny Zelibor, at Roulette in April, under the auspices of Brooklyn Art Song Society. The work delves into mid-century middle-class female unhappiness, and sets texts by Anne Sexton, Jane Bowles, Lucille Clifton, and others, and Eve added another song to the cycle just for this performance.
As part of Eve’s ongoing project of presenting a work for each day of the year titled a book of days, her April 1 entry is a piano piece called Miranda’s Kiss inspired by the signing chimpanzee from James Merrill’s The Changing Light at Sandover. A recording of the piece by Thomas Feng is available here.
Matt Siffert releases new album
CMR alumnus Matt Siffert released a new album called Magic of the New on March 28, featuring songs about parenthood, romance, travel, and more. Recorded remotely in home studios across the United States, it features seven tracks and can be found on Matt’s Bandcamp.
Lila Meretzky featured on New Downbeat premieres concert
A new composition by YMP faculty member Lila Meretzky was premiered on the sixth annual New Downbeat Composers-in-Residence Premieres Concert in Cincinnati. New Downbeat is a new music performance collective of women musicians performing works by living composers. The May 25 concert featured the premiere of Lila’s piece Slip Slip Knit performed by Molly Rains, violin, and Muning Wang, viola.
PRISM Quartet on the radio, featuring Aaron Nichols
PRISM Quartet was featured on The Classical Network in Concert, a two-hour broadcast by WWFM on Monday, May 26. There will be a repeat broadcast on Saturday, May 31, at 2 PM Eastern time, which can be heard online at wwfm.org. The broadcast includes the premiere performance of Mesovortex by YMP alumnus Aaron Nichols, winner of the 2024 Walden School/PRISM Quartet Student Commissioning Award, presented annually to a YMP student selected by Walden and PRISM.
Walden run-ins in San Francisco
We love to hear about serendipitous Walden encounters! Recently, Executive Director Seth Brenzel ran into two Walden alums in San Francisco, YMP alumnus Daniel Kyte-Zable (left) and CMR alumnus Ernie Chow (right). Please send us photos and stories of your Walden connections in the world!
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.
Students at Walden's Young Musicians Program (YMP)