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.
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.
Highlights from the 2025 Memphis Composers Institute
Highlights from the 2025 Memphis Composers Institute
The Memphis Composers Institute, a new collaboration between the Memphis Symphony Orchestra, The Walden School, and the University of Memphis, came to fruition over the weekend of February 7–9 in Memphis, Tennessee. Following an open call for scores, works by three selected composers—Evan Erickson, Sina Karachiani, and Soomin Kim—were given premiere performances by the Memphis Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Kyle Dickson, Madeleine Luce Moore Assistant Conductor Chair of the Memphis Symphony. The weekend also featured open rehearsals and panel discussions led by Walden faculty.
Walden alumnus and faculty member D. J. Sparr, who served as artistic coordinator for the initiative, composed a new viola concerto for the occasion, which was performed by his wife, viola virtuoso Kimberly Sparr, Associate Professor of Viola at Louisiana State University. Walden is proud to have offered this opportunity for emerging composers and thankful to D. J. for leading the project with enthusiasm and flair. Below, D. J. shares personal reflections on the experience of launching the Memphis Composers Institute.
Reflections from D. J. Sparr, Artistic Coordinator
How it all began
“737 comin’ out of the sky, Oh, won’t you take me down to Memphis on a midnight ride?” — from “Travelin’ Band” by Creedence Clearwater Revival
These lyrics capture how I felt when I received an invitation to perform with the Memphis Symphony Orchestra (MSO). Conductor Robert Moody called me in September 2023 to support injured guitarist Vasti Jackson, who was scheduled to perform the world premiere of Chris Brubeck’s Confluence: Double Concerto for Classical Guitar, Blues Guitar & Orchestra the very next week! As it turned out, we performed the piece together—Vasti delivered his amazing blues solos, I covered key sections, and Thomas Flippin played classical guitar.
This performance, following my March visit to play my electric guitar concerto Violet Bond, created real momentum with the MSO. After the concert, I went out for barbecue with Peter Abell, the orchestra’s executive director, to discuss working together again. I wanted to write a new work for the orchestra, and I had another idea: what if we mentored emerging composers and put on a concert of entirely new music? That meal planted the seed for what would become the Memphis Composers Institute.
When considering how to launch a program for emerging composers, I immediately thought of The Walden School. This project aligned with Walden’s mission of inspiring artistic expression and personal growth through experiential music programs, and its values of mentorship, teamwork, and collaboration. I called Seth Brenzel, Walden’s executive director, about involving Walden. Seth immediately embraced the idea, diving into his famously energized brainstorming, imagining all the ways this alliance could benefit Walden alumni, faculty, staff, and emerging composers alike.
I played matchmaker in a subsequent Zoom meeting, connecting Seth and Peter, who hit it off famously. Peter suggested partnering with the University of Memphis Rudi E. Scheidt School of Music, and soon composition professor Mahir Cetiz joined with tremendous enthusiasm.
Roles were quickly established: the University would provide the venue, the Symphony the musicians, and Walden would conduct the composer search. It was agreed that we would select one Walden alumnus, one University of Memphis alumnus, and one “at-large” composer through an international search. A committee was assembled, including Caroline Mallonee, Sky Macklay, and Michael Kropf from The Walden School; Mahir Cetiz and Kamran Ince from the University of Memphis; and Assistant Conductor Kyle Dickson and composer/ French Hornist Robert Patterson from the MSO.
In addition to the selected works, I would compose a new viola concerto for Kimberly, a renowned violist.
The selection process and preparation
Our call went out on July 18, 2024—with no age limit, application fee, or attendance cost—and it drew over 100 applications. Together with Walden’s invaluable director of operations, Sammi Stone, we carefully coordinated and reviewed each application to ensure compliance with our guidelines. The response was strong, with submissions reflecting a talented pool of composers.
Our selection process was thorough and deliberate, considering the artistic merit and programmatic fit of each piece. Ultimately, the winners chosen were Soomin Kim (star / ghost / mouth / sea), Evan Erickson (Oobleck), and Walden Creative Musicians Retreat (CMR) alumnus Sina Karachiani (Stranger of Kin). Additionally, two composers were honored with compelling works receiving honorable mentions: Walden Young Musicians Program (YMP) alumnus Liam Cummins (Joyas Voladoras) and Kian Ravaei (Majnun in the Wilderness).
The following months focused on the mentorship aspect of the Memphis Composers Institute, which was particularly exciting for me. I reviewed all scores and parts before sending them to the MSO. Ensuring that the selected composers had professional-quality scores and parts was imperative. One especially rewarding experience was a Zoom session with Sina, during which we addressed complex string divisi sections of his work. His dedication paid off—the orchestra had no questions during rehearsal.
All scores and parts, along with my new viola concerto, now titled Extended Play, were printed, delivered, and distributed to the musicians in January 2025. I want thank the amazing team at the MSO, especially librarian Mitchell Walker, who was a joy to work with.
The weekend arrives
Thursday, February 6, 2025, finally arrived. Violist Kimberly Sparr, my son Harris, and I drove up from Baton Rouge. Sadly, Evan Erickson was unable to join us in person due to personal circumstances. However, he was warmly represented by his peers—Sky and I even ran into Evan’s friends at Belltower Coffee making posters in his honor.
On Friday, several of us attended an MSO performance at a local public school, as part of the orchestra’s Orff Side-by-Side program. In partnership with Memphis-Shelby County Schools, this program brings the MSO to elementary schools for a public side-by-side concert featuring all students on percussion or in chorus, using the Orff method. This event was crucial to our weekend, embodying Walden’s core values of education, community engagement, and group singing!
Friday evening kicked off with a warm reception, followed by the first rehearsal, the thrilling moment when we finally heard our compositions performed by the MSO. It was a significant learning experience for all involved, including me, as we saw our work transition from page to stage, identifying what worked beautifully and what required minor adjustments. Sina and Soomin interacted seamlessly with Maestro Dickson and the orchestra. Kimberly Sparr crushed it on Extended Play. The evening concluded with an informal gathering at the hotel, thoughtfully organized by Seth, fostering a friendly atmosphere filled with camaraderie reminiscent of classic Walden evenings.
Saturday morning offered a “choose-your-own-adventure” experience. Many opted to visit the National Civil Rights Museum—a profoundly moving experience that connected our weekend’s artistic journey to Memphis’s rich historical roots. Harris and Kimberly visited the fantastic Memphis Children’s Museum.
The afternoon began with a luncheon hosted by Walden, which allowed participants to connect with musicians from the Memphis Symphony Orchestra and committee members. Following lunch, engaging panel discussions commenced:
Panel 1: Bringing New Music to Life, moderated by Caroline Mallonee, Director of Walden’s Creative Musicians Retreat, featured conductor Kyle Dickson along with composers Sina Karachiani, Soomin Kim, and myself. Caroline skillfully guided the conversation, allowing us to discuss our compositions and respond to audience questions.
Panel 2: Orchestras and New Music: What’s Next?, moderated by me, featured Mahir Cetiz, Kamran Ince, Caroline Mallonee, Sky Macklay, and Robert Patterson. This panel focused on the role of being teachers and mentors to emerging composers.
Following the panels, we headed downtown to one of Memphis’s renowned restaurants, which was fitting, as the entire project had begun over barbecue!
Saturday’s rehearsal had a bit more “edge” than the previous evening. Kyle dove deeply into details, meticulously preparing the orchestra for Sunday’s performance. Evan passed insightful notes from the previous night’s perusal recording to Mahir, who relayed them to Kyle. Sina eloquently described a specific whistle-tone flute technique to the principal flutist, who mastered it immediately. Soomin explained to violinists how an extended passage in solo strings drew inspiration from Korean folk songs of her youth. Kimberly and Kyle worked on navigating the virtuosic cadenzas of Extended Play.
A concert on Super Bowl Sunday? The Memphis Composers Institute made it happen—four works by living composers, performed at 2 pm at the University of Memphis. The program began beautifully with Soomin’s star / ghost / mouth / sea, described by a committee member as “immediately engaging,” and indeed it was hauntingly beautiful. Sina’s Stranger of Kin followed, with the orchestra elegantly capturing its intricate layers of memory. A panelist had aptly called it a “unique, beautiful musical representation of memory.” Evan’s Oobleck effectively captured a gooey, non-solid substance through creative microtonal techniques, executed impressively by the MSO. And, not to toot my own horn, but Kimberly Sparr, Kyle Dickson, and the MSO delivered an outstanding world premiere performance of Extended Play. Each composer introduced their piece. Evan sent a touching message to both the orchestra and his University of Memphis friends in attendance. Seeing Evan’s friends holding posters full of love and support they made at the coffee shop was deeply moving; I had to pause and dry my eyes before speaking. The Memphis Composers Institute brought people together in a truly meaningful and memorable way.
Following the concert, we engaged in a Q&A session, with the composers, Kimberly and Kyle, taking questions from the audience. The atmosphere was rewarding and uplifting, and many audience members stayed for this to connect further.
Eventually, we all parted ways to attend Super Bowl gatherings, catch flights home, or visit friends in the Memphis area.
I can’t say enough about this experience. Let’s (barbe)cue the reprise!
Reflections on the 2024 Creative Musicians Retreat (CMR)
Reflections on the 2024 Creative Musicians Retreat (CMR)
From Caroline Mallonee, Director of CMR
The 2024 Creative Musicians Retreat has come and gone. It was a wonderful week of music-making! This summer, we welcomed 46 participants from 21 states, the District of Columbia, Canada, and Australia. More than a third of the student body were alumni of CMR, back for more Walden magic, and one participant was an alumna of the Young Musician’s Program (YMP), returning to Dublin 37 years after her first summer at Walden!
We offered twelve different classes, including four musicianship/pedagogy classes, three electronic music classes, some favorite seminars, and two new skills classes in conducting and choral writing. Our curriculum was rounded out by workshops in Irish Traditional music, writing for the guitar, writing for the flute, and exploring the creative potential of the “electro-sandbox” in the Electronic Music Studio.
Our CMR Composer-in-Residence Oscar Bettison came to us all the way from the Netherlands to lead master classes, give private lessons, and moderate our three Composers Forums, in which we heard 39 world premieres! The pieces were performed beautifully by our artists-in-residence alongside performers from our student body. Our incredible 2024 CMR artists-in-residence were pianist David Friend and members of the International Contemporary Ensemble: Colleen Bernstein (percussion), Isabel Lepanto Gleicher (flutes), Nicolee Kuester (horn), Dan Lippel (guitar), Josh Modney (violin), and Damian Norfleet (voice).
The CMR Chamber Choir, led by our choral director, Sarah Riskind, performed four world premieres at this year’s CMR Composers Forums. Sarah also led the morning choral rehearsals for the entire community. We delighted in singing both very new and very old music from a variety of composers, and we used a lot of solfège hand signs.
When we started the Creative Musicians Retreat, we hoped it would be appealing to musically inclined parents of students at our Young Musicians Program (YMP). It is! One of our participants, who had sent his daughter to YMP two years ago, came to CMR this year from his home in San Francisco. He invited his sister to join him, and she did — coming all the way from Australia! They played a delightful piano four-hands piece on Performers Night.
Performers Night kicked off with a performance by faculty member Alex Christie using slide projectors and tape loops; included six pieces by faculty and artists who coached ensembles playing their work; and offered one of the most memorable performances of the week. None of us will soon forget Liz Benjamin’s performance of PDQ Bach’s “Little Bunny Hop Hop Hop,” in which she donned a bicycle helmet and hit her head with boomwhackers (tuned percussion tubes)!
We were thrilled to return to our home at Dublin School after two years away. Although we have proved that the magic of Walden can be created elsewhere, being back in Dublin allowed us to reconnect with the memories and traditions cultivated here over forty years. It was a joy to revisit familiar spaces, revive past experiences, and build upon our shared history in this special place.
Sincerely,
Caroline Mallonee
Director, The Walden School Creative Musicians Retreat
Announcing the Lance Reddick Scholarship
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact:
Marisa Giller
314.630.4123, marisagiller@gmail.com
THE WALDEN SCHOOL ANNOUNCES LANCE REDDICK SCHOLARSHIP
Anonymous Donor Steps Forward to Honor Legacy of Esteemed Walden Alumnus and Actor, Lance Reddick, Creates Full Scholarship Program for Young Musicians
DUBLIN, N.H., (January 18, 2024) – Today, The Walden School, the celebrated summer music school and camp, announced it received a $450,000 anonymous donation in memory of esteemed alumnus and actor, Lance Reddick, who passed away suddenly in the spring of 2023.
The donation will fund 10 full scholarships per year for its 2024-2026 Young Musicians Program, enabling deserving young musicians the opportunity to experience Walden’s summer five-week program free of charge. Five of the 10 scholarships will be awarded specifically to students from the Baltimore area in honor of Mr. Reddick’s hometown and the birthplace of The Walden School.
Mr. Reddick attended The Walden School from 1976-1980, returning in 1983 as a Walden faculty member. While he was a lifelong creator and student of music, he was most well known for his television and film work, particularly for his role as Cedric Daniels in “The Wire.”
Walden’s Young Musicians Program is a five-week summer camp for students ages 9 to 18 that offers musical training in a supportive musical community. Students attend classes in composition, musicianship, music history, choral singing, computer musicianship, jazz, and more. Dances, swim trips, mountain hikes, and open mic nights balance out this rigorous musical training.
“Lance would be so honored by these scholarships being named for him, and this project would really touch his heart,” said Stephanie Reddick, Lance’s wife.
Mr. Reddick openly shared the importance of financial assistance in allowing him to participate in creative opportunities like Walden’s program that shaped the arc of his life. The scholarship in his name will provide each student with full tuition, room, and board, along with a travel stipend.
"Lance was a wonderful supporter of Walden, and we are excited to see how Walden can be a springboard to future music creators who attend the Young Musicians Program as Lance Reddick Scholars,” said Seth Brenzel, Executive Director of The Walden School. “We are so grateful to the generous donor who made this transformative gift to honor Lance's legacy."
Applications are due Friday, March 1. To apply, visit waldenschool.org/apply/. To learn more about the Lance Reddick Scholarship, visit waldenschool.org/lance-reddick-scholarship/.
About The Walden School
The Walden School inspires artistic expression and personal growth through experiential music programs. Founded in 1972, the acclaimed summer music school and festival offers programs that emphasize creativity through musicianship, improvisation, and composition. Programs include the Young Musicians Program for youth ages 9-18, and the Creative Musicians Retreat for adults. The Summer Concert Series showcases free, public performances by renowned artists and ensembles that work closely with students and perform their original music. To learn more visit www.waldenschool.org.
Reflections on the 2023 Young Musicians Program (YMP)
Reflections on the 2023 Young Musicians Program (YMP)
From Seth Brenzel, Director of YMP and Walden School Executive Director
I had a lovely Thanksgiving holiday with friends and family here in San Francisco, and I hope that for those of you who celebrate Thanksgiving, you enjoyed a peaceful time with loved ones, as well. This is a wonderful time to reflect on all of the things for which I am grateful, and one of the things for which I am most appreciative this year is the amazing 2023 Young Musicians Program (YMP). We had a terrific session in Dublin on the gorgeous campus of the Dublin School. 56 students from around the United States, China, and Belgium joined 23 faculty, staff, nurses, and administrators for five outstanding weeks (and in some cases three weeks!) of creative music making.
We had exciting residencies with Aurora Nealand and the Royal Roses; an opening concert given by percussionist and this summer’s Technical Director, Ross Karre; TAK Ensemble, led by Laura Cocks, which performed student works as well as faculty commissions; members of the International Contemporary Ensemble; and The Walden School Players, who this year were composed of Mabel Kwan (piano), Chris Wild (cello), Erica Dicker (violin), Zachary Good (clarinets), Dennis Sullivan (percussion), and Kyra Sims (horn).
Kari Francis was back for her second year as Walden’s Choral Director, and our choral concert was a wonderful success, featuring music by Veljo Tormis, Simon & Garfunkel, Lili Boulanger, Reena Esmail, Meredith Monk, and Billie Holiday, among many other wonderful composers and songwriters. Faculty members Nate Trier, Theo Trevisan, Francesca Hellerman, Lukáš Janata, Luke Schroeder, and Emi Ostrom assisted Kari in conducting choral ensembles and leading a summer filled with singing.
We were blown away and so very fortunate to have Nicole Mitchell as Walden’s Composer-in-Residence at YMP. In addition to her artistry and her own amazing music-making that she shared with our community, we were delighted by the way in which she worked with our students, providing insight and leading constructive dialogue with each YMP composer. She joyously interacted with the students, faculty, and the whole community, and indeed became a Walden community member herself during her seven-day residency. We all hope that our paths cross again sometime soon!
The summer was replete with fun—swim trips, Halloween-in-July featuring a haunted house, and beautiful mountain hikes, including the pinnacle trek up to the top of Mount Monadnock. We had an optional, non-denominational-holiday-in-
Some of you may have heard about the tornado that struck our campus during Festival Week, right in the midst of the Musicianship Demo for parents, guardians, and family members. Thank goodness we were all together and inside when the tornado touched down, and luckily very few of the buildings were damaged; most of the damage that the campus experienced were downed trees. The tornado certainly rattled our nerves, and yet the community came together to support one another during this time. We were grateful that nobody on campus or in the Walden or Dublin communities was injured, and all of us were grateful for how Dublin School responded to make sure the Walden community was safe. The David Hogan memorial tree that had been planted on the quad nearly 20 years ago was destroyed during the tornado, and we’ll be working with Dublin School to replace that tree.
A parent of two 2023 Young Musicians Program students writes: “Rarely a day goes by without my children rehashing how much fun they had at Walden last summer. I can’t thank you and the entire Walden community enough for making it possible for them to be a part of what I believe has been a life-changing experience. They’re discovering their own inner musical voices. It’s as if a spark has been lit in them.”
We hope to see you (or your student or cousin or neighbor or child) at Walden 2024, for which applications are now open. We can’t wait to light more sparks and help more eager Walden students find their musical voices!
Reflecting on the 2023 Creative Musicians Retreat (CMR)
Reflecting on the 2023 Creative Musicians Retreat (CMR)
From Caroline Mallonee, Director of CMR
From Caroline Mallonee, Director of CMRThe Walden School held another successful Creative Musicians Retreat this year. We were thrilled to return to Brewster Academy, whose stunning buildings in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, overlook Lake Winnipesaukee. Almost 40 participants between 19 and 89 years old enrolled in the retreat and joined together to form a warm community.
We performed music by Pauline Oliveros indoors and out, and we sang every day in the boathouse under the direction of Thomas Colohan. We heard 37 world premieres on Composers Forums, which were moderated by the amazingly talented and generous Amy Beth Kirsten. Our curriculum was as robust as ever (thanks to D. J. Sparr, Osnat Netzer, Renée Favand-See, Sam Pluta, and Alex Christie), and included pedagogy and musicianship classes, seminars on contemporary topics, and four different electronic music classes. There was more chamber music at CMR than ever, including music by György Kurtág and Igor Stravinsky, as well as faculty members Sam Pluta and Caroline Mallonee and past Walden composer-in-residence George Lewis.
We welcomed back veteran artists-in-residence David Friend (piano), Bonnie Whiting (percussion), and members of the International Contemporary Ensemble Josh Modney (violin) and Dan Lippel (guitar). And we were happy to welcome three members of the International Contemporary Ensemble to Walden for the first time: Rachel Beetz (flute), Jacqui Kerrod (harp), and Nicolee Kuester (horn). In addition to performing pieces on the Opening Concert and the Composers Forums, these incredible performers coached chamber groups, offered private lessons, and gave workshops. We were glad to have Teresa McCollough give two workshops on extended piano techniques. Participants even learned how to make their own “bows” for bowing inside the piano!
Some people said it was the best CMR ever! (Some people say this every year.) Director of Operations Sammi Stone and her amazing staff team (Francesca Hellerman, Luke Schroeder, Paul Zito, and Technical Director Ted Moore) ensured that everything ran smoothly. There were epic ping-pong matches, memorable fireside sing-alongs, and wacky and wonderful open mic performances.
We started CMR so that people of all ages could enjoy the unique musical community that Walden offers, and we are so happy to have realized that dream once again. I can’t wait for next year!
With best wishes,
Caroline Mallonee
Director, The Walden School Creative Musicians Retreat
Halloween in July
Happy Halloween. . . In October
From Kittie Cooper, Director of De(Composers) Forums
We asked Young Musicians Program (YMP) faculty member Kittie Cooper to tells us about Halloween in July, a beloved YMP tradition that she introduced six years ago:
Halloween in July is one of those beautiful days at Walden that bring out peak levels of wackiness in the community. It’s always a surprise when it’ll happen—some space is just decorated on campus for the students to discover. They then have the afternoon to come up with costumes while the offices are converted into a haunted house for students to trick-or-treat in later. The decorating is done secretly, under the cover of some complicated and blatantly fictional story that keeps the students away (this year, spiders had nested up in the offices and needed to be relocated).
Halloween in July is one of Walden’s more recent traditions—the first one was in 2016 and we’ve had one every year since (even 2020 when Walden was online). Some faculty and staff were talking about how we have winter holidays in July, and we were kidding around that we should have Halloween in July.
I really wanted it to happen though, because it sounded awesome and very summer-campy, so I kept bringing it up and asking people to help so we could make it happen. I convinced Sam Pluta to suggest Halloween as one of the musicianship frolic themes (which ended up being “Welcome to the Hallolympic Games” or some such), because then I knew we’d at least have some Halloween decorations to start with. People were honestly so trusting that year—I still can’t believe they just let us take over the offices and jumped right in to running around decorating things.
The rooms of the haunted house change every year, and are always a mix of spooky, scary, funny, nerdy, and just plain beautiful. This year two rooms that were on the particularly beautiful side of things were the hidden room of rainbows and unicorns (and other glittery, happy things curated by Rebekah Griffin Greene), and the room of 12-tone solfege bots (where Francesca Hellerman made a Max patch that randomly generated tone rows for the students to solfege). We also had a jump scare hallway with a bunch of DIY synths and lights (thanks to Alex Christie), and a room of planned obsolescence (featuring antiquated Walden merch and technology, dreamed up by Theo Trevisan), and there were many more stand-outs that I’d love to list but then this would be too long! My favorite thing about Halloween is that it’s always a group effort, and you get to see people’s personalities and senses of humor coming out in their own unique ways—just through costumes and decorations. And the Walden students are of course extremely clever, so they come up with some really amazingly original (and spooky, and hilarious) stuff every year.
