Alumni Notes
Ana Maria Otamendi (DMA ’11, collaborative piano) has forged a diverse career as a vocal coach, collaborative pianist, chamber musician, recording artist, pedagogue, entrepreneur, and conductor. She is is co-founder and co-director of the Collaborative Piano Institute. Otamendi will return to SMTD as an associate professor in fall 2024.
In August 2023, Blair Salter (DMA ’17, collaborative piano) was named head coach for the Domingo-Colburn-Stein Young Artist Program at LA Opera. As part of this position, she oversees the musical development of the young artists, helps to plan their curriculum, and serves as music staff for mainstage LA Opera productions.
Mi-Eun Kim (MM ’14, piano, chamber music; DMA ’21, SM ’22, piano) founded and was the artistic director of the inaugural Yangsan Summer Music Fest, held July and August 2023 in Busan, South Korea. She was joined by SMTD faculty Matthew Bengtson along with several alumni and current students.
Xiting Yang (DMA ’21, piano) joined the University of Arkansas faculty. She was appointed as teaching assistant professor of piano starting in fall 2023.
Toni-Marie Montgomery (MM ’81, DMA ’84, piano), stepped down as dean of the Bienen School of Music at Northwestern University on August 31, 2023, completing a 20-year tenure. Montgomery was named one of Musical America’s 2023 Top 30 Professionals.
Barrett Kalellis (MM ’73, composition, piano) had the world premiere performance of his new piano trio – Dancing the Lively Air – in Manhattan at the DiMenna Center for Classical Music in May 2023. The piece was performed by NYC professionals and was featured on the New York Composers Circle 20th Anniversary Concert Series.
In 2023, Leah Claiborne (MM ’14, DMA ’18, piano pedagogy & performance) was named one of Yamaha’s “40 under 40,” a list of the most influential music educators in America, and was an SMTD Alumni Award winner. She received early promotion with tenure at the University of the District of Columbia.
Kara Dupuy-McCauley (BM ’04, music technology and piano performance) is now a Mayo Clinic pulmonologist with a specialty in sleep medicine. She is collaborating with her former professor Stephen Rush and performing arts technology students on a research study highlighted in the Winter 2023 Michigan Muse.
Daniel Pesca (MM ’07, composition, piano) has been appointed assistant professor of composition at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York. In addition to his prolific career as a composer, Pesca maintains an active schedule as a pianist, both as soloist and as member of the Grossman Ensemble at the University of Chicago. (9/2023)
Nicholas Shaneyfelt (DMA ’16, collaborative piano) was promoted to associate professor of music at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa. Shaneyfelt serves as the faculty collaborative artist, vocal coach, and instructor of collaborative piano, and he music directs the Luther College Opera. (9/2023)
Samuel Kidd (BM ’19, voice) and Julian Grabarek (MM ’23, collaborative piano) were recipients of the prestigious Adler Fellowship at the San Francisco Opera Center. (10/2023)
In fall 2022, Mi-Eun Kim (MM ’14, piano, chamber music; DMA ’21, SM ’22, piano) joined the faculty at Massachusetts Institute of Technology as lecturer, teaching piano in the Emerson/Harris Scholarship program, as well as coaching for the Chamber Music Society and collaborative piano.