Alum Notes: Spring 2022

1966

Robert Fritz B.M. of Newfane, VT, recently won Global Musical Awards for two of his albums.

1971

Greg Abate of Coventry, RI, is no. 4 in the Alto Sax category in DownBeat’s 85th Annual Readers Poll, conducts master classes worldwide, and is an adjunct professor of jazz studies at Rhode Island College as well as a Conn-Selmer instrument artist clinician. Visit gregabate.com.

1975

Andrew Guarrine of Lakeland, FL, had an arrangement for a beginning string orchestra published by Carl Fischer.

1976

David Mash B.M. of Framingham, MA, released four albums of his own music in 2021 and coproduced an album for Assistant Professor Peter Bell. Mash’s Mashine Music albums were coproduced with Bell for Bar of 2 Productions, and are available  on all the major digital music distribution sites.

1977

Anthony Corman B.M. of Berkeley, CA, was featured in the album The Bay Area Jazz Composers Book by guitarist Ryan Pate. It is a collection of tunes by Bay Area jazz musicians including Corman, Aaron Wolf B.M. ’04, and Shay Salhov B.M. ’02.

1978

Richard Richbourg B.M. of Ramrod Key, FL, moved from Orlando to the outskirts of Key West in 2020. He plays guitar in a classic rock band and in a blues band up and down the Overseas Highway, from Key West to Islamorada.

1979

Todd Mosby B.M. of St. Louis, MO, won the first prize in the Instrumental category of the 26th Annual USA Songwriting Competition.

Daniel J. Levitin B.M. ’79 of Los Angeles, CA, is the author of This Is Your Brain on Music. With the encouragement of his longtime friend and mentor Joni Mitchell, he has launched his second full-length record, Sex and Math, which is a collection of 11 original songs. Visit bit.ly/3r7lFtZ(Opens in a new window).

1980

Darrell Katz B.M. of Waltham, MA, was one of the jazz finalists in the 26th Annual USA Songwriting Competition.

1981

Seth Saltzman B.M. of Livingston, NJ, is the senior vice president of global services  at the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) and recently celebrated his 37th year there. He completed a five-year term as chairman of the board at WhyHunger and released an album with Joe D’Urso’s Acoustic Excursion.

1984

Don Breithaupt B.M. of Santa Monica, CA, was a jazz finalist at the 26th Annual USA Songwriting Competition.

1985

Andrés Pollak B.M. of Vitacura, Chile, and his band, La Marraqueta, published their fourth release in November. Pollak also scored and post-produced the short documentary El horizonte del pulso and scored his seventh feature film with director Gustavo Graef Marino, El Vacío.

1986

Sims Delaney-Potthoff B.M. of Madison, WI, is the first-prize winner in the jazz category of the 26th Annual USA Songwriting Competition.

1987

Julia Alice Kinscheck B.M. (a.k.a. Julie Alice Gibbons) of Billerica, MA, just released the new book Vocal Training for Praise Singers (Xulon Press), an all-in-one training manual for Christian artists, worship leaders, choir directors, and voice teachers. Visit julieksings.com/vocaltrainingforpraisesingers(Opens in a new window).

Bill MacKay of Chicago, IL, released the record Keys (Drag City), featuring the song “Joy Ride.” It was reviewed in Pitchfork and Aquarium Drunkard, among other publications. New recording and touring is in the works.

Dario Saraceno B.M. of Wappingers Falls, NY, has released his sixth CD, Dario and the Clear Optic Nerve. It features Tony Levin and Trey Gunn from King Crimson, along with Jerry Marotta. It can be found on Bandcamp, CD Baby, and all digital download sites.

Terje Gewelt B.M. of Oslo, Norway, has released the album The Duo Collection, which is available on all the streaming platforms. The recording features the pianist Christian Jacob ’86. Visit orcd.co/landingpage_theduocollection(Opens in a new window).

1989

Harold Greene of Jacksonville, NC, published four guitar-method books, a music theory instruction book, and bass method book. He runs an online music school, where you can purchase his books and his latest releases, “Ghost of Christmas Past” and “Christmas Tree.” Visit theacademyofmusic.online(Opens in a new window).

Tommy McNamara of Loxahatchee, FL, released his second CD with Bay Nine records, The Civil Disobedience Luncheon Club, which is available on all streaming platforms.

Gernot Wolfgang B.M. of Los Angeles was a jazz finalist at the 26th Annual USA Songwriting Competition.

Chari Smith has taught jazz piano to children and performed in several bands. In February, Black Rose Writing released her children’s picture book The Piano.

1991

Geila Zilkha B.M. of Tokyo, Japan, released a new digital single, “Spain,” with her project band, Geila Zilkha & Super Soul Jazz. She released two albums, Covers and Originals, in February, which were recorded during the pandemic to mark Zilkha’s 30-year tenure as a professional singer.

Debbie Deane (a.k.a. Debbie Kochman), a singer/songwriter from Brooklyn, NY, released the album Red Ruby Stars. It was produced by Adrian Harpham ’93, engineered by Rich Lamb B.M. ’88, and featured Donny McCaslin B.M. ’88 and Robin Macatangay ’90. Visit ropeadope.lnk.to/RedRubyStars(Opens in a new window) and debbiedeane.com(Opens in a new window).

1994

Timothy Jones B.M. of San Gabriel, CA, scored the 2021 film Waterman, about the legendary surfer Duke Kahanamoku. The film opened the 2021 Hawaii International Film Festival in Honolulu. He also scored Hide  and Seek (2021), an American remake of the hit Korean thriller of the same name.

1995

Paulo Tozzi of São Paulo, Brazil, earned an Outstanding Achievement in Songwriting award at the 2019 Great American Song Contest for an instrumental recorded in a Berklee recording studio.

Zachary Borovay of Silver Spring, MD, has joined the acclaimed design firm Visual Terrain as the director of media design.

1996

Julián Graciano of Buenos Aires, Argentina, has been selected to endorse the Knobloch string for classical guitar. Graciano and Knobloch are working on a string for the seven-string guitar.

1998

Wayne B. Marek B.M. of Montville, NJ, has returned to teaching music after an 18-year hiatus. He splits his time between School of Rock’s Chatham campus and Bach to Rock's Denville campus.

1999

Oscar Peñas B.M. of New York City is a guitarist and composer who released his fifth album as a leader, Almadraba. It features Ron Carter, Harlem Quartet, and others. His winter West Coast tour featured Sara Caswell, Moto Fukushima ’02, and Richie Barshay. Visit oscarpenas.com(Opens in a new window).

2000

Erik Zukauskas B.M. of Brownington, VT, recently produced, arranged, and played guitar on a version of “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” for a national television commercial for Major League Baseball and Chevy Youth Sports.

Pascal Kaeser of Bolligen, Switzerland, released a new self-titled album with the Trio the Next Movement, under the German jazz-funk label Leopard. The group toured Switzerland, Germany, and Austria. Visit brokensilence.de/lnk/thenextmovement(Opens in a new window).

Adam Strum B.M. of Brooklyn, NY, released the album Acoustic Plus, which mixes world, pop, bluegrass, and cinematic music using all-acoustic instruments, analog synth, and EWI. It was recorded and mixed by Ari Raskin ’00 and features Joshua Geisler B.M. ’98, Matt Kilmer B.M. ’02, Ben Wright ’00, and Eileen Esposito B.M. ’13.

2002

Brendan Carniaux B.M. of East Greenwich, RI, recorded and released two albums of creative, improvised music. Carniaux/Goldman/Carniaux features his brother, Ryan Carniaux B.M. ’02 (trumpet), and Max Goldman (drums). The other, from his quarantine trio With Orbit, features Jeff Platz (guitar) and Goldman. Both are available on Bandcamp.

Yusuke Ishihara of Saitama, Japan, was a jazz finalist at the 26th Annual USA Songwriting Competition.The Yusuke Ishihara Trio's first album, Dig into Jazz, was released in March 2021.

Raleigh Green of Boston partnered with Berklee faculty Bruce Gertz to release a new product for the international music community, the app Music Sight Reader. It is the first of its kind, a hybrid app built for Apple Books. Visit musicsightreader.com(Opens in a new window).

2003

David Dixon B.M. of Wilmington, NC, released the pop EP The Game. A multi-instrumentalist, Dixon recorded the album’s songs from his home studio during the pandemic, collaborating virtually with people in the United States, Australia, Argentina, and Canada. Visit daviddixonmusic.com(Opens in a new window).

2004

Jesse Terry B.M. of Scottsdale, AZ, was a finalist in the Folk category at the 26th Annual USA Songwriting Competition.

Eren Gümrükçüoğlu B.M. of Durham, NC, accepted a tenure-track position at the Florida State University College of Music as assistant professor of composition, starting in the fall of 2022. Gümrükçüoğlu is also due to release a new album with music for instruments and electronics.

Marco Pacassoni B.M. is releasing his new album, Life (Giotto Music/Egea Music), featuring faculty member John Patitucci on acoustic bass and Antonio Sanchez ’97 on drums. It was recorded at the Bunker Studio in New York City.

Satya Hinduja B.M. of New York City released an electronic ambient soundscape titled “Hanami,” which brings together ancient wisdom and modern technology in a meditative listening experience. “Hanami” is available for download on Bandcamp. Visit alchemicelectronica.com/track/hanami-nam-my-h-renge-ky(Opens in a new window).

2005

Pakk Hui of Lake Balboa, CA, has been selected by NBCUniversal as one of eight composers to participate in the Universal Composers Initiative for 2021 to 2023. This initiative aims to nurture composers of diverse backgrounds in a historically homogenous industry.

Guillaume K. Duvignau B.M. of São Paulo, Brazil, released the new album Baden (Sunnyside Records), which features the music of Brazilian guitarist Baden Powell, whose music has influenced Duvignau and countless other Brazilian musicians. The album includes special guests Ron Carter and Bill Frisell. Visit guiduvignau.com(Opens in a new window).

2006

Jozef Nadj B.M. of Boston joined Berklee’s Ensemble Department faculty. He is still teaching at North Shore Music Center. His  album Twenty Twenty One was released by Multimedia Music. He is also affiliated with NS Design Electric Violins. Last fall, he played a week at the Black Rose.

2007

Joe Matzzie of Pittsburgh, PA, released his fourth full-length album, Baby Steps. Collaborators included Gal Petel B.M. ’19, Nate Laguzza B.M. ’08, and Richard Bruner B.M. ’12. Matzzie won Best Male Artist at the 2021 International Acoustic Music Awards for the song “Home,” from the album.

Jacob Hertzog B.M. of Fayetteville, AR, earned his Ph.D. in higher education and is now an assistant professor of guitar and the Jazz Area coordinator at the University of Arkansas.

Boyan Hristov of Sofia, Bulgaria, played guitar in the official Expo 2020 Dubai 19-piece band from October 2021 to the end of March 2022. The band featured musicians from all over the world and collaborated with other guest artists at the expo.

2009

Iván Carrero B.M. of Bogotá, Colombia, owned I-C Studios for 10 years and is now embracing a new adventure as founder at the Like. Prior to creating I-C Studios, he worked in Los Angeles with Benny Faccone and at Westlake Recording Studios.

Jon Stoltzfus B.M. of Avon, CT, released the new full-length album Through the Dark, with his band Atlas Gray, in October. The album was engineered and produced by the band’s guitarist, mixed by Grammy Award–winner Eddie Spear, mastered at Sterling Sound, and features the Czech Film Orchestra.

Austin Ku M.M. of New York City was nominated for a 2021 Grammy in the Best Musical Theater Album category as a principal soloist on the original cast recording of Soft Power. He is involved in the development of new musicals and acts for TV and film. Visit austin-ku.com.

Chase Deso B.M. of Allen, TX, scored a three-part documentary, The Curse of Von Dutch, which premiered in October on Hulu. He has also scored other projects, including Ozark (Netflix), Fear the Walking Dead (AMC), The Lady and the Dale (HBO), and NOS4A2 (AMC). Visit chasedeso.com(Opens in a new window).

Shu Odamura B.M. of Kyoto, Japan, was a jazz finalist at the 26th Annual USA Songwriting Competition.

2010

Gabriela Martina B.M. (a.k.a. Gabriela M. Heer) released an album, Homage to Grämlis, about her childhood, her parents, and her life in Switzerland. In it, she fuses yodeling with styles of North American music. For the album, which she will tour, she received the Award in Arts and Culture from her hometown, Horw.

2011

Sean Thornton B.M. of Orlando, FL, founded and built Audio UX, a New York–based audio-branding agency, along with Eric Seay B.M. ’11, and Dexter Garcia ’13. It designs and implements audio-design systems for global companies as well as products such as autonomous vehicles, home electronics, and more. The firm is always looking to hire Berklee alumni.

Joshua Klein B.M. of Breinigsville, PA, supported Coolio and Mark McGrath of Sugar Ray in January. He is also currently giving guitar lessons.

Eytan Nicholson B.M. of Allston, MA, was the songwriter on the single “Turn Around,” featuring Josiah Bassey and performed by DJ Zay’x and T.H.E. The Berklee-trained trio T.H.E. collaborated with a top kizomba DJ and a rising Nigerian superstar to create this feel-good single off the group’s upcoming album, Celsius.

Ryan Edwards B.M. of Quincy, MA, is part of MASARY Studios, a Boston-based multimedia arts practice that created a performance dance work, “Hybrid Agencies,” that debuted at the Museum of Science in March. Visit masarystudios.com(Opens in a new window).

2012

Dennis Fuller B.M. (a.k.a. Dennis Brewster) of Coral Gables, FL, founded Donzii, a post-punk group that was just accepted to SXSW 2022 as official artists.

Ada Pasternak B.M. of Los Angeles was a folk finalist at the 26th Annual USA Songwriting Competition.

Luiz Augusto Buff de Souza e Silva B.M. of Los Angeles started a new job in January as the senior director of music business and legal affairs at NBCUniversal.

2015

Mason Lieberman B.M. of Los Angeles was included on the 2022 Forbes “30 Under 30” list, in the game category, for his work in video game music.

Justin Sheriff B.M. of Boston recorded Máiréad Nesbitt, a world-famous violinist, for Disney’s newest and biggest nighttime spectacular, Harmonious, which permanently replaced IllumiNations at Epcot. Additionally, the TikTok hit song he recorded, mixed, and mastered, “Ashes,” was certified RIAA Gold.

Sofia Emmy Wilhelmina Ahnborg of Stockholm, Sweden, is an artist and songwriter with her own label, Whylemin Music, through which she released her debut single, “Do You Ever Wonder.” It was produced with Calle Johansson.

Steffi Jeraldo B.M. of Nashville, TN, released the single and music video for the track “Wildfire Mind,” which was played or publicized on the Country Network, The Women of Country, and Route 66 Country Music. CMT (formerly Country Music Television) added the video to its website in March.

2017

Mattia Zucchelli B.M. of Leamington Spa, England, is pursuing a career in video-game audio. In his current role, as a member of the audio team at Playground Games, he won an award in the Best Audio Design category for Forza Horizon 5 at the Game Awards.

Ava Suppelsa B.M. won first place in the country music category and the overall third prize at the 26th Annual USA Songwriting Competition.

Daniele Truocchio B.M. of Los Angeles scored the documentary The Relentless One alongside TV composer Micheal Suby (The Vampire Diaries, Pretty Little Liars). He also received the Best Main Theme award, and a nomination for Best Soundtrack, at the New York International Film Awards for his music for In Between.

Jessie Cox B.M. of New York City was featured in The New Yorker for his unique virtual works, both online and at MaerzMusik. He also released his first solo record, presented a newly commissioned work at Lucerne Forward Festival, and prepared a new work for Ensemble Modern.

2018

Emi Nishida B.M. of Tokyo, Japan, is the musical theater staff pianist for Berklee’s Voice Department, and a ballet pianist at the Conservatory. As a composer, she received the Finalist Honorable Mention award at the American Prize 2020. She is also scoring for films, performing, and writing.

Nehir Akansu M.M. of Valencia, Spain, is a Ph.D. candidate in the Faculty of Fine Arts at Polytechnic University of Valencia. Akansu’s been a viola and violin teacher at Yamaha Music School in Valencia since 2019, and teaches privately.

2019

Pablo Mirete Godoy B.M. of Los Angeles is a producer and engineer who composed and produced the music for Umbrellas, a  film that was nominated for Best Animated Short Film at the 36th Goya Awards, and for which he received a Fugaz Award for Best Original Score.

2020

Makoto Ishizaka B.M. of Kagoshima, Japan, was a jazz finalist at the 26th Annual USA Songwriting Competition.

Neff Irizarry II B.M. ’96, M.M. ’20 of Riga, Latvia, released the book Contemporary Latin Jazz Guitar. Visit neffirizarry.com(Opens in a new window).

Alex Halloran M.A. of Brookfield, CT, started his own company, Help the Bear Records, which was bought by AGD Entertainment, a music company based in Nashville, so that it could expand into the Northeast. New music is released every four weeks. Visit instagram.com/helpthebearrecords(Opens in a new window).

Jason Davis M.M. of San Antonio, TX, is proud to announce the release of his latest album, 1 Minute to Midnight, featuring the hit “GFY.” The album was part of the EP project for his master’s degree in music production from Berklee Online.

Bryce Harrisberger B.M. of Boston is the chief administrative officer of Beezio Music.

Bladmir Rocha of Swampscott, MA, is the booking manager for Oceanside Events Center, and books shows at the House of Blues and other venues. He has also produced concerts in Latin America, and manages/represents some very cool artists.