Alumni

Krannert Center is delighted to welcome the Afro-Caribbean Jazz Collective back to Stage 5! Led by guitarist Jose Guzman, DMA ’20, The Collective’s repertoire reflect Guzman’s musical heritage with rhythms from Puerto Rico and Cuba, mixed with the sophistication of modern jazz. Their third album, “Fiesta at Caroga,” has been making waves in the jazz world.

The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign College of Fine and Applied Arts (FAA) has awarded the Distinguished Legacy Award to Donald Nally, DMA '95.

Faculty member Josh Graham receives Library of Congress grant to commission alumni composer Donnacha Dennehy.

Harpist Noël Wan (BM ’14, DMA ’20) joined the Performance Faculty at The Curtis Institute of Music for the 2025–2026 academic year.

Noël Wan 萬依慈, twice alumna of the Illinois Harp Program, has been named the 2025 College of Fine and Applied Arts (FAA) Emerging Legacy Award recipient!

Dr. Evan Stoor (PhD, Music Education, 2025), has been appointed as the Director of Choral Activities at the University of Idaho.

Dr. Carly Wingfield (DMA, Vocal Performance and Literature, cognate in Voice Health and Science, 2025) has been appointed to the position of Visiting Assistant Professor of Voice at Stetson University.

Dr. Connor Frederick (BM, Jazz Trombone Performance, 2018) has been appointed to the position of Instructor of Trombone and Jazz at Eastern Illinois University.

Sadie Cheslak (MM, Voice Performance and literature, 2019) is one of five winners of The Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition.

Trombone Alumnus Ben Carrasquillo (MM, 2017; DMA, 2023) has been appointed Assistant Professor of Trombone at Penn State University, beginning in the fall of 2025.

Sadie Glass (MM '13) has been appointed Assistant Professor of Practice (Horn), and Program Director of Brass and Percussion with the University of the Pacific's Music Conservatory. She was a student of Bernhard Scully. Congratulations, Sadie! You can read more about Sadie's accomplishments here.

Kelly Langenberg (DMA, 2023) will be joining the faculty of Troy University this fall as Assistant Professor of Horn and Music History.

Donald Nally (DMA ’95, Choral Music) won his fourth GRAMMY Award for Best Choral Performance at the 67th Annual GRAMMY Awards for Ochre, performed by The Crossing.

Erin Brooker-Miller (BM, Harp Performance, 2014), a student of Professor Ann Yeung, has been appointed Executive Director of the New Hampshire Music Festival (NHMF), effective October 20, 2024.