Dana School of Music News

Dana student and alum earn top honors at fall 2024 NATS Auditions

Dana School of Music student Erika Walker, along with Dana alumna Rachel Gardner, were awarded first and second place honors, respectively, at the fall 2024 National Association of Teachers of Singing Ohio Chapter Student Auditions, held Saturday, October 19, at Kent State University. Students of professor of voice Misook Yun, both Walker and Gardner placed in the Adult Classical – Treble Voices category.

Dana to host Summer Music Camp and Vocal Performance Clinic

The Dana School of Music will once again be hosting its annual Summer Music Camp and Vocal Performance Clinic beginning Sunday, June 9 through Friday, June 14, 2024 on YSU’s campus. Open to children ages 13 to 18, the camp offers a unique opportunity for young musicians to immerse themselves in a vibrant musical community.

Dana School of Music student earns 1^st place
award at NATS audition

Dana School of Music student Erica Walker was awarded 1^st place in the Adult category at the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) audition in Athens, Ohio October 21, 2023. The auditions, held every fall, offer students the opportunity to pursue individual performance goals and receive supportive critiques that encourage them to improve their vocal skills and artistry.

Dana School of Music hosts Wind & Percussion Invitational

On Thursday, February 23, the Cuyahoga Falls High School Symphonic Band and the North Olmsted Falls High School Wind Symphony will join YSU’s Wind and Percussion Ensembles at the 16th Annual Wind and Percussion Invitational, with a joint concert to follow at 7:30 PM.

Dana School of Music mourns beloved professor

Dr. Stephen L. Gage, professor emeritus and former YSU director of bands and orchestra, passed away Sunday, February 5, 2023. Over the 28 years he spent in Youngstown, Gage also conducted the Youngstown State University Youth Orchestra and the W.D. Packard Concert Band. Gage was deeply loved and respected throughout the Youngstown community and beyond, and his passion for music and dedication to his students and profession made a positive and lasting impression that cannot be understated.

YSU Wind Ensemble to perform at Cleveland Orchestra’s Severance Hall

The YSU Wind Ensemble will perform at Severance Hall, one of the world’s finest concert halls, January 29, 2023 at 5:00 PM. Home of the Cleveland Orchestra, Severance Hall will be hosting the 19th annual Northeast Ohio Band Invitational. Each year, four high school programs and one collegiate ensemble are invited to perform at the event alongside the Cleveland Youth Wind Symphony.

Dana School of Music professor awarded second Research Professorship

Dana School of Music professor Caroline Oltmanns has been awarded a Research Professorship from the YSU Office of Academic Affairs for the 2023-24 academic year. Her research, titled “New Female Composers of Music for and with Piano – A Gateway Collection and Compilation of the Creative Outputs and Initiatives of Women Composers of Gen-X and Beyond,” will be completed over a period nine credit hours throughout the year.

Dana School of Music alumna places in Meistersinger Competition

Marlina Karimi (M.M., ’22), a former student of professor of music Misook Yun, was awarded third place in the American Institute of Musical Studies’ Meistersinger Competition in Graz, Austria during the summer of 2022. She performed Rosalinda from the “Die Fledermaus” Act II finale.

Dana School of Music students to participate in Spectrum Brass Seminar

Dana School of Music students Joseph Lashner and Connor Remington were selected to participate in the 2022 Spectrum Brass Seminar at the Bay View Music Festival in Petoskey, Michigan July 8 – August 15, 2022. The five-week program welcomes students from universities all over the world to learn more about the brass quintet repertoire.

Dana faculty member awarded Distinguished Professorship Award

Part-time Dana School of Music faculty member Yukitada Onitsuka has been announced as the recipient of a Distinguished Professorship Award for the 2021-22 academic year. His Part-Time Faculty Teaching Excellence Award will be one of three awards given to Cliffe College faculty members at an awards ceremony in May.