Summer of International Travel for Faculty and Students

I am the Saxophone faculty member for the Cortona Sessions for New Music, a very special, approximately two-week program that pairs performers and composers of composed contemporary music. Prospective composer fellows apply to the sessions with pieces that match the instrumentation of our faculty and performance fellows. In the first week of the Sessions, the concerts feature mainly faculty while the performance fellows begin rehearsing with each other, and then eventually working with their composer counterparts. The groups are also coached many times by all different faculty. Performance fellows are also given the opportunity to take lessons and attend classes about performance techniques and other musical topics, while the composition fellows enjoy daily composition colloquiums, where they listen to and discuss each other‘s work. The second week of the sessions features mainly premieres of the composition fellows’ works.

I perform with most of the other performance faculty, coach the Chamber groups, and teach private lessons. I also participate in some of the topic seminars.

The Cortona Sessions is a very special opportunity that has generated a lot of collaborations and has launched many successful careers for both performers and composers who have attended. Aside from the wonderful music, it’s a great vibe!

The FSU Tuba Euphonium Studio was well represented at the 2025 International Tuba Euphonium Conference in Valencia, Spain. The Renegade 8 (tuba euphonium octet) performed an invited recital, Colin Teague competed in the Solo Tuba Artist Division, and Cayden Miller performed in the Euphonium Artist Division Solo Competition; both students are currently pursuing an MM and graduate teaching assistants. Dr. Hightower performed a solo recital, was a juror for the Small Ensemble Competition, and performed as a guest soloist with the Valencia Brass Band. Dr. Hightower was also awarded the Roger Bobo Award for Recording Excellence (Chamber/Large Ensemble) for his album Rapid Run, as well as the Winston Morris Award for Composition Excellence (Tuba Ensemble) for his work Invictus which was written for the Renegade 8.

So it was for an educational school trip with Osceola County School for the Arts to tour around France and visit many of the amazing landmarks! I had gone with a couple of my friends who also play jazz with me. One afternoon we were looking to see if there was a music scene, and we came across a post saying that 38Riv (the jazz club) holds jam sessions. We bought tickets, my friend went with sticks and I went empty handed (I play bass.) We asked if we were able to play and the house band said yes, so we were able to play Tenor Madness together, and I played Shiny Stockings with other local musicians. It was such a cool experience playing out of the country and being able to connect through music despite our language differences. We got to meet so many people and we brought some other friends along and they got to experience the atmosphere of a jazz club! It was definitely one of my favorite things from that whole trip!

At the Prague Piano Festival, I had the opportunity to practice, perform, and collaborate with incredible professors and peers. The schedule consisted of lessons every day, masterclasses, performances, and of course, lots of practicing! I worked with Dr. David Kalhous and Dr. Stijn DeCock. I performed and worked on pieces by Beethoven, Rameau, Chopin and Janáčeck in masterclasses and incredible halls such as the Atrium Žižkov and Břevnov Monastery. I also had the opportunity to collaborate with my colleague Yicheng Wang with a 4-hand duet by Fauré. I’m sincerely grateful to Dr. Kalhous and the Prague Piano Festival for giving me this experience!

This summer I went on a mission trip to Romania. We went to help and love the Roma community and Ukranian war refugees. Throughout the trip, we attended church and sang for/with all of the families there. Even at the schools we would dance and sing to Romanian music with the children. It was beautiful because we would all try to sing in the others language, and even though we were definitely not getting the words right, the music sounded just as beautiful. It was such an amazing way to connect with the people there despite the language barrier. Music truly is a universal language, and it was such an amazing way to bring everyone together!

The Festival Singers of Florida, a nonprofit choir directed by Dr. Kevin Fenton, recently completed an eight-day tour to Tokyo, Kyoto, and Yokohama. The choir collaborated in concerts and exchanges with the St. Mary’s International Alumni Choir, Tokyo International School, Kyoto Heimat Choir, and GQ Family Gospel Choir. Steven Olson and Sarita Gustely were featured as conductors alongside other FSU alumni. Colby White and Jeremy Moore were featured in concerts as soloists. Dr. Bryan Stenson organized the entire tour. This international exchange fostered meaningful connections between American and Japanese choral communities through music.

I had the pleasure of attending l’académie internationale de clarinette basse de l’université de Laval in Québec City, which took place from June 16 to 18. Attending the academy was a uniquely enriching experience. I had the privilege of learning from some of North America’s finest bass clarinetists, including Mélanie Bourassa, André Moisan, and Jonathan Russell. The program offered in-depth instruction, artistic exchange, and a supportive learning environment with an international cohort of participants. One of the highlights was performing in a bass clarinet choir alongside fellow participants and faculty in the heart of Old Québec, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. As a clarinetist, it was a valuable opportunity to focus intensely on the bass clarinet, offering me new perspectives and experience.

I had the incredible opportunity to travel with my band, the Miami Arts Studio Wind Symphony, as part of the London New Year’s Day Parade Concert Series. This event brings together musical groups from across the U.S. to perform in London ahead of the world-famous parade. During our trip on December 27th through January 3d, we explored incredible historic landmarks like Windsor Castle, the Tower of London, Oxford University, and Buckingham Palace. On the 29th we gave our concert, and on New Year’s Day, we marched in the New Year’s Day Parade, feeling recognized for all the hard work we put in. It was an amazing way to represent our school and give so many people lasting memories from the experience.

As the associate director, I had the distinct pleasure of conducting and performing with the Stanford Wind Symphony this summer on their Italy tour. Led by my colleague and head director, Giancarlo Aquilanti, the Wind Symphony toured the cities of Jesi, Ancona, Urbisaglia, L’Aquila, and Padova. The venues ranged from beautiful Italian opera houses to ancient Roman amphitheaters. Between performances and rehearsals, the group enjoyed local excursions and free time to explore other nearby cities.

The tour was in collaboration with the Polytechnic University of Marche, the Rovigo and L’Aquila Conservatories, and the ARCOM – the Regional Association of Marche Choirs. Members from these organizations joined the Wind Symphony in our performances around Italy. Additionally, the Stanford Wind Symphony included a number of local Bay Area musicians, including my fellow FSU COM alumnus and friend, Brandi Frisbie. It was such a memorable experience getting to perform with Brandi again — the first time since our undergrad years (2010-2014)!

I cannot emphasize enough how grateful I am for the opportunity and support from my colleagues, friends, and community members at Stanford University to participate on this tour, especially at 6 months pregnant! I will cherish these pictures and videos for a long time, and I look forward to sharing them with my daughter in the future.