Summer was a fun and busy time for College of Music faculty – how about you?
Fill out the form at music.fsu.edu/originole-survey now to let us know!
Here is a sample of what some of our colleagues have been up to:
Associate Professor of Saxophone Geoffrey Deibel was invited to be a voting member of the Recording Academy (GRAMMY) class of 2026. Deibel spent the summer of 2026 teaching at the Great Plains Saxophone Workshop (joined by 9 current FSU saxophone majors and several alums), and the Cortona Sessions for New Music in Ede, Netherlands. He also recorded a duo album with saxophonist Nick Zoulek and a new album with his award-winning h2 quartet. Fall 2026 will see Deibel giving the world premiere of a new work written for his Trio Nebbia (with Winston Choi and Ji Hye Jung, piano) by Pulitzer Prize and McArthur Genius Grant winner Tyshawn Sorey in NYC, Boston, and Philadelphia, and a performance of the Philip Glass Concerto with h2 and the Midland Symphony.
Works by Associate Professor of Composition Liliya Ugay appeared on two albums this May: Hammers Over the Moon on Clara Yang’s xmachina (Bright Shiny Things) and The Beautiful on Min Kwon’s America/Beautiful (Delos).
Hammers Over the Moon received the following review from Textura: “Alluding to the piano’s mechanical architecture, Ugay’s Hammers Over the Moon unfolds as a vibrant conversation between the acoustic instrument and electronics. Fascinating too is how fluidly the composer works blues inflections into the dazzling constellations produced by the piano and electronics.” Earlier in May Yang performed the composition at the Baryshnikov Center of the Arts in New York with visuals by Xuan.
The Beautiful was released by Min Kwon as a part of a massive 5-volume set of the variations written by 76 living American composers. The album reached Apple Music Classical’s Top 5 Albums and Top 10 Albums of the Month for May, and Ugay’s contribution was featured on ASCAP’s “New Music Friday” list.
Ugay’s works have also been featured at the International Viola Society and International Double Reed Society Conferences (where she performed as a pianist with the renown bassoonist Frank Morelli). Later this summer, Ugay will also serve as a guest composer at the Appalachian Chamber Music Festival in Harpers Ferry (WV) and the composition faculty for the Collaborative Composition Initiative held by Unheard-Of Ensemble in Saint Louis (MO).
Associate Professor of Guitar Stephen Mattingly enjoyed a busy summer of concert activity in June with performances, lectures, and adjudication at the Singapore Guitar Festival, the Fifth Mahidol International Guitar Festival in Thailand, the Guitar Foundation of America International Convention and Competition in Denver. Joining Mattingly in Thailand were doctoral guitar performance majors Phee Phupaibul, Logan Florence, Carlos Guevara (DM ‘ 26), and Paul Sessoms (DM ’26).
In July, Mattingly taught and performed at the CCM Guitar Workshop in Cincinnati, where he interacted with incoming freshman guitar students and future recruits. Mattingly also served as an adjudicator, and lecturer for the Guitar Foundation of America (GFA) International Convention and Competition in Denver.
FSU Music Therapy faculty members Dawn Iwamasa, Lori Gooding, and Flor del Cielo Hernandez presented at the World Congress of Music Therapy 2026, sharing research and clinical insights with colleagues from around the globe. Through presentations as part of the FSU NICU Institute, research collaboration, and trauma-informed pedagogy, they demonstrated the collaborative leadership and scholarly rigor that defines the program, contributing to critical conversations shaping the future of music therapy.
Faculty were joined at the conference by College of Music doctoral students Adriana Lizardi Vazquez, Jaime Riley, Pim Pankeaw, and Rachael Yap, who represented FSU Music Therapy exceptionally well with their own presentations and scholarship.
D. Gregory Springer, Associate Professor of Music Education and Director of the Center for Music Research at FSU, was selected as Editor-Elect for the journal Update: Applications for Research in Music Education. Update is published by SAGE and is one of the National Association for Music Education’s refereed research journals. Springer will serve in the role of Associate Editor/Editor-Elect from 2026-2028 and will assume the role of Editor for 2028-2032.
Assistant Professor of Flute Mary Matthews and Associate Professor of Flute Karen Large were invited to present performances and educational workshops in Bulgaria and Austria this summer. As featured artists at the Sofia Art and Music Festival, they performed a double flute concerto with the Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra, presented a duo recital in the renowned Bulgaria Hall, and led a workshop on composing for the modern flute. They were also invited to the Vienna Contemporary Composers Festival in Austria, where they presented a duo recital at the historic Mozarthaus and were joined by FSU’s graduate flute ensemble for two ensemble performances at Ehrbar Saal and the Albertina Modern Art Museum. The ensemble’s participation was made possible through the Florida State University College of Music’s Fowler Chamber Winds Grant, which supports student touring opportunities.
Matthews has also been named the winner of the 2026 Mu Phi Epsilon Foundation International Soloist Competition, one of the organization’s highest honors recognizing exceptional artistry, musicianship, and ambassadorial potential. The triennial competition includes a live performance, audience engagement, and interview process designed to identify an artist who will represent the Foundation through performance and outreach. As the winner, Matthews will embark on a two-year, nationally managed concert tour, presenting recitals and concerto performances, teaching master classes and lessons, and leading community outreach events at collegiate and alumni chapters across the United States.
Assistant Professor of Choral Music Education McKenna Stenson was featured as conference headliner and conductor of the 11/12 SATB Honor Choir at the Missouri Choral Directors Association July 14th-18th. In addition to conducting the honor ensemble, she presented three professional development sessions at the conference.
Professor of Viola Pamela Ryan completed a residency at the conservatory “Claudio Monteverdi” in Bolzano, Italy which entailed viola masterclasses and a chamber music recital with works by Reger, Bartok, Berio, Kimber, and Cohen.
Professor of Music Theory Michael Buchler was one of three scholars selected to lead three days of workshops at the University of Liverpool Popular and Analysis Music Summer School from July 17–19, 2026. The event was co-sponsored by the Society for Music Analysis (UK) and the Institutes for Popular Music at both the University of Rochester (US) and University of Liverpool (UK). His workshops were on “Phrase, Form, and Passion in Musical Theatre.”
Assistant Professor of Tuba and Euphonium Genevieve Clarkson serves as Lead Tuba Instructor with the Bluecoats Drum and Bugle Corps out of Canton, Ohio. On Saturday, August 8, the Bluecoats completed an undefeated season, winning the Drum Corps International World Championships with their highest-ever score of 99.1.
Professor of Composition Clifton Callender presented “Automated harp pedaling: a graph-theoretical approach to pitch spelling and pedal settings” at the International Conference on Mathematics and Computation in Music, Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, NY, on June 26, and published in Mathematics and Computation in Music by Springer. A provisional patent application on this intellectual property was filed by the FSU Office of Commercialization in June.
Callender’s composition à la manière de… was recorded by College of Music alumna Minyoung Rho (DM and MM in piano performance, MA in organ performance) and released by Manus Label on August 7.
Associate Professor of Jazz Trombone Kevin Jones and Professor of Music in Jazz Studies Bill Peterson (piano) performed at the 2026 International Trombone Festival in Riga, Latvia (July 29-August 1, 2026).
