Alumni News


2015, James Moore ("02 B.M.), released his first solo record "John Zorn: James Moore Plays The Book Of Heads" - CD and DVD of a film by Stephen Taylor on Tzadik label.

2015, Janet Noguera ("16 B.M.), recipient of the Plantronics Creativity & Innovation Scholars Award presented annually by the UCSC Arts Division.

2015, Sean Hayward ("13 B.M.), recipient of the Darmasiswa Scholarship offered by the Indonesian Ministry of Culture and Education to study Central Javanese gamelan at ISI Surakarta for one full year.

2015, Robert Bell ("15 B.M.), recipient of a scholarship during his graduate studies at the San Francisco Conservatory.

2015, Carlos Serrano ("15 B.M.), winner of the FIU School of Music Concerto Competition, who will be performing the Concerto for Guitar by Heitor Villa-Lobos with the FIU Symphony Orchestra on April 17, 2015. Carlos is the second guitarist to win this prestigious competition, following Celso Cano's ("14 M.M.) success in 2014.

2014, Janet Noguera ("16 B.M.), winner of the Lowden Young Guitarist of the Year competition.

2014, Celso Cano ("14 M.M.), is appointed as a guitar faculty at the NOVA Southeastern University beginning with the 2014 Fall Semester.

2014, Celso Cano ("14 M.M.), recipient of the 2014 FIU School of Music Best Graduate Performer Award.

2014, Robert Bell ("15 B.M.), recipient of the 2014 UCSC Nicole Auclair Memorial Scholarship and Matt Wynbrandt Guitar Award.

2014, Sean Hayward ("13 B.M.), premiered his composition "From a Distance" for paired prepared guitars, paired Javanese saron instruments, and double bass at the UCSC Gamelan Concert: "Music & Dance from Java and Bali" on May 17, 2014.

2014, Celso Cano ("14 M.M.), winner of the FIU School of Music Concerto Competition, performed the Concierto de Aranjuez by Joaquin Rodrigo with the FIU Symphony Orchestra, conducted by James Judd, on April 11, 2014. Celso is the first guitarist to win this prestigious competition.

2014, Janet Noguera ("16 B.M.), is featured in the Acoustic Guitar Magazine May 2014 issue as one of the "30 great acoustic guitarists under the age of 30."

2013, Sean Hayward ("13 B.M.), recipient of a teaching assistantship during his studies in the MFA Performer/Composer program at California Institute of the Arts.

2013, James Moore ("02 B.M.), premiered choreographer Susan Marshall's Play/Pause, with music by David Lang for two guitars and drumset.

2013, Sean Hayward ("13 B.M.), recipient of the 2013 UCSC Dean's and Chancellor's Awards for outstanding achievement in the Arts Division. He also received the 2013 Hortense Zuckerman Prize for outstanding achievement in music scholarship and performance, as well as the 2013 Matt Wynbrandt Guitar Award.

2013, John Patrick McShane  ("10 B.M), completed the Master of Music program at Mannes College The New School for Music.

2012, Jay Arms ("11 B.M.), released his first CD "Songs and Dances."

2012, Sean Hayward ("13 B.M.), recipient of the 2012 Ventura County Community Foundation Awards: Berenice Barnard Music Specialist Scholarship, Bob and Evie Memorial Scholarship, and Vivian Klemz Memorial Scholarship.

2011, Zach Peletz  ("06 B.A.), working as the lighting programmer for the Red Hot Chili Peppers on their epic World Tour.

2011, Jay Arms ("11 B.M.), recipient of the 2011 UCSC Hortense Zuckerman Prize for outstanding achievement in music scholarship and performance.

2011, John Patrick McShane  ("10 B.M.), recipient of a teaching assistantship during his studies in the Master of Music program at  Mannes College The New School for Music.

2011, Sean Hayward ("13 B.M.), recipient of the 2011 Ventura County Community Foundation Awards: Berenice Barnard Music Specialist Scholarship, Bob and Evie Memorial Scholarship, and Vivian Klemz Memorial Scholarship.

2011, Devin Kosloff  ("12 B.M.), recipient of the 2011 UCSC Ernest & Jean Kretschmer Music Scholarship.

2011, Jason Schimmel  ("00 B.M.), commissioned to compose an original score for the independent feature film Walk-ins Welcome.

2011, Kyle Reilly  ("12 B.M.), recipient of the 2011 UCSC Ernest & Jean Kretschmer Music Scholarship.

2010, Zach Peletz  ("06 B.A.), working as the digital lighting tech in the Shanghai World Expo 2010.

2010, Robert Watson  ("99 B.M.), co-founded the Silicon Valley Classical Guitar School in Sunnyvale, California.

2010, Jason Schimmel  ("00 B.M.), completed the film-scoring program at University of California, Los Angeles.

2009, Erin Santos  ("09 B.M.), winner of senior guitar division at the annual competition of American String Teachers Association San Francisco Section.

2009, Jason Schimmel  ("00 B.M.), performed with the group Secret Chiefs 3 as part of John Zorn's Masada project at The North Sea Jazz Festival.

2009, Ryan Haverty  ("06 B.M.), completed the Master of Music program at the Cleveland Institute of Music.

2008, Zach Peletz  ("06 B.A.), working as the digital lighting crew chief on the High End Systems which set records at the Beijing Olympic Ceremonies.

2008, Jason Johnston  ("08 B.M.), winner of senior guitar division at the annual competition of American String Teachers Association San Francisco Section.

2008, Jason Johnston  ("08 B.M.), recipient of the 2008 UCSC Dean's Award for outstanding achievement in the Arts Division. He also received the 2008 Hortense Zuckerman Prize for outstanding achievement in music scholarship and performance.

2008, Ryan Haverty ("06 B.M.), featured in the Young Artist Series at the IMG-sponsored Festival del Sole in Napa, California.

2008, Ryan Haverty  ("06 B.M.), recipient of a teaching assistantship during his studies in the Master of Music program at  the Cleveland Institute of Music.

2008, Zach Peletz  ("06 B.A.), working as a lighting designer on the New Dimensions in Classical Guitar Multimedia Concert Tour with Mesut Özgen and Friends.

2007, Jordan Brownlee  ("00 B.A.), completed the Master of Music program at the University of Idaho.

2006, James Moore  ("02 B.M.), completed the Master of Music program at the Yale School of Music.

2005, Ryan Haverty  ("06 B.M.), winner of senior guitar division at the annual competition of American String Teachers Association San Francisco Section.

2005, Robert Watson  ("99 B.M.), completed the Master of Music program at the Yale School of Music.

2005, Jordan Brownlee  ("00 B.A.), recipient of a teaching assistantship during his studies in the Master of Music program at  the University of Idaho.

2001, Josh Friedman ("00 B.M., "03 M.M.), recipient of a teaching assistantship during his studies in the Master of Music program at  the University of California, Santa Cruz.