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Demondrae Thurman, UA assistant professor of euphonium and tuba, directs student musicians |
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TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Talented students under the direction of Demondrae Thurman, assistant professor of euphonium and tuba in The University of Alabama School of Music, have recently received prestigious national awards for performance.
In August, UA music students Derek Fenstermacher and Matthew Mireles won their divisions at the 2008 International Falcone Tuba and Euphonium Competition -- the most prestigious annual competition for the instruments in the world -- at the Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp in Michigan.
This is the first time in the 23 year history of the competition that the first place artists in tuba and in euphonium have come from the same university. These awards are similar to an “all-international” honors. Fenstermacher is a 2008 alumnus of UA with a bachelor of music degree in tuba performance. Mireles is currently pursuing a master’s degree in euphonium performance.
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UA music students and top award winners Derek Fenstermacher and Matthew Mireles |
UA music students also won several awards at the International Tuba Euphonium Conference in Cincinnati this summer. Fenstermacher won top prize in both the Mock Military Band and Orchestra Competitions and was a finalist in the Solo Tuba Competition. The Tuba/Euphonium Quartet, made up of UA students Jay Hagy, Erika Mori, Fenstermacher and Mireles, also took top prize in the Chamber Music Competition.
The UA School of Music, housed in Moody Music building, has 35 full-time faculty members and offers 300 music majors. The school is a part of UA’s College of Arts and Sciences, the University’s largest division and the largest liberal arts college in the state. Students from the College have won numerous national awards including Rhodes Scholarships, Goldwater Scholarships and memberships on the USA Today Academic All American Team.
The University of Alabama, a student-centered research university, is in the midst of a planned, steady enrollment growth with a goal of reaching 28,000 students by 2010. This growth, which is positively impacting the campus and the state's economy, is in keeping with UA's vision to be the university of choice for the best and brightest students. UA, the state's flagship university, is an academic community united in its commitment to enhancing the quality of life for all Alabamians.
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