Bill Cunliffe jazz piano; arranging; Fullerton Jazz Orchestra, Fullerton Big Band and combo director
Rodolfo Zuñiga* jazz studies, jazz percussion, and music techology; Fullerton Chamber Jazz Ensemble director
PIANO, ORGAN, PIANO PEDAGOGY
Bill Cunliffe jazz piano
Alison Edwards* piano, piano pedagogy, class piano
Dr. Robert Watson piano
MUSIC EDUCATION, TEACHER TRAINING, AND TEACHING CREDENTIAL
Dr. Christopher Peterson choral
Dr. Gregory X. Whitmore* instrumental
MUSIC IN GENERAL EDUCATION
Dr. John Koegel*
Dr. Katherine Reed
MUSIC HISTORY AND LITERATURE
Dr. Vivianne Asturizaga musicology
Dr. John Koegel* musicology
Dr. Katherine Reed musicology
STRINGS
Kimo Furumoto Director of Orchestra Studies and University Symphony Orchestra conductor
Bongshin Ko cello
Dr. Ernest Salem* violin
THEORY AND COMPOSITION
Dr. Hesam Abedini composition, theory
Dr. Pamela Madsen composition, theory
Dr. Ken Walicki* composition, theory
VOCAL, CHORAL, AND OPERA
Dr. Robert Istad* Director of Choral Studies and University Singers conductor
Dr. Kerry Jennings* Director of Opera
Dr. Christopher Peterson CSUF Concert Choir and Singing Titans conductor
Dr. Joni Y. Prado* voice, academic voice courses
Dr. Bri’Ann Wright general education
WOODWINDS, BRASS, AND PERCUSSION
Dr. Dustin Barr Director of Wind Band Studies, University Wind Symphony, University Band
Jean Ferrandis* flute
Sycil Mathai* trumpet
Ken McGrath* percussion
Dr. Gregory X. Whitmore
University Symphonic Winds conductor
Michael Yoshimi* clarinet
STAFF
Michael August Production Manager
Eric Dries Music Librarian
Gretchen Estes-Parker Office Coordinator
Will Lemley Audio Technician
Jeff Lewis Audio Engineer
Chris Searight Musical Instrument Services
Paul Shirts Administrative Assistant
Elizabeth Williams Business Manager
* Denotes area coordinator
Welcome to the spring 2026 events season at Cal State Fullerton’s College of the Arts. We have been hard at work in every classroom, practice room, and studio across campus preparing to share new sounds and bold creativity with all of you. We are thrilled you are here.
Our students and their success form the core of our purpose in the College of the Arts but unlike their counterparts in other colleges, their paths are not solely formed through classroom learning; they are revealed in the moments when talent meets opportunity. Like when a dancer attends an intensive, or when a musician travels abroad on tour, or an actor or artist is mentored – this is where promise is transformed into possibility. The Dean’s Fund for Excellence gives students access to meaningful experiences like these and many more, including masterclasses, research opportunities, materials, and professional conferences. You can help ensure creativity isn’t limited by circumstance. Consider a gift of any amount to the Dean’s Fund for Excellence today.
This spring semester is brimming with performances and exhibitions for all to enjoy –some that will make you laugh and others that will make you think. In the School of Music, Sibarg Ensemble, featuring our own Hessam Abedini, explores the musical intersections of Iranian music and jazz on February 20. In April, Benjamin Britten’s comic opera “Albert Herring” follows the shy, virtuous title character as he rebels against his prudish upbringing. Join us in the Little Theatre beginning March 5 for the musical “Once Upon a Mattress” – an uproarious sendup of Hans Christian Anderson’s fairytale, “The Princess and the Pea.” If you’re craving something completely different, Eugène Ionesco’s “Rhinoceros” opens March 19 to hold a mirror to the absurdity of mob mentality and the struggle to maintain individuality in the face of mass hysteria. And in late spring, our dancers and choreographers return to demonstrate their inimitable power and grace in “Spring Dance Theatre.”
Across the walkway from where you’re seated are the College of the Arts Galleries. You can still catch exhibitions from Soo Kim and Carol Caroompas until May, or stop by the galleries on Wednesdays for our bi-weekly Student Galleries opening receptions. They are always full of energy, and you might even find student artwork to purchase and take home!
Whether you’re returning to our venues or here for the first time, we are so excited to present another season to you. Thank you for joining us.
Sincerely,
Arnold Holland, EdD Dean, College of the Arts
SCAN THIS QR DONATE TODAY TO THE DEAN’S FUND FOR EXCELLENCE
PROGRAM
Concert Choir
Christopher Peterson, conductor
David Bergstedt, collaborative pianist
Alan Garcia, graduate assistant conductor
Hallelujah .................................................... Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827) (from Christus am Ölberge, op. 85)
In effect it is this: that I love you ................................................... Ethan Soledad
Hiney Mah Tov ............................................................................... arr. Iris Levine
Flight Song Kim André Arnesen (b. 1980)
Let Everything that Hath Breath ...................................Jeffrey L. Ames (b. 1969)
Sarah Raber & Valentina Manco, soloists
Kelsey Rhebergen, bass guitar
Alan Garcia, graduate assistant conductor
Mt. San Antonio College Chamber Singers
Matthew Lyon Hazzard, conductor
Hear My Prayer............................................................................... Henry Purcell
Rivers of Light Ēriks Ešenvalds
Pamugun ........................................................................... Francisco F. Feliciano
University Singers
Christopher Peterson, conductor
David Bergstedt, collaborative pianist
Erika Jackson, graduate assistant conductor
Whether Men Do Laugh or Weep .............
Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872–1958)
Ave Maria................................................................ Anton Bruckner (1824–1896)
Daemon Irrepit Callidus .................................................. György Orbán (b. 1947)
Sure on This Shining Night ....................................... Morten Lauridsen (b. 1943)
Ezekiel Saw de Wheel
Traditional American Spiritual arr. Stacey V. Gibbs (b. 1962)
Hallelujiah
PROGRAM NOTES
(from Christus am Ölberge, op. 85)
LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN
“Hallelujah” is an excerpt from Ludwig van Beethoven’s only oratorio, Christus am Ölberge, op. 85 (Christ on the Mount of Olives). This triumphant movement concludes the oratorio as a dramaticized moment where Christ accepts his destiny in the Garden of Gethsemane. While originally scored for full orchestra, this reduction still captures the grandeur of this pivotal moment. After a grand introduction that slowly builds to the choral entrance, the chorus erupts in praise of God’s glory. The choir then breaks into an exciting contrapuntal texture with the energetic movements being moved around between different sections. As the piece concludes, Beethoven writes a sudden tempo change, indicated in this English translation with “Praise the Lord in holy songs of joy.”
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Unto God’s Almighty Son
Praise the Lord, ye bright angelic choirs, in holy songs of joy Man, proclaim his grace and glory Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Unto God’s Almighty Son Praise the Lord in holy songs of joy
In effect it is this: that I love you ETHAN SOLEDAD
Recently awarded the 2025 ACDA Brock Student Composition Competition, Ethan Soledad’s “In effect it is this: that I love you” derives its text from a love letter written by World
War I poet Wilfred Owen to contemporary poet Siegfried Sassoon, Owen’s mentor and colonel. While both were known for their writings on war, they were also closeted homosexuals with a deep bond between them evident in this letter. Unfortunately, their relationship ended in tragedy as Owen was killed a week before the end of the war. This left Siegried with survivor’s guilt and made it difficult to move on. Soledad’s work captures the tumultuous love between both poets, using Owen’s letter as a cinematic expression echoing through the ages. The choir enters with an aleatoric effect on the text, before coming in chant like monophony on “What’s that mathematically? In effect it is this: that I love you.” The piano then erupts in expressive lyrical writing with the choir responding in kind. Much of the piece has a cosmic element, as if the ripples of their unrequited love are still resonating through time. Soledad uses extended techniques, such as holding the pedal in the piano to capture the fortes from the piano. And as the piece builds to the end, the choir sings “That I love…” with the piano holding on the tonic in place of “you.”
Excerpt of Wilfred Owen’s letter to Siegfried Sassoon. 27 November 1917. Public domain.
“Know that since mid-September, when you still regarded me as a tiresome little knocker on your door, I held you as Keats + Christ + Elijah + my Colonel + my father-confessor + Amenophis IV in profile. What’s that mathematically?
In effect it is this: that I love you, dispassionately, so much, so very much,
PROGRAM NOTES
dear Fellow, that the blasting little smile you wear on reading this can’t hurt me in the least. If you consider what the above Names have severally done for me, you will know what you are doing. And you have fixed my Life – however short. You did not light me: I was always a mad comet; but you have fixed me. I spun round you a satellite for a month, but I shall swing out soon, a dark star in the orbit where you will blaze. It is some consolation to know that Jupiter himself sometimes swims out of Ken!”
Hiney Mah Tov
ARR. IRIS LEVINE
Hiney Mah Tov originates from the Book of Psalms 133:1. “Hiney mah tov u’mah na’im, shevet achim gam yachad” translates to “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is when brothers and sisters dwell together in unity.” While this text is a beloved text of Jewish liturgical traditions, its message of peace and concord is universal. This arrangement is written by Iris Levine, which opens with an exciting and playful ostinato from the bass. As each section layers on this ostinato, the main melodic figure enters with the sopranos and altos. This arrangement is simple, but concise, poignant, and dance-like. As the melody shifts and transforms, the intensity grows richer and more dense. With a final accelerando, Levine ends the piece with rigor and passion, solidifying the message in triumphant proclamation.
Hineh Mah tov umah na’im shevet achim gam yachad. Yea, how good and how pleasant it
is for brothers and sisters to dwell together in unity!
Flight Song
KIM ANDRÉ ARNESON
Kim Andre Arneson’s Flight Song is one of the most widely performed choral octavos by choirs, originally written as a gift for Dr. Anton Armstrong and the St. Olaf Choir. Written in collaboration with Welsh-Scottish poet Euan Tait, the text was born of the idea of flight being a metaphor for young adult life. The line “All we are, we have found in song,” cements the piece through beautiful imagery of music being the centerpiece for many young people. The piece begins with a precious piano introduction before the tenors and basses enter on this text. As the work builds into a soaring climax, the piece tenderly concludes with the words “alive to love, we sing as love, afraid, uncertain, yet our flight begins as song.”
All we are, we have found in song: You have drawn this song from us
Songs of lives unfolding
Fly overhead, cry overhead:
Longing, rising from the song within Moving like the rise and fall of wings
Hands that shape our calling voice
On the edge of answers
You’ve heard our cry, you’ve known our cry:
Music’s fierce compassion flows from you
The night is restless with the sounds we hear
Is broken, shaken by the cries of pain: For this is music’s inner voice
Saying, yes, we hear you
All you who cry aloud
PROGRAM NOTES
And we will fly, answering you:
So our lives sing, sing
Wild we will fly
Wild in spirit we will fly
Like a feather falling from the wing
Fragile as a human voice
Afraid, uncertain
Alive to love, we sing as love
Afraid, uncertain
Yet our flight begins as song
Let Everything That Hath Breath
JEFFREY L. AMES
Jeffrey L. Ames is an esteemed composer, clinician, accompanist, and adjudicator with a Ph.D. in Choral
Conducting and Choral Music Education from Florida State University. Written in a gospel style, “Let Everything That Hath Breath” is an enthusiastic setting of texts from the Book of Psalms. The piece begins with an enthusiastic piano introduction that is indicative of Ames’ piano background, and erupts into a proclamatory chorus. The piece features many driving rhythms, stylistic accents, and harmonies that are joyous and exciting. The piece also features improvisatory solos, serving as a call and response to the choir.
Sing unto the Lord a new song. Sing unto the Lord all the earth
Declare His glory among the nations. Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord.
Magnify the Lord with me and exalt His name together Hallelujah, bless His name for He is worthy to be praised. Clap your hands all ye people. Shout with the voice of triumph!
For the Mighty Lord is great and greatly to be praised. Let everything that than breath praise the Lord. Come on and praise the Lord Let’s all praise His name. Give him the highest praise. Praise Him, the Lord Praise Him with the timbrel, praise him with the dance. Stand up on your feet and just lift up holy hands.
Sing “Hallelujah” Praise His holy name. For the Lord is worthy to be praised. Lets praise the Lord. Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord. You ought to praise Him!
Whether Men Do Laugh or Weep
RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS
Composed in 1925 as part of Four Poems by Fredegond Shove, Whether Men Do Laugh or Weep reflects Ralph Vaughan Williams’s deep engagement with English poetry and his characteristic synthesis of modal harmony, text sensitivity, and expressive choral writing. Although Vaughan Williams is often associated with the pastoral “English sound,” this work reveals a more contemplative and philosophical tone. The composer draws on the clarity of Renaissance polyphony while maintaining a distinctly twentiethcentury harmonic palette rooted in modality and subtle tonal ambiguity.
The text, originally written by the Elizabethan poet Thomas Campion, reflects on the ephemeral nature of human experience. Joy and
PROGRAM NOTES
sorrow, hope and fear, are portrayed as fleeting “pageants” of earthly life. Vaughan Williams mirrors this philosophical duality through fluid harmonic motion and balanced choral textures that move between moments of stillness and gentle rhythmic momentum. The resulting musical setting captures the text’s reflective mood, offering a meditation on the inevitability of mortality and the shared human condition.
Poem by Thomas Campion
Whether men do laugh or weep, Whether they do wake or sleep, Whether they die young or old, Whether they feel heat or cold; There is underneath the sun Nothing in true earnest done. All our pride is but a jest; None are worst, and none are best; Grief and joy, and hope and fear, Play their pageant-minded here; In the end all doth but tend To the grave, our only friend.
Ave Maria ANTON BRUCKNER
Anton Bruckner composed his Ave Maria in 1861 for seven-voice mixed choir (SSATTBB) while serving as organist at the cathedral in Linz, Austria. The motet stands among Bruckner’s most frequently performed sacred works and demonstrates his distinctive synthesis of Renaissance polyphonic traditions and nineteenth-century Romantic harmonic language. Although Bruckner is widely known for his monumental symphonies, his sacred choral music reveals a profound devotion and reverence that deeply shaped his compositional voice.
The motet unfolds in two expressive sections. The opening presents the traditional Marian salutation with smooth contrapuntal lines that gradually build toward a powerful triple proclamation of the name Jesus. This climactic moment is followed by a more introspective second section in which the choir offers a humble plea for intercession: ora pro nobis peccatoribus. Bruckner’s carefully controlled harmonic pacing, and luminous choral textures create a sense of sacred stillness, allowing the prayerful text to emerge with clarity and spiritual intensity.
Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum; Benedicta tu in mulieribus, Et benedictus fructus ventris tui, Jesus.
Sancta Maria, mater Dei, Ora pro nobis peccatoribus, Nunc et in hora mortis nostrae. Amen.
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; Blessed art thou among women, And blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, Pray for us sinners, Now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Daemon Irrepit Callidus
GYÖRGY ORBÁN
Hungarian composer György Orbán’s Daemon Irrepit Callidus (1988) has become a widely performed work in contemporary choral repertoire due to its dramatic energy and virtuosic rhythmic writing. The Latin text originates from a
PROGRAM NOTES
medieval Goliardic poem, part of a tradition of satirical or moralistic writings by wandering scholars and clerics during the Middle Ages. In this text, the “cunning devil” tempts the human heart with worldly pleasures, contrasting earthly vanity with spiritual devotion.
Orbán’s setting amplifies the text’s theatrical intensity through rapid rhythmic figures, sharp dynamic contrasts, and percussive vocal articulation. Syncopated patterns and sudden harmonic shifts evoke the restless agitation of temptation, while homophonic proclamations punctuate the musical texture with moments of clarity and resolve. The work concludes with an emphatic musical rejection of worldly vanity, as the text calls the listener to flee fleeting pleasures and seek deeper spiritual fulfillment.
Daemon irrepit callidus, Allicit cor honoribus!
Ponit fraudes inter laudes, cantus, saltus. Quos mundus magis diligit, Curam carnis hic erigit, Inicit asprezas, amaras, Quos mundus magis diligit. Cor sapit res viles, Die, die, die, die, Magis quam delitias, Cor sapit res viles, Magis quam Jesu delitias.
Fuge luxum, fuge vana gaudia, Fuge res viles, magis quam Jesu delitias!
The devil creeps in cunningly, He entices the heart with honors. He sets snares among praises, songs, and dances.
The world loves such things, And raises concern for the flesh. It casts bitter hardships
Among the things the world loves. The heart savors worthless things Day by day
More than sacred delights. The heart savors worthless things More than the delights of Jesus. Flee luxury, flee empty joys— Flee worthless things for the delights of Jesus.
Sure on This Shining Night MORTEN LAURIDSEN
Morten Lauridsen composed Sure on This Shining Night in 2005 as part of the choral cycle Nocturnes, a set of works inspired by poetry reflecting on night, nature, and spiritual wonder. The text comes from James Agee’s poem “Description of Elysium,” published in the 1934 collection Permit Me Voyage. Lauridsen’s setting has become one of the most widely performed contemporary choral works, admired for its luminous harmonic language and expressive lyricism. The music unfolds in broad, flowing phrases supported by rich tonal sonorities and gently shifting harmonic colors. Lauridsen’s characteristic use of close harmonies and suspended dissonances creates a shimmering sonic landscape that mirrors the imagery of starlit stillness in Agee’s poetry. The work gradually builds from introspective contemplation toward a moment of emotional revelation as the speaker “weeps for wonder,” suggesting that beauty and solitude can lead to a profound sense of spiritual renewal.
Poem by James Agee
PROGRAM NOTES
Sure on this shining night Of starmade shadows round, Kindness must watch for me This side the ground. The late year lies down the north. All is healed, all is health. High summer holds the earth. Hearts all whole. Sure on this shining night I weep for wonder wand’ring far alone Of shadows on the stars.
Ezekiel Saw de Wheel
TRADITIONAL AMERICAN SPIRITUAL ARR. STACEY V. GIBBS
The spiritual Ezekiel Saw de Wheel draws upon the biblical vision described in Ezekiel 1, in which the prophet encounters a mysterious heavenly chariot marked by “a wheel within a wheel.” Like many African American spirituals, the text combines biblical imagery with themes of faith, perseverance, and spiritual transformation.
Contemporary arranger Stacey V. Gibbs is widely recognized for his dynamic settings of spirituals that honor the expressive traditions of the genre while incorporating modern choral techniques. His arrangement amplifies the dramatic imagery of Ezekiel’s vision through driving rhythmic energy, layered choral textures, and powerful dynamic contrasts. Often scored for double choir, the work creates a vivid sonic landscape that suggests the motion and brilliance of the celestial wheels described in the text.
Beyond its musical vitality, the spiritual tradition carries deep historical significance, reflecting the resilience and spiritual expression of enslaved
African Americans. Through communal singing, coded messages, and biblical symbolism, spirituals served as both expressions of faith and vehicles of cultural survival. Gibbs’s setting honors this legacy while presenting the music with electrifying contemporary intensity.
Ezekiel saw the wheel, Way up in the middle of the air. Ezekiel saw the wheel, Way in the middle of the air. The big wheel run by faith, And the little wheel run by the grace of God, A wheel in a wheel, Way in the middle of the air. Better mind, my brother, how you walk on the cross, Your foot might slip and your soul be lost. Oh, some go to church for to sing and shout, Before six months they’re turning out. Ezekiel saw the wheel, Way up in the middle of the air.
References
Agee, J. (1934). Permit me voyage. Yale University Press.
Bruckner, A. (1861). Ave Maria (motet for SSATTBB choir).
Gibbs, S. V. (1999). Ezekiel saw de wheel [Choral arrangement]. Gentry Publications.
Orbán, G. (1988). Daemon irrepit callidus. Schott Music. Vaughan Williams, R. (1925). Four poems by Fredegond Shove. Oxford University Press. Campion, T. (1613).
Poems from Two Books of Ayres Lauridsen, M. (2005).
Nocturnes. Peermusic Classical.
Soprano I
Kaitlin Chheng*
Tabetha Mora
Sarah Raber
Rey Riney
Nicole Rodriguez
Peyton Slaven
Hannah Weisman
Zoe Wolfsen
Soprano II
Ashleigh Buck
Rachel Delmastro
Kaitlyn Gooding
Anna Grozdanov
Daphne Master
Kelsey Rhebergen*
Yesenia Vasquez
Inaya Zaki
Soprano I
Erika Jackson*
Amber Napoli
Hannah Park
Quintessa Wedell
Soprano II
Amilleah Barragan
Kate Bowles
Em Nguyen*
Sara Preston
CONCERT CHOIR
Alto I
Carisa Espinosa
Chloe Konoske
Kady Lin
Jessica Orozco
Minerva
Padilla Nguyen
Brianna Perez
Veronica
Torres Diaz
Sidney Wu
Alto II
Grace Finley
Annie Guzman*
Georgina Hernandez
Valentina Manco
Vea Stone
Krysta Tillett
Jordan Watkins*
Tenor I
Michael Eskovitz
Alan Garcia
Mathew Garcia
Alejandro Munoz
Justin Parron
Edgar Sanchez
John Nguyen*
Lissandra Tong
Tenor II
Peter Alunan
Juan De Leon
Jacob Ellis
Hector Esteva*
Steve Moreno
Tung Tran
Santiago Zumaya
Baritone
Brendan Baxter*
Brennan
Bastanchury
Alex Galvan
Jacob Gomez
Jason Magallanes
Isaiah Mawien
Jack Nisbet
Cristian Polo
Bass
Derrick (Kro)
DeAndrade
Scott Freeman
Jack Kendig
Cooper Koerner
Ben Reyes
Jason Salcido
Mason Schoenfeld*
Chris Sun
UNIVERSITY SINGERS
Alto I
Sophia Khurana
Hillary Ngo*
Jenna Scotese
Abby Tyree
Alto II
Joy Dorko*
Lindsey Lacanilao
Katelyn Pacpaco
Dulce Segura
Tenor I
Aron Demarest
Alan Garcia*
Abraham Robles
Nicholas Quinn
Tenor II
Jeremy Lee*
Steven McCann*
Alexei Rehorn
Adam Rooney
Baritone
Justin Gabriel
Michael Ortiz*
Miles Rojo
Malek Sammour
Bass
Gerrit Hoevers
Bryson Huang
CJ Koehn
Adrian Rangel-Sanchez*
*Section Leaders
MT. SAN ANTONIO COLLEGE CHAMBER SINGERS
Carlos Alejandro Alvarenga
Phillip Arca
Raymond Arroyo
Eryka Asucan
Kaitlin Rose Barrios
Demiah Benavides
Dakota Boulware
Devin Carter
Nathaniel Casequin
Kyla Castro^
Vincent DiRito
Bella Fio Fiorindo
Ksenia Freeborn
Sasha Freeborn
Kayley Gonzalez
Logan Gutierrez*
Daniel Heringer
Patrick Hoynes
Brandon Johnson
Noé Lainez
Hailey Lanni*
Eric Lino†
Elijah Martinez-Valadez
Marcos Monroy
Matthew Montoya
Shealeigh Nelson
Nicholas Palacios
Stevie Petree
Wynn Phaychanpheng
Aleona Quintua
Angela Quintua*
Savana Rodriguez
Alex Sacramento
Lucas Santos
Luke Schaumann*
Savi Silva
Brittney Tang
Bryce Tang
Adam Turrubiates
Hope Vysma
* Section Leader
^ Assistant Student Director
† Student Director
Formed in 1994, the Mt. San Antonio College Chamber Singers consists of forty auditioned singers who perform works from the Renaissance through new works of the 21st Century.
During the past thirty years, the Mt. San Antonio College Chamber Singers, have been extremely active, winning numerous awards and receiving special performance invitations, including; thirteen American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) National and Regional Conventions in Reno, Honolulu, San Antonio, Salt Lake City, Los Angeles, Tucson, Dallas, Minneapolis, Pasadena, Long Beach, Santa Barbara, and Cincinnati; five California State Conventions; six European tours with performances in Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria, the British Isles, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Slovakia, and Italy; headliners at the” Canadian Rocky Mountain Music Festival” in Banff and at the “Australian National Choral Association Convention” in Port Macquarie; they won two platinum medals at the "Xinghai Prize International Choir Championships" in Guangzhou, China; competed in the “World Choir Games” in Tshwane, South Africa, where they won three Gold Medals; first place honors at the “Spittal International Choral Competition” in Spittal an der Drau, Austria, along with performing numerous tours throughout the United States and Canada. They have performed by special invitation for Senator Dianne Feinstein in Washington D.C., the National Action Network Conference in New York City for politicians and dignitaries, the detention center for migrant youths in Pecos, TX, and have combined with a professional orchestra from Los Angeles to perform “Star Wars In Concert” to sell-out audiences at the Honda Center and the Nokia Theater. The Chamber Singers have also had the opportunity to perform as headliners on the Carnegie Hall Stage in New York City on five different occasions. While performing at the “2007 International Musical Eisteddfod Competition” in Wales, the Chamber Singers competed against choirs from around the world and received more awards than any choir in the history of this competition; including first place awards in the Youth Choir, Folksong Choir and Mixed Choir categories and then won the prestigious Pavarotti Trophy and the title of Choir of the World. Their tour of Europe in 2003 included performing at the “Grand Prix Choir Competition” in Varna , Bulgaria, where they won first place honors in both the Chamber Choir and Large Mixed categories. They also won the overall first place “Grand Prix” prize for best choir. They competed at the "American International Choral Competition," held in Reno, Nevada, where they took home first place awards in three different categories, and were also victorious at the "Grand Prix of Nations" choral competition in Magdeburg, Germany, where they received three gold medals and took home the first place prize as Grand Prix Champions. The Chamber Singers are the main performing choir, giving numerous concerts on campus and throughout the local community.
Christopher Peterson
Christopher Peterson is a teacher, conductor, choral clinician, author, editor, and choral arranger of music and books published in the United States and around the world. In his over thirty years as a music educator he has taught in elementary, middle school, high school, church, community, festival, and collegiate settings. He earned the Bachelor of Science in Music Education from the University of Southern Maine in choral and instrumental music education and taught music for nine years in the public schools of Maine. He earned the Master of Music in Choral Conducting degree at the University of Maine, and the Doctor of Philosophy in Music Education and Choral Conducting at Florida State University.
At CSUF Peterson trains and mentors undergraduate and graduate choral music educators and conductors and directs the Concert Choir and the Singing Titans Chorus. In May of 2019 he was honored as the University-wide recipient of the CSUF Carol Barnes Award for Excellence in Teaching. He has served as State Choral Representative and Southern Section President for the California Music Educators Association (CMEA), as well as the Western Division Representative for the National Association for Music Education’s (NAfME) Council for Choral Education. He has also served the California Choral Directors Association in various offices, including CCDA President and is the current Vice President. His collegiate textbook “RESONANCE: The ART of the Choral Music Educator” is published by Pavane and is being used across the United States to train future choral music teachers and conductors.
Peterson has been invited to teach, judge, and conduct choirs in more than thirty US states, five Canadian Provinces, and nine countries including China, England, Sweden, Japan, Germany, New Zealand, and Holland, and has conducted All-State Choirs across the nation including Maine, North Carolina, Oregon, Wisconsin, and California. He also holds the position of Director of Music at Irvine United Congregational Church in Irvine, CA. His “hobby” for many decades has been enjoying singing barbershop harmony, and he is a BHS District Quartet Champion baritone, a top-5 medalist chorus director, and a four-time gold medalist with the Masters of Harmony, nine-time International Men’s Chorus Champions of the Barbershop Harmony Society.
Matthew Lyon Hazzard
Matthew Lyon Hazzard (b. 1989) is an awardwinning Filipino-American composer and the Director of Choral Activities at Mt. San Antonio College. He brings a wealth of experience as a conductor and composer to Mt. SAC. He directed the Tenor-Bass and Treble Chorales at Fullerton College, served as a rehearsal conductor for the Houston Symphony Chorus, and assisted the Grammy Award-winning Houston Chamber Choir. He has worked with dozens of choirs as a guest conductor-composer and clinician, including professional, collegiate, community, and school choirs from across the country.
Praised for his “exquisite text-setting” and for creating “stunning landscapes of sound,” Hazzard’s music is performed by choirs around the world. His compositions are regularly featured in regional and national conventions and in many all-state and honor choirs. His music has received numerous accolades, including those from CCDA, ACDA, the Young New Yorkers’ Chorus, the Grammy Awardwinning True Concord, and many more. In 2023, he served as composer-in-residence at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario with the Kingston Chamber Choir for a concert of his work. In 2024, he wrote Finding Light, a 45-minute choral-orchestral work on overcoming climate despair for the Oregon Repertory Singers’ 50th anniversary. Most recently, he was the composer-in-residence for National Concerts, the Servire Chorus, and Young New Yorkers’ Chorus. He also serves as a faculty member of the Choral Arts Initiative PREMIERE|Project Festival.
Hazzard earned his D.M.A. in Choral Conducting from the Moores School of Music at the University of Houston, his M.M. in Choral Conducting from the Bob Cole Conservatory at California State University Long Beach, and his M.A.T. and B.M. in Music Composition from East Carolina University. Prior to pursuing his graduate studies, he taught at Greene Central High School (NC) for four years where he built an award-winning program. He now lives in Long Beach where he continues to write for voices.
$500,000 +
Mrs. Junko Klaus
$100,000-$499,999
Johnny Carson Foundation
$50,000-$99,999
CSU Northridge Foundation
Leo Freedman Foundation
Ms. Susan Hallman in Memory of Ernie Sweet ‘77
Mr. Matthew Scarpino & Ms. Karyn Hayter
Mr. Steve & Mrs. Robin Kalota
Dr. Sallie Mitchell*
Dr. Tedrow & Mrs. Susan Perkins
Mrs. Louise Shamblen
$25,000 - $49,999
Mr. Darryl Curran
Mrs. Lee C. Begovich
Mrs. Marilyn Carlson
Ms. Mary A. and Mr. Phil Lyons
Mr. Bob & Mrs. Terri Niccum
Mr. Ernest & Mrs. Donna Schroeder
Dr. Ed & Mrs. Sue Sullivan
$10,000-$24,999
Dr. Joseph & Dr. Voiza Arnold
Mr. John Aimé & Ms. Robin de la Llata Aimé
Dr. Marc Dickey
Mrs. Evelyn Francuz
Mr. Edward & Mrs. MaryLouise Hlavac
Ms. Kathleen Hougesen
Ms. Kathy Mangum
Mr. James & Mrs. Eleanore Monroe
Mrs. Norma Morris
Mr. John Brennan & Ms. Lucina Moses
$5,000-$9,999
Mr. Nick & Mrs. Dottie Batinich
Continuing Life LLC
Ms. Harriet Cornyn
Mr. William S. Cornyn
Dedicated 2 Learning
Mr. Richard & Mrs. Susan Dolnick
Ebell Club of Fullerton
Friends of Jazz, Inc.
Dr. Margaret Gordon
DONOR APPLAUSE
Mr. Norm & Mrs. Sandy Johnson
Ms. Teri Kennady
Mrs. Jill Kurti Norman
Morningside of Fullerton
Mrs. Bettina Murphy
Mr. David Navarro
Dwight Richard Odle Foundation
Dr. Stephen Rochford, DMA
Southern California Arts Council
Swinerton Builders
Mr. Framroze & Mrs. Julie Virjee
$1,000-$4,999
Mr. John A. Alexander & Mr. Jason Francisco
Mrs. Judy Atwell
Mrs. Lois Austin
Mr. Tod Beckett-Frank
Ms. Karen Bell
Mr. John &
Ms. Shanon M. Fitzpatrick
Dr. Keith & Mrs. Renae Boyum
Mr. Allan & Mrs. Janet Bridgford
Mrs. Marion Brockett
Mr. James & Mrs. Diane Case
Mr. Stephen Collier & Ms. Joann Driggers
Mr. William H. Cunliffe, Jr.
D Barry Schmitt Trust
Ms. Jeannie Denholm
Mr. Gordon & Mrs. Lorra Dickinson
Mr. Kenneth & Mrs. Stacey Duran
Mr. Greg & Mrs. Shawna Ellis
Ms. Judi Elterman
Dr. Anne Fingal
Fullerton Families & Friends Foundation
The Jane Deming Fund
Mrs. Marsha Gallavan
Mrs. Terie Garrabrant
Dr. Leon & Mrs. Annette Gilbert
Mrs. Janet M. Green
Mr. James Henriques
Mr. David &
Mrs. Margret Hoonsbeen
Mr. Mike Ibanez
Mr. Darren & Mrs. Tatyana Jones
Ms. Michelle H. Jordan
Ms. Gladys Kares
Ronald L. Katz Family Foundation
Mr. Raymond & Mrs. Masako Kawase
Mr. Jeffrey & Mrs. Gayle Kenan
Dr. Kristin Kleinjans & Mr. Anthony Dukes
Mrs. Shirley Laroff
Mr. Lynn & Mrs. Susan Lasswell
Mrs. Marilyn Little
Mr. Juan Lopez
Mr. Paul Coluzzi & Mr. John Martelli
Dr. George& Mrs. Karen Mast
Mrs. Thelma Mellott
Mr. Michael & Mrs. Mary Miguel
Mr. Carl Mrs. Patricia Miller
Stifel Nicolaus
Mr. Ujinobu & Mrs. Yoshino Niwa
Mr. Colin Connor & Ms. Debra Noble
Dr. Arie & Mrs. Deanna Passchier
Mr. Jarrold Petraborg
Mr. John Phelps & Mrs. Kerry Laver-Phelps
Mr. Jim Plamondon
Mr. E. B. & Mrs. Linda Powell
Mr. Robert Rennie & Mrs. Nancy Rennie
Ms. Christine Rhoades
Ms. Mary Rupp
Mr. Thaddeus & Mrs. Eleanor Sandford
Mrs. Rita Sardou
Mr. D. Schmitt
Mrs. Martha Shaver
Mrs. Ingrid R. Shutkin
Ms. Barbara Kerth & Ms. Lorena Sikorski
Ms. Janet Smith
South Coast Repertory
Ms. Ann Sparks
Mr. Robert & Mrs. Roberta Sperry
Mr. Douglas Stewart
Mr. Tom & Mrs. Carolyn Toby
Liqi Tong
Viet Tide
Ms. Verne Wagner
Dr. Sean & Dr. Tina L. Walker
Dr. Robert & Mrs. Teri Watson
Dr. Wayne & Dr. Ruth Zemke
special care has been given to the prepartion of this donor list. Questions or concerns, please contact: Dominic Mumolo | 657-278-7695 Gifts received from July 1, 2023 to December 31, 2024 |
ONTIVEROS SOCIETY
The Ontiveros Society includes individuals who have provided a gift for Cal State Fullerton through their estate plan. We extend our deep appreciation to the following Ontiveros Society members, whose gifts will benefit the students and mission of the College of the Arts.
ANONYMOUS
JOHN ALEXANDER
LEE & DR. NICHOLAS A.* BEGOVICH
MARC R. DICKEY
JOANN DRIGGERS
BETTY EVERETT
CAROL J. GEISBAUER & JOHN* GEISBAUER
SOPHIA & CHARLES GRAY
MARYLOUISE & ED* HLAVAC
GRETCHEN KANNE
DR. BURTON L. KARSON
ANNE L. KRUZIC*
LOREEN & JOHN LOFTUS
ALAN A. MANNASON*
WILLIAM J. MCGARVEY*
VERONICA MICHALOWSKI
DR. SALLIE MITCHELL*
ELEANORE P. & JAMES L. MONROE
LYNN & ROBERT MYERS
BOB & TERRI NICCUM
DWIGHT RICHARD ODLE*
SHERRY & DR. GORDON PAINE
DR. JUNE POLLAK & MR. GEORGE POLLAK*
DR. STEPHEN M. ROCHFORD
STAN MARK RYAN ‘75
MARY K. & WILLIAM SAMPSON
LORENA SIKORSKI
DOUGLAS G. STEWART
ANDREA J. & JEFFREY E. SWARD
RICHARD J. TAYLOR
VERNE WAGNER
RICHARD WULFF
DR. JAMES D. & DOTTIE YOUNG*
We Proudly Recognize Our VOLUNTEER
SUPPORT GROUPS
ART ALLIANCE promotes excellence and enjoyment in the visual arts, and their fundraising efforts contribute to student scholarship, gallery exhibitions, opening receptions and sculpture acquisition on campus.
Website arts.fullerton.edu/aa
MUSIC ASSOCIATES maintains a tradition of active involvement and community support and raises scholarship funds for School of Music students through annual fundraising events and membership dues.
MORE INFORMATION Dominic Mumolo, Senior Director | dmumolo@fullerton.edu
shape the future of the arts
The College of the Arts at Cal State Fullerton is one of the largest comprehensive arts campuses in the CSU system. We proudly serve as an academic institution of regional focus with national impact that combines rigorous arts training with cross-disciplinary exploration to encourage the artistic expression and individual achievement of thousands of students throughout the arts every day.
Our students’ success increasingly depends on the support of our community. More of our students are facing significant challenges to their ability to continue their education. Be part of the solution! We invite you to support the Dean’s Fund for Excellence. Help provide students with the education, the tools, and the opportunities to succeed both on campus and off.
Empower our students to become the successful creative professionals our economy so desperately needs! Consider making a gift of any amount to the Dean’s Fund for Excellence today.
CSUF COLLEGE OF THE ARTS
Carole Caroompas: Mytstical Unions Through May 2
COTA Galleries (Atrium Gallery)
Soo Kim: Charlie sings in the quietest voice Through May 16
COTA Galleries (Begovich Gallery)
Sarah Cahill, piano*
March 18, 2026, at 8 PM
Meng Concert Hall
Rhinoceros
March 19–28, 2026
Young Theatre
University Singers & Concert Choir
March 21, 2026, at 8 PM
Meng Concert Hall
Paul Galbraith, guitar
March 22, 2026, at 8 PM
Meng Concert Hall
Fullerton Jazz Chamber Ensemble feat. Ralph Alessi Quartet
March 24, 2026, at 8 PM
Meng Concert Hall
Talich Quartet
March 27, 2026, at 8 PM
Meng Concert Hall
Fullerton Jazz Orchestra feat. Joe La Barbera, drums
March 28, 2026, at 8 PM
Meng Concert Hall
University Symphony Orchestra with Talich Quartet
March 29, 2026, at 3 PM
Meng Concert Hall
Nicholas Isherwood, bass/baritone*
April 7, 2026, at 8 PM
Meng Concert Hall
X-out
April 9–18, 2026
Hallberg Theatre
High School Honor Band & CSUF Wind Chamber Ensembles
April 11, 2026, at 8 PM
Meng Concert Hall
Albert Herring
April 10–12, 2026
Recital Hall
CSU Brass Exchange: CSUF/SDSU
April 20, 2026, at 8 PM
Meng Concert Hall
Fullerton Jazz Chamber Ensemble & Fullerton Latin Ensemble
April 21, 2026, at 8 PM
Meng Concert Hall
Cello Choir
April 22, 2026, at 6 PM
Recital Hall
Woodwind Chamber Recital
April 24, 2026, at 8 PM
Meng Concert Hall
University Symphonic Winds & University Wind Symphony
April 26, 2026, at 8 PM
Meng Concert Hall
Mariachi Titans
April 28 at 8 PM
Meng Concert Hall
University Band
April 29, 2026, at 8 PM
Meng Concert Hall
Spring Dance Theatre
April 30 – May 9, 2026
Little Theatre
Fullerton Jazz Orchestra feat. Dave Binney, saxophone
