UNO School of Music

06/14/2026

UNO Faculty Serves as Guest Conducting Lecturer

During the spring semester of 2026, Dr. Matthew Brooks, Associate Professor and Director of Orchestral Activities in Music & Medicine at UNO, served as a Guest Conducting Lecturer at James Madison University (JMU). Invited by JMU Director of Orchestras Dr. Kira Omelchenko, Brooks worked with Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts conducting students in their orchestral conducting studio and conducting pedagogy courses, mentoring graduate orchestral and choral conductors in rehearsal technique, teaching and leadership practices, career preparation, and professional and academic marketability....

During the spring semester of 2026, Dr. Matthew Brooks, Associate Professor and Director of Orchestral Activities in Music & Medicine at UNO, served as a Guest Conducting Lecturer at James Madi…

06/09/2026

UNO’s Flute Professor Teaches in Hungary and Latvia

While on faculty development leave (sabbatical) during the spring 2026 semester, UNO's Professor of Flute, Dr. Christine Beard was invited to teach guest flute and piccolo classes in Hungary and Latvia. In May, Beard taught two flute and piccolo masterclasses for students in the Béla Bartók Faculty of Arts at the University of Szeged in Hungary. The invitation came from faculty member Szabolcs Szilágyi, who also serves as second flutist with Concerto Budapest (formerly the Hungarian Symphony Orchestra)....

While on faculty development leave (sabbatical) during the spring 2026 semester, UNO’s Professor of Flute, Dr. Christine Beard was invited to teach guest flute and piccolo classes in Hungary …

06/09/2026

UNO Flute Student Wins Nebraska Wind Symphony Scholarship

UNO sophomore flute performance major Gianna Sampson has been selected as the recipient of the 2026 Nebraska Wind Symphony Memorial Scholarship, a competitive award recognizing outstanding collegiate wind and percussion musicians from Nebraska and Iowa. The scholarship is open to college-bound and current undergraduate or graduate students who are Nebraska or Iowa residents, enrolled full-time at a Nebraska institution of higher education, and active participants in a collegiate music ensemble....

UNO sophomore flute performance major Gianna Sampson has been selected as the recipient of the 2026 Nebraska Wind Symphony Memorial Scholarship, a competitive award recognizing outstanding collegia…

06/09/2026

Flutist and UNO Alumna Featured by Omaha Magazine

Flutist Claire Noelle James (MM '24 UNO) had an unusual idea for her first masters degree recital: Using research on how sound affects the perception of taste, Claire proposed to create a unique culinary experience for the audience by blending both music and food, with the food being specifically prepared to enhance the flavors of each dish. Supported by her flute professor, Dr....

Flutist Claire Noelle James (MM ’24 UNO) had an unusual idea for her first masters degree recital: Using research on how sound affects the perception of taste, Claire proposed to create a uni…

06/01/2026

XY Duo Awarded UNO Center for Collaboration Science Fellowship

XY Duo, the flute and percussion ensemble comprised of UNO School of Music faculty members Dr. Christine Beard and Dr. Hannah Weaver, has been selected as one of five recipients of the University of Nebraska at Omaha Center for Collaboration Science Fellowship Funding for the 2026–2027 academic year. Their project, Forging Collaboration: Interdisciplinary Team Dynamics in Wrought Iron by Andrea Reinkemeyer, will investigate the collaborative processes involved in preparing and recording Wrought Iron (2012) for flute and percussion....

XY Duo, the flute and percussion ensemble comprised of UNO School of Music faculty members Dr. Christine Beard and Dr. Hannah Weaver, has been selected as one of five recipients of the University o…

05/29/2026

UNO Jazz Students Shine on Latvian National Television During Study Abroad

UNO Jazz students Brady Jamail and Katie Ramos were recently featured on Latvian National Television, where they promoted an upcoming performance in collaboration with local musicians. The two have spent the semester studying abroad at the Jazeps Vitols Latvian Music Academy, fully supported by an ERASMUS Grant. Their experience highlights UNO Jazz’s global reach and commitment to international collaboration and artistic exchange.

UNO Jazz students Brady Jamail and Katie Ramos were recently featured on Latvian National Television, where they promoted an upcoming performance in collaboration with local musicians. The two have…

05/18/2026

UNO Instructor Justin Payne Wins George Shirley Competition

Congratulations to Justin Payne, Instructor of Voice, for winning First Prize at the George Shirley Competition held at the University of Michigan. In addition to First Prize, Prof. Payne was awarded the George Shirley Tenor Prize, the Willis Patterson Art Song Prize, and the Patricia Miller Aria Prize. The competition is in its 15th year, and is named for George Shirley, Emeritus Professor of Music at the University of Michigan, and the first African American tenor to sing a lead role at the Metropolitan Opera, and the first black member of the United States Army Chorus....

Congratulations to Justin Payne, Instructor of Voice, for winning First Prize at the George Shirley Competition held at the University of Michigan. In addition to First Prize, Prof. Payne was award…

05/10/2026