Al Hirt, CCM '41, HonDoc '68

A legendary Dixieland trumpeter, often called "King of the Trumpet," Hirt recorded more than 50 albums, won a Grammy for a non-jazz instrumental ("Java") in 1963, was nominated for 20 more Grammys, gained popularity as both a TV guest and host, played with bands such as Tommy Dorsey, Jimmy Dorsey and Benny Goodman, and played concerts in a variety of musical styles -- from blues and jazz to classical Hayden and Handel. The New Orleans native had 22 different record albums on the Billboard Pop charts in the 1950s and 1960s. The albums "Honey In The Horn" and "Cotton Candy" were both in the top 10 best sellers for 1964. In 1999, he died at age 76.

See his TV credits.

Ward Swingle, CCM '50, MFA (CCM '51)

Arranger, composer and conductor, Swingle was a founding member of the fabled Double Six of Paristhe '60s, then took the scat singing idea and applied it to the works of Bach, hence The Swingle Singers, whose early recordings won five Grammies. When the Paris group disbanded in l973, Ward Swingle moved to London and formed an English group, expanding the repertoire to include classical and avang-garde works along with the scat and jazz vocal arrangements.

In 1984, Swingle returned to live in America where he established his publishing company, Swingle Music. In '94, he and his wife moved back to France, where he was named Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters by the French Minister of Culture and Information. During his career, he has pioneered choral techniques, written a book, conducted university workshops and conducted the Stokholm and Netherlands Chamber Choirs, the Dale Warland Singers, the Sydney Philharmonia Motet Choir, the BBC Northern Singers and the MENC National Honors Choir at Kennedy Center.

Visit his website.

Tennessee Ernie Ford (1919–91), att. CCM '30s

Known as Ernest Ford as a student, this Grammy-winning singer, composer and TV series host received an Emmy nomination in '55 for Most Outstanding New Personality, was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1990, recorded 18 soundtrack titles and appeared on more than 100 TV programs His biggest hit "Sixteen Tons" has been credited for kicking off the Rock and Roll era of the 1950s.

See his TV credits.

Albert Hague (1920-2001), CCM '42

This Tony-winner composer and lyricist was most famous for composing the score for "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" and the Broadway musical "Redhead," for which he won two Tonys in 1959 — Best Composer and Best Musical. He was also an actor, playing the music teacher Benjamin Shorofsky in the TV series "Fame" from '82-87. He also had a small role in the movie Space Jam, as the psychiatrist that the basketball players went to when they lost their "skill".

See his TV credits, Broadway credits and movie credits.

Read how he landed the Grinch job with Dr. Seuss.

George Duning (1908–2000), CCM '33

Duning was a musician and composer who was nominated five times for an Academy Award and twice for a Golden Globe. In all, he composed music for more than 400 TV and film credits, including ""From Here to Eternity," "The Eddy Duchin Story," "Picnic," "Star Trek" and "The Partridge Family."

In his early years, he played trumpet and piano for the Kay Kyser band, later arranging most of the music for Kyser's popular Kollege of Musical Knowledge radio program. In the Navy during WWII, he served as a conductor and arranger with Armed Forces Radio. In 1946, he signed with Columbia Pictures, where he worked almost exclusively through the early 1960s. He received awards from the Society for the Preservation of Film Music and the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.

See his movie and TV credits. Visit his website.

Anton Nel, CCM '84

A native of South Africa, Nel won the Walter Naumberg International piano competition at Carnegie Hall in '87. The New York Times called him "an uncommonly elegant pianist." With an active repertoire of more than 100 works for piano and orchestra, Nel has performed noteworthy world premieres in New York City and has also performed with the symphonies of London, Chicago, San Francisco, Seattle, Detroit and Cleveland. He has also appeared at Canada, France, Amsterdam, Tokyo, Korea, Lincoln Center, the Metropolitan Museum, Pasadena, San Francisco and the Library of Congress. Numerous recordings.

Visit his website.

David Matthews, CCM ‘64

This a keyboardist, composer and arranger founded the Manhattan Jazz Orchestra and Quintet, popularly known as MJQ in Japan, where where “Swing Journal” ranked him as its No. 1 composer many times. He was the musical director for the original Simon and Garfunkel Reunion Concert in Central Park and arranged songs and albums for Robert Plant, Paul McCartny, Frank Sinatra and Billy Joel. In the ‘70s, he was the arranger and bandleader for James Brown Productions. He arranged or composed for Buddy Rich, Bonnie Raitt, T Bone Walker, Phoebe Snow, Crystal Gayle, Paul Simon and George Benson, as well as for radio and TV commercials for Sunoco, Magna Vox, Welches, Ford, NBC, 7UP, McDonald's, Oldsmobile, Burger King, Nabisco, Life Savers and others.

Visit his website.
See his movie credits.
Watch MJO perform.

John Jacob Niles (1892—1980), att. CCM ’20s

Niles was a composer and singer who was often called "the dean of American balladeers." Known for playing a giant dulcimer, he has an important influence on the American folk music revival of the 1950s and '60s. He performed on the UC campus in April 1969 in Corbett Auditorium. Of the songs he wrote, he may be best known for Christmas favorite "I Wonder As I Wander." He also made four extended trips into the southern Appalachians, where he transcribed traditional songs from oral sources, including the ballad "Barbara Allen."

Mac Frampton, M (CCM) ’68, D (CCM) ’86

A pianist, performer and producer, Frampton began his career as a classical musician. Once, when he was improvising pop and jazz, the famed Van Cliburn walked into the room and told him that he should consider doing such arrangements professionally. “With that kind of endorsement, I went home and started booking myself with a backup group and found I really loved it," Frampton says.

Billboard Magazine has called him "an immensely talented pianist, at home in a wide variety of musical settings." Roger Williams called him “one pianist who plays with his heart as well as his head.” And the Atlanta Constitution wrote, “"How one man can bring the rafters down in Symphony Hall as if a full orchestra were playing is a feat in itself. It's consummate musicianship. Electrifying!”

Mac and his group have played more than 3,000 concerts in the U.S., Canada, South America, Europe and the Mideast, having appeared as many as 12 times on a single stage. He has teamed with Bill Cosby, Roberta Flack, Victor Borge, Louis Nye, the Fifth Dimension and Metropolitan Opera star Roberta Peters.

Besides recording 22 albums and a motion picture soundtrack, he has become a producer, mounting productions on the music of Cole Porter, George Gershwin and Broadway shows. In 1995, he found The Hollywood Hills Orchestra, a 16-piece ensemble dedicated to the performance of great cinematic music.

Eighth Blackbird

Founded in 1996 by several College-Conservatory of Music alumni, this contemporary music sextet won the 2012  Grammy for its recording of Steve Mackey’s "Lonely Motel" and the 2008 Grammy Award for Best Chamber Music Performance. In 1998, the group became the first contemporary ensemble to win first prize at the Concert Artist Guild International Competition. It also received the American Music Center’s Trailblazer Award and a Meet The Composer Award in 2007. Profiled in the New York Times and featured on NPR’s All Things Considered, CBS News Sunday Morning and The Next Big Thing, the group has performed in Liverpool, England; Rotterdam, Netherlands: Melbourne, Australia; Mexico; Canada; South Korea; and in the U.S. at the Kennedy Center, the Library of Congress and the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival. As of summer 2011, they had released four CDs. The group’s first CD was selected as a Top Ten CD of 2003 by Billboard magazine.

CCM musicians in the group are:
Michael Maccaferri, MA (CCM) '00, clarinet, founding member
Matt Albert, AD (CCM) '00, violin and viola, founding member
Nick Photinos, AD (CCM) '00, cello
Matthew Duvall, AD (CCM) '01, percussion
Lisa Kaplan, AD (CCM) '00, piano, founding member
(Note: The remaining member, who is not a CCM grad, is Tim Munro, flutes.)

Watch their videos.

Stephen Flaherty, CCM ’82

This Tony-winning composer was the inspiration behind "After the Storm," a 2009 television documentary that followed a group of Broadway actors who helped New Orleans youth in a creative way -- by casting them to rehearse and perform a production of Steve Flaherty's Tony-winning musical "Once on this Island." The documentary features an original score by Flaherty and a new song by he and his co-writer Lynn Ahrens. (Watch the film's trailer.)

See Flaherty's Broadway credits.

Richard Oberacker, CCM '93

A composer and bookwriter/lyricist, Oberacker is has been conductor and music director for Cirque du Soleil's "KA" in Las Vegas, where he previously conducted and orchestrated "Dralion" — making him the company's first American conductor. (See a video about "Ka," featuring Oberacker.) His plays include the following:

• "Journey to the West" ('06, bookwriter/lyricist, composer director, orchestrator)
• "Ace" ('06, composer, co-lyricist, co-librettist)
• "Dracula the Musical" (composer)
• "The Gospel According to Fishman" (composer, commissioned by Clear Channel)
• "In that Valley" ('99)

Tom Korbee, CCM '02

Korbee is a composer, pianist, producer who performs in clubs, tours internationally and writes and produces for other artists. He has performed in a leading role in the world premiere of  "Showtune: The Jerry Herman Songbook" In New York (and appeared on the  show's original cast recording), appeared in the documentary feature film "Words and Music" for PBS and been cast in the title role in the world premiere of the rock musical "Pilgrim." Part of the pop trio "Korbee Jones" with his wife, Jenn Korbee, and Daniel Jones.

Watch videos of Korbee performing. See Korbee's professional photography website.

Jason Graae, CCM ’80

An actor, singer and dancer who won two L.A. Drama Critics Circle Awards, Graae has performed on and off-Broadway, at the Metropolitan Opera House, with Marvin Hamlisch and the National Symphony at the Kennedy Center, with the Boston Pops and in many television shows and movies. The New York Sun said he "steals so many shows he should be arrested!" (See his TV and Broadway credits.)

Andrew Higley, DAAP '01

Higley is a Nashville-based musician who plays keyboards, French horn, a melodica, a glockenspiel, a keytar (a lightweight keyboard supported by a strap, much like a guitar strap), the saw and sings backup vocals. He has played with Ben Folds, Brendan Benson, Pearlene and Chocolate Horse. He has recorded several CDs.

Read about his TV appearance on Jimmy Kimmel and watch a video.

Kristen Allen Blodgette, CCM '76

Blodgette is a musical coordinator, musical director, musical supervisor and conductor on Broadway. See her long list of accomplishments on our Broadway page.

David Kreppel, CCM '92

Kreppel has worked as a music director, arranger, orchestrator, writer, coach and actor for nearly 20 years. Broadway and touring credits include "The Lion King," "A Chorus Line," "Mamma Mia," "Saturday Night Fever" and "The Little Mermaid." He credits also include contributions to many works by composer and lyricist Richard Oberacker, CCM '03:

• "Ace" (music direction and vocal arrangements by Kreppel)
• "The Gospel According to Fishman" (orchestrations by Kreppel)
• "Dracula the Musical" (orchestrations by Kreppel)
• "Journey to the West" (music supervision by Kreppel).
  

Philip Solomon, CCM ’93

Solomon is a performance artist, composer, drummer, producer and director who has composed original works performed on HBO, MTV, CBS, ABC and FOX. He has aso provided entertainment direction and production for the following musical acts: the Eagles, Alice Cooper, Prince, Black Eyed Peas, Jane’s Addiction, OK GO, Etta James and Queen Latifah.

Links:

• Read the "UC Magazine" story about Solomon and watch a video of him leading a CCM master class.
• Read Solomon and two other Hollywood alumni shariing thoughts about being rising stars.
• See his movie credits.
  

Janice Minor, D (CCM) ’05

Minor is the clarinet professor at James Madison University, Va., and the Saarburger Serenaden: International Music Festival and School in Saarburg, Germany. She has performed at Heidelberg, Germany, with the U.S. Army band; the Lucca Music Festival, Italy; the Aspen Music Festival, Col.; and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington, D.C. She has also performed on soundtracks for the Discovery Channel and National Geographic.