After the Applause Emily Shallbetter

This week's episode features Juliet Rafanelli. Juliet is a recent graduate of Westminster Choir College where she received her Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance. She has aspirations to attend graduate school to continue training as an operatic soprano, in hopes of traveling the world to perform as a professional opera singer. Juliet is also invested in mental health advocacy and feels passionately that all bodies are equally stage-worthy. Juliet can be found on social media @JulietRafanelli.

This week, Emily interviews Paul David Flood. Paul David is pursuing his Master’s degree in Musicology at the University of California, Irvine. His research primarily focuses on developments of Nordic musical identity and modernism in Denmark. He is currently working on his Master's thesis, provisionally titled "Embracing the Outsider: Critical Perspectives toward Per Nørgård's Wölfli Works." Secondary interests include contemporary music reception, music and philosophy, vocal literature, and the Eurovision Song Contest. He received his B.A. in Music from Westminster Choir College in 2019 and is an active choral singer. You can find him on Twitter @PaulDavidFlood.

This week's episode features Gina Marie Falk. Gina Marie is a Boston-based soprano and chamber musician with a passion for both early and new music. Through performing in intimate, informal settings she seeks to break down boundaries: making classical music accessible and approachable for all. You can find her at ginamariefalk.com or on Instagram at @fiordiligina.

This week's episode features Christen Holmes. Christen was born and raised in Southern Maryland is an emerging Composer and French Hornist. They graduated from Calvert High School in 2018 and are currently at the University of Maryland where they are in the process of earning a Bachelor of Music in Music Composition, a Bachelor of Science in Information Sciences, and a minor in Arts Leadership. Through UMD, they have experienced many fantastic opportunities like collaborating with professional chamber groups such as yMusic and Dal Niente, participating as a Fellow for the Sphinx Connect Conference in Detroit, MI, working with student musicians for public performances, collaborating with the University of Maryland’s theatre department, being a sister of the Sigma Alpha Iota Gamma Epsilon chapter, and participating as a student ambassador for the Arts and Humanities College. After they graduate in 2023, they plan to immediately attend graduate school to earn a Master’s in Media/Film scoring or Performing Arts Management. Holmes aspires to compose music for Visual Art and/or Video Games and work in the Music Administration field to create safe spaces for marginalized groups within Classical music, fund music programs, and generally make Classical music more accessible for anyone who wishes to participate. You can listen to Christen's music on Soundcloud at soundcloud.com/christen-holmes-880121893 and follow them on Instagram @softsoundsfromchris.

This week's interview subject is Gabriel Hightower. Gabriel started playing the cello at the age of nine. He studied with Dr. Ben Myers at Howard Community College. He was invited to attend the Sphinx Performance Academy at Northwestern University where he worked on cello performance with Dr. Mary Ann Ramos and chamber performance with Karlos Rodriguez of the Catalyst Quartet. He has played in master classes led by Amit Peled, Norman Fischer, and The Harlem String Quartet. Mr. Hightower is a recent graduate of the University of Maryland, College Park and studied cello performance with Dr. Eric Kutz. He is currently in his second year of grad school at Carnegie Mellon University where he studies with Anne Martindale Williams.

In our first episode, host Emily Shallbetter talks about her background and the forces in her life that drove her decision making up until now. More information about Emily can be found on her website, emilyshallbetter.com.