Curtis Institute of Music Announces Recipients of Fifth Annual Daniel W. Dietrich II Young Alumni Fund

Creative and Community-Based Projects
This funding opportunity supports creative projects—including new compositions and recordings—as well community-driven and educational initiatives by Curtis alumni. This year’s grantees are:

• • • • Edward Babock (Timpani and Percussion ’15, Community Artist Fellow ’21)
      • TJ Cole (Composition ’16, ArtistYear ’17)*
      • Sarah Fleiss (Voice ’23, Opera ’25)
      • Micah Gleason (Conducting ’24)
      • Roy Hage (Opera ’16)
      • Joshua Halpern (Cello ’19)
      • Arlen Hlusko (Cello ’15, ArtistYear ’16)
      • William Langlie-Miletich (Double Bass ’19)
      • Shannon Lee (Violin ’16, ArtistYear ’17)
      • Zachary Mowitz (Cello ’19, Community Artist Fellow ’23)
      • Rene Orth (Composition ’16)
      • Emilie Kealani Suarez (Opera ’25)

*TJ Cole was funded for two separate creative and community-based projects. 

Travel and Professional Expenses
This specialized funding opportunity covers travel expenses for auditions and competitions, as well as costs associated with professional development. This year’s grantees are:

• • • • Dennis Chmelensky (Voice ’18, Opera ’19)
      • Maya Miro Johnson (Composition ’24)
      • Benjamin Krasner (Piano ’20)
      • Calvin Mayman (Flute ’22)
      • Alyssa Warcup (Viola ’25)
      • Tyler Zimmerman (Opera ’18)

Instrument Needs
Designed to support Curtis alumni’s artistic needs, this funding opportunity provides financial resources to purchase new musical instruments—one of the most significant financial barriers facing professional musicians. This year’s grantees are:

• • • • Anonymous*
      • Hamza Able (Percussion ’23)
      • Martina Adams (Horn ’23)
      • Derek Gullet (Trombone ’24)
      • Tae McLoughlin (Timpani and Percussion ’24)
      • Oliver Talukder (Oboe ’24)
      • Marija Räisänen (Viola ’25)

*This grantee requested to keep their name and project anonymous.

All 2026 grantees were selected through a competitive review process, led by an anonymous panel of Curtis alumni and industry leaders. Proposals were evaluated based on urgency, impact, and demonstration of need; creative and community-based project proposals were evaluated based on these three criteria, plus innovation and artistic merit. Grantees are matched with faculty or alumni mentors, upon request.

As Curtis concludes its 2025–26 season and academic year, the school is continuing to prioritize students’ needs as they face a shifting artistic and economic landscape. Committed to fostering meaningful relationships with its musicians after graduation, another one of the school’s key initiatives includes Curtis on Tour, which provides experience, income, and visibility for young artists through professional touring engagements across the globe. Past alumni-directed initiatives include the Emergency Relief for Curtis Alumni (ERCA), which funded over $500,000 in one-time direct transfers to alumni severely impacted by the cancellation of performances in the pandemic.

Learn more about the Young Alumni Fund and future opportunities at curtis.edu/YAF.

ABOUT THE GRANTEES

Creative and Community-Based Projects

Described as “bright” and “stylish” by Opera News, Sarah Fleiss (Voice ’23, Opera ’25), recently joined the 12th edition of Le Jardindes Voix with Les Arts Florissants under William Christie and Paul Agnew. She has traveled internationally with the group throughout the 2025–26 season, singing La Poésie in Les arts florissants and Proserpine in La Descente d’Orphée aux Enfers by Marc Antoine Charpentier conducted by William Christie. She is also currently touring across Latin America with Curtis on Tour, singing Schubert’s Shepherd on the Rock, a selection of songs from West Side Story and Peter Pan by Leonard Bernstein, and premiering a newly commissioned song cycle by composer Rene Orth. A recent graduate of Curtis, her notable roles included Susanna in Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro, the Vixen in Janáček’s The Cunning Little Vixen, Ginevra in Handel’s Ariodante, and Despina in Mozart’s Così fan tutte.

Ms. Fleiss’ grant supports Split the Lark, a Baroque ensemble led by singers, in developing a more liberal, theatrical baroque vocal style. This July, the ensemble plans to present an early music concert with audio-visual effects at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Philadelphia.

Micah Gleason (Conducting ’24) works actively across the symphonic and operatic worlds. She has collaborated with notable ensembles including the Iceland Symphony, Symphony of the Americas, San Diego Symphony, Fort Worth Symphony, the Spoleto Festival Orchestra, and more. In the 2025–26 season, she looks forward to conducing debuts with Washington National Opera, Santa Fe ProMusica, Opera Memphis, and more—and conducting world premieres of 13 different pieces.

A 2024 graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music, she is a mentee of Yannick Nézet-Séguin. Ms. Gleason’s grant will support the continued creation and performance of Daughter of God, the latest project of LOAM, her artistic partnership that presents semi-immersive theatrical-musical works.

Roy Hage (Opera ’16) is a multi-Grammy Award-nominated Lebanese American operatic tenor known for his luminous lyric voice, dramatic versatility, and cross-disciplinary creative work. He has performed more than 70 operatic and symphonic works in nine languages with leading orchestras, festivals, and opera companies, including L.A. Opera, Opera Philadelphia, the Santa Fe Opera, the Cleveland Orchestra, and the Philadelphia Orchestra. Born in New York and raised in Beirut, Mr. Hage began singing to drown out the sounds of war before moving alone to the United States at 16 to pursue a life in music. He trained at Interlochen, Oberlin, Yale, Curtis Institute of Music, and the Academy of Vocal Arts, later earning an M.B.A. from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

Mr. Hage’s grant will support commissioning and recording singable Arabic translations of iconic opera and art song repertoire, expanding access to the canon for audiences in Lebanon and far beyond.

Joshua Halpern (Cello ’19) has appeared on stages around the world as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral principal cellist. An advocate of contemporary music, he has collaborated with composers including Bruce Adolphe, Richard Danielpour, Kevin Puts, and Kaija Saariaho, and in 2025 debuted Letters to My Daughters, an expansive commissioning project with composer Scott Ordway. He has served as guest principal cello of the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra and the Philharmonia Orchestra in London, and as cellist with the Banff Competition-winning Rolston Quartet. Mr. Halpern completed his artist diploma at Curtis Institute of Music, where he studied with Carter Brey and Peter Wiley. As an undergraduate at the Shepherd School at Rice University, he studied with Desmond Hoebig. From 2021 to 2023, he was a member of the Karajan Akademie of the Berliner Philharmoniker, performing with the orchestra and mentored by Ludwig Quandt.

Mr. Halpern’s grant will support the Cultural Caravan, an arts organization operating at the intersection of local businesses, social-service nonprofits, municipal organizations, and diverse performing artists. As artistic director, he has helped guide the Caravan to present 177 performances, hire 184 artists, partner with 70 local organizations, and reinvest $850,000+ into the community.

Hailed for her “sublime cello prowess” (Take Effect) and “absorbing originality” (Gramophone), internationally-acclaimed cellist Arlen Hlusko (Cello ’15, ArtistYear ’16) has performed extensively across North and South America, Asia, and Europe. Ms. Hlusko has performed solo recitals across three continents, is the current artist-in-residence at Grace Farms and cellist of the Bang on a Can All-Stars. Interested in a wide array of music, Ms. Hlusko has collaborated closely with artists including Jordi Savall, Midori, Meredith Monk, and David Byrne, and is a Grammy Award-winner for her collaboration with the Crossing. She has performed as soloist with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, BBC Concert Orchestra, and the Calgary Philharmonic, among others, and has been a regular at chamber music festivals including Spoleto USA, Tippet Rise, Bay Chamber, Rockport Music, and Music from Angel Fire. Committed to connecting with and serving her community through music, Ms. Hlusko is the founding director of Philadelphia Performances for Autism.

Her grant will support the 2026–27 season for the initiative, which provides free, sensory-friendly classical chamber music concerts designed for children with autism and their families.

William Langlie-Miletich (Double Bass ’19) received a bachelor’s degree from Curtis where he studied with Harold Robinson and Edgar Meyer. Mr. Miletich also studied composition with Noam Sivan and received the Edward Aldwell Award for Excellence in Musical Studies. In 2016, Mr. Miletich became the first double bassist to win a top prize at the Klein International String Competition. An avid chamber musician, Mr. Miletich has performed at festivals such as Chamber Fest Cleveland, Music in the Vineyards in Napa California, and the Seattle Chamber Music Society. From 2018 to 2022, Mr. Miletich participated in the Marlboro Music Festival. In his free time, he enjoys cross-country skiing, patronizing Seattle’s arthouse movie theaters, and playing board games with his wife Brigid as their cats Quark and Tribble watch intently.

Mr. Miletich’s grant will support the development of a new animated film for Seattle Symphony’s Octave 9 series, utilizing one of the world’s most advanced multi-media venues to create a one-of-a-kind live performance alongside soprano Lucy Fitz Gibbon. The goal of the project is to increase access to an important work of 20th century music, both in terms of technology and content.

Shannon Lee (Violin ’16, ArtistYear ’17) has been praised for her “remarkable fire, impeccable intonation, and big, vibrant tone” (Gramophone). As a soloist, Ms. Lee has appeared with orchestras such as the Tokyo Symphony, Shanghai Symphony, Antwerp Symphony, Belgian National Orchestra, and New York String Orchestra in Carnegie Hall. She has also won prizes in several international events such as the Queen Elisabeth Competition in Belgium, Sendai Music Competition in Japan, and Shanghai Isaac Stern Competition. Born in Canada, Ms. Lee began playing violin at age four in Plano, Texas. She studied at the Curtis Institute of Music, Cleveland Institute, and Conservatorium van Amsterdam, and completed her bachelor’s in computer science at Columbia University.

Ms. Lee’s grant will support the growth of Chamber Music Perspectives, a one-of-a-kind summer program for young classical music students in Plano, Texas, combining chamber music with the exploration of music composition.

Zachary Mowitz (Cello ’19, Community Artist Fellow ’23), a cellist from Princeton, N.J., made his solo debut with the Philadelphia Orchestra in July 2018. An artist who wears many hats, he is co-artistic director of the genre-defying collective ensemble132 and the nonprofit Nodality Music, associated artist with the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel, and member of the SAKURAcello quintet and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. He has an immense passion for chamber music, having collaborated with artists such as Itzhak Perlman, Donald Weilerstein, and Hsin-Yun Huang. Through Nodality Music, Mr. Mowitz has led an array of projects exploring the intersections of music with broader culture, including Nodality’s Climate Commissioning Initiative, which prompts composers around the world to write works empowering people to process and address the realities of climate change.

Mr. Mowitz’ grant will help expand this initiative to partner with series around the U.S. Specifically, it will support the commissioning of two new works for the chamber collective Ensemble132, joined by clarinetist Alan Kay and hornist Eric Reed.

Travel and Professional Expenses

Dennis Chmelensky (Voice ’18, Opera ’19) has performed internationally with companies including Oper Frankfurt, the Metropolitan Opera, Washington National Opera, Tiroler Festspiele Erl, Verbier Festival, Berliner Philharmonie, Opera Philadelphia, Carnegie Hall and Konzerthaus Berlin. Alongside his performance career, he is deeply committed to sharing the transformative power of music beyond the stage. With over a decade of experience teaching private voice lessons, masterclasses, and leading community outreach initiatives, he has worked with people of all ages. Whether bringing music education to public school classrooms and local conservatories, mentoring aspiring vocalists, or collaborating with Sirius Music Communications GmbH to expand global access to music education, he witnessed the profound impact music can have on individuals and communities alike.

Mr. Chmelensky’s grant supports the creation of a professionally designed, fully responsive website that will serve as his primary artistic portfolio and long-term digital infrastructure. The platform will function as an online CV, a curated space for professional reflections and resources, and the main point of contact for professional inquiries.

Maya Miro Johnson (Composition ’24) is a composer-performer-director whose multidisciplinary work explores intersections between embodied music- and theater-making, and the history of science and medicine. Her work has been presented across the world by leading performers such as Ensemble Intercontemporain, De Orkest Ereprijs, Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, and Sarasota Festival. She attended Curtis Institute of Music and Yale School of Music, and she has studied at the Darmstadt, Cabrillo, Aspen, Bergen, IYCA Ticino, soundSCAPE, and Tanglewood festivals.

Ms. Johnson’s grant helps cover the cost of performer fees for her debut album, which includes her Violin Concerto and a video recording of a new multimedia solo work.

Ben Krasner (Piano ’20) is an interdisciplinary sound artist, composer-improviser, pianist, and educator. They live in the Santa Cruz mountains, teaching and working in various capacities in the arts. They are the production manager at Indexical, an experimental performing arts nonprofit and label; they also run arts and education collective, are often found collaborating in a number of community projects, and curate numerous events with local and international artists. They have worked as a performer and sound engineer with esteemed artists and ensembles such as Tatsuya Nakatani, Kevin Corcoran, Matt Robidoux, Fred Frith, TAK Ensemble, and more.

Mx. Krasner has received degrees in piano performance from California State University Northridge (’16), Yale University (’18), and Curtis Institute of Music (’20). Krasner’s grant will support a two-week tour of solo and duo performances in Japan, where they will perform 12 shows across Tokyo, Nagoya, Kyoto, Osaka, Kasai, Kobe, and more, following the upcoming release of my new album entitled Perceptual Methodologies.

Calvin Mayman (Flute ’22) from Ann Arbor, Michigan, is currently pursuing an artist diploma at the Colburn Conservatory with Demarre McGill. He began his flute studies in Michigan with Jaimie Wagner and Jeffery Zook, discovering his love of orchestral playing as a member of the Detroit Symphony Youth Orchestra. He went on to earn a bachelor’s degree from Curtis Institute of Music, studying with Jeffrey Khaner, and a master’s degree from the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University. An active orchestral musician, Mr. Mayman has played under the batons of renowned conductors including Thomas Adès, Jader Bignamini, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, and Stéphane Denève.

Mr. Mayman’s funding will support an 11-day trip to Germany, where he will audition for three German orchestra academies: the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra Academy, the Karajan Academy of the Berlin Philharmonic, and the Konzerthausorchester Berlin Academy.

Alyssa Warcup (Viola ’25) recently earned her master’s degree at Curtis where she held the Edward Montgomery Fellowship. She earned her bachelor’s degree at the Cleveland Institute of Music, where she made her solo debut performing the Schnittke Viola Concerto. She has won first prize in several competitions, including the National Federation of Music Clubs Collegiate Viola Competition and Wendell Irish Viola Award, as well as the Cleveland Institute of Music Concerto Competition. In spring 2025, Ms. Warcup joined Curtis on Tour for chamber music performances in the Philharmonie Berlin, Die Glocke, Fundación Juan March, and Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel. An avid orchestral musician, she was a fellow at the Tanglewood Music Center and Aspen Music Festival, and she performs as a substitute with the National Symphony Orchestra and the Cleveland Orchestra.

Ms. Warcup’s grant will help cover her expenses while pursuing tenure-track orchestra positions nationwide—and navigating uncertainty in the performing arts landscape of her current home, Washington, D.C. This grant makes it possible for her to attend multiple upcoming auditions, perform in summer festivals, and manage essential expenses such as healthcare and relocation.

Tyler Zimmerman (Opera ’18), hailing from Abington, Pa., is a multifaceted professional in the opera and classical musical industry based in Berlin, Germany. After a successful performing career as a bass baritone appearing on stages throughout the world (Opera Philadelphia, Pittsburgh Opera, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Teatro Real Madrid, Staatsoper Hamburg, Teatro Regio Torino), he decided to transition into artist management, joining Zach Altman at Altman Artists in 2016. Along with years of experience onstage and training at Curtis Institute of Music and Juilliard School of Music, he brings a wealth of knowledge to the field. He is hoping to uplift the voices of a diverse range of artists around the world and help them tell their stories.

Mr. Zimmerman’s grant will allow him to continue building his artist roster and foster new relationships with opera houses throughout the world, laying the groundwork for future years of success in his new role by offsetting artist acquisition and business development costs.

Instrument Needs

Born in Casablanca, Morocco, Hamza Able (Timpani and Percussion ’23) began his musical journey in Jacksonville, Florida, playing the flute before leaping from melody to rhythm with percussion. At age 14, he joined Jacksonville Youth Orchestra and fell in love with the timpani, setting the course for his musical career. Previously, he served as principal timpani of the Dayton Philharmonic and the Spokane Symphony. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the Manhattan School of Music, where he studied with Christopher Lamb and Duncan Patton. He completed his master’s degree at Curtis Institute of Music studying under Don Liuzzi, Eric Millstein, and Robert van Sice. Mr. Able has also served as principal timpani of the New York String Seminar, performing at Carnegie Hall. During his summers, he was principal timpanist of the National Repertory Orchestra, where he performed William Kraft’s Timpani Concerto with renowned soloist Steve Schick conducting.

Mr. Able’s grant will support the purchase of his first set of timpani, one of the greatest financial and logistical challenges for percussionists after graduation.

Martina Adams (Horn ’23) currently freelances throughout the Delaware Valley region and teaches privately. She is the fourth horn of Symphony in C, a member of John Vanore & Abstract Truth, and is a substitute musician with several regional orchestras. She was accepted to the AIMS Graz in 2020 and has attended the Atlantic Brass Quintet Seminar, the Boston University Tanglewood Institute Horn Workshop, Curtis Summerfest, and the Imani Winds Chamber Music Festival. Ms. Adams is on faculty at the Settlement Music School, Csehy Summer School of Music, and was a program director for the orchestra and chamber music intensive at the Philadelphia International Music Festival. She earned her Bachelor of Music degree from Temple University, where she studied with Jeffrey Lang. She received her master’s degree from the Curtis Institute of Music, where she studied with both Jennifer Montone and Jeffrey Lang.

Ms. Adams’ grant will support the purchase of a Yamaha 871 French horn, which will help advance her professional auditions and freelance career in Philadelphia.

Derek Gullet (Trombone ’24) was appointed principal trombone of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra in spring of 2025 by music director Jun Märkl. He holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Curtis Institute of Music, where he enrolled as the Edwin B. Garrigues fellow to further his studies with Nitzan Haroz and Matthew Vaughn. Later, he began supplementary studies on bass trombone with Blair Bollinger. He has been a trombone fellow with the National Repertory Orchestra, a trombone and euphonium fellow with the Music Academy of the West, and served as the principal trombonist and bass trumpeter of the Lucerne Festival Contemporary Orchestra in Lucerne, Switzerland. He has also had the honor of appearing as guest principal trombonist with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Erie Philharmonic, and National Arts Centre Orchestra of Ottawa, Ontario. During the 2025 winter season, Mr. Gullet served as acting second trombonist of the Sarasota Opera Orchestra.

Mr. Gullet’s grant will support the purchase of a new alto trombone. He recently learned his current trombone has “red rot,” a condition that slowly disintegrates the instrument.

Tae McLoughlin (Timpani and Percussion ’24) is a Chicago-based percussionist recognized for his versatility as an orchestral musician, chamber artist, and soloist. He serves as section percussionist with the Battle Creek Symphony and is a regular percussion member of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago. In 2023, Mr. McLoughlin was featured as both a soloist and ensemble member on the North American Curtis on Tour, performing L’Histoire du soldat by Igor Stravinsky. Formerly a classically trained pianist starting at the age of six, he began his private studies as a percussionist when he was 16. He earned his master’s degree from Curtis Institute of Music, where he studied with Don Liuzzi, Eric Millstein, Robert Van Sice, and Jisu Jung. He is currently completing a post-graduate degree at the DePaul University School of Music, studying with Cynthia Yeh, Eric Millstein, and David Herbert.

Mr. McLoughlin’s grant will help finance the purchase of a marimba, one of the many instruments needed to prepare for orchestra auditions. Currently, he only has access to the instrument as a student.

Oliver Talukder (Oboe ’24) is a Philadelphia-based musician of Mexican and Bengali heritage, bringing a unique blend of cultural influences to the world of classical music. Mr. Talukder currently serves as the second oboist in the Opera Philadelphia Orchestra. His versatility and artistry have led him to appear as a guest musician with illustrious ensembles such as the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, and Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. In 2025, he was named the winner of the Cedille Records Emerging Artist Competition, earning a recording contract and the opportunity to release his debut solo album on the internationally-acclaimed label. An alum of Curtis Institute of Music, he studied with Katherine Needleman, Philippe Tondre, and Richard Woodhams.

Mr. Talukder’s funding will finance the purchase of an oboe gouger, a machine used in oboe reed-making, which will support his upcoming 17-week engagement with Baltimore Symphony Orchestra.

ABOUT THE CURTIS INSTITUTE OF MUSIC
At Curtis, the world’s great young musicians develop into exceptional artists, creators, and innovators. With a tuition-free foundation, Curtis is a unique environment for teaching and learning. A small school by design, students realize their artistic potential through intensive, individualized study with the most renowned, sought-after faculty. Animated by a learn-by-doing philosophy, Curtis students share their music with audiences through more than 100 performances each year, including solo and chamber recitals, orchestral concerts, and opera—all free or at an affordable cost—offering audiences unique opportunities to participate in pivotal moments in these young musicians’ careers. Curtis students experience a close connection to the greatest artists and organizations in classical music, and innovative initiatives that integrate new technologies and encourage entrepreneurship—all within an historic campus in the heart of culturally rich Philadelphia. In this diverse, collaborative community, Curtis’ extraordinary artists challenge, support, and inspire one another—continuing an unparalleled 100-year legacy of musicians who have led, and will lead, classical music into a thriving, equitable, and multidimensional future. Learn more at curtis.edu.

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