A Note from the Chair
Dear Furman Music friends,
As the academic year draws to a close, I always take a moment to pause and reflect on the year that has passed. The stories in this issue of our newsletter tell a story I could not have written better myself: a story about what it means to be a musician at the Furman of today, and what it means to carry that Furman education forward into the world.
We begin, as always, with our students. Audrey Ryu ’27 has become something of a symbol of this department and university — a young artist and scholar who brings the same focus to the piano, the golf course, and the research lab. Her story reminds us that music is not a something extra. It is, as she puts it, a reset that makes everything else possible.
First-year students Daniel Stroman and Zhen Simmons have wasted no time making an impact: Daniel took first place in the South Carolina Bach Young Artist Competition and will see an original composition performed at Piccolo Spoleto this summer, while Zhen won the 2026 SCMTA Composition Competition with her piece “Reverie in Watercolor.”
Senior Georgia Thomas ’26 capped a brilliant undergraduate career by winning the South Carolina District of the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition and earning an encouragement award at the regional level, before heading to the College-Conservatory of Music for her graduate studies this fall. And senior Ethan Ropp ’26, a physics and music double major, released his debut album Not This. The album was supported in part by a highly competitive Furman Fellows grant. These are not isolated achievements; they are an outgrowth of our rigorous, supportive, and inclusive environment.
Our bands have had a semester to remember as well. The basketball band brought tremendous energy to the NCAA Tournament in Philadelphia, and the Paladin Regiment Marching Band received exciting news: a formal invitation from the London Parade to perform in their celebrated New Year’s Day celebration on January 1, 2027 — an event seen by some 380 million homes worldwide.
Our faculty have been equally distinguished. Dr. Anastasia Christofakis’s work with the ensemble What Is Noise! led to the April release of Temporal Echoes on Navona Records, recorded in Daniel Recital Hall. Professor Emeritus Les Hicken is publishing two major research papers on Edwin Franko Goldman this year. Dr. Bronwen Forbay’s book Afrikaans Art Song Literature: A Translation and Pronunciation Guide, published by Oxford University Press, has already taken her and her coauthor to lecture recitals at institutions across the United States. Dr. Mark Britt will be honored this summer with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Presbyterian Association of Musicians, a fitting tribute to his decades of artistry, commitment, and service at Montreat.
To cap off the year, we were fortunate to hear from a music alum as our commencement speaker. Mary-Mitchell Campbell ’96, a Broadway conductor, arts educator, and founder of ArtsIgnite, gave a moving and deeply relevant speech. She was also kind enough to spend time with our music students prior to commencement. It was wonderful sending off this class of musicians with a graduation address from one of their own.
The alumni pages of this newsletter are overflowing with good news. Caroline Cavenaugh-Woodard ’11 took her West Fork High School Chamber Choir to an invited performance at the Texas Music Educators Association Convention, a remarkable achievement for a program only a few years old. Tenor Tyrese Byrd ’20, now pursuing a doctorate at the University of Michigan, earned an encouragement award at the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition. Natasia Simmons ’25, barely a year out of Furman, has been selected for a highly competitive Orchestra Manager Fellowship at the Aspen Music Festival and School. Each one of these stories is a testament to what a Furman education—and the relationships formed here—can set in motion.
As a result of these accomplishments, Furman is gathering national attention. We are now the summer home of the Brass Institutes of America and SongFest—two important, national programs that will bring musicians from all over the world to our campus.
Returning to where I began, one thread that runs through all of these accomplishments: the power of mentorship. Prof. Burroughs-Price gave Bella the classical foundation she still draws on in Madison. Prof. Knox helped Georgia grow into a vocal artist who could compete with singers many years her senior. Prof. Parsons created the space for both music majors and non-music majors to grow as pianists. Cara Cavenaugh-Woodard is now a mentor for her students in Texas, helping shepherd two to become Paladins this fall. The chain continues. That, perhaps more than any award or headline, is what I am most proud to share.
If you’ve made it this far, thank you for reading, for your continued support of our students and faculty, and for being part of our community. We are excited to welcome an incoming class of 68 musicians—our largest in a decade. To keep these outstanding opportunities coming, I hope you will consider making a gift.
Finally, be on the lookout for announcements over the summer for Homecoming 2026. On October 23, the Fine Arts will be the featured evening event, with a PRISM concert featuring the entire department at 8pm to celebrate Furman’s bicentennial with a commissioned work by Composer-in-Residence Dan Forrest. We hope you will be able to join us in person! I look forward to sharing more with you in the coming months!
With gratitude,
Randall Umstead
Gordon and Sarah Herring Chair and Professor of Music
Department of Music, Furman University
President-Elect, National Association of Teachers of Singing