My Defense was on Friday...

And I passed!!! Which means, this blog is not for not, and I will actually graduate this year!

Sad News

Daniel Catan, world-renowned composer of opera music and all-around nice guy, died last weekend in his sleep.

Prof. Catan was also a visiting professor at UT this semester, serving as both Composer-in-Residence with the Butler Opera Center (they performed "Rappaccini's Daughter" in February) and filling in for Yevgeniy while he is on sabbatical in New York.

Though I didn't get a chance to study with him, I was fortunate enough to have been present at several talks he gave in composition forum about writing for opera. Really nice man and a brilliant composer and gentleman.

Dissertation Complete?

With the defense just days away, I just finished putting the final touches on the written document (bleh) and the orchestrations (double bleh).

Here's hoping that my Last Year doesn't go into its third year...

Violin Concerto Premiere

I'm now a few days removed from the premiere of the 2nd and 3rd movements (and cadenza) of the Violin Concerto and I'm still blown away by the amazing musicianship and hard work of the soloist and all the performers! Speechless, still.

Below is the video from the CLUTCH concert on April 6.

Just over a month...

Until my dissertation defense. I also realized that it's been almost a month since I last posted. Seriously, I thought it had only been a couple weeks.

March 1 - performance of MOVE with the UTUO was awesome (video to be posted soon)

March 6 -- birthday bash...great!

March 10-15 -- went home for a quick mini vacation to see the family and it was great.

March 14 -- the music for the concerto completed. (yay)

And yet another re-post of this awesome video:

D-Day

It may not be as epic and important as storming the beaches of Normandy, but in my small, insignificant little musical world, the date is set.

Friday, April 22, 2-4pm. The dissertation will be defended.

Let's make it official

My wonderful and brilliant wife, Jac, is the first Dr. in our house, as of Tuesday, February 15. Way to go, Dr. Wiggins-Camacho!!! (no, that was not meant to rhyme). Congratulations -- I'm terribly proud and almost as jealous of you!!!! ;)

Caption: I'm pretty sure I said something I wasn't supposed to say when I took this picture (hint: that's acid in the bottle she's shaking at me.)