#Alumni

In October 2023, Herb Alpert School of Music alumnus Enrico Lopez-Yañez was introduced as the next Principal Pops Conductor of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, to commence with the 2024–2025 season. Enrico always knew he wanted to perform and be around music. His musical upbringing was infused with Latin genres, and he grew up playing the trumpet and traveling

Alumnus Danny Feldman (2002) was not really surprised when the Pasadena Playhouse won the Tony for Best Regional Theater. After all, when he took over the reins of the venerable playhouse in October 2016, he announced a bold vision to his staff to make it the most dynamic and exciting theater in America, and prophesied that they

Martha Gonzalez, who received her bachelor’s degree in ethnomusicology from The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music, will be the keynote speaker at the school’s commencement celebration in Dixon Court North on Friday, June 16 at 4 p.m. PT.  “We are over the moon that Martha will be joining us to congratulate and inspire the dedicated and

Sarah Saturnino, class of 2016 is one of six winners of the Metropolitan Opera’s Eric and Dominique Laffont Competition. Saturnino, who majored in voice performance and minored in music industry, was a student of Juliana Gondek while completing her bachelor’s degree at UCLA.

Drawing on pop culture and technology, Long Beach Opera’s James Darrah is one of the most exciting directors working today. And he found his love of opera under Peter Kazaras’s mentorship at The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music. 

Euan Shields (class of 2021), stood out in a field of over 200 conductors. He will become assistant director of Manchester's Hallé and direct its youth orchestra.

It was another good year for America’s #1 public university, with School of Music faculty and alumni bringing home several 2023 Grammy Awards.

A new opera by an alumna of The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music – world premiering at UCLA’s Little Theater this month – has received substantial funding from the National Endowment for the Arts. Hailed by Opera News as “haunting and beautiful,” Polymnia tells the story of a Greek woman whose family is expelled from their home by

Angel Blue hadn’t performed in Los Angeles for 15 years. A southern California native and alumna of The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music graduate vocal program, Blue has spent the intervening time headlining opera’s biggest stages. In November 2022, she returned home. Her first stop was singing Tosca with the Los Angeles Opera. Her next: performing the inaugural Judith L. Smith voice recital at Schoenberg Hall.