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in the 21st century. Next up are two master classes specifically for our Guitar students. International recording and performing artist Gohar Vardanyan was a featured guest performer and teacher at the 2017 PLU Guitar Festival, and participants are still talking about her Technique class and amazing performance. We are lucky to have her back to visit us virtually. In fall 2020 Christopher Mallet joined us as a panelist in a roundtable discussion on Racial Equity in the Classical Guitar World and

. (Photo: Shunying Wang '15) Nance’s sabbatical visits also inspired more future collaborations for PLU’s Music Department, and Nance plans to bring some U.S. premiere concerts to PLU in the near future. Nance is now organizing the premiere of Swedish composer Sven-David Sandström’s St. Matthew Passion at PLU in March 2016, for example, to be conducted by Parkman. Latvian composer Ēriks Ešenvalds also asked Nance to perform the U.S. premiere of his multimedia Nordic Light Symphony at PLU in 2017. This

to diversity, justice and sustainability.Blagg — who has served on PLU’s Alumni Board since October 2017 — oversees programming related to issues of diversity, equity and inclusion, ensuring that all of them encompass common goals.   “There has to be a structure, a framework that we pursue diversity and equity in, and a sense of cohesiveness about how we put our programs together,” Blagg said, “so we are supporting students in the way that we want them to be supported, and also that we are

practice.” Park hopes STARTALK continues to expand. Her goal is to be the youngest person to become certificated through the program. Yaden is optimistic STARTALK funding is here to stay. Every year, a governmental group performs a site visit to audit the program. The group interviews the teachers enrolled and observes classes. “We got a glowing review,” Yaden said of the recent visit. Last year was no different. Leaders in the program said the 2017 report was “one of the best” since the partnership

are not always comfortable conversations, but I’ve found great joy and a sort of liberation in the opportunities for honesty, resolve and direction they can provide.” The first People’s Gathering in February 2017 was attended by roughly 200 people. By the third installment in April 2019, attendance had increased to more than four hundred. Plans for a fourth on-campus event were set aside when COVID-19 hit in early 2020. However, as the pandemic accentuated health discrepancies within marginalized