In their voices: As Conservatory celebrates 150 years, alumni reflect on their inspired journeys

Lawrence University’s Conservatory of Music has informed and inspired the journeys of its alumni over the past century and a half. As the Conservatory celebrates its 150th anniversary during the 2024-25 academic year, we reached out to alumni to talk about how their Conservatory experiences led them on amazing musical paths.

Celebrating 150 years: Conservatory of Music and LCMS

Alexander York ’14: In September 2023, York joined the full-time soloist ensemble at the State Theater in Linz, Austria, where he is singing Papageno in Mozart’s Magic Flute this season. Since leaving Lawrence, York earned a masters at Northwestern University, received a Fulbright award to study Art Song in Munich, Germany, and was a member of the Paris Opera Young Artist Program.

“The main thing that stands out about my time in the Conservatory was the boundless access to try out new things and develop an artistic personality,” York said. “In addition to the world-class training in the techniques and theories of music, I benefited from a group of professors who really lifted me up and gave me the tools that I personally needed to move forward in my career. I left Lawrence with a lot of confidence in myself and my craft, which carried me a long way after graduation.”

Javier Arau ’98: Arau is the founder and executive director of New York Jazz Academy in New York City. He has performed worldwide as a saxophonist and his compositions have been featured in film and television.

“I was wide-eyed and ready for anything as a 17-year-old first-year Lawrentian in 1993, and what strikes me more than anything was just how present and dedicated my professors were, from the first moment I arrived on campus,” Arau said of his Lawrence experience. “I never took this for granted, but I also didn’t really have an idea just how special this was until much later in my life. To have so many full-time faculty—Steve Jordheim, Ken Schaphorst, Allen Gimbel, Dane Richeson, and many others—challenging and fueling me for five years was the greatest thrill. To the point that they would be there for us at our concerts on- and off-campus, for lunches and dinners, that is an environment that is just so, so rare. In my own career as a saxophonist, composer, and teacher, I look to support students and teachers who offer this same sort of generosity and passion for each other and our musical paths.”

Laura Hauer ’09: Hauer is teaching violin and piano for the Orquesta de Cuerdas de San Agustín in San Agustín Etla, Oaxaca, México, and giving occasional performances.

“My indefatigable and dedicated teachers were the most notable part of my LU Conservatory education,” Hauer said. “I have used my Lawrence teachers to role model my own teaching.”

Kirsten Lies-Warfield ’94: Lies-Warfield is retired from The United States Army Band after serving 20 years as their first female trombonist.

“The Lawrence Conservatory was exactly what I needed coming out of high school,” Lies-Warfield said. “I wanted to play everything and not specialize. I started out majoring in trombone performance and studio art and took cello lessons. By the time I graduated, studio art and cello had fallen away, but I was still playing everything I could on my trombone. In grad school, specialization was encouraged, and I stopped studying jazz. Maybe that specialization was needed to win the audition for The United States Army Band, but that job asked me to play just about everything but orchestral music. The culture of the Con was so nurturing to me in whatever it was I decided I wanted to do. The faculty and my peers gave me room to find my way and inspiration as to what was possible.”

James Gandre ’81: Gandre is president of Manhattan School of Music in New York City. He received an honorary degree at Lawrence’s 2024 Commencement.

“I loved being exposed to the breadth and depth of both classical and jazz music," Gandre said. "There was so much to be absorbed at Lawrence, from student and faculty performances to guest artists of the highest order, like the Gewandhaus Orchestra of Leipzig, pianist Ruth Laredo, soprano Elly Ameling, and jazz pianist Marian McPartland. The atmosphere was one of mutual support and encouragement and this flowed forth from both the faculty and students. We all wanted everyone to succeed and flourish. Unfortunately, at many institutions this is not the ethos.”

Stephen Edwards ’85: Edwards performs and composes soundtracks for film and TV. He has released several solo piano albums. 

“I would say the main thing that stands out for me regarding my Lawrence experience is the fact that I was able to try my hand at so many different types of situations—musical and otherwise—during my years in the Con," Edwards said. "This meant that I was able to participate in LUJE, be a piano performance major and study classical repertory, but also join a fraternity, and also even be part of the LU basketball team during my freshman year. I also double-majored in economics. This exposed me to every type of person available to me at LU. As I’ve forged my career over the years, I always tell everybody, I am in the ‘music business,’ so I have to be equal parts creative artist and savvy businessman to navigate the tricky waters of our ever-changing business world. So, part of that success is in my ability to work with so many different personality types—from every walk of life—and collaborate with them so that our efforts are satisfying and successful. The beginnings of all of this is directly attributable to my years at LU.”

Schuyler Thornton ’14: Thornton is the flutist for the “Les Misérables” North American Broadway Tour orchestra and a lecturer of flute and director of Flute Ensemble at Muhlenberg College. 

“I think it is rare to find the sense of identity and community that exists at Lawrence, especially in the Conservatory,” Thornton said. “The relationships that were fostered not only between my classmates but also with the faculty are still strong today. Many musicians have conservatory experiences that are cutthroat and competitive and leave them feeling quite jaded—Lawrence provided a nurturing environment that still pushed me to be my best.”

Evan Williams ’10: Williams is a composer and serves on the faculty at Berklee College of Music, where he teaches composition, conducting, and music technology. He wrote a commissioned piece that was premiered at Lawrence in November as part of the 150th celebration.

“My story at Lawrence is really a winding one," Williams said. "I meandered a lot, and one of the things I love about Lawrence is they let me meander. They let me be unsure about what I wanted to do, and that helped shape the career I created. They really let me take the time to explore.”

Bonnie Alger ’06: Alger is a conductor who serves as officer-in-charge of The United States Army Chorus.

“No one looked at me like I was silly when I said I wanted to go to graduate school for conducting even though I had only been doing it for a year or two,” Alger said of her Lawrence experience. “The faculty all took the time to get to know me as a person and to play on my strengths. In some cases, I’m not sure how they knew I’d be good at certain things because as a 20-year-old, I wasn’t sure I’d be good at it. I wasn’t first chair; I wasn’t singing all the solos in choir; but I was actively engaged, and they all saw something and pulled that out of me.”

Emily Richter ’20: Richter performs with Lyric Opera of Chicago’s Ryan Center Ensemble. In March 2024, she was named one of five winners of the Metropolitan Opera’s 2024 Eric and Dominique Laffont Competition.

“I’m so grateful for my time at Lawrence that didn’t just teach me how to sing but taught me how to feel and think deeply about the world,” Richter said.

Brooke Joyce ’95: Joyce is the composer-in-residence at Luther College and currently serves as co-department chair.

“I had many terrific instructors in the Conservatory,” Joyce said. “They gave me both a strong musical foundation and the confidence to find my own creative voice. Those instructors instilled in me a high regard for musical excellence, and their teaching continues to influence my own pedagogy. Rarely does a week go by when I don't think about a lesson or class I experienced at Lawrence.”

David Heller '81: Heller is professor of music and university organist at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas, where he has been a member of the faculty since 1986. He teaches organ, harpsichord, and music theory. 

“What I remember most about my experience in the Conservatory was the close interaction between the students and the faculty,” Heller said. “Our professors and mentors were demanding but supportive in our lessons and classes. We were given the opportunity to mature musically, intellectually, and personally. What sets the Conservatory apart from other institutions is the excellence in teaching at the undergraduate level. We had professors who knew how to teach undergraduate musicians at that point in their lives. As students, we experienced a wealth of live performances—from faculty, students, and guest artists who contributed immensely to our growth. Finally, there was a sense of camaraderie with your fellow classmates, many of whom remain friends of mine to this day."