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Message MusicHonorsRecitalUniversity of ArkansasDepartment of MusicMarch 9, 2025Faulkner Performing Arts Center

PROGRAMLoraCapriccio No. 1 Ante Grgin (b. 1945)Abby Lawson, clarinet - Second PrizeUnquiet Waters Kevin Day (b. 1996)I. fast, turbulentTyler Trickey, saxophoneTomoko Kashiwagi, pianoThe Great Train Race Ian Clarke (b. 1964) Morgan Murphy, fluteAmor, vida de mi vida Federico Moreno (1891-1982) from La Maravilla Juan José García, baritone – Third Prize Kristy Mezines, pianoINTERMISSION

A Caged Bird Barbara York (1949-2020)Mac Dishman, tenor tromboneKristy Mezines, pianoFENIX, Op. 1 Arodi Martinez Serrano (b. 1977)Ryan Montemayor, alto saxophone - First PrizeCherokee Ray Noble (1903-1978)Will Russell, alto saxophoneGarland Watson, tenor saxophoneKaede Nishita, pianoMarco Wimer, double bassNicholas Budimlija, drums

Abby Lawson is a clarinetist and educator inFayetteville. She is a junior music education major, andstudies under Dr. Nophachai Cholthitchanta. Abby hasbeen a part of several ensembles including theUniversity of Arkansas Wind Ensemble, University ofArkansas Symphony Orchestra, and the Clarinet StudioEnsemble where she was the feature soloist on Viktor'sTale by John Williams. She has been selected toperform with the Arkansas Intercollegiate Band severaltimes, and in 2024 she was the principal clarinetist. Sheis currently employed by Fayetteville High School as amarching band tech, and its clarinet instructor. Abbyhas a passion for film music, and she is looking forwardto performing this fun, lively, Croatian clarinet solopiece! Tyler Trickey is a saxophonist and educator based inNorthwest Arkansas and has performed as a soloist andchamber musician throughout the United States. Tylerhas been a consistent prize winner for the MTNA solocompetitions and the University of Arkansas HonorsRecital. Tyler has delivered global and national premiersof works and arrangements of works by Caroline Shaw,Florence Price, and Nobuhito Sato at recent NASAconferences. Tyler loves to bring music that wasoriginally composed for other instrumentations to thesaxophone, and is devoted to exploring Japanesesaxophone repertoire, works by young emergingcomposers, and music by composers in marginalizedcommunities. Tyler is currently an undergraduatestudent at the University of Arkansas pursuing aBachelor of Music in Performance.

Morgan Murphy is a flautist based in Fayetteville, Arkansaswho studies under Dr. Cristina Ballatori as a member ofthe University of Arkansas Flute Studio. As a flautist,Morgan is part of the University of Arkansas WindEnsemble and has previously been part of the RazorbackMarching Band. Morgan was a finalist in the 2024 MusicHonors Competition at the University of Arkansas. Morganloves playing in chamber ensembles and is very passionateabout sharing music with the community. As the founderof the Northwest Arkansas Chapter in the Our SongsProject, she organized and performed in volunteerconcerts for nursing homes. She is a firm believer thatmusic is for everyone and should be shared. Morgan iscurrently pursuing Bachelor of Arts in Biology and Musicdegrees.Juan José García is a Mexican-American Baritone raised inArkansas. He began his studies in music education at theUniversity of Central Arkansas. Soon after, Mr. Garciareceived his Master’s degree in music from the Universityof Arkansas in Fayetteville. Throughout his studies, Mr.Garcia has had the opportunity to perform as a soloist inseveral works, including Handel’s Messiah, Durufle’sRequiem, and Haydn’s Requiem. Mr. Garcia has alsoperformed several roles including Escamillo in Constant’sLa Tragédie de Carmen, Gianni Schicchi in Puccini’s GianniSchicchi, and Cinderella’s Prince in the beloved musical,Into the Woods. Later this spring, Mr. Garcia will beperforming as Slook in Rossini’s La cambiale di matrimoniowith the University of Arkansas’s Opera Theatre program.

Mac Dishman is an active trombonist in theNorthwest Arkansas area. He is currently involvedin a number of ensembles at the University ofArkansas, including the Wind Ensemble under Dr.Chris Knighten, the University Orchestra under Dr.Robert Mueller, the Razorbones tromboneensemble and the Select Trombone Octet under Dr.Cory Mixdorf. They have also previously performedat or competed in the University ConcertoCompetition, SHE Festival, and Honors RecitalCompetition. Ryan Montemayor (he/him) is a saxophonist and musiceducator based in Northwest Arkansas. He currently servesas the graduate assistant for the University of Arkansassaxophone studio, studying under Dr. Sarah Hetrick. Ryanholds Bachelor’s degrees in Music Education and MusicPerformance from Texas Tech University, where he studiedwith Professor David Dees. An accomplished performer, Ryan has been featured atevents such as The Midwest Clinic International Band andOrchestra Conference, the Texas Music EducatorsAssociation (TMEA) convention, and the North AmericanSaxophone Alliance (NASA) Biennial Conference. In 2023 and2024, Ryan was named the Arkansas state winner of theMTNA Solo Competition. Additionally, he is a laureate inchamber music competitions, including the Coltman,Fischoff, and M Prize.

Kaede Nishita is an international student fromJapan, majoring in Music BA and Psychology. Shebegan playing the piano at the age of three andstarted jazz when she joined a local big band inseventh grade. She used to play frequently in herhometown of Ishikawa and has also performed incities such as Tokyo and Yokohama. After movingto Fayetteville as a member of an advanced jazzcombo, Nishita performed regularly acrossNorthwest Arkansas and participated in a tour ofNortheast Arkansas. In addition, she teachessome private students through the CommunityMusic School.Marco Wimer is a music performance student with jazzconcentration at the University of Arkansas. He beganplaying music on guitar at age 10 and began playing theupright bass at age 12. He performed classical music inschool orchestras until age 17 when he developed aninterest in jazz and began studying it. He is currentlystudying jazz bass in college and performs regularly in theNorthwest Arkansas area as well as in classical and jazzensembles at the University of Arkansas.

Garland Watson is a sophomore clarinetperformance major from Harrison, AR. In highschool, Garland was the principal bass clarinet in AllState for two years and continued this withintercollegiate bands the past two years. He hascompeted in multiple competitions including the UAConcerto-Aria competition where he placed 2nd andperformed the Green concerto with the UAChamber Orchestra. Along with this, he placed 3rdin the Honors recital last year. This past summer heperformed a concerto at the Segovia music festivalin Segovia, Spain. This summer he plans to partakein a clarinet seminar with Charles Neidch in Japan.He is looking forward to playing with this group ofclose friends!William Russell is a freshman jazz studies major atthe University of Arkansas. He has been playingsaxophone since age 12 and has been playing jazzsince age 14. He performs across NorthwestArkansas and in multiple jazz ensembles at theUniversity.

Nicholas Budimlija is a sophomore financestudent. He grew up in Dallas, Texas, andlater moved to Kansas City, where he beganplaying the drums. Nicholas has played drumsin various settings, including combos, bigbands, and gigs around the city. Outside ofdrumming, he loves to listen to music andcook.