The View from Where You Are
IC JAZZ VOCAL ENSEMBLE
John W. White, director
SOPRANO
Nora Abshire
Kaitlyn Campbell
Kara Dhakal
Heidi Englebert
Jasmine Foster
Allie Lewis
Sofie Santoro
Rachel Somers
ALTO
Margaretta Milgram
Lindsay Rusakow
Jayna Simeon
Sarah Smith
Nikki Sutera
Maia Wong
TENOR & BARITONE
Tommy Anzuini
Leo Maring
Kaiden Reitz
Charlie Shanton
RHYTHM SECTION
Piano: Dominick Ronsvale
Guitar: Owen Loiacono
Bass: Nellie Cordi
Drums: Dylan Grimm
Percussion: Brayden Reed
SOUND ENGINEER
Seamus Buford
We wish to extend thanks to the following people who have supported us in the presentation of this concert:
Kim Nazarian, Zachary McDonald, Brian Dozoretz, Claire Oplinger, and our amazing sound crew.
John W. White received a Ph.D. in Music Theory from Indiana University (1999) and primarily teaches in the Department of Composition and Music Studies. Throughout his academic career, John has maintained an active life as a professional jazz and commercial musician, specializing in stylistic diversity, and has performed with such artists as free improviser Rhiannon and instrumentalists Wycliffe Gordon, Tony Baker, and Paul Hanson, among many others. He has published in such journals as ex tempore, Journal of Music Theory Pedagogy, and College Music Symposium. He remains active as a guest director/clinician for high school vocal jazz ensembles. In Spring of 2025 he was given a Faculty Excellence Award for Teaching by Ithaca College.
In 2016 John became the Director of the IC Jazz Vocal Ensemble, established in the 1970s by the late David Riley, distinguished professor of Music Education. In the mid-1980s, Dave Riley's direction brought the IC Jazz Vocal Ensemble international acclaim—which included a 1986 invitational alumni group formed to tour high-profile European Jazz festivals—and his teaching provided training for many jazz educators and performers, including three founding members of the Grammy Award winning New York Voices. As rhythm section pianist, John toured with this 1986 IC-JVE invitational alumni group, which made his later return as Director especially meaningful as a way to follow in the footsteps of his mentor Riley and continue the excellence of ensemble jazz singing here at Ithaca College.