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Glimpses of Some Recent Alums March 2017

Alex Breaux, Phoebe Dunn (by Lalo Torres), Martin Bakari (by Arthur Moeller), Lionel Cottet (by Florian Cella/24heures), Nathan Madden

 

Alex Breaux (Group 43)

In January, I experienced my first Sundance Film Festival, where my action film Bushwick premiered. It was my first time seeing myself on the big screen in front of a sold-out auditorium—so cool! Juilliard's stamp was everywhere at the festival—I attended the premiere of The Big Sick, featuring Vella Lovell (Group 44), and saw Samora Pinderhughes (BM '13, jazz studies) perform at the ASCAP music café. And then I came back and started work on a new play by the incomparable Lynn Nottage—nothing like being inspired in N.Y.C.!

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Editor's note: Other Juilliard Sundance appearances this year included Brandon Micheal Hall (Group 44) in Annabelle Dexter-Jones's Cecile on the Phone, Alex Sharp (Group 43) in To the Bone, Mike Doyle (Group 27) in XX, and Jane Adams (Group 18) in Brigsby Bear. Congrats to all!


Phoebe Dunn (Group 42)

Here are a few things I've been doing:

  • joined the producing team for The Bad Years by Kait Kerrigan and Brian Lowdermilk, which will have a full production later this year;
  • started working with The Live In Theater, which creates immersive theatrical experiences ranging from murder mysteries to dramatic re-enactments of history;
  • submitted my first short film, Water on the Moon, which I directed and starred in—and Emily Bohannon (Playwrights '14) wrote—to the festival circuit;
  • joined the team for Cracked Orlando at Juilliard.

And in May, I'm playing Gwendolyn in The Importance of Being Earnest at the Morris-Jumel Mansion in Washington Heights.


Martin Bakari (MM '13, voice)

Since graduating, I've been fortunate to be part of some diverse and exciting projects including a German tour of Porgy and Bess and a U.S. tour of [director of Juilliard Jazz and alum] Wynton Marsalis's Abyssinian Mass with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, and Chorale Le Chateau. This season I'll join the Utah, Pittsburgh, L.A., Madison, and Portland operas as well as Beth Morrison Projects, and make debuts in Israel and Italy. I recently recorded composition alum Grigory Smirnov's gorgeous song cycle Dowson Songs with piano alum Konstantine Valianatos (Naxos). And I've built a wonderful private voice studio with many thanks to Skype and Juilliard's Private Teacher Directory.


Lionel Cottet (Graduate Diploma '12, Artist Diploma '13, cello)

Hi Juilliard,

It's been about three years since I left you and New York City, full of incredible memories and achievements. I'm now based in Munich as the solo cellist of the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Mariss Jansons. I'd always dreamed of being able to perform with such a wonderful ensemble, and I have lots of time left for my solo and chamber music projects. I recently performed a concerto in Switzerland with Joshua Weilerstein, whom I met in New York during my studies: it shows how great it is to meet musicians abroad and how small the world gets thanks to music!


Nathan Madden (BFA '09, dance)

After graduation I moved to Montreal and danced two seasons with Les Ballet Jazz de Montréal. I learned French, toured the world, and had the time of my life. Then I toured the U.S. with Twyla Tharp's production of Come Fly Away, danced with The Radio City Christmas Spectacular and alum Lar Lubovitch's company, made my Broadway debut with Chicago, and was in the original cast of An American in Paris. I'm now rehearsing for this spring's Broadway revival Hello Dolly. I couldn't be more excited about the months ahead as a part of this historic production and for whatever God has next for me!

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