Music Archives | College of Performing Arts Archive

Where Music Meets Sport: Chapman Professor Draws Parallels Between Orchestras and Sports Teams Music faculty member Dr. Danko Druško applied his musical expertise to sports psychology with a Swedish dragon boat racing team.

April 16, 2026 by Sydney Paik | CoPA News

Danko Druško, conductor of The Chapman Orchestra and Director of Orchestral Studies at Chapman University’s College of Performing Arts, comes from a rich background in several disciplines, including both the musical arts as well as athletics. Recently, Dr. Druško led a consulting session for a Swedish dragon boat racing team, during which he highlighted the

From CoPA to Pacific Symphony: How a Music Alum Turned Her Chapman Education Into a Career Cellist and music librarian Kelly Picton brings her passion for her craft together with the skills she developed at CoPA in her work with Orange County’s leading orchestra.

February 18, 2026 by Sydney Paik | CoPA News

We had the chance to speak with 2025 CoPA alum Kelly Picton (B.M. Cello Performance, Film Music minor), who currently spends her time working for Pacific Symphony in addition to her work as a freelance musician. She shared with us how her experience at Chapman shaped and contributed to the development of her career in

Opera Chapman Receives Prestigious National Awards for 2024–2025 Productions Productions of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Fright Night!, From the Towers of the Moon, and Il sogno di Scipione earn top honors in major national competitions.

December 10, 2025 by Sydney Paik | CoPA News

Congratulations to Opera Chapman for its outstanding achievements in prestigious national competitions across the United States. These honors not only highlight the strength of the program, but also affirm, as Opera Chapman Director Marc Callahan notes, “the care, imagination, and discipline that went into each production—and the collaborative spirit that runs through the Conservatory and

Celebrating Faculty Excellence: Music Professor Dr. Nicholas Terry and His Ensembles Receive Prestigious Awards From award-winning projects to new music releases, CoPA faculty continue to make their mark on a national level.

October 20, 2025 by Sydney Paik | CoPA News

The College of Performing Arts is proud to celebrate the recent achievements of Music professor and Director of Percussion Studies Dr. Nicholas Terry, whose leadership in music continues to shine on local and national stages. Brightwork Ensemble, a musical project that Dr. Terry helped establish 12 years ago, is a regular performer at Monk Space,

CoPA student Logyn Okuda works with acclaimed film composer Michael Giacchino on scoring major motion pictures Orchestrating and assisting on Marvel's "The Fantastic Four: First Steps" has taught Logyn about the music film industry and his professional goals

September 3, 2025 by Zoe Braggs | CoPA News

Before he even leaves the walls of Chapman, Logyn Okuda is working up quite the professional résumé for a career in music. Logyn is on a fast track to meet his goals of writing music for film and TV, combining his studies in the College of Performing Arts and Dodge College of Film and Media

Three Opera Chapman Productions Nominated for American Prize Contest Productions of Fright Night!, From the Towers of the Moon, and Il sogno di Scipione have all been named as finalists for this year’s American Prize for Opera Companies

May 22, 2025 by Zoe Braggs | CoPA News

Three of CoPA’s productions this season have been honored as national finalists for The American Prize in Opera Performance. Along with this, Director of Opera Chapman, Marc Callhan, has been named a finalist for the Charles Nelson Reilly Prize for Stage Directors for Fright Night! The American Prize National Nonprofit Competitions in the Performing

Music Alum Olivia Mello (’20) Graduates from Yale Law School CoPA Grads Can Do it All

May 22, 2025 by Gabriela Gutierrez | CoPA News

CoPA grads go on to apply their skills in all types of fields, even law! Olivia Mello (’20) earned her BM in Piano Performance studying with Dr. Grace Fong, and she recently completed her studies at Yale Law School. Here’s what she has to say about her time at CoPa: “I’m so grateful for my

CoPA Named as a Top Performing Arts School Chapman University's College of Performing Arts ranks #3 in California and #11 nationwide

May 21, 2025 by Sydney Paik | CoPA News

According to collegefactual.com, CoPA ranks #3 among California schools for performing arts and #11 among the entire country! The individual dance, music, and theatre programs also rank highly, as reported by the same source. Theatre: #2 in CA, #11 in USA Department of Theatre students gain real-world experience from working onstage and backstage with industry

CoPA Student and Alumnus Awarded Leatherby Libraries Research Prizes Mentee/mentor pair, Megan Lewandowski and Connor Bogenreif, are awarded for their impressive use of the Chapman library’s resources.

May 19, 2025 by Zoe Braggs | CoPA News

Megan Lewandowski, a CoPA student double majoring in Music & Psychology, and Connor Bogenreif, a CoPA alumnus, staff member, faculty member, and Chapman doctoral student, have each won a Leatherby Libraries research prize! Both Megan and Connor participated in The Panther Network Mentoring program this semester, which brings together alumni with current students, and they