50th Anniversary Gala
Saturday, November 8, 2025, marked a once-in-a-lifetime celebration at the Shepherd School of Music, where over $1.5 million was raised in honor of Shepherd's anniversary.
The special gala performance included a movement from Pierre Jalbert’s Another Starry Night with Grammy Award-winning mezzo-soprano alumna Sasha Cooke ('04) and the Shepherd School Symphony Orchestra, led by Distinguished Resident Director of Orchestras Miguel Harth-Bedoya. An elegant seated dinner on the Morrison Theater stage in the stunning Brockman Hall for Opera took place following the concert for Gala event supporters.
Honoree: Anne Duncan
Co-chairs: Anne and Albert Chao, Isabel and Danny David
Underwriting chairs: Shawn Stephens and Jim Jordan
50th Anniversary Commissions
Music is a living, breathing, ever-expanding art form, and the music created in our time is a powerful reflection of who we are. In this exciting multi-year initiative, we’ll unveil seven brand-new works by seven different Shepherd School of Music composition faculty members—each with a unique and powerful story to tell.
Special thanks to Rice University's Office of Research for its support of these commissions.
Arthur Gottschalk
Arthur Gottschalk's new one-movement chamber concerto was written for alumnus Milton Rubén Laufer ('98, '03) and the Shepherd School Chamber Orchestra. It premiered at Springtime Rhapsody on Sunday, March 8, 2026 in Stude Concert Hall. Read more in Rice News.
💿 Listen now: Tombeaux: pour un création d'une rhapsodie
Karim Al-Zand
Karim Al-Zand's A Joint Interest is a comic scene for three vocalists and chamber ensemble, featuring the Shepherd School Chamber Players. It premiered at Inside Look: Modern American Operas on Sunday, February 1, 2026 in Morrison Theater. Read more in Rice News.
💿 Listen now: A Joint Interest
Pierre Jalbert
Pierre Jalbert’s Another Starry Night features two-time Grammy Award-winning mezzo-soprano alumna Sasha Cooke ('04) and the Shepherd School Symphony Orchestra. It premiered at the Shepherd School of Music 50th Anniversary Gala on Saturday, November 8, 2025 at 7:00pm in Stude Concert Hall. Read more in Rice News.
💿 Listen now: Another Starry Night
Kurt Stallmann
A new multi-media collaborative work by Kurt Stallmann and Rice University Professor of English Joseph Campana, The Fruit and the Work explored the fascinating and evolving relationship between humans and honeybees. It premiered on Sunday, October 5, 2025 in Wortham Theatre. Read more in Rice News.
Anthony Brandt
Anthony Brandt's new single-movement concerto, was composed for Professor of Cello Norman Fischer and the Shepherd School Chamber Orchestra. It premiered at Beethoven, Rossini & Brandt on Saturday, September 27, 2025 in Stude Concert Hall. Read more in Rice News.
💿 Listen now: Chamber Concerto for Cello and Orchestra
Richard Lavenda
Richard Lavenda's Upon Further Reflection, written for two vocalists and chamber ensemble, exemplifies Lavenda’s lifelong relationship with the Shepherd School. Featuring Shepherd School faculty members Thomas Jaber, Marianne Gedigian, Benjamin Kamins, and James Dunham, plus alumni and current students. It premiered on Thursday, January 16, 2025 in Duncan Recital Hall. Read more in Rice News.
💿 Listen now: Upon Further Reflection
Shih-Hui Chen
Shih-Hui Chen's new work premiered on Wednesday, October 16, 2024 in Wortham Theater in an evening of music, light and shadow puppetry. Featuring Shepherd School faculty members Brian Connelly and Matthew Strauss and guest artists Ding-Yun Huang (director), Chia-Wei Chen (visual artist) and Tung-Hua Puppet Theater. View a video clip from the world premiere performance.
💿 Listen now: The Birds Are Real; Ambushed From Ten Directions
50th Anniversary Community Day
On March 29, 2025, we welcomed hundreds of families for our 50th Anniversary Community Day, an open-to-all free celebration packed with musical performances, interactive activities and hands-on fun for visitors of all ages.
The day began with a sold-out family concert featuring Prokofiev's "Peter and the Wolf," conducted by Miguel Harth-Bedoya, and narrated in English and Spanish. After the concert, guests enjoyed over 20 performances and activities across the school, from intimate recital venues in Alice Pratt Brown Hall to backstage of Brockman Hall for Opera.
50th Anniversary Alumni Reception
During Rice's Alumni Weekend, we hosted a special 50th Anniversary Alumni Reception, where Shepherd alumni, faculty, and the Class of 2026 gathered to reconnect and reflect on memories made in our beautiful halls.