Alumni Gazette

Sweet Victory “It feels like the world has not stopped moving,” says Mark Ferrandino ’99, ’00 (MS), ’s newly elected speaker of the House.

By Karen McCally ’02 (PhD) since 2007, championed a bill in the House issue of equal justice for gays and lesbians. making it legal in the state for same sex The Democrats took over the majority on Mark Ferrandino ’99, ’00 (MS) calls his couples to form civil unions. Under the Election Day, and named Ferrandino, who election to become speaker of the Colorado leadership of then speaker Frank McNul- had been the Democratic leader since No- House of Representatives “overwhelming ty, who represents the Republican strong- vember 2011, speaker of the House two and humbling.” hold of Douglas County in a state with a days later. His rise to the speakership has made na- solid base of religious conservatives, the A native of Nyack, N.Y., Ferrandino ar- tional news. Come January, he’ll become bill—which had passed the Senate, had the rived in Colorado only in 2004. After com- the first openly gay House speaker in a state strong backing of Gov. John Hickenlooper, pleting a double major in economics and that 20 years ago legalized discrimination and enough committed Republican votes in political science and a master’s degree in against gays and lesbians. the House to pass—never reached the floor public policy analysis, Ferrandino moved to Just last May, Ferrandino, a Democrat for that final vote. Washington, D.C., where he worked in the who has represented south-central “After what we went through last year White House in the Office of Management people were eager and excited to work on and Budget. He began dating Greg Wertsch, uuDOUBLE VICTORY: Ferrandino’s election campaigns to change our direction,” says a federal law enforcement officer with the as Colorado’s first openly gay speaker of Ferrandino, who framed the failure of the Department of Homeland Security. When the House is a victory for him as well as a civil unions bill to become law as an is- Wertsch was offered a job in Colorado, Fer- milestone for Colorado legislative politics. sue of subverted democracy as much as an randino went with him.

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HOT IN TENNESSEE: Nashville’s Alias Chamber Ensemble, which includes four Eastman alumni, has won accolades for its innovative repertoire as well as for its service to the community. Creating a Buzz in Nashville “The initial idea was that we would play mu- performs three concerts a season. sic with our close friends and give back to “It’s challenging for musicians, with our the community,” says Zeneba Bowers ’94E, unpredictable schedules, to volunteer the ’96E (MM), artistic director of Nashville’s way most nonprofits want,” saysB owers. Alias Chamber Ensemble. “The ensemble allows us to do something Eleven concert seasons later, that’s still we love artistically, but also to contribute to the idea. But the ensemble’s impact has the community.” been more substantial than that modest Bowers, Jaskunas, and Leslie Norton all goal might suggest. have “day jobs” in the Nashville Symphony The 12-member ensemble includes four Orchestra, Bowers says, while Chris Norton Ferrandino moved quickly up the state alumni from the Eastman School—violinist serves on the music faculty of nearby party ranks. In 2005, he became treasur- Bowers, harpist Licia Jaskunas ’91E (MM), Belmont University. er of the Colorado Democratic Party and and the husband-and-wife team of percus- She notes that the group has retained in 2006, landed a position at the Colorado sionist Chris Norton ’83E, ’86E (MA) and all but one member since it began in 2002. Department of Health Care Policy and Fi- horn player Leslie Boggs Norton ’84E. “That’s pretty awesome for a group of musi- nancing as a senior budget analyst. In 2007, Their first recording, Hilos (Naxos, 2010), cians who are performing three concerts a he was named Colorado Young Democrat of was nominated for a Grammy Award, and, year for free,” says Bowers. She adds that the Year and in 2010, when he’d become the coinciding with the release of their second one reason for the members’ loyalty to the ranking Democrat on the Colorado legisla- CD, Boiling Point (Delos Records), Nashville group is their shared sense of ownership. ture’s Joint Budget Committee, the party Mayor Karl Dean declared last September The musicians not only choose the non- named him a Rising Star. 25 as “Alias Chamber Ensemble Day.” profits, but also the group’s repertoire— Wertsch, still his partner—the two are In a press release, Mayor Dean lauded something orchestral musicians don’t also the new parents of a baby girl—has the ensemble as “one of the nation’s only ordinarily have the opportunity to do. been a steady source of support. “He knew all-volunteer ensembles of accomplished The process—in which all members’ pref- when we met that I wanted to run for of- professional musicians which donates 100 erences are taken into account—can result fice. He’s been very supportive—though percent of its concert proceeds to commu- in some eclectic shows. But Bowers says not always supportive of the pay cut I took nity nonprofits with ‘no strings attached.’” that’s not a problem. when I ran for the legislature,” Ferrandino Indeed, “No Strings Attached” is how “I guess the general theme for our says dryly. Alias has described its benefit concerts, concerts is, ‘Our musicians love this mu- “I’m a numbers guy,” he says, referring to in which the ensemble performs and the sic!’” she says. And that works well with his passion for budgetary issues, which will intermission features the nonprofit director American audiences. “We’re used to having be a priority in January. on the stage addressing the gathering. All Italian for lunch and, say, Peruvian for din- Not surprisingly, another key issue will ensemble members play a role in select- ner. We’re used to that kind of diversity.” be civil unions. He plans to reintroduce the ing nonprofits to sponsor, and the group —Karen McCally bill on day one of the new session.r

Courtesy of Alias Chamber Ensemble January–February 2013 ROCHESTER REVIEW 45

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