Fotina Naumenko is an American soprano of Russian heritage. Her album Bespoke Songs on New Focus Recordings was nominated for a 2025 Grammy for Best Classical Solo Vocal Album. The disc features four works for soprano and diverse ensembles that Fotina commissioned from composers Jonathan Newman, Benedict Sheehan, Carrie Magin and Jennifer Jolley setting texts by female authors. The disc features Jonathan Newman's song cycle, Bespoke Songs for soprano, clarinet, saxophone, violin, cello, guitar, percussion and piano, Jennifer Jolley's song cycle 'Hope' is a Thing with Feathers for soprano, flute and guitar, Carrie Magin's How to See an Angel for soprano, bassoon and piano, and Benedict Sheehan's song cycle, Let Evening Come for soprano, cello and harp.
Carrie Magin Composition Featured on GRAMMY®-Nominated Album
Carrie Magin, D.M.A., associate professor of music composition & theory, is celebrating a prestigious recognition as her composition “How To See An Angel” has been featured on an album nominated for a 2025 GRAMMY® Award.
The piece, written for soprano, bassoon, and piano, was composed for soprano Fotina Naumenko of Shenandoah Conservatory. It appears on the album “Bespoke Songs,” which received a nomination in the category of Best Classical Solo Vocal Album.
“It has been an incredible honor to be a part of this album that has received a 2025 GRAMMY® Nomination,” said Dr. Magin. “I’m grateful to the faculty development committee at Houghton for supporting my travel to Shenandoah University to workshop and rehearse this composition!”
Magin joins an elite group of composers whose works have been recognized by the Recording Academy. This nomination showcases the caliber of expertise that students experience daily at Houghton University’s Greatbatch School of Music, as they learn directly from faculty who are not only educators but also nationally recognized creative artists in their field.
Bespoke Songs: GRAMMY® nominated - Best Classical Solo Vocal Album
Bespoke Songs - GRAMMY® nominated for Best Classical Solo Vocal Album
"How to See An Angel" featured on ASCAP New Music Friday Playlist
How to See An Angel included in July 12th’s ASCAP New Music Friday playlist. Performance by Fotina Naumenko and the Edge Ensemble.
"How to See An Angel" released on Bespoke Songs album (New Focus Recordings)
Commissioned by Fotina Naumenko. Recorded and performed by Fotina Naumenko, Ryan Romine, and Marika Bournaki. Released on New Focus Recordings label.
Carrie Magin Awarded Wyoming County Arts Education Grant
Dr. Carrie Magin, professor of composition and theory at Houghton College, recently received the Arts Education grant from the Arts Council for Wyoming County (ACWC).
The grant – aimed at funding opportunities to engage public school students aged kindergarten through high school in artistic learning experiences – will allow Magin to compose a new band piece to be premiered by the Letchworth Junior Band in June 2018. Jason Decker, director of the junior band and an instructor of tuba and instructor of woodwind techniques at Houghton, will conduct the piece.
Read the full article here: http://www.houghton.edu/news-media/recent-news/dr-carrie-magin-awarded-wyoming-county-arts-education-grant/922/
"Heart-Fire" premieres at Carnegie Hall
Composers Carrie Magin and David Hamilton along with Director Jennifer Flory.
In May of 2018, the Georgia College Max Noah Singers along with several other choirs premiered Carrie Magin's "Heart-Fire" for mixed choir (SATB) and piano at Carnegie Hall. The work was commissioned by Dr. Jennifer M. Flory and the Georgia College Choral Ensembles in celebration of the centennial Sara Teasdale's 1918 Pulitzer Prize in Poetry for her collection "Love Songs," which includes the poem "Heart-Fire" is based on.
"Between Us Now" goes on tour!
In a program conceived under the warm southern Italian summer sun over a bottle of vino di tavola, Katie Dukes (soprano), Alice Jones (flute), Michael Walker (horn), and Kim Carballo (piano) present world premieres and new works by Whitney George, Carrie Magin, and
Eric Nathan.
New works for soprano, flute, horn, and piano
Whitney George, You Who Never Arrived
Carrie Magin, Between Us Now
Eric Nathan, Why Old Places Matter
Thursday, April 20, 12:10pm – Queensborough Community College
222-05 56th Avenue, Bayside, NY – H110
Free admission
Friday, April 21, 6:30pm – Brooklyn Conservatory of Music
Meet-the-composer with Whitney George and Eric Nathan
Performance, Q&A session, and reception
58 7th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY
Free admission (suggested donation)
Saturday, April 22, 8pm – Scholes Street Studio
375 Lorimer Street, Brooklyn, NY
$10
Sunday, April 23, 2pm – Gateway City Arts Center
92 Race Street, Holyoke, MA
Free admission (suggested donation)
Tuesday, April 25, 12:30pm – Brooklyn College
Presented by the Composer Forum and Hitchcock Institute
2900 Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn, NY
ree admission
"Voice on the Wire" Premieres in Halifax, Nova Scotia
In August of 2015, Opera from Scratch produced the world premiere performance of mini-opera, "Voice on the Wire." With music by Carrie Magin and libretto by Kendall A. (co-founder of NANOWorks Opera), this 10-minute opera portrays the emotional journey of Mabel Bell, who was the deaf wife of Alexander Graham Bell.