After completing a fellowship at SF State, the Afiara String Quartet is developing a national buzz, through a Juilliard residency and recitals at storied venues such as Carnegie Hall and the Lincoln Center.

John Handy has had his saxophone with him since the late 1940s when he played in the McClymonds High School jazz band in Oakland. In the 1950s, he spent the wee hours of the night playing local clubs before heading to SF State for classes. On Nov. 1, Handy, now 76 years old, performed at the San Francisco Jazz Festival upon earning its Beacon Award.

The College of Creative Arts mourns the recent loss of two members of its community: Professor Emeritus of Music Roger Nixon and former Dean August Coppola.

The Alexander String Quartet, SF State’s quartet-in-residence, is not only distinguished through teaching and live performances. Its discography has recently expanded, with a boxed set of the complete string quartets by Ludwig van Beethoven.

Former student Aiko Nishi Uwate has received an honorary bachelor’s degree from the California State University, 67 years after she was removed from SF State and sent to a World War II internment camp. Uwate was a Music major.

The always offbeat San Francisco Fringe Festival is in full swing, featuring uncensored performances for the open-minded theatre fan featuring artists from countries across the globe. Music alumna Brandi Brandes is among them, as her original composition accompanies “Legs and All.”

Two College of Creative Arts faculty members have received grants from the SF State Office of International Programs to incorporate a global flavor into their courses this year.

Dianthe Spencer, professor of Music, received a Curriculum Internationalization grant for her courses in Beginning Jazz Piano, Jazz Harmony and Jazz History. The grant enables her to make Brazilian jazz an essential component of the syllabi. She will also create a special section of the one-unit Jazz Combo course to explore the history, through performance, and culture of selected Brazilian music.

A recently created video features some of SF State’s most notable alumni discuss the role that their higher education has played in their career success. “Alumni Reflect” features College of Creative Arts grads Jeffrey Tambor, Peter Casey, John Handy, Ken Bastida, Malou Nubla and Wesla Whitfield.