Tony-Award winner speaks at inaugural commencement

Alumnus William D. Brohn, class of 1955, served as the College of Music’s inaugural commencement speaker on May 3, 2008.  Brohn is best known for his award-winning orchestrations of Broadway musicals including Wicked, Miss Saigon and Ragtime.  His distinguished career also includes working as a conductor for the Royal Ballet and Joffrey Ballet and being commissioned to make adaptations of Prokofiev’s flim scores Alexander Nevsky and Ivan the Terrible. 

Brohn’s speech was filled with reminiscent history of music at Michigan State University and his life experiences in the music industry.  His words paid homage to the teachers and mentors that helped guide his musical growth and although his speech included comical anecdotes of his own experiences, maintained a serious undertone regarding the state of music as perceived today.  Still, Brohn’s address was filled with hope and was heard by an attentive audience that included graduating students and their families, most of the faculty from the College, Senior Associate Provost June Youatt, Dean James Forger, Associate Deans Olson, Rayl and Buckley, Emeritus Chariman James Niblock, and MSU Board of Trustees Joel Ferguson and Don Nugent.