Westminster Musicians, Husband and Wife, Proving to be Double Threat

Husband and wife combination at Westminster College, Dr. Daniel Perttu, associate professor of music and School of Music chair, and Dr. Melinda Crawford Perttu, assistant professor of music, recently received separate recognitions for their musical talents and industry knowledge.

Perttu composed a piece for solo clarinet, Capricious Variations, which was performed by Phillip Paglialonga at the College Music Society (CMS) National Conference in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Perttu’s composition was selected for performance by a blind peer review from a competitive national application pool. Paglialonga is a recitalist, orchestral musician, and clarinet professor at Virginia Polytechnic Institute.

“The performance was very well received, and Phil plays incredibly well,” said Perttu. “I feel fortunate to be working with such a great musician.”

Crawford Perttu was invited to conduct the 2015 Pennsylvania Music Educators Association (PMEA) District 1 Honors Orchestra. She led the group of high school string players from District 1 in an all alternative-styles concert which included a premiere of her own arrangement of a medley of three Scottish fiddle tunes.

PMEA District 1 encompasses the school districts in the Allegheny, Fayette, Greene, Washington, and Westmoreland counties.

Crawford Perttu directs the symphony orchestra, teaches the string pedagogy sequence, and teaches private violin and viola lessons. She instructs Scottish fiddling internationally to many students over the internet and directs the Strathgheny School of Scottish Fiddling at Westminster every July.

For more information about the School of Music at Westminster College, contact Perttu at perttude@westminster.edu or (724) 946-7024, or contact Crawford Perttu at perttumh@westminster.edu or (724) 946-7271.

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