Horn Studio Graduates take the next step

In the last story in this five-part series, we’re excited to showcase the talented success stories of our Art students featured in the first-ever Fine & Performing Arts Season Brochure, where all of the arts programming in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences come together in one place.    

Our students exemplify the Franklin Spark, the characteristics that unite the arts and sciences: ambition, curiosity, creativity, innovation, and leadership. Join us as we celebrate their accomplishments and invite you to experience their excellence firsthand. To purchase tickets for our complete season of events, please click here.   

Franklin fine arts students merge perspectives and passions to create meaningful work that reflects both their artistry and their academic innovation. Each combines their passion for the arts with another major to lean into the “&” in Franklin College of Arts AND Sciences. Let’s explore our talented, multi-disciplinary students that share their spark and make their mark.   

Studying music at the Hugh Hodgson School of Music, part of Franklin College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Georgia, offers the resources and excellence of a conservatory-style music program alongside Franklin’s high-quality interdisciplinary education. Students explore a wide range of passions and interests, resulting in graduates that can create their unique and successful path with confidence, creativity, and a firm grasp of critical analysis and comprehension. This year’s graduates from the Horn Studio at UGA represent this strength remarkably as they take the next steps in their respective journeys.  

Jacob Evarts (B Mus Composition ’25) always knew UGA was his dream school. Now, he graduates already working on two major commissions. The first piece is a fanfare for 32 horns premiering at the International Horn Symposium this summer. The biggest commission is a brand-new piece for solo trumpet and wind ensemble, written for our now retired professor of trumpet Phil Smith, to celebrate his legendary career as a performer and pedagogue. “This is by far the biggest honor of my compositional career to this point.” At UGA, Evarts has learned “to work hard and do what you love, and work hard doing what you love!” 

Gracie Gambrell (AB Music, Biology Minor ’25) similarly constructed her degree to move her towards a career in dentistry. “The AB Music degree was the perfect option for me, as it allowed me to participate in large ensembles, be a member of the Horn Studio, and take lessons all four years while also providing flexibility in my schedule for my dental prerequisites.” As Gambrell heads to the Dental College of Georgia this fall, she knows that “music will always be integral in my life, regardless of my career, and there are many outlets by which I hope to continue making and sharing music with others.” 

 Aizhia Nicole Poblete (AB Music, Comparative Literature & Intercultural Studies (CLIS) ’25) constructed her degree at UGA to meet the pre-med qualifications while keeping music a part of her development. This fall, she will be heading to Augusta University for an MS in Medical Physiology. “Music and humanities support medicine in ways that most people may not initially think of; music allows for genuine listening, understanding, resilience, and performance. These values alone set some physicians apart from one another. There are so many valuable lessons to be learned from music that cannot be found in a typical STEM course.”  

Marianna Schwark (B Mus Performance ’25) began as a composition major but switched to performance at the end of her second year. “The performance that sold it for me was my final summer competition with the Phantom Regiment at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis August 13, 2022. Near the end of our show, the entire hornline turns and plays backfield. Before this turn around, the crowd gave us a standing ovation. We played facing backfield and when we turned back around, the audience was still standing for us. I had to swallow my emotions right there so I could finish out the show. As soon as I released that final note, I cried. Happy tears!” Schwark is heading to the University of Michigan to pursue her Master of Music in Horn Performance this fall. 

Through their creativity, ambition, and curiosity, these students demonstrate how the arts at Franklin extend far beyond the classroom, shaping them into tomorrow’s leaders, prepared to impact the world. Their journeys remind us that the arts are not only performances and exhibitions but living experiences. Discover the power of the arts at Franklin. To purchase tickets for our complete season of events, please click here. 

To read more from our Fine and Performing Arts Brochure, click here.