Suburban music educators earn awards

Posted May 23, 2024 6:18 am

Several local educators have received Chicagoland Outstanding Music Educator Awards by the Quinlan & Fabish Music Company, which supports Chicago-area school music programs.

The 2024 COMEA “class” includes: Patrick Cantagallo of Hawthorn District 73 in Vernon Hills; Emerson Middle School’s Erica Faulhaber and Lincoln Middle School’s Ilona Hutter, both of District 64 in Park Ridge-Niles; and Regina Kazda of Naperville’s Crone Middle School in the Indian Prairie School District.

Also included are: Tara Cappelletti of Glenbard East High School in Glenbard District 87; Spencer Hile of Hersey High School in District 214; and Mark Dahl of Lyons Township High School in District 204.

The 2024 John Paynter Lifetime Achievement Award winner is Mallory Thompson, the first female director of bands at Northwestern University. She is retiring after this school year after 28 years of service to Northwestern’s Bienen School of Music.

Quinlan & Fabish has granted these awards since 1989 to music educators in metropolitan Chicago and in the Michigan-Indiana region. Peers and community members provide nominations, which then are selected by a committee of previous award winners.

Article Comments

Article Categories
Education Music News Performing Arts

Article Comments

Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.