Dianna Hawryluk, a senior majoring in Video Production and Audio Production in the Department of Communication, recently won international accolades for her audio documentary, "Let Music Live! A Journey Through SUNY Fredonia's Choral Department."
Ms. Hawryluk was honored for her storytelling and production skills as a "Silver Radio" winner at the New York Festivals International Radio Competition in New York City. Previously, she won first place in the Student Specialty Program (Audio) category at the Broadcast Education Association's Festival of Media Arts in Las Vegas. The Communicator International Awards also honored her production with the "Award of Distinction."
Inspired by a rich Ukrainian "Borscht Belt" musical heritage and her admiration for Fredonia’s Choral Department, Hawryluk utilized her audio production skills and musical ability to tell a fascinating story about a team of devoted choral conductors and their students. Her production featured interviews with the Gerald Gray, director of Choral Activities; Vernon Huff, assistant professor; and Barbara Brinson, associate professor of music emeritus.
Hawryluk created the documentary for her final project in the Audio Documentary Capstone class. She sought to shine a spotlight on the Choral Department and the major works it presented. As a student at Fredonia, she performed in Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, the “Lord Nelson Mass” by Haydn and the “Chichester Psalms” by Leonard Bernstein. Hawryluk believes these performances and the Bach, “St. John Passion” performance offered significant experience for Fredonia students by presenting complete performances of major choral works. She loves how the voices of the choir sing the message of the work to the audience.
Choral conductor Andrij Stasiw, Hawryluk’s mentor, attended the festival’s award ceremony at the Manhattan Penthouse on Fifth Avenue with Hawryluk’s mother, Marianne; Fredonia Radio Systems alumni Bryan VanGelder, studio and production manager and audio engineer at CBS Interactive; Katie Fuchs, senior account executive of the Lippin Group, and Laura Johnson, associate professor at Fredonia. They were joined at the table by a group of radio/audio producers from the BBC in London and WNYC FM.
The New York Festivals recognizes excellence in the international fields of advertising, television and film, radio programming, financial advertising, healthcare and marketing advertising and the International AME Awards for Advertising and Marketing Effectiveness. The Broadcast Education Association is the educational arm of the National Association of Broadcasters.
