Del Mar College Music Department unveiling new Music Honors Wall connecting decades of excellence before annual Honors Recital on Monday, March 3
Article by: Richard Guerrero, Jr. For select Del Mar College (DMC) music majors, inclusion is an honor that has continued to build on its legacy for more than seven decades. And now there’s a new bold and contemporary way to see all that history. What is it? It’s the new Music Honors Wall, a stunning display that features the names of more than 300 DMC Music Department alumni dating back to 1959, which can now be seen by all on the third floor of Building A of the General Academic & Music Building (GAMBII) on the Heritage Campus. The new addition builds on the existing GAMBII second-floor display, which features portraits of the most recent Honors Recital performers for the past five years. On Monday, March 3, the Music Department will commemorate new and past outstanding musicians who have shaped Del Mar College’s musical landscape and beyond with an official unveiling of the new Music Honors Wall at 6 p.m. followed by the 73rd Annual Music Honors Recital featuring the six newest inductees at 7:30 p.m. in Wolfe Recital Hall. Cynthia Longoria, Professor and DMC Music Department Chair, says that she’s excited to reveal the new Honor Wall with not only the campus community but also with Coastal Bend community members as well. “We are looking forward to connecting the past to the present by unveiling the Honors Wall to current and past students, the DMC faculty and staff and the community to celebrate the college’s 90th anniversary and to recognize and honor the achievements of our alumni and current music students,” she says. Here are a few key details about the project: Material: Aluminum composite material Dimensions: 11 feet, 8 inches wide (all four panels) x 6 feet, 2 inches tall (tallest panel) Location: Third floor of Building A of the General Academic and Music Building Design: Four panels representing 1959 to 2024 with a LED wave above them Additional Feature: A vinyl wall cling displaying “Music Honors Wall” with illustrative musical notes Both the Music Honors Wall unveiling and Honors Recital are free and open to the public with both events on the Heritage Campus, 101 Baldwin Blvd. (78404), get online directions and campus map. Questions may be directed to the DMC Music Office at 361-698-1214 or music@delmar.edu. During the unveiling, Longoria and alumnus Dr. Scott Elliff, a 1980 Music Honors Wall inductee, will give remarks as part of the event. Longoria notes that while she wants to preserve the element of surprise for guests who attend the unveiling ceremony next Monday night, she was willing to share that the new display includes significant elements of the Music Honors Wall in the old building now known as Viking Hall. “The new display features a more modern and beautiful design that still allows us to continue 73 years of tradition where we have recognized our music students who achieved a high level of performance in their instrument,” Longoria says. “With this design, these students will continue to line our halls with musical excellence as we remember and recognize them for their achievement for many years to come.” Following the unveiling, the annual Honors Recital will provide the six selected DMC music majors center stage in Wolfe Recital Hall. This year’s recital is designed to be truly special with a brass fanfare opening performed by DMC Music faculty. Additionally, the program will showcase the six student performances and then conclude with a memorable collaboration by Mary Grace Galvan Carroll (1979 honoree) and Alexandra Flint (2019 honoree), who will perform a stunning, four-hand piano piece together. Mary Grace, a member of Corpus Christi’s renowned Galvan family, pursued her doctorate in piano and has had a distinguished teaching career, including serving as piano faculty at the Vidal M. Treviño School of Communications & Fine Arts. Alexandra, currently completing her doctorate at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, represents the next generation of musical excellence. The Honors Recital features the following 2025 Music Honors Wall inductees (three of which are music majors who also performed in the 2024 Honors Recital: Benjamin Aldana, Michael Hinojosa and Oscar Rivera): Benjamin Aldana, trombone, who attended Thurston High School in Springfield, Oregon, playing Concert Piece for Trombone and Piano by Paul Véronge de la Nux, Malaki Cardenas, guitar, who attended Mary Carroll High School, playing Prelude No. 1 in E minor by Heitor Villa-Lobos, Angel Garza, flute, who attended Robstown High School, playing Image for Solo Flute by Eugene Bozza, Michael Hinojosa, clarinet, who attended Calallen High School, playing Solo de Concours by Henri Rabaud, Robert Naranjo, alto saxophone, who attended Alice High School, playing “Oodles of Noodles” by Jimmy Dorsey, and Oscar Rivera, piano, a homeschooled and DMC Dual Enrollment student, playing Etude Op. 25, No. 10 in B minor by Fédéric Chopin. The Honors Recital is an annual spring recital that consists of current music majors who have auditioned and were selected to perform. The tradition goes back to 1959; and to commemorate the event each year, portraits of Honors Recital performers were added to the walls in the halls of the original Music Building.
