College of Music and Media Hall of Fame Honorees
Loyola University’s College of Music and Media is thrilled to unveil the CMM Hall of Fame—an exciting new annual tradition that shines a spotlight on the remarkable accomplishments of our alumni. This celebration honors standout graduates from both the School of Music and Theatre Professions (SMTP) and the School of Communication and Design (SCD), whose talent, leadership, and impact have elevated their industries and inspired our community. From groundbreaking artists and performers to visionary storytellers and designers, the CMM Hall of Fame recognizes those who carry the Loyola spirit into the world—and reminds us all of what’s possible when creativity meets purpose.
The 2026 College of Music and Media Hall of Fame will be held on Wednesday, April 15 at the New Orleans Jazz Museum at the Old US Mint. Purchase tickets to celebrate with us.
Congratulations to our 2026 College of Music and Media Hall of Fame Honorees:
Den of Distinction - Celebrating Alumni Who Inspire
The Den of Distinction honors individuals who have distinguished themselves by a lifetime of accomplishments or extraordinary achievement. Nominees are innovative leaders, set new standards of excellence, and serve as role models for Loyola’s students, alumni, and the greater community. Since its inception in 2012, the Den of Distinction has inducted 25 outstanding alumni. To see Den of Distinction honorees prior to 2026, please click here.
Nessim Higson '97
Honoring Den of Distinction honoree, Nessim Higson '97.
Dominic Massa '98
Honoring Den of Distinction honoree, Dominic Massa '98. Dominic is Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer at WYES-TV, the PBS affiliate in New Orleans. A New Orleans native, he has more than 30 years of experience in the production of documentaries and cultural programming for the station, including a documentary called NEW ORLEANS TV: THE GOLDEN AGE and a second one called STAY TUNED: NEW ORLEANS’ CLASSIC TV COMMERCIALS. He has won two regional Emmy awards for his work. He has also won multiple awards from the Press Club of New Orleans, for which he served as president. He was a producer on the team that earned the George Foster Peabody, Edward R. Murrow and duPont-Columbia awards for investigative reporting and for coverage of Hurricane Katrina. He has been a frequent contributor to Arthur Hardy’s Mardi Gras Guide, and his writing has also appeared in The Times-Picayune/New Orleans Advocate, Gambit, and New Orleans Magazine. He is also the author of two books on New Orleans television and radio history.
The Howlies - Honoring the Audacious, the Brilliant, and the Unforgettable
The School of Music and Theatre Professions is proud to launch The Howlies—a dynamic new tradition celebrating the extraordinary achievements of our alumni in music, theatre, and the performing arts. Named in honor of Loyola’s Wolf Pack spirit, The Howlies spotlights the artists, performers, and visionaries who’ve taken their talent beyond the stage and studio to leave a lasting mark on the arts and culture landscape.
Emily Barber '16
Honoring our Music Crescendo Award recipient, Emily Barber '16. Emily is a dynamic, people-first arts leader committed to building sustainable production cultures and expanding access to opera. She currently serves as Director of Production at Central City Opera, where she oversees the artistic and logistical realization of a vibrant summer season and one of the nation’s most competitive training programs. Previously, Emily served as Interim Director of Production at New Orleans Opera Association and as Director of Production at On Site Opera in New York City. Across these roles, she has guided production teams through both new works and traditional repertoire, reimagining performance spaces and strengthening infrastructure to create welcoming environments for audiences and artists alike. A champion of early-career development, Emily pioneered a Stage Management Intern Program at New Orleans Opera Association, creating pathways for BIPOC individuals to gain hands-on technical theater experience. At Central City Opera, she has collaborated across departments to re-envision internship programs in both Production and Administration, shaping role-specific tracks that provide meaningful professional experience. Emily is a 2025 graduate of the OPERA America Leadership Intensive and has served as a panelist at the OPERA America New Works Forum.
Bari Bellard '17
Honoring our Theatre Arts & Dance Emerging Spotlight Award recipient, Bari Bellard '17. Bari stage-managed and performed in over ten university productions, developing the skills and dedication that continue to define his work today while a student of the Department of Theatre Arts and Dance at Loyola University New Orleans. After graduating, Bari accepted the role of Production Stage Manager at Southern Rep Theatre and has since built a career on cruise ships and national tours of Broadway shows. He has served in stage management roles on the national tours of The Color Purple, CATS, Disney’s The Lion King, Disney’s Aladdin, and Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. His work has taken him across the country and around the world.
Kendall Cousin '15
Honoring our John Snyder Award for Music Industry Emerging Entrepreneur recipient, Kendall Cousin '15. Kendall is a global music marketing expert whose career reflects both a deep passion for cultural connection and a steadfast commitment to artistic excellence. Kendall began his professional career at Capitol Records in Los Angeles as Urban International Marketing Coordinator, where he contributed to global campaigns for artists including Migos, Lil Baby, Katy Perry, and more. He later advanced to Director of International Marketing at Warner Records, overseeing the global development of breakout artists such as Teddy Swims and Benson Boone, while leading campaigns for more established acts. Today, he serves as Senior Director of International Marketing at Interscope Records, where he leads international strategy for world-renowned artists including Kendrick Lamar, Lady Gaga, Katseye, Eminem, Gracie Abrams, and more. Through strategic vision and cultural fluency, he continues to champion music that resonates across borders and connects audiences worldwide.
Ryan Rilette '95
Honoring our Theatre Arts & Dance Legacy Award recipient, Ryan Rilette '95. Ryan is currently in his 14th season as Artistic Director of Round House, one of the leading theaters in the Washington DC area. He has previously served as Producing Director of Marin Theatre Company in the San Francisco Bay Area, Producing Artistic Director of Southern Rep Theatre in New Orleans, and Co-founder / Executive Artistic Director of Rude Mechanicals in New York. He also served as President of the National New Play Network, the nation’s leading service organization for theaters that produce new plays, and was one of the founders and producers of the Women’s Voices Theater Festival, the largest collaboration of theater companies to produce original works by female playwrights in history. In his 27 years of artistic leadership, he has commissioned, developed, and produced new plays by some of the country’s leading playwrights, including multiple Pulitzer, Tony, and Oscar winners. He has produced more than 160 professional plays and musicals, which have garnered more than 50 awards and nominations from the Drama League, Helen Hayes, Bay Area Critics Circle, and Big Easy's, among others. Ryan is also an accomplished actor and director, with numerous credits in film and television in addition to his extensive work at theaters throughout the country.
Chaz Sexton '15
Honoring our John Snyder Award for Music Industry Emerging Creative recipient, Chaz Sexton '15. Chaz is a two-time Grammy nominated audio engineer, producer, and musician who has built a prolific career working behind the glass on major albums and projects. He has notably worked as a staff engineer at the renowned EastWest Studios in Los Angeles. EastWest Studios in Hollywood is one of the most legendary recording facilities in the world (formerly Western Recorders, where iconic artists like Frank Sinatra and The Beach Boys recorded). Operating out of a major commercial hub like EastWest allowed him to build a wildly diverse resume, shifting from classical orchestral sessions to heavy metal within the same building. Chaz exited EastWest in 2024 to continue his work as a freelance producer/ engineer in Los Angeles.
Alfred Walker '96
Honoring our Music Virtuoso Award recipient, Alfred Walker '96. American Bass-Baritone Alfred Walker is internationally recognized for his commanding dramatic presence and richly resonant voice, with appearances at many of the world’s most prestigious opera houses, festivals, and concert stages. His engagements include Teatro alla Scala, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Komische Oper Berlin, Oper Köln, Gran Teatre del Liceu, Festival D’Aix-en-Provence, Glyndebourne Festival Opera, Theater Basel, as well as the Sydney Opera House.
In the United States, he has appeared with the Metropolitan Opera, San Francisco Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Washington National Opera, Los Angeles Opera, Seattle Opera, and Dallas Opera. Alfred is especially celebrated for three signature portrayals that have defined his international reputation: Holländer in Der Fliegende Holländer, Porgy in Porgy and Bess, and Scarpia in Tosca. These performances have been widely praised for their vocal power, dramatic authority, and psychological depth. Notably, his portrayal of Crown in the Metropolitan Opera’s production of Porgy and Bess earned him a Grammy Award in 2019 for his menacing presence and dramatic range. His repertoire also encompasses major roles in works by Mozart, Verdi, Wagner, and Strauss. He has also created roles in numerous world premieres and has been closely associated with new works by many of today’s most important composers, including John Adams’ Antony and Cleopatra. Equally distinguished on the concert stage, he has appeared as a soloist with many of the World’s foremost orchestras.
Next Gen Den - Honoring Young Alumni Making Bold Moves
The Next Gen Den will honor early-career alumni who have demonstrated excellence in their respective professions. One award is given in each SCD program area (Design, Filmmaking, and Mass Communication). This award recognizes the achievements of alumni of the School of Communication and Design who graduated within the past 10 years. This new honor will celebrate the next generation of industry leaders.
Lily Cummings '20
Honoring Next Gen Den honoree, Lily Cummings '20. In just six short years, Lily has climbed the ranks from a multimedia journalist in her hometown of Tulsa, Oklahoma, to weekend anchor at WWLTV. She's won two regional Emmy awards, was named Louisiana Reporter and Multimedia Journalist of the Year by the Louisiana Association of Broadcasters, and she earned her master's in legal studies from the University of Southern California. During her time at Loyola, she became the first student to ever win a Hearst Award for her coverage of the Hard Rock Hotel collapse and human trafficking issues. She was also the recipient of the School of Communication and Design's Bonomo Award, which is given to the top graduate each year. Lily continues to give back to Loyola by volunteering her time with the Dean's Visiting Committee and Young Alumni Board. She's also established a generous scholarship for SCD students to accomplish their goals.
Michael Lardizábal '23
Honoring Next Gen Den honoree, Michael Lardizábel '23. Michael Douglas Lardizábal Foglia is a Honduran-born artist whose work blends absurdism, political satire, and character-driven hubris. A graduate of Loyola University New Orleans’ Digital Filmmaking Program, he wrote and directed El Dilema Artístico, an experimental thesis short about artistic sacrifice that won Best Student Short at the Latino Film Market in New York and screened at the Miami Short Film Festival. He went on to be the first Honduran national to join the prestigious UCLA MFA Screenwriting Program, where he sharpened his unique voice as a writer. He developed stories rooted in his lived experience growing up in Honduras and his deep knowledge of Latin American history and politics. His hour-long drama, An Algae Solution—a tale of extremism in climate solutions, set in the 2030 Honduran Bay Islands—was a finalist for The Sloan Foundation Screenwriting Grant. Michael is currently working out of Los Angeles, developing his debut feature film.
Ashleigh Sparks '16
Honoring Next Gen Den honoree, Ashleigh Sparks '16.